Gadgetory

with the million dollar ad campaigns out there for speakers like the JBL pulse and the beats pill you've probably caught yourself thinking about buying a Bluetooth speaker but for me I don't care how cool it looks I'm not dropping 200 bucks on a portable speaker fortunately there are some great options out there that sound great for half the cost I'm Donald Bell and this top five I'll be counting down Cena executive editor David car noise picks for the best sounding portable Bluetooth speakers under a hundred bucks starting off with the most affordable option at number five the Philips sound shooter forty bucks gets you a big sound from a small size plus eight hours of playback time the grenade looking design means I probably wouldn't pack this in my carry-on also the lack of a built-in volume control is a little inconvenient but 40 bucks is a great deal or for just ten dollars more try number four the cambridge sound works oontz a more restrained color palette than the safety orange of the sound shooter plus you get playback controls volume controls and ten hours of battery life sure the name sounds like a Norwegian venereal disease but just think of it as a conversation starter at number three the G project G boom may look like Darth Vader's lunch box but this $99 speaker delivers big-time bass more than any other speaker on this list it's not the kind of speaker you're gonna fit in your pocket but you get integrated controls for playback and volume and a USB port that lets you charge other stuff like your LG g2 or maybe a moto G for a little less bass try number two the UE mini boom at around 90 bucks you get good sound for the size plus the ability to pair two of them up to create a stereo pair works as a speakerphone to which the G boom does not and it's small enough to throw in a bag I gotta say that putting mini in your name always makes me feel a little emasculated but it sure beats spending 200 bucks on an over height speaker that looks like something you wouldn't want to find in your mom's sock drawer alright and now the best-sounding portable bluetooth speaker for under $100 at number one the JBL flip you can think of it as the less flashy cousin of the JBL pulse now guess who a soda can sighs speaker with good sound integrated volume and playback controls speakerphone capability and a neoprene carrying case that could probably help you smuggle a beer into a music festival also since JBL just showed off the flip - at CES expect to see this one go on sale pretty soon alright so there you go five great sounding portable bluetooth speakers that are a fantastic value for more ideas check out our full list of rated Bluetooth speakers over on SEANET and for more top buys from me top-5 cnet.com Donald Bell thanks for watching