Bose - SoundLink Revolve II Portable Bluetooth Speaker - Luxe Silver

I'm a big fan of most Bose products and the sound quality that they deliver. I've mainly used their headphones and earbuds over the years so I was excited to try out the new Soundlink Revolve II. I had heard great things about the first generation Soundlink speakers and was hoping this refreshed model would have some exciting new features to keep up with the competition. The sound quality is excellent, as expected, and there is a slight boost to battery life and water/dust protection. But I'm disappointed to see that not much else is new, and it seems that Bose is starting to fall behind in this category. PROS: - Setup is super quick and easy, especially if you already have other Bluetooth-based Bose products. If you've ever paired a set of wireless headphones or Bluetooth to your phone, you won't have any problems. - There are multiple ways to play audio through the speaker, including via Bluetooth as well as the auxiliary input and a micro USB port. The micro USB port is used for charging but can also be used to play music from a computer. - The Revolve II maintains nearly the same design as its predecessor, so it is extremely lightweight and portable. It has a matte texture that does not show fingerprints or smudges. This easily fits in my backpack and tote bags and will be great for taking to the pool or on a camping trip. - The real strength of this speaker is its 360-degree design: The speaker fires sound in all directions, so there is no distortion or volume drop-off as you rotate the speaker or move around it. - Sound quality is very good for a speaker of this size. I'm surprised at just how loud this can get and it fills my medium-sized apartment with great sounding music. Midrange and high frequencies are clear and crisp, though there is some distortion in bass at higher volumes. Bass distortion is much more noticeable when you are closer to the speaker, but seems to be a non-issue after you get about 8 feet away. - If you happen to own another Bose Revolve speaker, you can pair them together to enable "party mode" or a stereo pair for even richer sound. - Battery life is excellent, rated at 13 hours for the Revolve II. I haven't had a chance to use the speaker non-stop for that long, but battery life has not been an issue at all in the few weeks I've used this speaker. - The dust and water protection rating of the Revolve II has been increased to IP55, up from IPX4 in the previous generation. So the Revolve II adds dust protection and slightly better splash protection. However, this rating is still not high enough to protect from complete immersion in water, so don't drop it in a pool. CONS: Unfortunately, Bose seems to be stuck in the past with its line of Revolve speakers. Here is a rundown of things that could have been improved but weren't: - Still uses micro USB for charging (not USB-C like most newer high-end wireless devices) - No standardized wireless charging support. You can buy a proprietary charging cradle, but it is not included with the speaker and costs an extra $30. - Low dust & water protection rating compared to competitors. Other speakers in the same price range offer IP67 protection which would protect against full immersion in water. - No built-in, hands-free voice control such as Alexa or Google Assistant. - Wireless connection is via Bluetooth only; there is no Wi-Fi or AirPlay support. OVERALL: Sonos, a major Bose competitor, recently announced a portable speaker with all of these missing features -- and it will actually be cheaper than the Revolve II. Given the major advancements from other wireless speaker brands, it amazes me that Bose did so little to update its Revolve speakers. There was practically zero innovation in designing the Revolve II, and I fear that Bose is going to be left in the dust of Sonos and other players in the compact speaker market. Don't get me wrong, the Revolve II is a great-sounding speaker with some nice features, but I certainly don't think it's the best value for the money. I would only recommend the Revolve II if you are already heavily invested in Bose products or really love the sound profile of Bose speakers. Otherwise, I think your money is better spent on a more innovative portable speaker.

First, the most notable thing about this speaker is just how flat the sound is. Not “flat” in a bad, way, but how the speaker just presents the music the way that it was recorded and gets out of your way. There is no “bass boost” port that can cause a resonant “boomy” sound. The bass is present, but is not artificially enhanced. So, acoustically, this speaker sounds amazing for its size, both in fidelity and volume. If you download the phone app, you can easily pair two of these speakers to get true stereo. However, as I only have one, I could not test this. This can also be accomplished by pressing button combination on the top of the unit, but the odds of you remembering the magic buttons are low, so just stick to the app. Second, the small size. This thing is about the same length as a dollar bill, but packs quite a punch for its size. It is a little on the tall side (don’t knock it over), but it is also quite heavy. The design also features a standard ¼” tripod socket in the bottom, so this can be mounted in a more permanent fashion if desired. Being roughly cylindrical, there is no “front” of the speaker, so you get true 360° sound. The battery life is quite impressive. I charged mine when I first got it, and have used it for probably around five hours at moderate volume, and it still reports having a 70% charge. I would guess that the battery life to be approximately 15 hours or more. Now for the one stupid decision that otherwise mars a nearly perfect speaker: it still uses a micro-USB connector for charging. This is 2021, and USB-C is now the standard. This is certainly not a deal-breaker by any means, but is certainly confusing. Bose is a premium brand, and this is not a budget device by any means, so not including USB-C is puzzling. Overall, even including using a Jurassic charging connector, this is still an excellent speaker that I am very pleased to own.

I really wasn't expecting much from a Bluetooth speaker barely larger than a soda can but man, the Bose SoundLink Revolve II really impresses. I primarily use the SoundLink as the main audio source when my family watches movies on our projector. Highs and mids are very good and I would say that bass is above adequate for a speaker of this size if not entirely earth-shaking. The small size is perfectly portable and the lack of ultra-deep bass is the trade-off for this portability. The SoundLink can be taken literally anywhere and I have used it over 10 hours at a time without recharging. My work vehicle does not have a Bluetooth capable stereo system and the Bose has accompanied me to multiple job sites and with the 360 degree orientation of the speaker, while on the road placed on the center console all 3 rows of my Suburban can enjoy the music with plenty of volume to spare. As a matter of fact, while testing the SoundLink for this review I turned it up to max volume and experienced no distortion whatsoever and my oldest daughter came out of her room and yelled at me to turn it down, much like I do to her when her Galaxy Tab volume exceeds a tolerable level to me:) I have owned many small portable Bluetooth speakers and the Bose SoundLink II is by far and away my favorite up until now.

The Bose SoundLink Revolve II is a great-sounding Bluetooth speaker and speakerphone. This review will be done in 3 parts – features, usage impressions, and pros/cons. Features: The features of this Bluetooth speaker/speakerphone are excellent. The device has an excellent sound that is deep, loud, and immersive. Listening to a wide variety of music including many of the test tracks that Cambridge audio engineers use; I can attest to the fact that this speaker has a wonderful range and great sound. The device has an impressively Saturday feel and at the same time is very portable. This speaker/speakerphone is rated for up to 13 hours of run-time per charge. It comes with a 1m micro-USB cable for charging and the Speaker Unit itself. It also has a tripod mount on the bottom for use with a tripod. The Unit has an array of controls on the top of the unit for power, Input mode, volume up, multi-function button, volume down, and the Bluetooth button. When first powered on the speaker talks to you to get you to select the voice prompt language the volume up and down key allows one to scroll through the languages with English being the default and German, Spanish, French, Italian, Netherlands (Dutch), Polish, Portuguese, Swedish, Russian, Japanese, Mandarin, and Korean also being available. Pairing to my phone was quick and easy and straightforward and did not require any special software. The device does work with the Bose Connect app. This app allows for control of the product as well as updating the speaker’s firmware. Settings available in the app are – speaker name, connections, party mode – which allows one to connect multiple SoundLink devices together, Auto-Off Timer, Voice prompts (on or off) and the prompt language, and access to the user manual via web link and product info. The app does require one to have a free Bose ID to use the software. This device retails for $199.00, which some may find high. I believe the device to be an excellent value at this price. Usage Impressions: This speaker/speakerphone is another wonderful Bose addition to one’s setup. I tested this just like I have tested many other audio products by using multiple tracks that were recommended for testing audio systems. These tracks test audio systems across the sound spectrum from deep bass to soaring highs. The tracks allow testing the spatial separation of sounds and the dynamic ranges of the piece being played. From all of these tracks, the sounds were excellent. I also tested with several other tracks that I have listed too including the 1812 Overture with real cannons and Space shuttle ascent imagery – these also sounded excellent. The device also makes for a wonderful speakerphone that allows one to work in a hands-free mode with listening to conference calls or when working in a group setting, the microphones are super sensitive and can pick up a speaker, or any other noise from a respectable distance. The sound of the person on the speakerphone end is outstanding – even from 10 feet. Pros: Audio quality, Batty life, portability, performance Cons: Some may find the price to be a bit high.

The size and weight of this speaker makes it easy to carry around in a backpack. The sound quality is consistent with the Bose line of speakers. Syncing with a smart device is simple and no app is required. Ideal for lounging in or next to the pool. Very happy with this purchase.

The sound quality that only BOSE knows. This thing sounds amazing and the battery life is just crazy... I listen to it for almost 8 hours a day and I only go down like 10% each day. Best speaker buy I have made in a long time.

I am enjoying this speaker in outside environment this summer

Very nice! For my home office and when meditating! Thumbs UP!! I’ve always loved BOSE!