Bose SoundLink Mini II Reviews, Price & Specification
Bose SoundLink Mini II Reviews, Price & Specification
Here we talk about the SoundLink Mini, the company’s 2013 compact Bluetooth speaker that features impressive build quality and sound for its size and isn’t too outrageously priced at $ 200 (£170 and AU$299).
Now we get the new SoundLink Mini II, which retails for the same price is available in two colors — Carbon and Pearl. It aims to fix a few of the original Mini’s shortcomings by adding a few new feature additions, including a boost in battery life.
The new 1.5-pound (0.67kg) model looks closely identical to its predecessor — a good thing. It’s one of the most elegant looking handy speaker out there — but it now has a built-in microphone for speakerphone capabilities. Another improvement is its 10-hour battery rating, raised from 7 hours of the previous model.
Marking the improvements: this model charges via a standard USB cable rather than a proprietary AC adapter. This is a indeed remarkable change. It also includes a charging cradle, which acts as a dock when the device at home.
As we talked about original SoundLink Mini, it looks a lot like a speaker Apple would design. Perhaps it’s the unibody aluminum enclosure that surrounds the two small drivers with front and back radiators. At 1.5 pounds, it feels considerably substantial than many of the tiny all-plastic Bluetooth speakers in the market. Whatever it is, this is a sleek-looking and compact wireless speaker, yet sturdy.
Connections
The new speaker allows you to pair two devices with it at, simultaneously — you can switch back and forth between the devices, alternating audio streams — and it can remember up to eight devices. Bose also says that it has streamlined the pairing process with new voice prompts. The speaker identifies the devices by the name using the text-to-speech feature.
Soft covers, sold separately for $25, £21 or AU$30 each, will be available in deep red, “energy green,” navy blue, charcoal black and gray. (Our photo shows the original SoundLink with the now-discontinued bright blue color.)
Bose Soundlink 2 review: Verdict
Available now at around £130, the Bose SoundLink Mini 2 is a great choice overall. It sounds excellent for the money provided you’re not looking for a ruggedized speaker to take out with you day-to-day, it ticks all the right boxes for a Bluetooth speaker at this price. I particularly like the charging cradle that makes topping up its battery convenient. If you’re happy to spend more and want a more distinct design, the B&O Play BeoPlay A1 would get my recommendation. Otherwise, check out our list of the best Bluetooth speakers. Buy Now from Amazon.
Hardware | |
---|---|
Speakers | 2 |
RMS power output | 50W |
Audio inputs | 3.5mm stereo |
Audio outputs | None |
Dock connector | None |
Wireless | Bluetooth (SBC) |
NFC | No |
App support | None |
Battery capacity | Not disclosed |
Dimensions | 180x58x51mm |
Weight | 620g |