Finally, a Bluetooth speaker that sounds great and is built to last

ZDNET’s key takeaways

The Bose SoundLink Max retails for $399 within the colours Black and Blue Nightfall
This unassuming Bluetooth speaker delivers the high-quality sound that Bose is understood for, with the battery life to maintain the celebration going all night time.
The common worth could be a turn-off, given you will get completely succesful audio system for much less.

extra shopping for selections

Bose’s SoundLink Max transportable speaker is on sale for $299 at Amazon. This deal solely applies to the Black colour possibility.

Many years in the past, after I was working for an audio set up firm, we used to have a saying: “No highs, no lows; it have to be Bose.” Needless to say we have been coping with audio system that value tens of 1000’s of {dollars}, so the thought of something consumer-grade was laughable.

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Quick-forward to immediately, and Bose nonetheless makes audio system, headphones, and earbuds able to producing wealthy, elegant sound with large soundstages, punchy bass, and crisp highs. Such is the case with the Bose SoundLink Max Portable Speaker.

When listening to the SoundLink Max, I am very a lot reminded of the unique SoundLink, an important speaker from a few decade in the past that I at all times felt was top-of-the-line I might ever used. This new iteration is even higher, as it will probably push the quantity to new heights with out the slightest little bit of distortion.

Though the sound may not fulfill the ears of a discerning audiophile, its massive bass and highly effective quantity are definitely a crowd-pleaser. Let’s get into it.

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The very first thing I seen about this speaker was the standard Bose processing, which makes the sound appear a bit ethereal. This pairs very nicely with audio from in style genres that usually do not demand an excessive amount of from the {hardware}, and is because of how Bose processes midrange sounds for a stereo impact. Sadly, it will probably translate into imprecise midrange sounds which can be barely off-color. I’ve skilled that with nearly each Bose speaker I’ve bought or examined.

It isn’t a foul factor; it is only a Bose factor.

I additionally could not assist however discover this speaker’s lack of options. It permits two gadgets to attach concurrently, has a three-band EQ (accessible from the minimal cellular app — Android/iOS), and features a play/pause button. That is it.

This is the factor: a high quality transportable speaker would not want a deluge of options. I would like the gadget to sound nice, have loads of battery life, and be easy to make use of. The Bose SoundLink Max simply checks all of these packing containers.

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After I began testing this speaker, I modified up my traditional testing technique. Being conversant in the Bose sound, I made a decision to throw two completely different albums at it to see the way it fared. The primary was “Massive Generator” by Sure. This album was recorded and mastered at a time that completely suited the Bose sound, and it sounded higher than I anticipated. The mids have been preferrred for Jon Anderson’s refrain, the guitars have been completely crunchy, and the soundstage was surprisingly large.

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Subsequent, I opted for a style that is not fairly fitted to the Bose sound: classical. I used to be stunned by how George Frideric Handel’s “Wassermusik” sounded. It was wealthy, vigorous, and in no way misplaced. In fact, no celebration is full with no Baroque masterpiece.

So far as the bass is anxious, the SoundLink Max does an important job to round 65Hz. Beneath that, the bass rolls off a bit, so you are not going to really feel the kick drum as you may with a much bigger speaker. Given the scale of this gadget, nevertheless, it holds its personal on the low finish.

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

If you happen to’re a fan of the Bose sound and desire a transportable speaker that may fill a room (after which some), the $399 SoundLink Max is the plain selection. If you happen to’re iffy concerning the Bose sound or desire extra EQ choices than three bands, then it is best to take a look at the Anker Soundcore Motion X500, which can be on sale for $80.

Finally, followers of the Bose sound will get pleasure from this speaker, and on condition that it is constructed like a tank, you will not have to fret about it at a crowded celebration.