We may earn income from products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. More information ›

Boston-based Andover Audio has established a solid foundation—a foundation, a SpinBase to be specific—as the go-to manufacturer of high-fidelity, low-profile rotary speakers. Last month, we recommended the flagship Andover One-SB as a top audiophile pick for Father’s Day. Even the most affordable model is perfect for a new generation of vinyl fans who are building a collection but don’t have the square footage to build a traditional component stack. But those same music fans have grown up with streaming, so just listening to one station doesn’t have the same appeal. With that in mind, Andover has announced FreePlay, its first portable Bluetooth speaker.

FreePlay does not play a picture disc, but is designed to paint the entire sound picture. It’s built around a true stereo array, with two 5.25-inch aluminum cone woofers with neodymium magnets, two 25mm dome tweeters, and a rear-mounted 160mm speaker. to-Passive radiator molded by Andover, for a stated frequency response of 55 Hz to 20 kHz. A really convenient, Qi-compatible, top-mounted 5W wireless charging pad sits next to the integrated control panel. Behind a secure rubber flap on the back is a 3.5mm auxiliary input and a USB-C port for 45W bi-directional charging. All in a 9-pound IP67 dust-tight and liquid-protected case.

We spent the 4th of July weekend with FreePlay and Andover’s ethos of space-saving design without compromising detail, discipline, simplicity and stability was evident. Regardless of the app, FreePlay features Bluetooth 6.0 with support for LE Audio/LC3/AAC/SBC. As with a plug-and-play SpinBase, simply pair, select a playlist and the speaker will adapt to a clearly articulated, tight and textured presentation. The presence of those neodymium magnets can be heard in the way the shallow-mounted drivers push out a lot of air. The highs are crisp and the lows balanced but impactful. Tracks with expressive separation maintain their creative intent. It’s not so much about breadth as about lucidity on display. This is not a party speaker focused on physicality that makes the furniture vibrate, but rather an extension of a philosophy of clean look and sound to a new category. Composure about the show. And a selectable high mode adds 6 dB to the top end, so the sound may increase if the Hangout does.

The foldable handle makes FreePlay easy to transport from the patio to the pool, from the kitchen table to the tailgate. Lightweight but not flimsy, utilitarian tie-downs on the side panels let you anchor the speaker if the road trip gets noisy or the water gets rough. The boombox without the bulky vibe nods to an analog past and is eye-catching enough that a woman stopped while we were taking photos of the speaker shown above and asked about it, saying it looked expensive.

While we only had one speaker, so we couldn’t test this feature, there is a Party Mode that lets you wirelessly connect up to 99 FreePlays for synchronized playback. Another unverified spec (sorry, we just don’t party like we used to): you can keep playing for up to 24 hours with a full battery at moderate levels, and it only takes 3 hours to fully charge.

Available in Ivory, Olive, and Slate, Andover FreePlay can be pre-ordered at www.andoveraudio.com for an MSRP of $429.

Do you prefer your retro revival to be more guitar amp inspired and plan to rock more than walk? In other news, Marshall has just opened pre-orders for the fourth-generation editions of its well-established Acton and Stanmore powered speakers. The Acton IV ($329) and Stanmore IV ($429) maintain the brand’s aesthetic with a PU leather wrap and mesh grille with a brass logo, a control panel with touch knobs, and a satisfyingly distinctive power switch, while upgrading the internal components for a wider, more immersive sound. The tweeters, waveguides and bottom bass port are redesigned for a more spacious stereo soundstage and cleaner bass, and cables are now routed from below, so the speakers can be placed flush against the wall without drowning out sound. Whether driving the Acton’s 5-inch woofer or the Stanton’s 6-inch woofer, Dynamic Loudness keeps your home sound rich with composed midranges at all volume levels (with help from app-based equalizer, location compensation, and room calibration). And Bluetooth 5.3 support with Auracast/LDAC/LC3/AAC lets you sync multiple speakers with the Heddon Hub ($299) to stream music throughout your home. There are AUX and RCA inputs, so you can connect a turntable or CD player if you wish (although if physical formats are your thing, we recommend sticking with an Andover SpinBase for its dedicated preamp and isolation platform). And there’s even a customizable M button at the top for instant access to your EQ profile or favorite playlist. Available in black or cream, the Acton IV and Stanmore IV may remain stationary, but you’ll want to dance when these Homeline speakers are on. It’s not a smart speaker, but like all Marshall products, it looks undeniably smart.

2025 PopSci Best of what’s new

The 50 most important innovations of the year