Kim Kardashian’s first collaboration with Beats dates back to 2022. The brand’s newest partnership with Kardashian brings a cool new design vibe to the sub-Rs 20,000, Bluetooth speakers segment. The Beats Pill - Kim Special Edition is the perfect blend of style and function and comes in two elegant pastel shades including a gorgeous Light Gray. It’s not just Beats, we’ve seen some cool launches from Marshall that has added the latest update to its popular Emberton line and Sonos that has refreshed its popular Sonos Roam speaker.
We’ve rounded up some of the best Bluetooth speakers in the under-Rs 25K price range. We’ve seen significant improvements in design and acoustics in this category. The portable speakers in this category have also seen improvements in battery life making them perfect for all those all-nighters.
Beats Pill – Kim Special Edition
The customisation for this special edition of the Beats Pill, doesn’t end with the colour tones. Beats has also added a grey USB-C charging cable and a removable colour-matched lanyard. It scores with its form factor (its just 680 gm) and ingress protection — IP67 rated for dust and water resistance. Another big win is battery life; this speaker manages 24 hours of battery life despite its lightweight form. The Beats Pill delivers terrific sound, thanks to a bigger, bespoke racetrack woofer, and features some clever design touches including a 20-degree upward tilt to help optimise sound delivery towards your head.
Price: Rs 16,900
Marshall Emberton III
The latest addition to the Marshall Emberton range features Marshall’s True Stereophonic Sound. Marshall calls this absolute 360° sound, where the music finds you. The Emberton III also benefits from Dynamic Loudness that adjusts the tonal balance as you change the volume. Other standout features include 32 hours of battery life and a built-in microphone that makes hands-free calling simpler and clearer. Also, 79 per cent of the plastic in the Emberton III comes from recycled plastic made from preloved products like CDs.
Price: Rs 17,899
Bose Soundlink Flex
This remains one of our favourite speakers in the Bose portable speaker line-up. The Soundlink Flex comes in a cool palette of shades including a standout Chilled Lilac and a cool Stone Blue. This one’s ready for the pool party thanks to its dustproof and waterproof form, backed by a IP-67 rating. One of the talking points of the Flex is Bose’s proprietary Digital Signal Processing (DSP) technology that minimises distortion while the dual-opposing passive radiators that turn vibration into the audio output from the compact speaker.
Price: Rs 15,900
Sonos Roam 2
The first gen Roam remains a great buy even in 2024, you can find some great deals on this lightweight speaker that packs a punch. The all-new Roam 2 is a mild refresh and is almost indistinguishable from its predecessor. It’s the same weight and delivers an impressive soundstage — the audio set up includes two Class-H amplifiers, a mid-woofer that maximises low-end output and also delivers faithful playback of mid-range frequencies complemented by a tweeter that creates crisp high frequencies. Subtle changes in the 2024 Roam include a rejig of buttons and controls that make it easier to hook this portable speaker with your Bluetooth source.
Price: Rs 20,900
Sonodyne Bandish II
This high quality speaker from the proudly Indian audio brand, Sonodyne, makes our list for its stellar audio performance and durable build. Positioned as a high fidelity stereo wireless music system, Bandish takes its name from the Hindustani Classical music term that refers to multiple instruments playing together. This 120W speaker will please sound aficionados with its crystal clear audio and Class D amplifiers. The remote control unit is a thoughtful addition while the highly rigid wooden cabinet minimises cabinet vibration.
Price: Rs 19,999
Sony ULT Field 1
This one delivers solid bang for the buck and ticks the key boxes that matter for most audio enthusiasts. The Field 1 is part of Sony’s ULT (for Ultimate) line of audio products. The Field 1 delivers on Sony’s legendary bass, and the speaker comes with a dedicated ULT short key that turns up the bass with a quick press. This one’s ready for your beach shenanigans thanks to an IP-67 rating that also covers salt-water resistance. Audio highlights include a 16mm tweeter unit with a woofer unit (83 x 42 mm) and Sony’s Sound Diffusion Processor that expands sound in any space with its DSP technology.
Price: Rs 10,990
