Bose SoundLink Bluetooth Mobile Speaker II

Bose Soundlink II is a Bluetooth portable speaker manufactured and marketed by Bose Corporation. It is known to produce quality sound and was rated one of the best among speakers of its class by PC Magazine and CNET. The speaker belongs to a line of Bluetooth speakers that includes Bose SoundLink and Bose SoundLink III.

The speaker received positive reviews with particular praise devoted to the reproduction of bass and sub-bass. Numerous publications noted that the speaker handles the low end very well for its small size. However, the speaker has been criticized for being expensive and lacking additional functionality such as speakerphone capability.

Reception

The second generation SoundLink received an "Excellent" rating from PC Magazine and retained the Editors' Choice award that was given to its predecessor. PC Magazine noted about the speaker: "Bose products may have their detractors in audiophile circles, but there are many things the company does right, and some the company does brilliantly."^[2] CNET gave the speaker an "Excellent" rating and commented: "While the SoundLink Bluetooth Mobile Speaker II may no longer be in a class by itself, it's still near the top of the portable Bluetooth speaker category."^[1] Meta review site Engadget showed overall positive rating.^[3] Nick Guy of Ilounge rated the speaker at "B-" and, while commenting positively about its industrial design and compactness, mentioned that the speaker is "seriously underpowered for the price versus competitors".^[4] Josh Covington, the Editor-in-Chief of Geeky product reviews, gave the speaker 4.25 out of 5 and commented that it produces very good sound quality considering its size yet lacks the speakerphone feature.^[5]

Hardware

Bose SoundLink II includes new neodymium transducers, dual-opposing passive radiators and a revised digital signal processing that gives the speaker slightly better sound compared to the original version. It includes a built-in rechargeable battery that powers the speaker for 3 to 4 hours of use at high volume levels and 6–8 hours at moderate volume levels. The unit is charged via a proprietary charger.^[1]

Design

Bose SoundLink II looks virtually identical to the original model, with a design that reflects some of the lines of Apple products.^[1] Minor changes have been made to the design of the integrated protective cover/stand, which automatically turns the speaker off when closed in what has been called a 'bi-fold' design.^[6] On top of the case there is a row of oversized buttons: Power, Multifunctions (mute, previous or next track, play/pause, siri, accept/decline/end call), Bluetooth, Volume - and Volume +; and on the back there is a micro USB port and a 3.5mm jack auxiliary input. The new version can remember up to eight devices for automatic pairing, with a possibility of 2 devices both connected.^[2]

Sound

SoundLink II plays incredibly loud for its size without distortion and delivers "rich, clear and detailed sound for all types of music: acoustic guitar, rock and pop, like what you'd get from a larger speaker."^[1] It doesn't retain original sound though due to a lot of digital signal processing and therefore may not be suitable for audiophiles that would like to listen to a natural sound. The processing is done to prevent distortion and increase the output, and the resulting sound is nice.^[2] The sound quality has improved a bit from a previous version of the speaker. The new model produces kick drum that is slightly punchier "with a short "boom" tail". The speaker has an enhanced upper midrange and a "smoother, airier-sounding high range". Baritone sounded clear and full over acoustic guitar in Bill Callahan's "Drover" during the PC Magazine testing.^[2]

See also

• Loudspeaker
• Loudspeaker enclosure

References