When it comes to choosing from the wide range of the loudest Bluetooth speakers, there’s plenty of competition – with brands including Marshall, Amazon, SoundBoks, JBL, Sony and Bose all vying for your attention and your hard-earned cash.
Choosing a speaker that will deliver the kind of raucous power to make your walls shake can be a minefield, so with that in mind, we’ve dived head-first into the online maelstrom and picked out a selection of wild and noisy Bluetooth speakers that deliver proper, blistering sound.
Our guide should help you decide which of the loudest Bluetooth speakers is the right fit for your musical leanings – and is capable of hitting the right volume – for you and your music collection.
Loudest Bluetooth speaker: The Louder Choice
While we go into some depth about our favourite loudest Bluetooth speakers in our full list below, you may have cash burning a hole in your pocket and simply want to know our top recommendations. Well, we have a couple we’d gladly highlight. We love the awesome firepower of the SoundBoks (Gen 3). These speakers are an upgrade to the already brilliant New SoundBoks and are pretty much guaranteed to get the party started in style.
Meanwhile, the Amazon Echo Studio offers superb spacious sound, pumping bass and can throw out a thoroughly decent 90 dB – the kind of volume that's guaranteed to wake up a sleepy household or keep a party going into the small hours. An added bonus is that it's a smart speaker, so along with playing your favourite music, you'll be able to do much, much more with it, using just your voice.
Loudest Bluetooth speakers: Product guide
At 65% of the market share, it feels like everyone and your mum has an Amazon Echo. But when it comes to smart speakers, “loud” isn’t the first thing that comes to mind? In this case, delivering up to 90dB of sound – as loud as a revved-up lawn mower – the Echo Studio does a very good job of shaking that notion.
It’s unlike other conventional Bluetooth speakers due to the positioning of its five speakers: there's a midrange speaker directed upwards, a midrange speaker facing to the right and another to the left, a tweeter directed forward, and a woofer directed downwards towards the hollowed-out space which Apple calls the bass aperture. These placements are meant to give listeners an immersive experience – as if you are surrounded by sound.
As a smart home device, users get the perks of software updates, plus the ability to connect to a whole host of other smart home devices. It’s worth noting that this speaker is designed for use within a home setting, not for outdoor use.
All in all, the Amazon Echo Studio may not be the choice for someone looking for a pro-level speaker, however it is a great speaker for someone who wants an all-in-one device with great audio.
Read our Amazon Echo Studio review
- Explore the best Amazon Echo Studio deals
The third generation of SoundBoks' huge-sounding speaker range is here and it delivers yet another sonic assault on the senses. It delivers a whopping 126dB of sound, which is delivered thanks to two 10-inch 96dB woofers and a 104dB compression driver tweeter. In other words, it’s loud!
The SoundBoks (Gen 3) matches the excellent 40 hours of battery from the last model at mid-volume, and it can be connected to your smartphone or tablet through Bluetooth 5.0. While it’s classed as a portable speaker, it’s still a heavy thing to lug around as it weighs in at a considerable 34lbs. But the good news is it features IP65 tech, so it’ll cope with rain and dust with no problems.
Sure, it’s not the most stylish of speakers on the market, but to make it a little easier on the eye, SoundBox offer customers a choice of grill colours: Black, white, orange, blue and red. And really, when it’s cranking out your favourite sounds at a thunderous volume, who really cares what it looks like?
Read our SoundBoks (Gen 3) review
The JBL Boombox 2 is a step up from the original model and remarkably, it delivers an more solid sonic punch. The US audio experts call it “the loudest JBL boombox ever” so there you have it.
So what are the differences between the JBL Boombox and this model? For starters, Bluetooth 4.2 has been replaced with Bluetooth 5.1 and can connect with JBL PartyBoost-compatible devices. The audio output has been increased and now boasts an additional RMS-woofer and 2 x 40 W RMS-tweeter and the unit has undergone a design update. It's a smidgen heavier but you’ll still get 24 hours of playtime on a single charge and like its older sibling, it’s completely waterproof thanks to IPX7 tech.
This robust bit of kit is available in black or camo and is well worth a look if you’re in he market for something that’ll shake your foundations.
Read our JBL Boombox 2 review
With a name like “Rave”, it’s clear that this speaker was built to be so loud you feel it. Two 5 ¼-inch woofers deliver rumbling bass boosted by a bass port. Soundcore has taken this a step further by using BassUp technology, a digital signal processor that gives listeners a richer and clearer low-end. In other words, its bass drops lower than your average speaker.
The Rave boasts Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, which for music-playing purposes means reliable connectivity and the ability to continue playing music up to 240m away from the speaker itself.
The Rave sits at a moderately low price point and holds all the power and perks expected from a speaker that prides itself on being the loudest thing in the room. At 17 kg, however, it’s not the most portable thing. If that doesn't put you off then this speaker is an absolute winner.
Read our Anker Soundcore Rave review
Historic brand Marshall has been loyal to loud for decades. Five decades to be exact. Fortunately, this old-timer seems quick to adapt to the modern times when you consider the Woburn II’s Bluetooth connectivity. Other additions include a Marshall app which gives you the ability to turn the speaker on and off, as well as manually control the volume, bass and treble.
The speaker offers great overall sound and was built to sustain clear, low frequencies thanks to its two subwoofers duelled with a bass reflex system and external port.
Although this Marshall Bluetooth speaker is low fuss, it is high maintenance considering it's not waterproof, dirt-proof, beer-proof… so keep this baby inside and away from spillage.
Read our Marshall Woburn II review
Sony has always been a brand you can trust in the audio field, and the Sony SRS-XB33 continues this heritage with a portable, dust-proof, waterproof speaker that delivers a superb sound thanks to its unique internal speaker layout.
We liked the quirky fact that you can chain up to 100 of these together, not that we can see a situation where that would ever happen but it’s a nice idea which conjures images of an all-out sonic attack.
Despite its relative size, however, we were impressed with the depth and thud that came from bass and low-end sounds, and can vouch for its volume levels which retain clarity even when you push it to its limit. We could take or leave the flashing disco lights though!
Read our Sony SRS-XB33 review
Times have changed for Sonos with this, their first portable Bluetooth speaker, dubbed ‘Move’.
The difference between this and older models is it’s portability and built-in intelligence. Integration with Google Home and Amazon Echo gives users the ability to use it like any other smart speaker. Plus, all that portability comes complete with resistance to the elements, meaning you can take this speaker outside with confidence.
Although it is plenty loud 85 db – somewhere between a really loud blender and a lawn mower – there is a downside. The Sonos Move includes everything but a subwoofer, a loudspeaker that’s key to bringing out the lowest bass tones in a song.
It’s definitely loud and great for the average listener, but missing the deep low-end may be a deal breaker for some.
Loudest Bluetooth speakers: Buying advice
How to determine the loudest Bluetooth speaker
While we're delighted to see the return of the live scene after such a long layoff, we have to say we've become quite partial to checking out sound systems and speakers in our own property or, more recently, over at a friend's place.
As you can see, the online marketplace is stacked with speakers and choosing the right option for you can be a minefield. For starters, just how do you know that the speaker you have your eye on in, in fact, the loudest?
What makes a speaker 'loud'?
First, check out how many decibels (dB) a speaker cranks out, or look at the scaled measurement of the intensity of sound. Not unlike an earthquake, the higher up on a scale, the more exponentially powerful the sound is.
Every 10 dB represents a 10-fold increase – or doubling – in volume. For example, 20dB is 10 times louder than 10 dB, while 30 dB is 100x louder than 10 dB and - with that logic in mind - 1,000x more powerful than 0 dB. For reference, the average concert has an intensity of about 100 dB.
Now let’s talk about Wattage (W) – because all that sound needs to be backed by sheer power. But how many watts do you really need? Every speaker is set at its own wattage, telling us exactly the strength of its perceived amplification. However, a 100W speaker isn’t twice as loud as a 50W speaker, but rather 3dB louder.
Loudest Bluetooth speakers: size and aesthetics
Of course, this is all well and good but you'll also have to take into consideration how the speaker will look in your living room, music study or outdoor space. Some of the loudest Bluetooth speakers can, it has to be said, be a little on the plain side, with the majority of the energy involved going into how the blasted thing sounds. Fair enough!
Some speakers like the SoundBoks (Gen 3) are big and bulky, while the Marshall Woburn II is emblazoned with the audio giant's instantly recognisable label. These won't be a natural fit in some environments. Others like the JBL Boombox 2 hark back to the good old days of the humble ghetto blaster – minus the double tape deck and radio dial – while the Anker Soundcore Rave comes with flashing bells and whistles making it an ideal choice for those who like to party hard.
Now that you know what you’re looking for, you're ready to peruse our guide to the victors of volume, the number ones of noise... the loudest Bluetooth speakers around. Our price comparison widgets have found the best prices online right now for you, too. Just hit the 'product guide' tab to check out our list.
Protecting your ears
We wouldn’t be a responsible rock site if we didn’t include a word on long-term exposure to excessive volume. While we’re big supporters of playing things loud, it’s possible to cause permanent damage to your ears if you’re always cranking it (don’t believe us, Metal Hammer deputy editor Eleanor Goodman told us what it’s like living with Tinnitus). So, maybe give your ears a rest from time to time, yeah?
What is the loudest Bluetooth speaker in 2021?
The Soundboks (Gen. 3) is the loudest Bluetooth speaker out there right now. Not only is it a large, weighty speaker, but it packs a serious punch in the volume department too, thanks to two newly upgraded 10-inch 96dB woofers and a 104dB compression driver tweeter. It dishes out 40 hours of playback per charge and features Bluetooth 5.0 for a smooth connection between your device and the speaker.
If the size (and price) of the Soundboks is too much, Amazon's Echo Studio is not only tuned to deliver rich, crystal audio at volumes of up to 90dB, but the stylish design means it would look at home in any room, while built-in Alexa voice control built-in is a welcome bonus.
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