Best Bluetooth Speakers Under Rs.5,000 (January 2020)

Best Bluetooth Speakers Under Rs.5,000

Ultimate Ears is a US-based earphones and Bluetooth speaker manufacturer with an excellent track record of marketing high-quality audio products priced affordably.

The UE Wonderboom is a portable Bluetooth speaker that is built like a tank to withstand any abuse you throw at it and still function like brand new without any degradation in performance.

Design and Build Quality

The UE Wonderboom has a rounded cylindrical design with a soft rubber layer on the top and bottom and the centre portion covered by tough nylon fabric mesh.

The build quality is excellent and the entire speaker feels like it’s built to last a lifetime. You can throw it around like paintballs and the device will still work as expected.

One of the main USP of this Bluetooth speaker is that it floats on the surface of the water. The next time you take the speaker to the lake or any other water body, don’t be afraid to be careless.

The single UE logo button on the top of this speaker acts as a control button. It can play/pause the music and when double pressed, skip songs for you.

The volume buttons placed on the fabric material is very responsive and tactile.

Speakers and Sound Quality

The UE Wonderboom, even though is marginally compact, house two 40mm driver speakers alongside two passive radiators for better bass reproduction.

These speakers get sufficiently loud enough to make you enjoy the music outdoors.

The bass radiators do a good job in delivering rich bass that feels just right with the mids and excellent highs.

Being cylindrically shaped, the UE Wonderboom has a 360 degrees audio throw and no matter what the orientation is, this speaker delivers equally loud sound in all directions.

There is an option to pair up two UE Wonderboom speakers for better stereo separation but not that you need the Wonderboom and not any other speakers from UE for this to work.

Connectivity

UE Wonderboom uses Bluetooth v4.1 for wireless connectivity with devices such as smartphones.

The signal reception of this Bluetooth speaker is exceptional and within a range of 100 ft, the device works unhindered.

There is no 3.5mm jack or a microphone for that matter for wired connectivity and voice calls respectively.

Battery Life

The battery pack inside this premium Bluetooth speaker will last for about 10 hours of music playback at 60% volume level.

The battery takes about 2.8 hours to juice up from 0 to 100%.

Since the device is charged by a micro USB port, you can plug it into a power bank during your travel and continue using it for days.

Verdict

The UE Wonderboom is really a delightful product which delivers excellent build and sound quality in a small form factor.

Barring the presence of a microphone for voice calls, if you’re into wireless music listening, this device is definitely a great choice for a budget under Rs.5,000.

JBL Tuner is a small tabletop Bluetooth speaker that comes with a lot of nifty features under the hood, including a full-fledged FM radio/DAB tuner.

With the compact size and the plethora of useful features, the JBL Tuner is sure to grab your attention.

Design and Build Quality

As we said earlier, the JBL Tuner is a desktop Bluetooth speaker.

The rounded rectangular design is very pleasing to look at, thanks partly to the silver colour.

The speaker mesh grill covers the entire front side with the JBL branding.

There is a small LED display up front that shows important information such as battery remaining, FM station and the song name.

The buttons are very tactile and offer excellent click response. The retractable telescopic antenna can be folded and kept when not in use.

Speaker and Sound Quality

The JBL Tuner comes with a 5W 40mm driver speaker that delivers decent sound output.

The bass from this speaker is a bit on the lower side when compared with other products from JBL, but not too much to be a dealbreaker.

The highs and mids are clean and audible even at higher volumes without distortion.

For an indoor speaker, the JBL Tuner ticks all the right boxes with relative ease.

Connectivity Features

The FM radio function works very well on this budget Bluetooth speaker. The reception quality is excellent so does the sound output.

The LCD display offers a lot of information at a simple glance – detailing about the station name, scanned frequency etc.

This is where this product shines. Primary wireless connection is made through the Bluetooth v4.1.

The connection range is about and 10m and works flawlessly at that distance.

There is an SD card slot on this speaker by which you can independently listen to songs without pairing with your smartphone.

The 3.5 aux input lets you connect this device with others such as TVs without Bluetooth capability.

Battery Life

This device is powered by a large 2000mAh Li-ion rechargeable battery.

The JBL Tuner has a rechargeable battery lasts for up to 10 hours on a full charge.

This device takes up 3 hours to charge completely from empty.

The JBL Tuner can be also powered directly from the mains by the supplied 1.5/1A power adaptor.

Verdict

Being from JBL, this device has a solid build quality combined with satisfying audio output for the price at which it retails in the market.

Additional features such as an FM Radio and SD card slot makes this a compelling device worth purchasing in the sub Rs.5,000 segment.

Sony SRS-XB12 is the least expensive model in the company’s revered XtraBass XB lineup.

Banking in on the prowess of that extra bit of bass in the music output, the XB-12 is surely a worthy contender in our list of the best Bluetooth speakers.

Design and Build Quality

The design of this device is similar to its big brother the SRS-XB12 with a compact cylindrical design having a metal grill at the top.

The body is made of plastic with rubber coating around to give it a textured feel. The bottom is made of rubber that stands firm on a plane as well as slightly tilted surfaces.

Sony has cut the cost of the device by compromising on the built quality of the device. The overall fit and finish of the materials used are not up to the mark as some of the other models from Sony.

Also, there isn’t a wall adapter coming with this device so you have to either find one or charge from a USB 2.0 outlet from any other device.

Speaker and Sound Quality

The speaker on this device with a driver size of 46mm faces up to give a 360 degree sound propagation.

There is a passive radiator at the bottom to give that extra bass you’d like to listen to.

The speaker covers a very decent 20 -20,000 Hz response range that will let you listen to all the notes without missing any.

The highs are crisp with deep lows and clean mid. There is no noticeable distortion even when played at high volumes.

Miscellaneous

This portable Bluetooth speaker comes with an inbuilt mic to attend hands-free calls. The mic is sensitive and picks up the audio without any problem.

The sound output through the speakerphone is loud and clear as well.

Connectivity

The Sony SRS-XB12 comes with Bluetooth v4.2 Low Energy protocol that drastically reduces the energy consumption when connected with other devices.

The Sony SRS-XB12 comes with IP67 certification that will protect the device from water splashes.

The device isn’t shockproof though, so think twice before dropping this one on the ground.

Battery Life

This Bluetooth speaker lasts up to 16 hours on a single charge before dying out.

This may vary according to the volume levels but from testing, it lasted for about 12.5 hours at 75% volume.

Verdict

The Sony SRS-XB12 is the best Bluetooth speaker you might crave for if the bass is your jam. This Bluetooth speaker packs a punch when it comes to bass-filled music and you will feel the thump when listening to the same.

The excellent sound output combined with the build quality makes this device a great contender in our list.

The Home Mini is an affordable smart speaker from the tech giant Google.

This smart speaker behaves like the hardware version of the smart assistant that you might have come across on your Android smartphone.

Design and Build Quality

The Home Mini is a pebble-shaped device that has almost the size of a doughnut. This device is made of high-quality polycarbonate plastic and feels solid and durable in hand.

On the top portion, there is the fabric made speaker grill that adds to the style and flair of the device.

There are no other ports except the single micro USB port for charging on this device. No, not even a 3.5mm aux-in port.

There are four coloured LED up top carefully hidden inside the fabric covering, which lights up in different patterns depending on the current operation status.

A mute button switch is given on the side of the speaker if you want to keep things a bit calm and quiet around the house.

Speakers and Sound Quality

You shouldn’t expect any surprising sound performance from a smart speaker like Google Home mini.

This little guy here has a single upward firing speaker with 40mm drivers. It sounds louder and clear but the bass and highs are a bit off.

You can listen to songs on it, yes but if your sole aim is music listening, you should take a look at the other speakers listed in this article, period.

Smart Features

The Google Home Mini can answer any general question you can throw at it – and it is quite quick to respond.

The voice recognition works very well, thanks to the omnidirectional microphone inside.

You can also pair it up with a plethora of Wi-Fi enabled devices such as your Android TV to operate them handsfree with commands.

The ecosystem for more and more hardware integration is ongoing at the moment as we speak.

This device can initiate voice calls remotely from your phone as well. The voice to text is still in testing and is soon expected to roll out in its full glory.

Connectivity

The Google Home Mini comes with Bluetooth v4.1 for connection with devices such as smartphones. The Wi-Fi aids in connecting the mini over to the internet.

Verdict

The Google Home Mini is an ideal smart speaker that answers your queries and initiates certain smart actions with the devices you have at home.

Samsung is into everything it seems.

Mobile phones, Televisions, Refrigerators – you name a product, Samsung makes it.

The Level box slim from Samsung is a portable wireless Bluetooth speaker that does a great job considering the price at which the device is offered.

Design and build quality

The Level Box Slim comes with a retractable kickstand that will make it easy to place on a level surface with the speaker facing towards you.

The Samsung Level box Slim is IPX7 certified water resistant.

It can withstand being placed underwater at a depth of 1m up to 30 minutes without any damage to the internals.

There is no digital display on the device to indicate the charge levels except an array of four LED lights.

Speaker and sound quality

The speaker on this device has an 8W driver and is really slim that makes it pocketable.

The speaker even though slim is very loud and the output doesn’t lack the punch.

It has a frequency response range of 20 – 20000 Hz that lets it reproduce the lows, mids and highs in the music with precision.

Overall, the sound output is crisp and balanced with a decent amount of bass.

Battery life

Battery life is one of the other USP of this device. Even while powered by a mere 2600mAh Lithium-ion battery, this device manages to last for 22 hours.

This is much much more than what it’s competitors can do.

This device comes with two USB cables, one to charge the device and the other one – you wouldn’t have guessed this one right?

Well to charge other devices.

Verdict

The Level Box Slim is an excellent performing wireless Bluetooth speaker that has amazing sound clarity and impressive battery life along with the brand reliability of Samsung.

Zoook is a French company that has been active in the Indian market for a while.

The Zoook Rocker Torpedo is a rugged wireless Bluetooth speaker that is built to last no matter how rough you handle it.

Design and Build Quality

The Zoook Rocker Torpedo has a boxy design with thick rubber covering around it. This will protect the device from scratches and falls on to the ground.

The metallic grille up front has an attractive texture design which is pleasing to the eyes.

At the back is a powerful passive radiator which vibrates to the low notes while playing music.

The handle makes this device easy to carry around. The buttons are embedded in the body and are slightly raised from the surface.

Speaker and Sound output

Is very good. This Bluetooth speaker features two 25W speakers inside. These speakers sound loud enough to fill a big room with music.

The bass is decent and the treble is adequate. The final sound output is very well balanced and normal.

The bass radiator muffles a bit at times when playing certain songs at full volumes though.

Surprisingly the Zoook Rocker Torpedo has the same verbal feedback feature that we’d earlier seen with the premium Bose Soundlink Mini II Bluetooth speaker.

Miscellaneous

The Rocker Torpedo wireless speaker from Zook is water-resistant.

You can take this speaker outside for your adventure trips and play the music without the wear of water or dust.

The well-armoured body is capable of withstanding abuse. Make sure that you don’t drop this baby on your feet.

The Torpedo weighs a whopping 1.8Kg and will hurt your legs if it falls straight down.

Battery Life

The Zoook Rocker Torpedo has a massive 5000 mAh battery inside.

However, since the output RMS of the speakers is 25W each, the battery life is around 7-8 hours.

For such a loud sound output, getting around 7 hours is a good thing.

Verdict

The Zoook Rocker Torpedo is heavy. If you don’t mind that fact, what you get is a loud Bluetooth speaker that has a rugged design.

To be fair, this product can withstand every abuse you can think of and still sound the same as ever before.

While our search for the best portable Bluetooth speakers under Rs. 5,000 ends here, yours might just have started.

If this list has a product that we can both agree with, great!

And if you don’t find a device that we should have included in this post, please check out our related articles on wireless speakers priced under Rs.10,000 and Rs.3,000.

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