Up until now, the sound has not been very good unless you use headphones. But now consumer reports has tested portable wireless speakers that are supposed to help.
In a commercial for The Beats by Dr. Dre wireless speaker called The Pill, Nikki Minaj also has one that comes to life.
Consumer Reports has tested nearly 20 portable wireless speakers with rechargeable batteries. They use bluetooth, so you can play audio from a smart phone or tablet without having to plug it in.
First testers evaluated sound quality in a specially-designed lab. Some sounded pretty good.
"Other speakers didn't perform as well, with the worst delivering distorted audio," said Jim Willcox from Consumer Reports.
The Jambox from Jawbone was the lowest-rated speaker. Beats by Dr. Dre fell somewhere in the middle. Testers also looked at how easy the speakers are to use and the features each one offers.
"You want to be able to set up the speakers without too much trouble, and you want controls that work well. Features we liked include a USB port so you can charge your devices," Willcox said.
In the end, the TDK Life On Record wireless weatherproof speaker topped the ratings with top-quality sound. It comes with a USB port and can also be used as a speakerphone for phone calls, all for about $150.
