WiFi and Bluetooth speakers

Lifetime score

Our overall score combines test performance (how well the product works) with predicted reliability (how likely models from the brand are to remain free of faults) and brand satisfaction (how likely owners of the brand are to be satisfied).

Test performance

We get a panel of five experts varying in age and musical taste to conduct our speakers test. They listen to a range of music genres and spoken word, assessing the following:

• Sound quality: We assess high and low frequencies, percussion, and overall sound balance. We also note any unwanted noise and distortion. We record any differences between Bluetooth and WiFi transmission for models with both options. We also assess surround sound for capable speakers.
• Ease of use: We consider the clarity and accuracy of each speaker’s user manual. We also assess how easy it is to set up the speaker, how quick it is to start and how easy it is to connect to devices. We test ease of operation from the device, from a phone app, from any remote control and virtual assistant. We also check the clarity of any display on the speaker.
• Battery: For battery-powered models, we check how long it takes to fully charge the battery and how long it runs when listening to audio.
• Features: We check the variety of connectivity options for each speaker, and we look for helpful features such as physical buttons or a voice assistant.

Predicted reliability

It’s reasonable to expect a new speaker to remain fault-free for a good amount of time. Our predicted reliability won't tell you whether yours will stop working tomorrow, but it does show which brands make models that are less likely to fail early.

Brand satisfaction

Satisfaction is important – no product should be a source of buyer regret. Speakers with satisfied owners are more likely to be taken care of and therefore last longer.

Survey data

In our annual reliability and satisfaction survey, consumers tell us about faults that have left a product they own unusable or mean they’ve had to change how they use it. We also ask them how satisfied they are with the product. We use their data to produce our predicted reliability and brand satisfaction scores.

We use a statistical test to rate the relative performance of each brand. Compared to data we have for all products of the same type in the survey, we rate each brand with highest, high, average, low or lowest for reliability and satisfaction respectively.

You can compare the rating of different brands for the same product type (for example, the reliability rating for Samsung and Bose speakers), but you can’t compare the results for different product types (for example, satisfaction of JBL speakers and Sony headphones).

We analyse brands that get at least 30 responses in our survey. That means there are some brands we can’t analyse because we don’t have enough data. For those brands, we assume they have average reliability and satisfaction.

Our data is based on 1,729 responses from owners of wireless speakers in our 2024 survey.