How to choose a Bluetooth speaker — power, battery, water

Choosing a Bluetooth speaker should not rest on a seller saying “it’s really loud”. Four numbers matter: power, battery, water protection rating, and whether it has TWS. The Dona catalogue has 33 speakers, starting at 92,000 UZS, with portable models topping out at around 1.3 million UZS. Which one you need depends on where you will use the speaker.

What the power (watts) means#

Watts show the speaker’s headroom, not its loudness. In practice:

• 5-10 W. One room, a kitchen, a bathroom. Pocket size.
• 15-30 W. A large room, a yard, a small gathering. The right range for most people.
• 50-100 W and up. A wedding, a trip, an open space. A speaker like this weighs more than 1 kilogram and runs out of charge faster.

An important point: a 100 W speaker is not ten times louder than a 10 W one. The difference is not in loudness but in the sound not distorting at high volume and in how well the bass comes through.

Battery and playing time#

The “plays for 20 hours” in the description is measured at medium volume. Turn it all the way up and that number halves. So the mAh figure is more telling: 1200 mAh in a small speaker lasts an evening, while 6000-8000 mAh lasts a full day out.

Check the charging port as well. New models come with Type-C, while cheap older ones still have micro-USB.

Water protection: reading the IPX number#

IPX4 survives splashes and rain. IPX5 survives a direct jet of water, so you can use it by a pool or in a bathroom. IPX6 and above survive a strong jet of water. None of these ratings means you can submerge the speaker: for that you need IPX7, and it will be stated separately in the description.

TWS: pairing two speakers#

TWS lets you pair two identical speakers and split them into left and right. The result is stereo, and the sound spreads more widely across the room. Two 10 W speakers usually sound better than one 20 W speaker. If you plan to buy a second one later, take a model that says TWS, otherwise they will not pair.

All models are in the speakers and sound systems section. For listening in a noisy place, wireless earbuds may suit you better than a speaker.

Real prices (Dona, September 2026)#

Prices are taken from the app catalogue as of 10 September 2026. A seller can change a price at any time; the current price and availability are shown on the product page in the app.

• Hoco HC46 — 7 W, TWS, 1200 mAh, AUX/USB/TF — 92,000 UZS. The cheapest entry point.
• Borofone BR105 — 10 W, TWS, FM, 1500 mAh, 5 hours — 98,000 UZS.
• Hoco HC16 Vocal — 10 W, 1200 mAh, FM/AUX/TF, LED — 134,000 UZS. For the kitchen.
• Awei KA9 — 15 W, IPX5, TWS, RGB — 242,000 UZS. For a small gathering.
• Awei Y370 — 20 W, IPX6, TWS — 346,000 UZS. For the yard and poolside.
• Awei KA11 — 30 W, TWS, water-resistant — 595,000 UZS.
• Awei KA39 — 100 W, 8000 mAh, 20 hours, IPX5 — 850,000 UZS. For trips and open spaces.
• Awei KA28 — 50 W, 7200 mAh, IPX5, RGB — 903,000 UZS.
• Yesido YSW45 — 120 W, 6000 mAh, IPX5, with a microphone — 1,309,000 UZS. If you need a microphone.

Why choose a speaker in a live stream#

You cannot choose a speaker from a photo, because a photo makes no sound. In a live stream the seller switches the speaker on, starts at low volume and then turns it all the way up, and you compare by ear whether the sound distorts at high volume and whether the bass comes through. You can also ask them to play two models side by side. Typing “turn it all the way up” in the chat tells you more than any number in the description.