Portable bluetooth speakers are a dime a dozen, unless of course you're looking for something a little different from the endless parade of cheap plastic clones that all sound fine until they inevitably fail due to impact or exposure to dust or fluids. We're not saying what kind of fluids, you'll know them when you see them.
The DreamWave Explorer, as the name suggests, goes farther than your average speaker. It starts with a hefty, 1.5lb solid construction that uses actual hex screws and solid plastics and rubber to armor the unit against the pitfalls of life. The Explorer is IPX5 compliant, basically resistant to splashing, sand and dust. It is not designed to be submerged, but it seems to withstand incidental water like rain well.
The Explorer has a nonskid rubber bottom with a screw-in camera mount, and the controls are housed on the top in the form of large rubberized buttons for power, bluetooth and volume. There is also a larger cover on the top for USB power out to charge other devices, line in and power in.
Volume is loud enough for small to medium rooms, and sound quality is good with a nice balance across the spectrum. The hands-free speakerphone works well, and a nice touch is the included handlebar mount that has both thin and thick pads to mix and match for the perfect fit. This will work not just on handlebars, but on any equivalent sized round-ish supports like tent poles, roof racks and the like.
Overall the Explorer does a good job in justifying its higher-than-average price with better-than-average features, so if you're looking for a tough little speaker with some mounting flexibility give the Explorer a listen.