Having just read, and failed to even begin to understand, the squillion dollar ethernet cable thread, I was reminded of the need/want for a bluetooth speaker that’ll talk to my iPhone. Mainly so I can listen to music while attacking bikes with hammers of various weights in my workshop.

For my cripplingly embarrassing 80s rock collection, sound quality is not the first priority. Much cheapness is. I saw some on eBuyer for £30 or so and that felt like an appropriate budget.

Any recommendations.

I was going to recommend a Cambridge Audio Minx Go, but it’s well over budget (£99) – potentially £10 off if you sign up to Richer Sounds newsletter

You may be different but you initially think the cheap ones will be fine and then, after a few weeks, you decide that the sound is actually crap and decide to spend a little extra on a decent one.

I can recommend the Phillips ones: I use one for my Android phone, but they do them for the iPhone as well.

Head to Currys, they have some decent offers on small portable bluetooth speakers at the moment have a look here at the Logitech UE for £39.97, or the JBL Flip at £49.99, you may consider your 80’s rock collection to be embarrassing but played through a cheap plasticky shrill sounding speaker it will be criminally embarrassing.

Nothing in your price range is gonna sound fantastic but if it’s bluetooth and battery powered/portable you absolutely need then the above sound alright, i got my bro the JBL for his xmas and it’s ok.

Or if you don’t need ultimate portability and can have it plugged in then perhaps something like this may work fine, the Azatom range of products sound pretty decent for the price – just buy the one with the correct dock connecter for your iPhone.

Another vote for the JBL Flip, just got one and really impressed with it.

Not especially cheap, but it works beautifully, the sound is amazing for the size, and it looks fantastic:
http://www.otisandeleanor.com/bongo-1/
I got one through Kickstarter, cost me $80, as I was an early supporter, and I’m chuffed to bits with it. Much nicer than the flimsy plastic stuff you normally get, and it links via BT really quickly and easily.
http://www.chocolatejetpack.com/post/72132437288/review-bongo-wireless-bluetooth-speaker-by-otis

I recently picked up a kit sound hive in sainsburys.They were selling them off after Christmas for £35.It was an impulse buy but has a surprisingly big sound. Not the last word in hi fidelity but plenty good for background music in tbe shed.

We have a JBL flip and would recommend it too.

I wanted a bluetooth speaker for the kitchen when cooking, or for when I am working on bikes or cars, and initially only wanted to spend £30. I spent ages reading reviews and most were people stating how loud they were, or that they kept dropping connections. Not many mentioned sound quality. I listened to a few in HMV and to be honest most sounded pretty bad.

In the end I decided to up the budget to get one with consistently good reviews for reliability and sound quality, so got the JBL Flip for £50 from Currys around new year. It has been faultless and sounds pretty good, although not bassy at all. we also considered this Sony
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-SRSBTM8B-CEK-Portable-Wireless-Bluetooth/dp/B009WNN7XI
which has very good reviews, but we preferred the portability of the JBL. I’ve not heard the Sony though, it might sound better.

Thanks all. Okay you’ve convinced me to up the budget. It doesn’t really need to be portable. I have power and space in the workshop. I’ll take a look at the links.

‘Criminally Embarrassing’ made me laugh tho 🙂

Just get an xmini capsule type speaker. They punch out a lot of volume for their size.

£25
http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/veho-360-m4-bluetooth-wireless-speaker-p37364.htm

Its great. Bluetooth as well as sdcard slot.

I’ve just been listening to a mates Bose wireless speaker thingy.
Its quite small but the sound was amazing.
Not sure how much they are though?

£170….so I suppose it should sound quite good.

I use a minirig, yes it still use a jack plug, but the sound quality is fantastic

+1 for the minrrig. Awesome.

I got some Harmon Kardon sound sticks (£100) that sound and look amazing and a Logitech Bluetooth thingy from Currys for £20. iPhone links to the Bluetooth thingy easily.

My mate has a Jambox. Hefty thing weighs about 1Kg . Has a great battery life , 15 – 20 hrs of playback.
Ported so has a fuller sound than the size would suggest. Way over your budget though at around £120

http://www.ebuyer.com/614346-aves-diamond-wireless-bluetooth-speaker-with-ipod-dock-wood-veneer-diamond-wood

I have one of these. £28 bargain, they do a Bluetooth only version as well.

Great quality for the price.

Ruark mr1. Two proper speakers. I’ve had a couple of different types, Logitech – both been great but you want more and more. 🙂

Have you got an old radio or hifi knocking about? If so, I recommend plugging a Blackberry Stereo Gateway into it – they can be bought on Ebay for around £15. It will enable to link any bluetooth device to it, and depending on what you plug it into, will probably end up with something better sounding than any more portable solution…for less money too!

I know it’s not cheap, but I’ve got the Bose Soundlink Mini and it’s really quite incredible. I thought some of the other Bluetooth speakers were good, but then I heard the Bose and bought it on the spot. It really is that good

Totally irrelevent to the OP’s requests for information, but my Bose Soundlink is astonishing for the size. I have no idea how they create a sound with that much bass in something that small, but at nearly £200 I’d expect something half decent. To get back to a slightly more helpful recommendation I just bought a JBL flip for my daughter from Currys £49.99 down from £100. AS the reviews seem to suggest its by far the best in the price bracket even at a hundred quid. And yes its pretty darn good for the money. Get one of them

I went in today and they were a hundred 🙁 Cobblers!

I agree with Mr Middle, the Bose Soundlink Mini is a device that defies physics. Quite an incredible sound for such a small device, if you like your music with deep and crisp tones, it is the one to get. It even deals with Digital Mystikz’ heavy sub base(!).

It’s a big increase on your budget, but I bought one of these recently (£150)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00B9GJ0QE/

In my opinion, it’s easily as good as the B&W A5, which costs 3 times as much.

Another vote for the Cambridge audio minx go.
Got one a couple of months ago, they are incredible.
Pick a review, any review.
Battery life, audio quality, volume, price and easy of use all outstanding.
I got mine as used but ‘factory refurbished’ from eBay, saved a few quid.
May as well have been brand new.

But no bluetooth, its like the flintstones

Bose soundlink mini.

You can close the thread now!

Bose sound link…I wasted money on others before..everyone that hears it buys one!