Even though I have a soundbar and home theatre at my house, I worked as a producer and supervisor in the sound business on commercials and film projects for ten years before my current career change and now living in my new dormitory haven’t been able to stop myself from being an audio, video and photography junkie. We will discuss the Best Portable Speakers For College Dorms.
As crucial as watching TV or movie content on a high-quality screen nowadays, many of us make do with “good enough” regarding our portable speaker options. Here’s why you should content the best option for you at this point in life.
The good news is the options are many. The bad news is you’ve got a tough choice to make.
1. Bose SoundLink Color Bluetooth Speaker II (Best Portable Speakers For College Dorm)
No matter what colour sheets you have or what kind of bedspread is on top of your mattress, this speaker will fit right in and stand out at the same time with its silicone exterior that’s subtle but easy to hold onto when transporting it back and forth from one place to another.
It has some weight, so it won’t slide around when you pick it up. Still, there’s a sense of softness thanks to the exterior that makes the majority of people think twice before they just put their hands all over it; trying to cleanse the proper way can restore your speaker and keep it looking exactly like how you first received it – no matter whose dorm room you bring it into!
This wireless Bluetooth speaker comes out of the box yet allows for portable charging through a USB cable whenever necessary. There’s an aux jack, so if anyone in your dorm still wears headphones, this should easily connect wirelessly to their device (but probably not at total volume).
While we admit that the UE Boom is our top choice for this project, it’s not the only one we’ve considered. We understand that some people might not want to spend money on a wireless speaker and would instead look for something else.
The Bose SoundLink Color goes above the competition in this category and brings a lot of exceptional sound quality attributed to its eco-friendly design. It may cost more than other Bluetooth speakers, but it certainly delivers.
The SoundLink Color will not charge your device but supports NFC. It also lacks a microphone, so you’ll want to bear in mind you’ll need to keep your phone nearby if you need to take any incoming calls – after all, this speaker will only deliver the tunes!
2. DOSS Touch Wireless Portable Speaker (Best Portable Speakers For College Dorm)
This wireless speaker makes it easy to adjust treble, bass, and other settings with your fingertips. You can even control volume and playback functions from your phone or tablet via Bluetooth. When fully charged, the rechargeable lithium-ion battery lasts more than 10 hours of playtime. For convenience, an included Micro USB cord lets you capture the speaker in four hours or less. You can connect another device to the speaker’s audio port for a convenient setup. This speaker comes in multiple colours.
One of the reasons why people buy Bluetooth speakers is because they consider sound quality. Why bother anyone if a speaker can’t produce good tonal quality and impactful bass? The DOSS SoundBox Touch is not meant to be audiophile-grade, but it does offer more than decent sound for your money.
This speaker comes with an excellent, solid design that you don’t need to worry about sound distortion even at the highest volume. It has two 6W drivers, providing reliable and ample performance but not a customized equalizer.
The device allows you to use a microphone while charging and an auxiliary jack to plug in some headphones and listen to music using the built-in speaker. It also has a great Micro SD card slot for playing back files saved on your card.
The DOSS Soundbox Touch carries a 33ft Bluetooth range, and faster versions of Bluetooth are available. Still, in many cases, the versions before 5.0 can provide the best connection (since software such as Wi-Fi and mobile data can cause interference). For better audio quality, you can connect via sound cable too!
3. Oontz Angle 3 (Best Portable Speakers For College Dorm)
The Angle 3 Bluetooth speaker’s unique triangular shape allows it to project sound on all sides, producing a more consistent audio experience. It also sports internal drivers that facilitate robust sound quality. Whether relaxing in your room or taking the speaker with you on the go, this little wireless unit connects to your devices within a range of creating a few unnecessary distractions so your music can stay front and centre at all times.
This water-resistant speaker also boasts a battery that can last up to 14 hours without drying out entirely, adding another versatile feature for your enjoyment.
We have no significant complaints regarding the performance, but there are a few minor glitches we would like to mention.
We didn’t have any complaints about the quality of this speaker. It can withstand a few splashes of water and can be used as a shower speaker, but we still prefer something fully waterproof when it comes to shower speakers.
We are excited about the music performance we obtain from this speaker, and with its impressive battery life, we’re confident you will be too. The best feature of this speaker is its auto-off timer; it shuts off after 15 minutes of inactivity so that considerably reduces wasted battery life.
Another excellent feature is that when the speaker’s battery level reaches low (approximately 15%), the volume is automatically limited to half of its standard output to preserve its remaining power.
4. Edifier Powered Bookshelf Speakers (Best Portable Speakers For College Dorm)
With a low price and two auxiliary ports, these bookshelf speakers are a solid choice for one’s dorm room stereo system. The extra ports offer features that allow one to connect to other devices and even use the speakers with headphones. However, if one only uses the speakers in their room, those aux ports can be connected without problems via RCA cables.
Buttons on the device’s side permit fine-tuning of bass, treble levels, and volume control – all remotely controlled by personal universal remotes or infrared repeaters. Furthermore, this dome tweeter produces clear audio for an enjoyable listening experience throughout your dorm room. Of course, you can also enjoy your music when cell phones around you are silenced by simply turning off the two auxiliary ports of concern.
The exterior of the speaker case is made with natural wood as well as cherry wood. There are two different colours available, black and brown. I have the black version, and it’s sleek and chic looking.
The GHB comes with wireless remote control. The remote has 12 buttons that can be used for switching between inputs and skipping through tracks. It also has volume controls and plays/pause functionality! For further fine-tuning, use the * located on the side of the left speaker unit.
The Edifier R1280DB Bookshelf speakers have four-inch bass drivers and thirteen pancake-shaped tweeters. This setup results in a satisfying low-end and precise balance. At its highest volume setting, the bass delivers a powerful punch. The audio at this level is also remarkably smooth, so you don’t have to worry about hearing any unwanted distortion.
5. JBL Flip 4 Bluetooth Speaker (Best Portable Speakers For College Dorm)
With this speaker, you can listen to your favourite music while sitting in your dorm and going out with friends. It connects wirelessly and lets you go back and forth between songs on two different devices at once so that you can always stay up to date on the newest hits or the songs that have been going over well in clubs lately! Battery life is 12 hours which is quite impressive given its size. It is waterproof and features JBL connect+, allowing you to pair multiple speakers together for even better sound coverage.
The Flip 4 can connect to up to two smartphones or other devices simultaneously. This is useful if friends frequently argue over what music to play during outings. They can take turns controlling the playlist with this speaker.
While JBL claims a battery life of 12 hours of continuous playback, our reviewer’s average was only 8 hours. That’s a significant discrepancy and one you’ll want to bear in mind if you take the Flip 4 out on vacation or plan on taking it out for an all-day music-listening session at your local festival!
The JBL Flip 4 boasts a robust, solid bass to drive you through the most adrenaline-fuelled endeavour. Whether hiking, running, or just at home enjoying a movie night, the JBL Flip 4 will satisfy and inspire your ears. However, sometimes the bass gets a bit overwhelming for some reason, and when it comes to vocals and lead instruments like guitar strumming, the sound can feel a little small and less prominent in comparison.
6. Anker Soundcore Bluetooth Speaker (Best Portable Speakers For College Dorm)
One of the many reasons you’re going to love this speaker is its compact design and, secondly, clear sound. Sometimes college life can feel like sensory overload, so having a sleek, shiny gadget to blast great music will give you that much-needed boost on those long days, and it’ll be just the thing to get you through finals season!
It even has an impact-resistant case which means it’s perfect for taking with you when you travel, and you don’t want to worry about dropping it or getting dinged up in your bag or backpack. You can also easily adjust the bass and treble controls across the top of the device without simply missing a beat by using your fingertips to press any of the buttons.
Filling Sony with a playlist from Spotify and content from my music library, test conditions were conducted in wireless and cable-connected modes. One of the primary reasons for this is that most users are likely to use their speakers wirelessly anyway.
Anker managed to get the lows to scale relatively well without sacrificing quality. Although they were not as compact as I imagined they would be, they did not affect the overall performance of these speakers. While listening to my playlist, there was an element of surprise when one of our deep bass tracks came on, and I could feel every beat throughout my body – it was loud but clear. Listening to more electronic genres showed off vivid details of instruments and changes in progressions which are impressive for a pair of speakers this size.
The mids were pleasant and smooth. The only time I heard something a little off was in “Man In the Night” by Kid Cudi when some of the heavier guitars didn’t get lost but lost some of their crunch and detail. Besides that, the vocals and acoustic guitars were delicate.
The high end in the Soundcore had a certain harshness at max volume, but only a little. While listening to River by Leon Bridges, I could detect slightly piercing percussion elements, but lowering the book on my phone with a single click solved the problem.
7. Tribit XSound Go Bluetooth Speaker (Best Portable Speakers For College Dorm)
The weather outside might be frightful, but the Beats Pill will make everything right for your holiday party. It’s a powerful sound, and the flexible design makes it easy to move it around and connect to other devices in your house. The weatherproof design is perfect for taking to the swimming pool, getting soaked with snow, or even sitting on wet grass while having a BBQ. As you want it close by while enjoying the party, sync it wirelessly with any nearby device and take control of the music up to 66 feet away.
Measuring 6.9 by 2.3 by 2.2 inches (high, comprehensive, and deep) and weighing 13.4 ounces, XSound Go comes in a black or blue finish and includes a flat front-facing grille instead of an upward-firing one, as many comparable models do. Dual 40mm 8-watt drivers work with a passive radiator behind the grille to produce your music, audiobooks, and podcasts.
In the upper section of the XSound Go, we have buttons for power, playback, and volume, as well as pairing functionality for Bluetooth. In addition to controlling the movement of audio tracks forwards and backwards via dedicated play buttons (two presses in one case, three in the other), additional functions are available in the form of call management capabilities.
8. Sonos Play (Best Portable Speakers For College Dorm)
This speaker is like having an Amazon Alexa in your room. But better, as it has a compact size and clean design that blends well on any bookshelf or desk- whether in a dorm or elsewhere!
Take advantage of how IT allows you to connect speakers and place them wherever you want while taking up minimal space, especially if you live in a small dorm. Feel free to set up multiple speakers and link them wirelessly throughout your area. This makes it easier to upgrade your musical experience, stream music from different apps such as Spotify, for example, and instantly control anything with compatible devices.
This cutting-edge audio tech makes it possible to customize everything from bass, treble, and volume levels with the help of voice commands if you have any devices compatible with Amazon’s Alexa assistant.
The ability to do all this while tapping into a catalogue of 35 million songs through services like Tidal, Spotify, Pandora, Deezer, Qobuz, Google Play Music, and Amazon Music, and with TuneIn Radio adding access to thousands of internet radio stations is pretty unbeatable.
While arguably looking a little outdated stood next to the more recently redesigned Play:5, the Play:1’s solid, sleek design stands the test of time.
The Play:1 looks “Sonos” traditionally as opposed to being sonically conventional. It is steel wrapped, box-like, and – yes – a shade of black or white, which looks familiar with the Sonos range’s sofas but overlaid with an offsetting feature unique to this Play:1 variant.
The apartment-saving feature referred to is the wireless streaming of sound. Just add speakers, and you can have wireless audio streaming from your smartphone device through a “smart speaker” group of these devices around your home.
9: Bose SoundLink Revolve+ (Series II) (Best Portable Speakers For College Dorm)
The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II is sleek and compact, with a minimalist design – and it shows. It’s an all-black (or silver) cylindrical design that evenly distributes its weight, so you can place the speaker anywhere without worrying about falling over. If it does happen to fall over, don’t worry!
The speaker’s edges have soft silicone bumpers built-in for extra cushioning should the worst happen. This design is ideal if you plan on taking your music on the road – pop up the handle built into its top, remove the silicone protective cover from its base, and you’re ready to go!
The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II is not fully waterproof, but it’s water-resistant and can withstand water raining down at a moderate flow rate of 12.5L/min before damage is done. In addition, the first “5” in the IP55 rating means that the speaker is dustproof, so take it to the beach, and you shouldn’t have to bother about sand getting into its ports or anything like that.
With the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II, users have access to multipoint pairing. This allows you to connect your phone to another device, such as a tablet or laptop, to alternate seamlessly between different audio sources. The speaker pairs easily with smartphones and tablets running Android 5.0 or higher or iPhone 5S, 6S Plus, iPad Air, mini 2, and later; Bluetooth is also compatible with computers running Windows 7 (or newer) software and Mac OS X 10.8 (or later).
The SoundLink Revolve+ II features an 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi connection for streaming audio from the Internet without needing wires when used with a wireless access point. Once connected, you can use the Bose Connect app on your mobile device to choose music, set up a playlist with tracks from both devices or adjust your music’s bass or treble levels. It also has controls that let you adjust the volume or switch tracks in the speaker.
10. JBL Clip 3 – Waterproof Portable Bluetooth Speaker (Best Portable Speakers For College Dorm)
More than 15% of reviewers appreciated the portable design of this speaker, which made it easy to take on the go. You have to hook it with one hand, and off you go! One reviewer even dunked this waterproof speaker in water, threw it around, and tested its resistance against wear and tear.
But there were no scratches or cracks! It didn’t break and still worked like a charm. We can only imagine that this would be an excellent choice for boaters who want to listen to music while they sail down the coastline and people who enjoy swimming in their pool or at the beach because it’s splash-proof.
Turning on Smart TV Mode can make all the difference regarding watching your favourite movie or television show. Just as an example, I was watching Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (1:48:00) and heard comic book fan Peter Parker’s voice goes from a virtual surround sound effect to something more akin to Batman in The Dark Knight after he had his realization that his deceased uncle Ben would be proud to know his nephew had become a real hero.
Of course, the audio cut out at that point, but no doubt turning on Smart TV Mode would have brought us this startlingly realistic detail right back into our living room.
It takes some tinkering to get this feature dialled in with music the way you want, but the tweaking possibilities are endless. Just make sure you don’t overdo it – otherwise, you might take some time off by quitting your old job and starting a new career as an audio engineer!
Music with heavy bass lines or dance/techno tunes can sound even better, depending on how you set up your Beam’s EQ. We suggest playing around with it – remember that if you make too many adjustments, the settings might reset automatically to their default mode!
Best Portable Speakers for College Dorm – Buying Guide
Portable speakers are a must-have if you’re a college student. Music is a big part of college life, and you need to relieve some stress with all the studying. Portable speakers are a great way to do that and are a lot of fun. They’re also helpful for many other things and can be an excellent investment. But because there are a lot of different portable speakers out there, it might not be easy to find the right speaker for you, especially if you’re new to the market. This guide will help you find the right portable speaker for you.
Let’s face it: no matter how advanced our HD gear or the Internet connections are available in today’s age, there are always a few things that we must come to terms with. As students and consumers alike, we may love enjoying an enormous and high-definition screen in our living rooms at home. Still, there are problems when it comes to watching movies on a high-definition screen the size of a small theatre in your dorm room set up each day since they don’t get replaced once they go out-of-date.
You might be a bit nervous about finding a new place to live and adjusting to the busy life of a student, but we understand that there is no time for dilly-dallying. That’s why you need the best equipment and devices you can get your hands on if you are going to have any chance of enjoying some quality entertainment after classes in your dorm-sized apartment (which looks a little like one cramped shoebox with a bed).
It’s vital for university students living in dorms to have a space with the technology needed to entertain their guests or themselves. A TV is only one piece of the puzzle, as streaming devices and wireless speakers are also required equipment! Since TVs aren’t built to be minor, we’ve compiled a guide that includes some of the best home theatre products today to help you find the right one for your space in many different sizes and price points.
Multi-room audio systems with Bluetooth:
Bring your favourite sound system to the next level with technology. Most components of all-in-one home audio systems have Bluetooth built-in for streaming music.
You can wirelessly distribute the music on one speaker in your home to other speakers and system components within your home.
Extra power for your smartphone:
One of the many benefits of a Bluetooth speaker with a built-in recharger is that it can charge your smartphone and tablet. This is ideal for long flights and overnight camping trips.
Bluetooth Speakers:
Sound stands, and soundbars can be great dorm room home theatre substitutes, especially if you have a nice TV screen, but what if you aren’t planning on pairing a speaker to your TV? After all, many people do the majority of their media watching on laptops and tablets these days.
A simple Bluetooth speaker might be all you need or want. Some solid Bluetooth models offer decent audio quality and feature very compact designs, letting you play all your music from mobile devices during impromptu dance parties — I mean studying.
Speakerphone for hands-free calls:
Bluetooth speakers work as speakerphones so that you can have hands-free conversations. When your paired smartphone rings, the speaker automatically answers the call.
Indoor/outdoor speakers:
When connected to a home audio system, some speakers can be regular portable speakers when you’re out but also enable multi-room sound once it’s at home.
CONCLUSION:
If you’re looking for the best portable speakers for your college dorm, we hope our list has helped you narrow your search. There are many great options, so findiessentialght one for you and your needs is important. With so many different features to consider, we hope this guide has helped you find the perfect speaker for your dorm room setup. Thanks for reading, and good luck!