Best Sounding Blue Tooth Speakers - What do you use?

Just curious what everyone else is running for bluetooth speakers. I've got a small JBL flip bluetooth speaker that I've been using for a couple years. It does a decent job for the small size that it is and battery life is pretty decent as well. I normally take this with me whenever I'm working in the garage or on the back patio and stream Sirus Xm to it through my phone app.

I just ordered a Marshall Stanmore II bluetooth speaker in black with gold trim the other day. Looking forward to trying it out once it arrives. This one is not so much portable because it does require it to be plugged into an outlet, but the reviews I've read were highly rated on this model. It's a bit pricey at around $380, but looks to be a well made unit and I like the guitar amp look of it. Anyone else have the Marshall Stanmore II? If so, what are your thoughts on it.

Buy Marshall Stanmore III Bluetooth Speaker | Marshall (marshallheadphones.com)

 

Probably don't sound as good, but I've used these for quite a while; pair 2 of them up and the sound is pretty decent!!!

Plus they float and are water proof...

 

I’ve got a Bose flex I use. Sounds great.

 

JBL Boombox 2 - Portable Bluetooth Speaker, Powerful Sound and Monstrous Bass, IPX7 Waterproof, 24 Hours of Playtime, Powerbank, JBL PartyBoost for Speaker Pairing, for Home and Outdoor(Black)

$400 JBL Boombox 2 - Portable Bluetooth Speaker, Powerful Sound and Monstrous Bass, IPX7 Waterproof, 24 Hours of Playtime, Powerbank, JBL PartyBoost for Speaker Pairing, for Home and Outdoor(Black)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086C14ZPY

 

Bose SoundLink Mini II
I've had it for a while. It was $100 (I think) when I bought it and I was pissed about spending so much, but it was worth it at this point. Still holds a charge for a long time and sounds incredible for being so tiny.

 

I’ve had a Bose Soundlink Color II for about 8 years and it’s been fantastic. It sounds amazing and the battery lasts for a long time.

 

I use DXOMark for wireless speaker choices. Depending on what situation I'm in, it helps give me a baseline on where to start. I like their constantly updated and easy to read rankings. According to their results, they state that the Marshall Stanmore III is a pretty good speaker. So, it seems it tracks with the reviews that you read.



Edit: Reread your statement and wanted to make sure your post wasn't a mistake. You stated you purchased a Marshall Stanmore II but linked to a Marshall Stanmore III. Seems there's quite a difference between the two with the II being the better between them, according to DXOMark.

 

Sonos blows the Bose and every other speaker I’ve owned out of the water. They have a good military discount as well.

 

This one IMO, sounds great.
https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/one-sl

 

I'm going to sell my full Denon/Polk surround sound setup and go with the Sonos Ultimate Immersive Set with Arc for home theatre. I've been very impressed with Sonos.

 

I have their sound bar with built in surround and for not having actual surround, it sounds awesome.

 

Bought this one on Amazon back in 2021 and it's very good for the little bit of money you spend. Initially purchased to do something at school, but I use it every time I'm in the garage or working outside. Plenty loud but not so loud the neighbors complain.

 

A guy at work had one just like that and had it on his cart all summer while he was painting. I was blown away by how small it was and how good the sound was. It sounded like something 5x it's size.
They didn't have that model when I looked for one, but they had the mini II. I liked the smaller profile and that it was stereo so I grabbed one to try. Even though mine is smaller, there's more low end. Which is hard to believe and kinda cool, but it's almost too much low end. I wish it had a little 3 band EQ. I think the one you have has an overall better sound, but I still like the mini.

 

I have its little brother, the JBL Extreme 3. We're happy with it, but that Boombox takes it to a whole nuther level.

 

Just got a Bose Soundlink Flex ($129 at Costco) and it sounds really good for it's small size.

 

I got this as a promotional piece when I bought a Milwaukee cordless ratchet.

Uses the same batteries as the ratchet if I’m away from a 120v source. And if I can plug in, it will charge the ratchet batteries.

For in the shop or on a job site it works great. Mine lives on top of my toolbox. I’m sure there are better options as far as sound quality, but really what more do you need in a portable speaker? For the price I paid I have no complaints. Especially since I wouldn’t have spent money on something like a speaker for in the garage - it’s just not that big of a priority to me.