There are a massive amount of portable speakers out there in all shapes, sizes, and prices. But which speaker do you go for if you are on a tight budget? We have tested all kinds of portable speakers and we think we have found the best all-round speaker for your money!

The Bolse SZ801 12w Wireless Bluetooth Speaker with NFC

Not only does this speaker have a very reasonable price (currently at £29.99 on Amazon), but it also packs features such as NFC and 8 hours of play time.

Features:


  • – Near Field Communication (NFC) one touch pairing
  • – Bluetooth 3.0
  • – 2x 6W 40mm drivers for stereo sound
  • – Large Passive Subwoofer
  • – Rechargeable with 8 Hours play Time
  • – Built in microphone for phone calls
  • – Audio input for wired connection (3.5mm jack provided)

Design

The design is a simple and straight to the point cuboid shape with a rubberised casing. The front mesh has a ripple effect which is quite unique but still subtle. All of the controls are placed at the top which are large and easy to press.

Buttons include


  • Volume Up
  • Volume Down
  • Next Track
  • Play/Pause
  • Previous Track
  • Answer Call

Right beside the buttons there is an LED indicator and a NFC logo (where you will touch your NFC compatible device to pair up).

At the back lives the Line-In Audio Jac, the ON/OFF Switch, and the Micro USB Charging Port (No proprietary crap – thank god for that!),

Sound

In our tests, this speaker dealt with high, mid, and low frequency sounds very well and packed an impressive punch when playing songs with bass. It definitely sounds bigger than it looks! The passive subwoofer does the job extremely well, keeping a quality, soft and internal sounding bass. Due to its size, it will not be vibrating your house down but it will easily fill up a room at high volume and with well balanced sounds.

My main complaint is not about the sound quality of the actual speaker but instead about the terribly bad quality built in voice sounds to tell you when the device is pairing and disconnecting. Sort it out Bolse!

One main feature that this speaker misses out on is an audio out jack. Having the ability to daisy chain speakers together is a great feature and would have perfected this speaker. But all in all the Bolse SZ801 is a fantastic portable Bluetooth speaker, especially for the price paid. It is easy to connect, has great sound and very decent battery life. You may even be able to fool your friends that it is a Bose speaker!

Check out comparison video of this and other Bluetooth Speakers. Including sound tests!


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