Also the SoundLink will turn off after a few minutes of non-use when on Battery only. That was good enough for most full days but a universal USB adapter, even if it charged much slower, would have been preferable (strangely, it has a micro-USB port right next to the dock charging interface, but alas, it is only for Firmware updates). It fully charges in about 3 hours, even while playing, and easily gets the 7 hours of playback from its 7.4V, 2330mAh, 17Wh, Li-ion battery that Bose boasts. The Soundlink can ‘remember’ 6 different Bluetooth devices which is really handy when switching between different devices. Once plugged in at our hotel however, we were easily able to pair a MacBook, an iPad and an iPhone in a matter of minutes. It came with a small bit of charge but because it doesn’t charge via USB, we weren’t able to use it in the car on the way to our first destination. In the small box comes only a small AC adapter and a charging stand. It comes in simple, elegant packaging and I opened it on the way to the rental car outlet.

I got my Soundlink Mini right before a road trip around Europe so I thought I’d put this portable device into a trial by fire. They are right, the base on this thing is no joke and is helped even more if placed within a foot of a vertical wall. According to the engineers, all of that extra weight is due to big magnets and you can’t get the type of bass this thing produces in any other way. It is wrapped in very Apple-like silver anodized aluminum and weighs about as much as the much bigger Logitech Boombox or Big Jambox. Right off the bat, you’ll note the substantial build quality and weight on the SoundLink Mini. I attended the Bose Soundlink Mini launch event in June which was a good opportunity to get a first listen to the new offering and discuss the product with some of the engineers involved in its creation.

Its regular Soundlink and Soundlink II products at $300-$349 have sound and features that lower-priced competitors, especially Logitech UE, JBL Charge and even the Beats Pill were able to handily beat.Īll of that ended the moment I got the $199 Bose Soundlink Mini, a product that shows that Bose is willing to think outside of its “hyper-premium price” box without sacrificing the quality of its product… We’ve had a look at just about all of the best portable Bluetooth speakers on the market but Bose, a company known for high (prices and) quality speakers, has never made our ‘ best of‘ lists.

Best mini bluetooth speakers 2013