Editor’s note: this review was updated on April 2, 2021, to include a microphone demo and poll and add technical information. A soft-touch rubberized finish, identical to the Bose SoundLink Color II, makes it easy to grip while protecting it from the environment.
When out of the water, the Micro’s microphone effectively registers voices for smart assistant requests and phone calls. The latch secures into a cutout built into the back of the speaker, which keeps things nice and tidy.
This nifty feature lets you stream music from your computer while keeping an ear on notifications from your smartphone. This isn’t a deal-breaker but can be annoying at times, especially when you don’t know if it’s just a latency issue or if Google Assistant didn’t hear you.
You can even use Party Mode to listen in stereo, so long as you place the speakers far enough apart. You also get other features from the Bose Connect app like an auto-off timer, virtual volume controls, and more.
While all of these things are nice to have, the main reason you should get the Bose Connect app is for access to firmware updates. On the flip side, users can simultaneously play music while charging if at home or using a portable power pack. Its minuscule size is misleading since the SoundLink Micro is able to pump out unexpectedly strong bass. The Bose SoundLink Micro can easily fill a dorm room or medium-sized living space with music.
With a speaker like the Micro, volume likely takes precedence over clarity allowing for difficult-to-differentiate notes to be forgiven. The Bose SoundLink Micro is a rare breed of Bluetooth speaker that includes an integrated microphone system, which is great but it doesn’t sound spectacular. Low and midrange vocal frequencies are attenuated which can make you sound a bit unnatural. Take a listen to and rate the demo below, doing so really helps other readers understand how the mic compares to a wide variety of products.
Bose SoundLink Micro Bluetooth Speaker
For SoundLink Micro, we’ve stretched beyond the required testing parameters — in this case an IP67-rated product — to ensure that your speaker will long outlast an accidental drop into water or getting exposed to a dust storm.
Bose SoundLink Micro review: A nice price cut makes it even better
In the US and Australia, the price of the SoundLink Micro has dropped $10 and AU$20, respectively, in recent weeks. That’s not a huge price cut — you’re still paying a premium for the Bose name and this speaker’s portability — but it’s a welcome move in the right direction. Available in three color options — black, midnight blue and bright orange — the SoundLink Micro is IPX7 certified, which means it’s totally waterproof and can be completely submerged.
Enlarge Image The bass port on the bottom of the speaker along with the flexible rubber strap.
It doesn’t offer the sound quality of Bose’s larger, more expensive Bluetooth speakers, including the SoundLink Mini 2. But in terms of low-end performance it delivers significantly more bass and volume than JBL’s Clip 2 and other essentially pocketable speakers.
I didn’t think it outclassed larger, similarly priced speakers like the JBL Flip 4 or the Bose SoundLink Color II, which is about a third more expensive.
Bose Soundlink Micro Bluetooth Speaker Review
The Bose Soundlink Micro is the new ultra-portable Bluetooth speaker synonymous with home audio and noise-canceling headphones. It can usually be found around the $100 price point and is available online and inside most high street electronic stores and airports worldwide. It really seems that the segment has improved exponentially over the past few years, so we were excited to review this little Bose unit given the companies pedigree in sound.
The Soundlink Micro is a tiny, pocketable Bluetooth speaker that is extremely rugged in its design and waterproof with an IPX7 rating. Ports are well protected with a rubber flap that will stop both dust and water ingress, and I also like that the speaker grills are also made from the same material as the housing. Ergonomically it fits great in hand, and its small size and equal dimensions make it easy to pack, and it’s even slim enough to be truly pocketable.
Water-resistance is fine, we dunked it and sprayed it, and after a quick shake-off, the water cleared from the drivers, and the sound quality was back to normal. Highs are dialed back to remain smooth and provide fewer high-end peaks than we have seen on similar past speakers. The sound is enough to fill a small room, but it will get drowned out in larger environments, and pushing the volume limit past 85% will degrade the quality of the output. All readers at Audiophile On probably know by now how much I loved the original Minirigs 2 speaker, and I still do, but for on-the-go use, it really is hard to look past the companies latest offering.
You can read the full review here, but to summarise, in giving up IPX7 waterproof rating (the Minirigs is only water-resistant), voice controls, and a little bit of size, you get a whole lot back in return.
Bose launches SoundLink Flex waterproof wireless speaker
Bose has crammed the device with dual opposing passive radiators that deliver “deep, rich tones”, while new proprietary Bose PositionIQ tech automatically detects the speaker’s orientation, ensuring a lifelike sound whether the Flex is hanging by its loop or laid flat. Bose has finished the case in a super-tough powder coating that is resistant to UV light and corrosion, so it won’t peel or flake in blistering sun or icy conditions.
The SoundLink Flex can remember up to eight recently connected Bluetooth devices, so it should be easy to switch between the the phones, tablets and laptops that pepper most households. There’s the option to pair the SoundLink Flex with another Bose Bluetooth speaker for stereo sound or simultaneous playback.
Bose SoundLink Micro review: The rugged speaker you can take anywhere
It’s a square-shaped, rubberised speaker about the size of your palm, has soft, rounded corners and edges, and is designed for those who want to take their music on-the-go. For a more portable solution, the Philips BT3900 EverPlay is a pocket-friendly Bluetooth speaker with an impressive sound for £50, and with an IP57 rating can be submerged in water up to 1m for 30mins.
It weighs only 290g, making it easy to carry around, and it’s clad in a soft-touch, impact-resistant rubber that feels wonderfully silky under your finger. Alongside the speaker grille located at the front of the speaker, there’s a microphone for taking calls and a set of three buttons: plus and minus buttons for volume adjustment and a multifunction key, which can be used to activate Siri or Google Assistant on iPhones and Android devices and play or pause music.
You also get an audio cue when you switch on the speaker, informing you of the remaining percentage, and that’s important because the battery isn’t the longest lasting. Around the back of the speaker, you’ll find a “tear-resistant strap” that allows you to attach it to your messenger bag, your belt or even your bike’s handlebars.
However, unlike the UE Wonderboom, it doesn’t float, so make sure you’re prepared to fish it out from the bottom of the swimming pool if you drop it. The lower mids are also affected by the wobbly mid-bass response, but although vocals are acceptable, the high-frequencies are ear-piercingly sibilant and I found it painful to listen to at higher volumes. With songs that require a good soundstage, such as Pharrell Williams’ “Gust Of Wind”, the SoundLink Micro jumbles the vocals, instruments and percussions all into one messy sound.
Bose SoundLink Micro Review
As a result, it has to downmix stereo content into mono to play it, which doesn’t create the most immersive listening experience.
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