Finding the perfect portable speaker based on your individual listening requirements can change the way you listen to music while traveling. Many users focus their attention on a speaker’s battery life or waterproof capabilities instead of prioritizing the most important modern day feature portable bluetooth speakers have to offer: the ability to customize your sound via equalizer settings. When searching for the best portable speaker, based on years of experience testing dozens of models, I can confidently say that EQ customization from a speaker’s companion app provides a listening experience far beyond the average preset modes.
What is EQ customization with portable bluetooth speakers?
At its core, equalizer technology is the ability to boost or reduce specific frequencies to enrich the bass, clarify the vocals, or increase the brightness of the treble depending on your music preference. The latest and greatest portable bluetooth speaker’s smartphone apps give you the ability to achieve a level of sound customization that is previously only attainable by a professional sound engineer. Now you can finally break free from the manufacturer EQ settings that angers and frustrates users.
I first had a chance to experiment with wireless speakers with app control: the difference was immediate. Playing the same jazz track through a standard speaker versus one with a customized EQ revealed panning, the arrangement of sound elements instrumentally. In other words, the partitioning of sound into separate channels was something I was unaware of. Warmth of the saxophone was more noticeable, and double bass clarity was more dominant while overwhelming the mix was something I had not noticed before.
Premium Options for Audiophiles
For premier portable speakers, Ultimate Ears makes a name for themselves. Their UE BOOM 3 and MEGABOOM 3 are some of the best portable speakers with comprehensive EQ control, and makes your choice easy. Through the BOOM app, users are able to make adjustments via a five band equalizer, with bands that range from deep bass to sparkling highs. These speakers also include PartyUp technology, which allows for a connection of multiple units for a more expansive sound stage.
Charge 5 and Flip 6 by JBL also provide sound customization through their JBL Portable app. The graphic equalizer lets you adjust the sound signature any way you want, and also lets you save different adjustments to switch between quickly for different genres. I’ve adjusted a bass heavy profile for electronic and a balanced one for acoustic on the fly during a party while the speaker was out of command. The speakers can also be immersion tested with IP67 water resistant ratings, so use them near a lake or party.
Both SRS-XB33 and SRS-XB43 by Sony make use of the Sony Music Center app to customize their audio preferences. In addition to regular EQ features, these portable Bluetooth speakers have Live Sound, which emulates 3D audio and comes with music-synced lighting. The Extra Bass feature is not just an on/off toggle, allowing listeners to customize how and when the low-end frequencies are activated.
Mid-Range Alternatives to Explore
Coming in cheaply, the Tribit StormBox Blast offers a Bluetooth portable speaker with incredible and unexpected features. Its companion app includes a custom three-band EQ and offers a variety of sound profiles. While this is not the level of customization offered by premium competitors, it is more than what one would expect for the price. Its 24 hours of battery life will store and take your adjusted preferences to any adventure.
With a price tag that won’t break the bank, Anker Soundcore Motion Boom Plus tracks a well thought out design with a user friendly experience. With the Soundcore app, listeners have access to an 8-band graphic EQ plus multiple preset filters that categorize into music genres. The speaker also remembers your last saved EQ settings, which keeps one from needing to make tedious adjustments with each use.
The Marshall Emberton II stands out for its classic guitar amplifier look, and even offers a little extra functionality with the Marshall Bluetooth app. Most of its EQ choices seem optimized for rock and post rock genres, but also offers flexibility for adjusting hip hop, classical, and other genres. The blended vintage and modern design of the knobs on the speaker’s app also offers a lot of varying types of immersion with your audio.
Practical Considerations for Daily Use
Bluetooth Connectivity and Stability
The vast range of portable speakers with EQ capabilities make assessing a speaker’s Bluetooth reliability crucial. The best portable Bluetooth speakers give you the ability to control the app and stream audio while also keeping a stable Bluetooth connection. There are very few things more frustrating than losing your EQ settings while a song is playing.
Battery Life and App Usage
When running companion apps, speakers tend to burn through battery quickly. Fortunately, modern portable speakers with companion apps manage battery usage. Most quality modern speakers experience little to no battery drain from app activity. Keeping the app open for adjustments drains more battery from your phone than from the portable speaker.
EQ Profile Storage
Different manufacturers have different policies when it comes to the storage of custom EQ profiles. Some speakers have the ability to save profiles to internal memory while others require the app to reload the settings each time the user connects the speaker. Realizing these differences helps adjust expectations when sharing devices across multiple users, as the users are likely to have different preferred sound profiles.
Maximizing Your Listening Experience
Optimizing for Different Environments
When audio adjusting, EQ settings should be optimized for different environments as differences in acoustic properties can be expected to affect perceived sound quality. A perfect speaker configuration in an indoor setting may lack sufficient bass in an outdoor setting because of low frequency illness, which is the inaudibility of low end sound. By creating multiple saved profiles for different settings, users can eliminate guesswork for a more optimal listening experience in different environments.
Genre-Specific Tuning
Tuning for different genres can be used on music that the user is already familiar with. Some users may prefer boosted midrange frequencies to enhance vocal performances in certain bass folk music while some users may prefer a reduction of midrange frequencies to create space for electronic synthesizers. Such adjustments are neither right nor wrong, but are user preferences that enhance the listening experience.
Making Your Selection
When selecting a portable speaker, sound quality, build quality, battery quality, and app quality all need to be evaluated. How often will you want to change audio settings, as opposed to using presets? More serious audiophiles, who will want to spend time fine tuning audio, are better served by speakers with advanced EQ systems. Casual listeners are better served by speakers that have EQ via a few simple three-band sliders, which are accompanied with genre presets.
When you purchase a portable bluetooth speaker, you want to be assured that you will be able to customize the EQ as needed. Having the ability to customize the EQ means that you will be able to enjoy the speaker longer than if you did not have the ability to change the EQ settings. With time, you will likely develop and change your personal tastes. What distinguishes the best portable bluetooth speaker is one that offers adjustable EQ settings, the speaker will be able to change with you, allowing you a much longer window of using the speaker than you would have if you purchased a speaker with a more static EQ.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the advantages of app-based EQ over physical controls?
When you consider the advantages that app-based EQ have over a set of physical sliders, you need to consider that app-based EQ often has more bands, which allows better control over more specific frequencies. Physical sliders usually allow for basic bass and treble adjustments. App-based EQ allows for control over the entire audio spectrum, which is better than physical sliders, and allows for the ability to save multiple custom profiles. Instead, using an app dedicated to improving the sound quality of your speaker will allow for a much better experience.
Do portable speakers remember custom EQ settings?
Most quality models remember your most recently used EQ settings, even after turning them off. Some models use your app settings to do this, some have onboard memory, and some don’t do this at all. Read the product specifications to learn more about this feature.
Can the customizable EQ fix bad speakers?
EQ can’t fix bad speakers, but it can improve the sound on decent speakers. EQ is best used to adjust good quality drivers to your liking, rather than to offset the poor quality of the drivers. Starting with good speakers doesn’t guarantee it, but it is more likely to result in the ability to customize the EQ rather than just masking the underlying poor quality.
