[491326]

So, in my entire life as an "audiophile", I've used portable gear; iems, portable dacs, and whatnot. I'm wondering if there are any portable or semiportable speakers that are of good quality and can produce some level of soundstage. Like, two speakers for L R channel that can be setup and taken apart quickly when needed. If not, are there any recommendations for desktop speakers with good soundstage with a warm but still detailed sound?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I'm wondering if there are any portable or semiportable speakers that are of good quality and can produce some level of soundstage. Like, two speakers for L R channel that can be setup and taken apart quickly when needed.

Some are coming out now that work as two separate speakers via BT, but you need to install the app that basically has the BT hooking up to both and sending out left and right signals separately.

There's the UE Boom and some from Creative. I think there are other cheaper ones but most use tiny fullrange drivers.

 

[Rhamnetin]

I listen to the UE Boom daily (not by choice), and admittedly I can never refer to its sound reproduction as high quality.

 

[491326]

I listen to the UE Boom daily (not by choice), and admittedly I can never refer to its sound reproduction as high quality.

yeah, I'm more concerned with sq than portability and convenience

 

[ProtegeManiac]

yeah, I'm more concerned with sq than portability and convenience

The battery power and compact design that has to fit into a single speaker (even if you use two, as in the true stereo BT speakers now) sets up a lot of limitations and compromises between driver size, amp power, battery capacity, etc. Nt to mention price.

If you will just focus on SQ and ignore portability then it would otherwise be a lot easier to come up with what you can take a look at, since basically it's kind of like every other question here. Just boils down to active or passive(+what amp) speakers, room size, etc.

If you need a little bit of convenience then some powered speakers have BT.

Or give more details about what you mean by "semi-portable" as an acceptable level, and how important still would stereo imaging be. If the latter is very important then obviously two separate speakers are a must. But then there's the question of what is semi-portable to you. If you have a five door/estate car or a low slung crossover (or no back problems) and basically just want to be able to take the speakers with you on a weekend out of town, then you could go with either a powered monitor with BT. Some HiVi models go down to as small as 4in drivers so the surface area as well as overall internal air volume requirement are lower and thus make for an overall smaller box for each speaker. Or maybe some mini-monitors with 4in drivers paired with a small Class D amp, maybe one with BT.

If you can DIY you have more options that can simplify these and make the cabinets smaller, and maybe get creative with the enclosures. Like try a relatively low cost 3in or 4in Dayton or Tang Band fullrange driver (no need for tweeters and crossovers; they're larger than mini speakers too so you get to around 100hz before they really trail off, and that's at 1m away) in an enclosure that stretches bass response, or go with something really compact even with no bass boost. Or get creative with the material and get around the potential vulnerabilities of wood enclosures if you have to move them around, like use wood on the baffles to mount the speakers onto PVC pips (then seal the other end).

 

[PopZeus]

Riva makes a bunch of Bluetooth speakers in a variety of sizes that get top marks for audio quality. And they have a proprietary syncing system for stereo or multi-room set ups. If I was going to build a wireless system I might start there.

Not gonna lie, I use my Bose mini speaker almost daily. It’s great for the size.

 

[491326]

Or give more details about what you mean by "semi-portable" as an acceptable level

I'm still wavering because buying speakers still feels very far in the future for me. I guess I'm thinking more along the lines of easily moveable where I can take the system apart and put it back together, not necessarily being used on the move. I don't know much about speaker setup in the first place so...

 

[ProtegeManiac]

I'm still wavering because buying speakers still feels very far in the future for me. I guess I'm thinking more along the lines of easily moveable where I can take the system apart and put it back together, not necessarily being used on the move. I don't know much about speaker setup in the first place so...

i wouldn't go with "use on the move" either, that's basically a ghetto blaster. But transportable can vary widely in size depending on how you're willing to transport them - one or two real stereo BT speakers in a backpack or messenger vs putting them in a chest (like what roadies use to lug amps and guitars in) then into an easy to load luggage compartment in your car, like a low slung fifth door on a Crossover instead of car trunk or SUV (so you don't have to hire actual roadies; Ford has that wave your foot under the bumper opener for example).

"Easily movable and put it back together" is not that much clearer though. I mean, do you mean transferring it from one room to another, not necessarily out of the house? But then how much space do you have in the secondary location, or how many components are you willing to move around? For example, you might have proper space in your main listening area, but will they all fit on the kitchen counter, more so if the cabinets are fairly large or if you have a separate amplifier? What about all the wiring in the primary location - are you willing to bend down and behind all the other gear? Do you have a spot on the patio where they can't get knocked over?

Might be more worthwhile to just invest in a really good speaker system in your main listening area, and another compact speaker for $100 in your home office or a $50 single piece BT speaker in your patio or kitchen for example (or run two true stereo BT if you can find one in that price range). The latter will work with streming off a smartphone also, instead of the pre-smartphone days where the Sony 300-Disc changer in the HT room feeds the amp driving the patio speakers, which is why many older homes have an HT room on the ground floor with a sliding glass door (instead of proper acoustic treatments) going into the backyard.

Note also that if you're thinking patio a plastic enclosure BT speaker that you can pick up easily would be easier to manage than anything bigger made of wood.

 

[gersh]

I have a JBL charge 3, definitly not audiophile level and more bass heavy. It's good for it's purpose, just get music in the background in a small outdoor meeting. You can connect multiple Charge 3s. I believe UE has similar support.

 

[Pavioni]

Google NO Audiophile's review of the Vanatoo Transparent Zeros. Might be just what you are looking for.

 

[squee116]

Is there a size limit? Do they need to be self-powered?
The Dayton Mk402BT might fit the bill, or Micca MB42x, or if unpowered is okay, the B452 air or mk402 or if size matters, maybe the modhouse audio cube?