A Bluetooth tabletop speaker is the simplest way to get great sound in the home because it works with almost any mobile device and doesn’t need a network connection or special app to set up.
The best all-around home Bluetooth speaker is Klipsch’s The One Plus. It has a full, clear sound with strong bass for its size, and its operation is very simple. In addition, its retro design makes it a great addition to practically any room.
Our choice
This tabletop speaker is small, simple, sounds great, and its tasteful styling should please everyone. The only thing missing is a play/pause button on the unit itself.
Klipsch’s The One Plus is perhaps the most affordable way to get genuinely good sound in your home without complicated wiring or setup. Despite its compact size, it produces room-filling sound and a satisfying amount of bass.
The One Plus improves on our previous top pick, the now-discontinued The One II. It has an even sleeker, simpler design and the addition of a USB-C digital input that allows direct connection to most computers and smartphones to bypass Bluetooth’s sound-degrading audio compression. Klipsch also provides an app that offers a three-band equalizer to fine-tune sound quality.
The only potential downside is the absence of a play/pause button on the unit itself; playback control is through the Bluetooth source device.
Upgrade option
This Bluetooth speaker has a big, full sound that our panelists loved, with a minimalist but stylish design. However, it is larger and has fewer features than our top pick.
The Morel Högtalare looks like a collaboration between a skilled acoustical engineer and a modern furniture designer—and perhaps it was.
The simple fabric grille, available in four colors, conceals a big 6-inch woofer that delivers room-filling bass, plus two fabric dome tweeters of the same type found in many high-end speakers. The Högtalare produces an even, natural sound that works well with various music genres.
This speaker has fewer features and connection options than our other picks. The only physical input is a 3.5 mm analog audio jack, and there’s no optional app with EQ controls to fine-tune the sound.
The Högtalare can sit on a shelf, hang on a wall, or fit perfectly into IKEA’s Kallax and Expedit shelving systems. However, it’s roughly twice the size of Klipsch’s The One Plus and comes at a higher cost.
Also great
This speaker offers more bass and higher max volume than our top pick, and it has a phono input to connect a turntable. However, it comes at a higher cost.
Klipsch’s The Three Plus is the home Bluetooth speaker we recommend for those who like lots of bass or want to connect a turntable, as it has a phono preamp built in.
The Three Plus looks and sounds similar to our top pick, The One Plus, but its larger cabinet and woofer make it play louder and produce more bass. While some of our panelists found this speaker’s powerful bass to be too intense depending on what they were listening to, the three-band equalizer provided in Klipsch’s app allows some adjustment of the low notes.
Overall, this speaker didn’t sound as good as the Morel Högtalare in our tests, but those who love bass will probably prefer it, and it offers more inputs.
