| Cult of Mac

Bring primo sound wherever you go with new Soundcore Motion 300 [Review] ★★★★

By

If space is at a premium, bring this little guy for big sound.★★★★
If space is at a premium, bring this little guy for big sound.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Summer outdoor activities are no more, but if you’ve got a fall hike or hay ride coming up, bring Soundcore’s compact new Motion 300 portable speaker. It’s one of the best of its kind.

It’s small, it’s tough, it looks good, it sounds great and it goes on sale today for $80. Soundcore got it right with the Motion 300, a 30-watt speaker with Wireless Hi-Res Certification and 13 hours of playtime.

Soundcore’s new pint-size Bluetooth speakers pack a hi-res punch

By

The new Soundcore Motion 300 is small enough to strap to a backpack for a hike.
The new Soundcore Motion 300 is small enough to strap to a backpack for a hike.
Photo: Soundcore

Summer’s ending, but the new Soundcore Motion 300 and Motion 100 portable high-fidelity Bluetooth speakers can still give you stereo sound for outdoor activities this fall and winter, the company said Wednesday.

The $80 Motion 300, available October 9, is a 30-watt speaker with Wireless Hi-Res Certification and 13 hours of playtime. The similar $60 Motion 100, which lacks the 300’s SmartTune EQ, will ship in November, Soundcore said.

Sonos Move 2 speaker brings stereo sound, double the battery life

By

In addition to the black or white options to match other Sonos speakers, you can get Move 2 in a new olive color.
In addition to the black or white options to match other Sonos speakers, you can get Move 2 in a new olive color.
Photo: Sonos

The revamped Sonos Move 2 portable speaker sports stereo sound, up to 24 hours of battery life — twice that of its predecessor — and a slew of design changes since the water-resistant speaker’s initial release four years ago, the company said Wednesday.

Sonos Move 2 becomes available September 20 for $449.

Say what? New ‘dialogue speaker’ clarifies voices.

By

BenQ's new dialogue speaker can play music, but it's meant to make human voices especially clear.
BenQ's new dialogue speaker can play music, but it's meant to make human voices especially clear.
Photo: BenQ

BenQ, known for desktop monitors and accessories, unveiled its new treVolo U Desktop Dialogue Speaker Tuesday. Say what? A “dialogue speaker?”

Yes, and it uses special technology “designed to reinvent your digital life, offering exceptional audio for online learning, remote working, podcast and audiobook listening,” the company said.

If price is no object, this could be your next portable speaker

By

It costs more than a grand, but it's designed to last a lifetime.
It costs more than a grand, but it's designed to last a lifetime.
Photo: Bang & Olufsen

Esteemed Danish audio brand Bang & Olufsen unveiled its new portable Beosound A5 speaker Thursday. The pricey and powerful device’s design results from a collaboration with the Danish-Italian duo GamFratesi.

“Beosound A5 is our new high-end portable speaker which combines Bang & Olufsen’s long-standing approach to timeless design with our vision on sound for the future,” said VP of Product Marketing Michael Henriksson.

“We’re excited to collaborate with GamFratesi for the first time, to create two speaker designs that are rooted in a Scandinavian aesthetic with a distinct design signature on their own,” he added.

Slick new Soundcore hi-fi speaker sports spatial audio

By

The new speaker has a stainless steel grille and an aluminum handle.
The new speaker has a stainless steel grille and an aluminum handle.
Photo: Soundcore

Soundcore unveiled its elegant new Motion X600 Portable High Fidelity Speaker Monday. The compact speaker offers hi-res, spatial audio in a handsome package with a metal grille and a choice of gray, green or blue colors.

When it becomes available in early May, it’ll go for $200. But you can get an early-bird discount. See below.

Beats Pill+ portable speaker won’t stay dead

By

A second special edition since Apple discontinued the Beats Pill+ speaker looks to be imminent.
A second special edition since Apple discontinued the Beats Pill+ speaker looks to be imminent.
Photo: Apple/Beats

Apple killed the Beats Pill+ portable speaker in January, and yet it lives on. In March it saw a special-edition release through a partnernship with Stüssy. And now it rises from the dead once again.

This time, a collaboration with Devin Book and Book Projects will result in a customized Beats Pill+ exterior design that takes its cues from the Sonoran Desert.

Ikea’s new outdoor lamp is first Bluetooth speaker with Spotify Tap

By

The new Ikea Vappeby is an LED lantern and a Bluetooth speaker with Spotify Tap.
The new Ikea Vappeby is an LED lantern and a Bluetooth speaker with Spotify Tap.
Photo: Ikea

Cue the lights, strike up the music and let the garden party begin. Ikea’s got a new outdoor lantern coming. What’s interesting is that it doubles as the first Bluetooth speaker on the market with Spotify Tap built in.

The one-touch Spotify functionality isn’t the only music streaming service you can use with the lamp, called the Ikea Vappeby. But it’s handy.

Bangin’ new speaker lets you take the party with you, light show included

By

Transmart's new portable speaker packs 60W of power and four drivers. Plus a light show.
Transmart's new portable speaker packs 60W of power and four drivers. Plus a light show.
Photo: Tronsmart

Not every Bluetooth speaker on the market packs 60W of power, but the new Tronsmart Bang Outdoor Party Speaker does. And it brings a beat-driven light show to the party, too. The company rolled it out on Tuesday, emphasizing that the four-driver speaker is “loud and powerful.”

“The Bang delivers an audio feast with an impactful stereo sound thanks to its two tweeters and two woofers,” the company said.