WiFi speakers make it easy for everyone who streams their music from the internet anyway. However, many models are not a sure-fire success. And that’s because of two things.
mixed. This is the picture that Stiftung Warentest draws after comparing twelve WiFi speakers between 45 and 600 euros. Most boxes in the test fail because of the good sound. Many others stumble when it comes to data protection (“test” issue 2/22).
Few speakers with good sound
All in all, the product testers only awarded the grade “good” three times for the individual sound rating. Eight boxes were downgraded due to deficiencies in data protection – either due to insufficient password security or clear deficiencies in the general data protection declaration or in the data protection declaration related to an integrated language assistant. In the end, only one loudspeaker achieved a good overall rating.
After all, the boxes are versatile, can be conveniently controlled via app, music can be played via Bluetooth or classic via jack cable in addition to WiFi.
The test winner was the Teufel Holist S (250 euros), which convinced the experts both in terms of sound and data protection and was the only model to score well overall (grade 2.4).
Second place is shared by the Ikea Symfonisk (frame) picture frame speaker, which costs 179 euros, and the Sony SRS-RA3000, which costs 243 euros (each with a rating of 2.7). The Bose Portable Smart Speaker (330 euros) and the Denon Home 150 (247 euros) received at least a “good” in the sound sub-note.
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Older models can be alternatives
The product testers advise prospective buyers to include the five good and still available WLAN boxes from the previous comparison (“test” issue 4/21) in their decision.
At that time, the Sonos Five costing 556 euros (grade 1.7) was the test winner, followed by the Bowers & Wilkins Formation Flex (grade 2.2) for 450 euros and the Musiccast 20 from Yamaha costing 213 euros (grade 2.4).
At that time, the Denon Home 250 costing 400 euros and the Harman Kardon Citation 500 costing 650 euros (each with a rating of 2.5) also achieved the product test grade “good”.