The best wireless speakers make it easy to stream sound from your phone across the house to big, powerful speakers with hi-fi levels of sound quality. The best Wi-Fi speakers also act as multi-room speakers, using technology such as AirPlay 2, Google Cast and Spotify Connect to make it easy to play music in just one room, or to entertain/annoy everyone in your house, wherever they are.
The best wireless speakers usually edge a little into the premium end of things, both in design and in sound quality. They're made to look great while sitting on a sideboard, as well as impressing with their audio. We've tried, however, to bring you quality speakers for all budgets. Does that sound good?
The best Wi-Fi speakers generally sound better than the best Bluetooth speakers, thanks to being both bigger (which is always useful for speakers) and smarter, often with better sound-handling electronics. Few are portable, of course, but if you're looking for a fixed setup, then go all out for the best sound quality you can find.
Some of these speakers support Bluetooth streaming as well as Wi-Fi, of course. Many also have support for Alexa or Google Assistant, though we're not making those a priority for this guide – we have a separate guide to the best smart speakers if talking to your speakers is really important to you. We're more focused on audio quality, style and great support for different streaming options.
Some of the best soundbars also have multi-room functionality built in, so will act as part of a streaming setup with compatible speakers, but again we're not including those, because they're designed to only go in one specific spot in the house – but factoring in which multi-room systems the one you buy supports is always a good idea.
The two most important multi-room systems are Apple AirPlay 2 and Google Cast, because if something supports both of them, it enables you to play just about anything from either iPhone or Android to those speakers. Spotify users will really love Spotify Connect, though it does mean you're committed to one streaming service (and swallowing all of the price hikes).
The best wireless speakers 2024
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Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Described as "a premium smart speaker you have to hear to believe" in our Sonos Era 300 review, the latest Sonos Era range is hugely impressive, delivering bigger sound than you'd expect from its diminutive size.
"The Sonos Era 300 delivers where it counts, offering seriously impressive immersive sound that’s way beyond even the earlier Sonos Five. The addition of the voice assistant – and the ability to turn it off – is a plus, as is the Bluetooth connection."
"However, those looking to hardwire it may find the USB-C port a little annoying," was about the only bad point we could lay at this speaker. There is a 3.5mm jack, though, and you can buy an Ethernet adapter if you want to hard-wire.
For those of us looking for lush sounds with wireless connectivity boxes ticked, however, without doubt though the Sonos Era 300 is the best wireless speaker money can buy right now.
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The first Zeppelin speaker was a 2007 iPod dock, and it's safe to say that the current model is quite a bit more advanced. That's why it won the T3 Awards 2022 trophy for Best Wireless Speaker.
It streams pretty much everything via aptX Adaptive, AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect and B&W's own Music app, which supports all the key streaming services, and it borrows some of its technology from the kind of hi-fi equipment where if you have to ask the price, you can't afford it. By audiophile standards this is cheap.
The Zeppelin has a hi-res DAC (24-bit/192kHz, initially restricted to 24-bit/96KHz) feeding 240W of class D amplification into twin double-dome tweeters, a 150mm subwoofer and twin 90mm mid-range drivers, which use the same tech as B&W's range-topping 800 Series speakers. In the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin review, we concluded that given a good quality audio source, the Zeppelin sounds fantastic – incredibly detailed and involving.
3. Sonos One SL
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Sonos has long dominated the multi-room market and despite market-leading status immediately making certain critics and consumers hate it, its speakers have always been somewhere between good and excellent. They have also, perhaps, been a bit over-priced at times but that is not a criticism one can level at the Sonos One SL, which puts the DEAL into the phrase, "This is the best cheap wireless speaker you can get, deal with it."
The Sonos app is not the greatest thing ever invented, I'll grant you. It offers so many connectivity options that it's naturally quite unwieldy at times. However, updates has smoothed off some of the roughest edges, and it does offer support for just about every music service out there.
In terms of the sound quality, it really impresses with detail and clarity across the whole range, and how well balanced it is for treble and mid-range especially. Bass is a little thin, but that's no surprise given its size, and some will prefer that kind of sound profile anyway. You can have two working as a seamless stereo pair, and if you can stretch to that price, that's really one of the best-value wireless speaker buys out there. But just one works excellently too.
The best wireless speakers 2024: best of the rest
Specifications
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Reasons to avoid
It might look like a smart speaker, but despite appearances the Bluesound is all about sound quality – and it's "a wireless speaker to be reckoned with" as stated in our Bluesound Pulse M review.
Treat it to the quality of content it demands and it’s a very rewarding listen. Sure, you can buy smarter speakers than this for less money - but it’s safe to say they won’t sound as big or as accomplished.
If you’re after a smallish speaker with the smarts to create a big sound - and a big high-resolution sound at that - you absolutely, positively need to hear this one. It's a great choice, even if there are better-looking speakers out there.
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The Naim Mu-so 2nd Generation is a powerhouse speaker in a sleek design that treads the line between being techy and being hi-fi. It's a pretty wide design, and is capable of hogging most of a sideboard to itself, but if you want sumptuous and powerful music, it's well worth giving up that surface space.
Our 5-star Naim Mu-so 2 review says "Play something stripped back to human voice or piano, or minimalist electronic music, and it sends shivers down the spine. Whack on something like early ’80s dub reggae and it sounds HUGE."
It's capable of bass deeper than the Mariana trench, and volume that could drown out a jet – yet it stays perfectly refined while doing it. It's not shouty, it's just a serious piece of speaker gear that wants to represent every part of the music perfectly.
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While the Audio Pro A15 might be a lot more modest than the other devices on this list, it does manage to solve a very real problem, what if I want to use my multiroom system outside? This water-resistant wireless speaker is portable and packs an 11-hour battery life that should keep the tunes pumping on the go.
While it won't quite shake the walls in the same way as some much beastlier devices, in our Audio Pro A15 review we thought that the sound was fantastic, it was clear, balanced and detailed - perfect for small and medium-sized rooms. You'll be able to connect to it using Bluetooth or a 3.5mm audio cable, and it'll work with your other Google Home, Apple Home or Audio Pro compatible multiroom speakers.
Specifications
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A more affordable multiroom speaker that oozes style and minimalism, the Audio Pro Addon C10 MKII won't be an eye-sore in any modern living space. You get the choice of three sleek colours, white, black, and grey - so design-wise it's sure to be a hit.
It works with plenty of multiroom setups - including Google Cast, AirPlay 2 and Audio Pro's own system. You'll also be able to play music through Bluetooth and the RCA inputs on the back, as well as using Spotify Connect or Tidal through the WiFi connectivity. Six preset buttons give you a shortcut to some of your favourite internet radio stations and playlists as well. It doesn't have its own battery so you will have to keep it plugged in, but this speaker is incredibly easy to set up and use. What Audio Pro does really well is building speakers that cater to every type of music and the Audio Pro Addon C10 MKII is no different, as our full Audio Pro C5 Mk II review explains.
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These look like two Bender from Futurama heads and sound like God yodelling in your ear. Bowers & Wilkins' Formation Duo is uncompromisingly specced, and not exactly affordable.
Obviously taking the view that if you're splashing thousands on a stereo pair of wireless speakers, B&W would also like to sell you a pair of stands for several hundred and a standalone wireless box for also a large sum if you want to use any external sources. Oh, and if you want to really get the best out of Formation Duo you'll also need the Mac and Windows app Roon, which costs a further $500 (about £450; you get a free 1-month trial with a code from B&W). Otherwise, it's AirPlay 2, Spotify or Bluetooth for you, my friend.
All your qualms about costs do rather melt away – assuming you can afford it – when you put on some music and listen to the Duo. That's because Bowers & Wilkins' pair of speakers sounds far better than anything else quite like them on the wireless market. That's especially true once they're ensconced on their stands and receiving music via Roon's fully buffed, hi-res-capable streaming. Well, in for a penny, in for just shy of 5 grand, eh? Here's our full Bowers & Wilkins Formation Duo review.
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
In our Naim Mu-so Qb (2nd Gen) review we were unequivocal: "we're looking at a speaker that is, simply, the best speaker for those who want uncompromising audio quality, but don't have space for big stereo systems or wireless units that take over a whole sideboard on their own."
The Qb is the smaller sibling of the Naim Mu-so (2nd Gen), but it's much smaller at 210 x 218 x 212mm. That's bigger than, say, an Amazon Echo, but it's much smaller than most high-end wireless speakers and its diminutive dimensions belie its power: there's 300W of audio power here, with the sound quality we've come to love from Naim. We've tried every conceivable genre of music on the Mu-so Qb (2nd Gen) and it's all sounded spectacular. If you live in a flat/apartment, this might be the best option available.
In our review, we said that it is "a high-end hi-fi system squeezed by mad scientists into a cube that could fit into the living room of a pokey flat… but that has the sound quality to fill a ballroom if needed." And while that's a funny mental image it's absolutely true: this is a superb high-end speaker that sounds fantastic in any environment. The only thing it doesn't deliver is true stereo – it's a one-box system – but that's common to all single-unit systems. There's simply nothing at this size that sounds better.
How to choose the best wireless speaker for you
Decide what type of streaming you want to employ. Apple fans may favour AirPlay 2. Google lovers may want Chromecast compatibility.
Obviously if you're a subscriber to Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Music Unlimited, Qobuz or one of the myriad other subscription-based streaming services, you'll need compatibility with that, but note that these can also be piggy-backed over Chromecast or AirPlay. Apple fans: while AirPlay 2 supports multiple speakers from your mobile, original AirPlay speakers only allow this via your PC or Mac.
I've helpfully indicated what each speaker is compatible with, to help you out, there. Some of them also support Bluetooth, either because there is consumer demand for big, expensive speakers that support the format or because brands just feel obliged to chuck it in as a backup.
You'll also want to consider what size of room you want to use it in. Again, I've noted what size of space I think each speaker is able to fill – small (offices, kitchens, bedrooms); medium (larger bedrooms, most front rooms) and large (more palatial or open-plan spaces, combined kitchen/lounge type spaces, Donald Trump's toilet and so forth).
Finally, although these are meant to be wireless, in some houses that's just not going to work, and you may have to revert to powerline AV – T3 uses and endorses Devolo powerline AV. A lot of these speakers have ethernet connections to accommodate this. Although with the best mesh networks, high-speed wirelessness for all is no longer a pipe dream.
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Duncan is the former lifestyle editor of T3 and has been writing about tech for almost 15 years. He has covered everything from smartphones to headphones, TV to AC and air fryers to the movies of James Bond and obscure anime. His current brief is everything to do with the home and kitchen, which is good because he is an excellent cook, if he says so himself. He also covers cycling and ebikes – like over-using italics, this is another passion of his. In his long and varied lifestyle-tech career he is one of the few people to have been a fitness editor despite being unfit and a cars editor for not one but two websites, despite being unable to drive. He also has about 400 vacuum cleaners, and is possibly the UK's leading expert on cordless vacuum cleaners, despite being decidedly messy. A cricket fan for over 30 years, he also recently become T3's cricket editor, writing about how to stream obscure T20 tournaments, and turning out some typically no-nonsense opinions on the world's top teams and players.
Before T3, Duncan was a music and film reviewer, worked for a magazine about gambling that employed a surprisingly large number of convicted criminals, and then a magazine called Bizarre that was essentially like a cross between Reddit and DeviantArt, before the invention of the internet. There was also a lengthy period where he essentially wrote all of T3 magazine every month for about 3 years.
A broadcaster, raconteur and public speaker, Duncan used to be on telly loads, but an unfortunate incident put a stop to that, so he now largely contents himself with telling people, "I used to be on the TV, you know."
- Andy SansomStaff Writer
- Mike LoweTech Editor