Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks

• Apple iPad Air

  4.5 Excellent

  Bottom Line:

  The iPad Air is Apple's attempt to make the tablet disappear. The result is an unusually slim, well-built platform for the best array of apps in the business.

  • Pros

    • Impressively slim and light.
    • Fast.
    • Very good camera.
    • Top-notch app selection.
    • LTE version works with every U.S.
    • carrier.

  • Cons

    • Expensive.
    • Pages and Numbers, while free, don't measure up to Microsoft Office for productivity.
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• Apple iPhone 5 (Verizon Wireless)

  4.5 Excellent

  Bottom Line:

  With a sublime, but familiar design inside and out, a speedy new processor, fast LTE, and the best apps in the business, the new iPhone is like the old iPhone, just much better.

  • Pros

    • Elegantly built.
    • Incredibly light.
    • Bigger, better screen.
    • Fast, fast, fast.
    • Awesome content ecosystem.

  • Cons

    • No simultaneous talk and data connection.
    • New Maps app needs a lot of work.
    • Many third-party apps are not designed for the new screen yet.
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• Bose SoundLink III

  4.0 Excellent

  Bottom Line:

  The Bose SoundLink III is a solid replacement of the Editors' Choice SoundLink II, with powerful, clear sound in a functional, portable body.

  • Pros

    • Warm, full sound across a variety of music genres.
    • Long battery life.

  • Cons

    • Somewhat pedestrian design.
    • Highs are slightly less crisp than before.
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• Bose SoundLink Mini

  4.0 Excellent

  Bottom Line:

  The Bose SoundLink Mini continues Bose's line of excellent Bluetooth speakers, this time in a smaller form and with a more affordable price tag.

  • Pros

    • Room-filling sound.
    • Satisfying midrange and high-end.
    • Solid, sturdy construction.
    • Handy charging cradle.

  • Cons

    • Doesn't charge through micro USB.
    • Bass isn't particularly powerful.
    • No speakerphone function.
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• Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air

  4.0 Excellent

  Bottom Line:

  With Bowers and Wilkins, you definitely pay for the name and visual design as much as the audio quality. But excellent-sounding Zeppelin Air iPod dock with wireless streaming via AirPlay does not disappoint.

  • Pros

    • Top-notch audio performance.
    • Sleek, minimal design.
    • Streams audio via AirPlay from Apple devices.
    • Output for sending video content to television.

  • Cons

    • Expensive.
    • Remote control is awkwardly shaped, missing key features.
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• Sonos Play:1

  4.0 Excellent

  Bottom Line:

  The Sonos Play:1 is the most affordable, functional wireless multi-room speaker we've seen yet, and Sonos' legacy makes it a breeze to set up.

  • Pros

    • Incredibly easy to set up.
    • Affordable.
    • Smooth-sounding midrange and high end.

  • Cons

    • Bass distorts at maximum volume.
    • Not portable.
    • No wired audio inputs.
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• Soundcast Melody

  4.0 Excellent

  Bottom Line:

  The Soundcast Melody is a rechargeable, portable Bluetooth speaker that delivers excellent sound in an outdoor-friendly design.

  • Pros

    • Excellent, powerful audio performance with deep lows and well-defined, crisp highs.
    • Splash-resistant, UV-resistant.
    • Rechargeable, portable (in the room-to-room, take-to-the-backyard sense).

  • Cons

    • Bulky, unattractive design.
    • Less portable in the bring-on-vacation sense.
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• Boom Movement Swimmer

  4.0 Excellent

  Bottom Line:

  The Boom Movement Swimmer sounds like a budget Bluetooth speaker, but its useful, waterproof design makes it a reliable portable option.

  • Pros

    • Clean, crisp audio at moderate to high volumes.
    • Can be fastened onto most surfaces with the use of the flexible tail or suction cup accessory.
    • Lightweight and easily portable.
    • Sperm-like design is a definite conversation starter.

  • Cons

    • Distorts on tracks with deep bass at top volumes.
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• Grace Digital Bluetooth Speakers

  4.0 Excellent

  Bottom Line:

  Grace Digital's Bluetooth Speakers deliver clean, crisp wireless stereo audio in a versatile and attractive design.

  • Pros

    • Stitched leatherette enclosures.
    • True wireless stereo sound, with actual separation.
    • Smooth tonal balance across the frequency spectrum.
    • Gets surprisingly loud.
    • Useful USB input for charging a smartphone or tablet.

  • Cons

    • Audible background hiss.
    • Some Bluetooth pairing quirks.
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• Polk N1 Surroundbar

  4.0 Excellent

  Bottom Line:

  The Polk N1 Surroundbar is a gaming-focused soundbar that offers solid performance and an attractive design at a reasonable price.

  • Pros

    • Full, clear sound.
    • Visually striking.
    • Affordable.
    • Simulated surround effect gives the soundbar a "big" sound.

  • Cons

    • Mediocre bass.
    • Gaming audio modes are strangely labeled.
    • Display lights aren't clear enough.
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