Challenge: Best portable wired (no-battery) speaker pair for road warrior

[klaberte]

I do a lot of business travel. For a couple of years, I've been using a pair of UE Mini's (with and without wires) to bring some decent sounding music to my hotel room. However, the total lack of bottom end leaves me wanting more. I'm shopping for a new solution.

These speakers are going to have to fit in my carry-on, so they cannot be too big or too heavy. And, it isn't like I'll be able to crank the bass in a hotel room anyway. So I want something more than the 1" woofers in the UE's, but larger than 3" probably isn't a great option. I mostly play jazz and classical in the room, just for reference.

While there are lots of "wireless" or "bluetooth speakers", I don't really want to waste space, weight, or cost on a big battery on the unit. These will plug in whenever I need them

Here are my limitations (mostly firm, with a little wiggle room):

1. Two wired but separate stereo speakers (no need to waste space, weight or dollars on batteries)
2. Built in amplifier (for ease of setup and tear down)
3. Both speakers (and built in amp) should weigh no more than 5 pounds
4. They should not be any larger than necessary. I know there is a trade-off between enclosure size and bass output, so any larger enclosure has to result in better bass.
5. Total cost should be less than US$300

I would consider removing the requirement for separate speakers, as a single unit would certainly help with setup and tear down. But I do enjoy the stereo separation of my current rig.

So far, the IK Multimedia iLoud Micro Monitor seems like a good choice. Other recommendations?

Many thanks!

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I am genuinely interested if you could actually buy something which doesn't sound horrible with such strict restrictions.
Going to suggest something crazy here: KEF T101 - Both above the budget (by much) and no built-in amp.
Pros: Actually sound good down to about 100hz.

p.s: Never heard about IK Multimedia brand , but I am going to eat my shoes if these speakers could play 45hz at f3, hell even at f6. They need to break laws of physics to do so.

 

[lovinthehd]

My first thought was how small are a pair of JBL LSR305s? Looks like they might be a bit bulky/heavy for a carryon (and wonder what security rules there are that might interfere with carrying something like this onboard....but I don't like to fly commercially any more so not sure how that works).

I think your situation would be better served by headphones. I doubt there's much out there that would provide decent bass. When I want decent audio on road trips I use a Cambridge Soundworks Model 12 (but mine isn't the Mick Fleetwood signature model LOL); the case turns into a lightweight sub. Flying with it would probably be a pain, never tried that. Otherwise I would use headphones. Good luck in your search, tho.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

I'd look at audio engine.

 

[slipperybidness]

I do a lot of business travel. For a couple of years, I've been using a pair of UE Mini's (with and without wires) to bring some decent sounding music to my hotel room. However, the total lack of bottom end leaves me wanting more. I'm shopping for a new solution.

These speakers are going to have to fit in my carry-on, so they cannot be too big or too heavy. And, it isn't like I'll be able to crank the bass in a hotel room anyway. So I want something more than the 1" woofers in the UE's, but larger than 3" probably isn't a great option. I mostly play jazz and classical in the room, just for reference.

While there are lots of "wireless" or "bluetooth speakers", I don't really want to waste space, weight, or cost on a big battery on the unit. These will plug in whenever I need them

Here are my limitations (mostly firm, with a little wiggle room):

1. Two wired but separate stereo speakers (no need to waste space, weight or dollars on batteries)
2. Built in amplifier (for ease of setup and tear down)
3. Both speakers (and built in amp) should weigh no more than 5 pounds
4. They should not be any larger than necessary. I know there is a trade-off between enclosure size and bass output, so any larger enclosure has to result in better bass.
5. Total cost should be less than US$300

I would consider removing the requirement for separate speakers, as a single unit would certainly help with setup and tear down. But I do enjoy the stereo separation of my current rig.

So far, the IK Multimedia iLoud Micro Monitor seems like a good choice. Other recommendations?

Many thanks!

Good luck, it's gonna be tough to find that! I agree with the headphones as the BEST option.

However, I have these small speakers in my garage, they are pretty nice for the price and the size.
https://www.amazon.com/Mackie-CR-CR3-Reference-Multimedia/dp/B00KVEIY4E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489510130&sr=8-1&keywords=mackie+cr3

These are pretty well liked too, probably better for travel due to the grills, and they have BT capability.
https://www.amazon.com/Presonus-C3-5BT-Powered-Speakers-Bluetooth/dp/B00N55NS4W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1489510207&sr=8-2&keywords=presonus+bluetooth+speaker

 

[Aaron_Hunt]

Well, it would be pretty tough choice, but have you looked any speaker from KEF? I am having KEF Muo as my main speaker for traveling. I do lots of traveling and that is my solution for music. The sound is quite good, but the size is quite big. not sure if it is fit for you.