Those modifications, plus a tweak to the design of the integrated protective cover/stand (it comes in leather or nylon) and the system’s ability to now remember up to six devices for automatic pairing, are the key updates. But the landscape has changed, with competition in the high-end Bluetooth speaker realm now more fierce than ever, with products such as the $300 Jawbone Big Jambox . As I said in my review of the original SoundLink Wireless Mobile, Bose seems to have taken a few design cues from Apple: along with the compact shape and clean, elegant design, the unit is equipped with a magnetic protective combined cover and stand that automatically turns the speaker off when closed.
Not surprisingly, Bose is selling additional nylon and leather covers in a wider variety of colors for $30 and $50, respectively, in case you want to make a change later.
But you get the leather cover from the get-go only if you step up to the higher-end version of speaker, which costs an extra $50 and has what the company calls an “automotive-grade” chrome trim. I assume Bose went with the new cover design so you could prop the speaker up in narrower spaces without having the stand extend back those few extra inches.
But while the SoundLink Bluetooth Mobile II speaker looks sleek, perhaps even a bit dainty, and would seem more suited to indoor listening, Bose has made a point of touting how durable and rugged the unit is. Note: In my tests with the original SoundLink Wireless Mobile I couldn’t adjust the volume with an iPhone 3G, so it’s possible to run into some snafus depending on how ancient your phone is.
This thing can actually fill a medium-size room with sound and easily blows away the smaller Jawbone Jambox ($179 list). With the Wilco album “The Whole Love,” the mellower, acoustic guitar tracks sounded rich and detailed, like what you’d get from a larger speaker. Once again they noted that the bass didn’t have quite the oomph they would’ve liked, but it’s just not fair to expect subwoofer-level performance from a speaker the size of a hardcover book. Since the original Bose SoundLink Wireless came out more compact, portable Bluetooth speakers have it the market, including the highly rated Jawbone Big Jambox.
In fact, I’ve gotten several e-mails from readers asking me whether they should buy the SoundLink Bluetooth Mobile Speaker II or the Big Jambox. If you’re comparing this speaker with smaller products like the original $179 Jambox, this Bose is a little more than twice as heavy, but it sounds much better and plays much louder.
In the end, while the SoundLink Bluetooth Mobile Speaker II may no longer be in a class by itself, it remains an impressive, well-built product. If you’re on the fence about getting one, it’s worth noting that Bose offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on the product, so you can try before you’re fully committed, which is a good thing considering the speaker is fairly pricey at $300 (or $350 with the leather cover).
Not everyone will think it’s worth that kind of dough, but I suspect most people won’t suffer a case of buyer’s remorse.
Bose SoundLink Bluetooth Mobile Speaker II Review
At first glance, it’s easy to dismiss the SoundLink Bluetooth Mobile II($299.00 at Plex Systems) as a minor update, but there’s more going on underneath the surface than it appears. The back panel, as before, includes a DC power in jack, a micro USB port labeled “service,” and a 3.5mm auxiliary input. The DC jack is a bit of a disappointment, because it means you’ll need to take the included AC adapter with you everywhere; some other portable Bluetooth speakers use micro USB, which makes it easier to charge multiple devices with a single cable. That said, it’s not for audiophiles; there’s a lot of digital signal processing going on underneath the hood to prevent distortion and project so much output, and this has a tendency to make things sound nice, but not natural.
Muse’s “The Resistance” sounded a bit crisper and less muddy with the SoundLink II, thanks to a slightly enhanced upper midrange presence and a smoother, airier-sounding high range. One gripe with the older model remains: Sometimes the beginning of a song gets clipped off, either when cueing it up for the first time or when skipping between tracks, thanks to a delay in when the Bluetooth wireless protocol reconnects.
The Jawbone Big Jambox($299.00 at Plex Systems) doesn’t sound quite as crisp or detailed, but it’s a solid option in its own right and worth consideration, thanks to its long 15-hour battery life, and ability to work as a speakerphone. If you want a low-cost Bluetooth speaker option that’s exceptionally portable, have a look at the budget Editors’ Choice Logitech UE Mobile Boombox($299.00 at Plex Systems), although that model doesn’t begin to approach the SoundLink II’s bass response or overall output level.
Bose SoundLink Bluetooth Mobile Speaker II 4.0 Editors’ Choice See It $799.97 at Amazon MSRP $299.95 Pros Compact, portable design.
The Bottom Line The well-designed Bose SoundLink Bluetooth Mobile Speaker II is a modest evolution of the first version that sounds even better than the original model.
Review: Bose SoundLink Bluetooth Mobile Speaker II
While we were less than entirely wowed by the earlier, plasticy SoundDocks, the SoundLink II’s trim helps to elevate what could otherwise have been a very austere design. It’s a compliment to say that the SoundLink could as easily be a Braun/Dieter Rams electric razor as a speaker system, apart from its proportions, which are akin to an atypically narrow and densely weighted hardcover book.
You can easily hold SoundLink II in one hand when it’s folded shut, at which point it’s only 1.9” deep, though you’ll likely want to set it down or in a bag due to the 2.9-pound weight. Compared to its predecessor, this new SoundLink offers slightly better volume performance, and the bass has been improved, but the differences aren’t night and day—they’re as much as Bose could squeeze out of speakers within the same small enclosure.
We once again tested this SoundLink against Logitech’s Wireless Boombox, and found that Bose’s speaker still doesn’t compare to something that originally cost half its price. Logitech’s speaker can be turned up a little louder, while sounding more dynamic than the SoundLink II at comparable volume levels, thanks to higher highs and deeper lows.
What was pretty high for a Bluetooth wireless speaker back in 2011 is now harder to justify, thanks to an influx of stellar options in the sub-$200 price range.
Bose SoundLink Wireless Mobile speaker Review
The SoundDock Portable has been the company’s long serving iPhone dock for those who like their music on the move, but the SoundLink is significantly smaller, lighter and cheaper. “It combines four low-profile neodymium transducers for clear high- and mid-frequencies, with new dual-opposing passive radiators – designed with a patented waffle-shaped surround – for rich, deep, low notes.
With the radiators placed in an opposing fashion, vibration is eliminated, turning the energy into acoustic power.
The speaker’s audio package is complemented with sophisticated electronics, including Bose digital signal processing algorithms, to reproduce instrument definition and detail at any volume.” Styling is retro and angular with Bose’s distinct silver grill and build quality is typically excellent. A built in cover automatically switches off the SoundLink when closed and folds underneath creating a stable base when open.
The standard version of the SoundLink has a nylon cover, a ‘premium’ edition upgrades this to leather for £40 more – bringing the price to a hefty £299. Maximum volume is surprisingly loud for its size, but the bass cannot keep up and rock, dance and hip hop fans will find the SoundLink sounds restricted and held back.
Likewise for a traveller the tiny Aliph Jawbone Jambox (151 x 57 x 40mm, 327g} may not sound as good, but it will still do justice to a hotel room and at £159 it is significantly cheaper.
The SoundLink also faces a substantial challenger in the Bluetooth equipped Altec Lansing InMotion Air. It is well made, for its size the sound quality is strong (especially at its mid volume sweet spot) and there is excellent battery life. ”’Verdict”’Bose has created an attractive, high quality mobile speaker whose biggest failing is its market positioning.
Were it cheap this would cease to be a problem, but £249-£299 (depending on the choice of finish) places it too close to top notch home docks and too far from more convenient, ultraportable travel speakers.
Bose SoundLink Bluetooth Mobile Speaker II review
The DC jack is a bit of a disappointment, because it means you’ll need to take the included AC adapter with you everywhere; some other portable Bluetooth speakers use micro-USB, which makes it easier to charge multiple devices with a single cable. Underneath the speaker grille, the SoundLink II features new neodymium drivers and revised digital signal processing circuitry. That said, it’s not for audiophiles; there’s a lot of digital signal processing going on underneath the hood to prevent distortion and project so much output, and this has a tendency to make things sound pleasant, but not natural. Muse’s “The Resistance” sounded a bit crisper and less muddy with the SoundLink II, thanks to a slightly enhanced upper midrange presence and a smoother, airier-sounding high range. The same goes for Bill Callahan’s “Drover” – his robust baritone sounded clear and full over the acoustic guitar on both models, although you get a slightly more realistic sense of the strings from the SoundLink II. One gripe with the older model remains: Sometimes the beginning of a song gets clipped off, either when cueing it up for the first time or when skipping between tracks, thanks to a delay in when the Bluetooth wireless protocol reconnects. The Jawbone Big Jambox doesn’t sound quite as crisp or detailed, but it’s a solid option in its own right and worth consideration, thanks to its long 15 hour battery life, and ability to work as a speakerphone. If you want a low cost Bluetooth speaker option that’s exceptionally portable, have a look at the Logitech UE Mobile Boombox, although that model doesn’t begin to approach the SoundLink II’s bass response or overall output level (but then, it is less than a third of the price of the Bose offering).
Bose SoundLink Color II Review
The Bose SoundLink Color II has an on-the-nose address for this need with “Party Mode,” but is it good enough to make your gathering the talk of the town? Editor’s note: this Bose SoundLink Color II review was updated on November 17, 2020, to add deals. Users can alternate between source devices, access virtual assistants, and control playback functions from the six-button panel. If you don’t feel like doing the Bluetooth pairing song and dance, you can always connect via the 3.5mm headphone jack located at the speaker’s base. You can pair two devices to the speaker at a time, which is great if you want to keep an ear on incoming calls while streaming music. Bose tries to sneak around this shortcoming with the SoundLink Color II’s passive radiators, which is clever, but results in unclear audio when the volume exceeds 60% or so.
Despite how the inaccurate bass response affects the midrange notes, Halsey’s vocal fry is audible during her parts. The SoundLink Color II does a great job of reproducing audio across the spectrum, save for sub-bass notes. Although this isn’t extremely accurate, it tricks our brain into thinking we’re perceiving all auditory detail: most harmonic resonances fall within the treble range. The ability to sync-up two speakers is great for small to medium gatherings and it gives hosts flexibility when it comes to sound placement. This little speaker has great functionality; plus, being able to update the firmware via the app, gives me hope that connection issues will be resolved. That’s right, this makes it easy to hear music during a pool party, or retrieve the speaker if it was accidentally dropped.
Another great option is the Bose SoundLink Micro: this speaker is about as compact as the Wonderboom series, but takes on a squared off design. Rather than a loop at the top of the speaker, the SoundLink Micro has a strong elastic strap that fits over bike handlebars or a shower bar.
Be First to Comment