The GX-BT280 is from Sharp’s portable speaker range and is available in three colours: Black, Red and Blue. This wireless speaker can be connected via Bluetooth 4.2 to your phone, tablet or any other Bluetooth device. It has a bold design with large obvious buttons, which makes it super easy for someone to connect and take over as DJ if they disapprove of the music. The tough little body is dustproof and water resistant thanks to the IP65 rating, and it is compact enough to throw in your backpack at 67 x 67 x 186mm with a weight of weighs 400g. The speaker comes with a cord that allows you to attach it to the outside of your pack or on your bike. At either end of the speaker there is a metal disc with the Sharp logo that is suspended on some rubbery material, and when the volume is high enough, they pulse to the beat of the bass, which adds nothing to the overall sound quality but does look cool.

The built-in rechargeable battery will give you up to 12 hours’ playtime in total, which isn’t the worst we have seen but certainly isn’t the best either, however it will play whilst charging so the party doesn’t have to stop when the battery dies (as long as you are by a mains plug). The built-in microphone allows you to connect to Siri, Google Assistant or Alexa on your device as well as answer calls hands free. The one-touch buttons easily control volume, playlists or answer calls without having to access your phone, both a USB charging cable and a 3.5mm aux line-in cable are included to connect to other devices. The stereo-spatial sound is produced from the two 10W RMS speakers and the DSP technology that produces a psychoacoustic bass extension for improved lower frequencies. The sound quality is reasonable at medium volumes, however it gets a little harsh at high volumes and generally lacks bass, if sound quality is a priority it might be worth a miss but its durable design and battery life lends itself well to trips to the beach, park or hanging out in the garden.  RRP £59.99

Current Cheapest Price

3 out of 5

Pros

Easy to connect

Durable body

Large intuitive buttons

Bold design

Cons

Lacks bass

High frequencies harsh at higher volumes

Ends of speaker collect dust and debris