Price Points: Multi-purpose speakers

Multi-purpose speakers

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!

Energy Sistem frame speaker: £40.99, TradeINN
SYMFONISK speaker combination with shelf, black/gen 2: £138.00, IKEA
Tabblue bluetooth table speaker: £169.00, NOTHS

shop multi-purpose 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.

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

Energy Sistem frame speaker
£40.99

Price Points: Slim floor-standing speakers

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.

AUNA Line 4707 tower speakers: £89.99, Amazon
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.
Dimensions WxDxH (mm):180 x x 250 x 1040
Monitor Audio Radius 270 speakers: £769.00, Richer Sounds
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.
Dimensions WxDxH (mm): 177 x 208 x 1000
Beolab 18 speakers: Bang & Olufsen, from £5,250.00
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

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.

Beolab 18 speakers: Bang & Olufsen
from £5,250.00

Monitor Audio Radius 270 speakers
£769.00

AUNA Line 4707 tower speakers
£89.99

Beolab 18 speakers: Bang & Olufsen
from £5,250.00

Monitor Audio Radius 270 speakers
£769.00

AUNA Line 4707 tower speakers
£89.99

Beolab 18 speakers: Bang & Olufsen
from £5,250.00

Monitor Audio Radius 270 speakers
£769.00

AUNA Line 4707 tower speakers
£89.99

Beolab 18 speakers: Bang & Olufsen
from £5,250.00

Monitor Audio Radius 270 speakers
£769.00

AUNA Line 4707 tower speakers
£89.99

Beolab 18 speakers: Bang & Olufsen
from £5,250.00

Monitor Audio Radius 270 speakers
£769.00

AUNA Line 4707 tower speakers
£89.99

Price Points: Portable smart speakers

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.

Sonos Roam: £159.00, Sonos
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.
Bose portable smart speaker: £329.95, Bose
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).
Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 1 portable smart speaker with the Google Assistant, bronze: £1,399.00
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