When you only have a small home, be it a houseboat, tiny house our – in our case – a little country cottage you have to think more carefully about the homewares you use to furnish your living space.
Flexible furniture such as sofa beds and storage footstools are perfect for compact spaces. Similarly, multi-purpose speakers offer the same benefit of providing more than one function. You can listen to the radio or stream music or podcasts – but they also act as artwork on the wall, a bedside or side table… even a light source!
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Prices & links correct at time of publication.
Tabblue bluetooth table speaker £169.00
SYMFONISK speaker combination with shelf, black/gen 2 £138.00
Energy Sistem frame speaker £40.99
Tabblue bluetooth table speaker £169.00
SYMFONISK speaker combination with shelf, black/gen 2 £138.00
Energy Sistem frame speaker £40.99
Tabblue bluetooth table speaker £169.00
SYMFONISK speaker combination with shelf, black/gen 2 £138.00
Energy Sistem frame speaker £40.99
Tabblue bluetooth table speaker £169.00
SYMFONISK speaker combination with shelf, black/gen 2 £138.00
Energy Sistem frame speaker £40.99
Tabblue bluetooth table speaker £169.00
SYMFONISK speaker combination with shelf, black/gen 2 £138.00
Last week, we mentioned that we’d been on the lookout for a portable smart speaker… we also want a pair of slim, floor-standing speakers for our hi-fi system.
Our system currently lives upstairs in our bedroom – not the largest of spaces! A pair of tall, narrow and attractive speakers… that produce a good sound but don’t take up a large floor area, are what we’re in the market for next.
Neither of us is particularly knowledgeable about the nitty-gritty, technical specifications of audio hardware – but we know a good look & sound when we see/hear it!
There’s such a huge range in price when it comes to slim, floor-standing speakers – it can be very confusing. We don’t completely trust a pair of speakers that can be bought for under £100, however, many verified buyers on Amazon gave these a good review; we’ve shared one of them below.
If money wasn’t a deciding factor, the Bang & Olufsen example would win hands down! They’re utter works of art – and would be given a prominent position in our bedroom.
They look good, and I can say the sound is extremely clear. I listen mainly to classical music and the resulting sound is very satisfactory… Great value.
One of the most discreet floor standing speakers available, the Monitor Audio Radius 270 gives a big sound from a slim cabinet. Beautiful, discreet and powerful-sounding, there are few that match the Radius 270 as all-rounders.
An iconic pillar of luxury sound crafted from carefully selected materials… Beolab 18 is a stunning work of design engineering with audio performance at its heart. The acoustic lens evenly distributes the upper frequencies in a 180-degree horizontal arc, delivering superior sound experiences across your room, not just in front of your speaker.
Dimensions WxDxH (mm): 200 x 200 x 1324
shop slim floor-standing speakers
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Prices & links correct at time of publication.
We’ve been building a smart speaker collection for a few years. We have a soundbar that’s connected to the television, a pair of small speakers in the living room and a single medium-sized one in the dining room. For the next addition, we wanted one that we could take out into the garden with us on a sunny day.
When it came to choice of portable smart speakers, only one would do for us… the Sonos Roam. All our other smart speakers are by Sonos, they’re all connected to each other, to the television and to our Amazon Echo Dot.
Of these three well known audio brands featured, the Sonos portable smart speaker just happens to be the most affordable. Another great plus point about it is that it’s waterproof; we use it in the bathroom to enhance a long soak.
Enjoy the unmatched Sonos experience on Wifi, and stream directly from your smartphone, tablet or computer using Bluetooth. Roam automatically connects to your home network and pairs with your phone when you’re away. So all you have to think about is what to play.
Voice control with Amazon Alexa or the Google Assistant. Roam offers up to 10 hours of continuous playback on a single charge. When not in use, Roam switches to sleep mode to conserve power, and the battery can last up to 10 days… drop-resistant, waterproof up to three feet for 30 minutes, impervious to dust.
Up to 12 hours on average listening volume and up to 24 hours in standby mode Charging time: Approximately 4 hours when using the original cable Using third-party USB-C cable or power source may increase charging time… Bluetooth range: Up to 9m (30ft).
Crafted from solid aluminium, the BeoSound 1 combines the signature sound of Bang & Olufsen with the easy voice control of the Google Assistant. It features an intuitive One Touch interface, simple streaming with Chromecast and Airplay 2 built in, and is multiroom ready with other compatible B&O speakers. It’s easily portable, with a long battery life.
shop portable smart speakers
Some of the links on our blog are affiliate links. We may receive a small commission - at no cost to you - if you click through and make a purchase.
Prices & links correct at time of publication.
Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 1 portable smart speaker with the Google Assistant, bronze £1,399.00
Bose portable smart speaker £329.95
Sonos Roam £159.00
Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 1 portable smart speaker with the Google Assistant, bronze £1,399.00
Bose portable smart speaker £329.95
Sonos Roam £159.00
Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 1 portable smart speaker with the Google Assistant, bronze £1,399.00
Bose portable smart speaker £329.95
Sonos Roam £159.00
Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 1 portable smart speaker with the Google Assistant, bronze £1,399.00
Bose portable smart speaker £329.95
Sonos Roam £159.00
Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 1 portable smart speaker with the Google Assistant, bronze £1,399.00
Your home entertainment set-up keeps you from getting bored, especially on cold, wet or dark days. It helps you keep up with the latest TV, watch movies and listen to your favourite music too. Whether you have a very modest set-up or you’re obsessed with AV tech, you can always do a few things to improve your home entertainment and make it better for you and your family. With just a couple of easy changes or upgrades, you can make your home entertainment set-up more secure, more convenient and more fun. Try these changes for some excellent improvements to your tech.
Make it smart
If you don’t already have a smart TV, you should think about getting one. A smart TV allows you to connect to the internet and benefit from all kinds of things, from streaming to games and online services. A smart TV definitely doesn’t have to be expensive, with a range of price points available. Of course, paying more could get you a better quality picture, better sound, and even a more reliable connection. Cheaper smart TVs might not last as long or have as many features. But you can still get a lot out of them, even if you don’t buy the most expensive TV on the market.
Keep it secure
If you’re making your home entertainment smarter, you should also think about keeping it secure. Anything that requires an internet connection could be vulnerable to being exploited in some way. Whether you’re using an Amazon Fire TV stick or streaming from your favourite streaming site, a VPN can be helpful to protect your private data. At Troypoint.com, you can find out about the benefits of using a VPN when you’re watching TV and movies. It could be useful when you’re streaming music too, as well as for other online activities.
Rearrange the layout
Changing the positioning of your home entertainment set-up can make it better too. This can include moving around not just your tech but also seating and other things. If you put your television at the right height, it will be more comfortable for you to watch it. By putting your speakers in the right position, you can get the best sound when you’re watching TV. You can experiment with where you put everything, but it’s also a good idea to find some guidelines online that suggest the best layouts for your set-up.
Perfect the sound
While the picture is important on your TV, you can’t neglect the sound. Everyone wants to have a crisp sound when they’re enjoying a movie or a show. Plus, if you have excellent audio, it can be good for listening to music too. You might want to upgrade to some quality speakers or even consider installing surround sound to get great quality audio at home. Make sure that you put your speakers in the right place too.
With an improved home entertainment set-up, you can prevent yourself and your family from getting bored at home and enjoy all the movies, TV and music you want.
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