The Bose® SoundLink® Wireless Mobile speaker

 

Relying on the tiny speaker embedded in your smartphone or handheld player is an underwhelming experience at best; an effort in futility at worst. Don’t even try using it to share the musical delight when it’s noisy inside or out, or expect much satisfaction even for yourself when setting the device down to provide a sound track as you attempt to labor, unfettered by earphones. Consider instead bringing along a companion speaker that’s portable, rechargeable and wireless, too.

About the size of a hardcover book, the Bose® SoundLink® Wireless Mobile Speaker  offers surprisingly rich audio wherever you happen to place it, although setting it a few inches from a wall enhances the bass. And thanks to the SoundLink’s Bluetooth® receiver, you don’t have to physically connect anything to it. Whether your source player is an iPhone, Android device, tablet, notebook or one of thousands of electronics models that are now Bluetooth-savvy, bringing along a SoundLink® is the next best thing to having a dock in every port.

At less than 3 lb in weight and under 2 inches thick, the Bose speaker is capable of creating more sonic oomph than any thin-panel speaker can possibly match. Yet, the SoundLink® is portable enough to be slipped under your arm or thrown into luggage or a shoulder case without a second thought.

To pair an iPod touch or iPad to the speaker, for example, you set your Bluetooth® device to discover the SoundLink speaker. The SoundLink® indicates that pairing is complete when its Bluetooth® indicator stops fading on and off and remains steady. The SoundLink memory can hold up to six paired devices. Turn on the speaker, and it defaults to the last paired device used. You cycle through others by pressing a button atop the speaker.

You can place your source player up to about 30 feet away from the SoundLink. For devices that are not Bluetooth-enabled, Bose supplies a stereo cable (one pin at each end) to link the player’s earphone jack or auxiliary output to the SoundLink’s 3.5 mm auxiliary audio input.

Where an electrical outlet is available, you can power the SoundLink indefinitely using the included external power supply. Multiple AC adapters are included for use here and abroad.  Once you charge the SoundLink’s built-in, lithium-ion battery, you can disconnect the speaker from a wall outlet and blast the music to your heart’s content for approximately three hours at maximum volume, or as much as 8 hours at more civilized volumes. No matter how loudly or softly you play your music, there is no perceptible stereo separation—you may as well be using a mono speaker.

Under the SoundLink® hood are Bose proprietary acoustic, mechanical and electrical technologies. The most important of these are the dual opposing passive radiators, which enable the speaker to deliver high-quality, low-note performance in a small enclosure. With the radiators placed symmetrically opposite each other, Bose is able to reduce speaker vibration, converting the energy into useful acoustic output.

The Bose SoundLink® comes with an attached black Cordova cover that protects the grille during transport and folds out under the speaker to become a stand. And it does something else. When you close the cover, the SoundLink automatically powers off, saving the battery for another day.

The included cover complements the speaker’s black and gray finish, but if you want to add color, it can be swapped out for one of four alternative covers in burgundy leather, purple nylon, red nylon or tan leather. Suddenly, your portable companion is drawing attention even when it’s not drawing power.

Input	3.5 mm stereo
Wireless	Bluetooth
Battery Power	Up to 8 hrs
Dimensions	5.1 x 9.6 x 1.9"
Weight	2.9 lb