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The best Bluetooth party speakers for 2024 turn up the volume and bring the bass
Amazon/JBL
Who’s ready to party? We’re putting you in charge of bringing the tunes for all your hottest outdoor parties this season, so you’ll want the best Bluetooth party speakers for 2024.
Whether you like to blast top 40 music and play video games with friends during your barbecues, or you like to spin retro music at family gatherings, the best party speakers can enhance any experience.
But it’s not just any speaker you want. The right speaker (and even the right outdoor lighting) can make all the difference. You want crisp, clear music and powerful bass to bring the fun and keep the mood high. Some party speakers can even give you more, with fun extras like RGB lighting and karaoke features. They can also wirelessly connect to your smartphone (or other device) via Bluetooth, so anyone can play DJ.
We’ve found perfect options from Samsung, JBL, and more. If you’re ready to party down this season, be sure to check out our picks for the best Bluetooth party speakers for 2024.
The best Bluetooth party speakers for 2024
Best Bluetooth party speaker: JBL Pulse 5: $200 (20% off)
Amazon
This eye-catching speaker features 360 degrees of dazzling colors that sync to the beat of your favorite tunes. The lights are also customizable by way of the JBL Portable app. The lighting effects will have eyes glued to this speaker all night long.
Pump up the jams with bold bass and crisp highs thanks to the speaker’s separate tweeter and driver, with especially clear treble that’ll have everyone singing along.
You get 12 hours of playtime on a single charge, so you’ll be good to go even if your parties end up lasting until question marks.
Plus, you can connect up to two smartphones or tablets (or whatever mobile device you’re using) to the speaker so multiple users can take over and spin their favorite tracks.
It’s also rated IP67 dustproof and waterproof, so a little bit of drizzle won’t end the party.
Best compact Bluetooth party speaker: JBL PartyBox Encore Essential: $250 (17% off)
Amazon
The JBL PartyBox Encore Essential is a compact portable party speaker with 100-watt sound, deep bass and features LED lights with a strobe effect. Its cube-shaped form factor make it a great option for partiers who don’t have a ton of space.
It offers six hours of play time per charge, which should be long enough to last you through a backyard gathering or solo listening session.
Like many of JBL’s offerings, you can also pair two of these speakers together to make for an even more dramatic sound. If you need things louder or you want to cover more ground, that’s the way to go here if you buy two devices.
It’s also IPX4 splash-proof and provides up to six hours of play time on a single charge.
Best Bluetooth party speaker boom box: Soundcore Motion Boom Plus: $180
Amazon
If you really want to pump up the jam, you can’t go wrong with a boom box. This 5.29 pound unit is lightweight but powerful, and it comes with a shoulder strap so you can tote it around or keep it close if you prefer.
It has dual 3.5-inch woofers as well as dual 1-inch tweeters for 80 watts of total audio output, so wherever you go, you can bring the tunes with some impressive sound.
You get 20 hours of battery life per charge, and that’s with playback at a moderate level. It’s perfect for setting up poolside and queuing up a playlist, since its IP67 waterproof and dustproof rating has you covered from any watery accidents. Plus, it floats, so if it falls into the water, you’re still good.
Need extra sound? You can link two of these units together. Plus, you can alter the boom box’s settings to your liking via the companion Anker Soundcore app.
Best Bluetooth party speaker for karaoke: Sony X-Series portable party speaker: $548
Amazon
Do more than just listen to music at your next party. Sing along to it. This speaker not only provides omnidirectional sound, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, but it has two microphone and guitar inputs, so you can croon along to your favorite songs and jam on the guitar.
You can let your inner pop star rise to the surface with this speaker’s 25 hours of battery life and IPX4 splash-resistant design. It also has LED lighting, which can help you mimic the lights on a stage and keep the party hot. Plus, it’s a sleek-looking unit with a handle to make toting it around a breeze.
Don’t spend a few thousand on a karaoke machine when you can bring home this powerful speaker with excellent sound and plenty of room for folks to get their sing on. It’s got everything you need to start the party, and you don’t even have to choose from a song list.
Best premium Bluetooth party speaker: JBL PartyBox 1000: $949 (27% off)
Amazon
The JBL PartyBox 1000 is a high-tech party speaker for serious audio enthusiasts. It does it all and then some, with just about everything you could need to get the party started right in your backyard.
It includes a DJ launchpad that even lets you play drums, keyboard and piano as well as record and loop sounds for custom songs and recordings. It also includes full-panel lighting effects, a microphone and guitar input, and powerful sound quality.
As with many of JBL’s other speakers, it also has inputs for both mic and guitar. so you can queue up a full-fledged concert.
Just be vigilant around water, as this speaker is not waterproof. If you plan on using it during a pool party, keep it far away from water.
It’s one heck of a party splurge, but if you’re serious about throwing one of the best bashes your block has ever seen, it’s totally worth it.
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Wisconsin school shooter was in contact with California man plotting his own attack, court documents say
The shooter who killed a student and teacher at a religious school in Wisconsin brought two guns to the school and was in contact with a man in California whom authorities say was planning to attack a government building, according to authorities and court documents that became public Wednesday.
Police were still investigating why the 15-year-old student at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison shot and killed a fellow student and teacher on Monday before shooting herself, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes told the Associated Press Wednesday. Two other students who were shot remained in critical condition on Wednesday.
A Southern California judge issued a restraining order Tuesday under California’s gun red flag law against a 20-year-old Carlsbad man. The order requires the man to turn his guns and ammunition into police within 48 hours unless an officer asks for them sooner because he poses an immediate danger to himself and others.
Carlsbad is located just north of San Diego.
According to the order, the man told FBI agents that he had been messaging Natalie Rupnow, the Wisconsin shooter, about attacking a government building with a gun and explosives. The order doesn’t say what building he had targeted or when he planned to launch his attack. It also doesn’t detail his interactions with Rupnow except to state that the man was plotting a mass shooting with her.
CBS’ San Diego affiliate KFMB-TV reported that law enforcement searched the man’s home Tuesday night after the order was signed by the judge.
Police, with the assistance of the FBI, were scouring online records and other resources and speaking with the shooter’s parents and classmates in an attempt to determine a motive for the shooting, Barnes told the AP.
Police don’t know if anyone was targeted in the attack or if the attack had been planned in advance, the chief said. Police said the shooting occurred in a classroom where a study hall was taking place involving students from several grades.
“I do not know if if she planned it that day or if she planned it a week prior,” Barnes said. “To me, bringing a gun to school to hurt people is planning. And so we don’t know what the premeditation is.”
On a Madison city website providing details about the shooting, police disclosed Wednesday that two guns were found at the school, but only one was used in the shooting. A law enforcement source previously told CBS News the weapon used appears to have been a 9 mm pistol.
Barnes told the AP that he did not know how the suspected shooter obtained the guns and he declined to say who purchased them, citing the ongoing investigation.
No decisions have been made about whether Rupnow’s parents might be charged in relation to the shooting, but they have been cooperating, Barnes told the AP.
Abundant Life is a nondenominational Christian school that offers prekindergarten classes through high school. About 420 students attend the institution.
The Dan County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the two people killed Wednesday as 42-year-old Erin West and 14-year-old Rubi Vergara.
An online obituary on a local funeral site stated Vergara was a freshman who leaves behind her parents, one brother, and a large extended family. It described her as “an avid reader” who “loved art, singing and playing keyboard in the family worship band.”
West’s exact position with the school was unclear.
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