Finest Wi-fi Audio system in 2023
Wi-fi, Wi-Fi-enabled audio system help you fill your own home with music with out the effort and mess of operating cables all over the place. They have an inclination to make use of their very own mesh community that enables for high-fidelity audio and synchronised multi-room playback.
We’re at all times testing the newest and biggest wi-fi audio system right here at Pocket-Lint, and, so, that is the place the place we spherical them up. It may well get a little bit difficult when you’re attempting to choose between these choices, as you may anticipate, which is why we have additionally included a concise checklist of issues to think about before you purchase and might discover this beneath our high picks.
Remember the fact that lots of the gadgets we element beneath help Bluetooth and Apple’s AirPlay, in addition to Wi-Fi, which actually helps broaden their attraction. Nevertheless, when you do not essentially want all these connections, or portability is essential, it’s possible you’ll be higher served with probably the greatest Bluetooth audio system.
Now, let’s get into a few of our favourites.
Finest wi-fi speaker: Our high picks
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Sonos / Pocket-lint
Sonos Period 100
1. Finest general
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Sonos / Pocket-lint
Sonos Period 300
2. Finest for options
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Pocket-lint Audio Professional C10 Mk 11
3. A unbelievable all rounder
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Apple
Apple HomePod 2
4. Finest for Apple customers
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Pocket-lint Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin (2021)
5. Finest for giant rooms
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Amazon Amazon Echo Studio
6. Finest worth
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Pocket-lint Naim Mu-so Qb 2nd technology
7. Finest for large budgets
Sonos / Pocket-lint
Sonos Period 100
1. Finest general
- Beautiful design
- Wonderful efficiency
- Nice function set
- Costlier than the Sonos One it replaces
- No Google Assistant
- No spatial audio help
The Sonos Period 100 is the corporate’s latest entry-level speaker, changing the wonderful Sonos One and bringing a brand new lease of life to the smallest Sonos of the household.
It has added various new options that make it much more interesting than the One, like Bluetooth capabilities, new controls and line-in performance, plus after all it provides Sonos’ multi-room capabilities and Alexa smarts.
Sure, it is a little bit bit costlier than the speaker it replaces, and no there isn’t any backwards compatibility with the One both, but it surely sounds unbelievable and builds significantly on its predecessor’s efficiency, with a wholly new acoustic structure.
In case you’re contemplating coming into the Sonos platform, the Period 100 is an ideal place to start out.
Wi-fi audio system we additionally suggest
The Sonos Period 100 detailed above is an excellent speaker, but it surely will not be the best decide for everybody. That is why we additionally suggest trying out these different excellent choices beneath.
Sonos / Pocket-lint
Sonos Period 300
2. Finest for options
Spectacular spatial audio
The Period 300 sounds glorious and it is packed stuffed with options, together with Bluetooth and Dolby Atmos help.
- Excellent efficiency
- Spatial audio help
- A lot of nice options together with Bluetooth and line in
- Distinctive design
- Costly
- No Google Assistant
- Wants suitable streaming service to take advantage of it
In case you just like the sound of the Period 100 however you need one thing that may supply greater, higher sound and extra options, the Period 300 is the speaker you are on the lookout for.
It provides in help for Dolby Atmos and spatial audio through suitable streaming companies, plus will both kick off or slot into your Sonos multi-room system with out concern, bringing Alexa compatibility with it as well.
It is not the most affordable, and its design may also divide opinion, however its punchy, highly effective and, above all, likeable efficiency is one thing that everybody will agree on.
Audio Professional C10 Mk 11
3. A unbelievable all rounder
The C10 Mk II is a wonderful speaker that may be a part of a multiroom system or stand by itself, with nice sound and glorious connection choices.
- Appears to be like nice
- Excellent rounded sound
- Nice connection choices
- No inbuilt voice management
An amazing speaker would not at all times standout in your room of selection, but it surely’s good to know that it might probably whenever you want it to – and that is what we actually like concerning the Audio Professional C10 MkII. Whether or not it is taking off the material cowl for a extra fashionable look or simply turning up the quantity, it might probably pop off when referred to as upon – each actually and figuratively.
It is a fantastic bookshelf speaker, and with improved connectivity in comparison with the unique model, it is a doddle to play your tunes by way of.
It may well get a celebration began, in addition to flip its hand to extra relaxed house listening periods, and sounds heat, detailed and exact.
Whereas the dearth of built-in voice management choices may restrict its use for some potential homeowners, we predict Audio Professional’s second-gen C10 speaker is an ideal selection for a complete vary of different patrons who will respect its myriad of charms.
Apple
Apple HomePod 2
4. Finest for Apple customers
If you need probably the greatest sounding sensible audio system on the market – if not one of the best – the Apple HomePod greater than delivers
- Incredible sound high quality
- Beautiful design
- Smarter options
- Very responsive
- Apple customers will profit most
- Lack of HomeKit suitable merchandise
- Costly by comparability
The Apple HomePod 2 is a superb-sounding sensible speaker in its second technology, and it takes audio high quality critically in a method we’ve not been used to listening to from sensible audio system – together with help for spatial audio.
It is also provides a variety of options that make it considerably extra helpful than its predecessor. The addition of Matter help helps to make HomeKit extra related within the sensible house market and in flip, HomePod too. There are additionally a number of nice-to-have options blended in too, particularly – and importantly – for these embedded in Apple’s ecosystem.
In case you’re an Apple consumer and wish probably the greatest sounding sensible audio system on the market – if not one of the best – the Apple HomePod greater than delivers.
Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin (2021)
5. Finest for giant rooms
The enduring Zeppelin provides an audiophile-grade sound high quality that all-in-one options can hardly ever match.
- Distinctive and delightful aesthetics
- A great deal of companies supported
- Audiophile commonplace soundstage
- No wired music, wi-fi solely
- It is dear
Bowers & Wilkins’ iconic Zeppelin is certain to turn into the centrepiece of any room it’s positioned in. Not solely due to its putting design, but in addition as a result of it might probably pump out deep, throaty bass and exact glowing highs.
It is an audiophile’s dream come true – and whereas it is a few years previous now, it nonetheless holds its personal in a busy market.
We prefer it a lot that the one actual draw back we might discover, aside from the worth tag, is the dearth of wired supply inputs. Fortunately, the app help is great, so we do not suppose it’s going to be a problem for many.
Amazon Echo Studio
6. Finest worth
If you need a speaker that ship sound high quality, smarts and connections, you will discover so much to like right here.
- Unimaginable worth for cash
- Dolby Atmos help
- Pairs with Hearth TV
- Design will divide opinion
Let’s be trustworthy – sensible audio system would not at all times be your first selection for a wi-fi speaker if sound high quality was high of your priorities, however Amazon’s Echo Studio does a fairly good job at bringing the combat to Apple’s HomePod 2 in that respect.
It provides an enormous step up in audio high quality in contrast with the remainder of the Echo line up, and in addition provides Dolby Atmos and spatial sound help, when utilizing a suitable streaming service. Extra of a film particular person? You possibly can pair it with Hearth TV and provides an suitable TV audio a fairly respectable enhance too.
After all, it is stuffed with Alexa’s smarts too, so kills two birds with one stone.
General, what it provides as a package deal is excellent, and it is available in at a worth that, fairly frankly, embarrasses plenty of the competitors. It is not probably the most lovely speaker round, however there’s actual worth on the sound entrance and wonderful connectivity, too.
Naim Mu-so Qb 2nd technology
7. Finest for large budgets
Distinctive and easily unbelievable to take heed to, even when it’s a little on the costly facet.
- Beautiful design
- Incredible audio high quality
- Up to date command dial seems and feels nice
We would not name the Naim Mu-so Qb 2nd Gen a finances speaker by any means, however its worth level is about as little as we thought we would ever see from the Naim, um, title.
Now in its second technology, the Qb definitely makes a robust impression, giving out high-quality audio at a smaller measurement and worth in comparison with the bigger Mu-so. Connectivity can also be high notch, and naturally it help high-res music too.
For a speaker so sq., the Qb is an all-round success.
How to decide on a wi-fi speaker
The wi-fi speaker market has grown significantly over the previous decade or so, and it would not seem like it is going to decelerate any time quickly. All this selection implies that yow will discover audio system in any fashion and with any form of options you need. Sadly, it additionally makes it a lot tougher to slender down your choices. So, with that in thoughts, listed below are some issues price fascinated with earlier than you determine on a wi-fi speaker.
What’s the multi-room ecosystem like?
One of many important causes folks get into wi-fi audio methods, relatively than one thing like Bluetooth, is the multi-room expandability. It is very nice to have the ability to entry your music everywhere in the home, and even higher when you may group audio system collectively for a extra immersive sound.
In case you’re solely actually targeted on one room, or when you reside in a studio, then it won’t be vital to you. Regardless, it is one thing price fascinated with as many customers select to develop their house audio methods as time goes by and a very good ecosystem could make that course of a lot simpler.
Which companies are supported?
This one is sweet and easy, when you’re an avid Apple Music consumer then you definately had higher examine that your chosen wi-fi speaker helps Apple Music playback. Not all wi-fi audio system supply the choice of wired or Bluetooth playback, so in case your favorite service is lacking you would be out of luck.
It is at all times price taking note of what reviewers and clients are saying concerning the app too. With a wi-fi speaker, nearly all of your interplay with the system will likely be by way of its app, so it is vital to hunt out a very good one. It is no good having one of the best speaker on the earth if it has a buggy app that is at all times crashing, as you will doubtless by no means need to use it.
What about different sensible integrations?
A function that’s changing into extra widespread on wi-fi audio system is the power to combine with sensible assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant. It will not matter to everybody, however when you’re a eager consumer then it is undeniably handy to have your audio system built-in too. In case you’ve received plenty of different sensible house equipment, then think about how handy it will be to ask any speaker in any room to show the heating up or swap sure lights off.
One other function that we’re huge followers of is Spotify Join (there are equivalents for plenty of the opposite streaming companies too), this lets you management Spotify playback on wi-fi audio system from inside the Spotify app without having to open your music system’s app. It is price having a look on the suitable gadgets on your chosen music platform to examine when you might benefit from such a function.
How’s the sound high quality?
Final however not least, it is received to sound good, after all. Because the sound high quality is pretty subjective, we would suggest fascinated with the actual sonic points you get pleasure from, in addition to the genres you will be listening to. If it is gonna be all drum & bass, on a regular basis, then clearly you will need one thing that may kick out the low-frequencies. Whereas, if it is going to be primarily podcasts, the mids are going to be way more vital.
One vital factor to recollect is that nice bass response tends to return from bigger housings, so there is a steadiness to be discovered between what matches neatly into your house and what’s going to rumble your face off.
