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Speakers

Speakers are foundational to the way we enjoy music from Spotify, Apple Music, and other services — and our own music collections. And increasingly, they’re also a convenient way of controlling smart home devices compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, or Siri. Companies like Sonos offer multiroom audio platforms capable of synchronizing music across speakers of all different sizes. Whether you’re looking for a smart speaker or a simple Bluetooth speaker to take everywhere, The Verge covers the best of what’s out there in 2025.

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Andrew Liszewski
Lexon turned Jeff Koons’ Balloon Dog sculptures into functional art.

The collaboration between Koons and Lexon Design sees the artist’s most iconic creation turned into a wireless speaker with touch controls delivering 360-degree sound and a lamp that uses tubes filled with color-changing LEDs to recreate the appearance of neon lighting.

Pricing isn’t known, but both will only be available in limited quantities later this month and hopefully be much cheaper than the 10-foot Balloon Dog sculpture Koons sold in 2013 for $58 million.

<em>You can <a href="https://manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/subscribe?a=TgyUTU&g=XnRJBg">sign up through the Lexon Design website</a> to be notified when the lamp and speaker are available.</em>
<em>There are 10 drivers in the Balloon Dog Speaker, and it can be controlled through a smartphone app.</em>
<em>The lamp’s color-changing LEDs can set a mood or just brighten up a space.</em>
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You can sign up through the Lexon Design website to be notified when the lamp and speaker are available.
Image: Lexon Design
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William Poor
Why on Earth would ants pick a speaker, of all things, to nest in?

I recently came home from a week-long vacation to discover that a colony of ants had taken up residence inside my Sonos Play:1. It was shocking and gross, but I also got weirdly fascinated by the whole situation.

My curiosity led me to some hilarious Sonos user forums, a pile of theories involving speaker grills and magnetic fields, and a conversation with an entomologist. You can listen to the whole creepy crawly story on this week’s Vergecast. Please enjoy, and/or I’m sorry.

A buggy Sonos mysteryA buggy Sonos mystery
Vergecast
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Andrew Liszewski
Bang & Olufsen boosted the bass on its swanky portable speaker.

The third-generation of the Beosound A1, B&O’s compact Bluetooth speaker, is now available with a honey tone, eucalyptus green, or natural aluminum housing for $349. The upgraded model features up to 24 hours of battery life, an IP67 rating so you can submerge it to depths of up to one meter, and an improved woofer delivering an extra 2dB of bass over its predecessor. B&O has also added support for the aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codec.

<em>The battery inside the Beosound A1 3rd Gen is replaceable so it doesn’t become e-waste when it stops holding a charge, but you’ll need to sent it in to B&O to have it replaced.</em>
<em>In addition to being waterproof, the Beosound A1 3rd Gen is sealed against dust and debris, so a day at the beach won’t destroy it.</em>
<em>The three color options for the Beosound A1 3rd Gen include eucalyptus green, honey tone, and natural aluminum.</em>
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The battery inside the Beosound A1 3rd Gen is replaceable so it doesn’t become e-waste when it stops holding a charge, but you’ll need to sent it in to B&O to have it replaced.
Image: Bang & Olufsen
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Chris Welch
The Beats Pill speaker now comes in blue and pink.

After bringing back its Pill portable Bluetooth speaker last year, Beats is today adding two new colors to the existing red, black, and gold selection. Navy blue will be exclusively sold by Walmart, while blush pink (pictured) is coming to Target. Both sell for the same $149.99 as before and are available starting today.

A marketing of the pink Beats Pill speaker on a beach.
You can get pink from Target or blue from Walmart.
Image: Beats
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Andrew Liszewski
Bang & Olufsen is putting its Beosound Balance smart speaker on a marble pedestal.

The smart speaker was already available with an optional marble base that boosted its price tag from $3,300 (for a solid oak base) to $3,900, but Bang & Olufsen has now partnered with Italian marble company Antolini for an even fancier version, as spotted by Engadget.

The Beosound Balance Natura speaker sits atop a tall pedestal made of materials like marble, quartz, or petrified wood. There’s no pricing details, which probably means it’s jaw-dropping expensive.

<em>Bang & Olufsen says it created a limited collection of 16 unique speakers to celebrate the partnership with Antolini, which are all made to order.</em>
<em>The Beosound Balance Natura will be available with a pedestal made from materials like marble, quartz, fossilized wood, and petrified wood.</em>
<em>Bang & Olufsen says the pedestal elevates the speaker to its optimal height for improved sound performance.</em>
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Bang & Olufsen says it created a limited collection of 16 unique speakers to celebrate the partnership with Antolini, which are all made to order.
Image: Bang & Olufsen
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Andrew Liszewski
Even the driver on JVC Kenwood’s wooden Bluetooth speaker is made of wood.

If you’re on the hunt for a Bluetooth speaker not made of bright plastic or filled with flashing lights, JVC Kenwood’s WDS-01 is made of oak, cedar, pine, spruce, or walnut wood including its 60-millimeter driver cone.

Battery life is claimed to be up to eight hours, but availability is going to be a challenge. Only 100 custom-made units were released in Japan today, ranging in price from around $257 to $550.

<em>The six-watt WDS-01 wireless speker is recharged using USB-C.</em>
<em>Despite the premium pricing, JVC Kenwood warns that since it’s made of solid wood warping or cracking may occur over time.</em>
<em>There is no water resistance. JVC Kenwood recommends keeping it dry and away from sunlight to preserve its appearance.</em>
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The six-watt WDS-01 wireless speker is recharged using USB-C.
Image: JVC Kenwood
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Andrew Liszewski
You can use this unfortunately-named ultra-thin Bluetooth speaker under your pillow.

Look, not every company has the budget to hire a marketing team to help name their product, particularly companies relying on crowdfunding. As much as we like the idea behind this Bluetooth speaker that’s just 11 millimeters thick so you can stick it under a pillow without feeling it, we’re not entirely comfortable referring to the SluTune Q1 by name.

You can back it on Kickstarter for $32, with delivery expected as early as May 2025.

<em>The SluTune Q1 measures just 11 millimeters thick and connects to devices using Bluetooth 5.4.</em>
<em>The speaker chargers over USB and its creators claim it offers up to 28 hours of battery life.</em>
<em>Falling asleep to music is probably more comfortable with the SluTune Q1 speaker underneath your pillow.</em>
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The SluTune Q1 measures just 11 millimeters thick and connects to devices using Bluetooth 5.4.
Image: Kickstarter
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Andrew Liszewski
Victrola’s Sonos-compatible turntables can now wirelessly stream to other speakers.

Through an upcoming automatic software update, Victrola is expanding the wireless compatibility of its Works With Sonos turntables to include Bluetooth, Roon, and UPnP, allowing them to connect to other speakers and audio gear.

This functionality was already introduced in 2024 with the premium Victrola Stream Sapphire, but is now being added to its Stream Carbon, Stream Pearl, and Stream Onyx turntables, as spotted by Engadget.

The Victrola Stream Onyx turntable on a white dresser next to a black Sonos speaker.
The software update will be installed automatically and users will find new options in the Victrola Stream mobile app allowing them to toggle on the additional connectivity options.
Image: Victrola
After a bruising year, Sonos readies its next big thing: a streaming box

Codenamed Pinewood, the black box will open up new possibilities for Sonos surround sound. It doubles as an HDMI switch and will offer a unified streaming experience. But it could end up being surprisingly expensive.