Bose SoundLink Micro review
This portable, tough and bassy Bluetooth speaker impresses in all kinds of weather
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Is this the best Bluetooth speaker around for travel? It’s rather unusual for a big name brand like Bose to issue an affordable product like the SoundLink Micro, but with impressive water-resistance, a tough outdoorsy design, and impressive sound quality, there are few better options for those who want to move with the music.
Bose SoundLink Micro: design and features
Available in black, orange, and midnight blue, the SoundLink Micro boasts IPX7 certification. That means it can be dunked in a meter of water for 30 minutes, which is about as waterproof as you can get. So it’s great for use around swimming pools, in hot-tubs and even in the shower. For easy positioning, the back of this rubberized silicon-covered speaker has a latch for securing it to something—perhaps a tree branch, a shower door handle, a patio heater stand, or even a deckchair.
Bose SoundLink Micro: performance
However, this is a Bluetooth-only speaker; there is no aux-in for attaching anything via a stereo audio cable. It’s got a range of 30 ft./9 m, so nor can you wander too far from it while holding your phone. Using Bluetooth slightly limits its ultimate sound quality, but in practice, we were impressed by its clear and bassy sonics. They’re not going to serve a massive party too well, but for a casual get-together, the soundstage is absolutely fine. The battery lasts around five hours.
Bose SoundLink Micro: conclusion
There are few better-equipped Bluetooth speakers out there for travel. You could attach the SoundLink Micro to a backpack for hiking and skiing, use it around a hotel room, or take it to the beach. You could even put it in your shower at home, or chuck it around a swimming pool (though sound quality tails-off when it’s submerged). Whatever you choose to do with it, the SoundLink Micro is one of the best-designed travel speakers out there.
Price as reviewed: UK £100 / US $100