However, it blends these seamlessly with its more modern wireless and Bluetooth streaming features and is delightfully designed, borrowing heavily from the radiograms that were popular with affluent families in post-War Britain. Top-performing drivers deliver a powerful listening experience greater than other all-in-one speakers. The best wireless speakers range considerably in size, from compact, desktop speakers to large systems that will take up a significant proportion of your living room. As alluring as a beefy setup may be, sometimes less is more. Smart features and voice assistants You’ll make your own mind up about the merits (or otherwise) of the Bluesound Pulse M where aesthetics are concerned, as well as its physical suitability for the purpose you have in mind for your nice new wireless speaker. But you can be assured right here and now that this is a high-achieving, high-performance speaker that sounds its money’s worth in virtually every respect. Unsurprisingly, pretty much every soundbar is marketed as if it's equally well-equipped for music and movies. Of course, that's rarely, if ever, the case, and our expectations were that the Bluesound Pulse Soundbar+ might, thanks to its large, forward-firing drivers, lose some ground to the best in class on movie sound but beat them with music.

DSP smart amplifier and Omni-Hybrid™ driver arrangement are meticulously engineered to deliver clear, lush audio at nearly every listening angleDigital amplifier and custom-tuned drivers energize your music with deep, detailed bass and no distortion.

With an effects loop, you can choose to connect your effect pedals and processors for a more professional and full band setup. The effect dial allows you to select which channel you want these effects to be present on. Bluesound’s light touch when it comes to re-engineering these speakers has paid dividends. They retain the character from previous incarnations, so we get treated to that same confident, full-bodied presentation, only more detailed and spacious.The Pulse 2i’s more muscular character makes for a startling first impression. This isn’t a small unit by any stretch, but it belies its physical heft to deliver a weight and scale of sound that easily fills our listening room. It pulls no punches when it comes to its dramatic and impressively detailed low end. Combining portability and multi-purpose functionality, this complete PA system for singers can be used for both practice sessions and live performances. Its easy and instant setup makes it perfect for permanent use in your studio or for concerts in small venues, such as pubs.

That said, the Soundbar+ has depth and openness with vocals that is a real rarity for a soundbar. Whether it’s Perry Farrell's demented wailing on Ted..., or when swapping to the more sparse Tom’s Diner by Suzanne Vega, the Pulse Soundbar+ projects voices nicely and without any harshness. There's nice overall tonal balance, too, with well-judged, never-brash treble and naturally deep bass blending seamlessly with that textured midrange.But it’s not just in the size department that the Move improves on the One, it’s got a few neat additional features, too. In particular, you don’t have to set up Trueplay – Sonos’ room EQ function – manually by waving your phone around as you do with its smaller sibling; it tunes itself whenever it senses you’ve moved it. Alexa works very well and there’s support for Qualcomm’s high-resolution aptX adaptive Bluetooth codec but the Zeppelin’s big draws are how it looks and how it sounds. Its size will prove prohibitive for some but those with the space for it will likely love the airship-inspired design. Bluesound has also added some bonus features to its streamer, including that dual-band wi-fi and two-way Bluetooth, as well as a faster processor for an all-round more intuitive user experience. The new, smaller wi-fi chipset has granted Bluesound the freedom to play with the circuit layout –though the company has admitted to being surprised by how much this has affected the Node 2i’s audio performance. Group two PULSE FLEX 2i’s with the PULSE SOUNDBAR + or POWERNODE and create a wireless surround sound system with dedicated rear channels.

Unlike its predecessor, the 2nd Gen comes with a handy remote, although you can also control the speaker via the Naim Audio app on your smartphone. With connection flexibility, sensational sound and a compact, cuboid design, the Mu-so Qb 2nd Generation cements its position as one of the best wireless speakers around. Other features include support for music streaming services Spotify Connect, Tidal and Roon, in addition to Google Cast and Apple AirPlay 2. With just a cursory glance at the Node 2i’s spec sheet, nothing much appears to have changed between the models to dictate so dramatic an upturn in this generation’s sonic performance. However, Bluesound has worked on improving its wireless streamer, and not just in the places you may expect.The key is to look for one that fits with the devices you already own. Although some support multiple digital assistants, the vast majority support one or another so be careful which you buy if this is a priority. Internet radio, podcast player, TV soundbar and smart technology control hub are just some of the roles the best wireless speakers can play. All-in-one wireless speaker systems capable of all of that aren’t as cheap as a regular Bluetooth speaker but there are plenty of reasonably-priced, feature-rich options for those on a budget.