enter value/s in increments of 1 between 20 and 3300
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Speaker type
Home speakers need to be plugged into an outlet and aren't usually designed with portability in mind. Portable speakers are battery powered and are much easier to move around or take outside the house. They also often include a dust and water protection rating.
Battery powered
Sound quality score
Our testers assess sound quality using four types of audio: classical, jazz, pop and speech (i.e. podcasts). Technical measurements of frequency response and harmonic distortion are also taken.
enter value/s in increments of i between 12 and 86
Shop Ethical rating
Shop Ethical rates the environmental and social impact of the company (not the product) using independent sources. This rating is not included in our total score. N/A means there is no rating for that company.
Ease of use score
Ease of use is assessed by performing common tasks with the speaker. This includes the initial setup, Bluetooth pairing and Wi-Fi connectivity (where applicable) and operation using onboard controls, associated apps and remote controls if available. We also assess the quality and usefulness of models with onboard displays and the user manual. Virtual assistants such as Alexa or the Google Assistant also undergo an ease of use assessment when present.
enter value/s in increments of i between 37 and 88
Battery life (mins)
Total play time of the battery after a full charge, with music playing at 80 decibels.
enter value/s in increments of i between 302 and 2834
Annual energy use (kWh)
Annual energy consumption for home speakers that require mains power. Measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh).
enter value/s in increments of i between 5.55 and 50.55
Voice assistant
Is a digital assistant included with the smart speaker?
Apple AirPlay 2 support
Google Cast support
Availability
A Similar model is identical in most aspects except for a few. This means that a majority of its test results are identical so you can reasonably expect to get the same results from the model we tested, but for those aspects which aren't identical, we'll note these as "Not Tested" in the Compare tables.
A Tested model refers to a model that is still current and available in the Australian market. You should be able to order this model through your local retailer, or find it online.
These models can't be found in retailers or online or are no longer manufactured. You may still find these models on second hand websites, or in second hand dealers. Test methods may change over time, so criteria which can't be directly compared will contain an N/A.
An Identical model is exactly that. Performance characteristics will be identical and the only difference will be something trivial such as colour, which won't have an impact on performance.
These are models we haven't yet tested but that are available.
Included in this review
- CHOICE Expert Rating
- Recommended
- Sound quality score
- Ease of use score
- Power score
- Battery life mins
- Annual energy use kWh
- Price
- Shop Ethical rating
- Battery powered
- Bluetooth
- Wi-Fi
- Voice assistant
- Assistant type
- App available
- Spotify Connect
- Apple AirPlay 2 support
- Google Cast support
- Multi room support
- Bluetooth multi pairing
- USB can charge other devices
- Dust/water resistant
- Speaker shape
- Dimensions (mm, HxWxD)
- Weight (g)
- Country of origin