While there are many makes and models of wireless speakers you can break them all down into specific types that are designed for a specific function. Here is a listing of the four major types of wireless speakers and their purpose.
Surround Sound
Speakers and speaker systems that are designed for wireless surround sound are designed to solve one of the most annoying problems any home theater enthusiast has. How to set up rear speakers without running cables all over the place? Wireless surround sound speakers can eliminate that particular problem and there are a couple standard configurations you will see. The first is a purely wireless solution where you connect a transmitter device to the rear speaker connections on your home theater system, and it communicates wirelessly to the two rear speakers directly. Those rear speakers can be either battery powered or plug into a wall outlet. This type of setup is best if you really can’t stand any cables and you want to make rear sound as wireless as possible. An example of this speaker type is the Acoustic Research AW-871.
The second type of wireless surround sound solution still involves a transmitter that connects to your home theater system. The difference is that the rear speakers are generally connected to some sort of receiving unit that has an amplifier in it. Often the speakers themselves are not wireless but are connected with traditional speaker cable to the receiving unit. The primary goal is still achieved though which is eliminating the long run of speaker cable from the front of the room to the back. The advantage with this type of solution is that you can usually have more power going to the rear speakers and you can make use of the rear speakers you may already have had with your home theater system. Examples of this type of solution are the Rocketfish RF-WHTIB, JBL On Air Control Wireless Speakers, or the Bose SL2 Wireless Surround Link.
Indoor/Outdoor Entertainment
When you want to have music for entertaining guests at a party, out by the pool or hot tub, or maybe some relaxation background music while you sit on your patio, you want wireless speakers that are mobile and can stand up to the elements. The key things people look for in this type of speaker are of course weather-resistance, reasonable sound quality, battery power, and good range. Since the music source may be in the living room you want to make sure that the signal reaches out to wherever you are entertaining or relaxing. You can pretty much find indoor/outdoor wireless speakers to fit any environment, including speakers you can throw in the pool like the Grace Aqua Sounder or the Audio Unlimited poolPOD. Other speakers that work well in this category are the single speaker self-contained units like the Rocketfish RF-WS02 and the Sharper Image LP 115BMS.
Personal Speakers
Wireless speakers that fall into the personal category are those that are best used in situations where only one or at most a handful of people will be listening to them. Often this means speakers for use on a desk or workspace that give the user some extra sound or allow them to listen to an iPod without headphones or a tangle of wires. Another common usage for this type of speaker is for those that are hard of hearing but still live with others. Having a wireless speaker nearby the person who has hearing trouble allows them to adjust the sound for their benefit without having to turn the main TV volume up and blast everyone out of the room. Wireless headphones would also work in this scenario but are not always comfortable for someone to wear while watching TV. You’ll find wireless speakers like the Rocketfish RF-WS01, Sony SRS BTM30, or the EOS Wireless Speaker System work very well in this type of scenario.
Proprietary Wireless Speakers
Wireless speakers that fall into this category are designed by specific manufacturers to work only with the same brand of audio equipment. Often the company leverages equipment specific technology to allow for greater sound quality or wireless clarity. These speakers will only work if you already own a compatible stereo system but they are generally high quality solutions such as the Bose AL8 Wireless Audio Link or the Sony AIR-SA10 and AIR-SA15R.