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Spring is here and summer is just around the corner. One of the best ways to spend a day at the beach, or at a picnic with friends and family, is with your own music to brighten up the vibe. Bring the party with you, thanks to this wireless boom box from Skullcandy, which is marked down nearly 55% off the list price.
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The Skullcandy Barrel Bluetooth Boombox Speaker is on sale for $79 — $90 off — at Walmart. It has a 4.7 out of 5-star rating from nearly 100 of the retailer’s shoppers.
The big barrel-style Bluetooth speaker features crystal-clear premium audio with deep and booming bass that’s full and rich. Simply connect your smartphone, tablet or laptop to the device to listen to your favorite music with customizable sounds and settings via the Skullcandy app.
It’s compatible with Apple and Android mobile devices, while you can listen to tracks and playlists from Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Soundcloud, Pandora, Tidal, YouTube Music, iHeartRadio, SiriusXM and much more.
Additionally, the Skullcandy Barrel Bluetooth Boombox Speaker has a built-in handle for easier travel and portability. It’s IPX5-rated for water resistance too, so feel free to take it to the beach or the pool.
Skullcandy
Skullcandy Barrel Bluetooth Boombox Speaker
$79
$169
53% off
And since the Skullcandy Barrel Bluetooth Boombox Speaker is from Walmart, you’ll get it shipped to you for free if you’re a Walmart+ member. Otherwise, your cart has to be more than $35 to get free shipping.
If you’re not a member, then you’re in luck: You can sign up for a 30-day free trial to take advantage of everything the retailer’s rewards program has to offer with perks such as free, fast delivery; fuel discounts; deals at Burger King, streaming access to Paramount+ to watch hit originals; additional savings with early access deals and much more.
Meanwhile, Walmart+ comes with access to SiriusXM for all sorts of talk radio and music — including popular channels such as SiriusXM Hits 1 for pop hits from Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, SZA, Harry Styles, Dua Lipa, Post Malone, Olivia Rodrigo, The Weeknd, Sabrina Carpenter, Benson Boone and others. Learn more about what Walmart+ can offer you here.
Discounted down to $79 (regularly $169), the Skullcandy Barrel Bluetooth Boombox Speaker is available as a “rollback” item at Walmart.
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
If you’re looking to upgrade your home audio for cheap, you don’t have to break the bank for premium sound. Start with this soundbar and subwoofer from Sony — especially since the system is on sale for nearly 60% off the list price.
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Available at Walmart, the Sony HT-G700 Soundbar is on sale for $249 — or $350 off its list price. In addition, the home soundbar system has a 4.2 out of 5-star rating from almost 125 of the retailer’s shoppers.
And since the Sony HT-G700 Soundbar is from Walmart, you’ll get it shipped to you for free if you’re a Walmart+ member. Otherwise, your cart has to be more than $35 to get free shipping.
If you’re not a member, then you’re in luck: You can sign up for a 30-day free trial to take advantage of everything the retailer’s rewards program has to offer with perks such as free, fast delivery; fuel discounts; streaming access to Paramount+ to watch hit originals; additional savings with early access deals and much more.
In addition, Walmart+ comes with access to SiriusXM for all sorts of talk radio and music — including popular channels such as “The Coffee House” for stripped-down songs from Noah Kahan, Kacey Musgraves, The Lumineers, Phoebe Bridgers and others. Learn more about what Walmart+ can offer you here.
Sony
Lowest Price Ever
Sony HT-G700 Dolby Atmos Soundbar
$249
$599
58% off
Sony’s soundbar system comes with the soundbar itself and a wireless subwoofer for additional bass and rumble. It’s a 3.1-channel audio set up (three main speakers and one subwoofer) with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio support and Sony‘s Immersive AE Audio Enhancer for upscale sound to a wider and virtual 7.1.2-channel audio (seven main speakers, one subwoofer and two up-firing speakers).
As a result, sound from movies, TV shows, and music is beefier, cleaner, and sharper with multiple ports and connectivity options, such as HDMI ARC and Bluetooth for pairing smartphones, tablets, and laptops.
Marked down to $249 (regularly $599), the Sony HT-G700 Soundbar is available at Walmart.
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Nothing says summer like shopping for a new bluetooth speaker to take with you to the pool, and Beats just came […]
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
The vinyl revival symbolized by Record Store Day has been great for vinyl — but it hasn’t done much for audio. When LPs were the most popular way to listen to music, serious fans played them on record players hooked up to stereos. These days, to judge by the popularity of inexpensive, self-contained record players with built-in speakers, many people listen to vinyl that cost up to $50 on turntables that cost less than $100 — and sound like it.
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That’s a fine way to discover vinyl. But if you want to get the best sound out of your records, you’ll need a proper stereo system — separate components such as a turntable and a CD player (if you’re into that), plus an amplifier they connect to and speakers that it can drive. A quality system gets expensive — a truly great turntable costs $1,000 or more, as do speakers and amps. And that’s not even at the high end.
A proper stereo doesn’t need to be expensive, though. For $1,000, you can buy one that will blow away a self-contained turntable. It’s also possible to build one for $1,000. About $1,500 to $2,000 is where things get interesting though. For that amount of money, you can choose among some quality turntables, and add nice amplifiers and great speakers that suit the kind of music you like. Add a little more, to get to about $2,000, and you can upgrade to add a better turntable cartridge or pre-amp, or add even a CD player or digital-to-analog converter.
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Even the most basic components system will represent a serious improvement over self-contained turntables, which generally don’t perform well even as turntables — the cheaper needles can cause distortion and sometimes even wear on records, let alone as amplifiers and speakers. A proper turntable will better reproduce the sound in the grooves of records, and quality amplifiers and speakers will present it more accurately. Some of this is a matter of taste — different combinations of amps and speakers sound better with different music, and to different ears. But serious sound starts with a system that might look like this.
If you love vinyl, start with a solid turntable. There are two main kinds of models: direct drive, where a motor turns the platter directly, and belt drive, where — you guessed it — the motor moves a belt that in turn moves the platter. The first can start and stop faster — which is why DJs use them — and they are often more durable. But the latter sound better because the platter is isolated from the motor’s vibrations. (Much of home audio performance essentially comes down to reducing vibrations and electrical interference — admittedly rather nerdy obsessions, but they dramatically affect the music you hear.)
The Best Turntables
If you want a direct drive turntable, try the $500 Audio-Technica AT-LP5X. It sounds great, it looks great and it comes with a counterweight to prevent the needle from wearing out your record too fast. As far as direct drive models go, it handles vibrations pretty well, too. It should last as well.
Audio-Technica AT-LP5X Turntable
If you want the best sound, though, go for a belt drive turntable like the $600 Rega Planar 1. Rega Planar turntables are reliably great, even this entry-level baby of the bunch. (I had a Rega Planar 3 for years, and I moved up from there to a Rega Planar 8.) Rega’s turntables are studies in vibration reduction, and this one comes with a mounted MM cartridge, which saves time and hassle. (There are two main kinds of cartridges for turntables — Moving Magnet and Moving Coil. The latter offers better sound and more flexibility with setup, but it’s not worth thinking about until you start looking at turntables that cost more than $2,000 – and maybe not even then.) You also have the option of upgrading it with a better cartridge.
Rega Planar 1 Turntable
The Best Amplifiers
A proper turntable needs a phono pre-amp, to bring its signal up to “line level,” equal to the output of a CD player or any other component. At this level, you don’t need a separate one. When you do, start with the NAD PP 2e Phono Preamplifier.
NAD PP 2e Phono Preamplifier
Until then, I’d sooner trust a phono preamp that’s built into an integrated amplifier than one that’s in a turntable itself. Partly for that reason, the amp I’d recommend at this level is the $500 NAD C 316BEE, which includes one. It’s one of the best entry-level integrated amplifiers available. It has dedicated inputs for a turntable, a CD player, a tuner and video, plus an extra. (If you want to use a phono preamp, plug the turntable into that and that into another input — not the phono input.) Its clean design looks great, too.
NAD C 316BEE Integrated Amplifier with Phono
The Best Speakers
Speakers — amps, too — are a matter of personal taste. It’s easier to evaluate turntable motors or CD player digital-to-analog conversion systems, but various combinations of amplifiers and speakers differ in how they present sound in ways that are much harder to describe, let alone judge. If you can, test them. Listen for soundstage (a sense of dimensionality), presence, clarity of detail, and clear bass, treble and midrange. Think of what kind of music you listen to most: A system that booms with the heavy bass of EDM might not have the detail demanded by jazz, which is a fancy way of saying your mileage may vary.
I can recommend two sets of speakers, though. The $500 Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-600M II have big horns, and thus crisp sound. As reference speakers, they are optimized for accuracy, not sweetness. For the same price, the KEF Q350 speakers also offer impressive accuracy and bass for the size and price. (At this level, you don’t need tower speakers; it may make more sense to invest in stands to stabilize these. For $700, you can get KEF Q550 floor-standing speakers, which have more bass and presence, but at that point you might want to upgrade other parts of the system as well.)
klipsch Reference Premiere RP-600M II Ebony Bookshelf Speakers
KEF Q350 Bookshelf Speakers
KEF Q550 Floorstanding Speaker
The Best CD Player
That’s $1,600 spent so far. Depending on what your music collection looks like, you may want a CD player. I know what you’re thinking — dad! — but CDs often offer higher fidelity than streaming services and most downloads. Any CD player will sound OK — they just differ less than turntables — but for a relatively low amount of money, this $400 NAD C 538 CD Player, which includes the high-quality Wolfson digital-to-analog converter, will sound great and look nice with the NAD receiver. I’ve had this myself for more than a decade, and it’s dependable, and it sounds and looks great. That brings the total to an even $2,000.
NAD C 538 CD Player
The Best Accessories
At this level, most components come with wires that connect to an amplifier, so the only other thing you’ll need to buy is speaker wire. The basic kind is fine. (Specifically, Amazon Basics is fine.) At some point, you may want to buy better wire — or even try to understand the dizzying debate on how much it matters — but give that some time. This is a good way to start. But be warned: You may enjoy better sound so much that you want to upgrade.
Amazon Basics 14 gauge Audio Speaker Wire Cable
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
When looking for new home audio products, it can be difficult to find the best earbuds and Bluetooth speakers that deliver amazing audio quality while still looking sleek and stylish. However, we did the work for you and found some of the best audio gear — and they’re on sale.
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With prices starting at $55.99 (reg. $69.99) on Amazon, Soundcore by Anker has a selection of wireless earbuds and Bluetooth speakers that gives your favorite music richer and fuller sound with deeper bass for personal or home audio.
If you’re not familiar with the brand, Soundcore is the audio division of Anker Innovations, the maker of wallet-friendly tech, including power banks, chargers, hubs, smart home devices, USB-C cables and other smartphone and laptop accessories.
Soundcore offers headphones, earbuds, speakers systems and other audio gear. The audio manufacturer even has premium karaoke machines too. Learn more about Soundcore by Anker here.
Scroll down and shop our recommendations for the best Soundcore earbuds and speakers on Amazon.
Soundcore by Anker
Save 20%
Soundcore AeroFit 2
$79.99
$99.99
20% off
Comes in four colors: green, black, blue and white
Soundcore by Anker
Save 28%
Soundcore Boom 2 Plus
$179.99
$249.99
28% off
Comes in three colors: blue, black and green
Soundcore by Anker
Save 20%
Soundcore C30i
$55.99
$69.99
20% off
Comes in two color: white and clarity black
If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can order now and any of these Soundcore audio items will be delivered to your home in less than two days once it’s released, thanks to Prime Delivery.
Not a member? Sign up for a 30-day free trial to take advantage of all that Amazon Prime has to offer, including access to Prime Video, Prime Gaming and Amazon Photos; fast free shipping in less than two days with Prime Delivery; in-store discounts at Whole Foods Market; access to exclusive shopping events — such as Prime Day and Black Friday — and much more. Learn more about Amazon Prime and its benefits here.
Select Soundcore by Anker wireless earbuds and Bluetooth speakers are on sale starting at $55.99 (reg. $69.99) on Amazon. Want more? Shop additional Soundcore products, below:
For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Last year, LISA of BLACKPINK channeled her inner rockstar as part of the “Hear It All. All the Time” campaign, and now, the “Rockstar” singer and Bose brand ambassador is front and center of the brand’s latest limited-edition release of the SoundLink Flex bluetooth speaker. Right in time for spring, Bose is blooming into a new floral hue by dropping a vibrant petal pink colorway.
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The updated SoundLink Flex speaker has a surprisingly big, bold sound in a super-packable size. Weighing at only 1.2 pounds, this device is easily portable and durable with an IP67 water and dust resistant rating. The limited-edition petal pink colorway will feature all the bells and whistles of the main line second generation bluetooth speaker including SimpleSync pairing, PositionIQ technology, 12-hour battery life, and 4-hour battery charge time.
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For LISA, it has been quite the year. The BLACKPINK star released her latest solo album, Alter Ego, made her acting debut as Mook on HBO’s original hit White Lotus, launched a comic book, and more recently, performed at the 97th Academy Awards, which made her the first K-pop artist to grace the Oscars stage. After a jam-packed 2025 so far, what can we expect from the Thai star next? Collab with Charli XCX? Perhaps a tour?
Until then, fans can now blast her latest album from anywhere thanks to Bose. Shop the petal pink SoundLink Flex speaker below.
Limited edition
Bose SoundLink Flex Portable Speaker (2nd Gen) – Petal Pink
If pink isn’t your color, the SoundLink Flex speaker comes in an array of color options to choose from. Shop the Bose speaker in alpine sage, sandstone, blue dusk, and a simple chic black below.
Bose SoundLink Flex Portable Speaker (2nd Gen) – Alpine Sage
Bose SoundLink Flex Portable Speaker (2nd Gen) – Sandstone
Bose SoundLink Flex Portable Speaker (2nd Gen) – Blue Dusk
$149
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Bose SoundLink Flex Portable Speaker (2nd Gen) – Black
$149
Buy Now on bose
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Let’s face it: The best speakers and home audio gadgets aren’t always the best to look at. At times, it feels like the better the sound, the more traditional the speaker will look. People will usually sacrifice the style of a speaker to have access to premium audio throughout the home, but as we enter 2025, let’s leave that ultimatum in the past.
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ShopBillboard explored the world of home tech to develop a guide to the best audio gadgets that not only sound great, but look awesome.
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Whether you want a speaker hidden in plain sight, a record player that breaks from the design norm, or a pair of bluetooth headphones that will elevate your outfit, there are plenty of must-have stylish audio options for you to choose from. With the new year finally here, there’s no better time to give your home a new speaker makeover.
Shop our favorite stylish home audio devices to level up your place below.
Hidden Speakers
Sometimes the best speaker for your home is the one that you can’t see. With technology continuously evolving year after year, audiophiles and tech wizards are crafting exciting new ways to combine audio and furniture seamlessly. From Samsung combining picture frames with premium speakers, to Sonos partnering with IKEA to turn a table lamp into a mini concert, if you’re looking to blend your speakers with your decor, these options are for you.
Samsung Music Frame
$247.99
$397.99
38% off
$347.99
$397.99
13% off
Equipped with Dolby Atmos, bring your favorite picture to life with the Samsung music frame, which is exactly what its name suggests: a speaker disguised as a picture frame. Mount it on a wall or leave it on a stand, the music frame has impressive spatial audio to fill up an entire room. You can also sync up to six devices together for an even better listening experience.
Uma Sound Lantern
This portable lamp will sit perfectly on your coffee table or outside on the patio. It gives off a very soft, warm glow while providing solid sound from its upward- and downward-firing speaker design. For its compact size, the Uma delivers full, natural sound and relaxing spa-like lighting.
Sonos x Ikea SYMFONISK Speaker
This 2-in-1 speaker lamp merges the excellent sound quality of Sonos into an elegant bamboo design from Ikea. It also works as part of a Sonos multi-room speaker system and can stream music via Apple AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect as well.
Most Stylish Portable Speakers
The best portable speaker should look great no matter the environment it’s in. Thanks to Sonos and Teenage Engineering, your room, backyard or picnic blanket will ooze with style while delivering top-notch sound. Here are our picks for the most stylish portable speakers.
Teenage Engineering OB-4 Speaker
$599.00
$549
Want a fun retro-style portable speaker to liven up your living room? Teenage Engineering has you covered. The OB-4 speaker not only has an eye-catching minimalist look, it delivers crystal clear, punchy sound through two 4” bass drivers and a pair of neodymium tweeters. It’s also equipped with FM radio and a long-lasting, rechargeable battery with up to 72-hour battery life.
Sonos Move 2 Speaker
Its simple minimalistic design makes the Sonos Move 2 an easy fit in most rooms. In some ways, the speaker looks too nice to be used as an outdoor speaker, but with an IP56 rating, its durable exterior allows it to withstand falls, bumps, rain and moisture, dust and dirt, UV light, and extreme temperatures. Offered in either white, black, or a pleasant olive color, the Move 2 is a great fit for any scenario.
Most Stylish Record Players
There’s something refreshing about placing a stylus on a record over using streaming apps on your phone. For those entering your vinyl era, these record players give a fun, modern upgrade to the classic turntable design.
U-Turn Audio Orbit Plus Turntable
Let the U-Turn audio turntable be the centerpiece of your room. Thanks to a variety of bold color options, as well as, oak and walnut finishes, it’s super easy to mix and match this record player with the rest of your home aesthetic.
Pro-Ject T2 BT Turntable
For interior designer lovers, the Pro-Ject T2 turntable has a sleek and beautiful build to compliment your living space, especially the satin walnut option.
Most Stylish Headphones
Do you have thin walls and annoying neighbors? These headphones not only look great, but have impressive sound so you can peacefully blast your Spotify Wrapped playlist at unbearable levels without getting a knock on the door.
Apple AirPods Max
$523.94
$549.99
5% off
$477
Apple’s entry into the world of premium headphones is a pricey one, but the Airpods Max deliver rich, detailed sound with incredible active noise-cancelling. For the fashionistas, these over-ear headphones have also become a staple style accessory with its catchy modern design and variety of color options. If you want to listen to music and look great doing it, there’s no better option than the Airpods Max.
Koss Porta Pro
$39.99
$49.99
20% off
Thanks to its nostalgic 80s design, incredibly affordable price point, and an Emma Chamberlain co-sign, these retro-style headphones are as trendy as they were decades ago. The Koss Pro Pro headphones may be older than you, but they still offer high-fidelity audio with deep bass.
Most Stylish Bookshelf Speakers
Compliment your shelf with these must-have speakers. Merge them in between books or set it next to your favorite art piece — these speakers look great on any wall unit, library, or desk.
Marshall Acton III Speaker
$279.99
$229.99
$279.99
18% off
Name one Pinterest mood board that doesn’t have a Marshall speaker included in it. Its signature trendy, vintage-inspired design is every influencer’s favorite. The Acton III delivers impressive audio performance too, but its appeal really lies in its retro, guitar amp design.
Morel Högtalare Speaker
Sometimes simple is better. The Morel Högtalare speaker is very minimalist in its boxy design, which makes it easier to decorate in your living space. Prop up on a bookshelf and let its powerful six-inch subwoofer do the rest.
LG kicked off CES 2025 with a slew of announcements, including new AI capabilities, smart fridges, and a new audio line developed in partnership with will.i.am. Labeled as “xboom by will.i.am,” the collection includes a mix of bluetooth speakers and wireless earbuds, personally fine-tuned by the producer and artist himself. Explore Explore See latest videos, […]
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Listening to your new playlist of the month doesn’t just have to be through your Bluetooth earbuds. A pair of over-ear […]
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Watching NFL games may be the main way to show support for your football team, but collecting merch will put your […]