The Best Budget Speakers of 2024

No matter your taste in music—jazz, heavy metal, pop—having a good pair of speakers in the house is like night and day. Those notes hit the ears better and you pick up bits you didn’t notice before. Pure musical bliss. Speakers can only fit a sort of utility niche, such as is the case with smart home speakers.

What to Look For in a Budget Speaker in 2024

Speakers these days are no longer tied down to a corner in your home, to only be used when there’s a party or spring cleaning. A little bit of Bluetooth and rechargeable batteries and you’ve got portable Bluetooth speakers. That’s not to say you shouldn’t get a good pair of bookshelf speakers, but know that there are so many more options.

If you’re an audiophile, bookshelf speakers are going to be your go-to. They’re not as portable, but have better audio quality, on average, than a portable Bluetooth speaker. You also gain the benefit of more input options, like RCA, 3.5mm, and so on. I highly recommend going with a subwoofer if you take this route.

With that said, there are still great-sounding portable Bluetooth speakers and you’ll get to know quite a few. The Tribit StormBox Flow, for example, has some good thumping bass for a portable speaker. The tradeoff is the rechargeable battery, making them ideal for pool parties and camping trips. Some double as a power bank, too.

Lastly, there is a unique option: smart home speakers. These are the speakers you leave in a corner. Sound quality is serviceable, but it’s main purpose is to be a central hub for your smart home devices and play tunes when you’re getting chores done.

How Did We Research
Models Evaluated	Hours Researched	Reviews Analyzed
10	2	20

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Given the numerous inputs and outputs, good power, and overall great sound quality, the Audioengine A2 Plus is like a chameleon, capable of blending into any role you want it for. There are even a few paint jobs, including walnut if you want a more modern wood-grain look.

The ports available are an embarrassment of riches and create a nice base for expansion. You’ve got 3.5mm, micro-USB, RCA, and Bluetooth 5.0. As a bonus, the Audioengine A2 Plus utilizes aptX, significantly reducing delay. Bluetooth 5.0 was already good with latency, but it comes in handy when you’re kicking back with a movie.

While the Audioengine A2 Plus isn’t all that large, the 60W of power is used to its fullest. Although you could expand with a subwoofer, the bass is rich enough that it isn’t necessary if you’re trying to stay on a budget. The Audioengine S6 210W is a fantastic companion, and it’s compact, too.

The Amazon Echo has set the bar as a smart home hub, and although sound quality wasn’t a priority, we’re in our fourth generation of Echo models and the sound has improved dramatically. Even the bass is sounding a lot fuller and richer than the Echo Dot.

The sound quality will make it all the better when you’re spending the day inside, knocking out chores and whatnot. Because it supports Amazon Music, Apple, Spotify, and more, accessing your favorite music streaming platform isn’t a hassle.

What makes the Amazon Echo particularly strong is how easy it is to get your smart home connected, from smart lights to smart thermostats. The setup is so worth it, though, especially when you start dipping into scheduling specific devices to turn off at specified times. No one likes wasting energy, and you get a good speaker to enjoy your favorite tunes.

It’s not enough to be portable—any Bluetooth speaker can do that. The Tribit StormBox Flow offers more than just a compact speaker; it is durable to keep the tunes playing when you’re enjoying the outdoors. For example, given its IP67 rating, it’s incredibly resilient against water and dirt, letting you safely set it up by the pool.

A portable speaker has to have a good battery life. The Tribit StormBox Flow has up to 30 hours to give, which is more than enough for a weekend road trip. Even with Xbass turned on for full bass, it’ll drop it to 24 hours. That’s still on par with the Anker Soundcore 2, another great portable Bluetooth speaker.

The most handy feature of the Tribit StormBox Flow is the ability to charge your devices. There’s nothing worse than your phone dying during an emergency. In a pinch, the StormBox Flow even becomes a portable power bank.

The wood-grain finish is still tasteful these days, and what better way to decorate a bookshelf than with the Edifier R1280DBs Speakers? There’s a black finish, too, but the wood is best for blending in with a flowerpot, bookends, and whatnot. More importantly, they’re active speakers, so they provide the best audio quality with the least distortion.

The Edifier R1280DBs is the entire package, with 42W of power, a 13mm silk dome tweeter, and a 4-inch subwoofer. It also has Bluetooth 5.0, opt, coax, and even line-in for your choice of connection and a sub-out port for expanding with a subwoofer if you need more bass.

What doesn’t get enough attention are the removable mesh grilles. It makes cleanup less of a hassle when you can remove the grille, give it a shakedown, dust the insides, and push it back into place.

Overall, the I/O of the Edifier R1280DBs has a really clean I/O. The knobs that control volume, treble, and bass have a good size, and all the ports at the back are nicely spaced. There’s a remote too, which lets you switch inputs with ease.

If you’re looking for a budget Bluetooth speaker for your office and gatherings, the Anker Soundcore 2 offers the shortest path. It’s not exactly up to standards for audiophiles, but it makes good use of the 12W of power, and the BassUp technology adds some semblance of bass to your tunes.

With an IPX7 waterproof rating, the Anker Soundcore 2 is safe and sound near the pool. In fact, the buttons are both chunky and raised, making it easy to make adjustments. Pairing devices is just easy, and with Bluetooth 5.0, latency is kept at a minimum.

No one likes it when the music stops, so to combat this, the Anker Soundcore 2 has a 5,200mAh Li-ion battery, granting up to 24 hours of juice. However, playing music at the highest volume will drain the speaker faster.

FAQ

Why are my speakers cutting out?

Depending on the type of speaker you have and how it’s connected, it could be:

• Faulty hardware or improper connection
  • Give the wires a second pass. Are they connected? If so, try using different wires and if the problem persists, then the speaker is likely to blame.
• Low battery
  • When a portable speaker is low on battery, this can cause it to cut out. It needs enough juice to stay connected with your devices.
• Interference from other devices
  • Ever hear a ping from your speakers, then receive a text right after? That’s electrical interference and it can cut through to your speakers. The same goes with Wi-Fi. Either move the speakers or turn off devices you don’t need.

What is Bluetooth?

Bluetooth is simply a type of wireless technology. Think Wi-Fi but you can’t connect to the internet Your smartphone, tablet, laptop, even your PC (usually) has it built right in.

Do modern speakers sound better than vintage ones?

Generally speaking, no. Modern speakers will always outpace vintage ones. It’s just the nature of technology getting better over time. However, if you had to choose between a pair of vintage speakers in good condition and a pair of cheap, modern speakers, then you go vintage every single time.

What do I need to consider for building a sound system?

Whether it’s for home entertainment or music, the bare minimum of a sound system is:

• A pair of speakers
• An amplifier or receiver
• And a source

The amplifier/receiver is the command center of your sound system, so to speak, letting you make adjustments and connect speakers to it. As for the source, that could be Bluetooth, a device you connect like your phone or computer, even streaming.