The sound quartet

The author explores four new wireless speakers for different moods and budgets

BOSE SOUNDLINK AE II

Bose's products often bring out the most extreme reactions. Some people swear by their sound, while others won't have anything to do with them as the sound is "processed". The AE II, however, isn't a pair of noise-cancelling earphones. It's a pair of around-the-ear cans, light and quite comfortable to wear (though maybe not in summer). One can pair over Bluetooth or NFC, or even with the optional audio cable.

First, I pair the headphones over NFC with the Xiaomi Mi-3. Led Zeppelin's Kashmir sounds normal, with a neutral tone, a bit low on bass. On a crowded Delhi street, there is a fair bit of isolation, but thankfully I can hear the horns of vehicles near me. At home, it is total isolation. I also answer/make a few calls at ease. The next track is Pantera's Cemetery Gates. If you like your music loud and warm, you'll be disappointed (but then you won't be choosing a Bose in the first place). The riffs are good but again, the bass is a bit low, lacking the thump. Surprisingly, the volume increases once I connect using the audio cable.

Next is Mozart's Symphony No 39 in E-Flat Major. The notes are clear and the sound clean, but not the "perky" sound we are used to hearing these days. This acts in favour of the AE II. Battery life is excellent; I use the pair as my primary headphones for the better part of the day, without charging.

The Bose SoundLink AE II makes sense for those who aren't averse to Bose's processing. But if you're looking for "bright" sound, you needn't spend so much. Any headphones worth a few hundred would do the trick.

Price: Rs 21,150

CREATIVE SOUND BLASTER ROAR

It's difficult to classify what the Roar is - it is, of course, first and foremost a Bluetooth/NFC speaker, but it can also charge your phone, record voices/calls, play off a microSD card and set alarms, among other things. First, I pair it with an iPod Touch via Bluetooth.

I begin with Start Me Up by Rolling Stones. The sound is loud, and when I switch on the "Roar" mode, it becomes even louder. The lows, however, get lost till Roar mode is switched off and the Terra Bass mode activated. Next, I connect the speakers to the PC, download the Creative app and slip in a DVD of Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan. Even at lower volumes, the dialogues and ambient sound are clear on a still night.

If you want a speaker that can perform multiple functions and also provides good output for watching movies, this is the one, provided you can live with the weak bass.

Price: Rs 15,999

B&O BEOPLAY A2

First things first. The A2 is Bang & Olufsen (B&O)'s first portable Bluetooth speaker; it doesn't support NFC or the speakerphone function and is heavier than any run-of-the-mill Bluetooth speaker you'll ever find.

I pair my iPod Touch and stream Amy Winehouse's Back In Black. The vocals are clear no matter which way I place or hold the speakers - even when I have my fingers covering the speaker grille! Then I place the A2 on its narrow edge (after a lot of struggle) on the centre-table in my living room and play Eric Clapton's Cocaine. The guitar notes are clear at every end of the room and if anything, I feel the highs a bit hard-edged. The battery easily lasts me the better part of two days, listening at moderate volume.

The B&O BeoPlay A2 is perfect for a party if you aren't a bass-addict. Plus, you can also listen to classical music during your "me time".

Price: Rs 22,900

LG MUSIC FLOW H7 & H5

The LG speakers embarrass you with their connectivity options - NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Ethernet and Aux-in. These speakers are meant for multi-room set-ups. So I install the H7 in my living room (connected to my router) and the H5 in my bedroom (connected over Wi-Fi). I download the Music Flow app on my iPod Touch and am good to go.

I play Vivaldi's The Four Seasons by Janine Jansen. The violin sounds okay, if a bit bass-heavy, but unfortunately, the background instruments are muddled. But when I switch to Alanis Morissette's Hand In My Pocket, the vocals are crystal clear.

The app provides some useful equaliser settings, the option of playing the same track on both speakers (and they can also be set as right and left) as well as two different tracks on the two speakers. But the speakers have a tendency to go missing on the app just when you need them.

The LG Music Flow speakers make sense if you live in a large house, have money to spare and mostly listen to vocals or bass-heavy tracks.

Price: Rs 52,000 for the H7; Rs 38,000 for the H5