Big boom for big bucks

When you think of wireless speakers, the first thing that we think of is portability. Well, we can’t be blamed – Bluetooth speakers are now available in all sizes and prices, starting from as low as ₹500. They’re making speakers that fit in your pocket, ones that you can wear as lockets, speakers that you can hang in your showers or float in your swimming pool, or even clamp on to your bicycle handlebars. But what if Bluetooth or Wi-Fi are just the modes of connectivity that you need, but your priority is getting supremely awesome sound, and you have no qualms about shelling out some big bucks for it? In that case, you may want to pick up one of these wireless speakers, for though they cost a pretty penny, they’re bound to deliver pure eargasms.

This is one Bluetooth enabled speaker that every Classic Rock fan must have in their living room. With vintage guitar amp styling, it looks like it was just picked up from Jimi Hendrix’s stage. The Marshall Woburn comes with Class-D amplifiers that deliver 90 watts RMS of sound. To add to the rock’n’roll styling, you also get analogue bass, treble and volume knobs. But this classic speaker takes connectivity beyond just Bluetooth 4.0 – it also features connectivity via optical cable for almost loss-less sound delivery. At ₹42,300, it’s way more expensive than your pocket Bluetooth speakers, but for those about to rock, it doesn’t really matter.

Here’s a speaker that becomes a part of your décor apart from delivering extremely high quality sound. Priced at ₹2.5 lakh, the BeoPlay A9 is meant specifically for the most serious audiophiles. With an 8-inch woofer, a 6-inch mid-range driver, and an array of 1.5-inch tweeters (all Class-D drivers), the BeoPlay A9 delivers an unparalleled sound experience. The BeoPlay A9 features a minimalist design and stands on walnut legs, looking great in whichever corner of the room you install it in (in our opinion this can even be a centrepiece). The 160W of bass, 80W of midrange, and 80W of treble can be obtained via Wi-Fi (AirPlay and DLNA enabled), Ethernet or USB connections.

While we’re on the subject of good-looking speaker systems, you must also check out the Danish manufacturer’s rather quirky looking set of Bluetooth speakers. Each of the two curvaceous speaker pods contain a 4-inch woofer (with Kevlar cones), a ¾-inch silk dome tweeter and need just a Bluetooth enabled device to get started. These versatile speakers can be used as floor-standing units, or can also be hung on the wall. These active monitors come in a variety of colours, to match your décor. At ₹57,000 for a set, these speakers are the must have for those who like powerful output in a compact package.

In true Transformers style, the Fidelio B5 features a massive soundbar that can be used as a conventional wireless system, but has detachable units within the bar that can act as either satellites or self-powered Bluetooth speakers. The Fidelio B5 connects using Bluetooth, NFC or aptX and the soundbar features an array of 3-inch full-range drivers, and a sub-woofer. The bar has detachable satellites, which you can position around the room for surround sound. But these detachable satellites charge up when you connect them to the main bar, and then can work for up to 5 hours as independent Bluetooth portables. These speakers will hit the market soon, with an estimated retail price of $899.

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