Speakers
JBL Xtreme 2 vs Boombox 2: The Bass-Heavy Outdoor Party Speakers Compared
The JBL Xtreme 2 and JBL Boombox 2 can look quite a bit alike, especially if you’re just glancing at online photos of the two and mulling over which to buy. But while they share a similar esthetic and features, they’re quite a different experience to actually use. The JBL Boombox 2 measures about twice …
Alternatives to the Bose SoundWear Companion: Cheaper Wearable Neck Speakers
The Bose SoundWear Companion is a beautiful-sounding innovation for personal sound, but this wearable neck speaker is also rather expensive. We’ve done a thorough comparison of every alternative speaker out there at present, and come up with some perfectly fine and much cheaper speakers that can help quality sound follow you around without blocking your …
The Best Tiny, Wearable Bluetooth Speaker
We’ve analyzed all of the teeniest Bluetooth speaker options out there — those that are small enough to be clipped or strapped onto clothing, or slide into a pocket. For now, we’ve got one main recommendation. We’ll list a few other cheap tiny options later in this piece as well. Our Top Pick for Tiny, Wearable …
Marshall Kilburn II (The 2018 Update) vs the Kilburn I (Original): What’s the Difference?
Torn between the old and the new versions of the deservedly loved Marshall Kilburn? The Marshall Kilburn II is getting lots of praise, but for now the original is still on sale and often discounted. So which should you get? We’ve done a thorough meta-analysis of the reviews for both, and these are speakers that …
JBL Pulse 3 vs Pulse 4: Is the Update to this Trippy-Light-Show Speaker Worth it?
Not all Bluetooth speakers actually improve in their new additions — though most do. We’re excited to take a peek at the JBL Pulse 4 and see if it’s a worthy follow-up to the Pulse 3. The JBL Pulse 4 was released in September 2019 and Pulse 3 in January of 2017, so we wouldn’t …
Contrast These High-End Sonic Buckets! The Bose Portable Home Speaker vs. the Bose Soundlink Revolve +
The Bose Portable Home Speaker, released in September of 2019, is just a big bigger and heavier than the Bose Soundlink Revolve+, and looks similar. But it’s important to be aware that the new speaker has a whole different set of features. The Revolve+ is the largest of Bose’s portable offerings, and was released in …
The Full Comparison: Marshall Stockwell II vs Kilburn II vs Tufton, or Choosing Your Portable Guitar-Amp-Like Bluetooth Speaker
There are some major differences in the range of portable Marshall Bluetooth speakers to be aware of, even if the Stockwell II, Kilburn II, and Tufton do have the same outward design and similar sound profiles. (Note that there is no such thing as a Marshall Tufton II; the recently released Tufton is the newest …
JBL Charge 4 vs Xtreme 2: Comparing These Mid-Sized Road Party Speakers
JBL has two mid-sized cylindrical speakers that are waterproof, super tough, and just light enough to be carried outside anywhere for a party or barbecue. But the company’s own pages on the JBL Charge 4 and JBL Xtreme 2 don’t do much more than make it clear that models like to lounge next to them …
Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 1 vs Wonderboom 2: Is the Upgrade Worth It?
We’re generally fans of small, outdoors-ready speakers and so were excited to see and hear the upgrade to the short, squat nearly pocket-sized speaker, which was the best-sounding speaker for its tiny size, price, and super-indestructibility. And the new is absolutely an improvement over the original; as we’ll discuss below, it goes a bit louder …
JBL Charge 3 vs Charge 4: Is the Upgrade Really Better?
Newer is not always better; we’ve seen this sometimes even with JBL’s speaker designs. So we were curious to unravel the differences between the JBL Charge 3 and the newer JBL Charge 4. First of all, let’s be honest. If you already have the JBL Charge 3, you do not need to upgrade to the …