The 5 Best Bluetooth Speakers Under $50 - Spring 2022 Reviews

The Sony SRS-XB13 is the best speaker under $50 that we've tested with a portable design. This small budget-friendly speaker comes with a carrying strap so you can easily bring it along with you when you're out and about. It's well-built with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance that certifies it to be fully dust-tight and immersible in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes.

Its sound profile is somewhat boomy, which adds a bit of extra bass to the mix, while its balanced mid-range ensures vocals and lead instruments reproduce accurately and with detail in the mix. Though it doesn't get very loud, it has little compression present at max volume, so audio quality doesn't degrade as you bump up its volume. It also has outstanding directivity, resulting in an open and natural-sounding soundstage.

Unfortunately, while you can connect it to another unit to play stereo audio, it downmixes stereo content to mono when using it on its own, which isn't as immersive. Also, like most small speakers, it lacks a thumpy low-bass, and there aren't any sound customization features like a graphic EQ to adjust its sound to your liking. That said, it's still a solid choice if you're looking for a good portable Bluetooth speaker that won't break the bank.

If you prefer having more control over your audio's sound profile, check out the Anker Soundcore 3. While its sound profile isn't as balanced as that of the Sony SRS-XB13 out-of-the-box, you can customize its sound to your liking thanks to the graphic EQ and presets featured in its Soundcore app. This small battery-powered speaker is incredibly portable and comes with a removable carrying strap to help transport your favorite tunes with you wherever you go. It can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono, which is more immersive. That said, while it can get louder than the Sony, there's more compression present at max volume that degrades the quality of your audio as you increase its volume.

If you're looking for a portable speaker with a better-balanced sound profile out-of-the-box and less compression at max volume, go for the Sony. If being able to customize your speaker's sound profile and listening to stereo content is more important to you, consider the Anker instead.

The best loud Bluetooth speaker under $50 that we've tested is the DOSS Soundbox Plus. This small portable speaker comes with adjustable lights around its drivers, and it's one of the loudest speakers we've tested for under $50. There are a few compression artifacts present at max volume, so your audio sounds clean during louder listening sessions.

Its mid-range is balanced, so vocals and lead instruments are accurately reproduced in the mix, though sibilants like S and T sound a bit piercing and sharp at times. This stereo speaker also has a very good battery performance, lasting over 10 hours from a single charge in our tests, making it suitable for long listening sessions. It also supports voice assistants through your smartphone and is excellent at understanding your commands from far away.

Unfortunately, like most speakers its size, it lacks low-bass, so you can't feel the deep thump and rumble in bass-heavy music like hip-hop and EDM. Also, while it's one of the loudest speakers we've tested in this price range, it still doesn't get loud enough to fill a large crowded room and isn't very suitable to use at parties. That said, if you're looking for a speaker that can get loud for under $50, it's one of the loudest we've tested.

The best speaker under $50 for voice assistants that we've tested is the Amazon Echo Dot Gen 4. This spherical smart speaker offers fantastic voice assistant support with Alexa built-in. You can activate the assistant with your voice, and it has no trouble understanding you from far and in noisy rooms. There's also a mute mic button you can use when you no longer want it to hear you.

Out-of-the-box, it has a balanced mid-range, so vocals and lead instruments reproduce accurately and with detail in the mix. That said, higher-pitched voices and instruments sound veiled at times, and like most speakers its size, it lacks a thumpy low-bass. Fortunately, its companion app features bass and treble adjustments you can use to tweak its sound to better suit your preferences. It also has great directivity thanks to its 360-degree design, so you can hear your audio clearly from most angles.

Unfortunately, like many smart speakers we've tested, it isn't very portable due to its wired design and needs to remain connected to an outlet for it to work. Also, this Amazon speaker doesn't support any other voice assistants aside from Amazon Alexa. However, it's still a solid choice if you don't care which assistant is built-in and are looking for a smart speaker for under $50. 

If you prefer using Google Assistant, consider the Google Nest Mini instead. Though it isn't as good as registering your voice as the Amazon Echo Dot Gen 4 in noisy rooms, it offers amazing voice assistant support with Google Assistant built-in. You can activate the speaker with your voice, and there's a mic mute button for when you no longer want it listening to you. Its mid-range is balanced out-of-the-box, so vocals and lead instruments reproduce accurately and with detail in the mix. You can also customize its sound to your liking thanks to the bass and treble adjustments available in its companion app. Unfortunately, like most speakers its size, it lacks a thumpy low-bass and doesn't get loud enough to fill large spaces. There's some compression present at max volume that degrades the quality of your audio as you bump up the volume. 

If you're looking for a speaker with Alexa built-in, go for the Amazon. However, consider the Google if you prefer a speaker with Google Assistant built-in.