Best portable Bluetooth speakers under Rs20,000

Carry your music wherever you go, from work breaks, house parties to forest camping

Looking for a portable Bluetooth Speaker under Rs 20,000? From battery life to acoustics, brands have upped their game. Portable doesn’t mean compromise any more. Whether you’re looking for some lounge music at work to overcome Monday morning blues or need to spice up a house party, or some mellifluous company on a camping sojourn in a forest, we’ve got you covered.

JBL Flip 6

JBL Flip 6; Rs 11,999

JBL’s Flip line is one of its bestsellers. The Flip 6 — the newest iteration comes in a refreshed colour palette. The audio set-up has been reimagined, too. The new Flip is kitted with dual passive radiators, a powerful racetrack-shaped woofer, and a separate tweeter for better high-frequency extension. Pairing is a breeze with JBL’s intuitive app. This one is pool-deck proof – it’s IP-67 certified for dust and water resistance. JBL promises 12 hours of battery life for this light-weight speaker that punches above its weight in the sound output department.

Price: Rs 11,999

Marshall Emberton II

Marshall Emberton II; Rs 14,999

It brings all the stuff we love about Marshall in a compact form factor. It’s not just design; this IP-67 certified speaker is packed with two 2” full range drivers and two passive radiators. The killer feature is  "True Stereophonic", a unique multi-directional sound solution from Marshall that separates spatial content of stereo recordings that produces a sound much larger than its size. The new-gen Emberton promises 10 hours of additional playtime over its predecessor allowing you to tune in to your favourite music for 30 hours on a single charge. You can hook up multiple Emberton II speakers with "Stack Mode".

Price: Rs 14,999

Bose Soundlink Flex

Bose Soundlink Flex; Rs 15,990

The latest addition to Bose’s Soundlink Bluetooth speaker family, the Flex comes in a cool Stone Blue. This speaker is ready for the elements (dustproof and waterproof) thanks to its IP67 certification. The Flex boasts of Bose’s proprietary Digital Signal Processing (DSP) technology that minimises distortion while the dual-opposing passive radiators that turn vibration into the audio output from the compact speaker. Bose’s unique PositionIQ solution automatically detects the orientation (whether you’ve placed the speaker upright or flat) and adjusts to deliver the best acoustic experience.

Price: Rs 15,900

Sonos Roam

Sonos Roam; Rs 19,999

Emily Lazar, the Grammy award-winning mastering engineer from the Sonos soundboard distinguishes the Roam from a megaphone calling it a finely-tuned speaker. The audio set up combines two Class-H amplifiers, a mid-woofer that maximises low-end output and also delivers faithful playback of mid-range frequencies. There’s also a tweeter that creates crisp high frequencies. This elegantly designed,  ultra-portable speaker weighs just above 400 gm and fits into your slimmest backpack. You can stream via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. The Roam delivers 10 hours of battery life and powers up in quick time; wireless charging (with compatible Qi chargers) is a handy add-on.

Price: Rs 19,999

Apple HomePod mini

Apple homepod mini; Rs 9,900

Don’t let its tiny footprint fool you. The smallest sibling of the HomePod family might be just 3.3-inches tall but delivers stellar sound for a diminutive smart speaker. Need a widder soundstage? No problem. All you have to do is create a stereo pair by placing two HomePod mini speakers in the same room. At the heart of the HomePod mini is Apple’s S5 chip that works with advanced software to analyse the unique characteristics of the music and applies complex tuning models. This chip optimises loudness, adjusts the dynamic range, and controls the movement of the driver and passive radiators in real time.

Price: Rs 9,900

Sony SRS-XB23

Sony SRS-XB23; Rs 8,990

It makes our list for Sony’s proprietary Extra Bass that give it serious thump at its less than Rs 10K asking price. Dual passive radiators work together with full-range speakers to give low-end tones and bass an extra boost. Sony touts a unique non-circular diaphragm and off-centre design that maximises the speaker diaphragm, creating more sound pressure but keeps the speaker compact in size. This one’s ready for a beach party. The XB23 features an IP67 rating and is not just waterproof but also salt-water resistant. You can switch to WFH mode effortlessly thanks to the speakerphone function. Just what you need for virtual meetings.

Price: Rs 8,990