Skip to main content Tom's Guide Tom's Guide Search Tom's Guide View Profile Newsletters Best Picks Entertainment Prime Day Deals Switch 2 Restock Walmart 4th of July Sale Galaxy Z Fold 7 Best Mattress Best laptops Wordle Today Recommended reading Bluetooth Speakers I tested 3 pairs of Bluetooth speakers to see how they sound in stereo mode — here's the one I'd recommend I just tested Sony's ULT Field 5 Bluetooth speaker, and now the party will never die I test Bluetooth speakers for a living — and this is my go-to compared to everything else Bluetooth Speakers My favorite Bluetooth speaker just crashed to its lowest ever price — the EarFun UBoom L is just $49 right now Bluetooth Speakers Best Bluetooth speakers 2025: Top models for great sound I set up an incredible Dolby Atmos soundbar experience in my living room — unfortunately, it's really annoying to live with Bluetooth Speakers I just found my perfect summer Bluetooth speaker — ground-shaking bass and it only costs $129 Bluetooth Speakers I tested this outdoor speaker system and it's the biggest garden upgrade I've ever made Tammy Rogers 33 minutes ago Music for everyone without the need for loud volumes When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Tom's Guide) It is summer! And if you're anything like me, that means barbeques in the sun, garden parties with friends, and loads and loads of outdoor music. After all — you can't have fun without blasting your favorite summery tunes and annoying the neighbours with your own rendition of "Summer Time." The latest addition to my summer time arsenal is one that's likely to stick around for a little while at this point as well. It's this, the Rocksteady Stadium 2.0. In my case, that's a set of four speaker units and subwoofer, but as we'll find out, it can be a whole lot more than that. Here's how it's made partying outside even better for me and my friends. Rocksteady Stadium 2.0 pack: was US$799 now US$599 at rocksteadyaudio.com This pack is the one that I tested out. It comes with a subwoofer unit, four separate stadium speaker units, and a carrying bag to transport them all in. It's become my summer companion for 2025 thanks to its wicked surround system, and I really like the stereo mode as well. This is the best way to get a good starter stadium system for less. Spreading the sound around (Image credit: Tom's Guide) Summer garden parties used to mean one thing — a massive speaker playing noisy music at top volume, while a garden full of people shouted, danced, and screamed away for hours. Things are different now, though. More refined. More mature. Latest Videos From Tom's Guide Tom's Guide You may like I tested 3 pairs of Bluetooth speakers to see how they sound in stereo mode — here's the one I'd recommend I just tested Sony's ULT Field 5 Bluetooth speaker, and now the party will never die I test Bluetooth speakers for a living — and this is my go-to compared to everything else We don't want to use a single speaker pumping out a single, loud volume that slowly gets quieter depending on where you are in the garden. We sit down around a small fire now, or next to a grill. I want music that's loud enough that I can hear it, without dominating 'interesting' conversations the group is having. That's just what the Rocksteady Stadium is all about. Essentially, you have a group of speakers that can connect together and play music nearer to groups of people, reducing the need for a single, louder speaker. We all get tunes, but the neighbours aren't disturbed. How simple is it? (Image credit: Tom's Guide) Connecting everything together is actually super easy. First off, you'll want to connect your first speaker. Turn it on at the back, wait for the Bluetooth pairing light to start flashing, and then find it in the pairing menu of your phone. You can now actually use this speaker as a standard Bluetooth speaker, if you'd like. But we want the whole setup working. Turn each speaker on, and then press the little antenna logo on the top of the unit. It'll sound a tone, search for a bit, and then connect to the waiting primary speaker. Do this one by one, including the subwoofer, and you're away. I've had one or two connection hiccups with the Stadium speakers, but overall connection has been relatively stable. There's no app to control everything, mind you. (Image credit: Tom's Guide) Once connected, you'll be in stadium mode — that means everything plays exactly the same thing, perfect for those chilled out parties that don't want tons of volume, just some nice musical accompaniment. There is a stereo mode if you want something more 'cinematic'. It's changed with a switch found under the charging door, where you choose the left or right channel for the speaker. This works best with two speakers, although you can use (two per channel) if you want more volume. There is, however, no spatial audio component — only stadium mode and stereo. How is to use? (Image credit: Tom's Guide) So we're all connected up and listening. I placed the speakers in a kind of square around our garden seating. There were five of us, although we were all relatively separated. I hit play on the playlist, set the volume to a level we were all comfortable with, and then just... left it to play. It was super cool. We're generally used to me carting some enormous Bluetooth speaker to functions, and then setting it a louder volume so those further away from the speaker can hear the music. With the stadium we were able to keep the volume fairly low without worrying it wasn't audible throughout the garden or that it was annoying the neighbors. (Image credit: Tom's Guide) As for the sound quality, things were pretty good too. I'm not sure I'd go quite as far as Rocksteady, which calls them 'HiFi sound", but they're more than adequate for the job they're supposed to do. The speakers themselves a mids-driven, and lack a little bass. Add in the subwoofer and things become a whole lot better. On the note of the sub — I think it might be the most impressive part of the package. Without getting too loud, it was perfectly hearable throughout the yard, effortlessly enhancing our listening with some extra low end. If you're thinking of getting a stadium system, it's a great addition. You can even add more for larger yards. The elephant in the room (Image credit: Tom's Guide) While my Stadium package came with a carrying case, I'm not sure they're quite as portable as Rocksteady would like you to believe. Fill that case with the four speakers and the subwoofer, and you've a package that weighs around 13 and a half pounds in total. That's a lot of weight to be carrying for any amount of time, and despite the padded carrying handle, I still struggled to keep the whole thing on my shoulder while transporting it from my house to my friends garden. Then there's the price. For the same price (if we take the $799 full price as a guide), you could get a pair of Sonos Move 2 speakers, or a few Ultimate Ears speakers in party mode. That could do a similar thing, and provide app support for different speakers. I'm not saying this is for everyone, but for me and my summer use case? I think it's great, especially with the subwoofer. Each speaker is compact and well made, and the whole ensemble does feel like it's worth the relatively lofty asking price. It's even better at the $599 you'll currently find it for. More from Tom's Guide I just tested these stunning earbuds — and they beat Bose and Sony on design and sound Best early Prime Day and 4th of July sales LIVE — 39+ deals I'd shop now on TVs, apparel, grills and more Samsung’s Galaxy G fold feels more like a proof of concept than an actual phone — here’s why Sign up to get the BEST of Tom's Guide direct to your inbox. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Tammy Rogers Social Links Navigation Audio Editor Tammy and her generous collection of headphones have found a new home — Tom's Guide! After a two-and-a-half-year stint as iMore's resident audiophile, Tammy's reviews and buying guide expertise have more focus than ever on Tom's Guide, helping buyers find the audio gear that works best for them. Tammy has worked with some of the most desirable audio brands on the planet in her time writing about headphones, speakers, and more, bringing a consumer focussed approach to critique and buying advice. Away from her desk, you'll probably find her in the countryside writing (extremely bad) poetry, or putting her screenwriting Masters to good use creating screenplays that'll never see the light of day. 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