# Speakers for MP3 players? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 4, 2013, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speakers-for-mp3-players/660137 "2013-06-04T17:56:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![slightly\_askew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@slightly\_askew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slightly_askew)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speakers-for-mp3-players/660137/1 "2013-06-04T17:56:49Z")
I have an MP3 player, but I hate ear buds and I am not too crazy about headphones either. (They get in the way when I am trying to cook, weed the garden, strip paint, etc.) I would like to get some speakers to plug into it, but I am a bit overwhelmed by the options and would like small speakers that I can plug in and not have to recharge all the time. Ideally, I would be able to take the player and speakers around the house and outside so that I can listen to it wherever I happen to be. Any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speakers-for-mp3-players/660137/2 "2013-06-04T18:05:04Z")
The best I’ve heard (in a small portable design) is the Jawbone Jambox. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speakers-for-mp3-players/660137/3 "2013-06-04T18:17:33Z")
You might look into the Kaidaer KD-MN01. I’ve got several of them that I recently used to provide theme music and sound effects for an outdoor event, and they’re pretty cool. It’s a single unit speaker/amplifier with a line-in jack for a headphone connection, but it also has a basic internal mp3 player that will play from its micro SD card slot. It has a USB interface for recharging and filehandling on the micro SD, and the charge seems to hold up quite well. The construction is nice and solid, too. They’re going for around $13.00 on [Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/KD-MN01-Desktop-Multi-function-Player-Speaker/dp/B009Z7NXR6). ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speakers-for-mp3-players/660137/4 "2013-06-04T18:26:07Z")
Does your MP3 player have Bluetooth? I have a pair of [these](http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0023B1364/ref=mp_s_a_1_15?qid=1370369698&sr=8-15&pi=SL75), Spracht Aura BluNote, and they are the nicest sounding small speakers I have ever heard. If you don’t have Bluetooth, that’s fine. They also have a jack that you can plug any device into, but I like Bluetooth because I can have my iPhone at hand and not be restricted by the length of the cord. They come with an adapter so you can plug them into the house current, but also can run off AA batteries so you can take them from place to place. The battery life is excellent and I use rechargeable NiMH batteries in them. And they are very thin and light, weighing less than ten ounces. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speakers-for-mp3-players/660137/5 "2013-06-04T18:33:16Z")
Since this is a hardware question, moved Cafe Society --\> IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speakers-for-mp3-players/660137/6 "2013-06-04T19:44:07Z")
The bluetooth one is intriguing. Would it be able to play music audibly outside? A tailgate? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speakers-for-mp3-players/660137/7 "2013-06-04T20:16:13Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > The bluetooth one is intriguing. Would it be able to play music audibly outside? A tailgate? I haven’t used them outside, but they only put out 4 watts. I imagine they’d be loud enough, but only up to a short distance. Some of the reviewers say they use them in their car and that it’s loud enough for them. I play them in the bathroom when I shave and the sound does fill up the bathroom. They certainly would be loud enough in the kitchen, and perhaps in the garden. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speakers-for-mp3-players/660137/8 "2013-06-04T20:56:18Z")
I think I’m going to pull the trigger on this actually: [http://www.ionaudio.com/products/details/tailgaterbluetooth](http://www.ionaudio.com/products/details/tailgaterbluetooth) A lot pricier though at $170 plus S&H. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speakers-for-mp3-players/660137/9 "2013-06-04T21:56:22Z")
It certainly seems robust. And the built in AM/FM radio is a plus. If you want to save a little money, [Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004YHTO6Q/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1370382660&sr=8-1&pi=SL75) has it for $155.86 with free Super Saver shipping. ---
**Author:** ![Parenchyma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Parenchyma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Parenchyma)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speakers-for-mp3-players/660137/10 "2013-06-05T00:05:24Z")
I love [this](http://www.amazon.com/Altec-Lansing-iM227-Orbit-Speaker/dp/B004CYKEBK/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1370390371&sr=8-16&keywords=speakers+mp3) little $20 speaker. The batteries last a long time (as long as I remember to shut the speaker off when the MP3 player is off), with good sound quality and decent volume.