For more than five decades, Bose has offered the world a clean and compelling sound via its numerous audio tech offerings, including noise-canceling headphones, home audio systems, and wireless speakers. Two such devices that deliver a premium sound performance while flaunting a sleek minimalist design are the SoundLink Color II and SoundLink Revolve Bluetooth speakers. You can save as much as $40 when you get them on Amazon ahead of Presidents Day.
Bose SoundLink Color II — $99, was $129
The best wireless speakers need to deliver premium sound quality in a compact package, and the Bose SoundLink Color II is more than up to the challenge. This wireless speaker is ruggedly designed to withstand the abuse of the outdoors but doesn’t come short in terms of sonic performance. It has a waterproof exterior that lets you enjoy music anywhere you want. With an IPX4 rating, this speaker is protected from the occasional splashing water (don’t ever attempt to submerge it, though). It is short and stout and has a wrap-around silicone covering that makes it easy to hold. Weighing just 1.2 pounds, all its buttons are found on top, including the playback controls, volume adjustment, power, Bluetooth pairing, and Aux-In. It also has a 3.5mm headphone jack on the side located next to the micro USB charging port.
Underneath the hood, the Bose Soundlink Color II has dual opposing passive radiators that pump out sound that’s impressively loud but keeps vibrations to a nice minimum. It delivers basses that are powerful and resonant, mids that sound nice and rich, and highs that are crystal clear and sharp.
The Bose SoundLink Color II packs a lot of features. You can summon a voice assistant (either Siri and Google Assistant) by pressing and holding the multifunction button. With it, you can give a playback command, ask a question, or place a call. A built-in NFC (near field communication) button allows quick and easy pairing. Another cool feature is the Multipoint Bluetooth technology, which permits dual connectivity. This means you can pair the speaker with two devices simultaneously, and it can switch between those devices seamlessly. Through “Party Mode” you’ll be able to play music on two wireless speakers at the same time for double the volume and fun. Battery life lasts an adequate seven hours long if you play music at 50% volume. If you’re in a party, you can crank it up to 60% but by then it’s already awfully loud (and will drain the battery at a much faster rate).
The Bose SoundLink Color II Bluetooth speaker is durable, extremely rugged and stunningly loud despite its compact size. It isn’t fully waterproof like the rest of the competition, nor does its battery life last that long. But for the affordable price of $99 instead of $129, those shortcomings are negligible.
Bose SoundLink Revolve — $159, was $199
Bose’s speakers are known to get incredibly loud with virtually zero distortions, and the SoundLink Revolve is a compelling example. What sets the Revolve apart from the rest of the competition is its use of a cylindrical design to deliver 360-degree sound. While not necessarily a new innovation (Ultimate Ears did it first), we have to give credit where credit is due as the Revolve delivers on this promise well.
Featuring a “seamless” aluminum chassis, the Revolve reminds us of the Google Home with its top shaved off at an angle. However, place the two next to each other and it’s clear that the Revolve has the upper hand in terms of build quality. While it looks like an indoor speaker, it’s both water- and shock-resistant so you can use it outdoors for parties, picnics, and soirees. It comes with a threaded tripod mount on the bottom so you can attach it to a wall mount or a stand if you like.
Located on top of the Revolve are six buttons, including volume up and down, multifunction, Bluetooth 4.0, aux, and power. Its multifunction button can be used to control music playback and activate voice assistants like Siri and Google Assistant. It also works great as a speakerphone for taking calls, with a microphone that’s located on top that can easily hear your voice regardless of where you are.
The Revolve is capable of projecting a big, bold, and beautiful sound, thanks to a dual passive radiator setup that runs up along the speaker’s sides. These are responsible for the powerful basses, while the mids and trebles are handled by a downward-facing transducer, which uses a deflector plate to distribute sound equally in all directions. According to Bose, this driver configuration allows the speaker to create an omnidirectional sound without any audio blindspots, and it’s sublime. With a full 360-degree sound projection, this speaker is bound to be a hit at parties as listeners will experience the same sound wherever they are. Furthermore, enabling Party Mode on the Bose Connect app allows you to connect two Revolve speakers to play in tandem for an even wider sound radius. Lastly, battery life is touted at 12 hours, a good five hours longer than the SoundLink Color II.
The Bose SoundLink Revolve may be tiny, but if it’s a superior, loud, and omnidirectional sound that you want, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better speaker. Right now, you can get it on Amazon for $159, a huge $40 off its normal retail price of $199. And if you apply and are approved for the Amazon Rewards Visa card, you can enjoy an additional $50 off instantly, bringing the price even lower to $109.
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