Bringing the boom: our love affair with portable audio
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![From gramophones in the garden to the block-rocking boomboxes of the '80s to today's pocket-sized portables, we've been finding new ways to keep the groove going wherever we go. Although the sizes of these devices have shrunk down over time, the star attraction has always been the sound. So join us as we highlight some of the milestones in the history of portable audio devices.](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/YwdnIp0_ElmNRRBZ1mbqcw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTUxOA--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/D6MyBqPHFz1u7Ga1X0PaVw--~B/aD0zNDA7dz02MzA7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/https://www.blogcdn.com/slideshows/images/slides/286/170/4/S2861704/slug/l/gadget-rewind-boom-hed-1.jpg)
![Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877, but it wasn't until Emile Berliner developed flat discs (as opposed to the tin or wax cylinders previously used) that the device grew in popularity. The device wasn't automatic, though. To produce sound from the phonograph's audio-amplifying horn, users had to manually spin the discs using a hand crank and cause a needle to glide gently through its grooves.](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/VozVUqazysFdL7R5XPt5hg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTk2MA--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/Dtc1N7YfHSAm2Tf5fegZQw--~B/aD04MDA7dz04MDA7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/https://www.blogcdn.com/slideshows/images/slides/286/316/1/S2863161/slug/l/emile-berliner-phonograph-800-1.jpg)
![The invention of the transistor in 1947 led to an explosion of portable radios. Pint-size devices like the 1959 Sanyo 8S-P3 allowed people to crank up the tunes with a new degree of freedom. The popularity of the "transistor radio" also helped companies like Sony get off the ground. Sure, you were stuck with whatever was playing on the airwaves, but it was a far more convenient way to keep the party going than its wind-up, disc-based predecessors.](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/s3FMHEyGY3wUoU6ZdkM4NQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTk2MA--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/8Ojcv2JoQFgng7RaGPXt1A--~B/aD04MDA7dz04MDA7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/https://www.blogcdn.com/slideshows/images/slides/285/871/8/S2858718/slug/l/sanyo-transistor-800-1.jpg)
![<p>Clive Sinclair was way ahead of his time when he released the Sinclair Micro-6 portable radio in 1964. This matchbox-sized player let you tune in and drop out without disturbing your neighbors and paved the way for future portable audio devices like Sony's Walkman and <a href="http://www.engadget.com/products/apple/ipod/1st-gen/">Apple's iPod</a>.</p>
<p>Sinclair also offered a special "Transrista" watchband so you could secure the Micro-6 to your wrist, making it the latest in wearable-tech fashion.</p>
<p><small>[Image: AP Photo]</small></p>](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/p__3hf9tzEKQtnzoQuPN3w--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTkzNQ--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/0iJea7QBQmKkCi71nUCdaQ--~B/aD03Nzk7dz04MDA7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/https://www.blogcdn.com/slideshows/images/slides/285/868/1/S2858681/slug/l/sinclair-micro-6-800-1.jpg)
![While it didn't boast any speakers, the arrival of Apple's first iPod in 2001 ushered in a new age of portable audio beyond what Sony's Walkman achieved in 1979. Vast digital libraries could now fit into a device the size of single cassette. The iPod helped bring about the ubiquity of party playlist sharing (goodbye mixtapes!) and also marked the beginning of a new trend in speaker tech: the docking station.](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/cVZDS8oQM9TmWy.wdTLNhg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTk2MA--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/PVaJnNsL0iVyJaEfBeTDVw--~B/aD04MDA7dz04MDA7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/https://www.blogcdn.com/slideshows/images/slides/285/878/4/S2858784/slug/l/2004-ipod-1.jpg)
![<p>By the mid-aughts, speaker docks were flourishing. These devices were replacing the traditional and cumbersome home stereo system and, more often than not, catered specifically to Apple's popular line of iDevices.</p>
<p>And they didn't have to stay put, either. Battery-power meant that many of these speaker setups, like the <a href="http://www.engadget.com/products/bose/sounddock/portable/">Bose SoundDock Portable</a>, were ready for the road. But without the freedom of Bluetooth, that meant you still needed to physically dock your media player.</p>](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/9avi9VXyHR2F43e52PHy8g--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTk2MA--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/r1dBalwOcIqCh1gbIR2Xvg--~B/aD04MDA7dz04MDA7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/https://www.blogcdn.com/slideshows/images/slides/285/870/5/S2858705/slug/l/bose-sounddock-portable-800-1.jpg)
![<p>In 2010, Jawbone, the company once known primarily for its noise-canceling Bluetooth headsets, got into the portable speaker business. Its first product was the <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/03/jawbone-jambox-review/">Jambox</a>. The <a href="http://www.engadget.com/tag/yves+behar/">Yves Béhar-designed </a>speaker boasted a colorful, geometric exterior and pumped out a respectable roar for a device of its size. Of course, that high-end look and high-quality sound cost consumers a premium.</p>](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/HvLQ9tCcPG9A_C2RBXcKhA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTk2MA--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/ZnwIzwTgxG4Y5ht4Rz89nQ--~B/aD04MDA7dz04MDA7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/https://www.blogcdn.com/slideshows/images/slides/285/878/1/S2858781/slug/l/jambox-hires-009-800-1.jpg)
![<p>The definitive (and sometimes questionable) style of the '80s has made more than a few comebacks over the past few years. Amidst all that nostalgia, TDK decided to flip the script on current style trends for ultraportable players and resurrected the classic shoulder blaster.</p>
<p>Playing to those with old-school sensibilities, the company called this new series the <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/05/tdks-three-speaker-boombox-and-other-assorted-audio-goodies/">Life on Record</a> audio system. These retro-futuristic boomboxes came in two- and three-speaker models and aimed to put the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PWLGOBg2rM">bass-heavy beat</a> back on the streets.</p>](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/s2BQOHaPeLIMNe_es7I.AQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTk2MA--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/WnVVzUf4jN6X84XoahJFXw--~B/aD04MDA7dz04MDA7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/https://www.blogcdn.com/slideshows/images/slides/285/868/9/S2858689/slug/l/boombox-6480-lipman-800-1.jpg)
![<p>Behringer showed up at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show with its ridiculously massive (and non-portable) <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/07/behringer-unveils-8-foot-inuke-boom-ipod-dock-goes-consumer-wit/">iNuke Boom</a> to celebrate the launch of 50 new audio products. The speaker measured eight feet wide and four feet tall. It also weighed 700 pounds and pumped out over 10,000 Watts of body-moving soundwaves.</p>
<p>While the iNuke Boom was obviously a well-intended PR stunt, the speaker was actually <em>for sale</em> at $30,000. Behringer released a more reasonably priced, more portable and scaled-down version of that mega-boombox later in the year: the (comparatively) less impressive <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/05/behringer-inuke-boom-junior-shrinks-a-giant-iphone-dock/">iNuke Boom Junior</a>.</p>](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/DOSepyWNWtRuVgcE.mSeYw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTk2MA--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/Rp8VBh5CrFqOTEDWtqc3jg--~B/aD04MDA7dz04MDA7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/https://www.blogcdn.com/slideshows/images/slides/285/874/6/S2858746/slug/l/inuke-boom-xl-800-1.jpg)
![These days, there's no shortage of portable (and attractive) Bluetooth speakers to choose from. But looks don't always guarantee good sound and battery life. <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/22/ue-boom-bluetooth-speaker-on-sale/">Logitech's UE Boom</a>, however, delivers on that triple threat with 360-degree sound and up to 15 hours on a single charge, all while outputting a decent chunk of bass for such a small device.](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/HEnVDUxWdK9AipPsNID8gA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTk2MA--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/Ftm9NKqj1ZvZt8_1MDFZqw--~B/aD04MDA7dz04MDA7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/https://www.blogcdn.com/slideshows/images/slides/285/878/9/S2858789/slug/l/ue-boom-800-1.jpg)
![While many speakers try to deliver the biggest sound, others often look for new ways to present it. <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/06/clio/">ClearView's Clio</a>, for one, uses a sheet of glass as the speaker. Or consider this outlandish portable audio design: Om Audio's <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2014/08/12/levitating-bluetooth-speaker/">levitating orb</a> . These may not be the best speakers to use at a party, but they can definitely double as works of art and conversation starters.](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/4H9llpfeMxzW9.tdk4qJWA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTk2MA--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/nKMADmetzjCHMWH0OZnA_g--~B/aD04MDA7dz04MDA7YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b24-/https://www.blogcdn.com/slideshows/images/slides/286/589/4/S2865894/slug/l/omone1-800-1.jpg)
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Groove is in the art of portable audio
From gramophones in the garden to the block-rocking boomboxes of the '80s to today's pocket-sized portables, we've been finding new ways to keep the groove going wherever we go. Although the sizes of these devices have shrunk down over time, the star attraction has always been the sound. So join us as we highlight some of the milestones in the history of portable audio devices.