Bose SoundLink Micro Review (In-depth Review Guide)

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It seems that technology has penetrated almost every aspect of life, including outdoor adventures. One such technology is a micro speaker with the ability to be mounted on a bike or is portable enough to be strapped in a backpack during a hike.

So, whether you’re biking, hiking, hanging out with friends, or cooking dinner, an exceptional speaker that you can take along wherever you go is the Bose SoundLink Micro speaker.

This speaker from Bose combines portability and wireless audio streaming with helpful voice prompts to help you stream your favorite music through the dual passive radiators and 40mm driver.

You can also set this speaker for a Party Mode if you’re with your friends or are at home. If you may play using the Stereo Mode. It also boasts an IPX7 water resistance rating for your outdoor adventure!

If you want to know more about Bose SoundLink Micro, keep on reading. We did extensive research on this speaker to provide you this unbiased in-depth review and help you decide whether it’s worth investing in or not.

So, let’s get started!

Table of Contents

TLDR: Bose SoundLink Micro Review

Product Description

User Experience

First off, the Bose Soundlink Micro is ultra-portable. It’s small but its sound quality is synonymous with noise-cancelling headphones or home audio.

But don’t think that just because it’s tiny it’s no longer packed with great features. Contrary to that, in fact. Based on our own experience, the features worked exactly as you would expect from Bose.

Pairing this Bose SoundLink to your device or using the Bose Connect app is pretty simple and fast. Simply press the pairing button on the speaker and you can proceed with the normal smartphone setup.

As for its battery life, Bose states it can function for straight 6 hours when fully charged. The reality, though, is it’s just closer to 5 hours of playtime. For us, this is already okay. However, to some, it may not be a great feature because it takes about closer to 3 hours to fully charge the 1.5A source.

But on a positive note, we believe there are still plenty of reasons to go for this Bose speaker

Design

Every detail of the SoundLink Bluetooth speaker has been custom-designed to produce a sound that is comparable to bigger speakers. It is available in orange, midnight blue, and black color.

It also has a rubberized finish, but a soft-touch material, like the Bose SoundLink Color II. This kind of material makes it easy for you to grip the portable Bluetooth speaker.

It has a silicone strap that makes it easy for you to attach it onto a bike rack, a backpack, or just anything that you can wrap this speaker around.

What Makes it Stand Out

The Bose SoundLink Bluetooth speaker is travel-friendly that can withstand almost anything. It can stand up to water from the inside out. Bose did share that they used silicone materials to create a seal around the speaker.

It’s no surprise since this portable speaker is IPX7 rated, meaning it is waterproof when submerged in water for 30 minutes at a depth of one meter.

Pros

Ultra-portable
Loud
Multi-connect
IPX7-certified
Loops onto anything
Comes with a USB charging cable
Wireless range up to 9m or 30ft.
Lets you take calls through Google Voice and Siri commands and use the speakerphone
With built-in mic for speakerphone
Tear-resistant strap
You can pair two SoundLink speakers together

Cons

Latency issues
Battery life is not the best compared to other Bluetooth speakers
Sound degrades beyond 60% volume
Google Assistant may not function when the speaker is submerged in the water despite the IPX7 rating

Is it worth it to try?

The Bose SoundLink Micro is obviously an excellent Bluetooth speaker that is meant to complement your travel. It is well-priced and has plenty of beneficial features. If you’re not bothered with its limited battery life of about 5 hours, then this speaker is worth a try.

In-Depth Review of the Bose SoundLink Micro

Specifications

3.87″ H 3.87″ W 1.37″ D (10.24 oz)

Available in: midnight blue, orange, and black colors

WHAT’S IN THE BOX

SoundLink Micro Bluetooth speaker

USB charging cable

Quality and Durability

As for its sound quality, the Bose SoundLink Micro offers great features for its size, is relatively distortion-free, and has some bass representation.

Its sound is enough to fill an entire room, although the sound may get drowned when you’re in a larger environment or you use this SoundLink Micro speaker outdoors. Nevertheless, it has a decent sound quality outdoors.

As for its durability, we can rate it 8.5 out of 10. But this is just based on our test. This is because it has a silicone rubber exterior that eliminates the gaps and seams as much as possible, allowing it to hold up to cracks, scratches, and dents.

Warranty

To shop with confidence, this Bose SoundLink also comes with a 90-day Risk-Free Trial. Bose Corporation likewise warrants the SoundLink Micro against defects in workmanship and materials for 1 year.

For more information about product warranty, you may also visit Bose website here.

Who is it best for?

The SoundLink Micro is best for bikers, hikers, or people who love outdoor adventures. They can simply attach it to a backpack strap and take it with them on their next big adventure. It can even withstand rain.

This speaker is also ideal to be used for camping trips and beach days.

Best Alternative

If you’re looking for a Bluetooth and wireless speaker with almost the same features as the Bose SoundLink Micro, then we recommend the JBL Flip 5.

It is racetrack-shaped but you get to enjoy a booming bass too in a portable package. It even is available in 11 distinct colors and you can also take your music on the go with this speaker.

JBL Flip 5’s general specifications:

Maximum music playing time (hrs): 12

Output power (W): 20W RMS

We also suggest you try the JBL Clip 3 portable speaker that has 10 hours of playtime and you can also take for any adventure.

What Do People Say About it?

Amazon

Out of more than 30,820 ratings on Amazon as of writing, Bose SoundLink Micro garnered an above-average rating.

One Amazon customer said, “The Bose SoundLink Micro is far and away from the best small speaker I’ve used yet. I’ve used countless no-name brand speakers and other brand name speakers (and countless ~20-30 dollar ‘waterproof’ speakers on Amazon) and this one absolutely blows those away.”

Another said, “I am already turning this on when I wake up in the morning and just bringing [it] into the shower so I don’t have to stop listening to my audiobook or music.”

YouTube

JimsReviewRoom said on YouTube, “Although there’s a quick mentioning on Bose’s website saying ‘There’s no need to panic if you drop it,’ I didn’t see any mentioning in the user manual for a formal drop-resistant height or certification.”

But when Jim dropped the speaker on multiple occasions on a tile floor just to test its durability, “it’s still fine today.”

Meanwhile, GYMCADDY compared the SoundLink Micro to JBL Clip 3. He said, “If you’re planning to take on any of these speakers on a long hike, battery life is going to be more important than sound quality.”

And if that’s the case, the battery life of JBL Clip 3 is better than Bose SoundLink Micro. “But the Bose, without a doubt, has the better sound quality… [It] has a wider soundstage and it has even more bass.”

One Reddit user shared, “Compared with JBL Clip 3, Bose Soundlink Micro seems to more fit my needs(with stereo speaker and voice commands) though it takes additional 30 bucks.”

In another Reddit thread about the SoundLink Micro portable Bluetooth speaker, one wrote, “It’s a wonderful speaker. Amazing sound for the size. I have 2 and have never regretted it.”

Bottom line: Should You Buy It?

Bose SoundLink Micro is the best-sounding speaker for this tiny size class to date. Its build quality is also excellent and we could not find fault with its durability.

We also like its textured rubber design that protects it from drops and prevents it from getting scratched when used outdoors. If you don’t mind the 5 hours battery life (Bose says it’s 6 hours but our test in loud volume lessens it to only about 5 hours), then you should buy this speaker.

It is water-resistant, produces great sound, and is well-priced. If you’re curious, the speaker even continues to play your favorite music even when it’s submerged, but the smart assistant may not be functioning.

Overall, we still consider it a durable speaker and is lightweight so you can carry it outdoors.