Bose is one of the best known and loved brands in the music industry with their awesome speakers speakers. When you hear of the Bose Soundlink Mini, do you fancy a stylish mini Bose music speaker? Well, our Bose Soundlink Mini review shows that it is a small bluetooth speaker that comes with a charging dock. How cool is that? Its rectangular small size is comfy enough to take it in and around the house to use it as a music speaker.
Bose Soundlink Mini – Less thank $200 – Features and Design
Bose has a series of wireless speakers available in the marketplace these days but the Bose SoundLink Mini is definitely the smallest and most portable of the current options that are available from this well known speaker manufacturer. It can easily be called the baby brother of the full size Bose Soundlink when compared based on their sizes. But the design and shape is different than the Bose Soundlink big brother model. It is not as tall as its big brother but is deeper and has a stubby sort of look as you can see in the images here in this post. The speaker unit measures approximately 18cm long, 5cm high and 6cm deep overall. The Bose Soundlink Mini deliberately chooses to be not as tiny as other ultra small speakers that one might see on the market.
This unit is designed more for use as in house house speakers with easy portability but if you are carrying a slightly large or oversized handbag, the Soundlink Mini could definitely fit in it with its charger base. Where it really shines is as a wonderful speaker to travel with from garden to kitchen.
For charging the speaker, all you need to do is place the speaker on the charging base and plug in the charger. There are metal contacts on the charger and at the speaker base. It really doesn’t get much easier than that to recharge the speakers.
If you are thinking in terms of a trendy and ultra slim speaker, Bose Minilink might not match up to the trendiest in the looks department (Sorry Bose!). Bose preferred to stay with the traditional bold look. That is a bonus for consumers who prefer the more conventional, classy look. The quality of build for the speakers is truly remarkable. The front and the rear grills are of coated metals and the rest of the body is reinforced with a 2mm thick one piece band of anodized aluminum. The controls on the top of the portable speaker have a rubber finishing so we can also say it could be considered splash guarded. Bose Soundlink Mini weighs a little under 25 ounces (or 700gms) so it is neither hefty nor too light weight. Overall it gives the impression of a speaker with a good sound depth.
The Bose Soundlink Mini offers a few features that we would like to note here. A charger is included in the pack which can be used to charge without the charging dock making portability even easier. If a certain music system does not have bluetooth facility, there is a 3.5mm auxilliary input which can serve the purpose of connecting a device to the speaker. The bottom of the speaker has a micro USB port which is used more to update the firmware rather than to charge. It’s still a nice to have feature. For some micro phone crazy users the Soundlink Mini can be a disappointment. Bose Soundlink Mini cannot be used as a speaker phone. Some may find that as a feature that is critical to use but for many others they just won’t be bothered.
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The Sound Quality of the Bose Soundlink Mini
The Bose Soundlink Mini has a driver array which uses quite a lot of the available space. There is a pair of active 1.5 inch drivers and two passive bass radiators. It is not a big speaker more along the lines of a small size speaker that has to use a decent amount of bass radiation to produce a good bass. Soundlink Mini is more than successful in doing so. The music response is pretty good. Given its pint size, the sound is powerful with quite a commendable punch.
The radiators have been expertly managed. The two radiators sit at exactly opposite sides of Soundlink Mini in a Mexican style position. That is the specialty of Bose, it doesn’t let any distortion come in between even at the highest of volumes. The radiators remain firm at any given volume. Soundlink Mini has the typical signature strong and accessible sound of Bose that we all know and love. Treble is relaxed which means the music outcome is heavy and warm for a soothing and relaxing listening experience.
As for any limitations? Well, the 1.5 inch drivers do have a limit. It cannot emit sound like a home theatre setup nor is that what it is designed to do. Sound definitions and dynamics though well established are limited. However, among the contemporary bluetooth speakers, Bose Soundlink Mini is a top performer.
Should you buy the Bose Soundlink Mini?
Well, no doubt being from the Bose family, the Soundlink Mini is a great portable speaker. Even with the charger dock, it is quite portable around the house. Though small in size it emits a powerful sound. But for $120-$225 USD it will be considered by some to be quite pricey. The larger size of Bose Soundlink is available for about $225 based on our recent review of prices. But if you are ready and able to pay the price for a good portable speaker, the Bose Soundlink Mini is definitely a buy and comes with all that we have come to expect from Bose systems. And that means quality, durability and exquisite portable sound whether you are inside or outside! And this time of year, that is probably outside.
We’ve given our Bose Soundlink Mini reviews and opinions, what are your thoughts on the Bose Soundlink Mini? We’d love to hear your comments below!