Outdoor Bluetooth Speakers

PSOVLSK

My current setup has what appears to be 18 gauge cable runs and there is no way for me to replace with better wire. I have Atrium 60’s (I think) and have enjoyed them at my two previous homes, but it’s just not working for me at my current home. I’m thinking of going Bluetooth. Either traditional speakers or “rock” speakers will work. I’d like to keep it under $300 and something under $200 would be great. Any recommendations?

I should add that I have a pretty good sized area. Closest neighbors are a few hundred yards away. Actual backyard area is about an 1/8 of an acre.

PSOVLSK

I couldn’t fight through all the recommendations in this thread so I just ordered a JBL Charge 5. Not sure if it’s gonna do the job and I won’t post my impressions because obviously no one cares🤣🤣🤣

txcoastal1

Not a bad choice. I purchased a couple Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 a couple years ago for patio, portable, and travel...love them

txcoastal1

PSOVLSK

Funny because I’m considering ordering the Megaboom 3 and comparing them. They are about the same price. I was also looking at the party speaker from UE, but at $400 it’s a little more than I want to spend.

erniejade

Jbl boombox. We have had ours for over 3 years. Its a bit bigger ( 15 lbs) but it floats, takes what the kids can dish out and doesn't sound bad at all. I got mine from JBL direct referbished for around $325

hochpt21

I’m a big JBL fan. I have a
Charge 2
Two charge 3’s
Extreme 2
Boombox 1

The sound quality is outstanding IMO.

The main problem for me is that they keep upgrading the “connect” feature so some models won’t work with others. There are now 3 different versions of that connect feature,
Connect
Connect +
PartyMode

So my Charge 3’s connect to each other and the Extreme 2 connects to the Boombox, but nothing else connects to each other. I like the feature, because I put one speaker on the deck and one on the kitchen counter so I can have continuous music going in and out while grilling.

hochpt21

The charge 2 I’ve had for 5 or 6 years I bet. Even dropped it off the deck and still going strong.

One of my Charge 3s just blew a driver and was out of the (1year) warranty window, but the gave me a 35% off code for a new unit.

One thing is to look at the specs. Some units have one driver and some are stereo. The only units I’ve purchased are stereo as I’ve heard a mono (Charge 4) and wasn’t a big fan.

PSOVLSK

Cheapest I can find a Boombox is $399 and it won’t be delivered until end of August. If I could find one for $325 I’d have already ordered it and we could close this thread😁

I just ordered an Extreme 2. Gonna compare it to the Charge 5. I’ve been outside listening to the Charge for about an hour or so and it’s really all I need, but if the Extreme is a little better I’ll probably keep it. The one I bought is used, but supposedly “like new”.

Thanks for the info Paul. I might regret it later, but at this point in time the “connect” feature isn’t important to me. How would you rate the Extreme vs the Charge?
My Charge was $180 and the Extreme is $210. Is the Extreme worth $30 more? I would hope so based on original price.

hochpt21

I got the Boombox 1 on Amazon sale for $275 last month (keep in mind there are two newer models than the one I got)

I have the charge 3 not the 5, but the extreme 2 is an all around more powerful speaker. And it has stereo drivers as opposed to the charge 5 mono. To me, the mono driver just doesn’t sound right.

I think you’ll really like the extreme.

audioluvr

I have several of the JBL Charge 5. Love them for around the pool or when taking the boat to a remote beach. You can run several at once. I used to use one in my tower crane as it has a mic so if you get a call it pauses the music and switches to phone mode. Way cool but if you're jamming and a call comes in it blasts your ring tone...

PSOVLSK

I've done lots of testing today and I still haven't decided what I'm going to do.

When I last checked in on Friday, I had a Charge 5 at the house that I bought on Amazon with an Extreme 2 on the way. There has been some action since that time. I had to go to Wal-Mart on Saturday night and there, sitting in the produce section (yes, the produce section) was an open box Charge 5 for $105. No brainer. Only problem is that when I got it home, it didn't work. Wouldn't turn on. Charged it overnight and still no luck. I returned it this morning. This would seem to be the end of the story, except that on the clearance sticker, it listed the original price as $138. I went to the electronics sections and sure enough, the Charge 5 is only $138...regular price. Of course I would have bought one, but they were out. So, I go home and get online and the price online shows the same as Amazon, $179. The key, as I discovered, is that you have to select "pick-up in store" instead of "delivery" and then you see the price of $138. As I said, my local store was out, but a store 30 miles away had one black one left in stock. I quickly put it in my card and head for the checkout. Before I can get finished, it shows that they have none available:( I go back an look again and it shows that they have 3 blue ones in stock. I put one in my cart and head to checkout...success!!

Before I head out to pick up the new speaker, I do a lot of listening and comparing between the Charge 5 and the Extreme 2 which was delivered today. I know I like the sound of the Extreme better, but is it worth $70 more? Maybe, because I also like the jack on the Extreme that allows me to hook up my digital Walkman which the Charge doesn't have. I finally decide that I'm going to keep the Extreme, so I cancel my Wal-Mart order (this is around 4:00). Since I'm still not certain of my decision, I keep listening and researching and I decide that I need to hear (2) Charge 5's in stereo mode. So at 7:00, I'm on a 30 mile drive to buy 2 of the 3 remaining blue Charge 5's at Wal-Mart.

The Charge 5's in stereo mode blow the Extreme 2 away. It's not even close. My dilemma now is do I want to pay $300 for two of Charge 5's or stick with the Extreme 2 which I got for a good deal at $205? As I mentioned earlier, being able to hook up my Walkman is kind of a big deal because my internet is not great out in my shop and I do listen to music out there on occasion. Also, if we go to the lake I wouldn't have to worry about having wi-fi. I could get a couple of Charge 4's, but (1) I can't find them for under $149 and (2) it doesn't have a tweeter and the general consensus seems to be that the Charge 5 sounds better.

Unless I change my mind, I'm going to sell off my very modest living room system as well as my outdoor speakers. This system is only used for background music, so whichever JBL speaker I decide on can take over that duty.

audioluvr

Money is no object. Get the Charge 5's.

hochpt21

audioluvr wrote: »

Money is no object. Get the Charge 5's.

Or just quit messing around and get the Boombox.

erniejade

I didn't even know they made a newer version of the boomboxx until I just read it here. Since mine is 3-4 years old, I am sure it is version 1. I have never had any issues with it. It has been rained on, salt water from the beach, sand, and in high Florida humidity without any issues. We just make sure to clean it off with clean water. The battery life is outstanding for a unit it's size.

erniejade

Money no object, that would bring you to the Bumpboxx, Diamondboxx or Soundbokx level.

https://bumpboxx.com/collections/uprock

https://www.soundboks.com/products/soundboks-gen-2/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw3f6HBhDHARIsAD_i3D-z2TjySMQ4cEasDC49joBng8bkOzWP5vukeuPvL-pT84DrDEANKMoaAgTREALw_wcB

https://diamondboxx.com/collections/bluetooth_boombox/products/xl2

gudnoyez

Got an arsenal of portable Bluetooth speakers a Polk Urchin a Polk Boom a couple of JBL flips and a big Dewalt one for hanging outside or on the boat, If it's a cool evening and we are on the deck I just open the windows and crank the 2 channel. So many options.

PSOVLSK

Ended up going with two Charge 5’s. I like that I can have stereo sound if I want it, but I can also take one with me to the office if I choose to do so. There will be times when I’ll wish I had the aux jack, but the other factors won out. I considered picking up another Extreme 2 and checking out that combo in stereo, but ultimately decided that the Extreme wasn’t quite as portable and I didn’t want to spend $400+.

Earlier I joked about no one contributing in the thread, but I ended up getting a lot of good advice that helped me make my decision. Thanks!