Help me pick a bluetooth speaker

I had a [pretty awful] 2.1 surround system in the RV which I bought mostly because the TV speakers were so terrible.  It did the job, but now it's fried.  Amp died.

I have decided to replace it with a double-duty machine... a bluetooth speaker that I can plug into the TV and doesn't suck, and then unplug it and take it along in the boat.

Needs:

• 3.5mm jack for the TV because I hate the lag between the video and audio
• water resistant in case it gets splashed, but it's not like I'll be floating in the water with it
• decent, full-range sound
• Not huge

Doesn't needs:

• 500 hours of play time.  10-12 hours would be nice
• stereo or 2.1, but could be if the price is right

To give you an example, I listened to the $109 Bose Sounlink Flex SE and was actually pretty impressed.  Bass doesn't boom, but it's present enough to fit the bill.  Only problem is that it lacks a 3.5mm aux jack.

JBL has a few that sound nice, but it seems that in order to get good enough sound, you have to get into a larger and too-expensive footprint

I currently own a $20 Anker SoundCore, and I love the compact size, but it's far from full range.  I mean, it's tiny.  I use it for tenting tunes, but it's not much better than the TV speakers.  I would like to keep the budget around $100-150, but hoping for that diamond in the rough that is cheap and does what I need.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/jbl-xtreme-2-portable-bluetooth-speaker-black/6213284.p?skuId=6213284&extStoreId=157&utm_source=feed&ref=212&loc=20065819851&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqdqvBhCPARIsANrmZhPXGHfuTnDSIns0iD7xmLpcusfL_Ce3215JYXO0QX_BfHbIDGf0C0kaAlLFEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

I have this. It's pretty serious for its form factor. It's smaller than a 2l bottle of soda. I've been happy with it so far. 

In reply to Mndsm :

That might do the trick.  A little bigger than I was hoping for, but I'll see if they have one I can listen to at the local best buy.

I bought a coupla these two weeks ago: https://electronics.woot.com/offers/nakamichi-punch-portable-bluetooth-speaker-8?ref=w_cnt_wp_0_1

Only 60 bucks and it produces pretty big sound for their size. 3.5mm aux jack and bluetooth also. Plays for at least 8 hours on a charge; the only reason I don't know if it lasts longer than that is cuz that's how long I need to run it off the battery.

I think a lot of the mainstream Bluetooth speakers don't have a 3.5mm jack unfortunately.

For example, a guy at work has a JBL Charge 5. He was playing tunes while working in the hangar on an aircraft. I was impressed with how loud and full the bass was. It's like $180 on the jungle website (less of you buy a used/renewed one) but it doesn't have a 3.5mm aux jack.

I've used a cheap 2.1 sound bar in the garage with great results. I previously used a Soundcore 2 for garage tunes but the sound bar has more volume. 

https://ecoxgear.com/collections/portable-speakers/products/soljam

I have an old version of this.  No solar but it has a light and other stuff.  It's been kicking for a long time now, love it as a phone charger for travel.

stanger_mussle (Supported by GRM undergarments) said:

I think a lot of the mainstream Bluetooth speakers don't have a 3.5mm jack unfortunately.

For example, a guy at work has a JBL Charge 5. He was playing tunes while working in the hangar on an aircraft. I was impressed with how loud and full the bass was. It's like $180 on the jungle website (less of you buy a used/renewed one) but it doesn't have a 3.5mm aux jack.

I've used a cheap 2.1 sound bar in the garage with great results. I previously used a Soundcore 2 for garage tunes but the sound bar has more volume. 

Seems to be about 50/50 on the 3.5mm jack.  I did look at a soundbar.  To get one that sounds decent, I'm looking at either 48" long or way too expensive.  I did listen to a Yamaha soundbar that I liked, but it was massive and $899 at Costco.

Seems like the Reddit crew likes JBL a lot.  The Charge 4 has an aux input and has a -3db of 63hz.  That's not terrible for $100.

I came in to recommend Monster EZ Play series of speakers. I like them because you can wirelessly connect up to 8 of them and have music all over the house or yard. I have 6 of them I use for parties and in the backyard. They are waterproof, 20 watts, sound decent, and have a 1/8" input or Bluetooth. 

Unfortunately, it looks like they are all out of stock and possibly discontinued except for the Monster Torch and it's pretty pricey and not at all subtle. 

https://mymonsteraudio.com/products/monster-torch?_pos=1&_fid=af281d9c6&_ss=c

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

I'm a bit confused but perhaps you can clue me in. The Nakamichi speaker on Woot for 60 bucks pretty much nails your requirements. I don't suppose it floats but it does have the 3.5mm stereo plug and it probably plays for more than 8 hours. Is there something I'm missing? All of the other speakers I've seen either cost way more or don't have the 3.5...

In reply to rdcyclist :

I'm still trying to research the Nakamichi - things like frequency response are a little elusive.  The two small red flags I noticed (which probably aren't big deals for me) is the 4-6 hour battery claim, which I'm really curious if it's even that much, given the 1800 mAh battery.  It looks like maybe they updated to a new version since yours?  I also saw some reviews that mentioned it didn't have much on the low end.

I'm tempted to order a few from Amazon (just because I know their returns are easy).  I actually ordered a JBL Charge 4 which has an aux jack.  I might snag the Nakamichi, and people are going nuts over the Oontz Angle, and it's on sale for $27.  The local Best Buy has an Xtreme 2 in stock, so I can go listen to that one without waiting for shipping.

I didn't mean to ignore your suggestion, and I appreciate the input greatly.  I think now I just need to get them all in my hands and try them.

Check out House of Marley speakers. Us site and Canadian site have a few differences. I have a No Bounds to use by the hot tub. It's small but good sound.

I was holding off but since you might order a few off Amazon...

Polk Audio Camden Square

I have had this unit since 2015....yeah, old school.  It has been long ago discontinued by Polk but Amazon is showing to still have a few.  Polk seems to no longer sell a BT speaker.  

Read the Amazon reviews, they are pretty strong about this unit. 
It does have 3.5mm
It is surprisingly heavy, 4 lbs
It really does have 24 battery life!
Its not waterproof/resistant

In the Amazon review, there is a picture review showing the internals.  That customer is complaining of the internal battery dying.  I suspect that is because he always kept the power cord plugged into the unit.  However, in that picture, look at the heft of the speaker magnets...and there are 4 of them in there.  

Polk tried to make some multi-user app a "differentiator" in selling this unit.  That was hokey and a poorly executed software according to the reviews.  Personally, I never used it but no reviews complain of the sound quality.  

The unit is 7" square.  A cheap bottle of water stands 8"

Also, dig into a few of the other models mentioned in the big Amazon review on that page, a model by Klipsch.  

Right now, I have it playing some 60's Ska (Skatalites) via Pandora

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

Got it. I've been running the thing in the lab for an entire day and the battery dies the next day so I think it lasts longer than 8 but I could be wrong. Since my hearing is clipped around 4kHz, I'm not a good judge of sound quality but the others who have heard, say it sounds great. At the price point, I don't know how it can be beat but I look forward to seeing if it can.

Re: 3.5mm and TV speaker capability

I repurposed a set of Bose Companion Computer Speakers for a bedroom TV, old flat screen with just a rear facing speaker.  Plug the Bose speakers in via 3.5mm to the TV and now I have simple, forward facing sound.  

OK you want an old Jawbone Big Jambox.

https://www.amazon.com/Jawbone-JAMBOX-Wireless-Bluetooth-Speaker/dp/B006AXRR3Y

3.5mm jack all day long.

Tons of sound/tons of bass for its size.

Really really REALLLY nice factor.

Outstanding battery life.  

Yes the company is bankrupt.  Don't let that slow you down.  The Big Jambox and the Mini Jambox are the epitome of this type of equipment.

In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :

You know, Monster makes a bunch of speakers without the EZ Play. You might look at this one. $119, 40 Watts, IPX7 waterproof 30 minutes at 3 feet, 40 hours of playtime with a 4000 mah battery. It supports micro SD card/USB input/AUX input/microphone input. 

I haven't personally used one of these but their other speakers I have used are well-built and sound good. 

We can make panel speakers for the RV that will sound better than anything on the market at a lower cost, allowing you to just focus on a water resistant Bluetooth option for the boat and the sound quality on the boat isn't going to be the same dynamic for the RV. 

In reply to Captdownshift (Forum Supporter) :

Talk to me.  I was under the impression that they were poor at bass.  I also don't really have much wall space to put them in front of.

They're pretty weak with regards to bass, but in a smaller space that's less of an issue. Backspacing is the larger issue, especially with larger panels. I admittedly was thinking about a sound stage inside the RV, not something that you'd bring out around a campsite, so in hindsight, it's probably not the droid you're looking for. 

In reply to Toyman! :

They sure do have some good reviews.  A little bigger than I wanted, but I'll see if I can get my hands on one to test.

Ok, in one way or another (amazon, in-store, etc) I put ears on the JBL Xtreme 2, JBL Charge 4, Oontz Angle, and Nakamichi.  Someone at work had a Nakamichi, and I just listened to it in their car, so maybe not an adequate comparison.

Xtreme 2 - I loved the sound.  By far the best of all of them, especially in the bass category.  Super clear highs, punchy mids, and an app that lets you EQ

Charge 4 - Close second to the Xtreme.  I found it to be 60% the size and 80% the volume, but it maintained the clarity and only dropped a few Hz off the bottom end.

Nakamichi - Mighty fine sound at lower levels, but if I pushed it, it digitally trimmed the bass a bit.  It definitely hits above its weight class.

Oontz Angle - I have nothing good to say about this one.  It sounded marginally better than my phone speakers.

So right now my pick is the Charge 4.  Half the price of the Xtreme, but still great sound in a small package.  Once I send the others back, I might pick up a Monster and a Jawbone like Toyman and gsxturbo suggested.  They look like strong contenders.

My current garage setup is a pair of JBL Flip 4s.  One sounds good, 2 linked in stereo punch way above their size.  6-8 hour battery life, but no 3.5mm jack.  You can get 3.5mm audio jack to Bluetooth transmitters, but that is adding either another power supply or battery life issue into the mix.

what about the DIY route?
https://www.parts-express.com/Executive-Portable-Bluetooth-Speaker-Kit-300-7164?quantity=1

I have one in my kitchen and I like the way it sounds.  It was a fun and not that difficult project to build.  I have had it for several years and because it's DIY and all parts express stuff when i have needed to service it I was able to easily enough.  

Its a bit on the pricier side because by the time you add feet, a handle, and finishing materials it'll probably run you $350'ish.  

It has a 3.5mm port on the inside of the amp board so you'll just have to get an external adapter for it to work.  I also soldered on a USB port onto the board and power a alexa puck on it making it a fully self-contained alexa speaker that is battery powered and will last 6 hours+.  
 

travellering said:

My current garage setup is a pair of JBL Flip 4s.  One sounds good, 2 linked in stereo punch way above their size.  6-8 hour battery life, but no 3.5mm jack.  You can get 3.5mm audio jack to Bluetooth transmitters, but that is adding either another power supply or battery life issue into the mix.

And lip synch delay which makes it un-fun as a TV speaker

In reply to ClearWaterMS :

I did build an MKBoom bluetooth kit as a gift, and it really sounds nice.  My problem with the Executive is that it's too big to be something I can throw in my bag to take fishing, and too big for the TV stand in the RV.  It should also have some modicum of water resistance for splashes and the like.  Never know when I'll be caught 9 miles up the lake and a storm rolls in.

The TV is a 32" and the little stand in the corner of the RV is about 15 x 15

But you're right... if the executive sounds as nice as I've been told, it's a sweet box.