Gadgets for the Guru-Bluetooth speakers showdown

Here at AZTB, we have received some very cool bluetooth speakers. Here is a quick review of all these speakers.
 
 
UE_BOOM_COLOURSUltimate Ears Boom (UE Boom)
The UE Boom portable bluetooth speaker is great for every occasion. With a water and stain resistant acoustic skin,  the UE Boom is perfect for the beach and pool party. Its cylindrical shape allows for a 360-degree sound output. A subsidiary of Logitech, the UE Boom is able to provide high quality music with a sleek beautiful design. You can enjoy 15 hours of playback on one charge and users can pair two speakers together using the UE Boom app for iOS and Android devices for stereo output.

$199.99 Available in 6 colors ultimateears.com

Watch a video of the UE Boom here.

 
Sound quality

  • Clarity: Super clear music, no fuzzy white noise, no distracting background noise 
  • Bass: The bass is not as strong at high volumes.
  • Volume: Maximum Sound Level 88dBA: The boom easily fills up the entire room with its 360˚ of sound without distorting the song, great for the outdoors.

Charging

  • Rechargeable lithium ion battery with up to 15 hours of battery life. Battery life may vary based on use, settings, and environmental conditions

Compatibility

  • App connectivity with iOS and Android
  • Devices that support Bluetooth capability
  • Phone call support with Bluetooth capable phones
  • Mobile range of play is up to 15m (50 ft)

Appearance

  • Sleek, cylinder design
  • 7.1 inches tall
  • Weighs 538 grams
  • Multiple color combinations
  • Water resistant
  • Stain resistant
  • “Acoustic”, rubbery skin
  •  non-removable water and stain resistant cloth covered in a plasma coating

Rate: 4.5/5 

 
 
 

BeatsPill

Beats by Dr. Dre Pill Wireless Speaker

The pill speaker is a small but powerful compact system that plays music via Bluetooth or an aux cable. Users are able to take calls directly through the speaker.

$179.99 radioshack.com

 
Sound quality

  • Clarity: Song clarity is not as good as the UE Boom, but provides a very pleasant hearing experience
  • Bass: The bass works much better compared to the other speakers despite the Pill’s small size
  • Volume: The pill gets exceptionally loud without too much distortion.

Charging

  • Rechargeable lithium ion battery with up to 7.0 hours (average at 80dB) . Battery life may vary based on use, settings, and environmental conditions 

Compatibility:

  • 1.5 m audio cable (3.5mm to 3.5 mm)
  • USB 2.0 charge/data cable

Appearance

  • Sleek, pill-like design
  • High quality buttons and design
  • Multiple colors
  • Weight (kg): 0.31
  • Height (mm): 45.72
  • Length (mm): 190.50

Rate: 4/5

 
 
 

Tunz_package2

TYLT TUNZ

For any music-loving lover, the tiny TUNZ speaker connects to any Bluetooth-enabled device. Users can also charge their device via the speaker and the speaker comes with three vibration-canceling silicon bands in red, blue and black and is great for any time of the day. It features touch controls for volume, play, pause and handsfree call/answer.

 $149.99 tylt.com  Watch a video here
 
Sound Quality

  • Clarity: Audio performance is decent for its size with dynamic sounds
  • Bass: Bass is surprisingly decent at maximum volume,  the silicon bands work well for absorbing noise 
  • Volume: 80dB Max Output. It is able to get really loud and fill the room but distorts at high volume

 
Charging

  • It has a 2800 mAh battery that plays up to 20 hours of music on 50% volume.
  • Takes 7 hours to fully charge the speaker
  • A user can also charge their device through the speaker’s 2800 mAh battery.
  • Universal USB charging port with 1Amp output for charging external devices. 

 
Compatibility

  • Bluetooth 3.0 enabled
  • NFC enabled
  • Built in Noise Cancelling Microphone

 
Appearance

  • Compact design, easy to use
  • Touch buttons at the top of the speaker- Volume, Play, Pause, Hand-free Call/Answer
  • Comes with 3 differently colored vibration-canceling silicon bands
  • Weight 12.9 oz.

Rate: 4/5

 
 
 

iHome iBN26iBN26W.jpg.450x400_q85

The iBN26 is a Bluetooth-enabled wireless stereo system with built-in speakerphone capability. NFC (near field communication) technology instantly connects NFC-capable devices to Bluetooth. Stream wireless digital audio via Bluetooth from any of your devices.


$79.99 ihomeaudio.com

Sound Quality

  • Clarity: The sound quality is decent and clear, works like the other speakers
  • Bass: Can barely hear the bass, sounds like the radio.
  • Volume: The song distorts as it gets louder

 
Charging

  • Needs an adaptor to have the iHome running, compared to the other’s which has built in rechargeable batteries, a Universal 100-240V AC adaptor is included
  • USB port to charge devices is available

 
Compatibility

  • Bluetooth enabled
  • NFC enabled
  • Integrated microphone to take phone calls

 
Appearance

  • Plastic body which makes the speaker really light, but also a cheap feel to it
  • Buttons on the speaker is made out of plastic, there is a loud snapping noise
  • Circular shape might suggest that you’ll get true 360-degree sound
  • Available in different colors
  • Weight: 2.26 lbs
  • Dimensions: 6.03″ W x 2.48″ H x 6.03″ D 

Rate: 3.5/5