From Compact to Room-Filling: The Best Wireless Speakers

Choosing the best wireless speakers can often feel like navigating a digital maze, but it doesn’t have to be. At Richer Sounds, we believe technology should empower you, not confuse you. In this guide, our experts break down the latest tech and highlight the best-rated wireless speakers to help you find your perfect sonic match, so you can stop worrying about the specs and start enjoying the music.

What is a Wireless Speaker, Exactly?

Simply put, a wireless speaker allows you to stream music from your phone, tablet, or computer without being tethered by cables. While most still require a power cable from the wall, the “wireless” part refers to how they receive your music, which is usually via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

Sonos Roam 2

How to Choose Wireless Speakers: The Big Debate

Before diving into our picks, it’s worth asking yourself: how do you actually plan to listen? While it’s easy to get bogged down in specs, the right choice usually comes down to whether you need your music to follow you out of the front door or stay firmly rooted in your home.

Bluetooth: Your Companion on the Move

If you’re looking for the best portable wireless speakers, Bluetooth is your top choice. They’re a top recommendation from our experts because they create a simple, direct “handshake” between your phone and the speaker. As they don’t rely on a Wi-Fi network, they’re the ultimate partners for a summer BBQ in the garden or a weekend away.

It’s worth keeping in mind that Bluetooth is a bit like a one-to-one conversation. If your phone rings, your music will usually pause, and if you wander too far away, typically more than 10 to 30 metres, the sound might start to stutter. It’s the perfect, fuss-free solution for point-and-play listening, but it does mean your phone or device needs to stay relatively close to the action.

Wi-Fi: Uncompromised Sound for the Home

For the best wireless speakers for the home, we recommend Wi-Fi-enabled models. These speakers rely on your home network, rather than just receiving it from your phone, resulting in a higher audio quality.

Sonos Era 100

The real benefit of Wi-Fi speakers, though, is the multiroom experience. You can easily group speakers to play the same playlist in every room simultaneously. By setting up different zones, you can enjoy a podcast in the kitchen while someone else listens to jazz in the lounge. Best of all, because the speaker is doing the heavy lifting, your music won’t stop if you take a phone call or leave the room with your device in your pocket.

The Best Mini Wireless Speakers for Small Spaces

Being tight on space shouldn’t mean compromising on the music you love. If you’re looking to add high-quality audio to a kitchen or bedside table, the Sonos Era 100 is plausibly one of the best small wireless speakers available today. Sonos has redesigned this classic from the ground up, packing in two angled tweeters and a larger mid-woofer to deliver genuine, room-filling stereo sound from a single, compact unit.

What really sets the Era 100 apart is its clever Trueplay tuning. By using your phone’s microphone to ‘map’ your room, the speaker automatically adjusts its EQ to suit your specific acoustics. This ensures your music sounds perfectly balanced and crisp, whether it’s perched on a counter or tucked away on a crowded bookshelf.

For those who need a mini wireless speaker that can handle life on the go, the JBL Go 4 is a wonder that delivers a serious sonic punch. This latest model features an upgraded driver that raises the sonic ceiling, providing surprisingly robust bass for its size. Our experts particularly love the “Playtime Boost” button – it’s a lifesaver when you’re outdoors and need that extra bit of clarity to cut through background noise.

Incredible Wireless Speakers for Under £100

Finding the best affordable wireless speakers doesn’t mean you have to compromise on quality. If you love the nostalgia of 1950s designs but want modern-day performance, the Roberts Revival Petite 2 is an incredible and affordable piece of technology. It’s one of the best mini wireless speakers for those who want a blend of DAB radio and Bluetooth streaming. With 20 hours of battery life and an integrated alarm, it’s the perfect compact all-in-one that delivers.

Roberts Revival Petite 2

For those who want the famous Roberts sound signature in a more rugged package, the Roberts Reunion is one of the best budget wireless speaker choices for the great outdoors. It unites a smooth, full-bodied sound with a tough, IPX7 waterproof casing. Using a clever back-to-back driver setup, the reunion delivers immersive 360-degree audio, and with 18 hours of playback, it has the energy to keep the music going all day long. 

The Powerhouse Picks: Premium Sound for Larger Spaces

When you have a larger room to fill, you need a speaker that commands the space. The Sonos Era 300 does just that. It’s been built from the ground up specifically for spatial audio, using a unique array of six drivers. By firing sounds upwards and to the sides, it reflects audio off your ceiling and walls to create a breathtaking Dolby Atmos-compatible experience that wraps the music entirely around you. 

For those seeking a speaker that makes a statement visually and sonically, the JBL Authentics 500 is nothing shy of a masterpiece. Inspired by JBL’s iconic 70s heritage but packed with 270 watts of raw power, it easily fills even the largest open-plan rooms with a “front-row” musical experience. What really impresses our experts is the inclusion of a dedicated 6.5-inch down-firing subwoofer. This gives the Authentics 500 a level of bass depth and “thump” that most single-box speakers can’t match. 

Want to know more about how extra bass can transform your listening? Check out our expert guide discussing what a subwoofer does. 

Take the Music Further with Our Portable Picks

When you’re taking your music beyond the living room, you need more than just good sound; you need a speaker that can survive the British elements. Whether it’s a sudden downpour during a garden party or a sandy day at the coast, our picks are built to keep the music playing.

The JBL Xtreme 4 is what we call an award-winning choice for those who need big sound that won’t be drowned out by the wind or chatter. Our experts particularly love the new AI Sound Boost technology, which analyses your music in real-time to push the drivers to their limit without distortion.

JBL Xtreme 4

For something more compact that still packs a punch, the Sonos Roam 2 is the perfect hybrid. It’s a mini powerhouse that switches seamlessly between Wi-Fi at home and Bluetooth when you’re out. Despite its slender, elegant shape, it’s surprisingly rugged; it can handle being submerged in a metre of water for up to 30 minutes or getting caught in a downpour without missing a beat. We’re particularly impressed by its Automatic Trueplay feature, which uses its own microphones to adjust the sound to your surroundings every time you move it. It’s the ultimate grab-and-go speaker for the modern home.

Not Sure Which Wireless Speaker to Pick?

Speakers are best experienced in person. Pop into any of our 51 stores for a friendly chat and a demo. Our colleagues don’t just sell these speakers – we use them, too. Let us help you find your perfect sonic match.