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Need portable speakers for travel

I've got great headphones (AKG 550) that I travel with, but there are times that I just want to have music in my hotel room without wearing cans. I'm looking for a small inexpensive battery powered speaker or sound bar (<$50), perhaps Bluetooth, that works well with my iPhone or iPad. Does anyone have any direct experience or recommendations? Thanks, Peter
peter_s
peter_s OP
1,348 posts
 
Thanks mofimadness. Did you try the TDK A33 (my current top contender)? Folks say it bests the Ultimate Ears (UE) Boom. I can get the TDK on Amazon for $110. Also, have you compared the Bluetooth sound to the direct 3.5mm cable sound quality? Any impressions? The Dell sure is a good deal. Do you know anything about the Bluetooth 4.0? Is that considered to be higher quality Bluetooth?

Thanks a lot for your suggestion. I saw you write about it before, then forgot. Glad you piped up about it!

Best, Peter
mofimadness's avatar
mofimadness
5,011 posts
 
Peter...I did not try the TDK. I did try the regular UE Boom, (not the MiniBoom that another Audiogoner really likes). I found it to be too bass heavy for me and too expensive. In that price range, I really liked the JBL Charge, but again it was a little more than I wanted to pay.

I have only used the Dell with Bluetooth connectivity and not direct in. That kinda defeats the purpose of Bluetooth :-)

I know nothing about Bluetooth 4.0? I'll need to do a little research. Thanks for the heads up.
peter_s OP
1,348 posts
 
Looks like Bluetooth 4.0 has a high enough rate for CD quality sound, whereas BT 2.1 (like on the TDK) I believe requires compression.

What kind of room size do you use the Dell for? I'm looking for something to give good sound in a hotel room. Nothing super loud? Any issues with distortion? Is there anything that stands out that you feel needs improvement?

Thanks again. P.
peter_s OP
1,348 posts
 
I did a little research. I was wrong. Here is the scoop on the various versions of Bluetooth:

Bluetooth v2.1 simplified and streamlined the pairing procedure back in 2007, which headphones definitely do take advantage of. Later Bluetooth versions improved power handling and power saving functionality, which may affect attributes such as range and connectivity, but anything specified v2.1 or newer should be equivalent as far as audio quality is concerned.
peter_s OP
1,348 posts
 
Looks like Bluetooth 4.0 has a high enough rate for CD quality sound, whereas BT 2.1 (like on the TDK) I believe requires compression.

What kind of room size do you use the Dell for? I'm looking for something to give good sound in a hotel room. Nothing super loud? Any issues with distortion? Is there anything that stands out that you feel needs improvement?

Thanks again. P.
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