Why Are Bluetooth Speakers So Expensive? (10 Reasons)

 

Bluetooth speakers allow you to integrate an audio system anywhere in your home.

You can skip the wires or cables when connecting them to other devices.

However, you’ll also find that Bluetooth speakers tend to be considerably more expensive than standard speakers.

 

Why Are Bluetooth Speakers So Expensive? (10 Reasons)

 

The average price of a Bluetooth speaker is between $100 and $200 with more advanced models costing even more than that.

Bluetooth speakers are expensive because of their focus on sound quality, their ability to sync with other smart devices, the brand name, the different features they offer, and the fact that some are luxury purchases.

Let’s look into these and some other factors in more detail.

 

1. Long-Lasting Battery Life

 

One aspect that can set a cheap Bluetooth speaker apart from an expensive Bluetooth speaker is its battery life.

Many Bluetooth speakers are portable.

They don’t need any connections or cables to work.

All they need is a wireless signal.

That’s because most Bluetooth speakers run on batteries.

Cheaper Bluetooth speakers don’t last very long.

You may have a couple of hours of listening with them before they die and need recharging.

Expensive Bluetooth speakers can last for several hours.

You might even be able to get a full day out of them.

The ability of an electronic to hold that much charge is quite astonishing since it’s in constant operation.

Manufacturing a speaker like that doesn’t come cheap.

To have a battery last a long time, the company has to pour a lot of its resources into the battery’s development.

The company knows that if its Bluetooth speakers die quickly, then people are not going to use them.

Since the company spends a lot of money on its batteries, it has to charge high prices on its speakers to cover those costs.

Bluetooth speakers are expensive because they have long-lasting batteries which can be expensive to make.

 

2. High-Quality Speaker Cases

 

Bluetooth speakers are portable and designed to go with you.

They’re often used outside which means there are a lot of chances for them to receive damage.

You might drop your Bluetooth speaker while hiking out in the woods, for example.

If you’re carrying it in a bag, then it might rattle around with some heavy objects.

Setting it out in the sun can cause it to take extended UV damage.

Essentially, Bluetooth speakers see a lot of damage in their use.

To ensure the speaker lasts a long time, many companies focus on producing high-quality cases.

The company will spend a good amount of money on sourcing durable materials.

They last a long time.

Besides increasing the speaker’s durability, companies also want to ensure that their speakers look great.

Design is important when it comes to audio.

Whether the speaker is inside your home or outside, it should look great.

That costs the company a bit of money to achieve as well.

Whether it’s sourcing high-quality materials for the case or spending money on the design, Bluetooth speaker manufacturers usually have quite the expense to pay.

To cover those expenses, the company has to charge a high price for its speakers.

Bluetooth speakers are expensive because their cases are usually made of high-quality materials.

 

3. High Bitrates

 

Bluetooth speakers weren’t as popular as they are today.

That’s largely due to their low bitrate.

A bitrate, in audio, essentially means the amount of data that the system transfers in a given period.

The higher the bitrate is, the better the audio quality is.

Because they were still relatively new, Bluetooth speakers didn’t have the highest bitrate.

As such, their audio quality was often poor.

People didn’t want to use them because the sound quality couldn’t match their traditional speakers.

With time, bitrates for Bluetooth speakers have increased.

Now, expensive Bluetooth speakers have bitrates that allow them to compete with standard speakers.

Achieving a high bitrate isn’t easy.

It often requires expensive parts and expensive materials to make those parts.

Bluetooth speaker companies know that if it wants to produce speakers people want to buy, then it’s going to have to make that investment.

Since the company is taking on higher expenses to achieve a high bitrate, it’s going to sell its speakers at higher prices.

High-bitrate speakers are also more desirable to people who care about sound.

They’re going to be willing to pay more for a high-bitrate Bluetooth speaker than one with a lower bitrate.

That also allows the companies to put higher prices on their speakers.

Bluetooth speakers are expensive because many of them are capable of producing high bitrates.

 

4. Syncing Capabilities With Other Smart Devices

 

Because Bluetooth speakers rely on the internet, they can also connect with other smart devices.

You might have your Bluetooth speaker connected to your Alexa or Google Nest.

You might have an entire smart home theatre system to which you can connect your Bluetooth speaker.

Being able to sync to other smart devices isn’t always easy.

It requires sophisticated engineering.

That sort of engineering doesn’t come cheap.

The easier it is for the Bluetooth speaker to sync to several smart devices, the more complex the engineering is.

There’s also an element of convenience in being able to sync your Bluetooth speaker to other smart devices.

Since it’s more convenient, the company is happy to charge more for it, too.

People who want to easily sync their speakers with other devices may be willing to pay more for a Bluetooth speaker that makes it easy.

Bluetooth speakers are expensive because they can often sync with other smart devices.

 

5. Waterproof Capabilities

 

Because Bluetooth speakers are often used outdoors, it only makes sense that companies would make them waterproof.

Not every Bluetooth speaker has waterproof capabilities, however.

The more expensive ones tend to.

That’s because waterproof materials aren’t as cheap as standard materials.

Besides using waterproof materials, companies also have to ensure that the speaker’s interior is safe from contact with water.

The company has to create a durable housing system that protects vulnerable wires and chips.

As such, manufacturing waterproof Bluetooth speakers is often quite expensive.

To offset those costs, the company charges more for the speaker.

There’s also a lot of value in waterproof Bluetooth speakers.

If you’re hanging by water or there’s a chance of rain, having a waterproof Bluetooth speaker provides some peace of mind.

Even if water splashes on it or the rain falls on it, you don’t have to worry about the speaker breaking.

Some people are willing to pay more for a speaker like that, so it only reinforces the expensive price.

Bluetooth speakers are expensive when they have a waterproof case.

 

6. Premium Materials

 

Some of the most expensive Bluetooth speakers have premium materials in their cases.

These are materials that aren’t just high in quality, but they’re also seen as luxury materials.

In most cases, it’s a type of wood.

Companies that want to make their speaker stand apart from others might use an expensive type of wood to make the case.

The appeal is that it makes the speaker look lavish or sophisticated.

Some speakers can look too bulky or generic.

Others look sleek and can fit well with the rest of your audio equipment.

The cost of producing Bluetooth speakers with premium materials is quite expensive.

That’s because the cost of premium materials is expensive.

The more expensive or rare the material is, the more expensive the Bluetooth speaker is going to be.

That’s especially true if you put in a custom order for a specific type of material.

You’ll have a Bluetooth speaker that is unique to you, but you’ll need to pay a high price for it.

Bluetooth speakers are expensive because some use premium materials that are expensive to source.

 

7. Brand Name

 

Like any other product, the brand name attached to the Bluetooth speaker can also make it quite expensive.

Some brand names carry a lot of weight when it comes to producing high-quality products.

A few well-known, and expensive, brand names in the Bluetooth speaker market include the following:

• Bose
• Bang & Olufsen
• JBL
• Devialet
• Audioengine

These companies have a reputation for producing high-quality Bluetooth speakers that produce incredible sound and look great.

A lot of Bluetooth speakers will simply look like a sound bar or pod.

The companies above like to test different designs to make their speakers look unique.

They become more of an art piece than a simple piece of audio equipment.

The reason brand names can make Bluetooth speakers more expensive is that you’re essentially paying for the name more than the product.

You’re buying the peace of mind in knowing that there’s a very good chance that you have a high-quality product on your hands.

That’s because brand names spend a lot of money on advertising and marketing.

They build up a reputation for selling high-quality and reliable products.

A consumer tends to feel a bit safer buying from a well-known brand name than a generic brand.

Since they feel safer, they don’t mind paying the extra price.

Bluetooth speakers are expensive because some brands can use their reputation to charge higher prices.

 

8. Long-Lasting Audio Quality

 

Expensive Bluetooth speakers can maintain excellent audio quality for longer periods.

Cheaper Bluetooth speakers don’t always do that.

For example, as the Bluetooth speaker’s battery starts to die, it starts to have poorer audio quality.

Your experience can start to become less pleasant as your speaker dies.

More expensive Bluetooth speakers can maintain their audio quality whether the battery is dying or not.

This also goes for lifespan, in general.

More expensive Bluetooth speakers use high-quality materials.

That enables them to have a long lifespan and continue to produce high-quality audio until it finally dies.

Achieving that result usually requires a bit of expense on behalf of the company.

To cover its expenses, it has to sell at higher prices.

Bluetooth speakers are expensive because they’re able to produce high-quality audio even as the battery fades.

 

9. Luxury Speakers

 

Some might consider Bluetooth speakers as luxury speakers.

There are even some Bluetooth speakers specifically designed to be luxury speakers.

These speakers often feature high-quality materials or premium materials that make them stand out from the rest.

They might boast features that standard Bluetooth speakers don’t have.

Since they’re luxury speakers, they come at luxury prices.

Some might consider Bluetooth speakers, in general, to be a luxury item.

You don’t technically need Bluetooth speakers to listen to audio.

Any audio system can do that for you.

Bluetooth speakers just allow you to listen to high-quality music outside, too.

It’s not essential, but it is a convenient product to have.

As such, some Bluetooth speaker companies can charge luxury prices for speakers.

Bluetooth speakers are expensive because they’re often considered a luxury.

 

10. WIFI Range

 

A Bluetooth speaker can only operate so long as it connects to the WIFI.

Without a connection to the internet, it’s unable to stream and produce audio.

Expensive Bluetooth speakers tend to have long ranges.

You’re able to take your Bluetooth speaker far from your router.

That can be quite convenient for the right person.

Being able to achieve such a range usually means that the manufacturer is using more expensive materials and technology.

Since manufacturing costs are higher, the speaker is going to be more expensive.

Bluetooth speakers are expensive when they have a large WIFI range.