
The speakers can make or break your music experience. The market is saturated with a range of options to enhance your listening experience, making it important to find the right fit for your needs. Whether you’re looking for portable speakers to carry around for your next adventure or a boombox for immersive wholesome sound, there’s something out there for everyone. Here are eight of the best wireless speakers to look out for.
Ultimate Ears Boom 3
The Ultimate Ears Bloom 3 is a portable and lightweight speaker with an IP67 rating, and features like waterproof, dust resistant, and extra rugged look. Weighing 1.3 pounds, this lightweight speaker offers a battery life of up to 15 hours, making it a great choice for all your needs. The speaker costs around $149.99 and offers Bluetooth connectivity, alongside customization options for one-touch playlists on several platforms.
Sonos Roam
The small but powerful Sonos Roam weighs less than a pound (0.95 lbs) and features an ergonomic design with a rechargeable battery and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. The speaker syncs with digital assistants, and is drop-proof and waterproof with an IP67 rating, and costs around $179, with a battery life of up to 10 hours.
Sonos Move
The Sonos Move is ideal for a sound system built throughout the house. Weighing 6.6 pounds, the speaker is strong by itself but can be linked with other Sonos devices to customize an immersive sound experience with easy voice control. The speaker costs about $398, has an IP56 rating, and a battery life of up to 11 hours, with connectivity to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
Anker Soundcore Flare 2
Looking for a speaker to elevate your pool parties? The Anker Soundcore Flare 2 has an IPX7 rating, making it the perfect companion by the pool. It costs $79.99 and has a battery that lasts up to 12 hours. What sets it apart from other speakers is its beat-driven light that pulses with the rhythm of the music, taking your waterside soiree up a notch.
Bose Portable Smart Speaker
The Bose Portable Smart Speaker is a wireless Bluetooth home speaker with voice control. It weighs 2.34 pounds and has a battery life of up to 12 hours. Rated IPX4, the speaker is durable and water resistant, and costs around $399. You can also choose to sync it with other Bose speakers or sound bars for multi-room listening.
JBL Clip 4
The JBL Clip 4 weighs 0.5 pounds and has an IP67 rating, making it waterproof and dustproof. The tiny smart speaker can easily be clipped onto your bags to carry on vacation or to the beach and offers a decent sound quality for its size. It is also cost-effective, priced at $49.99, and available in a range of colors.
Vizio Sound Bar
The Vizio Sound Bar weighs 15.9 pounds and offers great aesthetics and power. It is priced at around $299.99, and can be used to stream music wirelessly from any smart device and is easy to set up and use.
Sony SRS-XB12
The Sony SRS-XB12 is a small but mighty speaker that delivers powerful sound and boasts up to 16 hours of playtime. It weighs a mere 0.67 pounds, has an IP67 rating, and costs around $60, making it a great option in the range of cost-effective portable speakers.
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Your guide to getting FHA loan approvals
Read moreA Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan is a type of mortgage which is insured by the FHA and is considered one of the most affordable and fastest loans to procure.
Simply put, the borrower needs to be approved by the FHA to get this loan. You may then look for different mortgage rates with different FHA-approved lenders. There are plenty of portals which may help you get fast quotes and you may subsequently take the process ahead with any lender whose rates you have found affordable.
Important guidelines to get an FHA loan approval
Discussed below are a few important aspects to keep in mind while applying for an FHA loan.Credit score
The credit score requirement to get an FHA loan approval is not stringent. The minimum eligible credit score for the same is 580. Even if you do not have a credit history, your lender will need to evaluate your eligibility, based on a non-traditional merged credit. Some borrowers may require a score of 640-680 to be eligible for this loan.While this is a guideline set, many lenders also give a loan to people with a credit score of at least 500.
Debt to income ratio
The debt to income ratio is a critical guideline followed by lenders to evaluate the eligibility of a borrower. It is a way in which lenders (even mortgage lenders) calculate a borrower’s ability to repay the debts, considering their regular incomes. The acceptable limit of this ratio is 31:43 to get an FHA loan approval.Mortgage insurance
Even though getting an approval for an FHA loan seems fairly easy, the real challenge arises in getting two types of mortgage insurances as prerequisites. One insurance needs to be paid fully while the other has to have a provision of being paid in monthly installments.Down payment
The minimum down payment required for an FHA loan approval is 3.5%. While the standard rate for down payment runs at 20%, the 3.5% comes as a great relief for borrowers who cannot afford such a high amount.Other important areas
A lender will look into your employment history, lawful residency in the US, as well as a valid Social Security number (SSN). You would also require to have an appraisal for the property from a verified FHA-approved appraiser.The other requirements differ from lender to lender, and it is always advisable to gather full information about your verified FHA loan lender before applying for a loan.
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3 ways SMA patients and caregivers can maintain a healthy relationship
Read moreThe relationship between a person diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and their caregiver is a two-way street. It is important to remember that both the patient and caregiver have their individual needs that should be communicated clearly. Irrespective of whether the primary caregiver is a parent, friend, or someone who has been hired to take care of the SMA patient, there are a few important things to consider for a healthy relationship between them. Below are three tips for SMA patients to maintain a healthy relationship with their caregivers-
- Informing the caregiver in advance about any schedule changes
SMA patients should remember that their caregivers, whether family, friends or professional caregivers, have their own schedules and needs. One needs to ensure that they don’t make any last-minute changes without informing the caregiver well in advance. A caregiver plans everything according to the SMA patient’s schedule, and any sudden changes might cause problems with the caregiver’s schedule and routine. It is important to remember that the caregiver is likely to have other jobs, people to meet, and other personal errands of their own. Hence, it is essential to inform the caregiver in advance if there are any changes to one’s schedule.
- Conveying one’s needs clearly
If an SMA patient is hiring someone through an agency or via the Internet, it is vital to know that the caregiver has probably had clients with a wide range of needs, levels of independence, and abilities. Hence, it is necessary for the patient to inform the caregiver about what their specific needs are, what tasks they can do, and what tasks they cannot perform. The best way that a caregiver will be able to help a patient properly and cater to all their needs is by just communicating with them. If one is used to doing certain things in a particular manner, let the caregiver know that beforehand so that they are able to do their job thoroughly by keeping their patient’s needs in mind.
- It is okay to have disagreements with the caregiver
When the caregiver is a friend or family member, fights and arguments are inevitable. However, when one has a fight, a confusion, a misunderstanding, or whether there is a simple disagreement with one’s caregiver, one needs to ensure that this tension does not last. It is important to communicate openly and work together towards solving the problem.
- Informing the caregiver in advance about any schedule changes