Speakers

I recently came home from a week-long vacation to discover that a colony of ants had taken up residence inside my Sonos Play:1. It was shocking and gross, but I also got weirdly fascinated by the whole situation.

The third-generation of the Beosound A1, B&O’s compact Bluetooth speaker, is now available with a honey tone, eucalyptus green, or natural aluminum housing for $349. The upgraded model features up to 24 hours of battery life, an IP67 rating so you can submerge it to depths of up to one meter, and an improved woofer delivering an extra 2dB of bass over its predecessor. B&O has also added support for the aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codec.

After bringing back its Pill portable Bluetooth speaker last year, Beats is today adding two new colors to the existing red, black, and gold selection. Navy blue will be exclusively sold by Walmart, while blush pink (pictured) is coming to Target. Both sell for the same $149.99 as before and are available starting today.

The smart speaker was already available with an optional marble base that boosted its price tag from $3,300 (for a solid oak base) to $3,900, but Bang & Olufsen has now partnered with Italian marble company Antolini for an even fancier version, as spotted by Engadget.

If you’re on the hunt for a Bluetooth speaker not made of bright plastic or filled with flashing lights, JVC Kenwood’s WDS-01 is made of oak, cedar, pine, spruce, or walnut wood — including its 60-millimeter driver cone.

Look, not every company has the budget to hire a marketing team to help name their product, particularly companies relying on crowdfunding. As much as we like the idea behind this Bluetooth speaker that’s just 11 millimeters thick so you can stick it under a pillow without feeling it, we’re not entirely comfortable referring to the SluTune Q1 by name.

Through an upcoming automatic software update, Victrola is expanding the wireless compatibility of its Works With Sonos turntables to include Bluetooth, Roon, and UPnP, allowing them to connect to other speakers and audio gear.

It’s a fun exercise to think about how much would be different today if Fadell had successfully convinced Steve Jobs to acquire Sonos back when the audio company was in its earliest days. But Jobs took an adversarial view towards Sonos.

The company is expanding its Music City Bluetooth speaker lineup with three new party models that introduce RGB lighting that syncs to the music playing.

The 200W wireless speaker also puts on a beat-synced light show and includes two wireless mics with vocal enhancement and reverb effects to improve your next karaoke performance.

The next version of JBL’s Bluetooth alarm clock features a larger design with two 1.5-inch speakers paired with dual passive radiators for improved sound. If you’re looking for a more gentle way to drift off or wake up, it can play relaxing nature sounds like ocean waves, or slowly illuminate a room with a built-in light to “help regulate circadian rhythms.”