Wireless, Wi-Fi-enabled speakers allow you to fill your home with music without the hassle and mess of running cables everywhere. They tend to use their own mesh network that allows for high-fidelity audio and synchronised multi-room playback.
We’re always testing the latest and greatest wireless speakers here at Pocket-Lint, and, so, this is the place where we round them up. It can get a little complicated if you’re trying to pick between these options, as you might expect, which is why we’ve also included a concise list of things to consider before you buy and can find this below our top picks.
Keep in mind that many of the devices we detail below support Bluetooth and Apple’s AirPlay, as well as Wi-Fi, which really helps broaden their appeal. However, if you don’t necessarily need all these connections, you may be better served with one of the best Bluetooth speakers.
Now, let’s get into some of our favourites.
Best wireless speaker: Our top pick
For
- Superb sound Class-leading software Excellent Alexa and Google Assistant integration
Against
- Slightly pricey Doesn’t support Alexa calls
The Sonos One (2nd generation) is an absolutely superb option. Whether you want a single speaker to boost your home’s sound or you’re interested in building it out to a multi-room setup, the One can play the part.
The software is excellent - including great support for both Google Assistant and Alexa - and the sound is as good as we’ve tested at this price range.
It’s getting a little long in the tooth, granted, but the Pocket-lint Awards winner from 2018 can still match up with the very best in this area. For most people, then, this is our top recommendation.
Wireless speakers we also recommend
The Sonos One detailed above is a brilliant speaker, but it won’t be the right pick for everyone. That’s why we also recommend checking out these other superb options below.
Unique and beautiful aesthetics Loads of services supported Audiophile standard soundstage
No wired music sources, wireless only It’s a pricey one
Bowers & Wilkins’ iconic Zeppelin is sure to become the centrepiece of any room it is placed in. Not only because of its striking design, but also because it can pump out deep, throaty bass and precise sparkling highs.
It’s an audiophile’s dream come true - and, notably, beat the competition at the Pocket-lint Awards 2021 to take home the gong of ‘Best Speaker’.
We liked it so much that the only real downside we noted, other than the price tag, is the lack of wired source inputs. Luckily, the app support is excellent, so we don’t think it’ll be an issue for most.
Great sound Superb design Easy to connect
Pretty expensive
Audio Pro has made a remarkably impressive speaker in the form of its revamped C5, with superb sound and a super-easy setup that will have you playing your tunes in no time at all.
It looks great, in our opinion, with a modern clean style that can fit into any decor, including more old-fashioned spaces, and you can see how impressive its audio chops are from the size of its drivers. This is a speaker you’ll be able to rely on for years.
Incredible value for money Dolby Atmos support Pairs with Fire TV
Not the prettiest to look at Could use more colour options
The Echo Studio is a game-changer, though - it’s a huge step up in audio quality. There are high-resolution levels and the overall quality is outstanding, coming in at a price that, quite frankly, embarrasses a lot of the competition.
It’s not the most beautiful speaker around, but there’s real value on the sound front and amazing connectivity, too.
Gorgeous design Fantastic audio fidelity Updated command dial looks and feels great
It is very expensive Not capable of as much bass as the full-size Mu-so
We’d not call the Naim Mu-so Qb 2nd Gen a budget speaker by any means, but its price point is about as low as we thought we’d ever see from the Naim, um, name.
Now in its second generation, the Qb certainly makes a strong impression, giving out high-quality audio at a smaller size and price compared to the larger Mu-so.
For a speaker so square, the Qb is an all-around success.
Lovely minimal design Excellent sound and build quality The peerless Sonos experience
No voice assistant features No Bluetooth support
The Sonos Five has a subtle and sophisticated design that we love - with great features like capacitive touch controls - while also offering support for the brilliant Sonos app to connect to streaming services.
More importantly, however, the sound it delivers is superb, especially with Trueplay software tuning. Sonos has competition nipping at its heels left, right and centre, but the Five shows what over a decade of experience can deliver. It’s another ideal way to start a Sonos multi-room system or add a superb centrepiece to an existing one.
How to choose a wireless speaker
The wireless speaker market has grown considerably over the past decade or so, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to slow down any time soon. All this choice means that you can find speakers in any style and with any kind of features you want. Unfortunately, it also makes it much harder to narrow down your options. So, with that in mind, here are some things worth thinking about before you decide on a wireless speaker.
What is the multi-room ecosystem like?
One of the main reasons people get into wireless audio systems, rather than something like Bluetooth, is the multi-room expandability. It’s really nice to be able to access your music all over the house, and even better when you can group speakers together for a more immersive sound.
If you’re only really focused on one room, or if you live in a studio, then it might not be important to you. Regardless, it’s something worth thinking about as many users choose to expand their home audio systems as time goes by and a good ecosystem can make that process much easier.
Which services are supported?
This one is nice and simple, if you’re an avid Apple Music user then you had better check that your chosen wireless speaker supports Apple Music playback. Not all wireless speakers offer the option of wired or Bluetooth playback, so if your favourite service is missing you’d be out of luck.
It’s always worth paying attention to what reviewers and customers are saying about the app too. With a wireless speaker, the majority of your interaction with the device will be through its app, so it’s important to seek out a good one. It’s no good having the best speaker in the world if it has a buggy app that’s always crashing, as you’ll likely never want to use it.
What about other smart integrations?
A feature that is becoming more common on wireless speakers is the ability to integrate with smart assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant. It won’t matter to everyone, but if you’re a keen user then it’s undeniably convenient to have your audio system integrated too. If you’ve got lots of other smart home kit, then imagine how convenient it would be to ask any speaker in any room to turn the heating up or switch certain lights off.
Another feature that we’re big fans of is Spotify Connect (there are equivalents for lots of the other streaming services too), this allows you to control Spotify playback on wireless speakers from within the Spotify app without needing to open your music system’s app. It’s worth taking a look at the compatible devices for your chosen music platform to check if you could take advantage of such a feature.
How’s the sound quality?
Last but not least, it’s got to sound good, of course. As the sound quality is fairly subjective, we’d recommend thinking about the particular sonic aspects you enjoy, as well as the genres you’ll be listening to. If it’s gonna be all DNB, all the time, then obviously you’ll want something that can kick out the low-frequencies. Whereas, if it’s going to be mainly podcasts, the mids are going to be far more important.
One important thing to remember is that great bass response tends to come from larger housings, so there’s a balance to be found between what fits neatly into your space and what is going to rumble your face off.
