The iPhone 6 Plus Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Last month, my two-year contract with Verizon finally expired so I treated myself to an iPhone 6 Plus. The phone had already been out for about two months at that point, so I knew what to expect.

In terms of sheer size and quality, the iPhone 6 Plus' giant screen was a huge improvement over my iPhone 5, which now feels as tiny as a Tic-Tac.

The battery life lasts almost two days even after long phone calls and frequent Bluetooth use. The camera quality has significantly improved, too. These are all things I expected, and they're a large part of the reason I bought the phone in the first place.

But, after using the phone for almost a month, I was pleasantly surprised to discover something that impressed me even more: the phone's speakers.

The speakers on the iPhone 6 Plus are incredibly loud, clear, and vibrant. Since I don't own any speaker accessories for the iPhone 6 Plus, I typically use my MacBook Pro to listen to music and podcasts aloud. Recently, however, I decided to use my iPhone 6 Plus instead, and it's worked better than I ever would have expected.

With the volume turned up to its maximum setting, I'm able to distinctly hear music and podcasts in a medium sized room (roughly about 8 x 9 ft). The sound is so boisterous you can hear it in the next room over, too.

It's not just the volume though — with the iPhone 6 Plus, you don't get that shallow, tinny sound I've experienced with other phones in the past (and trust me, I've tested a lot of phones). I still think the HTC One is the best phone you can buy if you care about audio quality, but the iPhone 6 Plus is a welcome second, and it's a bit louder too.

Some reviews have criticized Apple for placing the speakers on the iPhone 6 Plus at the bottom of the phone rather than on the front, which means if you're watching a video in landscape mode your hand may cover them. That may be true, but if you're resting your phone on your desk or dresser while your cleaning your room or on your coffee table while hanging out with friends, the sound is excellent.

To be clear: yes, you'll still need to connect your phone to external speakers if you plan to host a party or need something particularly loud. Otherwise, if it's just you and or a small group, the iPhone 6 Plus will do just fine without any accessories or party tricks.