Bose SoundLink Micro Portable Waterproof Speaker, Black

The Bose SoundLink Micro is far and away 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.

I already had expectations as to what this would sound like, however, I was still surprised by the amount of bass the speaker was able to put out. And I don’t mean loud, droning bass, but bass that makes a song sound like it’s coming from a bigger speaker – everything sounds authentic. Drum kicks and other instruments come out convincingly with a nice punch. The Micro is a very musical speaker with nice presence. The treble is very smooth – so you can listen to it for long periods of time without it tiring your ears out at high volume, but it’s also never dull – everything has a nice sparkle to it when called for.

Everything but the Girl’s ‘Missing’ (2013 remaster) immediately shows off the Bose’s advantage in bass compared to other speakers of its size (particularly against the JBL Clip 3, and JBL GO). The song starts off with a constant bass line and adds another on top that matches the rhythm of the music. The Bose reproduces the two distinct bass lines with confidence without sounding muddled. Tracey Thorn’s vocals come through excellent and aren’t drowned out by the bass – and neither are the other instruments in the midrange.

Madonna’s Music titletrack has a very deep bassline. The Revolve+ renders the song with a little too much upperbase – while it sounds fine at normal volume levels, at high levels the Revolve+ sounds boxy and smaller than it should. Due to the Micro’s smaller size, and even though it is bass-boosted like the Revolve+, it actually ends up sounding more natural than the Revolve+. Volume pumping is minimal in this track. The Micro can occasionally volume pump at levels greater than 2/3 when the music stops as an artist continues singing or during the start of a song before the music starts. While not ideal, it doesn’t volume pump as much as I expected it to.

Rush’s YYZ has great treble presence at the beginning with cymbals and other instrumentation. It comes through very crisp and cuts through the midrange and bass without issue. Geddy Lee’s bass solo near the middle really comes through.

Classical music, and really most music in general, from pop, rock, country, electronic/dance sound very decent as the Bose maintains a flat sound signature in the midrange with a small boost in bass. The treble is somewhat rolled off, but this prevents the speaker from sounding harsh – which I prefer.

It’s able to maintain most of its composure up until around 75%. You may notice compression at this level under certain circumstances. It’ll sound decent up until around 85% – at this point basslines may disappear, depending on the song, however, it music still sounds full and it won’t sound tinny. For the most part, it still sounds like a bigger speaker at this level. Above 85% up and up til 100% can be dicey. Most music actually sounds fine with the speaker pointed toward you head-on. Off-axis, it may sound strained, but not bad. It gets surprisingly loud. Older music, such as from the Beach Boys’ actually sound very decent at these high levels (likely due to the fact that the songs have little bass), and the basslines they do have, typically remain while most newer music is compressed more at these higher volumes. You can fool the speaker into playing louder if you don’t mind reducing bass with an equalizer app (e.g. reduce the left-hand side of the equalizer adjustments).

Some reviews have complained about the treble or are trying to compare it to the Soundlink Mini (which I also have). It is different – the Micro is a ‘flatter’ and more accurate speaker than the Mini – which has a noticeable treble boost which some people say gives the old Mini ‘clarity’ over the Micro – even though the Micro is technically the more correct speaker. This isn’t in the Mini’s favor at high volumes as the compression can make the Mini sound sharp, while the Micro doesn’t end up hurting your ears. And you don’t lose anything with the Micro being a mono speaker compared to the Mini being stereo – while it’s possible to tell the difference between the two from that perspective, it just isn’t practical as you lose stereo separation if you are more than a few feet or otherwise are not facing the mini directly. The Micro sounds the same from most directions as audio fires up instead of from the front of the speaker.

The Micro’s battery lasts for quite a while. At volumes above a little above half, I get around 6-7 hours easily, and get 8-12 at even lower volumes. The speaker sounds great even at low volumes. Bass is dynamically boosted at lower levels – keeping the sound full, which is a problem for many of these small speakers. In general, I find most smaller speakers don’t sound any better than your phone’s built-in speakers at low volumes. The Bose definitely has a nice presence at low volume – it makes it easy to fall asleep to if you use it before you go to bed.

I also have the SoundLink Revolve+, and until you reach the top volume of the Micro, the two speakers sound remarkably similar when paired in party or stereo mode. They only differ in certain tracks with very deep bass or when you push the Revolve+’s volume past the Micro’s max volume – but listening to them in stereo is a surprisingly pleasant experience. It seems like the speakers volume match when they pair – so it sounds fairly balanced, you can however make one louder / quieter than the other by pushing the volume buttons separately on each speaker.

The Bose app is not required to use the speaker. However, you can adjust the auto-off time in specific increments and remove previously paired devices through the app, otherwise, most things within the app, like turning voice prompts off or shutting the auto-off timer entirely, can be done with button presses on the speaker. You can easily find the manual by going to Bose.com -> Speakers -> SoundLink Micro and the manual is under their Support section.

As for its closest competition, the B&O P2, the Bose is fully waterproof while the former doesn’t have any weather proofing (I didn’t think B&O advertised any water resistance but apparently some reviews state the speaker is splash proof). The battery on the Bose lasts much longer on maximum than the P2 (2-ish hours compared to a 5-ish for the Bose), even though the P2 isn’t much louder than the Bose. And most importantly, the Bose is way cheaper and has a flatter frequency response than the P2. However, I actually like the flatter form factor of the P2 – you’ll notice in B&O’s advertising that they show the P2 can fit in some jean pockets – while the Micro fits more in larger cargo pants/shorts or coat pockets. The P2 and the Anker’s I have above have a large treble boost which, superficially, may sound nice for a few minutes, but quickly becomes tiring when the speaker is within a few feet from you since things become bright and shrill easily. In my opinion, the Anker Soundcore Sport is the next closest competition. It is pretty much the same size as the Micro, they’re both IPX7 waterproof, and they both feature ~1.5 inch drivers with a passive radiator. It’s also only 40 dollars compared to the Bose. However, the Sport is covered in a hard rubber and the buttons on that speaker have practically zero feedback – so no ‘click’ or noticeable indent when pushed – which can make the speaker hard to use, especially when wet. Sound-wise, the Bose definitely wins – but the Anker puts up a good fight for being only $40. Primarily, it lacks the bass the Micro offers. As a plus, the Sport doesn’t have the trouble boost it’s smaller and non-waterproof brother, the Soundcore Mini and the B&O does – it sounds pretty flat across the midrange and treble – but just doesn’t sound as full as the Micro. If you can afford it, the Bose is an easy choice over either Anker.

The newest competition in this speaker size is probably the Minirig Mini. Reviewer Oluv (as noted in his own review of the speaker on this Amazon listing) has done an extensive review of the Minirig Mini on his YouTube channel. I have not heard it in person but it does appear to have an advantage in sound quality if you’re willing to forego the smaller size of the Bose, along with waterproofing (the Minirig Mini is supposedly water resistant, like the Revolve+ – so it can handle splashes, but I wouldn’t trust getting water on a paper-cone speaker that the Revolve+ and Minirig Mini have). Minirig’s parent company specializes in underwater audio, however, so it seems odd to produce a speaker that isn’t actually water proof. I used to scoff at speakers that introduced water resistance or 360 degree sound – but now that I have them, I don’t think I’d give them up. Keeping all that in mind, the Minirig Mini’s can automatically pair in stereo mode, without needing an app or complicated button pushes on every use, once you’ve set them up previously, which I’m jealous of.

If something were to happen with my Micro, I would easily buy it again (even though it being the cheapest Bose speaker, it still isn’t cheap and cost ~5x as much as the Anker speakers) because simply: it sounds better, the battery lasts much longer than many others in it’s class (much longer than the Anker’s max), and I don’t doubt its durability.

Edit: I added some more about the Anker Soundcore products I have since those are the closest in competition next to the B&O P2, in my opinion.

Edit 2: 04/2018 – 6-ish months later. I’ve used this speaker every day since I got it back in October of 2017 (I listen to music a lot). It’s probably my favorite bluetooth speaker that I have ever purchased (even including the original Soundlink Mini and newer and larger Revolve+, both of which I still have) not necessarily because it sounds better than the two – but it can definitely compete at lower volumes, but because of its small factor and waterproofing. This is the first expensive speaker that I have that actually feels durable – I don’t worry about babying it like I do with the Mini and Revolve+. Along with the Revolve+, as I noted above – they both work surprisingly well when paired together in party/stereo mode – so if you need something louder than the Micro (and can afford it) I would definitely recommend getting the Revolve+ and pairing the two together so you can have something small for regularly every day use and something for a party on the weekends!

Edit 3: 07/2018 – 9-ish months later: I’ve added more comparison speakers and updated how the speaker sounds with certain test tracks. Micro is still going strong (and still use it everyday).

Edit 4: 10/2018 – A little after the 1 year mark. Still use it every day since I’ve gotten it – battery shows no sign of decline. I wanted to point out a few things I missed and noticed haven’t been mentioned in other reviews:
1) Even at low volumes, you can really feel the bass when holding the speaker. The speaker won’t vibrate due to its soft silicone covered body – but there’s something fun about not just listening – but literally feeling the music.
2) A lot of people are complaining about a *very neat* feature that most other non-Bose bluetooth speakers do not have in that you can turn on the Micro (and other Bose Revolve speakers) remotely from your device e.g. selecting the Micro in your Bluetooth list automatically turns it on without needing to push the power button on the speaker. This is particularly helpful on their larger speakers, like when the Revolve+ is mounted on a tripod somewhere. This only works if your device has previously paired with the speaker (as evidenced in the Bose Connect App device history list) – so only you can turn the device on remotely. But some are complaining because they decided to connect it to a smart device i.e. an Echo, Fire stick, etc. – with the problem being that when those devices update overnight, for example, they’ll reconnect upon completion which makes the speaker wake up in the middle of the night. You can simply disable the pairing in the Bose app for the problem smart device and this fixes the issue. I would be very disappointed if Bose removed this functionality due to a small few who can’t use the speaker correctly.
3) I will note a flaw with connecting the speaker to a PC (or a Mac) which also effects the larger Revolve speakers. PCs don’t support linked volume control like our phones do – i.e. when you change the volume on your phone, it immediately changes on the Bose, and vice-versa, but instead you have independent volume control (e.g. the PC has it’s own volume level and the Bose has it’s own volume level set by the volume buttons on the speaker itself). However, when connected to a PC, the Bose’s volume buttons are locked (when you push -/+ the status light on the speaker blinks on/off to like that action is unavailable). This would be fine if the internal volume on the Bose was set to 100% – where then you can simply use the PC volume to control the speaker volume – this would mimic absolute volume control. However, the Bose’s internal volume fixed at a low volume – meaning even if the PC volume is set to 100%, the volume may still be quite low on the speaker. Bose should allow the physical volume buttons to be used in this case to increase the volume on the speaker’s end or simply max out the internal volume while we control the volume from the PC.

None of this changes the 5 star rating. On a future gen Micro, though, I would like to see, at a minimum, a type-C USB port with USB audio like the larger Revolve line which has micro-USB with USB audio. It would be nice to see an increase in either battery life or fidelity at higher volumes (not necessarily louder but I definitely wouldn’t complain).

Brilliant small speaker which can be hung. Love the base notes of the sound. I also have a larger bose portable speaker that you can’t buy anymore but this is just as good. I think it’s designed to use on a bike and you can take phone calls on it as well

l’enceinte est légère, tiens bien la batterie, et le son est très acceptable pour la taille. étanche a l’eau aussi mais je n’ai jamais testé. Bose fait bien le travail de manière générale.

FEATURES & BENEFITS:
• Portability
• Durability
• Ease of use
• Battery Life
• Sound & Base Quality
• Affordability
• Bluetooth / Wireless connectivity and paring
• Waterproof
• Rugged Strap

WHY I PURCHASED:
I have had the Bose SoundLink Micro for eight months now. I purchased the Bose SoundLink Micro to use outdoors for parties, BBQs, and the beach. I previously had the Amazon Bluetooth speaker (sorry Amazon) but it was not very good. I attended a backyard birthday party and they were playing music through the Bose SoundLink Micro. I assumed the sound was coming from a much larger speaker. When my brother-in-law showed me the Bose SoundLink I was blown away! All that rich, clear, crisp sound coming out of that small little speaker – I was amazed. Then he cranked it up and the bass was BUMPIN’ it was deep and smooth, but it didn’t distort the sound. Bose has some amazing technology. This speaker is PERFECT, I LOVE IT, I use it DAILY.

CONSTRUCTION:
This speaker feels good in the hand, they use soft silicon. It’s lightweight. It has a rugged and durable shell that is VERY GOOD at resisting scratches, dings, drops, and tears. I’ve had mine for (8) months and it still looks new. The speaker is waterproof (Ipx7 rating). It comes with a durable strap that you can use to hang off of pretty much anything, a rail, a backpack, handlebars…I used mine recently to hang off of a 10×10 pop-up shade canopy in the backyard.

FUNCTIONALITY:
The speaker is easy to use. At the top, you have a power button, a Bluetooth connectivity button, a micro USB port, and a battery indicator light. On the face of the speaker, you have the up and down volume rocker and the center button can pause/play your tracks.

BATTERY LIFE:
The rechargeable lithium-ion battery lasts FOREVER!!! I know the product description says up to 6 hours. I play this thing all day and I charge at the end of the week with the included USB cable. Once she has fully charged she seems to last for the entire workweek.

CONNECTS TO:
Siri, Google Assistant, Echo Dot, Mobile Devices, Tablets, Computer/laptop’s, Smart TV’s, Bose Connect App, Stereo & Party Mode, other Bose Smart Home Family products, pretty much ANY Bluetooth device! The wireless range is roughly 30 feet.

CONCLUSION:
At $99 bucks on Amazon, this is a GREAT DEAL. You get so much VALUE for the money. I’ve owned and used the Bose SoundLink Micro daily for (8) months and I’m still happy with my purchase and I’m more than satisfied with the quality of the speaker. There is a reason why this speaker is so HIGHLY RATED with 4.8 stars and almost 25K reviews. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this speaker!

My second time purchasing. Love this speaker. Sounds amazing and can take a beating. It also lasts about 6 to 8 hours on close to full volume. I’ve dropped it, gotten it full of dust and dirt, and accidentally dropping it in a giant pot of hot butter, but impressively it kept working. Love the strap, but the shape is admittedly kind of annoying. Great buy!

Nice color, gave it as a gift. Very portable, yet great sound. Good Bluetooth range and has a good charge that keeps going. Did I mention stellar sound? Clear buttons that work flawlessly and easily. I’d purchase this again.