Bose® - SoundLink® Color Bluetooth Speaker - Black

I may have a bit of an obsession with Bluetooth speakers. I like having larger units (Bose SoundLink III, Beats Pill XL) and smaller units for different on-the-go situations (Bose SoundLink Color, UE Boom). I recently purchased the SoundLink Color as more of a permanent fixture in my bathroom, a speaker that I can just leave on the shelf and use whenever I'm taking a shower or bath. I previously had a UE Boom in there but I was constantly moving it to my patio or taking it to the pool. So how does the SoundLink Color fair? It's not bad. Actually, I was pleasantly surprised by both the audio quality and volume that this speaker produces for its price. I'm really only going to compare this to the UE Boom speaker (now available for $180) as that is the only small speaker baseline I have. I actually prefer the sound quality of the SoundLink Color. The highs aren't as present but the bass really does kick in more. It's to the point where it makes the UE Boom sound as if it doesn't have any bass drivers at all (it actually has two). Metal, techno/dubstep, rap/hip-hop, and rock really standout with the SoundLink Color. The added bass makes the bass drum thump more and brings techno/dubstep songs more to life. The plastic design of the SoundLink Color does leave a bit to be desired, especially compared with the UE Boom. The plastic casing does flex a bit and the control buttons on top feel somewhat mushy. The plastic body does seem less fragile than the aluminum SoundLink Mini but, at the same time, I would be worried about it cracking or scratching if I dropped it whereas I have dropped my UE Boom before and it was fine. Bose has thankfully adopted micro USB for charging unlike with the SoundLink Mini. The battery life does leave a bit to be desired. Bose rates it at 8 hours and I typically get about 10 hours. I normally play music once a day for about an hour and it will last for 10 days before needing to be recharged. While that isn't bad, my UE Boom typically pushes the 16 hour mark. It's still better than the Beats Pill 2 but Ultimate Ears (which is owned by Logitech) really seems to have set the standard. The SoundLink Color also isn't water resistant unlike the UE Boom. I've splashed my UE Boom with water, accidentally dropped it in the pool (it was recovered within 10 seconds), it's been covered in dirt (I just ran it under the sink to clean it), and it's set in wet grass before all without issues. It still looks brand new and doesn't show any signs of wear or tear. The SoundLink Color just can't do any of that. In fact I hesitate even using it in the bathroom since condensation does build up on surfaces in there. I really wish Bose would have made it more durable. All-in-all, this is a solid speaker and the sound quality really can't be matched at $130. I knocked it down from 5/5 stars as I would have liked to see Bose make it more durable, at least water resistant. It also would have been nice to have this last for 15 hours instead of 10 (though some people are getting 8-9 hours). Lastly, more features would have been nice such as having the ability to pair two SoundLink Color speakers to use them in stereo mode like what you can do with the UE Boom and Beats Pill speakers. I recommend the SoundLink Color if you don't want to spend $180-$200 on the UE Boom, are looking for better sound quality, and don't require the ruggedness of the UE Boom. Otherwise I recommend saving up your money to get the more expensive UE Boom as it is still the standard when it comes to Bluetooth speakers (good sound quality, great durability, excellent battery life, tons of features including double up and a custom EQ, firmware updates).

Hoping this review is helpful! I spent a LOT of time checking out Bluetooth Speakers - I needed something relatively small and easy to transport - but these needs ran secondary to wanting something that had REALLY good sound for the size. I went into Best Buy, knowing that their service and return policies were really great, and based upon the reviews on BestBuy.com and a few other CE - oriented sites, I purchased 3 Bluetooth speakers - Bose Soundlink Mini, JBL Charge 2, and the Bose Soundlink Color. I had already made the assumption that I'd probably be keeping the Bose Soundlink Mini - but I needed to hear all three for myself. I'm a musician - a bassist - so clarity and solid low-end were essential to my decision. The Charge 2, while a really nice speaker - had weak mids and while the bass was certainly loud, it had a "thuddy", unclear response with marked distortion at volumes of 75% and above. After about an hour, it went right back into the box. The Bose Soundlink Mini is a GREAT speaker - and I really liked it! Super clean sound, nice sound dispersion - and GREAT bass. However, I found the low-end to sound to be forced and artificial. This was disappointing, as I had figured that it was the speaker I'd keep, but after several hours of listening, I found that the speaker was so low-end focused that it sacrificed the mids and highs too much, creating a sound that I just didn't care for. The Bose Soundlink Color was a very pleasant surprise - While I didn't care much for the design #its convexed shape reminded me of my Braun Electric Razor#, I found the sound to be REMARKABLE. Super crisp highs, solid midrange and GREAT bass response - very present without being a headache-inducing distraction. Bose has done a GREAT job with the Soundlink Color - build quality is solid, easy to move from room-to-room, simple pairing with all of my devices, and REALLY great sound. This speaker won't replace my home system - given its form factor, it's just not designed to - but it's PERFECT for medium-sized rooms, kitchen, client presentations and on my desk at work. I've even used it outdoors, expecting it to sound quiet and weak - boy, was I wrong. It sounds great outdoors, too! Friends, co-workers and family are amazed that such loud and rich sound comes from such a small device - which is the Bose hallmark. I listen to a wide variety of music - Jazz, Chill, Lounge, Classic Rock, Metal - it's great with them all. I liked it so much, I returned the Charge 2 and the Soundlink Mini and purchased another Soundlink Color for my girlfriend - she loves it too! I highly recommend this speaker to anyone looking for great sound in a small, tight and affordable package. At $129.00, the price is criminally low - this speaker is a complete no-brainer. Just get it, and see for yourself. Thanks, Best Buy - and thanks, Bose!

I was in the market for a portable Bluetooth speaker for a party at my apartment complex's club room. I looked at Beats by Dr. Dre as my first choice. I read about JVC and finally decided to go to my local Best Buy. I tested out the Beats and top of the line Bose speakers. The sales person I worked with was very knowledgeable and after explaining my needs he turned my attention to this more affordable Bose speaker. The sound quality of this speaker superseded Beats by a large margin and was on par eight the more expensive Bose speakers but this speaker was on sale for a little over $100 which is a steal!! The speaker gave amazing sound at my party and I love that I can be in another room in my 1800 square feet apartment and wirelessly hook up my iPhone or iPad and enjoy music, sermons, etc. I'm currently using it to play rain and thunder sounds on YouTube as background noise while I sleep but I'm sure it'll come in handy for much more especially during the summer. The speaker is very functional and easy to use. Downside is it is not very attractive and just basic looking- although it comes in a few more colors thank black, it does not charge your iPhone or other electronic devices like some other speakers in its class will and after about 4 hours or so of uninterrupted use it turns itself off. All in all, I'm very pleased with this purchase and I don't regret my choice at all!!!

I bought the Bose Soundlink Color Red external Bluetooth speaker from Best Buy on November 26. Out of the box, the unit was pristine with no blemishes - engineered in US and made in Mexico. I use my HP laptop with Beats Audio to run the speaker. First noticed the speaker while walking by BB's display of it. There was a demo model of it with pre-programmed music in an aisleway. Pressed the demo play button and was blown away by the sound. Never thought I would spend that much on an external speaker but I would do it again in a minute. It connected to my laptop Bluetooth easily. If you do the following, it connects quickly: turn on the speaker and press the bluetooth button, on your laptop settings, turn bluetooth on and the laptop will search for a signal from the speaker and then will connect to the speaker; then start up Pandora or whatever music device you have on your laptop and the speaker will pick it up. The Bluetooth wireless range on my HP Laptop to the speaker has a max of about 18 feet. I've played Pandora radio and iTunes thru it; great sound, however, it is heavy on the base which I prefer........sounds like an old Wurlitzer juke box from the '50s; great room speaker - you can push a lot of volume thru it with no distortion. I have played Pandora Christmas Music thru it for a total of 10 hours on AC power so far with no issues. I have run the unit on its battery for an hour with no issues. Beats and the laptop do allow you to adjust the sound volume but not the bass-treble-etc to the speaker. You have to turn the Bose speaker off to disconnect with Bluetooth or go to settings on the laptop to turn Bluetooth off. You get an AC adapter with its own special mini plug to the speaker. The unit has an internal rechargeable battery allowing you to run the unit without AC power; don't know how long the battery lasts till it needs recharged. The unit displays a battery charge indicator on its top panel. There is an Aux button on the unit with an Aux input mini jack for other sources of input but no connecting wire included with the unit.

So, I was browsing my local Best Buy with my mom and we stumbled these little guys all lined up in a row of skittles colored glory. I obviously messed with a few of them, seeing what the sound quality was (which was amazing) and laughing that this one matches my Bose over ear headphones perfectly. I mentioned off-hand how awesome it would be to have one of these in the house to play music on while I was cooking or doing dishes or homework or just wanted to listen to music without headphones. Next thing I know, my lovely mom is dragging me to the check out with one of these in hand and buying it even when I told her not to as an early birthday present. Spontaneous purchases make me nervous- I like to research things like this before I buy so I know their shortcomings and I know what to expect when I have had it for a few months, so buying this speaker was fun for the 5 minutes until we were going home and I was freaking out that it may not be worth it. I am happy to say my nerves were proven extremely wrong. I find myself wanting to find time to use this thing because it's such good quality sound. It is so easy to grab and take with me to another room of the house and I have been using it almost daily for 3 months and I have only had to recharge it once and it wasn't even dead, it was at half charge. It is very simple to understand and set up, you can pair 2 devices at once on it which is great when I have my friends over and we can swap who's music is playing super simply. I have spilled flour all over this while baking and I just wiped it off with a wet wipe and went about my day. It is very much worth it's price and I can fill the whole living room/dining room/kitchen area of my house with just 1 speaker and that's hard to do! I play jazz on it often when I cook and I swear it feels like I am sitting right there watching a band play, that is how crystal the sound is. If you are looking for a bluetooth speaker, give this one a shot - you will not be disappointed.

Okay, I read the reviews and I actually used one of these Speakers for about a week while I was in California. It worked great and the reviews were great to. Having said that, I had the unlucky misfortune of buying a Speaker that would not stay charged. I charged the speaker and went on a trip. While on the trip I didn't have the occasion to use the speaker. When I got home I got the speaker out and attempted to use it. It didn't have a charged! So, I recharged it and used it until the charged was depleted. I recharged it and put the speaker up. The next day I got the speaker out and to my surprise it wouldn't power up. Okay, here is where the problem occurred! I contacted Best Buy and Best Buy has a 14 day return policy. I contacted Bose Support because the speaker has a year waranty. Remember I'd only owned the Speaker for about 45 days! Take Note of this when considering your future purchase. Bose has a $ 15 to $ 18 dollar charge for their processing. The guy I talked to told me that Bose would wave that charged and I was to return the speaker via UPS. I'm okay with that. When I went online to retrieve my label to return to speaker to Bose, the only information I found was the address for the return. NO RETURN LABEL. I hurriedly packed the speaker and took it to UPS and paid $ 15 to ship it. The service Rep didn't advise me one way or the other about there being a return label! I later discovered that Bose sent me a return label after I mailed the Speaker. I called Bose again and got a knowledgeable Rep. The Rep needed information from my email from Bose. I then discovered Bose had received my return and had already send me a new replacement. I still am not giving up on Bose however they need to rethink these additional charges while the product is under warranty. Bose should also instruct the Representatives they need to fully explain Bose return and replacement procedures because there are people like me who are sometimes a little dense.

I've previously owned a 1st generation Jawbone Jambox. However, the jambox wasn't loud enough for my liking. I had my mind set on two options: the Bose Soundlink Color or the Beacon Audio Blazar. I've heard sound from the Beacon Audio Blazar various times because of a family member owning one in the home. Although the Beacon did sound better than the Jambox, I had decided to purchase the Soundlink Color and have had it for about two months. I usually listen to Soul/R&B, Hip-Hop and Pop cultured music. I was really impressed at how clear the sound was in comparison to the jambox. The sound is so clear, you wouldn't think it were coming from a bluetooth speaker. The mid's of the music are heavily emphasized just like other bose products. Live music and music with a lot of drums and acoustics will always sound great with bose products. The bluetooth pairing is pretty much instant once you've enabled bluetooth on both of your devices. I think it may have the fastest instant connection I've seen in any bluetooth audio product I've owned. I would have to say that the battery life is probably about 6-8 hours of use. By looking at the product, you can tell that the design is trying to reach a rugged/outdoor use, which is a good thing. It is made out of a very strong plastic and has rubber buttons. Although the device isn't as portable as the jambox, it is slightly bigger and has better sound overall. I would have to say that the sound link color may be 2-3 times louder than the1st gen jambox. In conclusion, it is a great product from Bose. It is worth every dollar. 5/5 Stars.

I would like to start off by saying that the sound quality of this speaker is outstanding. I decided to test the quality after I use it for a few hours so I put it in my living room and pushed the volume well above where I would ever normally use it and went to the back of my house and the sound was still excellent. The battery life is pretty good, no complaints so far and the battery indicator light lets you know when you need to plug it in very clearly. The creepy lady's voice that announces who is paired to it in Bluetooth mode is... well... creepy but hey turn it on in the morning and then use it as a wake up call for a quick practical joke. I have used this device for everything from a sound boost for my alarm from my cell phone in the morning to listening to music in my garage while working on projects. I would recommend this to anyone that is looking for a less expensive Bluetooth option. I initially looked into the JBL speakers but price and the demo models I tried couldn't come close to this one. Bose lives up to their high standards with this device.