It’s safe to say that the Bluetooth speaker market is booming right now. That means that there are tons of unexceptional options out there, but you’ll also find plenty of excellent speakers at every price. The best Bluetooth speaker options include everything from compact models that are designed to be taken on the go to powerful boom boxes with built-in LEDs. And while bigger usually means better when it comes to speakers, you’ll find plenty of smaller models that still pack a surprising punch. No matter what your needs or your budget, there’s a high-quality Bluetooth speaker that can fit them.
In assessing what the best Bluetooth speakers are, we consider the design of the speaker, and particularly how durable it seems, along with sound quality and overall value. The list includes everything from compact mini models and pocket-size micro versions to heftier models with powerful audio. For more, check out our lists of the best smart speakers and the best Wi-Fi speakers and music systems.
Over the last few years, Tribit has made several Bluetooth speakers that deliver a lot of boom for the buck. Add its new XSound Mega to the list.
Tribit is billing the XSound Mega as more of an outdoor speaker — a lanyard is included for toting it around as a sort of mini boom box — but it works just fine indoors. It has an LED light show that you can turn on or off and there are three EQ settings for sound: XBass, Music and Audiobook. Additionally, it can be used as a power bank to charge your mobile devices.
In my tests, the speaker compared pretty favorably with more expensive speakers like the JBL Charge 5. There’s plenty of bass and the speaker plays loud for its size, with decent clarity. That said, it’s a mono speaker with a single driver and two bass radiators — that’s how you get all that bass. So while you can expect big sound, the soundstage doesn’t feel all that wide, particularly at lower volumes. It actually sounds better at higher volumes.
