Bose SoundLink Mini II Review
Pros: Excellent sound quality, great battery life
Cons: Expensive, relatively heavy
Manufacturer: Bose
Our Verdict
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Bose SoundLink Mini II | |||||
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Price | $200 List | $300 List $249.00 at Amazon | $200 List $179.00 at Amazon | $150 List $128.94 at Amazon | $120 List $101.99 at Amazon |
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Pros | Excellent sound quality, great battery life | Excellent sound quality, very loud, long battery life | Excellent sound quality, water resistant, great battery life | Good overall sound, great volume, great battery life, waterproof | Good sound quality, waterproof, long battery life |
Cons | Expensive, relatively heavy | Expensive, relatively large and heavy | Expensive, relatively heavy | Not the strongest bass, a bit pricey | Not the best sounding nor most portable |
Bottom Line | Great sound but not as portable as its successor (the SoundLink Revolve) | The exceptional sound quality, high volume, and somewhat heavy weight make this perfect for backyard parties | Top notch sound from a relatively small and durable package | A solid choice for those that want a bit of power in a fairly portable and waterproof package | A good mid point for those that want good sound quality and portability, but don't want to pay a premium price for the absolute best |
Rating Categories | Bose SoundLink... | Bose Soundlink... | Bose SoundLink... | UE Boom 3 | JBL Flip 5 |
Sound Quality (40%) | |||||
Portability (25%) | |||||
Volume (20%) | |||||
Battery Life (15%) | |||||
Specs | Bose SoundLink... | Bose Soundlink... | Bose SoundLink... | UE Boom 3 | JBL Flip 5 |
Dimensions (in x in x in) | 2" x 7.1" x 2.3" | 4.1" x 4.1" x 7.3" | 5.97" x 3.24" x 3.24" | 2.9" x 2.9" x 7.25" | 3.64" x 3.6" x 8.5" |
Inputs | 3.5 mm auxiliary input, Micro USB port | Charging port, Micro-USB, 3.5mm auxillary input | 3.5 mm auxiliary input, Micro USB port | Micro USB port | Charging port |
Reported Weight | 24 oz | 34 oz | 24 oz | 24 oz | 19.04 oz |
Measured Weight | 24 oz | 34 oz | 24 oz | 22 oz | 19 oz |
Wireless Range (feet) | 30 | 30 feet | 30 feet | 150 feet | Not Listed |
Reported Battery Life (hours) | 10 | 16 | 12 | 15 | 12 |
Measured Battery Life (hours) | 17 | 24 | 18 | 24 | 27 |
Warranty | 1 year limited | 1 year limited | 1 year limited | 2 year limited | 1 year limited |
Receive Phone Calls | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Bose SoundLink Mini II really blew away our testers, providing a level of sound quality we only would have expected from a much larger speaker. It is also quite loud and lasted nearly 17 hours in our battery life testing, far exceeding the manufacturer's claim. However. It still isn't quite as good as the new Bose SoundLink Revolve.
Performance Comparison
The Bose SoundLink Mini II received the top overall score in our testing, making it the clear Editors' Choice winner. Below we discuss how the SoundLink Mini II performed in each one of our individual tests.
Sound Quality
The Bose SoundLink Mini II was the first runner-up in our sound quality testing, earning a 9 out of 10 in a metric where scores plummeted ranged from 3 to 10.
The SoundLink Mini II really lived up to Bose's reputation in our sound quality testing. It combines deep, resonant bass with crisp, defined treble to create a balanced and full sounding composition. While it certainly can't match the refined, encompassing sound of a good home stereo, it far and away exceeded the kind of quality we expected from a small portable speaker. However, it can't quite match the sound quality of the Revolve, which has noticeably more depth. It also had incredible clarity in our testings, clearly defining notes in fast and complex arrangements that tended to get muddled together in other speakers. If you're even a little bit of an audiophile and want to bring a quality listening experience on the road, this is clearly the speaker for you.
Portability
The SoundLink Mini II is portable, but not throw it in your bag and forget about it kind of portable. Thus it earned a 5 out of 10 in our portability, putting it in the middle of a metric where scores ranged from 2 to 10.
The Mini is relatively heavy at 1.5 pounds. While this extra weight certainly won't make your bag or backpack feel unwieldy, you'll definitely notice that it's there. The Mini's aluminum casing oozes a sense of quality, but also feels like it would be susceptible to scratches and dents (this can be somewhat mitigated if you buy a rubber cover). The Mini also has no water resistance rating, so you'll need to keep it safe from rain and splashes. Overall we think the Mini is perfect for moving around the house as you transition from cooking to eating to lounging, and for taking out onto the patio or into the backyard. However, it isn't the speaker we'd choose for traveling or taking further afield into the out of doors. That's not to say it can't do those things, it just wouldn't be our first choice. If you did want to take it out on the road, a sleeve and/or travel case might be helpful (see accessories section below) The UE Roll 2 is our favorite model for travel, but its sound quality is significantly inferior to the Mini. The Bose SoundLink Color II is a good midpoint between these two models, as it still sounds quite good but is durable enough for carefree days at the beach or next to the pool.
Volume
The SoundLink Mini II can get quite loud and earned a 7 out of 10 in our volume testing. This was a respectable performance in a metric with scores ranging from 4 to 9.
The Mini retains its stellar sound quality even when cranked up to max volume, which is a rarity amongst speakers of this size. That volume is more than enough to handle the vast majority of situations you would likely use the Mini in: hanging out on the patio, relaxed backyard barbeques, and just general music listening around the house. If you've got a party going with 20+ people the Mini might struggle a little bit to completely cut through the ambient noise, but would still provide some background music. If you need enough firepower for a large, loud dance party the Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 4 or the JBL Charge 3 would serve you better, though both of these models represent a sacrifice in sound quality.
Battery Life
In our testing the SoundLink Mini II far exceeded its manufacturer stated battery life, lasting a full 17 hours. This is plenty to get you through a full day of listening and most likely won't feel limiting. We did log some impressive battery lives in our testing, so though the SoundLink Mini II performed admirably, it only garnered a score of 7 out of 10.
Other Features
The Soundlink Mini II includes a docking station that makes charging at home fast and easy. It can also be charged via a port on the actual speaker when you're on the go.
Value
The SoundLink Mini II is one of the most expensive speakers we tested. If you're not too fussy about sound quality you can likely spend much less and still be satisfied (the JBL Charge 3 and UE Roll 2 come to mind). However, the SoundLink Revolve sounds better and costs the same. Therefore, the Mini II is only a good value if you find it on sale.
Conclusion
The Bose SoundLink Mini II was the best sounding Bluetooth speaker around until Bose replaced it with the Revolve. If you don't care about water resistance
— Max Mutter and Steven Tata