I sometimes find myself in situations where i’d like to put on some music while out and about. I do carry a reasonably compact Ikea speaker in my backpack that can link to another in my S/O’s backpack for stereo enjoyment but something even smaller that could clip to a chest rig or belt would really hit the spot. Anyone using anything good to recommend? Since BT speakers are big time consumer goods, all reviews and comparisons feel like marketing or AI slop and there’s so many crappy options
ideally i’d like to get something that’s:
really tiny
really light
louder than it looks but decent sounding
somewhat waterproof
app free (as in no app is needed to access any settings ever)
Good call on the JBL, I heard they’re pretty good.
I have a Tribit Stormbox Micro that I use mainly for Audiobooks and podcasts so stereo isn’t really an issue. Stereo on such a small device isn’t critical, it’s more for a room friendly sound. For that I have a couple of Earfun speakers.
I’ve seen the Stormbox praised up and down and if it’s anything like the (much larger) tribit maxsound plus i already have, the praise is probably valid! Unfortunately there’s an app, same thing with the JBL go
If there’s an app, it’s not something I’ve ever had to use. Wasn’t even aware of it to be honest, I just connect via Bluetooth to my phone.
May be useful for music EQ I suppose, it would be great if these little speakers at least had bass and treble buttons. I hate apps for everything. I have a Tribit MaxSound Plus in my campervan thats been superb, also use without app.
When I bought the Stormbox I’d done a lot of that thing ‘we’ do, reading reviews, watching Oluv’s Gadgets videos, going down the rabbit hole . The Tribit consistently performed well and got high praise. I’m happy with it, the simple controls, clearly marked, make it very user friendly too.
However, I might be buying a JBL Go 4 for a female friend of mine who cares a bit less about the performance, but is insistent she wants something in a nice colour. Women
Some decent reviews, supposedly ultra rugged…AND, It has a flashlight…
I use the Tribit Go in a pair for TWS (True Wireless Stereo). They actually sound pretty good (I use them when I don’t want to fire up the 7.1 system with 15" sub and 150 watts per channel so it is relative). Decent (they claim 24 hours, but I might get 14 to 16), if not great, battery life. Maybe not small enough for what you want, but one will easily fit in a backpack. They do have a line input for a wired connection. https://tinyurl.com/3nd78bu6
under $30 on Amazon, so a pair won’t break the bank. Maybe there is an APP, but if so I haven’t used it. I have been using them for over a year.
Ive been using a pair of the Ultimate ears boom II for 7-8 years without any issues at all. Battery life is not what it once was but sound is still awesome.
i’ve randomly stumbled upon Monster M3 on aliexpress, apparently they only sell it in asia so it’s not as widely known. That format would be the bee’s knees, for reference.
for me it feels kind of dirty when something i supposedly own offers any functionality, no matter how trivial, that’s only available when i allow a piece of tracking-ridden piece of proprietary software on my devices. Like the eq, that too can be done with buttons and audio feedback, Andúril manages all its features with a single button and feedback led
that’s why it’s a dealbreaker, i don’t want to support that vendor behaviour
it’s brilliant and happily the original version has no app functionality
yes! it looks just the way i like things, when i showed the pic to my s/o the immediatwůe reaction was ‘that looks like something that would go on your backpack’
sadly the reviews i’ve seen mention loud but harsh sound, that’s not my preference
i’ll check it out but it’s probably out of production since you’ve had yours for so long…
How do you mean? It ships UK, but I’d much rather have a Stormbox Micro 2 for a bit more money. I don’t have the app, it’s not obligatory.
Edit: just watched a video, it looks much lighter and smaller than the Stormbox. Stormbox does have a belt clip or bag strap clip, but I’m not sure I’d trust it not to get unpopped in use.
. The Tribit consistently performed well and got high praise. I’m happy with it, the simple controls, clearly marked, make it very user friendly too.
