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Bass, in terms of music, is the lower part of the audible spectrum.
This is a sound we generally can’t always perceive if we aren’t looking for it at 60 Hz to 250 Hz, but we know it’s there because it adds warmth and dimension to a track. The weight of bass guitars, the thump of kick drums and low piano riffs are felt, bringing rich foundational tones to your favorite hits, a player in the shadows that brings much-needed depth.
Music genres such as funk, jazz, reggae, metal, R&B/soul, hip-hop and EDM are heavily bass-focused, benefiting from a bass-focused speaker when played aloud. That means songs such as Run-DMC’s “King of Rock,” Laufey’s “From the Start,” Ozzy Osbourne’s “Bark at the Moon,” Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff’s “No Woman, No Cry,” SZA’s “Kill Bill” and so much more will sound much better when you get tech that can accommodate each song’s heavy bass. A good speaker is meant to enhance the sound of every track, provide deep, powerful and accurate low-frequency sounds that make you feel the music as it was meant to be.
If you want to dive into the world of bass-heavy music but don’t know where to start, ShopBillboard has got you covered. Below, we’ll be breaking down our favorite portable speakers that allow that all-important bass in every track to shine through. We’ve compiled models from all across the internet, reading reviews and exploring every option from brands such as JBL, Bose, Soundcore, Marshall and more, all with a focus on bringing the bass. Keep reading to shop our options below.
Our Favorite Bass-Heavy Portable Speakers
EXTREMELY DURABLE
JBL Boombox 3
Stats: 24-hour battery life, durable design, waterproof, dust-proof, silicone handle, new subwoofer for intense base
In our lengthy search, one name kept cropping up more than most and that was JBL’s Boombox 3, a portable model retailing for $499.95. One reviewer gave the boombox style five stars, writing, “I was apprehensive at first, thinking how much bass can you really get out of a boombox no matter who made it. However, JBL has done it, and they did it well. The sound on the Boombox 3 is extremely impressive and the bass is outstanding!” The bass is amplified thanks to JBL’s dedicated subwoofer for intense, much deeper bass and massive JBL Original Pro Sound, all with lower distortion.
A subwoofer is a specialized speaker designed to reproduce the lowest audio frequencies — aka bass and sub-bass — that other speakers often miss out on. If you’re on the market for a speaker with a focus on intense bass, you should keep that word in mind. If a brand is particularly boastful about its added subwoofer, it’s likely the bass will be a primary focus.
Stepping away from the bass aspect for now, this speaker has a ton of other features, including a whopping 24-hour battery life and a silicone handle for easy portability. This speaker is extremely durable, able to withstand water and dust damage, meaning you can take this bad boy with you everywhere you want a big sound. As an added bonus, this speaker comes in a unique camo print called Squad, a step forward from your ordinary black or white models.
AFFORDABLE OPTION
Soundcore Boom 2 | Portable Bluetooth Speaker for Bass
Stats: BassUp 2.0 technology, IPX7 waterproof, floatable, 24-hour battery, portable, RGB lights, built-in power bank
Another speaker that kept cropping up on our search for the best bass speakers was the Soundcore Boom 2, another boombox model retailing for $129.99 on the brand’s website. This is one of the more affordable models that still performs despite its size and price tag. The crisp, clear sound is only amplified by bass from a racetrack subwoofer, which is essentially an elongated oval driver shape instead of a traditional round one for cosmetic purposes, along with BassUp™ 2.0 technology.
This tech allows users to boost the bass EQ (Equalization) output to 80W, making this speaker great for the outdoors or at a party where bass tends to fall off. Both additions create powerful, deep bass that fills any room without losing that hearty bass.
One reviewer who gave the speaker five stars wrote, “It’s exactly what I wanted. Has great dynamic range for its size and great playtime on battery. I was pleasantly surprised that it has a microphone for calls. I was surprised at how great the bass sounded.” The Soundcore Boom 2 also features a 24-hour battery life, it is portable thanks to a handle affixed to the top, it’s water and dustproof and even floats. The RGB lights bring the energy on each side of the speaker, creating a dynamic experience while blasting your bass-heavy tunes.
ECO-FRIENDLY MODEL
Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 Bluetooth Wireless Portable Speaker
Stats: Lightweight, self-tuning, made with eco-friendly materials, hands-free calling, sleek design, eight-hour battery life
Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 Bluetooth Wireless Portable Speaker was a pick folks toted as an underrated hit, and one that they swore by. Take this reviewer on Reddit named Few_Flounder_1534 who said the speaker was, “It’s definitely a hidden gem in the world of Bluetooth speakers,” while another via Amazon named Lauren L said, “Fills the room. Crisp clear and it’s got some crazy bass. A bit heavy and the battery doesn’t last too long but a heavy hitter when it comes to sound. The speaker retails for $499.95 on Harman Kardon’s website and $138.99 on Amazon.
When it comes to the bass, our favorite feature on this speaker is the self-tuning tech that automatically calibrates the speaker’s bass and sound to its environment, ensuring the best sound possible, no matter where you set it down. The resulting bass is punchy and rich in large rooms, tucked into corners or set on a table poolside. This speaker is equipped with a handle, making it portable, has an eight hour battery life and it is also made out of lightweight, eco-friendly material, an important factor if you’re looking to lessen your carbon footprint. You can also take calls on this speaker hands-free, getting crystal clear output every time. If all that wasn’t enough, the design is extremely chic, looking more like a modern art piece rather than a Bluetooth speaker.
LARGE PARTY MODEL
W-King Party Large Bluetooth Speaker
Stats: Large party speaker, 24+ hour battery life, deep base, RGB lights, IPX6 waterproofing, shockproof, room-filling sound
This W-King Party Large Bluetooth Speaker is one of the larger models on our list. While this is the biggest of our list, that doesn’t mean it outdoes its competitors in the bass department. With all that being said, the W-King Bluetooth speaker has excellent bass, along with pure mids and crisp treble that you can actually feel thrumming through your body. This is thanks to its specific internal design that incorporates what is called a ported enclosure, changing up the traditional space-constrained passive radiator.
This open space achieves more effective air movement while sealed speakers keep that air trapped, thus releasing deeper, cleaner and more natural bass in larger spaces while minimizing any distortion. According to an article by Fluance, “A ported speaker is equipped to deliver a thunderous, gut-punching, floor-trembling audio experience with greater dynamic output at the lowest frequencies.” Safe to say this model is crafted specifically for larger-than-life bass.
Other facets of this speaker that we love are that it has 24+ hours of battery life, waterproofing and shockproofing and RGB light displays that bring the party to another level. We’d recommend this speaker to those looking to host a rager with room-filling bass. The speaker features handles that users can grab to pick up and tote around, setting it up wherever they please.
STYLISH DESIGN
Bose SoundLink Home Bluetooth Speaker
Stats: 9 hour battery life, built-in mic for speakerphone, intuitive top controls, sleek and stylish design, wireless
The Bose SoundLink Mini II is one of the more stylish options on our list, comparable to the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 Bluetooth Wireless Portable Speaker with its unique design. The speaker has a punchy high-bass response that works well for genres such as EDM and hip-hop, offering clarity and detail with its mid-range.
For such a small unit, it provides surprisingly deep bass, with the clearest sound possible in medium to large rooms. It sometimes misses out on those truly low frequencies, which is bound to happen with such a small speaker. The punchy bass isn’t surprising, given that Bose products are well known across the board for their strong, prominent bass.
A reviewer from CNET.com explained, “Aside from its attractive design, the SoundLink Home’s big strength is its sound quality. Equipped with Bluetooth 5.3 and weighing slightly more than 2 pounds, it produces an impressive amount of bass for its compact size and also offers decent clarity.” Other than its bass, the speaker has a nine-hour battery life, a built-in mic for calls, intuitive controls on the top that allow users to adjust their sound in real-time and a sleek and stylish design that reminds us of retro models.
MINATURE DESIGN
Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 4
Stats: Tiny portable design, multiple colorways, Waterproof IP67 rating, the speaker floats on water, 360 audio, hang tag, 14 hours battery life
The Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 4 is a tiny model, but don’t let the size fool you. The style retails for $99.99, the most affordable option on our list, and combines all the most important facets of a speaker into one, with a focus on durability, portability and a focus on room-filling bass. The speaker delivers powerful 360-degree sound with rich bass and clear highs that color every track, giving it depth, making the speaker’s sound impeccable for just about any setting.
One user on Ultimate Ears’ website wrote, “I use this as a portable speaker for dance classes. Connect via Bluetooth to my smartphone. Play YouTube or Spotify. Good bassy sound. Lightweight to carry around and loud enough for the studio.” The speaker is waterproof, also lightweight, which adds to its portability and features a little hangtag that gives users the ability to hang this speaker anywhere they choose for a hands-free experience. The speaker also has a 14-hour battery life, extremely long for a tiny speaker, and can float in water, an extremely unique detail that would make this speaker great for a pool party.
ANOTHER STYLISH OPTION
Marshall KILBURN III
Stats: Stylish design, strap for carrying, multiple colors, 360° sound, dust and water-resistant, tactile controls on the top, 50+ hours of playtime
Marshall is well-known for its quality bass. Its speakers are stylishly designed and provide bass with a major presence in tracks across all genres, especially when compared to the second KILBURN model. A user on Reddit compared the KILBURN two to the three, expressing that, “KILBURN 3 has noticeably deeper, cleaner bass – the improvement is real in mids as well.” When compared to Bose’s SoundLink Max, the Redditor explained, “Marshall has noticeably better bass and overall warmth.” This test was conducted by playing the same couple of tracks, namely Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb,” “Hotel California” by The Eagles, and “Strobe” by deadmau5, to test EDM functions across the KILBURN two and three.
According to Marshall, the KILBURN 3 has “improved tuning and wide band drivers.” This means the product has a single speaker component engineered to cover a very broad range of sound frequencies, meaning the bass sounds clearer and richer. Marshall describes the sound as “well-rounded mids, crisp highs, and bass that digs deep.”
For its other features, the KILBURN 3 has a strap for carrying on the top, tactile controls on the top for real-time sound control and boasts a whopping 50+ hours of playtime. The speaker is also water and dustproof. The style is another retro-esque speaker that also doubles as a decor piece.
