Three wireless audio products you can purchase right now

GONE are the days of needing messy cables to play music, with a plethora of wireless audio options now mainstream.

JBL Charge 3 works underwater for up to half an hour.

GONE are the days of needing messy cables to play music, with a plethora of wireless audio options now mainstream.

With so many products flooding the market, it can be hard to know what to choose.

We recently put three new devices to the test to see if they are worth your time and money.

JBL CHARGE 3

A loud, portable and waterproof Bluetooth speaker that doubles as an external charger for your portable devices sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?

This is exactly what JBL’s latest offering brings to the table.

For a brand that has become synonymous for high-quality audio equipment, JBL’s Charge 3 doesn’t disappoint.

Unlike many of the competing products in its price range, the Charge 3 offers the ability to connect three devices to the speaker at any point in time.

The product also allows users to connect another JBL enabled speaker to amplify the already impressive sound — we cranked a single Charge 3 in the office and suffice to say it turned some heads.

Boasting a 20 hour battery life, the device has truly been designed with portability in mind and this is only exemplified by the waterproof capabilities of the product.

JBL Charge 3 has been made fully waterproof with IPX7 certification — meaning it can be submerged in up to a metre of water for 30 minutes.

This feature will no doubt be a saviour at pool parties or beach visits this summer.

For a relatively small device — 213 x 87 x 88.5mm — the Charge 3 delivers solid audio, with deep bass.

The JBL Charge 3 is $229.95 and can be purchased at all leading consumer electronics retailers.

iTRIP CLIP BLUETOOTH HEADPHONE ADAPTOR

Griffin’s iTrip Clip Bluetooth Headphone Adaptor has a pretty simple solution to wireless audio.

The gadget has been designed for those who are too attached to their favourite 3.5mm headphones, but want to the freedom of wireless audio.

While the concept is nothing new, the device is one of the smaller and more subtle options on the market.

At 30mm long x 10mm thick, the adaptor can easily be clipped onto clothing during a workout with its built-in clip.

In addition to being discreet, the Bluetooth headphone adaptor is very simple in terms of functionality.

After charging the device with the supplied three-inch micro USB cable, iTrip Clip connects wirelessly to your smartphone or tablet using Bluetooth 4.1.

Once paired, the device will automatically connect whenever turned on, so it’s just a matter of plugging in your headphones.

The face of the device has controls for playing, skipping or pausing tracks, while also allowing the user to make calls or activate Siri, Google Now, and other voice recognition apps.

It must be mentioned that if using the iTrip Clip for the above mentioned, you will have to be mindful of how close you have the gadget and its built in microphone to your mouth.

The device offers six hours battery life, which is more than enough for most activities.

Offering impressive sound quality for a smidgen of the cost of wireless headphones, this product couldn’t come more highly recommended.

The Griffin iTrip Clip Bluetooth Headphone adaptor is available from JB Hi-Fi for $34.95.

PLANTRONICS BACKBEAT GO 3

It’s hard not to agree with Apple’s view that wireless earbuds are the future — the problem is that not all products are created equal.

Plantronics BackBeat Go 3 wireless earbuds are one of the more moderately priced offerings on the market, but it’s really a case of you get what you pay for.

Out of the box, the earbuds look impressive and come packed inside a storage pouch that doubles as a micro-USB portable battery charge.

BackBeat Go 3 comes with small, medium and large silicon eartips and security wings to keep them nestled in your ear.

The cord has controls for volume, track skip, call answering, with the ability for voice assistants, like Siri or Google Now.

Plantronics also used a nano-coating on the product, which protects the speakers from sweat or light rain.

When powering on the speakers, an on-board voice will inform the user of the battery life left in the device.

While all of these are impressive features, the bulky design of the earbuds is a bit of a let down.

Despite different sized eartips and wings, it was hard to get the perfect fit.

This meant there was not only slippage when running, but the sound quality slightly suffered as a result.

In saying that, at the BackBeat Go 3 wireless earbuds are only $199 with the charging case included. It just depends if you think that’s enough for what you get.

What audio products have you been loving? Continue the conversation on Twitter @mattydunn11.