If you own a mobile phone, tablet or a laptop and want the best sound experience possible you’ll need a good portable Bluetooth speaker. Bluetooth speakers are ideal for music lovers on the go, not only are they portable but they will also provide better sound quality for just about any smartphone or Bluetooth-enabled device.
Not all Bluetooth speakers are created equally and finding the best Bluetooth speakers for your devices may be a little complicated especially if you don’t know what features to look for.
Some wireless Bluetooth speakers are packed with additional features such as docking capabilities, charging capabilities, built-in alarm, etc, making them top of the range while some Bluetooth speakers only offer basic music playback functionality.
Best Bluetooth Speakers Buying Guide
Now that you’ve decided to buy a bluetooth speaker system, here are a few factors to consider when choosing your best Bluetooth speaker system:
Compatibility:–
The first and most important thing to consider when buying a Bluetooth speaker is compatibility, make sure the speakers are actually compatible with your device before buying. Some wireless speakers are capable of connecting through Bluetooth as well as Airplay and some are only capable of Bluetooth connections. These are two different types of connections so you’ll need to know which one you require before buying your speakers.
Additional Features:–
Some of the best Bluetooth speakers on the market will have additional built-in features such as a docking bay, alarm clock, built-in mic for hands-free calls and additional connection capabilities for non-Bluetooth enabled devices. If you have an older mp3 player or similar device it would be wise to buy a Bluetooth speaker that comes with the additional connection capabilities.
Portability:–
Portability is a key part of finding the best Bluetooth speaker to fit your lifestyle, before buying a Bluetooth system ask yourself how portable do you really need your speakers to be, will you need to fit it in a carry bag or handbag? Or maybe you just need a wireless speaker to clip on to your rucksack while cycling. These small points are all worth considering before narrowing down your best Bluetooth speakers.
Range:–
Different Bluetooth speakers are capable of different connection ranges; ask yourself, how far will I place the wireless speaker from my tablet or smartphone?
Bear in mind that some Bluetooth speakers are only capable of short-range connections while some are capable of ranges greater than 100 feet. It’s often a better choice to go for a long-range Bluetooth speaker in case you need to move the speakers from room to room.
Sound Quality:–
Just because a Bluetooth speaker looks nice does not mean the sound quality will meet your expectations, the best way to determine which Bluetooth speaker will meet your sound requirement is to visit an electronics store or you can always read through some Bluetooth speaker reviews that have been shared by other buyers.
Many people are under the impression that only the top brands and most expensive Bluetooth speakers are capable of great music playback. Well, it’s not true.
Power Source Required:–
Like any other electronic device, your Bluetooth speaker will require a power source. You’ll need to decide if you want your wireless Bluetooth speaker to be mains powered, USB powered or powered by a rechargeable battery. Bear in mind that rechargeable batteries could be costly to replace if you’re using a top of the range Bluetooth speaker system.
In most instances, it would be wiser to choose a Bluetooth speaker that has both mains powered and USB powered capabilities.
Price:–
Bluetooth speakers can range anywhere from 500 Rs all the way to 10,000 rs; always stick to your budget when buying your Bluetooth speaker system. You can find some of the best Bluetooth speakers on the market for under 2000 rs; remember that a high price doesn’t necessarily mean high performance.
Customer Support:–
If possible always go for a known brand, top names such as Logitech and JBL are well known for producing some of the best Bluetooth speakers in the UK, but most importantly they’re well known for offering top class after-sales support for customers in need of help and support.
Summing Up:-
Because everyone will have different likes and dislikes it’s only natural for people to have different opinions on which company makes the best Bluetooth speakers, the overall sound quality can only be determined by you. These few tips are just a guide as to what to look for in a good portable Bluetooth speaker.
How to connect a Bluetooth speaker to an iPad
If you’re having difficulty or you don’t know how to connect a Bluetooth speaker to an iPad then this short tutorial is for you.
As we all know, the iPad isn’t much of a contender when it comes to audio quality; in fact, there are some Bluetooth speakers under £30 that can do a better job of bringing your music to life. Luckily for us, the iPad’s audio functionality can be extended by connecting it to a Bluetooth speaker. Here’s how:
Step 1:– Turn on your Bluetooth speaker then wait for the Bluetooth indicator to start blinking if this does not happen automatically then hold down the Bluetooth connect button and wait for the LED to start flashing.
Step 2:– Switch on Bluetooth on your iPad – Go to Settings (image 1) then click on the Bluetooth icon (image 2) then switch it on. This should bring up all Bluetooth devices within range, the example below shows my BlitzWolf F1 within range, just click on your Bluetooth speaker and it will pair. That’s it your Bluetooth speaker should now be connected to your iPad.
How to connect a Bluetooth speaker to a Windows OS
For this step by step guide, we’ll show you how easy it is to connect a Bluetooth speaker to a desktop running Windows 7.
For this example, we’ll assume that your desktop does not have built-in Bluetooth functionality and connection can only be made using a Bluetooth dongle.
Requirements
To connect your Desktop to a Bluetooth speaker you’ll need any Bluetooth speaker and a Bluetooth dongle (assuming your desktop does not already have built-in Bluetooth functionality). We’ll use the Plugable Bluetooth 4.0 USB dongle and the Audio Dynamix Mesh 3 Bluetooth speaker for this example.
Step 1:- Plug-in the Bluetooth dongle in any available USB port on your desktop and install the drivers when prompted. Windows 7 will automatically try to retrieve appropriate drivers but if for some reason it fails then use the installation CD that came with the dongle to install the drivers.
Step 2:- Once you’ve installed the necessary drivers a Bluetooth icon will appear in the taskbar on the bottom right-hand corner of your desktop. Click on the Bluetooth icon and select “Add a Device” from the pop-up menu.
Step 3:- After clicking add a new device you’ll get a pop-up window which shows you a list of all Bluetooth enabled devices within range, select the name of your Bluetooth speaker like in the image below then click next.
Step 4:- After selecting your speaker, windows will begin configuring the devices for pairing. Give it a few seconds and you’ll get a popup window confirming that you’ve connected your desktop to the Bluetooth speaker like the image below.
That’s it you’ve now connected your Windows 7 desktop to your Bluetooth speaker.
How to Connect Bluetooth Speakers to a Laptop
Portable Bluetooth speakers are ideal for people always on the go, but people and technology don’t always see eye to eye and simply pairing a device can seem like a hassle. Before you can connect any Bluetooth device whether it’s speakers, mobile phones, laptops or PCs you must ensure the device is actually Bluetooth compatible.
Today, Bluetooth technology comes pretty much standard for mobile phones and tablets but not all PCs and laptops have Bluetooth capability, to be able to connect your Bluetooth speakers to these non-Bluetooth devices you’ll need a device known as a Bluetooth adapter. For less than £15 you can get a Kinivo BTD-400 Bluetooth USB adapter which will add Bluetooth functionality to your PC or laptop.
How to turn on Bluetooth on your laptop
By default, most laptops with Bluetooth capabilities will automatically switch on the Bluetooth radio when the laptop boots; some of the more energy conscious laptops may have Bluetooth connections turned off by default to conserve battery power. To turn on the Bluetooth radio simply press and hold the FN (function) key then press F6 button then release both. This should turn on the Bluetooth radio; look for the Bluetooth LED indicator to see if it’s flashing.
How to connect the Bluetooth speakers to the laptop
Now that Bluetooth connection is enabled on the laptop it’s time to pair the speakers, this can be done by:
Step 1- If it’s not already on, switch on the Bluetooth speaker.
Step 2- Locate the Bluetooth pairing button on the speaker, press and hold it for more than 4 seconds. After about 4 seconds the Bluetooth status indicator should start flashing.
Step 3:- On your PC there should be an option to scan for Bluetooth devices, start the scan and wait for your laptop to discover the Bluetooth speaker.
Step 4:- When the laptop and the Bluetooth speakers are connected you’ll see an alert on the laptop displaying the device name and model number (for example “Creative D100”). Accept the connection.
Step 5:- You might be asked to input a passkey if you get this prompt type “0000” or “1234”. These are the two most widely used default passkeys for most Bluetooth devices if none of these work then consult the user manual or visit the maker’s website for additional instructions.
Step 6:- Once you’ve successfully paired your laptop to your Bluetooth speaker the LED indicator should flash quickly to confirm a successful connection.
Other considerations
If you’re using an older operating system and a Bluetooth dongle, remember you’ll need to install the Bluetooth drivers that came with the dongle. If you can’t find the driver CD just look on the manufacturer’s website and they’ll have the necessary drivers to connect your Bluetooth speakers to your laptop.
