3 Best Loudest Bluetooth Speaker in 2021

Whether you’re in search of a Bluetooth speaker to use while you bathe or out with friends or you just want an extra portable speaker in your house, then it is vital that you choose the absolute best, and that means the loudest. After all, you wouldn’t want to buy a Bluetooth speaker that isn’t loud enough.

Choosing a Bluetooth speaker can be confusing due to different brands trying to advertise their products. However, we will be discussing what makes a speaker loud, the decibels, understanding the volume, wattage, and other technical topics. We also provided you with a list of Bluetooth speakers you can get without breaking the bank.

HEAVYWEIGHTS VS. LIGHTWEIGHTS

The heavyweight Bluetooth speakers are the ones that are ultimate in power and size. They are still portable, but they are larger than regular handheld Bluetooth speakers; they usually have an average weight of 30 lbs. However, most of them still come with in-built batteries to be transported from one place to another.

On the other hand, the lightweight Bluetooth speakers are for people who prefer large sound in a small and portable device. These speakers may be smaller in size, but they make up for it by being extremely powerful. If you would prefer a Bluetooth speaker that you can fit in your backpack but still offer you loud sounds, then the lightweight option will be your best bet.

DECIBEL RATINGS

Here, we will be clarifying some of the frequently used terms you’ll need to know in order to buy the best Bluetooth speaker. Once you know the speaker’s specs, you would be able to understand their quality, which will enlighten you on what purpose they were made for and how they can serve you right.

When it concerns the loudness of a speaker, it is vital that to know the different loudness ratings of a Bluetooth speaker. Once you know what decibels mean, you’ll be able to understand the speaker’s loudness completely.

SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL

When we compare the volume of a speaker or output sound to that of other speakers, we are talking about the output SPL, the Sound Pressure Level, also known as the dB rating. It is also referred to as speaker sensitivity.

However, the output dB SPL has to be supported by power. The speaker’s power refers to the wattage of that speaker, and it tells us the strength of amplification the speaker has. If you want to find out the speaker’s loudness and its power rating, you will have to check the RMS wattage rating and the amount of output dB SPL it can withstand.

VOLUME VS. WATTAGE

You may be wondering if a higher wattage means a louder sound. To simply answer, no, it doesn’t mean that.

There are numerous factors that can affect the volume of a speaker. Checking the wattage might provide you with an idea of a speaker’s possible volume. A 400 watts speaker will be louder than a 5 watts speaker, but ensure that it’s the RMS wattage you’re comparing and not the peak power.

WILL MORE DECIBELS MAKE THE SPEAKER LOUDER?

The higher the decibel value, the louder the speaker would be. The volume of a speaker is measured in decibels. However, you should keep in mind that decibels are measured on a logarithmic scale, which means that every 10-decibel increase makes the sound ten times louder.

In simple terms, a speaker that has a rating of 100dB is ten times louder than a speaker with a rating of 90dB. This means that the loudest speaker you can find will be one with the highest decibel rating.

WHAT LEVEL OF LOUDNESS IS TOO MUCH?

Based on findings by the CDC, any noise level above 70 dB heard over an extended period may start to cause hearing damage. Decibels ratings above 120 dB can damage your hearing immediately. Most good quality Bluetooth speakers, including those on our list, are above 70 dB, so make sure you keep that in mind when making your purchase. Ensure you know the dangers loud noises have on your hearing and ensure you do not listen to loud music for extended periods.

VOLUME VS. POWER

You might be wondering how much the decibel of a speaker would increase if it had double the power. Like we stated earlier, the power of a speaker is usually mentioned as a wattage rating that tells use the power of its amplification.

We said that every 10 dB shows a 10 times increase in volume, but that doesn’t apply to the wattage. An 80 watts speaker is not twice as loud as a 40 watts speaker; instead, it’s 3 dB louder. The rule of thumb is that when the power of an amplifier is doubled in watts, there will be a 3 dB increase in sound levels.

RMS VS. PEAK POWER

Most times, the speaker’s manufacturer will provide the RMS wattage and sometimes will go ahead and state the Peak Power and sometimes state both. The vital part you need to pay attention to is the RMS Wattage.

RMS Wattage

This refers to the amount of continuous power the speaker can withstand. In simple terms, it is playing songs through the speaker, which is what we want it to do. For instance, if a speaker has an RMS rating of 30W, it can comfortably run with 30W of continuous power. While if it shows that it has a peak rating of 30W, it simply means it will only be able to withstand short bursts of 30W power.

Peak Power

It stands for the maximum power level a speaker can use in short bursts. Both the peak power values and the RMS are important to take into mind as you would want a speaker that can handle both.

FACTS ON DECIBELS

The decibel rating itself does not provide us with any information unless assigned to something such as the Sound Pressure Level (SPL). Lots of people have gotten used to using the decibel rating as a measurement of music or sound loudness; we assume that’s what the dB rating stands for. However, the decibel rating has to be attached to a unit to have meaning.

Decibels are also used to measure other things such as power and voltage in your gear, the intensity level of a sound, and an electrical signal’s power level, which is achieved by comparing the decibel rating with a given level a logarithmic scale.

The lowest sound level that humans can hear is 20 micro pascals, which are translated to zero SPL and used as a reference point by which other sounds are compared. The decibel rating is a ratio which means that it compares the value of one number against another.

WHAT ARE A-WEIGHTED DECIBELS?

A-weighted decibels are known as measuring units for sound pressure level, simply like regular decibels but ones that have been adjusted to count for the relative loudness factors that are received by the human ears. The relationship between dBa and dB is usually shown in a specific graph that shows a curve called the equal-loudness contour. It is projected at the top of a logarithmic dB scale. In essence, A-weighting is simply leveling the playing field for decibels.

The human ear can hear various frequencies differently because the ears have evolved to focus on and ignore different sounds as necessary for our survival. This simply means that to hear a low-pitched frequency such as 20Hz at the same loudness as a noise of 1kHz, you would have to increase the dB by plus 50. This is because of the natural way our ears perceive sounds.

If that was confusing, then think of it this way. Incredibly high and low-pitched sounds are quieter to use, but they aren’t really quiet in actuality. A-weighting is the process of accounting for the relative change in perceived volume. In simpler terms, A-weighted decibels are just decibels that have been adjusted to show the perceived loudness.

SPEAKER SENSITIVITY VS. EFFICIENCY

These terms tend to confuse most people, but they both describe the same idea but vary technically. They can be quite confusing because they are usually used interchangeably in audio.

The efficiency of a speaker can be explained as the amount of power that goes into a speaker and is actually converted into sound. Sometimes the percentage is very low, mainly because majority of the power being sent to the speaker ends up as heat instead of proper sound. Most times, the measurement is performed at one watt at a distance of one meter.

On the other hand, the speaker’s sensitivity rating tells us how loud the speaker will playback when a certain amount of wattage is introduced to the speaker. Keep in mind that every extra 3 dB of volume will need double the power. So when you’re reading up on speaker’s facts, you won’t be confused by these terms.

WHAT MAKES A SPEAKER LOUD?

The intensity of a speaker is measured in decibels, but there are different ways you can increase the volume of a speaker inside the speaker’s design. When a signal gets to your speaker, it would have been converted from digital to an analog electrical signal that is then translated into mechanical energy, which is seen in tweeters and subwoofers, and then into acoustic energy when the air starts moving. The magic of sound happens when the vibrating air reaches our eardrums, and we hear sound.

The question now is, how do speakers increase the amount of air they can vibrate? Well, that’s where the assumption that the larger the speaker, the louder the sound, and yes, increasing the size of the speaker is the easiest way to make it louder because the larger speaker can vibrate more air, thus increasing the volume.

Another way to increase the speaker’s volume is by opting for a speaker with a better frequency response. The frequency response is the measurement of a speaker’s accuracy; it measures the accuracy of sound waves produced by a speaker compared to the speaker’s electrical signal. It’s because of this reason that a small Bluetooth speaker sounds better than a laptop’s speaker because it is bigger and has a better frequency response than your laptop’s speaker.

HOW TO PREVENT HEARING DAMAGE

Ensure that you are always aware of the irreversible damage that can happen to your ear if you listen to loud sounds of up to 100 plus dB, especially if it’s for long periods of time. It is known that when using headphones, you should never listen at the maximum volume. Still, with speakers, people have different opinions on the varying levels that are comfortable for their ears.

Many speakers come with great frequency responses and don’t need extreme volumes to listen to details in the audio signals. When listening to music at a high volume, especially at festivals and concerts, it is advised that you wear earplugs to keep your ears safe. The best policy that will help you protect your ears when listening to loud music is keeping in mind the dangers of listening to music at extreme volumes.

When it concerns audio, you can actually have too much of a good thing, so ensure that you protect your hearing now so that you can enjoy more time with your favorite music before your ears get too damaged to listen to anything. Ensure you wear earplugs in loud public places such as building sites or concerts, and at home, do not raise the volume to the highest.

WHAT INFLUENCES THE LOUDNESS OF A SPEAKER?

The acoustics of a room also plays a role in how loud a speaker can be, and ignoring the room’s acoustic properties where you intend to place your speakers is the same as ignoring every great feature that made you choose the speaker in the first place. If you get a speaker with a great frequency response but place it in a rook with hard surfaces that reflect noise, then the sound quality of your speaker may come out muddy. However, there are a few ways to improve the sound quality of your speaker.

The easiest way to enhance your speaker’s sound quality is by making changes to the speaker’s arrangement. You can sit at the same spot and play a song and make small adjustments to the placement of your speaker; get creative! All rooms come with their different acoustic properties, so ensure you note any increase or decrease in sound quality. It will surprise you how a small adjustment can make so much difference to the audio quality of your speaker.

Another option you could opt for is softening your room’s décor. You could place throw rugs on hard surfaces where the sound tends to bounce off the hard floors, or you could place a few canvas paintings on the wall to pad up the room. Adding these things to the room will dampen the sounds, which means that the sound your speaker produces will not bounce off hard surfaces and fight with the priority signals being played by your speaker.

HOW TO TEST THE LOUDNESS OF YOUR SPEAKER

Manufacturers measure the loudness of the speakers they produce by measuring the sound pressure level and decibel of the speaker with a microphone at a distance of one meter. It is usually represented as ‘dB @ 1W/1m’ or ‘dBs @ 2.83V/m’ respectively.

The easiest and best way to measure the loudness of your speaker at home is by placing a microphone with a decibel meter connected to it at a distance of one meter away from the speaker, just like the manufacturer would do. However, this time, you’ll be able to freely change the volume settings on your amp and note the decibel levels that are achieved at different amplitude levels on your speaker’s amplifier. This way is the simplest way to test the loudness of your speaker at home.

However, suppose you don’t have free access to high quality audio equipment such as a dB meter. In that case, you don’t have to worry as you can get an app at the app store for a dB meter; ensure you read through the app’s descriptions and user’s review before downloading in order to know the dB app’s reliability and accuracy. To get a standalone dB meter, you would spend within a range of $50 to $300, so the app is a cheaper option that will still provide you with a lot of functionality.

FEATURES OF NEW GENERATION BLUETOOTH SPEAKERS

Bluetooth 5

Bluetooth speakers have come a long way in a short period of time. The most significant improvement in their adaptation to the new Bluetooth version 5.0. the technology has been around for a while now, but it’s in recent times that more Bluetooth speakers are adopting the new wireless technology.

Bluetooth 5.1 has been released, but it doesn’t have any significant improvements for audio, so most Bluetooth speakers are sticking to version 5.0.

Bluetooth and WiFi Connectivity

The main wireless technology that most brands stick to is Bluetooth, but there are some Bluetooth speakers that come with WiFi connectivity now. The rapid increase of smart speakers has made people desire to connect their speaker to their home network and pair it with voice assistants such as Alexa and Siri.

Battery Life

The battery life of Bluetooth speakers continues to improve over the years. In past times the longest battery life you could get was about 10 hours, but now speakers are reaching 20 hours and more of battery life; even some Bluetooth speakers have a battery life of up to 40 hours.

Another advantage of having the battery life increased is that many Bluetooth speakers can now double as power banks to charge other devices such as a smartphone.

Improved Sound Quality

The sound quality of Bluetooth speakers continues to improve over the years. High-quality brands such as JBL, Bose, SOUNDBOKS, and sony continue to work and improve on their sound quality. However, the quality comes at a premium price, but their quality is higher than that of the budget Bluetooth speakers. With that being said, even the budget Bluetooth speakers are improving in their sound quality with every new release.

Apps

These days, more brands keep releasing apps for their speakers. Even some of the budget Bluetooth speakers also come with apps. These apps allow you to access the settings and features that can be accessed through the speaker’s onboard controls.

Included Mic

The speakerphone technology has been improving in some cases while in others it has been getting worse; even the high-quality brands have trouble with it. We even noticed that a lot of products had dropped it altogether, which I think is a wise decision. Instead, let the money used for it go into improving other worthwhile features.

With that being said, the in-built microphone is helpful in accessing voice assistants such as Siri, Alexa, Bixby, Google Assistant, and others. More Bluetooth speakers have been including Alexa integration into their system in order to achieve the ability to connect with Echo devices. Very soon, a lot of these speakers will have Amazon’s Alexa in-built.

Now that you have gone through the buying guide and know what to look out for when shopping for a Bluetooth speaker, you can go ahead and make the right purchase. To make it easier for you, we compiled a list of the best loudest Bluetooth speakers available on the market; let’s take a look at the list.

The outline below includes details of each reviewed product.