The 9 Best Speaker Brands - Fall 2024

Sonos is an American company that manufactures high-end audio products mainly designed for home use, like smart speakers and soundbars. Their speakers stand out from other brands thanks to their connectivity-focused designs—you can create a whole ecosystem of Sonos soundbars and speakers through the app, which allows you to spread audio throughout multiple rooms in your home. Generally, their speakers have sleek and premium designs to blend into your decor, with built-in voice assistant support for hands-free control. These high-end products boast great sound, but you'll probably want to look elsewhere for a simpler speaker.

The Sonos Era 300 is the best speaker we've tested from the manufacturer. It's emblematic of the manufacturer's connectivity-oriented designs since you can use it on its own or pair it up with a Sonos soundbar to create a home theater setup right in the comfort of your living room. It boasts many premium features like built-in Alexa, Dolby Atmos support, and a room correction tool to optimize its sound based on your room's unique acoustics. The Sonos Roam 2 and the Sonos Move 2 are good alternatives if you prefer a more portable model. Again, they boast a great sound, but their premium price point isn't ideal for everyone.

Bose is another American manufacturer that's one of the main competitors to Sonos. Both manufacturers are known for their premium smart speakers that are designed for home use. However, Bose's lineup is more wide-ranging and versatile than their competition, so you have a lot more options to choose from. You can find more budget-friendly and portable options for use outside of the home, as well as wireless PA systems like the Bose S1 Pro+ for musicians. Depending on your tastes, the company's signature sound is either a benefit or a drawback.

The Bose SoundLink Max is the best of both worlds. While it lacks the voice assistant capabilities of the Bose Portable Smart Speaker, it makes up for this with the right combination of portability and powerful sound. It features a balanced stereo frequency response, with punchy bass and detailed highs that can be sustained for over 15 hours on a single charge. Its premium design is reflected in its price and its IP67 rating for protection against water and dust. If you want a more simple, rugged speaker for outdoor use, something like the Bose SoundLink Flex may be a better alternative for you.

JBL is another well-known name in the speaker space. This brand is notable due to their wide selection of speakers geared towards many different market segments, from their party-oriented PartyBox lineup to the more home-oriented Authentics lineup. JBL's speakers are more rugged, too, and their sturdy build is part of their appeal, especially if you plan to use them on the go. Compared with Sonos and Bose speakers, these models aren't quite as stylish but boast other features like IP ratings for dust and water resistance.

The JBL Boombox 3 is one of the manufacturer's more premium offerings, and its versatile performance is designed to please many different listeners. As its name implies, this speaker has a boombox-like design with a built-in handle to take your tunes on the go. It's a mighty speaker with great sound quality, so you can enjoy a deep and thumpy bass with EDM and hip-hop tracks and clear and accurate vocals and instruments in the mids. Customization is easy thanks to the graphic EQ in the JBL Portable app. This Bluetooth speaker gets loud, too, and with a battery life of over 29 hours, it's a great way to take the party late into the night. If you prefer a more style-conscious home speaker, the JBL Authentics 500 is worth a look, while the JBL Clip 4 is more suited for budget-friendly outdoor listeners.

Like JBL, Sony's speaker lineup is versatile enough to address lots of different potential usages in the market. They produce everything from wired home speakers like the Sony SRS-RA3000 to booming portable party speakers like the Sony SRS-XP700. Their portable Bluetooth speakers are a great way to get good sound quality at an affordable price. You'll find models available at a wide array of price points, so even budget-conscious shoppers can get good sound quality. While their speakers don't tend to be voice-enabled, some of them are compatible with the voice assistant on your paired smartphone.

The Sony ULT FIELD 7 is a versatile pick that bridges the gap between portability and party-centric features. It's a premium device with a boombox-like design, and its IP67 rating for dust and water resistance means it can survive quick dips in the pool.  You can set its built-in RGB lights to the colors and patterns you like in the Sony Music Center app and plug in a mic or guitar via its 1/4" input. Plus, thanks to the graphic EQ and presets also found in the app, you can customize the speaker's sound. Even without these tools, you can still enjoy great sound out of the box, using the 'ULT' button, which gives you access to two additional levels of towering bass. It lasts a little over 10 hours on a single charge, too, which is enough for all-day events. 

Ultimate Ears is an American manufacturer that's a subsidiary of Logitech. They produce wireless Bluetooth speakers at a wide array of price points, so you can find high-quality premium models and more wallet-friendly selections. Their budget-friendly models rank among the best we've tested in the lower price range, thanks to their quality sound and wide array of customization tools. Many of them feature a cylindrical design, too, which often means they have better directivity than their competitors. These speakers aren't quite as sleek or stylish as what you get with home-oriented manufacturers like Sonos and Bose, though, and you aren't likely to find integrated voice assistant support for hands-free control.

The Ultimate Ears HYPERBOOM is the best speaker we've tested from the manufacturer, and it expertly bridges the gap between style and sound. Its non-descript look sets it apart from speakers like the Ultimate Ears EPICBOOM, as it fits in more easily with your home decor. Still, it's battery-powered, so you can bring it on the go. It has many premium sound enhancement features, like room correction and a graphic EQ. It's rated IPX4 for water resistance, but if you're looking for a more rugged speaker to take outside, the Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 4 is a good alternative. It's cheaper and has fewer features, but it can float in water, which is great for pool parties.

Anker is another one of the best Bluetooth speaker brands on the market. Similar to Ultimate Ears, they have some higher-end products on the market, but they really shine with portable, wallet-friendly models. With rugged designs, many of their speakers are meant to withstand some exposure to the elements, so you can take them outside to listen to your favorite tunes in the backyard. They offer a good amount of features for the price, including graphic EQ and presets to customize their sound. Built-in voice assistant support is rare, though, and they don't look as premium as speakers from manufacturers like Bose and Sonos.

The Anker Soundcore Motion X600 is the best Anker speaker we've tested. This portable Bluetooth speaker has a boombox-style design and a sturdy feel for the price. It's rated IPX7 for water resistance, and its built-in handle makes it easy to carry wherever you go. It has great sound quality, with the standard graphic EQ and presets available with more budget-friendly offerings like the Anker Soundcore Flare 2. However, this more premium model stands out from the crowd thanks to its Spatial Audio feature, which is designed to bring a more immersive feel to your audio. You can even pair it to your smartphone to use its voice assistant.

Apple is an American technology company that almost needs no introduction. Along with Amazon and Google, they're leaders in the smart technology space, with speakers that use integrated voice assistant technology to bring hands-free control into the comfort of your home. If you own other Apple products, you can easily pair them up to the speaker using Apple AirPlay. Wired-only designs mean they're meant to be used at home, but their stylish builds are great for design-conscious shoppers. However, you won't find the same diversity in their lineup as larger manufacturers like JBL or Sony, and there aren't any sound customization features to manually adjust their performance.

Released in 2023, the Apple HomePod (2nd generation) is a great way to bring Siri into your home. It's a voice-enabled speaker that easily picks up on your commands, even if you're far from the speaker. Compared to the first generation, this version has improved sound thanks to its bass-EQ microphone, designed to enhance lower frequencies in the mix, even when you listen at low volumes. Like other premium speakers, there's a built-in room calibration tool to get the best possible sound for your space. Privacy-conscious users can even mute Siri's microphone, which is a nice touch. It's not cheap, though; its higher-end price point won't be ideal for everyone, so more budget-conscious shoppers will want to check out the Apple HomePod mini instead.

Amazon also ranks among the best speaker brands we've tested for smart home speakers. Like Apple, its current lineup is limited to only a few devices, but they're each designed to make the most of your Amazon ecosystem. For example, their more premium models come with Zigbee support, which lets you connect many different smart home devices to the speaker. Through Alexa, you can control all your home devices in one.

The Amazon Echo Studio supports all these smart features like Zigbee and built-in Alexa support. It comes in a sleek and stylish package that fits with your living room decor, though its wired-only design limits its portability. Compared to the Apple HomePod (2nd generation), you won't find a room correction tool, though it allows for some customization thanks to its bass and treble adjustments. It doesn't reproduce as much low bass as the Apple speaker, which is disappointing if you love bass-heavy music like EDM and hip-hop. Still, it has a good sound, and if you prefer Amazon products, it's worth a look.

Google is an American technology company that produces a wide range of internet-related products. They sell phones, smart speakers, tablets, earbuds, and more. They currently have two speakers on the market: the Google Nest Audio and the smaller Google Nest Mini, which offer excellent voice assistant support via Google Assistant. It's easy to check the weather or get a status update on traffic only using your voice. Plus, you can mute the voice assistant's microphones for more private moments. These speakers are ideal for those who already own Google products, but again, the lineup isn't very diverse, so you'll only find wired home speakers with this manufacturer.

The best from Google is the Google Nest Audio. It's a home speaker with a sleek design that's meant to fit in with your home decor, and it's even available in a couple of different color options. Of course, Google Assistant is built right into the device, along with Chromecast support for easy streaming from compatible devices. The Google Home app is designed to pair this speaker with compatible Google models to spread audio throughout your home or create a stereo pair. You'll also find bass and treble adjustments to switch up its sound in the app. Like most smart speakers, the sound quality is decent, and it gets loud enough for average-sized living rooms. It isn't meant for outdoor use, though, and it isn't the most portable. If you love Google products and want a simple voice-assistant device, though, it's a great pick.