Q: My wife wants to get me a Bluetooth audio speaker. Have you tested anything lately that you can recommend?
A: It depends on what you're looking for. Here are three winners I have tried recently.
Taking it from the top in terms of price and performance is the Fluance Fi50. This is a full-sized, audiophile-quality tabletop music system that must be plugged in to the a wall socket. It can fill a fairly big room with warm, clear, lively sound, and the coaxial speakers feature dedicated tweeters for better high-frequency reproduction. The Fluance Fi50 is my favorite Bluetooth speaker under $200 and looks fantastic, too, with a modern design and choice of three real wood finishes. Learn more at fluance.com.
Many of the smaller speakers I have been testing are rugged designs that are perfect for an active lifestyle. The two other recommendations fit into this category, starting with the Braven Balance at $129. This midsized speaker is IPX7-rated for outdoor use and has a soft rubber material covering most of its surfaces. Six bright, attractive colors are available, and the sound is excellent. Learn more at braven.com.
Those looking for something small to carry along with them should consider the Hercules WAE BTP04 Outdoor. This triangular speaker is splashproof and dustproof and built like a little tank. You can download an app to your smartphone to adjust tone with an equalizer function. It's only $42 and sold online in many places. See wireless-audio.hercules.com/outdoor-btp04.php.
A wise man could make the case to your wife for getting all three. You need the Fluance for home, the Braven for the beach and the Hercules for your backpack or briefcase so you always have a powerful speakerphone with you.
I might have a few more Bluetooth speaker recommendations around the holiday season.
Looking for 'wow' effect
Q: I have a Yamaha A-S301 integrated amplifier and need new bookshelf speakers. Can you recommend anything under $1,000 that will still have the "wow" effect compared with my 30-year-old B&W 50 bookshelf speakers?