Q: My son called last night and asked me to buy a Bluetooth speaker. He will use it with his iPhone and iPad. I remember reading your recommendation for a speaker that was superior to the Beats Pill, but much less expensive. I want to buy it, but I've forgotten the name and was hoping you could enlighten me about it.

A: The product you want to buy is an OontZ speaker. The sound has received critical acclaim in the audio press, and when price is taken into consideration, I find it hard to recommend much else.

I recently wrote that I do not see the value in $50,000 stereo amplifiers because you typically can get comparable or better performance from amplifiers selling for $2,000. Similarly, I do not see the value in tiny Bluetooth speakers selling for hundreds of dollars. Due to the size, any small, single-piece speaker is going to be limited in terms of sound quality, stereo separation, bass and volume. Regardless of price, the OontZ XL and OontZ Angle speakers are fully competitive, if not outright better most of the time, than competitors that sell for much more.

I have a very fine stereo system that I use as a reference when evaluating equipment, and I spend a lot of time researching and testing new gear. I can quickly determine if the equipment is getting it right, and that is what I like about OontZ speakers. The tones are very natural and not exaggerated, and volume and bass are very satisfying. Every specialty audio publication that has reviewed them loves them.

You usually can buy OontZ speakers online for less than retail. At www.theoontz.com there is a special 15 percent off online coupon OONTZNOW that has brought prices the lowest they have ever been.

The OontZ XL is my top recommendation. This 10-inch long, 3-inch high speaker can produce very impressive bass and volume, enough to sound satisfying in a medium to large room. It works as a speakerphone and can use its battery and USB port to charge your tablet or smartphone. Battery life is 10 hours. Retail price is $199, online price is $99.99 ($84.99 with the coupon). The Beats Pill should not even be mentioned in the same sentence as the OontZ XL, especially at more than twice the price.

The midsize OontZ Angle is the "No. 1 Best Seller" in Portable Bluetooth Speakers on amazon.com, where it has a 4.5 out of 5 star rating with more than 1,700 customer reviews. It comes in many colors, and battery life is 10 hours. Some competitors have a bit more bass, but not the OontZ Angle's fine tonal quality. Retail price is $69.99; online it's $39.99 ($33.99 with coupon). It works as a speakerphone, too.

The OontZ Curve is a tiny speaker that looks like a shiny metal mushroom. I don't consider it a hi-fi-quality speaker like the OontZ Curve and OontZ XL, but I find it to be a nice accessory for speakerphone use or as a way to make your laptop or tablet much easier to hear. Battery life is five hours, and it sells for $29.99 online ($25.49 with coupon).

Personally, I use an XL to enjoy music anywhere and pack a Curve in the iPad bag. I got tired of cupping my hands next to the iPad speaker just to hear it over ambient noise.

Send questions to Don Lindich at donlindich@gmail.com. Get more recommendations and read past columns at www.soundadviceblog.com.