You’ve likely encountered a plethora of Bluetooth speakers in your online and offline adventures. And rightfully so, Bluetooth has solidified its place as a convenient wireless standard. However, when it comes to achieving truly exceptional sound quality, Wi-Fi connected speakers reign supreme, offering unmatched performance and versatility.
While Sonos was a pioneer in leveraging home networks for its wireless speaker lineup, the landscape has expanded significantly, with numerous speaker brands now embracing web connectivity. So, what exactly sets Wi-Fi speakers apart from their Bluetooth counterparts? Let’s delve into the key differences.
First and foremost, Bluetooth faces limitations in both quality and distance. You’ll struggle to maintain a stable connection between your phone and Bluetooth speaker beyond 35 feet. Conversely, Wi-Fi speakers, paired with your home network, essentially eliminate this distance constraint, with a typical Wi-Fi connection extending up to 115 feet indoors. This increased bandwidth also allows for streaming of higher-quality music tracks, resulting in a richer sonic experience.
Furthermore, many Wi-Fi speakers boast a wider range of inputs and outputs compared to their traditional Bluetooth counterparts. Some even integrate directly with popular music streaming platforms like Spotify and Tidal, offering seamless access to your favorite music. Given our extensive experience in the world of wireless speakers, we’ve curated this comprehensive list of our top picks for 2024, simplifying your search and guiding you towards the perfect speaker for your needs.
In this roundup, we’ll focus primarily on plug-in speakers equipped with Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth wireless capabilities. Without further ado, let’s explore the best wireless speakers available today.
Sonos Era 100
The adage ‘out with the old, in with the new’ certainly applies here. The now-discontinued Sonos One, a legendary wireless network speaker that graced the top of this list for an extended period, has found a worthy successor in the Sonos Era 100. Launched earlier this year, the Era 100 builds upon the One’s strengths, delivering an even more compelling experience.
This powerful, compact network speaker delivers exceptional sound, a hallmark of Sonos. The Era 100 is an ideal entry point into Sonos’ whole-home audio ecosystem, seamlessly fitting in any space, from a kitchen counter, where its voice control capabilities prove invaluable during cooking, to a stereo pair with another Era, or even as rear surrounds in a Sonos home theater configuration.
Slightly taller and more cylindrical than its predecessor, the Era 100 offers numerous reasons to consider it over the One. While the price difference is only $30, the enhancements are significant. The most notable improvement lies in the sound. Newly configured tweeters are angled, creating an impressive sense of openness and an expansive soundstage, as praised by our reviewer, Simon Cohen. The larger woofer in the Era 100 also contributes to a noticeably punchier sound, making it a top contender for filling small to medium-sized rooms.
Sonos’ Truplay tuning, adjustable EQ, and AirPlay 2 compatibility add to the Era 100’s appeal. Additionally, the Era 100 benefits from Sonos’ renowned user interface app, granting access to all your streaming services, including high-resolution ones, allowing you to fully leverage the speaker’s capability for lossless sound. And for those who prefer Bluetooth connectivity, the Era 100 seamlessly accommodates this option, allowing you and other users to connect without relying on Wi-Fi. This Bluetooth connection can also be routed through your Sonos system’s grouped speakers, extending the reach of your music.
The Era 100 also features a line-in connector, enabling you to connect a turntable or other external source to the speaker and send the audio to the entire Sonos system. The only notable omission from the Era 100 is Google Assistant voice control. Due to a legal dispute between Sonos and Google, the popular voice assistant has been absent from all new Sonos speakers, including the Era 100, Era 300, Move 2, and Roam 2. For now, users must rely on Alexa and Sonos’ own voice assistant, which, while not lacking, may not be the preferred choice for everyone.
The Era 100 is incredibly easy to set up and use. Considering its exceptional sound and competitive price, this wireless speaker is difficult to beat. Sonos’ only remaining challenge is to address the shortcomings of its app redesign, and hopefully, the company will reclaim its former glory.
KEF LSX II
The first generation of KEF’s superb LSX wireless hi-fi speakers held a prominent position on this list for an extended period, and their merits remain undiminished. However, we’ve updated our selection with the enhanced second generation, the KEF LSX II. This upgrade stands up favorably against the popular and premium KEF LS50 Wireless II, which are still among the best-sounding bookshelf speakers available for their price, making their wireless convenience a key factor in our favor. The KEF LSX II delivers much of what we love about the LS50 Wireless at less than half the price.
The KEF LSX II maintains the tradition of offering sound that is big, crystal clear, and expressive, with a wide soundstage that defies the size of these compact speakers. This is KEF’s signature, and it shines through in the LSX II. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless connectivity are just the starting point for the LSX II, with the second generation enhancing connection stability through its W2 technology. The optical 3.5mm AUX, subwoofer out, and Ethernet connection options are now joined by USB-C and HDMI ARC in the LSX II. It is also now compatible with a wide array of third-party services, including Apple AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast, Amazon Music, Qobuz, Tidal, and Spotify Connect. DSD and MQA audio codec support is also included, catering to audiophiles seeking the highest fidelity digital sound.
The KEF LSX II leverages KEF’s proprietary Uni-Q speaker driver technology, placing the tweeter in the center of an 11-inch woofer, resulting in a more natural sound, according to KEF. The LSX II is available in five colors: Carbon Black, Mineral White, Cobalt Blue, Lava Red, and Soundwave. And if the $1,300 price tag of the LSX II seems a bit steep, KEF has recently launched the $1,000 LEX II LT, a slightly scaled-back version, making its products more accessible.
Edifier MS50A Wi-Fi Smart Speaker
Edifier, a renowned AV brand, consistently impresses us, and the Edifier MS50A Wi-Fi Smart Speaker is no exception. At 6 inches wide, 8 inches tall, and 6 inches deep, this speaker is among the larger Wi-Fi speakers on the market, so ensure you have sufficient tabletop or shelf space. Like many other entries on this list, the Edifier speaker requires a connection to an AC outlet.
In terms of sound quality, the Edifier MS50A is a powerhouse. Expect warm and punchy low-end frequencies and crystalline highs, thanks to the onboard 15-watt tweeter. At maximum volume, the Edifier can output up to 40 watts. You’ll need to download the Edifier Home app to connect this speaker to your network, but this app proves invaluable beyond initial setup. Edifier’s software serves as your gateway for firmware updates, playback controls (manual controls are also located on the top of the speaker), and other settings.
One of our favorite features of this speaker is its native integration of Spotify and Tidal Connect. This eliminates the need to rely on your phone for streaming Wi-Fi music on these platforms. The Edifier can also be controlled with Alexa, but due to the absence of a built-in microphone, you’ll need your phone or an Alexa smart speaker to interact with the voice assistant.
Apple HomePod (2nd Gen)
The reasons behind Apple’s discontinuation of the first-generation HomePod remain a mystery, but the point becomes moot when considering the exceptional comeback version of this wireless speaker, especially if you’re an Apple product enthusiast. While superficially similar to its predecessor, the second-gen HomePod boasts significant internal enhancements, and as my mother always said, ‘it’s what’s inside that counts’.
Powered by Apple’s advanced S7 processor, the HomePod 2 leverages a range of cool ‘computational audio’ features, including automatic room and positional sensing. It can discern whether it’s placed in a corner or wedged between books on a shelf and adjust its sound accordingly. This also optimizes sound for Apple’s Spatial Audio, which sounds impressive on a single HomePod but truly shines when paired with two HomePods (both must be the same model and generation) and connected to an Apple TV 4K. This configuration is an excellent option if you’re seeking to enhance your TV and home theater experience. But fear not, if music is your primary focus, the HomePod (single or stereo pair) delivers exceptional sound and supports Apple Music’s Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio tracks.
Driving this impressive sound in such a compact package is a 20mm woofer and five beamforming tweeters, a combination that our reviewer Caleb Denison commends, describing the bass as ‘full-bodied, present, and punchy,’ and the midrange as ‘lush, full-bodied, and clear, if not a bit forward in the mix, especially with vocals’.
Apple fans will appreciate the HomePod’s deep integration with the Apple ecosystem, but others may find it limiting. Apple Music is the only music service natively supported, and Siri is the sole available voice assistant. However, the HomePod is remarkably easy to set up, a hallmark of Apple products, and serves as a capable smart speaker. With full compatibility with the Matter standard, it seamlessly interacts with HomeKit and other smart home accessories. It even features built-in temperature and humidity sensors for automating smart thermostats and blinds, and can listen for smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms, alerting you when you’re away from home. Not bad for a $300 wireless speaker.
Q Acoustics M20 HD Powered Wireless Music System
As music lovers blend and match technologies and formats, spanning analog and digital to craft their perfect audio setups, we’re witnessing components and speakers that bridge the gap between old and new, creating harmonious systems. One such set of speakers is the Q Acoustics M20 HD Wireless Music System. Essentially, these are exceptional-sounding Bluetooth bookshelf speakers that defy categorization by offering a plethora of connections and audio technology, making them adaptable to almost any scenario.
In my review of the Q Acoustics M20s, I placed them in every conceivable location, from my office desk to my dining room bookshelf, alongside my vinyl record collection and even connected to my TV, utilizing its wide range of inputs, including RCA, optical TOSLINK, USB, 3.5mm AUX, and aptX HD Bluetooth for high-resolution streaming at 24-bit/48kHz. True to its name, this set of speakers embodies a true wireless music system, connecting effortlessly to turntables, DVD players, CD players, computers, TVs, smartphones, and more. Innovative digital processing also expertly adapts the M20s to different placements. Whether they’re in a corner, against a wall, or in an open space, a toggle switch on the back allows you to inform the speakers of their location, enabling automatic adjustment. You can even designate the left and right orientation of the main powered speaker and its connected pair for convenient access to controls and power outlets.
While they don’t quite match the premium KEF LSX II on our list, they sound fantastic and offer exceptional value at $600.
Sonos Era 300
Don’t be fooled by the Sonos Era 300’s peculiar hourglass shape; it’s a deliberate design choice by Sonos, allowing five of the speaker’s six drivers to perform at their best, projecting incredible Dolby Atmos music outwards and upwards, creating an immersive spatial audio experience. If you’re unfamiliar with Dolby Atmos, Simon Cohen provides an apt description from his review: ‘It places you within the music, letting a band tell a subtly different story with their voices and instruments by adjusting how you relate to them beyond a simple left-right presentation.’
The Era 300 showcases the potential of this underappreciated music format, but it’s not the only reason to consider it. It’s a Sonos, and it sounds phenomenal, regardless of the music you throw at it. To reiterate the surround sound aspect, if you’re building a Sonos-based home theater system, adding a pair of Era 300s as rear surrounds with a Sonos Arc or Beam (2nd gen) creates a setup that rivals full AV receiver-based systems.
Beyond its remarkable sound, the Era 300 enjoys all the perks of Sonos – it’s incredibly easy to set up and, aside from the hopefully temporary issues with the Sonos app redesign, it’s equally easy to use. As a Wi-Fi speaker, you gain access to high-resolution, lossless audio that Bluetooth currently cannot handle. However, if Bluetooth is a key requirement, the Era 300 and its smaller sibling, the Era 100, are the first home-based Sonos speakers to offer Bluetooth connectivity. Furthermore, you can utilize them in tandem – if a friend wants to connect via Bluetooth to the Sonos system and share their favorite Spotify playlist, they can do so, sending the music to any speaker within the system.
Touch controls on the top of the Era 300 are intuitive and enjoyable to use, allowing you to slide a finger across a grooved slider to adjust volume. Pause/play, track skip, and mic mute functions are also readily available, and there’s even a physical mic kill switch on the back of the speaker. The back also houses the Era 300’s USB-C line-in port, which, with the addition of a Sonos line-in adapter, enables you to connect an external sound source, like a turntable, to share your vinyl collection through the system.
The Era 300 is also a smart speaker, providing access to Alexa and its own Sonos Voice Control (SVC). While there’s currently no Google Assistant integration, hopefully, this will change in the future. However, the lack of GA should not be a deal breaker, as the Era 300 is easily the best speaker Sonos has ever produced.
Sonos Roam 2
Sonos didn’t aim to reinvent the wheel with the release of the Sonos Roam 2; the changes were so minimal that it only warranted a mini-review. However, these tweaks to the original Roam’s design are meaningful. Available in Black, White, Olive, Wave, and Sunset colorways, the Roam 2 is one of the few Sonos speakers that does not require AC power. On a full charge, the built-in battery provides up to five hours of playtime, and you can also operate the speaker while it’s plugged in for a recharge.
Compared to the previous generation, the newer Roam speaker includes a dedicated Bluetooth button, simplifying switching to Bluetooth input when needed, but the Roam 2 also works over Wi-Fi connection. In terms of sound quality, expect a decent-sized soundstage with a commendable focus on the midrange. The Sonos app incorporates a built-in EQ, allowing for adjustments, which is beneficial for those who prefer a bit more bass in their music. Unfortunately, the Roam 2 does not support Google Assistant, but you can use Alexa and Sonos’ voice assistant to control playback, smart home devices, and other functions. The speaker is also IP67-rated, ensuring resilience against dirt, debris, and moisture.
Kanto Audio Ora
Featuring a very understated design, the Kanto Ora desktop speakers deliver the kind of audio experience you’d expect from significantly larger drivers. Kanto consistently impresses us, and this 100W duo has the power to elevate your desktop sound to the next level. Class D amplification plays a crucial role in this achievement, bringing studio-grade power and performance to the table. From highs to lows, the Ora handles it all, but they truly shine when paired with a subwoofer. The 3-inch woofers effectively handle bass, but we found that integrating a sub alleviated some of the low-end strain on the speakers. Once a sub is connected, the Ora automatically balances frequencies between the speakers and the dedicated woofer.
In terms of connections, you have the option of USB-C, RCA, and Bluetooth 5.0, along with an LFE output for a separate sub. While we would have preferred the inclusion of cables for our audio devices, and aptX support is noticeably absent, what keeps us drawn to this product is its compact size. Smaller than average studio monitors, the Ora speakers blend seamlessly into most desktop workstations, and can even be wall-mounted or placed on speaker stands.
JBL Authentics 300
Sometimes, a touch of nostalgia is just what a wireless speaker needs to be truly cool. This is certainly the case with the JBL Authentics 300, a Wi-Fi speaker that exudes aesthetic charm, coupled with excellent sound quality.
Before diving into performance, let’s admire the exterior, which combines faux leather, gold trim, and a ‘Quadrex’ grille. On paper, it sounds like a throwback to the 70s, and that impression is confirmed in person. Device controls are managed through both the JBL One app and intuitive volume and EQ knobs on the Authentics 300 itself. LED indicator rings respond to master volume and frequency (treble, mids, bass) adjustments. If you plan to take the speaker on the go, there’s even a battery level LED strip to keep track of remaining power. On a full charge, expect about eight hours of playtime.
As for sound quality, the Authentics 300 doesn’t disappoint. Audio is crisp and clear across the spectrum, with a decent amount of bass. However, we did notice some loss of definition when the speaker is set to 50% volume or less. For playback, we highly recommend downloading the JBL One app (available for iOS and Android). You’ll find it useful for everything from Wi-Fi connectivity to software updates and multi-room audio controls. Connecting to Wi-Fi also unlocks the ability to use the Authentics 300 as an Alexa or Google Assistant smart speaker.
