DIVOOM ONBEAT 500

At $80, and around the size of a house brick, the OnBeat 500 is more of a living-room (or hotel) speaker than a rugged travel companion, although its eight-hour battery means it’s portable. Its party piece is built-in NFC compatibility – put an NFCequipped phone on the OnBeat and it will instantly enable Bluetooth, pair the devices and start streaming music. However, audio output is simply good rather than great. The sound gets muddled beyond 70 per cent volume, and the tonal balance is bass-heavy, making music sound a touch lifeless. There’s a lot of technology here for ?80, though, if you prioritise convenience over sound quality.