Thinking of outdoor camping and entertainment ?

Yes, outdoor pool parties or camping near waterbody means lot of fun and music ….

Music with Bluetooth Speakers is a trend today, loud and rugged speakers with powerful battery backup is a need of time …

In this blog post I am looking at the comparison between two most popular portable Bluetooth speakers under $30 budget.

OontZ Angle 3 versus Photive Hydra are compared for their price and features … in given budget of $30 which of these two to choose from is a question .. both are highly popular having thousands of user reviews … so surely both are good for money spend .. then the question remains what are the technical specifications which makes you comfortable for …. as per your need you can choose either of them ..

Best $30 Bluetooth Speakers

Lets begin comparing the specifications of OontZ Angle 3 vs Photive Hydra

Bluetooth speaker below $30	OontZ Angle 3	Photive Hydra
Output power	10W Two precision acoustic drivers Passive bass radiator	3.5W x 2 Equipped with Passive Subwoofer + Two 40mm Drivers
Impedance	Specs not available	4Ω
Frequency response	Specs not available	90 hz – 20khz
Sensitive	Specs not available	80dB+/- 2dB
S/N	Specs not available	60dB
BLUETOOTH	Bluetooth v3.0	Version: CSR 4.0 Low energy BT protocol
BT Range	33 feet (if unobstructed)
Weather protection IP rating	IPX5 Splashproof, rainproof, dustproof, sandproof Can resist gentle water spray & splash but cannot be partially or fully submerged	IP66 Waterproof, shockproof, dustproof. Rated IP66 for 100% protection against water and dust.
Damage protection		Rubberized rugged exterior for ultimate impact resistance.
Microphone for calls	Built-In Mic for Hands-Free Speakerphone
Battery	2200 mAh battery	Specs not available
Playtime	12 hours of playtime at 2/3 volume on a full charge	8 hours of Uninterrupted speaker Playtime with a single charge.
Works with Amazon Echo Dot	Yes
Size	5.25″ L x 2.6″ H x 2.8″ W
Weight	9 ounces
Best Bluetooth Speakers	OontZ Angle 3	Photive Hydra
Best Buy Prices	Best Buy	Best Buy

Which is best and why ?

Oontz Angle 3 vs Photive Hydra Best $30 Bluetooth Speakers compared for Strength points:

Abuse and Water/Dust protection:

Main function of an outdoor Bluetooth speaker is Weather protection which you can need due to rain or pool party … for hiking or camping you also get exposed to dust and abuse due to rough use.
So IP rating is indicator of how much your bluetooth speaker is capable of resisting water and dust ingress …
In this aspect Photive Hydra which is having IP66 protection scores high .. IP66 indicates total protection against dust and water ingress….
Whereas Oontz Angle 3 only has IPX5 protection which only protects speaker from water splashes .. so you will not be able to submerge the speaker into water neither it can sustain heavy rains or dust … (they have not indicated any rating for dust, which means it is not protected from dust)Also Photive Hydra boasts Rubberized rugged exterior which protects it from any abuse of impact during handing in hiking and outdoor use. so Photive Hydra is clear winner in this case

Bluetooth version and range

Range of Bluetooth is same for both the speakers i.e. 33 feet, which works when the speaker is in the clear line of sight .. so both speakers perform on same level.Coming to the version of Bluetooth, Photive Hydra works on latest Low energy Bluetooth protocol, as against Bluetooth 3.0 for  Oontz Angle 3. But please remember that this has got nothing to do with the sound quality, it will be same for both BT versions, only that latest BT protocol works on lower energy transfer … that may provide extra life and some range to your mobile phone ….

Battery stamina: 50% more in Oontz Angle 3

Now here Oontz Angle 3 with its powerful Li-ion battery of 2200 mAh, performs better by providing 12 hours of music play time as against 8 hours in case of Photive Hydra.Surely Oontz Angle 3 have 50% more music playtime which is huge lip …
So if you are travelling to really remote destination or you don’t really have access to charging power then only it makes sense to go for Oontz Angle 3, but in reality how many times it happens that you don’t have charging access is a question !! Rather I would give more weight to the dust and waterproofing of speaker !! because that can’t have any replacement !! I mean you can charge the speaker with power-bank, but if gone into water and stop working .. you really can’t do anything but ruin the holiday ….

What’s the final call? Which Bluetooth speaker best for me for $30 spend ?

If you ask me .. as a vivid trekker and outdoor traveler .. I would clearly go for Photive Hydra for the only reason of its rugged design to sustain abuse during use as well as resistance to dust and water …. I am ready to ignore the lower playtime of 8 hours (lower compared to Oontz Angle 3, but 8 hours is also more than sufficient !!)