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.
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.
Bose SoundLink Color II review: A great speaker gets even better
The SoundLink Color II can remember up to eight devices paired to it, while its eight hours of battery life — at medium volume levels — is the same as the original’s. I had no trouble pairing and re-pairing the speaker with an iPhone 6S and Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge — there are voice prompts to guide you through the process.
There’s also a companion app for iOS and Android — Bose Connect — that doesn’t do all that much but does allow you to rename the speaker to your liking, disable those aforementioned voice prompts, and check in on your remaining battery life. It had good tonal balance with U2’s “Running to Stand Still” and Eric Dolphy’s jazz track “Sketch of Melba.”
However, tracks where a lot of instruments are playing at once are more challenging for this little guy, and you’ll notice at times that the speaker ratchets back certain frequencies as well as the volume to keep from distorting.
Bose SoundLink Color II Review
Dutchman Jaap Hartsen did just that while he was working for Ericsson in Copenhagen. He named it after a Scandinavian king, King Harald Bluetooth, who united the Scandinavian countries of Norway and Denmark in the 10th century. Not always 100% reliable, it has grown in importance in today’s world of mass communication.
This Bose SoundLink Color II Review will look at one such Bluetooth compatible speaker.
But before we do, let’s take a look at this company named after its founder Amar Bose. Bose is a US company whose major shareholder is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology or MIT.
Their products are not all USA made, despite claims to the contrary, which seems important to some people. Bose is expensive because of the massive PR and advertising campaigns they enter into.
But also because the real antagonists are not the consumers that Bose tries to sell to. So, let’s make up our own mind as we take a look through our Bose SoundLink Color II review… This speaker is an upgrade from the most appreciated and well-liked SoundLink Color I. It also has a different silicone exterior, which gives it a nice stable feeling to the touch.
From the house to the park or to the pool, it will give you quite a big sound packed into a small unit. And it has some good features, a virtual assistant, and a more than decent sound.
The original SoundLink Color was a smooth, hard plastic affair with just a little rubber edging. The obvious one means it can withstand a bit of splashing or a downpour.
IPX 7 or 8 are waterproof, which means they can be submerged in water for a brief time. Bit of water splashed from the pool or a light shower, and it will be fine.
The cable is included, but unfortunately, there is no USB AC power plug. It might not be that much of a problem because any standard phone or other device chargers will probably suffice. It ticks the boxes with regard to its build quality. This speaker has got that ‘party or round the pool’ feel about it. But if you hope that it will handle a large outdoor bar-b-q, you might be disappointed. Jazz and simple classical pieces, live music, and soft rock are all fine.
Clear and concise, they are delivered with minimum distortion when it is pushed. That is the price you pay for a compact unit with relatively small speakers.
You will also notice that if there are many instruments playing at the same time, possibly an orchestral piece, the speakers pull back a bit.
Overall though, the sound is adequate, we wouldn’t call it good. That isn’t really possible from a speaker this size, but we would not feel let down by its general sound. A little bit of thought is all it takes to make control labels self-explanatory.
They are located on the top of the speaker and are quite visible, but that is not the problem. Pairing is quite efficient and quick and even quicker with NFC devices.
Pairing with other Bluetooth phones or devices is then easy for using your playlists or streaming music. There is a memory facility which will remember the last eight numbers you recently connected to.
There is also a drag and drop facility that makes connections easy. Bose SoundLink Color II Pros & Cons
It certainly isn’t a Bluetooth speaker system that is packed with features. The sound is good but is not particularly loud, and the silicone finish is tougher than the original plastic. Though the rubberized silicone does a good job of attracting dust and other airborne materials. As we said at the beginning, Bose products tend to come up a little more expensive than their equivalents.
It is what it is, a simple Bluetooth speaker and not meant to be anymore.
Bose SoundLink Mini II review
The Bose SoundLink Mini II is showing its age with its average battery life and lack of features like NFC and waterproofing. The Bose SoundLink Mini II is showing its age with its average battery life and lack of features like NFC and waterproofing.
While the lack of features may turn off some buyers, it would be a mistake to write off the SoundLink Mini II entirely because it remains one of the best sounding wireless speakers on the market. On the left side of the speaker you’ll find the microUSB charging port and a 3.5mm headphone jack for using legacy devices.
Although light on features, the Bose SoundLink MIni II remains one of the best-sounding wireless speakers we’ve ever heard. While most compact wireless speakers struggle to output bass, the SoundLink Mini II has it in spades while still maintaining a lovely balanced sound.
The similarly sized Razer Leviathan Mini sounded wooden compared to the Bose and failed to retrieve as many micro details. We’re also impressed by the speaker’s ability to retrieve details like a musician’s breath and the clinking of glasses from the audience in live jazz tracks.
This diminutive speaker punches way above what its size would suggest, producing deep bass, sparkling highs and a lush midrange. If you want more features and are willing to trade off some sound quality, the water resistant Bose SoundLink Color II is a great choice.
Bose SoundLink Color II review
The Bose SoundLink Color II offers good sound quality and tons of features in a compact, splash-proof body. Thankfully, however, the Bose SoundLink Color II compromises very little for good sound and, while it’s not perfect, it’s still a great choice for those looking for a wireless speaker to use at the beach or on a hike. The SoundLink Color II continues is improvements upon the original by adding IPX4 water resistance, which makes it splash proof but not waterproof.
You’ll find all of the speaker’s buttons on top, which includes playback controls, volume adjustment, power, Bluetooth pairing and Aux-In.
The SoundLink Color II offers a good dynamic range for a speaker of its size, giving us nice bass extension and impact. But, on the debit side, its 8 hours of battery life is average compared to the competition and we’d like to see Bose make the SoundLink Color III last even longer.
Competitors like the $99 (about £79, AU$129) Fugoo Go offer better water resistance, a unique mounting strap and better battery life (10 hours), but lack features like an aux jack, speakerphone support and NFC. It’s not perfect but if portability, sound quality and features like NFC, multipoint bluetooth and speakerphone support are important to you, we think you’ll love the Bose SoundLink Color II too.
Customer Reviews: Bose SoundLink Color Portable Bluetooth Speaker II Soft Black 752195-0100
– 1x Soundlink Color Bluetooth Speaker II Aquatic Blue 5V – 1x USB to Micro USB Cable – 1x Instruction Manual – 1x Important Safety Information Manual – 1x Bose Support Contact Number(s) sheet Testing/Setup/Impressions: So the packaging itself is nothing to gloat about. When opening the plastic cover, you’ll notice the build quality of this little guy. But… You may end up getting a lot of dust, lint, or random stuff on it; pretty easily I must say.
I typically don’t like plugging stuff into my computer directly to charge it. Setup was a breeze and I was able to download the app off the store (depending on if you’re using an Apple or Android device). The voice is clear when listening to music, the base has a great “oomph”, and the unit can go quite high in volume to bother your downstairs neighbor. The device is small, but it’s raw power as I’ve posted on the title of my review. But, IPX4-Rated is supposed to mean that you can basically do things like take it into the shower (bathroom) and the steam and water splash here and there won’t damage it.
So my wife has the Bose SoundLink Mini II Bluetooth Speaker at work, well her co-worker does. The battery on the Bose SoundLink Mini II Bluetooth Speaker supposedly lasts Monday-Friday with 3-4 hours of listening per day. Its great to carry around to family picnics, pool parties, hang outs, etc. The material is really nice as I HATE FINGERPRINTS but it does attract dust and lint which I also don’t like.
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