There’s nothing like a nice garden party. BBQ on, sun on your face, friends around you and some nice music. There is absolutely no need to come up with a gigantic sound set. There are plenty of affordable party speakers that can produce a lot of good sound. They’re also portable, so you can put them in a smart spot in your living room during the winter for indoor parties.
Speakers to throw a party
The outdoor season is often the best season to Bluetooth speaker throw in your bag and head out. Lying in the sun on the beach, playing games in the park or even diving into the pool: there is a speaker for every party. Most speakers can be charged via USB-C or micro-USB. You connect to your phone via Bluetooth, after which you can play music via well-known streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal.
Note: often all audio from your phone goes on the speaker, so if you want to watch Instagram Stories or TikToks in between, for example, the music will probably make way for the sounds from the videos on social media. Even if, for example, you have your normal telephone sound on for notifications, the music will be disturbed by beeps. It is therefore advisable to temporarily disable your notifications for WhatsApp and perhaps ignore social media for a while. A good idea anyway: after all, you are at a party.
The winter party speakers: JBL Pulse 4
JBL Pulse 4 is fine as a speaker, although it loses out to many other speakers when it comes to bass and the quality of the music. Yet Pulse 4 manages to produce quite a lot of sound that sounds good, despite its special design. This speaker is an eye-catcher, because it resembles a lava lamp. The colors in the lamp can pulse for a wilder party, or very quietly blend into each other for a slightly calmer setting. This is a lamp that people will certainly ask questions about, because it is simply so special in terms of design. At the same time, it is not too big, so you can also throw it in a beach bag. Be careful: he can withstand a splash of water, but dust is a less good friend of his.
Battery life: 12 hours
Price: 199 euros
The dance party: Sony SRS-XB43
Certainly since the pandemic it has become more normal: a house party that culminates in a dance. Where many speakers mainly bring sound, Sony’s SRS-XB43 manages to come up with strobe lamps. Of course they don’t light up the whole room like those in a professional disco, but it certainly adds to the party because they light up to the beat of the music. This speaker has an app in which you can also set it to taste. The advantage of the Sony SRS compared to the JBL Pulse is that the sound is better: its external gimmick has less influence on the sound than with the largely plastic JBL Pulse. In addition, it can withstand water and a lot of dust, which you wouldn’t say when you see its design. Prefer something cheaper? Then view the Sony SRS-XB32.
Battery life: 25 hours
Price: 159 euros
The music party: JBL Xtreme 3
If you really go for the best quality music, then JBL Xtreme 3 is your best choice. It’s a hefty device that even comes with a strap that lets you hang it on your shoulder. It can withstand water, against dust and offers a solid sound quality with a good bass. Whether you’re listening to high tones or low tones: JBL Xtreme 3 can handle it. It is also one of the more expensive speakers that we mention, but that is often the case with Bluetooth speakers anyway: the higher the price, the better the sound. Thanks to the rubbers on the bottom, you can place this speaker well and firmly, but with that strap you can also easily take it with you. You can connect this speaker to other JBLs via JBL PartyBoost, so that you can offer the same music experience inside and outside your home, for example. Plus, you can even charge your phone with JBL Xtreme 3, should it run out faster due to all the music.
Battery life: 13 hours
Price: 264 euros
The fancy party: Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 7
Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 7 is an eye-catcher, but not because of its strobe lights or lava lamp effect. He doesn’t. Onyx Studio 7 stands out for its luxurious design: it is round, it has a kind of halo around it in the form of an aluminum band. This is really a speaker for indoors, because it does not have an IP certification and must therefore stay far away from water and sand. The battery life also leaves a lot to be desired, so it’s best to keep it at home and close to a socket anyway. For that you get an eye-catcher for your interior that can also produce good quality sound. It is a very suitable speaker for a listening party, because the sound is so good, especially if you connect an Onyx to it, for an extra spatial effect.
Battery life: 6 hours
Price: 299 euros
The Pool Party speakers: Jam Zero Chill
If you want to listen to music in the water and still be able to hear it, Jam Zero Chill is the best choice. The sound is not fantastic, but this is a very affordable speaker. It is a speaker that can do something that the others cannot: it can float. This allows you to throw it into the pool and you can still hear the sound well, unlike many other speakers that just mute the sound in the water. Moreover, the battery life of this small device is impressive: you can enjoy it long after you crawl out of the pool wrinkled and well: your entire party.
Battery life: 13 hours
Price: 46 euros
