Non-WiiM portable speaker (for use with Mini)

[Steve Woodhouse]

In the absence of a portable WiiM 'bluetooth speaker', I was wondering what else could be co-opted into use in the garden, in conjunction with a Mini.

The idea - don't want a full hi-fi outside in the garden (for when we have a barbecue), but would like a speaker playing music. It'd be great to be able to access full WiiM functionality, which could be had from a Mini going into a separate (non-WiiM) speaker, the obvious caveat being that this set up would use the 3.5mm out on the Mini, necessitating the inclusion of an 'Aux In' on the speaker. Suffice to say, the garden is within the house's wi-fi range.

Any suggestions? Obviously, the Nth degree of hi-fidelity sound isn't going to be necessary, but as he speaker is outside, it'll have to cover the whole garden, which is larger than a room, and without walls to keep the sound in, so it'll need to go loud.

Finally, I'm presuming the Mini can be powered from a PowerBank.

Comments please, thank you.

 

[Burnside]

For years I had a little Anker Soundcore speaker (around £30) that could get quite loud for such a small unit, admittedly in a small bedroom not outside. It also held a charge for ages. There are a few other models up that range, the Motion Boom Plus at £95 for example that look good and have the added benefit of an aux in and a power out that might remove the need for a separate power bank for the mini. I haven't used the larger unit but it looks a good fit for your requirements

 

[Doublej]

Check out the JBL Xtreme 3. Could you put a WiiM mini near a window in the house and use Bluetooth to connect to the garden speaker? This would give you a lot more speaker choices.

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

Check out the JBL Xtreme 3. Could you put a WiiM mini near a window in the house and use Bluetooth to connect to the garden speaker? This would give you a lot more speaker choices.

Not impossible. My immediate thought is that I'm just introducing an extra, potentially unstable connection.

But if an otherwise 'perfect' speaker should appear which didn't have an Aux In, I'd certainly consider that approach.

 

[jfbuk]

In the absence of a portable WiiM 'bluetooth speaker', I was wondering what else could be co-opted into use in the garden, in conjunction with a Mini.

The idea - don't want a full hi-fi outside in the garden (for when we have a barbecue), but would like a speaker playing music. It'd be great to be able to access full WiiM functionality, which could be had from a Mini going into a separate (non-WiiM) speaker, the obvious caveat being that this set up would use the 3.5mm out on the Mini, necessitating the inclusion of an 'Aux In' on the speaker. Suffice to say, the garden is within the house's wi-fi range.

Any suggestions? Obviously, the Nth degree of hi-fidelity sound isn't going to be necessary, but as he speaker is outside, it'll have to cover the whole garden, which is larger than a room, and without walls to keep the sound in, so it'll need to go loud.

Finally, I'm presuming the Mini can be powered from a PowerBank.

Comments please, thank you.

not cheap but big sound

Hyperboom

Shop HYPERBOOM. Features extreme levels of bass, wide dynamic range, adaptive sound equalization, easy music share, splash proof, and party up compatibility.

www.ultimateears.com

 

[Achim2026]

No idea about your budget, my daughter loves it for on the road.

MYND | Teufel

MYND ab 249,99 € (13.05.2026): Leistungsstarker Bluetooth-Speaker bei dem die effiziente Verwendung von Materialien, Langlebigkeit, recycelte Werkstoffe sowie erstklassiger Sound im Fokus der Entwicklung standen. Jetzt entdecken

teufel.de

 

[rpt]

Also on the pricier side, but Kilburns I've heard & used have been nice. Bluetooth and 3.5 mm jack.

Amazon.co.uk

 

[hoohoohoo]

This portable bluetooth speaker is waterproof and can withstand a soaking rainstorm. It has a nice bass output and sounds great.

Tribit StormBox 2 Bluetooth Speaker with 34W 360° Surround Sound, XBass Tech, 24H Playtime, IPX7 Waterproof, Bluetooth 5.3, TWS Pairing Portable Wireless Speaker for Outdoor : Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo

Tribit StormBox 2 Bluetooth Speaker with 34W 360° Surround Sound, XBass Tech, 24H Playtime, IPX7 Waterproof, Bluetooth 5.3, TWS Pairing Portable Wireless Speaker for Outdoor : Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo

www.amazon.co.uk

According to Tribit, they can be paired (left/right) if you have two of them.

TRIBIT StormBox 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker

Ultimate Enjoyment, Surround Sound.

tribit.com

 

[Doublej]

Not impossible. My immediate thought is that I'm just introducing an extra, potentially unstable connection.

But if an otherwise 'perfect' speaker should appear which didn't have an Aux In, I'd certainly consider that approach.

I would rather deal with a Bluetooth connection than having a battery operated WiiM where I would either need to be dealing with the WiiM being constantly powered on and off or I have to keep the battery constantly charged so I could keep the WiiM in standby mode.

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

I would rather deal with a Bluetooth connection than having a battery operated WiiM where I would either need to be dealing with the WiiM being constantly powered on and off or I have to keep the battery constantly charged so I could keep the WiiM in standby mode.

I take your point. But this isn't constant use, it's the odd barbecue, maybe a few times a year. My best PowerBank will charge my iPhone 3 or 4 times, and I can stream through the iPhone (and send over bluetooth) for a good 10-12 hours on one charge, so I suspect that one PowerBank charge would outlast one charge of the battery in the speaker. If not, I have several spare PowerBanks.

Of course, potentially I could run a powercable extension into the garden and power up a whole hi-fi + Mini, but that's a different set up.

Thanks for the input, though.

 

[r5yk5]

I use one of these




But then I'm just like that.

 

[Doublej]

I take your point. But this isn't constant use, it's the odd barbecue, maybe a few times a year. My best PowerBank will charge my iPhone 3 or 4 times, and I can stream through the iPhone (and send over bluetooth) for a good 10-12 hours on one charge, so I suspect that one PowerBank charge would outlast one charge of the battery in the speaker. If not, I have several spare PowerBanks.

Of course, potentially I could run a powercable extension into the garden and power up a whole hi-fi + Mini, but that's a different set up.

Thanks for the input, though.

What about a WiiM Sound or Sound Lite connected to a PowerBank?

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

What about a WiiM Sound or Sound Lite connected to a PowerBank?

Two thoughts. I have a WiiM Sound Lite, my two concerns would be (a) that it wouldn't cut it outside (not 'big' enough), and (b) the drain on a PowerBank would be huge.

I could be wrong on both counts.

 

[d6jg]

I use a now no longer available Libratone Zipp - it is rechageable battery powered and has Aux In, Bluetooth, Airplay and DLNA.

For flexibility I would look for something similar that is current.

 

[slartibartfast]

What about a WiiM Sound or Sound Lite connected to a PowerBank?

You would need an inverter rather than a powerbank.

 

[Achim2026]

Funny, it seems quite inherent in forums that some not accept a "conditio sine qua non" which can be seen in the question. "Non Wiim", seems to be quite clear. A recommendation of Wiim speakers seem to be a bit weird. At least for me

 

[azoriusmage]

I have a JBL Charge 5 and it has a usb port to charge other devices so you can plug the WiiM into it for power slight downside is that you have to bluetooth to the wiim

 

[merifon]

You should try the: Ikea Wappeby. It has the best money value, it's a Sonos design, is Bluetooth and features external plug input. It's also stereo likable with a second one. It delivers enough power (used several times to shoot outside dance performances) and has very linear response (measured).
The only problem is that the battery seems unavailable in ikea stores (in Italy) since long time.

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

I use one of these

View attachment 37907


But then I'm just like that.

Yeah, I've seen that on Techmoan.

 

[d6jg]

You should try the: Ikea Wappeby. It has the best money value, it's a Sonos design, is Bluetooth and features external plug input. It's also stereo likable with a second one. It delivers enough power (used several times to shoot outside dance performances) and has very linear response (measured).
The only problem is that the battery seems unavailable in ikea stores (in Italy) since long time.

It is actually an Ikea Vappeby - at least it is in UK