When you find yourself reading an article detailing the very best wireless speakers you can buy, you are probably looking for one of two things - either thebest portable, Bluetooth speakersthat you can take wherever you go, or the best Wi-Fi-enabled speakers. It’s the latter that we’re dealing with here in this list.
Unlike Bluetooth speakers, Wi-Fi-enabled speakers usually stay in the home, connected to the mains and your home internet connection. This opens up the opportunity for high-resolution audio playback, voice assistants and as the ability to serve up synchronizedmulti-room playback.
That’s not to say the speakers that we are including here don’t supportBluetoothandApple’s AirPlay- many do, which only broadens their appeal. However, if portability is key, you will arguably be better served with one of thebest Bluetooth speakers.
Now, let’s get into some of our favorites.
Sonos Era 100
Sonos Era 300
Audio Pro C10 Mk 11
Apple HomePod 2
Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin (2021)
Amazon Echo Studio
Naim Mu-so Qb 2nd generation
Best wireless speaker: Our top picks
The Sonos Era 100 takes everything it learnt from the Sonos One that it replaces and has given it a make-over, both internally and externally for one seriously impressive little speaker.
TheSonos Era 100is the company’s newest entry-level speaker, replacing the excellent Sonos One and bringing a new lease of life to the smallestSonos of the family.
It has added a number of new features that make it even more appealing than the One, like Bluetooth capabilities, new controls and line-in functionality, plus of course it offers Sonos' multi-room capabilities and Alexa smarts.
Yes, it’s a little bit more expensive than the speaker it replaces, and no there is no backwards compatibility with the One either, but it sounds fantastic and builds considerably on its predecessor’s performance, with an entirely new acoustic architecture.
If you’re considering entering the Sonos platform, the Era 100 is a perfect place to start.
The Era 300 sounds excellent and it’s packed full of features, including Bluetooth and Dolby Atmos support.
The C10 Mk II is an excellent speaker that can be part of a multiroom system or stand on its own, with great sound and excellent connection options.
If you like the sound of the Era 100 but you want something that can offer bigger, better sound and more features, theEra 300is the speaker you’re looking for.
It adds in support for Dolby Atmos and spatial audio via compatible streaming services, plus will either kick off or slot into your Sonos multi-room system without issue, bringing Alexa compatibility with it to boot.
It’s not the cheapest, and its design might also divide opinion, but its punchy, powerful and, above all, likeable performance is something that everyone will agree on.
A great speaker doesn’t always standout in your room of choice, but it’s nice to know that it can when you need it to - and that’s what we really like about theAudio Pro C10 MkII. Whether it’s taking off the fabric cover for a more modern look or just turning up the volume, it can pop off when called upon - both literally and figuratively.
It’s a great bookshelf speaker, and with improved connectivity compared to the original version, it’s a doddle to play your tunes through.
It can get a party started, as well as turn its hand to more relaxed home listening sessions, and sounds warm, detailed and precise.
While the lack of built-in voice control options might limit its use for some prospective owners, we think Audio Pro’s second-gen C10 speaker is a perfect choice for a whole range of other buyers who will appreciate its myriad of charms.
If you want one of the best sounding smart speakers out there - if not the best - the Apple HomePod more than delivers
Apple HomePod 2is a superb-sounding smart speaker in its second generation, and it takes audio quality seriously in a way we haven’t been used to hearing from smart speakers - including support for spatial audio.
It’s also adds a range of features that make it significantly more useful than its predecessor. The addition ofMattersupport helps to makeHomeKitmore relevant in the smart home market and in turn, HomePod too. There are also a few nice-to-have features mixed in too, especially - and importantly - for those embedded in Apple’s ecosystem.
If you’re an Apple user and want one of the best sounding smart speakers out there - if not the best - the Apple HomePod more than delivers.
The iconic Zeppelin offers an audiophile-grade sound quality that all-in-one solutions can rarely match.
Bowers & Wilkins' iconic Zeppelinis sure to become the centerpiece of any room it is placed in. Not only because of its striking design, but also because it can pump out deep, throaty bass and precise sparkling highs.
It’s an audiophile’s dream come true - and while it’s a couple of years old now, it still holds its own in a busy marketplace.
We like it so much that the only real downside we could find, other than the price tag, is the lack of wired source inputs. Luckily, the app support is excellent, so we don’t think it’ll be an issue for most.
If you want a speaker that deliver sound quality, smarts and connections, you’ll find a lot to love here.
Let’s be honest - smart speakers wouldn’t always be your first choice for a wireless speaker if sound quality was top of your priorities, but Amazon’sEcho Studiodoes a pretty good job at bringing the fight to Apple’s HomePod 2 in that respect.
It offers a huge step up in audio quality compared with the rest of the Echo line up, and also offers Dolby Atmos and spatial sound support, when using a compatible streaming service. More of a movie person? you may pair it with Fire TV and give an compatible TV audio a pretty decent boost too.
Of course, it’s full of Alexa’s smarts too, so kills two birds with one stone.
Overall, what it offers as a package is outstanding, and it comes in at a price that, quite frankly, embarrasses a lot of the competition. It’s not the most beautiful speaker around, but there’s real value on the sound front and amazing connectivity, too.
Premium choice
Unique and simply incredible to listen to, even if it is a little on the expensive side.
We’d not call theNaim Mu-so Qb 2nd Gena budget speaker by any means, but its price point is about as low as we thought we’d ever see from the Naim, um, name.
Now in its second generation, the Qb certainly makes a strong impression, giving out high-quality audio at a smaller size and price compared to the larger Mu-so. Connectivity is also top notch, and of course it support high-res music too.
For a speaker so square, the Qb is an all-round success.
How did we choose the best wireless speakers?
We test hundred of products every year at Pocket-lint, and we’ve reviewed each speaker in this list - so we can fully vouch for how great they are.
Generally, we will only include four star products and above in our best buy lists, so that helps us to make a shortlist. Then, when deciding which should make the cut, we consider different use cases and what people might be looking for - in the case of speakers we consider the importance of sound quality, connectivity, style, features and budget.
Q: How to choose a wireless speaker
The wireless speaker market has grown considerably over the past decade or so, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to slow down any time soon. All this choice means that you can find speakers in any style and with any kind of features you want. Unfortunately, it also makes it much harder to narrow down your options.
One of the main reasons people get into wireless audio systems, rather than something like Bluetooth, is the multi-room expandability - so it’s worth considering your options here. Even if this is currently a one-off purchase for one room, you may be able to expand into it in the future, and a good ecosystem can make that process much easier.
Also consider things like smart assistants. It won’t matter to everyone, but if you’re a keen user then it’s undeniably convenient to have your audio system integrated too. Consider the other smart products you own and make sure your speaker of choice can play nicely with it.
Finally, think about connectivity. We are big fans ofSpotify Connectand Tidal Connect, which allows you to control Spotify or Tidal playback on wireless speakers from within the native apps, without needing to open your music system’s app. AirPlay 2 support is also a great feature for Apple users, as is Chromecast support for Android users. Would you benefit from any of these? Check if they’re supported if so, and if you have high resolution music stored on your network, check if your speaker can playback high-resolution music too.
