Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker
Here is my take on the Soundlink II vs. the Mini as I think
there are a lot of people out there who might be considering the two. I posted
a picture in the main description with the two of them side by side so you
won't think I'm blowing smoke :)
I purchased both speakers because I wanted to see which one
sounded the best because even though I was initially attracted to the small
size of the Mini, I figured I'd keep the II and spend the extra hundred bucks
if it sounded better overall. After testing the two, the Soundlink II is headed
back to Bose.
I don't even know how to explain it to you but the Mini
actually sounds better than the II and it is 1/3rd the size. This makes no
sense to me because the II has four drivers and two larger radiators and the
mini has two drivers and two smaller radiators.
When I played the Soundlink II, the first thing that came to
my mind was that somehow this speaker was lacking--in more than a few ways. The
bass was weak, it sounded rather flat, it wasn't as loud as I was expecting it
to be (yes, I pressed the volume button on the speaker till I saw the flashing
light which means it's on max), and it had absolutely no stereo separation
because you could easily pinpoint which direction the sound was coming from
even at louder volumes. Honestly, I'd be embarrassed to turn the Soundlink II
up during a party with a group of friends because I know it wouldn't allow us
to "feel the music" because the sound has no depth. I knew I was
going to send the II back after about five minutes of listening but I listened
to it a little more to see if I would change my mind. If you remove the Bose
logo from the II, I don't think you would pay more than $30 for it based on the
sound quality alone. Yes, it sounds that bad to me. It sounds so bad that it
makes me angry that I even purchased it without listening to it in a store and
even more angry that there are people out there writing reviews that think it
is accurately reproducing their music when it is holding so much back. Some
people fall into the trap of thinking "Wow!, so much sound from such a
small speaker" when they fail to realize that the sound is missing so much
of the dynamics you would otherwise get from a larger speaker. For example,
think Bose Acoustimass Module vs. a 12 inch ugly, boxy conventional subwoofer.
Yes, one might look neater in your living room tucked away behind or under your
sofa but sound-wise, it's kinda like comparing a small aftershock to the actual
earthquake.
I actually originally wanted to buy the Mini instead of the
II altogether but it was back-ordered everywhere so I ended up buying the II
first. The first thing that you will notice about the Mini is not the sound but
the design and build quality. I'm actually still in awe of how nice this unit
really is. The case is SOLID ALUMINUM!!! It actually feels more like iron!
Sometimes I just stare at it because they just don't make stuff of this quality
anymore. I like to hold it in one hand and tap on it with my knuckles and hear
the solid sound that it makes! When you hold it in your hand you will just know
right away that it is a high quality product. Now the II doesn't look that bad
either but there is just something about the Mini that will attract and keep your
attention. Actually, I take that back, the Soundlink II is built well but it
looks ugly because it doesn't look like a speaker. It looks like a book? More
specifically, a book that is about to tip over at any moment. It looks even
uglier when you flip the bi-fold cover on and lay it flat. The Mini, on the
other hand, really does look like a mini speaker. I actually can't imagine
designing it any better. Bose must have hired a new guy or gal to design it! I
even think the small detail like the painted Bose logo looks so much better on
it than a regular metal logo. Build quality and design for the Mini gets 5+
stars!!!
Regarding sound, as I stated earlier I am still scratching
my head as to how or why this smaller unit sounds better than the larger II.
Since I can't explain it to you I will just say that there is nothing mini
about the Mini's sound. It addresses all the issues I had with the II. I'm not
saying that the bass is better with the Mini but it certainly is more than
appropriate for a speaker this size. The reason I am happier with the Mini's
sound is because the size/performance ratio is much better than the II. With
the II, I kept saying to myself "it should be louder than this" and
"where's the bass?" because the II should definitely be louder and
more refined considering its larger size and price. When you crank up the II,
it just sounds "sloppy." When you crank up the Mini, it sounds
tighter. I also want to say that I actually enjoy listening to the Mini on my
desk at lower volumes. That's actually what I bought it for. It's just nice to
know that it can get loud if you want it to.
In all fairness, I didn't listen to the II for more than a
few hours but I highly doubt there would be a night and day difference with any
type of speaker break-in period. I have been an audio enthusiast for 18 years
and I know that what I'm hearing with the II is pretty much close to how it was
engineered to sound. I can't see a speaker break-in period getting the bass to
go down another note on the II. Even without a break-in period with the Mini, I
am very happy with the sound.
To give you some faith in my review and to prove that I'm
not one of those people who looks at Bose and automatically thinks "Bose
is best because it is expensive..." I sold my Acoustimass 15 speakers
years ago for an NHT and Velodyne setup for my living room and never looked
back. I'll even be the first to tell you that I think Bose's Waveguide
technology is just hype with phenomenal marketing behind it and most of their
stuff is probably marketed with a prestige pricing strategy. I don't think Bose
is anywhere near the best as far as the sound reproduction of some of their
larger stereo and home theater speakers go but there are some things that the
company does right and the Mini is a perfect example. Sound quality is a major
factor in picking a speaker but believe it or not it is not the only factor.
Aesthetics, build quality, and size to performance are also equally important
factors when choosing a speaker. Ask yourself if you would buy a boxy 300 pound
tower speaker with a giant footprint and put it in your living room just
because somebody rated it as the greatest speaker in the world? Why do you
think so many people bought the Acoustimass speakers back in the day and still
do today? For example, I wouldn't mind having a Lifestyle Acoustimass setup in
my office. Not because I think it would make my music sound its best but the
ratio of aesthetics to sound quality would be much better than a larger, more
clunky setup with lots of wires. So that's why I am saying the Mini is an
excellent speaker. Not because I think its the best-sounding speaker but
because there isn't a Bluetooth/portable speaker on the market right now at
this price point that even comes close to offering you everything that the Mini
does. I know I said earlier that people make the mistake of thinking that loud
sound from a small speaker somehow is an indicator of a good speaker but in the
case of the Mini, I'm saying its a great product not because of sound quality
alone but because it has other factors going for it as well. One of those just
happens to be that it produces large, high-quality sound for its small size.
Having said all of this, I cannot find anything that I
dislike about this speaker. I hope you understand how I evaluate speakers and
how I am evaluating the Mini. Asking for more bass, greater dynamics, or louder
volume, considering it's diminutive size, would be totally unwarranted and
impractical. For what it is, I think you will be very happy with the Mini because
there is nothing out there right now for two hundred bucks that can match it
with regards to performance and overall quality. This is one of those Bose
products (maybe the only) that I wouldn't even mind paying more for; it looks
and sounds that good. Finally, I want to say that setup took about five seconds
for both models as they both recognized my iPhone immediately. Another added
benefit of the Mini compared to the Soundlink II is that the battery charge
will last longer than the II. I also want to add that I actually don't care
that either unit doesn't have a mic built into them or any other special
features. After all, their primary use is for music playback. I mean a mic
would be cool but I can live without it. Somewhere in the future I can see Bose
releasing a Soundlink Mini II. Right now though, I really don't know what they
could do to make the original Mini sound or look any better.
5 stars and highly recommended!
EDIT 8/20/13: I ended up buying the neon green cover for it.
Personally, I think the speaker looks much better without the cover but you
might think differently.
EDIT 6/5/14: Today, I was at Target and I noticed that they
had the Soundlink Mini and the Soundlink III on display side-by-side so I
thought this was the best opportunity to test the III against the Mini. I
pressed the demo button for the III first and I thought it sounded pretty good;
it definitely sounded better than the older II from what I remember. I then hit
the demo button for the Mini and quite honestly I actually thought the Mini
sounded the same or better than the new Soundlink III. I played both speakers
at a reasonable volume for what I thought was appropriate. I wasn't about to
blast both units while at the store but I'm sure the III would play louder than
the Mini but then again, how many of us will listen to either unit at such high
volume on a regular basis? I am so happy I bought the Mini and I'm still amazed
how it manages to sound so good being that it is so small. I also want to add
that they had the Beats Pill and Beatbox Portable on display side by side and I
tested those out too. The Beats Pill sounded very disappointing to me; I just
turned it off after a few seconds. Even though the larger Beatbox Portable
sounded bigger and better than the Pill, interestingly it still didn't sound
anywhere as good as the Mini. The Mini is really a well-engineered product and
I'm happy I own it.
