Speakers Pyrexia

arshall’sMarshall’s new $149 Emberton Bluetooth speaker gives the beloved Logitech Ultimate Ears Boom a run for its money. For starters, it charges over USB-C for quick, no-fuss charging, and it borrows the excellent joystick-like controls from Marshall’s recent lineup of headphones. Instead of having to learn a few combinations of buttons to change the song, or check the battery’s level, everything is dead-simple here. The remaining battery life is conveniently displayed at all times in an LED-lit window. To navigate, simply tilt the gold, spiralized nub in one of four labeled directions to adjust the volume or find the song you want. As some companies try to find clever ways to let you control your devices, such as swipes or gestures, there’s something to be said for physical buttons being easy, accessible, and fun.

Marshall’s Emberton is a basic but brilliant Bluetooth speaker USB-C charging, IPX7 waterproofing, and great sound.

AA $1,300 soundbar doesn’t have much room for compromises. You can spend a fraction of that on a perfectly competent Vizio soundbar, and even premium options like the Sonos Arc cost hundreds less. There will always be people that balk at the notion of spending so much money and not putting it toward a traditional surround sound system — and that’s especially true (and a fair argument) when you reach this price level. So when designing its latest flagship 7.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos soundbar, the HT-A7000, Sony knew it couldn’t settle and had to throw in the entire kitchen sink to justify the steep investment.

And that’s exactly what the company tried to do. The HT-A7000, which starts shipping in September, embraces gamers with two HDMI 2.1 passthrough inputs capable of 8K, 4K at 120Hz, and Dolby Vision HDR. There are still very few soundbars on the market that are so well optimized for next-gen consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X / S. You can plug both Sony and Microsoft’s consoles into the HT-A7000 and enjoy their full visual fidelity — with one unfortunate exception that I’ll explain later. If your TV cruelly only has a single HDMI 2.1 / eARC port, Sony’s new soundbar gives you an extra one. That’s something the Arc or lower-priced soundbars can’t do.

Sony HT-A7000 review: a next-gen Atmos soundbar that’s (almost) perfect for gaming But there’s one downside for Xbox Series X or S owners.

Bose is introducing its first new portable Bluetooth speaker in quite a while. The $149 SoundLink Flex has a ruggedized design with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, 12-hour battery life, and what Bose claims is “astonishing” audio performance for its size.

At 7.9 inches wide, 3.6 inches high, 2.1 inches deep, and weighing slightly over one pound, the SoundLink Flex is nicely compact and has a built-in utility loop for attaching to a carabiner. It’ll be sold in three colors: there’s black, smoke white, and blue.

Inside the SoundLink Flex is a custom transducer that Bose says is “as big as could fit” and capable of producing “bass that you can feel in your chest.” Using a feature that Bose calls “PositionIQ,” the speaker can detect what orientation its in — upright, hanging, or flat on its back — and tune audio output accordingly.


The speaker is designed to withstand the elements. Image: Bose
The speaker has a silicone back and powder-coated steel grille, and Bose claims it’s designed to resist corrosion and fend off any discoloration from UV light. With that IP67 rating, it’s a pool-safe speaker, and Bose says it’ll float to the surface when dropped into water.

There’s nothing particularly “smart” about the SoundLink Flex, but it can be linked up with any Bose smart speakers or soundbars you’ve got at home. And you can stereo pair it with another SoundLink Flex or a different Bose portable speaker. There’s also a built-in microphone for taking calls and interacting with the voice assistant on your phone. (Bose still sells the much pricier Portable Smart Speaker for $400 with built-in voice capabilities, but you can do better for less money than that.)

Bose’s new SoundLink Flex speaker has a rugged design and "astonishing" sound And at $149, it’s not going to break the bank.

veryEvery so often, you get a reminder that Weird Sony is still alive and well. The company might be releasing best-in-class wireless earbuds, gorgeous OLED TVs, and premium soundbars, but it also still dabbles in unusual gadgets that stand no chance of appealing to a mass audience.

It’s fair to say that the $350 LSPX-S3 Glass Sound Speaker is exactly that kind of product. A combined portable Bluetooth speaker and candlestick-like table lamp, the LSPX-S3 is by no means designed for the everyday consumer. It’s not supposed to be your rugged, take-anywhere speaker. It’s a statement piece that could add ambiance to a romantic dinner, a bedside table, or a meal outside on a summer evening. Sony sees enough in this concept to have kept at it for three generations now.

Sony Glass Sound Speaker review: it’s not what it looks like It looks like a b**g, but the glass tube makes for better sound.

Wireless Bluetooth speakers have become ubiquitous, indispensable gadgets. Everyone’s got one somewhere, and the use cases vary from person to person. Maybe you use your speaker around the house or as a shower soundtrack. Maybe you bring it along to the park or beach. And then there are those people who take a portable speaker practically everywhere they go — sharing their music from a bike or backpack with everyone nearby.

I know a lot of people who have old Bluetooth speakers kicking around, and if the one you’ve got is still working for you, there’s no immediate need to upgrade to something newer. But Bluetooth speakers have gotten very good in recent years. Sound quality continues to improve, battery life is stretching to new records, and they’re more robust and durable than ever before.

If you’re shopping around for a new speaker, start off by considering what size you want. For this guide, I’m mostly sticking to portable Bluetooth speakers and excluding anything that’s impractical to take on the go. From there, you need to weigh other criteria like audio quality, ease of use, durability, and bonus features like speakerphone functionality. Some speakers let you stereo pair two of them together, and several companies include “party mode” capabilities that let you link many speakers together. If you don’t really care about any of that, you can get a tiny Bluetooth speaker for as little as $25. But all of the picks here go a little further in terms of features and style.

The best Bluetooth speakers to buy right now Sound quality and durability have never been better.

Speakers Pyrexia updated their business hours.