bluetooth speakers

This is an update of a deal I wrote about nearly a year ago.

I'm a big fan of Bluetooth speakers. Plunk one down just about anywhere and you can wirelessly stream tunes from your smartphone, tablet, or laptop. I have one of those Jawbone Jamboxes, and it's proven a great little accessory.

But pricey: they sell for around $120 and up. Here's a much more affordable alternative: for a limited time, and while supplies last, Meritline has the refurbished Logitech 980-000589 Bluetooth Wireless Speaker for $49.99 shipped. Though a discontinued product, it sells elsewhere for … Read more

This is a follow-up to last week's "Before you buy a sound bar speaker, read this" post, but this time I'm setting my sights on expensive, $400-plus iPod and Bluetooth speaker "docks." They have built-in limitations common to all single-speaker systems. They might have two sets of speaker drivers housed in a single cabinet, but when the drivers are just a few inches apart, "stereo" sounds more or less like mono. In the quest to make these speakers as sleek and lightweight as possible, bass and dynamic range capabilities are limited, compared … Read more

Sitting atop CNET's list of Best Bluetooth Speakers, you'll find the Audyssey Wireless Speakers. These Bluetooth-enabled version of the earlier (wired) Media Speakers sound great and -- unlike most of the mini-soundbar portable models -- the Audysseys offer true stereo separation. The only problem, then, is the price: at $249 to $299, they're on the expensive side.

Thanks to Black Friday madness, though, that price is heading down to $199. And there are two ways to cash in:

Exclusive deal for the first 2,012 CNET readers -- $199 at Audyssey.com: Normally, buying the Wireless Speakers … Read more

What does a 120-year-old Thomas Edison cylinder record player have in common with a brand-new $299 Big Jambox Bluetooth speaker? Both play music in monophonic sound. Everything old is new again.

Home audio was strictly a single-speaker pursuit from the dawn of recorded sound through the late 1950s, when stereo changed the way we listen to music. Multichannel home theater's popularity peaked in the late 1990s, but starting with iPods and sound-bar speakers, mono was back in style. More recently sales of battery-powered, mono Bluetooth speakers started to take off. While these lo-fi systems may contain stereo pairs of … Read more

Logitech purchased the Ultimate Ears headphone line way back in 2008. Since then, slowly but surely, the UE logo has been creeping in as the upscale Logitech audio brand -- witness the UE AirPlay speaker from earlier this year.

As of today, the Logitech UE branding officially goes large with the introduction of seven new audio products. Among the new models are two mobile Bluetooth speakers, three new headphones with memory foam cushions, a noise-isolating in-earphone with four-armature speakers in each earpiece, and the next evolution of the Squeezebox Radio powered by Logitech UE's new mobile companion app.… Read more

With the booming popularity of sound bars, iPod docks, and tiny Bluetooth speakers, it's increasingly obvious that most people aren't interested in buying the best-sounding speakers. Other factors, such as the smallest possible size and maximum feature set are higher priorities than sound quality. I go the other way and put sound at the top of my list, but I'm far from convinced that the most accurate sound is the best sound. Accuracy isn't what it's cracked up to be.

Digital audio formats, for example, always have more accurate frequency response than any analog format, … Read more

When it comes to portable speakers, most products cram a couple drivers into a small brick of the Jawbone Jambox or Logitech Mini Boombox variety.

Many of them sound pretty good for their size, but the best stereo comes when you've got two speakers spaced farther apart.

On the other hand, you still want portability, and, ideally, Bluetooth.

Problem solved: Abe's of Maine has the DBest Duo Bluetooth mini speaker set for $49.99 shipped. That's after applying coupon code CNET20 at checkout. (That's right: This is another fine exclusive just for Cheapskate readers.)

Update: The … Read more

Congrats to Kevin A. of Beverly, Mass., for winning last week's giveaway, a $300 gift certificate from device accessory maker iSkin.

We still have a few weeks left of summer, and that's a few weeks that could be spent traveling and playing outdoors with this week's multitasking prize, a Braven 625s rugged and portable Bluetooth speaker/speakerphone/device charger.

The all-in-one device delivers wireless stereo streaming from as far away as 33 feet for up to 16 hours per battery charge. It also charges your mobile device and takes hands-free calls through the built-in speakerphone. (If your device isn't Bluetooth-compatible, you can still connect using the included 3.5mm audio cable.)

The Braven 625s measures 6.3 inches by 2.5 inches by 1.8 inches and weighs just 11.6 ounces, so it's easy to tote in its water-resistant carrying bag. It even comes with a little USB-powered LED flashlight if you happen to be taking it out into the woods. Bear repellent not included. … Read more

Though it's listed as out of stock on its own Web site, iLuv tells me that it's begun shipping its Mo'Beats iSP245 portable stereo Bluetooth speaker stand.

Since it uses Bluetooth for wireless audio streaming, you can use the Mo'Beats with any Bluetooth-enabled tablet, smartphone, or laptop, though it's more ideally suited for tablets. It has a built-in rechargeable battery for mobile use and there's an auxiliary input to connect non Bluetooth-enabled devices.

iLuv's highlighting the product's "cradle" design, which allows for either landscape or portrait viewing "while accommodating … Read more