What price would you be willing to pay for a Bluetooth speaker? Today, Bluetooth speakers are available in a variety of shapes, and sizes, and with numerous features.
It is possible to purchase a speaker that offers the bare minimum, or you can invest more money to obtain a high-quality sound system.
As a general rule, you should select affordable products of high quality. Even so, there are many factors besides price that should be considered when choosing a Bluetooth speaker.
The cost of the speaker is less important in determining the quality of the audio than factors such as the styling, the compactness, and the strength of the connection.
What is the price of a Bluetooth speaker?
It is now possible to purchase Bluetooth speakers for as little as $15 or as much as $3,000, with the majority of models available for less than $100. It is possible to find Bluetooth speakers for under $50 if all you require is a small speaker with a compact design.
For those looking for the best sound quality and those concerned with loudness, a more expensive speaker is essential.
You may need to spend more than $100 on a speaker that can play loudly enough to entertain your guests. However, what determines the cost of a speaker?
How is a speaker’s cost determined?
The modern speaker works on a similar basis. They indeed have almost the same components except the quality varies among them. Take a speaker apart and you will find magnets that convert electrical signals into sounds.
The most common components of a speaker include a magnet, a yoke, a diaphragm, and a voice coil. Most speakers also have a Bluetooth adapter to receive signals from Bluetooth devices.
The voice coil and magnet in the speaker are driven rhythmically by the electricity flowing within them to produce sound when the speaker is on.
In comparison to traditional speakers, Bluetooth speakers have more components. Bluetooth speakers of all price ranges come with these components. The speaker includes a housing or casing which encloses all the other components.
The cone is connected to the chassis by the surround, which is the material that surrounds it. Cotton spiders and suspensions are located inside the chassis, which hold the voice coil for the best audio quality.
There is also a front panel that creates a complete magnetic circuit for high-quality audio.
There is a dust cap on every speaker to prevent foreign objects from entering and damaging the voice coil.
There are more expensive speakers with higher quality components and additional features. If a speaker costs $1,000 or more, it will likely be intelligent and connected to the internet and other devices.
Besides a USB port, some speakers will include an HDMI port as well. Bluetooth speakers become more expensive as they gain additional features.
It costs between $15 and $20 to manufacture the Bluetooth module for most speakers. This manufacturer then manufactures the speakers, which cost between $10 and $4. It is anticipated that the wiring, amplifier, and other components will cost between $15 and $30.
Depending on the size, the battery pack and battery holder will cost between $3 and $40. The case is expected to cost between $5 and $50.
As a result, most speakers will cost between $50 and $200. There are indeed speakers which cost less but still provide excellent audio quality.
There are few features on these cheaper speakers.
Moreover, there are speakers with a price tag well above $200 that include additional features and top-quality components. This type of speaker will be more convenient since many are likely to access the internet.
It is expected that the cost of producing speakers will decrease significantly during mass production. It is possible to purchase the components separately and make your Bluetooth speaker, but that will only increase the price.
There are numerous components included, including an amplifier module, wires, speakers, a Bluetooth receiver module, a battery holder, and a battery pack.
The components must be modified to fit a case once you have them. The cost of buying and assembling the components for the speaker you want would be higher than that of buying a pre-assembled speaker.
The cost of speakers is $15, so it makes little sense to buy components, which might cost upwards of $50 for a basic Bluetooth speaker.
The cost of pre-assembled speakers is lower, while their performance is superior to DIY speakers. Most of these speakers were designed in such a way that the components worked well together.
Microcontrollers are programmed by manufacturers to control the components so that they work together smoothly – this may not be possible for a DIYer.
What other factors affect the cost of a Bluetooth speaker?
The majority of Bluetooth speakers available today are portable and weigh little more than a bar of soap. A few are designed to be used at home, while others are lighter. You have many options when looking for a travel speaker.
The goal of manufacturers is to maintain a balance between sound quality, portability, and loudness in their products. A good speaker’s price is largely determined by:
Battery Quality
Portable speakers fall into this category. The average battery life of portable speakers is six to ten hours. The batteries of better quality will typically last longer; some are capable of providing up to 24 hours of audio playback.
The battery charge time also matters since some batteries charge quickly and others require several hours to complete the charge.
Bluetooth Version
More than 20 years ago, the first version of Bluetooth was released. The majority of Bluetooth speakers today offer Bluetooth version 4, Bluetooth version 4 point something, or Bluetooth version 5.
It may seem as if these versions provide the same quality, however, there are significant differences between them.
Version 5.0 of this speaker has a range of up to 120 meters, while version 4.2 offers a range of only 30 meters. The latest version is again faster than all previous versions.
Specifically, version 5.0 provides about 2 Mbps, while version 4.1 offers only 1 Mbps. The newer version of 5.0 is more compatible with smart home devices.
It is generally more expensive to purchase a speaker with Bluetooth 5.0 than one with Bluetooth 4.0. Bluetooth 5.0 is available on the vast majority of smart devices today, allowing people to connect multiple devices to the same speaker.
Waterproofness
The speaker may not be waterproof, but the price will be higher if it is. It is better to have a speaker that is waterproof when traveling, and you can determine what level of water resistance the speaker has by checking its IP rating.
It is unlikely that a speaker rated IPX4 will survive more than a splash of water. The IPX6-rated speakers will be able to withstand a downpour and hard knocks. They are the speakers you need in a house with children or when you need a companion on the road.
It is also possible for some speakers to float on the surface of the water. These speakers are somewhat more expensive, however, you can still find some for under $100.
Speaker Smartness
A smart speaker is a Bluetooth speaker that can be connected to the Internet. With a smart speaker, you can interact with virtual assistants such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant.
Most smart speakers retail for more than $200, though some, such as the Echo Dot, remain under $50.
There are many third-party Bluetooth speakers with virtual assistants such as JBL Speakers that can be used instead of Google’s Home Series, Amazon’s Echo, or Apple’s HomePod.
Multi-Room Use
Using Bluetooth and WiFi technologies, you can add more speakers to a room. It is possible to pair some speakers and use them in multiple rooms, while other speakers do not have this feature.
If you require a multi-room speaker set, you will have to spend more money than if you are looking for a simple Bluetooth speaker.
Other Features
The majority of speakers include features such as the aux input. Speakers that are capable of being connected to a source of audio, such as a TV or smartphone. If you have a device that produces audio, but which is not Bluetooth compliant, this feature can be very useful.
There is no harm to using cables with a Bluetooth speaker that has a limited range, such as 30 meters or less.
If you require high-quality audio, you may also wish to consider a speaker that supports aptX HD. Support for 24-bit audio streaming is provided through this feature, and there will be few if any distortions.
Closing Thoughts
Bluetooth speakers are more expensive and more convenient the more features they contain. Speakers with high-quality components are also more durable and offer improved sound quality.
A speaker rated IPX7, for example will be more expensive than a speaker rated IPX4.
It is not always true that a higher price tag indicates higher quality sound. When shopping for a Bluetooth speaker, you must take into account several factors.
It is important to consider your needs and your budget before choosing a speaker.
It is very important to select a speaker that boasts all the top features such as high-quality audio, portability, waterproofing, smartness, and Bluetooth 5.0, yet is still cost-effective.
The most important thing is to get high-quality audio with no distortion even when the volume is high.
