The Bose Soundlink Flex performed the best in hands-on tests
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Why We Recommend This
Bose is one of those brands thats successfully released audio projects for years.
Photo:Lifewire / Jason Schneider
Many speakers forgo dust resistance, but Bose is doubling down to protect their speakers from total dust ingress.
This ensures a supremely durable gear perfect for the backyard, a mountaintop, or nearly anywhere in between.
It’s compact, with a big sound and impressive water resistance.
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When Soundcore dropped the Motion X600 in early 2023, the design made me skeptical.
When reviewing the X600 in person, though, I was pleasantly surprised.
This sizing puts the X600 firmly in the medium zone of the speaker range.
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Two woofers, two tweeters, and one full-range port deliver a well-staged 50 watts of sound.
TheLDAC codecafforded by the modern Bluetooth chip offers high-quality audio when transmitting wirelessly.
The third criterionas Ive focused on with the rest of the speakers reviewedis durability.
Lifewire / Jason Schneider
Still, XSound Go is an affordable and versatile speaker for casual listening.
While the best speakers boast IP67 ratings, youll find some as low as IPX4.
Finally, theres the extra feature list.
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However, some notable exceptions existespecially when testing larger, bulkier units.
If you like connectivity and on-board control, youll likely want to go with larger speakers.
This will ultimately determine the stereo spread of the sound and how well it fills a space.
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Its also essential to look closely at how the sound is tuned and molded.
Brands like Bose and Sonos have proprietary equalization modes thatthough often adjustableare pre-determined by the brand.
Other options like JBL deliver app functionality that bakes in more full-featured control.
Lifewire / Jason Schneider
Durability and Water Resistance
Durability is a make-or-break consideration for waterproof speakersfirst, a few words onIP-ratings.
PHOTO: Amazon
Lifewire / Jason Schneider
PHOTO: Amazon
Bose SoundLink Flex, Soundcore Motion X600, and Ultimate Ears Hyperboom speakers.Lifewire / Jason Schneider
