Audyssey makes killer speakers—the best AirPlay speaker of them all, in fact. But we don't usually equate Bluetooth with killer audio, and in fact, usually it's the opposite. Not this time.
What Is It?
A compact pair of Bluetooth-enabled stereo speakers.
Who's it For?
Household DJs—anyone who wants to beam music to quality speakers while lying down on the couch and/or throwing a party.
Design
Audyssey nails the cosmetics again. The speakers are handsome in pearly white without being an attention-grabber (a good thing!).
Using It
Setup is minimal, and sound is really stellar—while alternating between Bon Iver's "Michicant" and Kanye's "Mercy," sometimes it was hard to tell the difference between Bluetooth and aux in from an iPhone. The improvements over the speakers' predecessor are obvious—bass is wonderfully smooth, though overall sound can be muted over Bluetooth. But you have to be listening for flaws to notice them—clarity is terrific.
The Best Part
Extremely fast playback. Unlike AirPlay, which can lag over your wireless network, pairing with these speakers and switching tracks was near-instant.
Tragic Flaw
Lack of input. No AirPlay, no optical—just Bluetooth and aux, which precludes these from being a solid budget home theater setup.
This Is Weird...
A few times while testing, sound dropped out entirely, and the occasional interference buzz nicked playback. Your mileage will vary based on what kind of radio waves are bouncing around your pad.
Should You Buy It?
This is tough. The speakers look great and sound fantastic, but $300 is a lot for Bluetooth stereo. They'd make terrific computer speakers, but then they'd likely be placed in a non-social part of your home, which defeats the point of easy social music streaming with pals. But if a 2.0 setup that pretty much every device that everyone owns will be able to send music to—and sound terrific—is worth $300 to you, then yes. But that's quite a bit—I'd recommend waiting for a sale or price drop.
Audyssey Wireless Speakers
Input: Bluetooth (A2DP), 3.5 mm aux
Drivers: Two .75 in tweeters, Two 3 in woofers, Two 4 in passive bass radiators
Battery: None. These aren't portable.
Price: $300
• Giz Rank: 3.0 stars