Streams via AirPlay 2, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. That said, the Flex is smaller and better built, with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance. Or you could opt for the Sonos One (Gen 2), which is not at all portable or able to head outdoors, but it is cheaper. However, the Sonos is better built, and it comes with a room correction feature. Like the Bose Home Speaker 300, it has Alexa and Google Assistant built-in, and it's compatible with the Bose Music app. Model: 865983-0400. I pivoted to the biggest bass-thumping bop of the 21st century thus far: Kanye West's "Love Lockdown." As a refreshing change from other smart speakers, the Bose Portable Smart Speaker isnt too tricky to set up. It has a bit less compression present at max volume, and you can pair it to two devices at once, so you can easily switch between audio sources. You can also ask Google Assistant or Alexa to fire up tunes with your voice. I wouldn't want to leave it next to a pool's edge, and I'd hesitate to bring it to the beach. Also, its battery only lasts five hours, which may not be enough for long listening sessions. Music is clear, surprisingly spacious, and remarkably loud for a product of this size. Bose - SoundLink Flex Portable Bluetooth Speaker with Waterproof/Dustproof Design - Carmine Red. When you update the speaker to firmware version 14.0.15, you can Chromecast audio to the device. Portable Home Speaker Bose - Best Buy The primary grille wraps around the bottom third of the Bose Portable Home Speaker's 7.5-inch-tall, cylindrical body. There is also a ring of LEDs indicating when your smart assistant is triggered and listening. Once connected, you can update the speaker's firmware, as well as adjust settings, such as whether other users on your network can access the speaker. Bose also offers other compatible smart speakers if you want to set up a whole-house system. The Bose Portable Home Speaker is a lightweight and portable speaker with outstanding voice assistant capabilities. Start with one and add more anytime. This can also result in negative latency, as we saw in our tests with iOS devices, where the audio is played before the video. Bose Portable Smart Speaker Overview OUR MOST VERSATILE SMART SPEAKER The Portable Smart Speaker is a wireless home speaker, a portable Bluetooth speaker and a voice-controlled speaker, all in one. None of those services are available on Bluetooth. The Bose Portable Home Speaker's mono-signal technology tunes the speaker's sound for its surroundings, similar to what Auto Trueplay does for Sonos speakers. That said, the Bose is smaller and more . Or place it in the corner of the room and the sound will feel like its all around you. The bass is so prominent, in fact, that you might want to knock it down to -10 or -20 in the Bose Music apps basic equalizer. It's pretty impressive for a high-end audio savant to pack the same quality of sound you'd expect from the company's stationary devices into this smart-assistant-enabled package. However, its battery only lasts around five hours, and it doesn't get very loud. And the IPX4 rating gives you some reassurance against splashes or drips. It's also exceptionally portable, so you can listen to podcasts while on-the-go. Out-of-the-box, its sound profile is fairly boomy, although its companion app has bass and treble sliders that let you tweak its sound. You do not need your phone to make or take a call, and its free of charge. Bose gives you powerful performance and versatile designs at home and on the go. You can also use Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and Chromecast to stream your own local content to the speaker. And for either make, I would still be tempted to treat the handle with the water-repellent spray I use on shoes and coats. Browse the top-ranked list of Bose portable home speakers below along with associated reviews and opinions. Thats fine for iOS users, but Android owners dont have a reliable high-quality, low-latency option available. It has a sleek design with a built-in carrying handle that can be adjusted to the front or back. This only works over Wi-Fi, and it doesnt work with Google Assistant. October 24, 2022 Best all-around Bose Portable Smart Speaker By Bose Check price Positives Sound quality AirPlay 2 and Bose SimpleSync Integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Microphone for calls/smart assistant IPX4 rating Negatives Heavy for portable speaker Limited selection of streaming services Cost The Bottom Line. Apple users can use AirPlay 2 to play audio from their devices, too. The first time you turn the speaker, youll need the app to get it synced and connected to your Wi-Fi network. Music services may vary. If you're looking for a speaker that's easy to use and portable, Bose is one of the most reliable choices. Select the Bose Portable Smart Speaker from the list of available devices. See also our recommendations for the best waterproof Bluetooth speakers, the best home speakers, and the best Bluetooth speakers. When you're ready to put this speaker down, the rubberized base and bottom-heavy weight distribution will keep the device stabilized, even though it looks like it's easy to tip over. Bose Portable Smart Speaker | Bose We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock. If it's connected to Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, it will transition to standby mode after 20 minutes of inactivity. It has Alexa and Google Assistant built-in. When the speaker does die, you can power it back up with a USB-C cord and a wall charger. If you have a compatible set of headphones or aSoundLink speaker, you can take advantage of the SimpleSync feature. For songs like these, reducing the bass by -20 in the Bose Music app, as mentioned, goes a long way to make everything sound more equal. However, when calling products, both parties are required to have this feature set up in order to use and be on Wi-Fi. The Bose Home Speaker 500 is a much larger speaker, hence why the word portable is not a part of its name. Driven by data, run by a passionate team of engineers, testers, technical writers, developers, and more. The Bosehas Alexa and Google Assistant built-in, which can easily understand you, whereas the Sony relies on the voice assistant from your paired smartphone and struggles to understand you. You can put the Bose Portable Smart Speaker almost anywhere you want, given its, well, portable. Finally, the SoundLink Revolve+ II has a battery life up to 17 hours, while the extra acoustic power and voice assistant functionality of the PortableSmart Speaker limit its battery life up to 12 hours at loud volumes. You get your choice of Alexa or Google Assistant, which is handy, and if you use one of the compatible streaming services in a supported location, you can even control playback with your voice. The Bose Portable Smart Speaker is better than the Sonos Roam. Bose Portable Home Speaker Reviews, Pros and Cons | TechSpot Probably not. It also has a longer-lasting battery life, though battery performance can vary depending on usage, and your experience may vary. Simply press the microphone button again if you want to turn the microphones back on. The Bose Portable Smart Speaker is exceptionally portable. The Bose Portable Smart Speaker is part of the new family of Bose smart speakers, which includes the Home Speaker 300, the Smart Speaker 500, the Soundbar 500, and the Smart Soundbar 700. This speaker doesn't have an advertised rating for dust or impact resistance, but it has an IPX4 rating for water resistance, though we don't currently test for this. Apple Music renews at your region's price per month after promotion until canceled. Therefore, it's probably not the best poolside speaker, and you don't want to expose it to water pressure of any sort. It also has much better directivity, resulting in a wider and more open sounding soundstage. (2,245 reviews) " The speakers sound great! The Portable Home Speaker's IPX4 rating is definitely on the modest end of durability. All of the control buttons are on top of the speaker. Placing the speaker in a corner (something Bose suggests you do) creates a surprisingly powerful bass response. It has support for the AAC and SBC Bluetooth codecs. Affiliate links on SoundGuys may earn us a commission. The Bose PortableSmart Speaker applies unique Bose portable speaker acoustic technology in a new, more powerful form factor. There's a light ring on top that indicates the volume and battery level. From an audio standpoint, there's plenty of power here, with lots of reciprocal boosting in the lows and highs so things remain balanced, though occasionally the speaker can run into trouble at high volume levels on tracks with deep bass content. That said, the Yamaha can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono, which is more immersive. Speaker has trouble with deep bass at high volume levels. But for a lower-cost and more portable design, Bose's take on a wireless smart speaker is very compelling. FREE 2-DAY SHIPPING FOR ORDERS OF $99 OR MORE, AND FREE RETURN SHIPPING, Bose Portable Smart Speaker Charging Cradle. It also doesn't get very loud. The Bose Portable Smart Speaker has an IPX4 rating, so it can withstand splashes and drips, but its best to not leave it outside for days at a time or anything. But smaller speakers just dont have the room to include the large drivers necessary to make that possible. The app has several streamable radio stations available, and offers some basic controls, including the ability to control several Bose smart speakers in various rooms on the same network. That beats out Boses claim of 12 hours. Bose Portable Home Speaker Review: It's No Sonos - Gizmodo In such a spot, the speaker reproduces a punk track such as 333 by Against Me!, with unexpectedly loud bass notes for such a small speaker. Being a Wi-Fi speaker with Bluetooth functionality introduces the same quirk as many other such configurations: syncing via Wi-Fi alone means compatible apps will play through the speaker, but everything else wont. It also walks you through setting up Alexa or Google Assistant, which is also a streamlined, simple process. When using Alexa, you can directly call other Bose smart products, Amazon Echo products, or anyone in your contacts. However, only the Bose is compatible with voice assistants, and it comes with Alexa and Google Assistant built-in. Sonos Move vs Bose Portable Smart Speaker - RTINGS.com The mics pick up voice commands quite wellwe spoke at moderate levels while music was blasting, and most of the time, Alexa heard our requests. I admit: I laughed at the flexible, cloth bucket handle on the Bose Portable Home Speaker. Sony's best-value noise-canceling headphones just dropped to lowest price ever, Audio-Technica's Sound Burger turntable is the most unique vinyl player you'll ever see, Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra could launch at Samsung Unpacked what we know. This versatile speaker is suitable for playing most audio content and can be a good addition to your home. There is a basic equalizer in the Bose Music app. Its battery-powered, so you can easily bring it with you all around your home and ask Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa for music. It's incredibly portable, thanks to its lightweight design and carrying handle. That said, the Smart Speaker is battery-powered, and much more portable than the Home Speaker 500. Using Alexa only, you can directly call Bose smart products, Amazon Echo products, and anyone in your contacts list. Plus, you can control it with the Bose Music app, Apple AirPlay 2, or Spotify Connect, or with the intuitive buttons on the speaker. You have a rather limited selection of streaming services compared to offerings from competitors like Sonos.