MANAGUA (Nicaragua) – When Argentina needed them the most, their up-and-coming players came to the rescue.
Down three men (Gonzalo Bressán, Francisco Cáffaro, and Juan Pablo Vaulet) after Sunday’s game against Dominican Republic, the young guys in Pablo Prigioni’s squad stepped up big time and salvaged a last-second victory against Colombia at Polideportivo Alexis Arguello in Managua.
Juan Fernández and Gonzalo Corbalán are two of the most prominent faces of Argentina’s next generation and are tasked with complementing (and this year, supplementing) big stars like Gabriel Deck and Facundo Campazzo.
The duo was on fire in the dramatic win on Monday, combining for 56 of Argentina’s 84 points and 24 of their 32 field goals.
“Was a show of character,” said head coach Prigioni. “We have young players and nine of them are making their AmeriCup debut, but we don’t set any ceiling or floor.”
Forced into a bigger role as the lone remaining big man, Fernández uncorked a historic performance. He dropped 36 points on 15-for-20 from the field, including a strong 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. His 36 points were the most by any player at a FIBA AmeriCup in a decade, when Gustavo Ayón of Mexico scored 38 against Argentina in 2015.
“We knew we all had to take a step forward,” Fernández said. “We were missing important players and we all leaned on each other… I wanted to help the team with whatever I could.”
Only Juan Espil (twice), Carlos Raffaeli, and Esteban Camisassa had scored 36 or more for Argentina at an AmeriCup tournament.
The 22-year-old Fernández added 16 rebounds, setting a new record for his country at AmeriCup (since 2003). The previous high mark was owned by the legendary Luis Scola, who had grabbed 14 boards on three different occasions.
In fact, the whole performance was reminiscent of Scola and his dominance wearing the light blue and white jersey. Fernández admired the comparison.
“Just that my name is mentioned with his is a great source of pride for me,” he added.
Fernández had a 44-efficiency rating after also contributing an assist, a steal, and 2 blocks in 37 minutes. That’s the second-highest mark of the tournament after Norchad Omier’s 48 against Colombia from Sunday’s game.
Even then, Fernández is not satisfied. Asked about whether it was a dream game for him, he focused on what he needs to improve on going forward.
“I shot 3-for-9 at the free throw line. That can’t happen. I’m obviously proud of the game, but I feel like I can do even better still.”
Corbalán scored 20 for the second consecutive game and leads Argentina with 17.7 points at the conclusion of the group stage. The 23-year-old is also averaging 4.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.3 steals.
Gonzalo Corbalán
Juan Bocca, a 20-year-old forward, added five points off the bench.
“I don’t compare this group with any other,” Prigioni stated in the post-game press conference. “I don’t judge anyone against players from the past. I’m convinced that they still have a lot of potential to unlock, and hopefully we can see it in this tournament.”
The International Space Station (ISS) has been in orbit for over 26 years, housing astronauts at an altitude of 250 miles (400 kilometers) above Earth. But even at that distance, the space station can’t escape the drag of Earth’s atmosphere as oxygen molecules and other gases collide with it, causing it to lose altitude over time.
For the ISS to retain its status in orbit, NASA and its partners perform the occasional reboost maneuver. This is typically done using the space station’s own thrusters (which are tiny and relatively weak) or with Russia’s Progress spacecraft and Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus. For the first time, however, and starting in September, NASA will use SpaceX’s Dragon vehicle to help sustain the space station’s orbital altitude.
A boost kit in the trunk
SpaceX’s Dragon launched to the ISS on Sunday at 2:45 a.m. ET, carrying more than 5,000 pounds of supplies to the orbiting lab. The otherwise routine commercial resupply mission carried a little something extra this time around, a propellant system tucked inside Dragon’s trunk for a reboost demonstration.
Dragon’s boost kit will be used to maintain the altitude of the ISS starting in September through a series of burns planned throughout the fall, nudging the massive space station a little higher in its orbit.
The SpaceX spacecraft, while docked to the station, will use a propellant system that’s independent from the one used to fuel its own engines. Instead, the boost kit fuels two Draco engines in the spacecraft’s trunk using an existing hardware and propellant system design, according to NASA.
Dragon’s engines are not facing the right direction to pull off the boost maneuvers; hence, the need for the additional engines that are aligned with the velocity vector of the ISS.
The rear-facing engines are connected to propellant tanks filled with hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide, which ignite when they come in contact with one another. When it’s time to give the ISS a little boost, the engines will ignite and lightly adjust the space station’s altitude in low Earth orbit.
Multiple reboost options
NASA and SpaceX tested Dragon’s ability to reboost the ISS in November 2024 through a demonstration that lasted approximately 12 minutes. Dragon successfully adjusted the station’s orbit by 7/100 of a mile at apogee, the point at which it’s farthest away from Earth, and 7/10 of a mile at perigee, when it is closest to Earth.
“By testing the spacecraft’s ability to provide reboost and, eventually, attitude control, NASA’s International Space Station Program will have multiple spacecraft available to provide these capabilities for the orbital complex,” NASA wrote in a statement at the time.
The Dragon spacecraft will remain docked to the ISS until December—the longest period for a cargo mission—in order to pull off the reboost maneuvers in the coming months. The boost kit being used on this mission is a smaller version of one SpaceX is currently developing for the space station’s final deorbit.
The ISS is due to retire by 2030, and NASA plans on using a Dragon spacecraft to perform a series of deorbit burns that will lower the space station’s altitude until it burns up in Earth’s atmosphere. Until the moment comes for its impending doom, the ISS will get to enjoy a little boost from Dragon.
LUANDA (Angola) – Angola President Joao Lourenco hosted the 2025 AfroBasket champions at the Presidential Palace in Luanda on Tuesday.
This was Mr. Lourenco’s first AfroBasket celebration as head of state, as Angola last won the African Championship in 2013. Mr. Lourenco is currently serving his second term.
Gerson Lukeny, captain of the Angola team, hands the 2025 AfroBasket trophy to the country’s head of state, Mr. João Lourenço and First Lady Ana Dias Lourenco.
A dominant force in African basketball from the late 1980s to 2013, Angola won eleven AfroBasket championships during that time. They faced a 12-year title drought until defeating Mali 70-43 on Sunday, August 24, to restore their continental glory.
Addressing the new African champions, Mr. Lourence said: “You are role models for future generations and young players who aspire to be champions like you.”
“We have to build more basketball courts and sports facilities. This is something we have already started working on.”
After more than 12 years, Angola won their first AfroBasket.
Mr. Lourenco emphasized the importance of building 12 new gymnasiums, ensuring that every Angolan province must have facilities for basketball, handball, martial arts, swimming, and gymnastics.
The official continued, noting: “We just have to believe that we can achieve these goals. This is much more than financial investment; it’s also an investment in people to ensure the well-being of future generations.”
“We would like to thank you for bringing joy to the Angolan people with this victory. We hope you bring more victories to our country in the coming years.”
On this occasion, the 2025 AfroBasket champions presented the Angolan presidency with autographed jerseys, a basketball, and the competition’s title.
The team said the new database — now publicly accessible and citable — was designed to support a wide range of scientific and management needs. It was compiled over the past five years and will continue to evolve as more data are collected.
“This database is exciting because it brings together quality-controlled, standardized fish length-weight parameters that are often scattered, inconsistently reported or missing altogether,” said Anela Akiona, a Scripps Oceanography PhD student and co-first author of the study. “Our motivation was to make it easier for scientists, managers and conservationists to quickly and confidently estimate fish biomass, compare results across studies, and monitor reef fish communities over time.”
The study was published Aug. 14, 2025, in the journal Scientific Data. In addition to Akiona, Scripps project scientist Brian Zgliczynski served as co-first author of the study, with Scripps marine ecologist Stuart Sandin and six other researchers from the Sandin Labcontributing as co-authors.
Akiona’s graduate research is supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program, the UC San Diego Tribal Membership Initiative and the San Diego ARCS Foundation. Additional support for the team was provided by the Waitt Institute.
Read the study: A database of life history parameters for Pacific coral reef fish
Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, has long been cast as a frozen relic of the early solar system — quiet, airless, and lifeless. But new research suggests that billions of years ago, this dwarf planet may have harbored the right ingredients to support simple microbial life.
That’s according to a new study using data from NASA’s Dawn spacecraft that opens the door to reevaluating the habitability of similarly small, icy bodies in the solar system, scientists say. If Ceres ever was habitable, its window to potentially sustain life likely closed billions of years ago. Today, its surface is bitterly cold, with most of its underground water frozen into a thick shell of ice, with some remaining as a salty brine trapped below.
Yet data gathered by Dawn revealed hints of a more dynamic, complex past. Bright, reflective patches on the surface turned out to be salt deposits left by briny liquid that once seeped upward. Organic molecules, discovered in Ceres’ soil, suggest the ingredients for life were also present. Until now, though, one piece was missing: a source of energy to sustain life.
A world gone cold
Ceres is small by planetary standards, measuring just 600 miles (960 kilometers) across, or about one-third the width of Earth’s moon. Unlike icy moons such as Jupiter’s Europa and Saturn’s Enceladus, which are kept warm by the gravitational tug of giant planets, Ceres has no external energy source to prolong its habitability.
The new study fills that gap, scientists say. Using computer models, researchers simulated Ceres’ interior over billions of years and found that, between 2.5 and 4 billion years ago, radioactive decay in the dwarf planet’s rocky core could have generated enough heat to drive hydrothermal activity.
Circulating water within the planet would have reacted with hot, altered rock, carrying gases and minerals into a global ocean, creating chemical “food” for microbes — much like the hydrothermal vents that teem with life on Earth’s sunless seafloor, according to the new study.
“On Earth, when hot water from deep underground mixes with the ocean, the result is often a buffet for microbes — a feast of chemical energy,” Samuel Courville, a researcher at Arizona State University who led the new study, said in a statement. “So it could have big implications if we could determine whether Ceres’ ocean had an influx of hydrothermal fluid in the past.”
Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!
An illustration of the interior of dwarf planet Ceres, showing how water and gases can flow from its rocky core to a reservoir of salty water. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
Even if life never took hold on Ceres, the discovery could help broaden the range of environments that could potentially be habitable. Unlike many ocean worlds orbiting giant planets, Ceres isn’t powered by tidal heating, making it a simpler and more revealing case study of how small, icy bodies evolve. Because so many objects in the solar system are similar in size, researchers suggest they could have represented a common type of habitable environment in the solar system’s early days.
The study also points to other candidates: icy worlds roughly the size of Ceres, including some moons of Uranus and Saturn, may have followed comparable evolutionary paths and hosted temporary oceans capable of supporting life before cooling into the frozen landscapes we see today.
A study of potential past habitability on Ceres was published on Aug. 20 in the journal Science Advances.
Meghan Markle has released a new product under her lifestyle brand, As Ever — a traditional British orange marmalade, or simply, jam.
The launch, which took place on Tuesday, August 26, came alongside the premiere of the second season of her Netflix series ‘With Love, Meghan’.
The new marmalade joins a restocked collection of teas, baking mixes, and her signature flower sprinkles.
Described as “golden and fragrant, with a lively zest that lingers,” the marmalade pays tribute to the classic flavours of a British teatime. It can be used in a variety of ways — spread on toast, swirled into yoghurt, served with cheese, or even used as a glaze on roast chicken or cakes.
The marmalade is priced at $9 for a standard jar or $24 for a keepsake version.
Fruit preserves have been central to Meghan’s lifestyle brand from the beginning. She first introduced her jam-making interest with a strawberry jam sent to celebrity friends such as Mindy Kaling, Chrissy Teigen, and Abigail Spencer.
The As Ever brand is a rebranded version of American Riviera Orchard, which Meghan launched earlier. She timed this relaunch to match the premiere of her Netflix show, continuing her mix of modern lifestyle products with traditional British influence.
The best Bluetooth speakers make it easy to listen to music around your house or on the go, completely free from pesky cables and outlets. They wirelessly stream audio from your laptop, tablet, or phone, offering access to all your favorite tracks. Top Bluetooth speakers do so with rich sound quality, helpful features, built-in batteries, and stylish designs.
I’ve been covering audio products and other consumer electronics for over 25 years, and I’ve used that experience to test the best Bluetooth speakers for different needs. The retro-inspired JBL Authentics 300 earns my highest recommendation. It offers a terrific balance of power, finesse, and versatility. But if you’re on a tighter budget and want something more portable, I recommend the Cleer Scene. This compact, travel-friendly model performs quite well, especially given its size and affordability.
Each of my picks has been evaluated using a rigorous testing process aimed at identifying Bluetooth speakers that offer superlative sound, functionality, and looks. Though Bluetooth is the key requirement for each recommendation, many models also include optional WiFi support, and some are compatible with digital assistants like Alexa.
Our top picks for the best Bluetooth speakers
Best overall: JBL Authentics 300 – See at Amazon
Best budget: Cleer Scene – See at Amazon
Best premium: Devialet Mania – See at Amazon
Best portable smart speaker: Bose Portable Smart Speaker – See at Amazon
Best multi-room: Sonos Move 2 – See at Amazon
Best battery life: Lodge Solar Speaker 4 Series 2 – See at Amazon
Best overall
JBL Authentics 300
This handsome, beefy Bluetooth speaker also features WiFi connectivity, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant built-in, AirPlay, and Chromecast. It sounds amazing, with plenty of power to complement its retro style.
The JBL Authentics 300 is my pick for the best Bluetooth speaker overall. It’s an impressive option that combines substantial power, stellar performance, expansive functionality, and ample style.
Its unique waffle (or, as JBL calls it, “Quadrex”) grille gives it a fun, retro look that distinguishes it from other speakers. It also has a built-in battery and a convenient handle.
Backing up its classy style, the Authentics 300 produces a clean, refined sound throughout the frequency spectrum. Convenient dedicated knobs on top of the speaker allow you to dial in the exact bass and treble flavors you desire. And 100 watts of power makes it rock at whatever volume your ears can handle.
JBL’s Authentics 300 speaker hits a sweet spot for power, performance, looks, and functionality.
Scott Tharler/Business Insider
Though the Authentics 300 is portable and meant to be moved around with up to eight hours of battery life, it’s a little on the bulky side. So if you’re using it at home you may just want to find a good spot for it and leave it plugged in, knowing that you can tote it somewhere else if/when the need arises.
Its companion app is packed with features, including the ability to adjust the EQ, toggle battery saver mode, set the auto power off time, and disable feedback tones. In addition to Bluetooth, the app lets you stream music via a WiFi connection for higher-quality playback. WiFi also enables you to set up multi-room listening (with the addition of more speakers) and configure Amazon Alexa and/or Google Assistant, which allows the Authentics 300 to work as a smart speaker.
At the end of the day, JBL’s Authentics 300 is not only a handsome device but also a highly adaptable and adjustable speaker with great connectivity. In addition to the platforms already mentioned, it plays well with both AirPlay and Chromecast. It’s available in either black or white. And though it retails for $450 to $500, it’s sometimes on sale for as low as $350, a grab-it-while-you-can bargain price.
Best budget
Cleer Scene
The cannoli-shaped Cleer Audio Scene is a light, affordable Bluetooth speaker. But what makes it such a terrific value is how great it performs, with crisp, bright, smooth sound that can fill a small room.
Although you may not have heard of Cleer Audio, the brand has been around for over a dozen years, churning out competent ANC headphones that rival Sony and Bose for sound quality (but cost less), great wireless earbuds, and innovative speaker designs.
Case in point: the Cleer Scene. This unique Bluetooth speaker doesn’t have a typical boxy or cylindrical build. Instead, it’s shaped kind of like a cannoli. According to the designer, this style was very intentional, as it’s meant to force listeners to position the speaker horizontally rather than vertically.
Other than its shape, the Cleer Scene stands out in this list as the only speaker under $100. But it definitely performs beyond its price. In fact, nothing in this range even comes close to it.
Cleer Audio’s Scene speaker (shown here in red) is compact, affordable, and performs great.
Scott Tharler/Business Insider
It features deeper, more controlled bass than JBL’s cheaper Clip 5, and it’s way more affordable than Bose’s similarly portable SoundLink Flex. The sound is crisp, bright, and smooth. Despite its tiny stature, the speaker easily fills a small area with dulcet tunes.
The Scene is available in a subtle gray or a stunning red. Unlike other speakers of its size, it features a microphone, so you can use it for calls. And it’s IPX7 waterproof, so it can survive an honest-to-goodness dunking.
That utility and durability, along with its light and compact body, make it highly portable. It’s definitely the kind of Bluetooth speaker you’ll want to bring with you everywhere around the house and on the go.
Best premium
Devialet Mania
The Devialet Mania honors the brand’s luxury audio heritage as the company’s first portable, battery-powered speaker. Like its plugged-in predecessors, this speaker delivers impressively controlled and detailed sound, especially given how loud and impactful it can get.
The French company Devialet (pronounced like “D-V-allay”) has made a name for itself in the high-performance luxury audio space. Though the brand has released a soundbar, amplifier, and earbuds, it’s best known for its multi-thousand-dollar Phantom speakers.
Other than their cyber egg shape and notoriously high price tags, the Phantoms are known for their “implosive” speaker arrays, capable of blasting at cantankerous volumes without an iota of distortion. Though Devialet has come out with smaller, relatively more affordable versions, those have all needed to be plugged in. The Mania is its first battery-powered speaker.
Despite its portability, the Mania is a powerful and stylish piece of tech, as if the company somehow turned the all-seeing Eye of Sauron from “The Lord of the Rings” into a speaker. One thing’s for sure: it definitely looks and feels premium.
With a prestigious heritage, the Mania is Devialet’s only speaker that’s portable or under $1,000.
Scott Tharler/Business Insider
More than that, this relatively compact yet heavy speaker performs amazingly well, delivering rich stereo sound in 360 degrees. It does so by performing a scan every time you power it on, which requires patience that’s amply rewarded. The Mania uses its four microphones to determine its position in the room and automatically adjust its audio imaging and directionality accordingly.
More than handsome, smart, and adept, the speaker is also plenty loud. At every volume, the Mania delivers clean, tight, bright sound. Even when serving up to 95 decibels of audio, it sounds big but never distorted, bloated, or muddied. It’s just tight and snappy, right up through the middle and upper registers.
Its companion app offers basic functionality, displaying charging information, product tips and info, and an adjustable volume slider with three equalizer presets. The app also gives you access to the speaker’s voice assistant and the ability to disable the microphone.
To add to its accolades, the Mania offers great connectivity, with optional WiFi support in addition to Bluetooth streaming. It’s available in five opulent colorways on Devialet’s site. And it can be paired to another Mania, in case your pockets are deep enough and you want an even better stereo presentation.
Best portable smart speaker
Bose Portable Smart Speaker
Bose’s oil can-sized Portable Smart Speaker offers big sound, wireless charging capability, and compatibility with both Amazon’s and Google’s virtual assistants. It also boasts versatile connectivity options and strong functionality.
Bose’s aptly named Portable Smart Speaker is the successor to its older SoundLink Revolve+ II, a Bluetooth speaker included in previous versions of this guide. True to its lineage, this newer smart speaker is versatile and well-featured while adding perks like WiFi support.
Roughly twice the volume of the Cleer Scene and half that of the Sonos Move 2, the cylindrical Portable Smart Speaker is about the size of an oil can. In other words, it’s not tiny, but still relatively light and compact. It also boasts support for both Google Assistant and Alexa when connected to WiFi. Though other options in this guide are also compatible with those assistants, this is the easiest to transport, making it the most mobile smart speaker of the bunch.
In terms of the speaker’s sound profile, true to Bose’s reputation, the mids and treble are clean and sparkly. But I don’t love the bass. Unlike the Cleer Scene, Bose’s speaker is so unexpectedly thumpy that it muddies up the mids and distracts from the speaker’s otherwise pristine audio. Still, its overall performance compares well to other smart speakers of this size, offering bigger-than-expected sound.
Bose’s Portable Smart Speaker is small but mighty, offering solid 360-degree sound.
Scott Tharler/Business Insider
The app is pretty basic but works well. It allows you to enable additional features, such as Chromecast and voice control, plus you can stream services such as Spotify, iHeartRadio, Sirius XM, and Pandora.
One cool proprietary feature is that you can group this model with other Bose speakers and soundbars, allowing you to fill your home with sound. You can even send synchronized audio to a pair of Bose headphones.
Design-wise, the Portable Smart Speaker errs on the side of simplicity and subtlety. It’s available in either black or white, so it’s a bit average in the looks department. But it’s a compact, powerful smart speaker with substantial sound beyond its size. I just wish it were a little less boomy and that a wireless charging cradle were included.
For more product recommendations from Bose, check out our guides to the best Bose soundbars and best Bose headphones.
Best multi-room
Sonos Move 2 Bluetooth Speaker
The Move 2 is a fantastic all-around speaker that fits neatly into the Sonos ecosystem. It features rich, warm sound, and its tasteful design is sure to blend in with any decor.
Sonos’ Move 2 is an excellent Bluetooth speaker that stands out thanks to its robust multi-room support. It’s compatible with Sonos’ wireless ecosystem, which (with the help of its app) allows you to discreetly control all Sonos speakers connected to your WiFi network.
You can have one set of speakers that you’ve grouped playing one stream at a particular volume and a separate speaker (or set of speakers) playing a completely different source at another volume. Though the brand’s app was subject to glitches during a botched revamp last year, most of these issues have been corrected. There are still some kinks here and there, but as a whole, Sonos’ multi-room capabilities are top-notch. And if you just want straightforward playback to the Move 2 on its own, a Bluetooth connection offers a simple solution that works anywhere.
Sonos’ rich, warm, and clear-sounding Move 2 (shown here in olive) is also available in black or white.
Scott Tharler/Business Insider
If you were to judge the Move 2’s sound based on its beefy size, you might assume it’d be bold and brutish. But it’s actually more of a gentle giant. Make no mistake, it gets plenty loud. But the sound is rich, warm, and surprisingly brighter than that of the Bose Portable Smart Speaker. It certainly doesn’t lack in bass, but it rumbles with more finesse than the Bose — and many other speakers, for that matter.
The shape of the Move 2 is an elliptic cylinder, and it’s available in black, white, or olive. So it’s not the flashiest speaker out there. Design-wise, it seems to be more about blending into the background than standing out as a statement piece. But it’s still nice and curvy with a subtle, tasteful personality.
I also like that it comes with a charging base. But it’s certainly not lacking for battery, with the capacity for 24 hours of play time and the spare juice to charge your phone or tablet as needed via a USB connection.
As with other Sonos gear, the Move 2 is admittedly on the pricey side. But it occasionally goes on sale, so watch for that. If you’re already into Sonos, this is a great speaker to have around the house. It’s also a good one to get you started on that path, even if you have no immediate plans to add more speakers.
For more Sonos product recommendations, check out our guide to the best Sonos soundbars.
Best battery life
Lodge Solar Speaker 4 Series 2
The Lodge Solar Speaker is a perfect outdoor speaker. It is water resistant and has virtually endless battery life. It also delivers a clean, bright, audiophile-friendly sound signature.
The Lodge Solar Speaker 4 stands out from rivals in this guide thanks to its four solar panels (top, back, right, and left sides) that can store power from the sun. It also has an IP66 rating, which means it’s fine to leave out in the rain. To further cement its outdoor worthiness, this speaker comes with a magnetic stake mounting system, so you can easily perch it above a patch of dirt, grass, or mulch.
To charge the speaker initially, you can either juice it up via its hidden USB-C port and then leave it outside for sunshine to top it off, or strategically place it outside for a few days and let the sun do all the work.
As long as you have sunlight, the Lodge offers virtually unlimited playtime. And without solar charging, it still offers 22-plus hours of battery life, so it’s sure to play through darkness and rain as well. You don’t have to fret about the weather for your camping trip or patio party being perfect.
Four solar panels cover Lodge’s Solar Speaker 4, empowering it with virtually unlimited battery life when left in direct sunshine.
Scott Tharler/Business Insider
Once powered up, the Solar Speaker 4 sounds amazing. It’s clear, bright, and plenty loud. Its bass is adequate, if not a bit understated. So it may be a letdown if you crave truly bone-rattling rumble or heart-stopping thump. In that way, its sound signature could be described as “audiophile-friendly,” meaning that it’s clean, balanced, and relatively “neutral” throughout its frequency response.
There is an app, but it’s only used to initiate firmware updates. However, it’s possible to pair two of these speakers for a superwide stereo soundstage. If you happen to have the budget and acreage (and amenable neighbors), you can even wirelessly connect up to 30 of these bad boys.
Having said all this, the Lodge Solar Speaker 4 can also be used indoors. After all, it offers stellar sound. But it’s really meant as a long-lasting speaker that you set up outdoors without having to worry about power.
How we test Bluetooth speakers
We compared dozens of Bluetooth speakers to determine the best.
Scott Tharler/Business Insider
To find the best Bluetooth speakers, I tested a wide variety of popular options. After conducting in-depth research, I arrived at an initial group of prospective models. Specifically, I focused on Bluetooth speakers that were versatile enough to work well around the home and outside. I then got hands-on with dozens of potential picks to compare their performance and determine the best of the best.
When assessing each speaker, I focused on several key factors, including general sound quality, connectivity options, smart features, and overall value. My methodology is informed by decades of experience in reviewing personal audio products.
I also evaluated ease-of-use factors such as on-device controls, app functionality, portability, and aesthetics. The best Bluetooth speakers exude well-executed design and purpose, whether they blend into or add style to whatever space they occupy. In that way, they can be thought of as accent pieces not just sonically, but visually as well.
I listened to a wide variety of audio content on each speaker, from different music genres to podcasts and audiobooks. To analyze performance, I evaluated the range and clarity of the bass, midrange, and treble frequencies. For source material, I tapped into streaming services such as Amazon Music, Qobuz, Spotify, and iHeartRadio. To better isolate speakers’ strengths and weaknesses, I performed several combinations of side-by-side assessments.
To be thorough, I lived with these wireless speakers for weeks, playing all sorts of audio on them. Of course, I leaned heavily on their Bluetooth connections, but I also tested WiFi and multi-room capabilities when applicable. I listened in different-sized rooms at varying volumes and distances, appropriately reflecting the intended use cases for each speaker based on their size and power.
What to look for in a Bluetooth speaker
Intuitive physical controls and multiple connectivity options make JBL’s Authentics 300 a versatile, easy-to-use speaker.
Scott Tharler/Business Insider
Intended use case – When shopping for a Bluetooth speaker, you’ll want to determine what room(s) and outdoor environments you’re likely to use it in. This will help frame the speaker’s power and directionality requirements.
Portability – If a speaker is relatively bulky and heavy, that may prevent you from frequently moving it around. It also helps when the speaker has a handy grip built into its body (as with the Sonos Move 2 and Lodge Solar Speaker 4) or a prominent handle (as with the JBL Authentics 300, Devialet Mania, and Bose Portable Smart Speaker).
Battery life – This is crucial for any Bluetooth speaker you plan to take out and about, away from a power outlet. Generally speaking, you should be able to get eight to 12 hours of listening from your speaker before having to recharge it.
Connectivity –To maximize the stability and range of the wireless connection, it’s best to have a speaker running at least Bluetooth 5.2 (when Auracast was introduced). This version enables connecting two or more source devices to the same speaker, grouping multiple speakers to the same source device, and receiving public audio broadcasts. Some of the best Bluetooth speakers also include optional WiFi connectivity, which lets you stream higher-quality music from anywhere your wireless home network reaches.
Sound quality – When auditioning a speaker’s audio performance, it’s best to listen to music that you’re very familiar with at low, medium, and high volumes from a proper distance. That way, you’ll be able to properly assess the speaker’s detail, distortion levels, and whether it satisfies your tastes. Conversely, if you blast songs that you don’t know while sitting right next to a large speaker in a tiny room, you’ll have no idea how that same speaker will realistically perform in your actual setting and use case.
Value – Don’t confuse this with price, which you might be tempted to lead with. Rather than letting an arbitrary price tag define what you get, it’s better to first consider what features and performance will make you happy and then look for a matching speaker solution within a “reasonable” price range (whatever that means to you).
Durability – Apart from knowing how weather- and water-proof a speaker is, it’s important to consider how and where you’ll be using the speaker. For instance, if it’ll usually sit in the kitchen, it may get stuff spilled on it. If it’ll perch somewhere in the living room, probably not as much. And if it’s going to be taken camping, thrown into carry-ons, or plopped down on the beach, you’ll want a speaker that’s either tough enough to withstand all that commotion or be easily replaceable.
Ease-of-use –This can’t be overstated since it plays such a huge role in your overall enjoyment of the speaker, from its initial setup to daily use. It’s one of the big reasons we adore the JBL Authentics 300. Its physical buttons and knobs are laid out and operated in an intuitive way. The app not only adds fun features and fine-grained adjustments but is also simple to use.
Style – From the JBL Authentics’ eye-catching “waffle” grille to the Cleer Scene’s red colorway to the Devialet Mania’s giant eyeball vibe, how unique a speaker looks has a big impact on your experience of it. In fact, some might argue that when it comes to speakers, aesthetics are just as important as performance.
Bluetooth speaker FAQs
(From left to right) Sonos’s wirelessly networked Move 2, Bose’s Portable Smart Speaker, and Lodge’s outdoor Solar Speaker 4.
Scott Tharler/Business Insider
What Bluetooth speaker brands are the best?
No speaker brand’s products are the best at everything, as each has its own pros and cons. However, certain brands are known for specific strengths.
For instance, though Bose is probably best known for its uber comfortable and effective noise-cancelling headphones, it also produces high-quality soundbars and portable speakers. Its Portable Smart Speaker and current range of SoundLink models (Micro, Plus, Flex, and Max) are well-reputed for offering excellent build quality and top-notch sound clarity for their respective sizes, though at a fairly premium price.
On the more affordable side, JBL has a stellar reputation for consistently producing great portable Bluetooth speakers of all sizes, including those in its retro-inspired Authentics line. The brand’s smaller Go and Clip models are decent budget choices. Its medium-range Flip, Charge, and Xtreme models are deservedly quite popular. And its venerable PartyBox line is a yardstick for large wireless party speakers. Each offers JBL’s signature clean, V-shaped sound (with elevated bass and treble), flexible controls in the app, solid durability, and decent battery life.
Sonos’s soundbars are perennial favorites. And the brand recently forayed into the world of headphones with its Sonos Ace. But Sonos is mostly known for how well its app empowers wirelessly networked speakers to churn out terrific sound from multiple audio sources around the house.
These companies represent some of the best Bluetooth speaker brands available, but they’re far from the only quality options. We also recommend models from Devialet, Cleer Audio, and Lodge. And though none of their models made the cut in this guide, brands like Ultimate Ears, Beats, Anker, LG, Sony, and Marshall all make worthwhile Bluetooth speakers for different needs.
What is Bluetooth?
Bluetooth is a technology that can transmit audio wirelessly from one compatible device to another. So, if you have a Bluetooth speaker and a Bluetooth-compatible source device, like a phone or computer, you can play music from your source to your speaker without any cables. The wireless range can vary, but typical Bluetooth products can transmit audio at up to 33 feet.
Bluetooth compresses audio when it’s transmitted, which means there is some loss in quality compared to a wired connection. That said, modern Bluetooth technology using the latest audio codecs can minimize this degradation. In many cases, casual listeners would be hard-pressed to hear the difference between a high-quality Bluetooth signal and wired audio playback. However, audiophiles who want the absolute best sound quality are better off sticking to a wired connection or opting for WiFi playback from a lossless audio source.
Are Bluetooth speakers waterproof?
Some of the best Bluetooth speakers use water-resistant designs, but the effectiveness of their water resistance varies. If a speaker’s specifications include a waterproof rating where the last number is a 5 or 6 (such as IP66, for the Lodge Solar Speaker 4), that means it’s fine to withstand splashes and rain. And if the last number is a 7 or 8 (like IPX7, for the Cleer Scene), that means it’s water resistance is more heavy duty and won’t get damaged even if fully submerged (for a certain period of time).
