Buying a Bluetooth Speaker (and I Chose Beats Pill)
Important note: audio perception is highly subjective, and what sounds good to me may not sound good to you. I recommend trying out the speaker in person before making a purchase decision. Also, this is not a sponsored post. I bought the speaker with my own money, and all opinions are my own.
Every birthday I gift myself something, this time I decided to get a good portable Bluetooth speaker.
My requirements
Really good sound quality — I am very sensitive to sound, and even a small distortion is a heavy disturbance for me. I need good deep bass and very clear vocals with clear instrument separation.
Work well in my studio apartment — I live in a small studio apartment, so the speaker should be able to fill the room with sound without being too loud, and not disturbing my neighbors. Mostly I will be playing chill music (like the free Apple Music Chill Radio), low-fi, and lobby/lounge music to fill the background while working, so I will be using it at 30-40% volume, and it should sound good at that level.
Portability, battery life, and design were secondary considerations for me.
After researching online and reading reviews, I shortlisted a few options that seemed to meet my requirements. The finalists were:
- JBL Charge 6
- Soundcore Motion X600
- Sony ULT Field 5
- Bose SoundLink Flex
- Marshall Emberton II / Acton III
- Sonos Era 100
- Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8
- Beats Pill
Experiencing the Options
After considering various options, I purchased the Soundcore Motion X600 after seeing many positive reviews. The speaker had a strongly built full metal body, with a premium feel to it. However, the speaker was having a constant hissing sound, which was very distracting for me. So I quickly returned it and decided to actually go and experience the remaining options in person in stores before finalizing an option.
Here's what I found after testing the remaining options in stores:
- JBL Charge 6: High bass because of the passive radiators, but it sounded like it was built just for the bass. The mids and highs were muddy and unclear, which was a deal-breaker for me.
- Sony ULT Field 5 and other Sony models: Good build quality and design, but looks like Sony is artificially pushing the sound to create more bass. I didn't like the artificial sound signature.
- Bose SoundLink Flex: Sounded like it is coming from under a blanket.
- Marshall Emberton II: Again, sounded like it is built just for the bass, with muddy mids and highs. The Acton III had separate controls for bass and treble, but that's too pricey for my budget, and heavy too.
- Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8: This one has a unique design, sounded good, but was too bulky and heavy for my needs. Also the shop had models from years ago on clearance sale, and price was not competitive.
- Sonos Era 100: I could not find a store that had this model for demo, so I had to skip it. The Apple store guy had good things to say about it. If you are considering this model, make sure to try it out in person first.
Finalizing on The Beats Pill
Beats Pill was not on my initial shortlist — both due to poor reviews in comparison to other models, and also because of the high pricing. Anyways I decided to test it in an Apple reseller store, and I was really surprised by the sound quality. This is the 2024 incarnation of the original Beats Pill after Apple acquired Beats.
I liked the sound quality and design, but the price was holding me back. However, I found the champagne color variant at a very good discount on Amazon during the Yellow Friday sales, and I decided to go ahead with the purchase. I have been using it for continuously for a couple of days now, and I am very happy with my choice, and never regretted going for the Beats Pill.
Absolute Value for Money
The sound quality is excellent, with clear vocals and instrument separation. The bass is deep and punchy, but not overwhelming. I listen to it at around 30-40% volume, and it fills my studio apartment nicely without being too loud. I found that keeping it at the corner of the room gives better bass response.
For hardcore audiophiles, it supports lossless audio over USB-C when connected to Apple devices (it's a tricky thing to set up though).
The design is sleek and modern, with a premium look and feel. The build quality is solid, and it feels durable and sturdy in hand. Portability-wise, it has the same portability of a 1-liter water bottle. The thing is IP67 rated water-resistant, but I am not going to dip it in water anytime soon. It has a battery life of 24 hours on specs, and it can charge other devices like a power bank, which is a nice bonus feature.
It has both Apple Fast Pair and Android Fast Pair support to quickly connect to devices. It also supports the Apple Find My network and Apple Care+ warranty.
Overall, I am very satisfied with the Pill, and it gave me great value for money. However, please try it out in person first to see if it meets your sound quality expectations before making a purchase decision.