Best Speakers to use with an Echo dot

[Android Central Question]

Just read the above article. I need a speaker that I can leave connected to my Echo Dot to enhance its sound. The Echo dot can connect to external speakers using either Bluetooth or 3.5mm jack. Which speaker did you recommend? The Sonos One, which has neither.
Next are two battery powerd speakers, which need to be recharged every few hours, so at some stage, the Echo is going to fall silent until I recharge the batteries. Not useful. They may be waterproof, but why would I need that in my living room?
The only one that fits the bill is the Sonos Five, but at £500 it's far to expensive.
There are dozens of decent sounding, compact Bluetooth speakers on the market for around £30-£50, but they all need recharging when the batteries run out. Why can't I find a mains version that I can leave on all the time?

 

[Mooncatt]

Maybe consider a sound bar or something similar, or even a small stereo that you can plug the 3.5mm jack into. It may be overkill, depending on what you are trying to accomplish, but it would make for decent sound quality if using it to listen to music.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! Try an Anker Soundcore: https://smile.amazon.com/Anker-Soun...eywords=anker+soundcore&qid=1629910218&sr=8-5. I have one, and the sound is surprisingly excellent (and in stereo!) for such a small speaker. It has an Aux jack, and can also be plugged in to a wall outlet. Anker themselves said that the speaker stays on if connected via Aux: Soundcore - does it turn off due to inactivity on AUX - Questions & Answers - Anker Community

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[5tratocaster]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I already have an Anker Soundcore Boost. It is an excellent speaker, but can't be left plugged in and turned on. After the battery is fully charged, a cut out operates and stops the charging process. It then continues to operate on battery until it runs out, at which point you have to unplug it and plug it back in again to reset the auto cut out and recharge the battery.
I suspect most, if not all of the portable Bluetooth speakers operate the same way, but there is no information about that aspect in any of the descriptions. Hence, I'm looking for a mains powered speaker that is about the same size as the portable ones with a decent sound and at around the same price. Any recommendations welcome.

 

[Mooncatt]

Would something like this be feasible?

https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...er.980-000382.html%3Fcrid%3D47&token=b5XBfrbI

It's what I have for my computer, can be on at all times, connects with 3.5mm jack (no Bluetooth), and has pretty good sound quality for the price. There's also a cheaper version. If that is over kill, would it be possible to use a regular pair of computer speakers that are un-powered and draw everything from the 3.5mm jack?

 

[5tratocaster]

Thanks. It's all a bit bulky. What I would like ideally is something like the Anker Soundcore Boost that can be left plugged into an A/C supply without it cutting out and without causing damage to it. I believe some of the Sony range can do that. It's something I'm going to investigate more. I wish companies like Anker, Oontz, JBL, Ulitmate Ears, etc. would make it clear instead of just boasting about how long the battery lasts. No-one seems to cater for people who just want a decent speaker at home.

 

[B. Diddy]

I agree. I tested my Mackie FreePlay Home, which is a larger speaker but still with a rechargeable battery, hoping that they would've considered that maybe people would want to use it as a more stationary speaker plugged into a wall outlet, but unfortunately that also auto-shutoff after about 15 minutes of idle.:-\

 

[Mooncatt]

Ryobi has the SCORE speakers, but look to be out of stock. Those are dual power (battery and plug in) and connect via Bluetooth or 3.5mm jack. I've seen some from third party re-sellers at places like Amazon. If you want to look into those more, make sure you get at least the primary speaker. They also have a similar looking secondary speaker for expanding the setup, but those won't work without the primary.

https://www.ryobitools.com/products/details/33287174157