Do you want to provide your living room with good music? Then a (Bluetooth) speaker is a good option. We have tested many of these for you again this year. These are the 5 best speakers of 2015.
Denon HEOS 1
Tested on Thursday, August 13, 2015
In my previous review of the Denon HEOS 5, I already noted that Denon took a good look at the Sonos range. In any case, it seems obvious to me that the HEOS 1 is Denon's answer to Sonos' PLAY:1. Not only the naming is almost the same, the upright design also corresponds. That's not for nothing: just like the PLAY:1, the HEOS 1 is a mono speaker that consists of a woofer and tweeter, each controlled by its own amplifier. Also read: Denon HEOS 5 - Strong competitor for Sonos
The Denon HEOS 1 has a plastic housing with a metal grille on the front. The volume control is placed on the top, while on the back you will find the connections consisting of a network connection, USB port and line input. The speaker measures 18.9 x 12.9 x 12.8 centimeters and weighs 1.9 kilograms.
The HEOS 1 is Denon's answer to Sonos' PLAY:1 and a very interesting addition to Denon's range. The speaker sounds great and is a good option for getting into streaming audio. If you compare it with its - in my view - direct competitor Sonos PLAY:1, then it is just as good in terms of sound quality. It is, however, slightly more expensive, although it is not that much more since Sonos has increased its price to 229 euros. Denon offers some more options: an audio input, a USB port and the option of a battery. For Spotify users, the support for Spotify Direct is the biggest added value. You can control the music from the Spotify app, something that is not possible with Sonos.
Read the full review of the Denon HEOS 1 here.
Libratone Loop
Tested on Wednesday, February 4, 2015
The large round Libratone Loop can be placed in the house in two ways, namely standing or hanging on the wall. Both situations are possible, as both a stand and a wall mount are included. This makes the Libratone Loop very flexible in the first instance. The simple, yet stylish design also fits many interiors.
Under that special cover, the speaker is equipped with two ribbon speakers, a 4-inch subwoofer and a passive radiator, an extra speaker that is not controlled by an amplifier. That's a lot of speakers in such a small device! The Libratone must be able to handle that. With many wireless speakers, noise or sound distortion occurs if you turn the volume up a bit. That doesn't seem to be a problem for the Libratone Loop. The sounds come out very clear from the speaker and any 'sharp edges' in music disappear through the woolen cover. The bass could have been a little lower, but that's more of a personal preference.
Although setting up the speaker is not entirely problem-free and the wool case will not appeal to everyone, the Libratone Loop is a great speaker. Music sounds very clear and through an extensive app you can even make some adjustments. You will have to dig deep into your wallet, but in the end you will have a lot of fun with the Libratone Loop.
The full review of the Libratone Loop can be found here.
