how to pair multiple Bluetooth speakers

Now that we store our playlists on our smartphones or tablets, a quality pair of wireless Bluetooth speakers are a must-have. These small, portable, battery-powered speakers let you enjoy amazing quality sound anywhere, and there are quite a few models that let you pair two or more two portable speakers for more immersive sound. You can even use portable Bluetooth speakers to set up a mini home stereo system or mini home theatre at home.

Why should you pair Bluetooth speakers?

bose speaker pairing

Bluetooth speaker are small enough to grab and go, making them a great choice for a small home theatre set up or a speaker system you can take with you on camping trips, vacations, or for parties. There are a few reasons why you’ll want to pair two or more Bluetooth speakers.

  • You can achieve dynamic sound quality with more than one speaker
  • With two or more Bluetooth speakers you can set up multi-room audio
  • You’ll enjoy hearing your music as you move from room to room in your house
  • Portable speakers are a great option for anyone who moves around a lot or who doesn’t have a lot of space for a home theatre
  • Set up is quick and easy
  • Bluetooth speakers are perfect for anyone who wants to enjoy great audio when they travel

While there are many benefits to pairing, one thing to keep in mind is that you’ll want to choose the highest quality Bluetooth speakers your budget will allow. If you pair multiple speakers with poor sound quality, they will definitely be louder, but they won’t sound better.

For more details on how to create a multi-room speaker setup, take a look at this article.

Which speaker brands are pairable?

While most speaker brands offer smart Bluetooth speakers, there are definitely some brands that stand out in terms of reliability and quality. Here are a few examples.

1. Ultimate Ears (UE)

UE speakers are designed to connect to the UE app. When you’d like to pair two or more UE speakers together all you have to do is tap the ‘Double Up’ feature.

2. JBL

Thanks to the technology built into JBL Speakers, connecting multiple speakers at once has never been easier. These speakers let you connect multiple devices via the JBL Connect app. They allow multiple Bluetooth connections so you can connect up to 3 smartphones or tablets to control your speaker setup.

3. Sony

Sony has been always been a household name, and their line of Bluetooth speakers makes it very easy to create a mini home stereo system. Depending on the model you choose, you can connect up to 10 speakers at one time. Some Sony party speakers also have colorful LED lights or sound effects to create a party atmosphere.

4. Bose

When it comes to sound quality, Bose is at the top of the class, and Bose portable speakers can actually pair with their home speakers. That means you can add your portable speaker to your home speakers when you’re at home for full multi-room audio and then take your portable speaker with you when you’re on the go.

Take a look at a detailed overview of Bluetooth speakers on the portable Bluetooth speakers buying guide. You can also see a great list of Bluetooth speakers in this article.

How to pair multiple Bluetooth speakers together

The first thing to keep in mind when pairing two or more Bluetooth speakers is that you almost always need to have two or more speakers from the same brand. With that in mind, the steps to pairing Bluetooth speakers is pretty simple and straightforward.

  1. Power the speakers on.
  2. Find the ‘pairing’ button on the speaker and press it. You may need to tap the pairing button on both speakers.
  3. Wait for the speaker to connect to your phone or app. Some speakers play a tone or sound so you know they have connected.
  4. If the speaker doesn’t connect, open your phone’s Bluetooth menu and look at the bottom for the name of the speaker. If you see it you can tap ‘Connect.’

Troubleshooting multiple Bluetooth speaker pairing

With the latest Bluetooth speakers, pairing should be quick and seamless. If you do have trouble pairing your speakers together, try moving them closer together. Once they find each other they will maintain their connection.

You’ll also want to keep in mind that some speakers may require you to pair them each time you use them together while some offer an auto pair function when both are powered on. You’ll want to check the features on the speakers you choose to confirm whether they offer auto-pair.

If you have trouble pairing, you may also want to check the battery levels of your speakers. They may need a quick charge to connect.

Use Bluetooth speakers together for stereo sound

Most of the speaker brands will let you alternate between playing the same audio on both speakers at once, and some will let you use them to create a surround sound system. Models that offer a stereo sound option will split up the left and right channels and play distinct audio on each. You can place the speakers on either side of the room or your TV and enjoy the full surround sound experience.

Upgrade to pairable Bluetooth speakers

Finding the right Bluetooth speaker for you depends on what you’re using the speaker for and what your must-haves are in terms of features. When choosing two or more portable Bluetooth speakers you’ll want to look at battery life, whether you need a water-resistant speaker for outdoor use, and how small and portable the speaker is. No matter what type you’re looking for, you’ll find a lot of great options at Best Buy.

Best Buy
Best Buy is one of Canada’s largest and most successful retailers, operating the Best Buy (www.bestbuy.ca), Best Buy Mobile, and Geek Squad (www.geeksquad.ca) brands.

34 COMMENTS

  1. WARNING – Forget about linking multiple Sony SRS-XB[2,3,4] series bluetooth speakers. If you look on the Apple store their “Sony Music Center” app which is required for linking, is the worst app and user experience most of those users have ever had. Read the reviews, and years later they simply havent fixed it.

    It doesn’t retain settings, or even work part of the time for most users. very sad for a brand as big as Sony who markets the linking ability to this day on new products such as SRS-XB41, yet the required app doesn’t deliver on the promise of easy or convenient linking.

    The article writer needs to do some lab testing before promoting Sony’s supposed linking ability. You should warn people, Not promote their disingenuous marketing.

    • We have 2 JBL Extreme speakers that will not pair with each other. They appear on my IPhone6 one will connect and when I try to pair it to the other JBL it disconnects and the other JBL connects but never the 2 together . Also the 2 JBL will not connect to my SONY Bravia XBR-55X850D TV, and I thought they would. Any thoughts/ ideas. Not to tech savoy but it seems it should be pretty straight forward.

  2. Howdy Steve, Thanks for perusing! I’m apprehensive I don’t have a smart response, as I’ve not had the option to get hands-on myself with any JBL sound apparatus. I prescribe connecting with them on Twitter to check whether they can help. What’s more, do post your answer. Perhaps it can help other people.

    • No. Maybe you should learn how to read first off, considering this is EXACTLY what the article says.

  3. Great article, thanks. In my case I need to find a way to play music over headphones and through a speaker simultaneously. I was using a splitter and wired devices to my iPhone and it was just fine, but my new phone has no headphone jack. Do you know if any of these brands make a speaker and headphones that will pair over bluetooth? Thanks!

  4. Im not sure if someone has asked this but would you be able to pair Two different wireless speakers of the same brand? Ex. JBL flip + JBL Extreme?

  5. Hi there!

    Interesting read.
    I was wondering whether there is a way to pair 2 or more ‘JBL Go’ speakers to one essemble of speakers, as they are really cute and affordable and have a GREAT sound. Any input is appreciated =]

    Nice day!

  6. How to connect random Bluetooth chipsests with one Android phone. Pls let me know I am building up a project so I need help.

  7. Can I place songs on any wireless speaker if I don’t have a smartphone or tablet an all I have is a laptop pc?

    • Hi Ryan, as far as I know many of these speakers do not have internal storage. But any device with Bluetooth should be able to connect. -Erin

  8. I am trying I am trying to pair to JBL link 20 and have no success can somebody help please before I throw these things out the window???

  9. Hi there!

    Interesting read.
    I was wondering whether there is a way to pair 2 or more ‘JBL Go’ speakers to one essemble of speakers, as they are really cute and affordable and have a GREAT sound. Any input is appreciated =]

    Nice day!

  10. Hi Erin. You mentioned jbl’s flip speaker in your article. I have two of The Flip 3 and managed to get them to play dual mono. I can’t figure out how to get them to play In Stereo. Any ideas? Thanks. I enjoy your articles.

    • Hi Steve, Thanks for reading! I’m afraid I don’t have a good answer, as I’ve not been able to get hands-on myself with any JBL audio gear. I recommend reaching out to them on Twitter to see if they can help. And do post your answer. Maybe it can help others.

  11. i have 2 jbl Pulse 3’s and i can’t use them both on my pc at the same time. My pc has bluetooth capabilities can someone help me

    • Hi Ricky,

      I sent your question to the Home Audio team at Best Buy’s head office and they contacted JBL who sent this response:

      This is a common question we receive with regards to customers attempting to use portables as desktop computer speakers or TV speakers. This is not an issue with the portable speakers. This is an issue with the computer’s Bluetooth device capability. The customer would need to contact the computer manufacturer for support or a computer technician for assistance. Most of the time the issue is that the computers Bluetooth device does not support A2DP.

  12. I HAVE TO TWO”10″ BOSE SOUND TOUCH SPEAKERS. I CAN ONLY GET ONE SPEAKER TO WORK USING BLUETOOTH ON MY MAC DESKTOP AT A TIME, THEY WILL NOT PAIR. I HAVE SPENT HOURS AND HAVE TRIED ALMOST EVERYTHING. DOWNLOADED THEIR APP. STILL NO LUCK, RETURNING THEM FOR SOMETHING EASIER TO INSTALL.

    • Hi Ernesto,
      That’s disappointing and frustrating isn’t it. I hope you’re able to get something that works better for your needs.

  13. Bluetooth speakers are the ideal music accessory for the music lovers. With Bluetooth players you can share music with anyone around and they are easy to pair with any device plying music and having Bluetooth function. Of course there occurred a question in our mind that how to us it?… Nice to know about the the use of Bluetooth speakers. Informative article for us. Thank You…

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