Stuff UK — June 2017

GROUP TEST PORTABLE SPEAKERS

Q Bose
SoundLink Mini II
Bose is audio
royalty to
some, and the
Mini II offers
a surprisingly
powerful sound
with full bass,
even if the
design is a bit
uninspiring.
++++,

Q Beats Pill+
The Pill+
sounds a lot
better than
the original
Pill, and it goes
louder than
most wireless
speakers...
but the
mid-range
can get brash.
+++,,

Q JBL Charge 3
It might have
a whopping
6000mAh
battery... but
when the
sound quality
is lacking,
20-hour
stamina isn’t
really enough
to compensate.
+++,,

Libratone has managed

the near-impossible:

making a wireless

speaker that seems

truly different.

It’s not the shape that

stands out (though its

‘paperback’ style is a

refreshing change from

the norm) – the One

Click’s Transformer-style

features are the real

highlight. The rubbery

side can be yanked off,

and you can put a rubber

strap or loop into any of

the five little mounds on

the sides.

Tiny sound-handbag?

Wall-hanging speaker?

Musical briefcase? You

can turn this into whatever

you like, or just leave it as

a simple speaker.

Libratone One Click

£159 / stuff.tv/OneClick

STUFF SAYS ++++,

A versatile unit that’s just

a little lackin

 in bass

The Yoyo S is a grown-up

wireless speaker. It even

comes wearing a woollen

jacket, made by Yorkshire

weaver Marton Mills.

To go with the mature

design, it has a sound

that’s not about cheap

thrills. The mids are full

and rich, and the scale of

the sound is larger than

that of the smaller units

in this test. In fact, it feels

more like a home speaker

for occasional portable

use, rather than a

‘convenience first’ device

to shove in your bag five

days a week.

This is a speaker you

could listen to all day...

and you’ll be able to,

because it’ll last that

long on a single charge.

Cambrid
e Audio Yoyo S

£150 / stuff.tv/YoyoS

STUFF SAYS ++++,

A classy speaker for those

after a relaxed sound

If you’re looking for a small

speaker and want to get

as close as possible to

true hi-fi sound for under

£200, the Riva S is what

you should buy.

Its tonal fidelity is in

another league compared

to any other speaker of

this size and price. There’s

just so much more texture

and sophistication.

It’s a portable speaker

for sound nerds, although

if you want max power

and max volume you

may be left wishing it

had a bit more grunt. The

question, then, is what

sort of listener are you?

Want loud and chunky?

Look elsewhere. Want

nuance and authenticity?

This Riva is for you.

Riva S

£199 / stuff.tv/RivaS

STUFF SAYS +++++

The top small wireless

speaker for sound-hounds

The UE Wonderboom is

a squat little cherub of a

speaker – if it had cheeks

you’d want to squeeze

them. But this is far from

a gadget that only cares

about looks.

For starters it’s fully

water-resistant, with a

liquid-repelling weaved

grille and rubber port

protector. There aren’t

any flashy extras like NFC,

or phone charging using

the 10hr battery, but

there are more important

bits instead. Like how

the driver array provides

360 ° sound.

The Wonderboom is

an awesomely versatile

speaker that’s got all

the right features for

maximum impact.

UE Wonderboom

£90 / stuff.tv/Wonderboom

STUFF SAYS +++++

A lovable, versatile and



ood-soundin

 speaker

THE BEST

OF THE

REST