The best Bluetooth speakers still compete in an aggressively rich and varied market. The appetite for personal audio devices has only gotten stronger over the past few years, which is why we have so many different Bluetooth speakers to choose from.
Although some attention has turned to Wi-Fi-enabled smart speakers for the home in recent years, there's still a great deal of (justified) hype around portable Bluetooth speakers that you can use to take your content with you wherever you go.
We've tried and tested many Bluetooth speakers over the past few years at Boss Hunting and have rounded up the best small devices to listen to. Below you will find our favourites from brands like JBL, Bose, Sonos, Bang & Olufsen, BlueAnt and Ultimate Ears.
The Best Bluetooth Speakers You Can Buy
1. Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3 – Best For Pool Parties
With the UE Megaboom 3 (AKA UE Megaboom 3), Ultimate Ears has finessed the idea of on-the-go 360-degree audio, offering a portable Bluetooth speaker that's attractive, durable, and brimming with crispy, well-balanced stereo sound. The two-tone fabric that drapes the speaker grille is available in a huge range of colours and iridescent themes, nailing the simple lifestyle-minded design. It's now of the best wireless Bluetooth speakers you can buy, even after all these years.
2. Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 – Best For Aesthetics
High-end Danish audio company Bang & Olufsen are known for shaping Bluetooth speakers that are as tastefully designed as they are powerful. The IP67-rated, 360-degree Beosound A1 has been a mainstay in designer homes the world over, credited to clear, natural sound that's just as perfect for music and podcasts as it is for crystal clear phone calls.
3. Sony SRS-RA3000 – Best For Home Design
As the company's best premium Bluetooth speaker to date, the Sony SRS-RA300 presents a wide, detailed soundstage with crispy mids and vibrant, attentive highs. For this attractive hybrid Wi-Fi and Bluetooth speaker, Sony has pared back the low end to achieve a better balance, although the companion app's EQ is comprehensive enough that you can really dial in the exact style for your tastes.
4. Sonos Move – Best For Volume
Not only does this hybrid Bluetooth and Wi-Fi speaker deliver in terms of sound, but it also carries Sonos' penchant for thoughtful features like the Sonos Trueplay audio-tuning tech which uses sound waves to calibrate the speaker based on the room it's in. Performance is boosted by two top-quality drivers, giving this speaker enough punch to reach loud volumes while still maintaining that pitch-perfect elegance and sonic structure Sonos has become known for.
We love the Sonos Move so much at Boss Hunting that we've included it in our highly curated guide on the best gifts for men.
RELATED: The 6 Loudest & Most Powerful Bluetooth Speakers You Can Buy
5. Bose Home Portable Speaker – Best For Picnics
As the best Bluetooth speaker to date from Bose, the simply named Bose Home Portable Speaker is a sturdy music bucket packed with a brilliant sound signature with an easy-to-carry haul handle on top. It may not be the most exciting design, but it's the most functional for those who value portability with their Bluetooth speakers.
6. Sonos Roam – Best For Travel
Following the success of the Sonos Move, the company released the Sonos Roam to try and recapture that same portable slickness in a smaller format. The 430 g speaker has been a great success for the audio company with its odd shape that can stand both vertically and horizontally. Packed with smart features, the hybrid Wi-Fi and Bluetooth speaker is my go-to for travel since it can easily slide into a backpack.
7. JBL Charge 5 – Best For Value
There's a strong case for the JBL Charge 5 being the best Bluetooth speaker the famously party-minded brand has ever put out. In terms of build, there's not much to differentiate this from the JBL Charge 4, just tighter curves and a more pronounced logo. The port arrangement has changed slightly as well, designed specifically to help achieve stronger protection with an IP67 rating.
8. JBL PartyBox 310 – Best For Parties
The JBL PartyBox 310 is a beastly performer, playing right into the brand's reputation for producing party-minded speakers, and adding more than a few layers of functions perfect for gatherings both big and small. A substantial step up from the legendary JBL PartyBox 300, the large loudspeaker features a tighter and more impressive fully customisable light show and built-in dual microphones with guitar inputs for some impromptu karaoke.
There are a few other speakers on the market that attempt to include a synced-up light show as part of their appeal, with some fine examples being the JBL Pulse 4 and the Anker Soundcore Flare. But none are as big, impressive, and richly detailed as the JBL PartyBox 310.
9. Soundboks Gen 3 – Best For Outdoor Parties
As the most expensive option on this list of the best Bluetooth speakers, the Soundboks Gen 3 - often just referred to as NEW SOUNDBOKS - does plenty to justify the price tag with up to 126 decibels of beautifully balanced sound. Just one of these will easily fill a large room with clean, crisp, and reliable sound all day with up to 40 hours of battery life.
10. Ultimate Ears Hyperboom – Best For Battery Life
While most know the UE Megaboom 3, Ultimate Ears is at its best and most powerful with the supersized Hyperboom. 24 hours of battery-powered sound that could easily stretch across an entire yard makes this one of the finest choices for those backyard BBQs and mid-sized parties. And we're talking about some of the best sound any Bluetooth speaker in this price range can produce, with thunderous, detailed bass response, really crispy mids, and vibrant highs. The clarity and balance are exceptional.
11. JBL Clip 4 – Best For Camping
I was going to go with the excellent $125 Bose SoundLink Micro for those who want are after a super small, almost pocket-sized Bluetooth speaker. But the $90 JBL Clip 4 has come along in recent months and completely changed the game, improving in every way upon its predecessor but still sticking true to that super convenient small-profile design with the useful built-in carabiner you can use to hang off various attachment points like a backpack strap or a tent.
How Boss Hunting Chose The Best Bluetooth Speakers
At Boss Hunting, we are lucky enough to have access to a great range of consumer technology devices. We regularly spend time with Bluetooth speakers and use them in a variety of settings to test which ones we would want to buy, and ones we would personally recommend to friends. We then discuss our findings in the office and curate our lists based on those discussions.
It's as simple as that, with our main metrics for speakers being overall sound signature, features, companion apps, battery life and design.
For more information please read our editorial policy.
If you found our round-up of the best Bluetooth speakers in Australia helpful, check out our other consumer technology round-ups:
- Best Soundbars In Australia
- Best Wireless Earbuds In Australia
- Best Sports Earbuds In Australia
- Best Massage Guns in Australia
- Best Robot Vacuums in Australia
Frequently Asked Questions
While the best Bluetooth speaker for you is going to depend on the setting, some of the most reliable options right now are the JBL Charge 5, Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3, Sonos Move, and Sonos Roam.
If you want to go loud you're going to want the Soundboks Gen 3, the Ultimate Ears Hyperboom, or the JBL PartyBox 310.
For sound quality, it's hard to look past both the Sonos Roam and Sonos Move, both with TruePlay technology. Also great for volume and sound quality is the JBL Charge 5 and Bose Home Portable Speaker.
The best Bluetooth speakers for camping are going to have a high IP rating and are more portable in size. These include the JBL Clip 4, JBL Charge 5, Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3, and Sonos Roam.
