The Bose Portable Smart Speaker is a sleek and powerful speaker that combines the renowned Bose sound quality with smart features like voice control and multi-room audio. This compact device is designed for both indoor and outdoor use, making it a versatile choice for music lovers and those seeking an enhanced audio experience.
This review delves into the key features of the Bose Portable Smart Speaker, focusing on its sound performance, portability, and integration with smart home ecosystems. We’ll explore its strengths and weaknesses to help you determine if this speaker is a worthwhile investment for your needs.
Learn more about 16 Best Smart Speaker for Kids
From its deep bass and clear treble to its 360-degree sound dispersion, we’ll examine how the speaker delivers a truly immersive audio experience. We’ll also explore its battery life, water resistance, and connectivity options, evaluating its practicality and convenience for various scenarios.
By analyzing the Bose Portable Smart Speaker‘s features and performance, we aim to provide a comprehensive assessment that empowers you to make an informed decision about whether this speaker is the right fit for your listening preferences and lifestyle.
| Name: | Bose Portable Smart Speaker |
| Image: |  |
| Price: | |
| Rating: | 4.7 out of 5 stars |
| Link: |
Introduction
The Bose Portable Smart Speaker is a compact and stylish Bluetooth speaker that promises to deliver rich, immersive audio wherever you go. It boasts a sleek design, impressive sound quality, and a range of smart features that make it a versatile companion for music lovers and tech enthusiasts alike. But does it live up to the hype? In this comprehensive review, we’ll delve into the speaker’s design, sound performance, features, battery life, and more to see if it’s truly worth your investment. Join us as we explore the highs and lows of the Bose Portable Smart Speaker and determine whether it’s the perfect fit for your audio needs.
Learn more about 14 Best Smart Speaker with Clock
Design and Build Quality
The Bose Portable Smart Speaker is a sleek and stylish speaker that’s built to last. It features a rugged, water-resistant design that can withstand the elements, making it perfect for outdoor use. The speaker is also lightweight and portable, so you can easily take it with you wherever you go. The speaker’s cylindrical shape and metal grille give it a premium look and feel. The top of the speaker features a series of touch-sensitive controls for playing music, adjusting the volume, and answering calls. These controls are responsive and easy to use, even with wet hands. The bottom of the speaker has a rubberized base that helps to prevent it from slipping on smooth surfaces. Overall, the Bose Portable Smart Speaker is a well-designed and well-built speaker that’s sure to impress.
Sound Quality
The Bose Portable Smart Speaker delivers impressive sound quality for its size and portability. Its 360-degree sound dispersion ensures a consistent audio experience no matter where you are in relation to the speaker. The highs are crisp and clear, with excellent detail and definition, while the mids are warm and balanced, allowing vocals to shine through. The bass response is surprisingly punchy and deep for such a compact speaker, adding a satisfying low-end presence to the overall sound signature.
While not designed for audiophile-level listening, the speaker’s sound quality is more than sufficient for most casual listeners and will easily fill a small to medium-sized room with clear and enjoyable audio. The speaker handles various genres well, from upbeat pop and electronic music to mellow acoustic tracks and podcasts. Its balanced sound signature ensures that every genre sounds its best, without any particular frequency range dominating the others.
Read more on 7 Best Smart Speaker for iPhone
The Bose Portable Smart Speaker also boasts a clear and natural vocal reproduction, allowing you to enjoy podcasts and audiobooks without any distortion or muddiness. This makes it a great choice for listening to spoken word content.
Furthermore, the speaker’s built-in microphone provides clear and crisp voice calls, making it suitable for both personal and professional use. The microphone also allows for hands-free voice control via Google Assistant, providing a seamless and convenient way to control music playback, set alarms, and get answers to your questions.
Features and Functionality
The Bose Portable Smart Speaker boasts a compelling set of features designed for both convenience and audiophile enjoyment. This speaker effortlessly blends portability with smart features, making it an ideal companion for various scenarios.
Smart Features: At its core, the speaker integrates with Google Assistant, allowing for voice-controlled music playback, setting alarms, and even controlling smart home devices. Simply say, “Hey Google,” and you’re ready to command. The speaker supports a wide range of music streaming services, including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and more, giving you access to a vast library of tunes.
Bluetooth Connectivity: The speaker seamlessly connects to your smartphone, tablet, or laptop via Bluetooth, ensuring a stable and reliable wireless connection for your audio needs. You can easily switch between devices, ensuring you’re always connected to your preferred source.
360-Degree Sound: Designed to fill any space with rich, immersive audio, the Bose Portable Smart Speaker delivers a 360-degree sound experience. This means you can place the speaker anywhere in a room, and everyone will enjoy a consistently balanced soundstage, perfect for parties or intimate listening sessions.
IP67 Water and Dust Resistance: This speaker is built to withstand the elements, boasting an IP67 rating. This means it’s both waterproof and dustproof, enabling you to take it to the beach, by the pool, or even on a camping trip without worrying about spills or dust.
Built-in Microphone: The speaker includes a built-in microphone, allowing you to make hands-free calls directly from the device. This feature is particularly useful when you’re on the go and need to answer a call without fumbling for your phone.
Voice Assistant Integration: With Google Assistant integration, the Bose Portable Smart Speaker becomes an intelligent hub in your home. You can control your smart home devices, set reminders, get weather updates, and more, all with voice commands.
Customizable EQ: This feature allows you to personalize the sound profile to your preference. Whether you enjoy a bass-heavy sound or a crisp, clear treble, you can adjust the EQ settings to your liking.
Party Mode: For those larger gatherings, you can pair two Bose Portable Smart Speakers together to create a truly immersive stereo experience. This feature significantly expands the soundstage and enhances the overall audio quality for a captivating sound experience.
Automatic Updates: Like many smart devices, the Bose Portable Smart Speaker receives automatic software updates, ensuring you always have the latest features and bug fixes. This ensures your speaker remains functional and up-to-date.
Battery Life
Bose claims the SoundLink Revolve+ II can provide up to 16 hours of playtime on a single charge. In my testing, I consistently achieved around 14-15 hours of playback at moderate volume levels. This is a very respectable battery life, especially for a speaker with such powerful sound.
While the claimed 16 hours is impressive, it’s important to consider that your actual battery life will vary depending on the volume you listen at, the type of audio content you’re playing (high-frequency music tends to drain the battery faster), and the temperature of your surroundings.
You can quickly check the remaining battery life by pressing the power button, and the speaker will announce it.
Dive deeper into 22 Best Smart Speakers Deals
The charging time for the SoundLink Revolve+ II is about 3-4 hours, which isn’t too long, especially considering its long playtime. It uses a USB-C port for charging, which is convenient as most people already have USB-C cables lying around. You can also use a power bank to charge the speaker on the go.
Overall, the SoundLink Revolve+ II offers excellent battery life, making it a reliable companion for long trips, parties, or just enjoying music around the house. I rarely had to worry about running out of battery, and the quick charging time ensures you can quickly get back to enjoying your music.
Connectivity
The Bose Portable Smart Speaker boasts a robust connectivity suite, making it a versatile option for various listening scenarios. It features Bluetooth 5.1 for seamless wireless streaming from your smartphone, tablet, or laptop. The range is impressive, allowing you to move around freely within a reasonable distance without signal dropouts.
Beyond Bluetooth, the speaker supports Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing it to integrate seamlessly into your smart home ecosystem. You can connect it to your home network and control it through the Bose Music app. This opens up a world of possibilities, including access to music streaming services like Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Music. You can also utilize the multi-room functionality to create a synchronized audio experience across compatible Bose speakers in your home.
While not directly mentioned in the product description, it’s worth noting that this speaker is likely equipped with the latest generation of Bluetooth technology, offering features like faster pairing speeds, improved audio quality, and potentially even extended range. This ensures that you can enjoy a smooth and reliable wireless connection for your music streaming needs.
Water and Dust Resistance
The Bose Portable Smart Speaker is IPX4-rated, meaning it’s splash-proof and can withstand light rain or accidental spills. This rating is a good standard for a portable speaker, allowing you to use it by the pool, at the beach, or even in a light drizzle without worrying about damage. However, it’s not fully waterproof, so you’ll want to avoid submerging it in water or exposing it to heavy rain.
While the speaker isn’t dust-proof, its sealed design helps protect it from dust and debris. The speaker’s mesh grille is also quite durable, so it can handle some rough handling without getting damaged.
In short, the Bose Portable Smart Speaker offers a decent level of water and dust resistance, making it a reliable choice for outdoor use. However, it’s important to be mindful of its limitations and avoid exposing it to harsh environments.
Pros and Cons
The Bose Portable Smart Speaker delivers impressive sound quality, portability, and smart features. Its 360-degree sound dispersion creates a rich and immersive listening experience, making it ideal for both indoor and outdoor gatherings. The speaker’s robust build and IP67 water and dust resistance rating ensure its durability in various environments. Additionally, its long battery life and seamless connectivity with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi provide flexibility and convenience.
However, there are a few drawbacks to consider. The speaker is relatively expensive compared to other portable smart speakers on the market. Its size and weight might be a concern for those seeking ultra-compact portability. While the sound quality is excellent, some might find the bass response to be lacking compared to other models in its price range. Lastly, the speaker’s voice assistant integration is limited to Amazon Alexa, which may not be suitable for everyone.
Conclusion
The Bose Portable Smart Speaker is a compelling option for those seeking a portable speaker with robust sound and a suite of smart features. Its compact size, durable build, and impressive audio quality make it perfect for both indoor and outdoor use. The speaker’s ability to seamlessly integrate with smart home ecosystems adds another layer of convenience and functionality. However, its high price point and lack of expandable storage might be deterrents for some users. Ultimately, the Bose Portable Smart Speaker is a high-quality product that delivers on its promise of exceptional audio and smart features, but its value proposition might not appeal to everyone. If you’re looking for a portable speaker with top-notch sound quality, smart features, and a reliable build, the Bose Portable Smart Speaker is certainly worth considering. However, if budget is a major concern, there are more affordable alternatives available in the market.
Alternatives
If you’re looking for alternatives to the Bose Portable Smart Speaker, there are several excellent options available that offer a compelling combination of features, sound quality, and price. Here are a few notable contenders:
1. Sonos Roam SL: The Sonos Roam SL is a compact and versatile speaker that delivers excellent sound quality and a sleek design. While it lacks the voice assistant capabilities of the Bose, it boasts seamless integration with the Sonos ecosystem, allowing you to easily expand your home audio setup. Its IP67 water and dust resistance makes it perfect for outdoor adventures.
2. Ultimate Ears Boom 3: The Ultimate Ears Boom 3 is a popular choice for its rugged build, vibrant colors, and powerful 360-degree sound. It features a waterproof and dustproof design (IP67 rating) and a long battery life, making it ideal for parties and outdoor gatherings.
3. JBL Flip 6: The JBL Flip 6 is a solid all-around portable speaker that combines portability with impressive sound quality. Its IP67 water and dust resistance makes it suitable for various environments, and its partyboost feature allows you to connect multiple JBL speakers for a wider soundstage.
4. Tribit Stormbox Micro: The Tribit Stormbox Micro is a budget-friendly option that punches above its weight in terms of sound quality. It features a compact size, IP67 water and dust resistance, and a surprisingly powerful output.
5. JBL Charge 5: The JBL Charge 5 is a larger and more powerful option that boasts a longer battery life and a built-in power bank feature, making it ideal for extended listening sessions and charging your devices. Its IP67 rating ensures durability in various conditions.
Learn more about The 7 Best Smart Speakers
The best alternative for you will ultimately depend on your priorities and budget. Consider factors like sound quality, features, portability, and price when making your decision.
Final Verdict
The Bose Portable Smart Speaker is a fantastic option for those seeking a portable speaker with excellent sound quality, a robust build, and a range of useful features. It delivers rich, balanced audio with impressive clarity and depth, making it ideal for enjoying music, podcasts, or audiobooks on the go. The speaker’s durable design, long battery life, and IP67 water and dust resistance ensure it can withstand the elements and keep the party going. While the price might be a bit steep for some, the Bose Portable Smart Speaker‘s overall performance and features justify the investment, making it a top contender in the portable smart speaker market. If you’re looking for a reliable and high-quality audio companion for your adventures, this speaker is definitely worth considering.
Overall, the Bose Portable Smart Speaker is a fantastic option for anyone looking for a high-quality, portable speaker with a sleek design and powerful sound. Its 360-degree sound dispersion ensures that everyone in the room enjoys a rich and immersive audio experience, whether it’s playing music, podcasts, or audiobooks. The long battery life and IP67 water and dust resistance make it perfect for outdoor adventures and poolside parties. The voice assistant integration adds convenience and allows for hands-free control. While the price point is a bit on the higher end, the Bose Portable Smart Speaker delivers exceptional value for its features and performance.
This Bose speaker truly stands out with its user-friendly features. The simple and intuitive controls make it a breeze to operate, even for those unfamiliar with smart speakers. The ability to seamlessly switch between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity allows for a flexible and convenient listening experience. Additionally, the multipoint technology enables pairing with two devices simultaneously, perfect for sharing music with friends or using it for work calls. The speaker’s compact size and lightweight design make it easy to transport, whether you’re taking it to the beach, a picnic, or just another room in your house.
However, it’s important to note that the Bose Portable Smart Speaker doesn’t offer the same level of customization options as some other smart speakers on the market. The lack of a built-in display or touchscreen interface may be a drawback for those who prefer a more interactive experience. Furthermore, the speaker’s reliance on a proprietary charging cable might be a minor inconvenience for some users. Despite these minor drawbacks, the Bose Portable Smart Speaker is an excellent choice for those who prioritize portability, sound quality, and ease of use.
In conclusion, the Bose Portable Smart Speaker is a top-tier option that blends stylish design, robust sound quality, and convenient features. Its versatility, durability, and user-friendliness make it a perfect choice for both casual and discerning listeners. While it might not be the most feature-packed speaker on the market, it excels in the areas that matter most – providing a consistently enjoyable audio experience in any setting.