blackfriday I was a fan of Bose’s original SoundLink Color Bluetooth speaker and praised it to be relatively affordable — by Bose standards anyway — and sounding best for its compact size. Its mostly improved sequel, the SoundLink Color II, can be purchased in a few different color options and is comparable in form, though it’s slightly shorter and squatter, and weighs a tad more (1.28 pounds. or 581g vs. 1.20 pounds or 544g) while costing the same price: $130, £120 in the united kingdom, and AU$179 in Australia.
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As the original’s finish was mostly smooth, hard plastic with some rubberized trim along with the speaker and sides, this new model is totally covered in soft-t0-the-touch rubber, that includes a little share with it and appears better made to withstand drops. The brand new speaker is officially water-resistant, too: Its IPX-4 recognition helps it be splashproof, though not waterproof. Or even to put it another way, it ought to be able to spend time out in the torrential rain and survive.
Other bonus features add a microphone for speakerphone capabilities, and also NFC tap-to-pair technology for devices that support it. The SoundLink Color II can remember up to eight devices paired to it, while its eight hours of battery life — at medium volume levels — is equivalent to the original’s. (That’s decent enough however, not exceptionally good).
I personally don’t think the look can be an aesthetic upgrade, however the speaker does look a tad more understated and mature. I love the soft-to-the-touch finish, however the one downside is that it is a magnet for dust, lint and carpet fibers, so you might find yourself needing to wipe it down every once in awhile (as I said, it really is water-resistant, so going for a wet cloth to it is not a problem).
Note, too, the USB-powered speaker will not include an AC adapter. Which may be an annoyance for some, but I was fine with it — any standard phone or tool charger you have can do the trick.
I had no trouble pairing and re-pairing the speaker with an iPhone 6S and Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge — there are voice prompts to help you through the process. Gleam companion iphone app for iOS and Android — Bose Connect — it doesn’t do all that much but does let you rename the speaker to your liking, disable those aforementioned voice prompts, and check in on your own remaining battery life.
The SoundLink Color ($95 at Amazon) sounds just a little better than the initial — that makes it arguably among the best-sounding Bluetooth speakers because of its size. I ran a couple of different music through it and came away impressed with the sound it had been in a position to produce, though it can have its limitations. (It could envelop a tiny room with sound but don’t expect it to fill a more substantial space).
It can best with jazz, classical, acoustical live music, as well as your soft rock favorites. It had good tonal balance with U2’s “Running to Stand Still” and Eric Dolphy’s jazz track “Sketch of Melba.”
There isn’t any ton of bass, but with well-recorded techno and hip-hop tracks it offers enough kick to surprise you sometimes. For instance, Snoop Dogg’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot” and Swedish House Mafia’s “Greyhound” found much better than I expected they might. However, tracks in which a large amount of instruments are playing simultaneously are more challenging because of this little guy, and you will notice sometimes that the speaker ratchets back certain frequencies in addition to the volume to avoid distorting.
You can aquire speakers which may have better battery life, including the JBL Charge 3, or kinds with an increase of robust water-resistance, just like the UE Roll ($200 at Amazon). But given for the decision for sound, I’d choose the Bose. It’s just a little expensive at $130 (it’d ideally cost nearer to $100), but it’s an extremely likable little speaker with just a few minor drawbacks.
