BosePortable Smart Speaker — Wireless Bluetooth Speaker with Alexa Voice Control Built-in, Black

New favorite speaker. Takes everything I put it through and connects to all my smart speakers (Apple HomePods and Minis).

I currently own a variety of portable speakers, hard wired speakers and a home theater system. I have always been a fan of BOSE for the sounddock systems and the portable battery powered Revolve +. Bose is known for over emphasized & artificially created soundstage. However, this in my opinion is a positive when it comes to small portable speakers. When the first BOSE sounddock came out years ago I was amazed at how big and full it sounded for it's size. I have had a few generations of that one and now they have the Bose Soundtouch 10,20,30 series. I own the series 20 and have it at my office. Great smaller hardwired speaker. However, I wanted a portable speaker to take to the beach, pool, my garage, our back porch, yard, etc. The answer was the BOSE Revolve Plus. First time I powered it on I was amazed at the sound and bass for the little size. The battery lasts a long time and being splash proof was nice when we would take to our friends pool. With our growing family I find the revolver plus disappearing more so I was looking to purchase another. I waited a few weeks knowing BOSE was coming out with the newer version that was only slightly bigger, more powerful, deeper bass, WiFi AND now with Alexa and other app capability. I received it about a week ago and it was very easy to hook up to internet, update and run the BOSE app. No issues like some others have had. I really enjoy being able to run it on WiFi at home, but still be able to use Bluetooth if out and about. I think the Sonos app is better, but the Bose app is still ok and seems to get better with updates. (Been using the BOSE app a few years now) After charging, I set it side by side with Revolver plus to see if it was different enough or if I would be sending back for another Revolver plus. I could easily flip back and forth in my Spotify app to move the sound instantly from one back to the other over and over. Tried different genres of music from Country, to Hip Hop to Jazz to Rock. Definitely a warmer and more filling sound with the new BOSE Portable Home Speaker. Louder as well if needed. I thought the Revolver had great sound, but now it sounds a little flatter next to this one. The extra radiator gives a little more bass too which is nice. The size between the two is almost the same with the new Bose being a hair taller and wider and a tad heavier. I have a pic of both above side by side. I skipped the Sonos Move, not because of sound, but its size, weight and portability. No way are you throwing that speaker in a suitcase or car to travel. Much heavier and much bigger in size. The size of this speaker and grab handle make it excellent for taking anywhere with you. Add the built-in Alexa and you get a great speaker. Yes, it is a tad pricey. If you are considering the Revolve plus, spend the extra $50 for this one. You won't be sorry. Overall I am very satisfied with this speaker. Very clear highs, "ok" mid-range and decent bass for the size. I also like you can adjust the bass and treble on this one where the Revolve you cannot. I currently own a Sonos Play 5, which I love and use in my family room. I also own a Sonos Beam for a center in the family room. Both are great for that room and I really like the Sonos app. I also have a Martin Logan theater system in the basement. This Bose is honestly not that far behind the Play 5 which is mind boggling. Just shows you what a great job BOSE can do with such a tiny footprint. To sum up, if you want a portable speaker that you can actually take with you easily to the beach, pool, yard, gym or anywhere, I don't think this speaker will disappoint for the size, sound, Alexa capability and battery life. Well done BOSE!

Love it! Easy to set up.

Got this as a birthday gift for my husband and never spent an outdoor family and friends event without it. It stays on our kitchen counter top for some casual dinner parties too. Good quality sound without distortions or unnecessary high volume. Bose has it all.I also got a charging pad and a case for it, they made it much easier to use for traveling and charging.

I'll compare the Bose Portable Smart Speaker with the Amazon Echo Studio, as they seem quite similar, and I own both.Firstly, the most important feature: sound quality. Both speakers excel in their own ways. The Bose delivers richer sound with deeper bass, while the Amazon Echo Studio offers clearer treble and better room-filling capabilities, maintaining consistent volume throughout the space. In terms of sound, I would rate them about equally; both are impressive, and I believe the average listener would be satisfied with either.Regarding voice assistants, both speakers have no trouble picking up my voice, even from across the room with music playing. However, I give the Bose an extra point as it is compatible with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, offering more flexibility in voice assistant choice.Ease of use is where the Amazon Echo excels; it's almost a plug-and-play experience. It connects to Wi-Fi effortlessly and is ready to go right out of the box. The Bose, although excellent once set up, requires more effort initially. I encountered difficulties connecting it to the Bose app and had to attempt several times before it recognized the speaker. Furthermore, signing into my Bose and then my Amazon account for the voice assistant functionality was a bit cumbersome. Bose could improve its user-friendliness in this regard.Feature-wise, the Bose takes the lead. Its compact size and battery operation give it an edge over the Amazon Echo, which must remain plugged in. The Bose's portability is a significant advantage, although I dislike that its charging dock is sold separately, especially considering the speaker's high price.Speaking of price, the Echo wins here; it's half the cost of the Bose. My biggest gripe with the Bose is its price. Although it's a premium speaker, $400 seems steep for its size. For the same price, you could acquire the Echo Studio plus the Echo Subwoofer and still save money, likely with superior sound. A more reasonable price for the Bose would be around $250, making it a more compelling choice. Unless you specifically need the Bose's portability, the Amazon Echo offers better value.Update: Well my cat knocked it off the counter top and it hit the hard wood floor hard. It put a small but barely noticeable dent in the speaker grill (I guess I could get the grill replaced if I really tried but the dent is so small that its not worth it) but other than that the speaker seems completely unharmed. Still sounds great. I wouldn't suggest dropping the thing on a regular basis but it is nice to know that it's built tough.