Smart features

Built in Wi Fi, AI Room Calibration, WOW Orchestra and webOS integration combine with AirPlay 2, Chromecast, voice assistants and ongoing firmware additions to streaming services to deliver rich but approachable smart features.

Karaoke-focused smart features such as AI-powered vocal erasing with adjustable strength, dual included microphones, voice tone shaping and light controls help justify the Rave 3S as an all-in-one party machine rather than just a loud Bluetooth speaker.

The Move 2 combines Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, Trueplay tuning, multi-room grouping and a dedicated charging stand, and this review underscores how Trueplay and the Loudness booster can significantly enhance perceived richness once users get through the app’s learning curve.

The LS50 Wireless II are widely seen as a complete smart streaming solution, combining built-in support for platforms like AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Bluetooth and Roon with app control and rich input options so they function as a full hi-fi system in a compact form. Recent reviews highlight the improved KEF Connect app and direct access to services such as Spotify, Tidal and Qobuz, while also noting the absence of onboard voice assistants or smart-home control.

Smart-style features such as Auracast multi-speaker linking, AI Sound Boost, USB audio playback and Playtime Boost give the Charge 6 more versatility and longevity than basic Bluetooth-only speakers, though some listeners find the AI processing options can make audio sound a bit thinner compared with standard modes.

Beyond its rugged waterproof build, the Flex 2 offers smart conveniences like PositionIQ orientation sensing, stereo and party pairing, multipoint support, a configurable shortcut button for voice assistants or Spotify resume and a simple in-app EQ, and while it still lacks Wi-Fi or built-in voice control, some reviewers now see these software features as a key part of its appeal rather than just minor extras.

The Bounce packs many smart touches such as AI sound modes, room calibration, a programmable My Button, Party Link, Auracast listening, lighting control and sleep timers, and while some reviewers feel certain presets and optimizers remain somewhat half baked, others now highlight the AI lighting and calibration modes as genuinely fun and useful extras that help the speaker adapt to different rooms and moods.

Relies on simple Bluetooth and a basic app instead of a full smart platform, trading advanced streaming and voice control for reliability and ease of use.

Commenters stress that the SoundLink Max is deliberately just a Bluetooth speaker, lacking Wi Fi, voice assistants and other advanced smart features, which some see as a refreshing focus on sound and toughness and others as a missed opportunity at the price.

Compared with app enabled rivals, the Wonderboom 4 offers very few smart features, lacking UE Boom app support, voice assistants, Wi Fi streaming or one touch Spotify controls, instead positioning itself as a straightforward offline Bluetooth speaker whose simplicity many buyers appreciate despite the lack of advanced tricks.