Unplugged! (well, mostly)

If you love your music and carry it everywhere on your smartphone - like on picnics and road trips - you must have, at some time or the other, wished for a better aural experience. Thankfully, you don't have to pay a bomb for good portable speakers. You can now buy very good Bluetooth models for less than 7,000. The best part? Some of these units are also equipped with a mic, so you can answer a call right from the device itself when your phone is connected to it.

The F&D M8
The M8 is one of the smallest, flattest speakers in this review - about the size of a bar of soap - making it really easy to carry around.Surprisingly, for its mini form factor, the device also packs in a microphone to receive calls whenever your phone is tethered to it wirelessly.
Theoretically, it has all bases covered to make for a great smartphone accessory. Practically, it all falls apart. During tests, we tried to wirelessly pair this speaker with four different devices: a BlackBerry, a Nokia phone running Symbian Series 60, an iPad, and even an Android handset. In all cases, the M8 simply refused to connect.
We finally connected to it using its aux Line-In . The speaker sounded slightly louder than the cheap phones that you're wont to hear in suburban public transport - and even then, there's an underlying audible hiss, and a notable absence of bass. Overall, quite disappointing.
Pros :
Small form factor; Decent build quality; Replaceable battery; Carry pouch and stand included
Cons :
Bluetooth didn't work; Tiny sound
Logitech Mini Boombox
The Mini Boombox is an "always-ready" pocket speaker. Pair it once and it eagerly latches on every time you connect via Bluetooth - easily the fastest connecting device in this review.
Switch it on, and the Mini goes into pairing mode, indicated by a flashing blue light under the front metal grill. At the same time, the glossy top of the speaker gets illuminated by red lights, displaying a touch-sensitive panel with controls to wirelessly pause what's playing on your phone, replay the previous track or play the next song. Then there's volume control and also a touch function that lets you answer your call through the speaker's built-in microphone.
The Mini Boombox is a cute device, but its glossy touch panel tends to accumulate fingerprints. If you can overlook that, you have a speaker that performs wonderfully, with output that's loud enough to fill a small or medium-sized room.
Bass lines are rendered with a discernable thump that's surprising for a speaker of this size. Acoustic and classical music sounded good, and we could actually hear each string as Al Di Meola plucked on his guitar. Phone calls sounded clear, and callers faced no problem when we used its microphone to converse. We really liked how much this speaker packs in its ultra-portable form factor.
Pros :
Quick connectivity once paired; Great sound for a speaker this size; On-board controls to play, pause tracks; Good build quality; Microphone is clear during calls
Cons :
Doesn't come with travel pouch; Glossy control panel is a fingerprint magnet
Nokia 360
The Nokia 360 is the only speaker in this review that supports Near Field Communication (NFC), letting you pair Nokia NFC-enabled handsets with it by merely touching both devices together. Although NFC will not work with other mobiles, this factor is not a deal-breaker . The 360 works with Bluetooth, and carries an aux Line-In to connect MP3 players.
When it comes to output, this speaker is not as loud as the Mini Boom Box due to its 360-degree soundscape. Though acoustic and classical tones seem warmer and bass is more pronounced. In effect, Ewan Dobson's guitar rendition of Niccolo Paganini's Caprice No 5 and Eric Clapton's Unplugged album sounded the best on these speakers when compared with any other reviewed here.
Now while we were sent just one piece for review, it should be noted that two Nokia 360s can be paired together wirelessly to create true stereo sound. Still, even a single unit works wonderfully. Definitely recommended for easy listening.
Pros :
Great build quality with aluminium grill; Warm tones; Can be paired with another 360 for true stereo sound; Replaceable battery
Cons :
Costly; No mic; Large size affects portability
Creative D80
The Creative D80 is a device from an altogether different generation of Bluetooth speakers. Unlike the other units, this sound bar - weighing a little over a kilogram - is the only speaker that does not have a rechargeable battery. Besides, it also doesn't come with a microphone that allows you to take calls.
But the D80 is still compelling. It delivers sound that's loud enough to fill a medium-sized room; increase the volume to its peak, and the speakers sound just as good as they did at lower levels. High and mid-range levels sound sharp, and the bass levels are deep.
Now while the D80 is not exactly top-of-the-line , it still delivers enough at its price to make it a viable purchase. Of course, given that it needs a power source at hand, it's not exactly portable so outdoor use is a definite no-no . But it makes for a great addition to any hostel room or even a kid's bedroom at home.
Pros :
Loud; Decent sound; Budget pricing
Cons :
Lacks true portability due to size, weight and absence of built-in battery; No microphone to receive calls
JBL Flip
The Flip is the best portable Bluetooth speaker from this lot, ticking all the right boxes when it comes to sound quality, output, looks, build, portability and price. Basically, it's the gadget we want to carry along, be seen with, and play our music on. The device - complete with its metal grill - is primarily cylindrical in shape, but tapering at the back to prevent it from rolling off your table. In effect, it's something you can orient however you want: Flat like a soundbar or standing in a column.
Call quality is sterling, audio is crisp, and callers reported that voices at our end sounded clear.
And then there's its output, which is loud and rich. We tried Ennio Morricone's theme from Fistful of Dollars on this device and it played like a dream: Vocals are clean; the guitar tone is warm; and if you know this tune, you know it's got the bells and whistles that make it what it is. We especially liked how wonderful Alan Parson's finely engineered productions sound on the Flip. We threw tracks - classical, rock, acoustic, pop - at the device and at various volumes and were never disappointed. The Flip sounds fantastic. No prizes for guessing which speakers we're listening to as we write this piece.
Pros :
Great form factor and build-quality ; Fantastic sound; Loud; Calls are clear; Portable (comes with its own pouch); Great price
Cons :
Would prefer a mini USB charging port, instead of its power connector so we don't have to carry special cables