A Tiny Speaker You Could Actually Love

I don’t know about you, but for me, there’s something infinitely appealing about compact gadgets. i loved iPhone Mini (RIP) and love (present tense) the very much still-existent Samsung Galaxy Z Flip (not RIP). And don’t even get me started on small gaming handhelds Panic’s playdate. Seriously, take one look at that thing and tell me it’s not the prettiest handheld you’ve ever seen. If I could, I’d pinch its Simpsons-yellow cheeks.

But as much as I love compact gadgets, there are some that lose me once they’re portable Bluetooth speaker Coming into play is probably that I’m too much of an audio snob to fully enjoy a portability-focused speaker, but sometimes the big is In the audio space, and better with speakers, this is partly a matter of physics. Larger speakers move more air, which equals more bass, higher volume, and often less distortion. However, you’re not going to catch me walking around with a car-sized boombox anytime soon, which means some level of compromise in the audio department is always inevitable.

But how much is worth it at $129? Bose’s latest tiny Bluetooth speaker may have answered my question.

SoundLink Micro-Oh, this thing sounds pretty good

Bose’s $129 SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen) It’s probably the first ultra-portable Bluetooth speaker I’ve felt I could use regularly, and that’s thanks in large part (no pun intended) to its heavy emphasis on sound quality. as recently as Soundlink PlusFrom what I reviewed this year, the SoundLink Micro sounds great, but does so in a form factor that’s about a third of the size, if not less.

Don’t get me wrong, you won’t get anywhere near the bass or volume from the SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen) that you’ll get out of the SoundLink Plus, but you’ll still get a lot more than you’d expect. I took the SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen) around Manhattan’s Washington Square Park and was pleasantly surprised by not only the volume, but the quality of the sound it was putting out.

It’s not as loud as competitors that have been released recently JBL Gripthe The unofficial tall boy of bluetooth speakersBut that’s okay in my book, because it sounds so cool. I played a few different genres on the SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen) including jazz/funk, ambient, and rock, and all three had the finesse you’d expect from Bose. Bass was punchy and natural, but not overwhelming, meaning you could still hear the mid and high frequencies where vocals and guitars live.

It’s not going to contend with larger speakers in terms of sound quality, nor should a speaker of this size be expected to, but if you’re looking for audio that doesn’t absorb, the SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen) has it. There are inevitably moments where its limitations come into focus, particularly at high volumes, or in the speaker’s treble handling at times (in some songs I heard, the higher frequencies sounded almost too sharp and snappy), but its flaws weren’t enough to change my overall impression. This speaker is quite good and sounds better than JBL’s competitors

I’m not often in a position where I need to emphasize portability above all else (usually an average sized speaker ie Soundcore’s Boom 3i or JBL’s Charge line is small enough to fit in a bag), but if I’m at a premium for space, the SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen) would easily be my first choice of speaker I’d grab before backpacking the Carpathian Mountains or whatever; And believe it or not, there are multiple reasons for this.

On the second-generation SoundLink Micro, Bose ups the ante on durability, giving it an IP67 rating This means it can handle dust but also any water you might encounter in a typical, non-biblical flood setting. To test this, I had the SoundLink Micro, washed it in the sink after getting some dirt on it, and sure enough, it worked fine afterwards. Bose says the SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen) is also more durable, though I don’t do any intensive drop testing, so on that front, you’ll have to take Bose’s word for it. Anecdotally, the speaker feels solid and sturdy enough to withstand a few drops.

Mico improvements make for a macro upgrade

Another area where Bose’s second-gen SoundLink Micro improves is battery life. I haven’t tested the first generation version of this Bluetooth speaker, but from what I can tell, the battery life was, well… bad. Even by Bose’s official estimate, it’s only rated for 6 hours of audio playback, which is plenty in terms of a sitting, but annoying when you consider that almost no one remembers to charge their Bluetooth speakers every day. Before you know it, those 6 hours will all be over.

This time around, Bose doubles the battery life, and based on my testing, its estimates are pretty accurate. After over an hour of listening at about 50% volume, the SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen), which was at 60% when I started, didn’t play. Obviously, battery life depends on a lot of things, especially the volume you’re playing the music at, so your exact mileage may vary, but in my experience, the Bose speakers seem to hold up well. To be clear, 12 hours isn’t the longest battery life in the world, but it seems like a good amount for a speaker this size, especially when considering competitors like JBL’s Grip, which is also rated for 12 hours on a full charge.

Another notable tweak from the last generation is the Velcro strap, which this time around is both removable and replaceable. Not much to say here, really. I walked around with the SounLink Micro (2nd Gen) strapped to the belt loop of my pants, which made me feel like a dork, but it didn’t fall off. Being able to remove and replace the band feels like a welcome change, as it’s just a piece of fabric. If it’s torn or tarnished in any way, you may want to swap it out.

One thing you will no This time get a microphone around. Bose’s SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen) removes an integrated mic that can be used to talk through the speakerphone as well as activate the voice assistant. I guess it’s a bummer to lose a feature, but I’m not sure it’ll be a big drag for most people, since most of us aren’t itching to lug around a tiny Bluetooth speaker for calls (or, really, for any other reason.)

Another cool thing this time around is the switch from MicroUSB to USB-C, which is more a matter of timing than anything else, since the first-gen SoundLink Micro was released in 2017. There’s more functionality with the Bose app that lets you do more granular things like three-band EQ. That upgrade is further enhanced by a new “shortcut” button on the speaker that can be programmed to do various things. By default, the button is used to link two Bose speakers so they can play at the same time, but it can also be programmed to play Spotify on your device with a single press. You also have the usual array of buttons that let you skip tracks, play/pause, power off/on, and connect to Bluetooth.

If I have one issue with the SoundLink Micro (2nd Gen) I have the same with most speakers this size, the ability to pair it with things doesn’t make a ton of sense for a front-firing device. Sure, you can clip the product to your bike or belt, but then your music is rocking more than you are. It may sound a bit silly, or at worst, but it is a fact for any speaker to use it this way. I am one thing can Push the Bose to stand up to the SoundLink Micro, though. The JBL Grip, which I recently tested, can stand upright, positioning the speaker so that it actually moves towards you much more easily. I would have liked to see a kickstand or something similar here, but I guess standing the speaker up properly works well enough for the time being.

Should you do a microtransaction?

Tiny Bluetooth speakers aren’t for everyone. They serve a certain type of person in a certain type of situation. But if you’re looking for something very portable, Bose holds that category well. The latest SoundLink Micro costs $30 more than JBL’s Grip, but given the difference in sound quality and the parity in battery life, I think the Bose premium is worth it here. If you want something louder, JBL still has the SoundLink Beat, but Bose will be the better choice for most people.

You’d never expect the world from a Bluetooth speaker this size, but Bose also proves you can expect a solid package. Combined with other quality-of-life improvements over the last generation, it’s firmly the only SoundLink micro speaker to buy at the moment, and one of the most interesting I’ve ever used.