Portable Bluetooth speakers are the perfect summer accessory- the ideal way to enjoy your music outdoors, whether that’s on the beaches of Long Island or your patio in Omaha. They’ll work in a pinch to provide an impromptu concert to keep the kids quiet at the park, and can help bring the noise during a small gathering. Not all of them are made alike- you’ll have to consider features like waterproofing, and balance quality, price, and features.
The Bayan Soundbook GO Bluetooth Speaker takes its form factor and design cues from the family’s larger brother, the company’s Soundbook X3 that we checked out last year. And while our major complaint about that model was the price, they’ve addressed that directly, bringing a much less expensive unit to market that manages to offer a distinctive look without being too hard on the wallet. That sloping shape isn’t just for kicks, as the angled face helps direct sound towards the listener.
And with nine hours of battery life between charges, you’ll be able to play tunes for a full day out. The new Bluetooth 4 protocol means easy pairing, and there is NFC support for devices that can tap-to-connect. At only 480 grams, it won’t weigh you down either, or take up much space in your bag. Like most competitors, there is a built-in microphone for making an occasional call over speakerphone and an 3.5mm auxiliary input for connecting to other sources. Of course, 15W of stereo power isn’t enough to fill a big room, and we did notice a fair bit of distortion at the higher volumes. Sound quality was decent overall, a little crunchy with fairly solid bass, but slightly flat.
We liked the variety of few colors, blue, black, red, and white, and the flip-cover that helps protect the speaker and also serves as a stand. It won’t stand up without it folded back though, so be careful. Available online and in stores for around $100, the Bayan Soundbook GO is a fairly sweet and friendly portable Bluetooth speaker.