Guide: What are the best Bose portable speakers? May 2023

• Very balanced sound.
• Deep and energetic bass.
• Very precise mids and highs, clear and defined timbres.
• 360° broadcast.
• Manufacturing quality.
• Complete commands.
• Good voice recognition.

Weak points

• The sound reproduction strongly depends on the surface on which the loudspeaker is placed.
• No wired connection.
• Few natively compatible network sources.
• Standby time a little low, charging base sold separately.

We can probably blame the Bose Portable Home Speaker for not quite doing enough: the lack of compatible network sources (if you are not a Spotify and/or Apple device user, hardly any salvation), and the lack of automatic acoustic calibration, which requires careful positioning of the speaker in its listening room, are shortcomings that are impossible to avoid when compared to its great rival, the Sonos Move. But it must be recognized that what it does, it does very well, and that its remarkable sound performance alone can tip the scales in its favor.

• Rich and dynamic sound.
• Perfectly omnidirectional sound emission.
• Construction impeccable, certification IP55.
• Full controls, multipoint connection.
• Good autonomy.
• Presence of an analogue mini-jack input / Can be used as a USB audio device on a computer.

Weak points

• High streaming latency in Bluetooth (and not negligible in wired).
• Sound reproduction greatly depends on the surface on which the speaker is placed.
• A few anachronisms for a nomadic speaker from 2021 (recharging by micro-USB…).

Compared to its predecessor, the Bose SoundLink Revolve II is satisfied with two improvements, on resistance and autonomy, extremely minimal – so minimal, in fact, that we can even consider them insignificant. Never mind: the Revolve is still one of the best nomadic speakers on the market, which only needs a sound reproduction that is a little less dependent on its acoustic environment to please us even more. Just know that between the original Revolve and the Revolve II, we simply advise you to turn to the one you will find at the most advantageous price.

• Remarkably controlled and defined bass.
• Musical and versatile sound.
• Omnidirectional sound distribution.
• Construction impeccable, certification IP55.
• Full controls, multipoint connection.
• Presence of an analogue mini-jack input / Can be used as a USB audio device on a computer.

Weak points

• Small lack of precision in the treble.
• Sound reproduction greatly depends on the surface on which the speaker is placed.
• High streaming latency in Bluetooth (and not negligible in wired).
• A few anachronisms for a nomadic speaker from 2021 (recharging by micro-USB…).

The passage of time has not affected the qualities of the SoundLink Revolve+ in 2021 – and in particular its sound qualities, at the top of which is an absolutely admirable “bass control / bulk” ratio. This model “II” certainly brings to the original model only such minor evolutions that they even become marginal; we advise you, moreover, if you find said original model at a better price, to rather turn to it. All the same, it is in absolute terms one of the best mobile speakers on the market when it was launched, only truly surpassed by the much bulkier (and less elegant) Sony SRS-XB33 and SRS-XB43.

• Balanced sound.
• Exemplary Bluetooth ergonomics.
• Excellent hands-free kit.
• Splash guard…

Weak points

• … and “only” splash-proof (IPX4 certification).
• Very short bass.
• Distortion, rather “plastic” sound.
• Power a bit low.
• Very directive highs.

Amidst the excellent SoundLink Micro and SoundLink Revolve, the SoundLink Color II struggles to complete Bose’s range of portable speakers convincingly. The in-between in which it finds itself seems vain: for a few euros less, the Micro does not have much to envy in terms of audio, while offering a much smaller footprint; for a few bucks more, a Libratone Zipp Mini takes the sound experience to a whole new level, features multiroom in addition.