New speakers with Wi-Fi: how they beat bluetooth and what models are available

In these last turbulent years in which technology continues to evolve and daily life has changed, the speakers they have advanced a lot but not in their essence. Of course, with details that for some are something more (there are those who prefer the flat sound that Spotify brings to those fried vinyls and vice versa) the power and purity of a speaker is more or less always the same: a speaker from 20 years ago may sound as good or better than one from today.

Is that in addition to the well-known bass boost that almost all today’s speakers bring, there is not much more. But where the matter has radically changed is in the connections. Something no less for the haters from cable tangles and convenience enthusiasts.

THE speakers with The Bluetooth connection is almost standard. There are cheap, medium and very expensive prices. But the value will depend more on the sound quality and much less on the category of Bluetooth they incorporate.

Now, a well-known technology is added to the baffles and comes to give more options for usage. It’s Wi-Fi, which built into a speaker makes it open up new horizons.

What is the use of a speaker equipped with Wi-Fi? Is there a difference with Bluetooth or are they complementary?

A speaker with Wi-Fi connects to a home or office network, like any mobile phone, television, PC or tablet, with which any device that inhabits that network can use the services of the speaker. The big advantage is that the mobile phone or other device from which music playback comes out, no need to be near the speaker. As long as they share the same network, that’s enough.

Although they usually carry a rechargeable battery, at home it is convenient for them to be connected to the electricity grid and stay at a fixed point. Some models add Bluetooth, which is ideal for use like any other wireless outside the home.

But where they are funniest is when work in pairs or more. Especially in very large houses or apartments, the interesting thing is to have, for example, one speaker in the living room and another in the bedroom. So they can play together, with the same music, or separately, each powered by a different cell phone.

And in case the telephoneFor example, songs won’t cut out or fade into the background like they do with a Bluetooth connection. Thus, the loudspeaker can be turned off, answer the call, and the sound of the other loudspeaker will continue to be full, as before the call.

Already in the sonic plane, the output power is measured in Watts (W) and indicates the strength with which the speakers are able to transmit electricity. The most reliable brand to express power is the Root Mean Square (RMS), which reflects the maximum value under optimal breeding conditions.

Also, you will need to consider the Frequency range, which are the auditory limits that a person can perceive. The lowest level is 20 Hertz (Hz) and the highest frequency reaches 20,000Hz. If a device is below 20Hz, it’s not the best. Some brands do not publish these characteristics.

The raw power that this type of speaker can achieve is related to its size. For physical reasons, a 2-inch speaker cannot deliver the same clarity and sound power as one 3 times larger. The equation that must be solved – although bigger is not always better – is to find a balance between size, portability and weightto get the best audio definition.

Following the Wi-Fi speaker models which are reached in Argentina in the early autumn of 2023.

Philips TAW6505/10

This Philips device has a sound power of 80 W. With Wi-Fi, ideal for use in several rooms of the house if two speakers are shared. Bluetooth. With Ambilight, to give light to the environment. $92,469.

Philips TAW6205/10

Power 40W. DTS Play-FI technology, wireless audio for the whole house. Wi-Fi to connect with any device within your home network. Bluetooth and Ambilight. $77,999.

SonosRoam

When used in pairs, they’re ideal for use in different rooms and control everything with your voice. They also have good autonomy for use on the go, via Bluetooth. With Apple AirPlay 2, IP67 waterproof and shockproof. Battery that lasts about 10 hours of use. With 2 class H amplifiers, mid-woofer and 16mm tweeter for high frequencies. $99,999.

Sonos Move

It has a battery that lasts up to ten hours, which can be recharged by placing the speaker on a special base included, without the need for plugs or cables. To power it on the go, use a compatible USB-C charger.

Add easy voice control with Amazon Alexa and the built-in Google Assistant. And it’s compatible with all other Sonos speakers to enjoy music in multiple rooms. Comes with 1 tweeter and 1 midrange speaker. Bluetooth. $245,999.

The brand will bring the Era 100 and Era 300 models to Argentina in a few months, also with Wi-Fi and with more sophisticated details.