Does size of BT speakers matter?

[pete6032]

I have a small kitchen and I'm using a Jam XT BT speaker. It sounds OK but any time my furnace/AC turns on, it drowns out the speaker, and I have to turn the volume up to hear it, which seems to make some tones very piercing while other subtle tones cannot be heard, like when listening to classical music. Is this because of the small size of the speaker? Would I be better off buying a larger speaker if I wanted to listen to music with bigger dynamic ranges like classical music?

 

[TheStu]

A larger, more powerful, speaker would have an easier time and would, in theory, be more able to get over the noise of the furnace.

I have no recommendations for you, this isn't a problem I've encountered, and I don't know your budget.

Do you have another set of larger speakers? Google makes the chromecast audio now (or whatever it's called), a little dongle that plugs into a 3.5mm audio-in port, and lets you connect over BT. Or, if you have an iPhone, you can pick up an airport express that will double as a wireless network extender, and Airplay audio target. It costs more so it's only worth it if you want the network extending.

 

[vi edit]

Not sure what your budget is, but the Sonos Play 1 can slam pretty hard for such a small little speaker. I got mine at Best Buy open box for around $170. I've seen them regularly sold for around that.

 

[Commodus]

If you're interested in getting a louder, fuller sound, you definitely want to upgrade. Size doesn't automatically guarantee a better sound, but it does afford more room for powerful tweeters and woofers.

I'd echo the Sonos Play:1 recommendation if you can afford it. Good sound for the price, and it lets you stream services directly through the speaker (you need a mobile device or PC to control it, of course).

If you have to go Bluetooth, the easiest solution is either a UE Boom 2 or UE Megaboom. They're powerful, and still deliver a fairly rich sound.

 

[dainthomas]

If you're interested in getting a louder, fuller sound, you definitely want to upgrade. Size doesn't automatically guarantee a better sound, but it does afford more room for powerful tweeters and woofers.

I'd echo the Sonos Play:1 recommendation if you can afford it. Good sound for the price, and it lets you stream services directly through the speaker (you need a mobile device or PC to control it, of course).

If you have to go Bluetooth, the easiest solution is either a UE Boom 2 or UE Megaboom. They're powerful, and still deliver a fairly rich sound.

The Megaboom sounds great, but is more difficult to lug around and expensive. I have the Boom 2 and it's almost the perfect combination of size and sound. In addition to being completely waterproof.

 

[Oyeve]

I just received my Shark SK869 boombox. I must say, I am rather imnpressed with the build and sound quality. Very solid and loud!

 

[luv2liv]

for speakers, size matters. the bigger the speaker, the more air it can move. put your hands next to a loudspeaker and you can definitely feel the audio.
if you want a bluetooth speaker, Logitech UE Boom series are some of the best. heres one for $240
http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-984-000304-Boombox-Wireless-Bluetooth/dp/B0094S35QU/

 

[pete6032]

Thanks. The thing I am wondering is, I am really not at all concerned at all about speaker size or battery life. I'd be fine with something that plugs in even. Given that, would I be able to get more bang for my buck by buying a wireless bt speaker or buying some other kind of setup? Really all I need it for is to stream BT audio. I was thinking something around $100?

 

[Midwayman]

Size matters. Bigger speakers reproduce lower sounds much better. All speakers roll off in loudness as frequency gets lower, and due to physical size there is a limit as to what volume a speaker of a given size can drive a sound at a given frequency.

As you turn up a small speaker its inability to produce lower sounds becomes even more pronounced. 'Piercing' as you say. A small speaker can produce those volumes at high frequency, but not low. This is why you can get 160db out of a small 1" dome speaker, but only as a piercing screech. To get that at 50hz you'll have a speaker the size of a shopping cart.

A larger speaker paired with a big enough amp will have a much easier time driving all frequencies over your noise floor. So it will sound balanced instead of piercing. Just a bigger speaker won't do it though. It needs more power as well. It takes far more energy to make low frequencies loud.

Edit- If you want something loud and cheap and don't mind plugging it in, look into gaming computer speakers. I have a set of these guys at work and they fill up a large room pretty easy. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...U-_ewaAtjq8P8HAQ&is=REG&ap=y&m=Y&A=details&Q=

 

[shortylickens]

As a general rule, larger speakers sound better.
Keep in mind some manufacturers pull shady crap. Apparently those Beats headphones are only heavy because they put lead weights in them.

 

[Commodus]

Thanks. The thing I am wondering is, I am really concerned at all about speaker size or battery life. I'd be fine with something that plugs in even. Given that, would I be able to get more bang for my buck by buying a wireless bt speaker or buying some other kind of setup? Really all I need it for is to stream BT audio. I was thinking something around $100?

If you want to keep it around $100 and Bluetooth, the UE Roll (can you sense a theme here? UE is well-reviewed) should do the trick. If not that, the Logitech X300 is a good choice.

 

[pete6032]

Size matters. Bigger speakers reproduce lower sounds much better. All speakers roll off in loudness as frequency gets lower, and due to physical size there is a limit as to what volume a speaker of a given size can drive a sound at a given frequency.

As you turn up a small speaker its inability to produce lower sounds becomes even more pronounced. 'Piercing' as you say. A small speaker can produce those volumes at high frequency, but not low. This is why you can get 160db out of a small 1" dome speaker, but only as a piercing screech. To get that at 50hz you'll have a speaker the size of a shopping cart.

A larger speaker paired with a big enough amp will have a much easier time driving all frequencies over your noise floor. So it will sound balanced instead of piercing. Just a bigger speaker won't do it though. It needs more power as well. It takes far more energy to make low frequencies loud.

Edit- If you want something loud and cheap and don't mind plugging it in, look into gaming computer speakers. I have a set of these guys at work and they fill up a large room pretty easy. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...U-_ewaAtjq8P8HAQ&is=REG&ap=y&m=Y&A=details&Q=

Yes this is what I'm thinking of. I can turn up my Bluetooth speaker to very loud to play over the background noise of the furnace or dish washer, but the sound gets very piercing as you mention. I'm wondering if I have space for a bigger speaker and don't need battery powered, if it would be better to buy a Bluetooth speaker as mentioned, versus buying something like these speakers for $100. What would produce better sound overall?

 

[yh125d]

You might consider grabbing a used TV soundbar. I have an old LG one across the top of my fridge that does bluetooth and it works pretty well, despite being fairly small speaker wise, they're meant to be a (cheap) home theater, and in my experience gets loud enough to be running dishwasher, sink, frying chicken and clothes in the dryer (did those just tonight in fact).

I do use mine mostly for podcasts and stuff rather than music, but the times I do listen to music the quality is fine enough. Probably no worse than you're likely to get out of the better portable speakers

 

[Jembo]

You can always use some good PC speakers you might have kicking around & plug in a bluetooth reciever. These things work great & if you get a portable model you can also plug your headphones into them.

http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=bluetooth+reciever&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Abluetooth+reciever

 

[Midwayman]

Yes this is what I'm thinking of. I can turn up my Bluetooth speaker to very loud to play over the background noise of the furnace or dish washer, but the sound gets very piercing as you mention. I'm wondering if I have space for a bigger speaker and don't need battery powered, if it would be better to buy a Bluetooth speaker as mentioned, versus buying something like these speakers for $100. What would produce better sound overall?

Trouble with bluetooth is there tends to be quite a premium on models with bluetooth connectivity. You'll get far better speakers for the money just buying speakers and adding a bluetooth receiver module if you need it. It doesn't help that bluetooth speakers tend to be marketed toward people not overly concern with quality and portability is a prime concern for most of them.

 

[gar655]

PeachTree Audio, DeepBlue II. AC only, but it sounds fantastic. Better than most bookshelf, amp combos at the same price- $400.

Another option that looks to be pretty good is the Fluance Fi50 at $200.