Bose - SoundLink Revolve+ II Portable Bluetooth Speaker - Luxe Silver

The new Bose SoundLink Revolve+ Bluetooth Speaker II is a nicely sized bluetooth speaker with great sound, a durable finish, terrific battery life and can take a splash! Initial Impressions: This speaker has the typical Bose look, feel and quality. A matte finish with great durability keeps it scratch and mark free. With the finish, fingerprints aren’t a problem either and water spots wipe right away. From the instructions, I unpacked it, installed the App, plugged it in and started playing again. When trying to update the firmware via the App, I was instructed that there’s a minimum battery charge percentage to update (and I was under it). So, I left it plugged in, powered down and went back in a few hours. The firmware update failed a number of times and then finally took; all in all, it was over an hour of getting the firmware update applied. I then started to explore the App. One thing I noticed is that there is no equalizer to tune Treble/Bass to my liking. The pre-configured balance is great, exactly what I was hoping for. When placed near a corner and allowing the bass to bounce off the walls, it sounds like a much larger speaker. This baseline-perfect sound is in true Bose fashion. From a water-proof perspective, I didn’t try submerging the speaker in water - I had neither the need, nor the desire. I did however, assign this to the shower for my ‘shower tunes.’ Pre-pairing the speaker to my phone & starting some music before getting in the shower is key; I’ve been using a Smart Speaker in the shower for a few years now, so being dependent on my phone for music was a challenge. The multi-function button still pauses, skips etc - and the volume buttons all work as expected for this type of speaker. The constant splatter of water and puddles that it sat in, caused no issues with the speaker. I was shocked to be able to see ‘through’ the speaker and that the changing and AUX port were open - yet, still water resistant. In the week+ of “off and on” usage, I got it down to 30% before charging again. Pretty sweet!!! This battery also stays charged to 100% when powered off - very minimal, if any battery drain when powered off. In the firmware update, it talked about “improvements when using the speaker for calls.” I decided to try it out and the person on the other end was not impressed. Very digitized and noticeably ‘not a phone’ is how it was stated. If they’re making tweaks for this function, they should spend some time here. Once I turned bluetooth off and went back to my phone, the other caller was quite happy and the conversations continued. TL;DR Bluetooth connection - stable Music Sound: Fantastic Bose Connect App: Meh - can’t tune bass/treble Finish: No scratches, fingerprints Battery Life: Awesome! Water durability: No issues! Issues / Comments: - When it says there is Google and Alexa integration, that’s sort of true, but not really. The integration requires it to be paired with something that supports that tech and uses that device for the “calls” to Google/Alexa; it doesn’t do it internally (aka, not a smart speaker). - Firmware update: painful, took 4 times to complete and took a really long time - Disconnecting a device leaves the speaker in a chatty state until it powers off - Phone calls are very digital sounding, not natural.

I’ve been using my trusty Bose Soundlink Mini II since 2015. I’ve always enjoyed the sound from this speaker, but lately I’ve been itching to see what else is out there. When I heard that Bose released the Soundlink Revolve+ II, I simply had to give it a shot. Here are the things I thought Bose got right with the Revolve+ II: +Sound Quality in a small package - Bose continues to deliver on precision audio quality, delivering big sounds from small devices. The 360 degree sound radiating from the speaker is nothing short of awesome. Place it next to the corner of a room, and the audio sounds more spatial, adding more dimension, and fullness. The speaker is well balanced across the audio spectrum. Bass thumps are powerful without being obtrusively overbearing. Mids are clear and prominent. Dialogue and voices have such clarity that when you’re listening to a program or podcast, it almost sounds like the person is present in the room with you. And what I enjoy most of all is the crispness and sparkle at the treble frequencies (which my mini II lacks). I think this speaker sounds so good that it can substitute as a soundbar for watching movies. I have tested the speaker with videos and the audio/video latency is minimal. So go ahead and use this speaker to watch your favorite movies. And all of this splendid audio is coming from a tapered cylinder that is only 7” tall, weighing only 2 lbs that you can easily carry in one hand with the rope handle. +Battery Life - Bose claims 17 hours of use on a fully charged battery. I don’t know how they tested the battery, but most of the time I don’t listen to music at full volume. I listen more at mid-volume. I’ve been going for over 20 hours, and there is still 30% battery left. Basically, battery life is excellent! +AUX jack - So many bluetooth speakers have eliminated the 3.5 mm aux jack. I am so glad Bose kept it for the Revolve+ II since I sometimes have the need to plug it into legacy audio equipment. +Tripod Mount - For those times when I’m outdoors doing gardening work and don’t have a stable surface to place my speaker and don’t want to place it on the grass or dirt, I can bring out my tripod and attach it to the receiving tripod mount on the bottom of the Revolve+ II. It takes the standard tripod screw mount. +Not a smart speaker - I have plenty of smart speakers in my home already. I don’t need another one listening in on all my private conversations. I’m glad this is a good ole bluetooth speaker. With that said, however, you can still use it with the voice assistant on your phone if you need it. The speaker’s microphone becomes an extension of the microphone on your phone. You’ll just need to press the multi-function button on the speaker to activate the assistant from your phone. Then you’ll be able to make or take calls, check the news and weather, play music, etc. +Speaker Phone - Audio quality is super clear using the speaker as a speaker phone. The speaker’s microphone works well, too. Callers on the other end of the line heard me clearly. While I love singing the praises of the Revolve+ II, I think Bose could have done some things better: -This speaker is still using the Micro-USB port to charge the battery. I don’t know why Bose doesn’t switch to the USB-c charge port, other than to save a few cents in using the older usb standard. -The Bose Connect app is okay, but could be better. You can control voice prompts, check the battery meter, add another speaker for party/stereo, change the name of the speaker, connect to a new bluetooth source, set an auto timer to turn off the speaker, and of course update the firmware. What this app lacks is treble/bass controls or equalizers. As much as I enjoy Bose’s signature sound, there are times when I might want to turn up or down the bass/treble to suit the specific audio I am listening to. If Bose could add this feature in a future firmware update, then this app would be super useful! -Powering off the speaker doesn’t really power it down. You would think that if you pressed the power button on the speaker to turn it off, the speaker would power down completely, right? Well, it doesn’t power it down completely. The speaker’s bluetooth antenna still draws power continuously, draining the battery. Someone at Bose thought it would be a good idea to include a feature where the speaker can be turned on directly from the Bose Connect app. So if your speaker is in the off position, you can simply turn it on from the app. I personally do not like this feature because it continues to draw power and deplete the battery. That means you could have the speaker turned off for a few weeks, and when you turn it on, you may find out that there is not much battery charge remaining. I would recommend that Bose provide a firmware update to allow the user an option to decide whether or not to have the speaker power up from the app. -IP55 - The first digit describes the resistance to intrusion from solids such as dust, while the second digit is for resistance to intrusion from liquids. The Revolve+ II can be sprayed with a low pressure water jet, but don’t submerge it in water, otherwise this expensive speaker is toast. There are a number of bluetooth speakers on the market that have a higher IP rating allowing them to be submerged in water. If being able to take your speaker to the pool party and dunk it in water is important to you, then this speaker isn’t for you. -Lower bumper quality is questionable. On my Revolve+ II, the top protective bumper appears to be made of a high quality rubber material that can take some abuse. However, the lower bumper doesn’t feel as thick as the rubber material at the top of the speaker. It appears to be hard plastic and lacks the resiliency of the top bumper. In fact, there are already a few light permanent scratches on the lower bumper of my speaker, and it hasn’t even been taken outdoors yet. Take a look at the picture I took showing the scratches. Should you buy the speaker? This speaker is expensive, but the audio quality is superb! I would recommend the speaker based on audio quality alone. Since audio is highly subjective and based on individual experiences, I would recommend that you audition the Revolve+ II with other speakers. Other than audio quality, this speaker does not compete well with other more rugged speakers from competitors that could survive being submerged in water.

## Design The aluminum exterior gives the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ Bluetooth Speaker II a sleek and sturdy look and it definitely seems like it can handle the occasional bump or drop. The cylinder design means that the speaker doesn't need to be facing a certain direction to get great sound. You can sit it in the middle of the table and everyone gets the same great sound experience. I also like the grab handle that makes it easy to tote around and move from room to room or to carry around outside while doing yard work. ## Sound Quality As you would expect from Bose, the sound quality of this speaker is amazing. I'm surprised how loud this speaker can get given its size. It can definitely fill a medium to large-sized room without an issue. Bass is also strong and is further enhanced when the speaker is placed up against a wall. If you place the speaker in the center of a table or another open space, the bass is reduced somewhat but still balances out the sound nicely. ## Features - Party Mode: You can link the Revolve+ II speaker with another Revolve or Revolve+ Bluetooth speaker by using the Bose Connect app. - Voice prompts: I like that the speaker announces the remaining battery life when it is powered on. It also guides you through the setup process when first powered on. - Water resistant: The Revolve+ II has an IP55 rating, which means it has some dust and water resistance (specifically, water coming from a jet), but it cannot be fully submerged in water. This is an upgrade from the first generation of the Revolve+ speaker which only had an IPX4 rating (no dust protection and only resistant to water splashes). ## Battery Life The Revolve+ II speaker can last up to 17 hours on a single charge, which is one additional hour as compared to the first generation of the Revolve+. I was disappointed to find that the Revolve+ II speaker uses a Micro USB connection to charge (and not the more modern USB-C connector). This surprises me as the Bose Portable Smart Speaker came out a year ago and utilizes a USB-C connector, so I'm not sure why this connector wasn't updated in the second generation of the Revolve+ speaker. ## Summary The Bose Revolve+ II Bluetooth speaker has amazing sound quality as your would expect from Bose. The second generation of the Revolve+ speaker adds an additional hour of playback time, as well as some increased dust and water resistance, which may not be a compelling reason to upgrade if you already have the first generation.

Compact, well-built, lightweight, grab and go speaker. This speaker is no bigger than a 16 Oz water bottle and is a perfect travel companion, if you chose to take it out on trips. It's a Gen 3 (successor to Revolve II) Soundlink Resolve series speaker with 16+ hours battery (Li Ion) life. This is in same price range as most branded speakers that you tend to compare before making a purchase, but this is a clear winner if you are looking for sound quality, portability, ruggedness and durability for outdoor use. Can be charged via micro USB port or with a charging cradle that doesn’t come with the product. Connection was a breeze with the Bose app and took less than a minute to pair and get it going. It supports Siri and Google assistant. Pros Great portable speaker with crisp sound with 360 degree sound delivery. Of course, Bose never disappoints you on the sound quality. Great volume, room filling sound with the design 360 that allows sound to travel in all directions. Built in Mic came in handy to answer calls, when connected via Bluetooth, and didn't hear any complaints on the sound voice quality when using the mic and speaker outdoors (patio). Didn't have any Bluetooth drop out issues while walking around my house with phone in my pocket. Rubberized base with ruggedized aluminum body built to withstand accidental falls. Rated for dust protection and water ingress (IP55 compared to IPX4 on previous gen). Flexible tote bag handle to carry it around. Can be paired with another speaker for party mode that you can enable via the Bose app. Cons Uses a micro USB port for charging. Wish it came with USB C port instead, as USB C is the industrial standard now. Wish it came with the charging cradle. Will have to shell out another $30 for the charger cradle and I did hear few complaints on its bad design. Ordered mine to test it out. App doesn't offer options for equalizer settings. Bass is a little low which is typical in all Bose speakers and it’s a personal choice on what you prefer - crisp sound with low/medium bass or muffled sound with high bass at high volume on small speakers. Overall I rate it 5/5 on sound quality and the design for its portability and outdoor use with an amazing 16 hr battery life!

The sound is crazy good for a speaker this size. I was blown away, it's honestly the best portable Bluetooth speaker I have ever used. The audio is crystal clear, no distortion even at very high volume. It has a surprising amount of bass. It's not going to blow the roof off of your house or shake the walls, but there is a definite bass rumble. It thumps. The sound really does fill the room. I have been carrying it around the house with me today (love the handle!) as I do some housecleaning. I can hear it clearly over my very loud vacuum cleaner while it's only at about half volume. It sounds great whether it's up against a wall or in the middle of the room. I took it outside and turned it up as loud as it would go - it's really loud. Even at full max volume it still sounds clear and rich. At about 70% volume outside it sounds fantastic, it drowns out the sounds of traffic and lawn mowers. I think this would be a terrific speaker for any relatively small outdoor event - barbecues, pool parties, etc. The small size makes it perfect for packing in a duffel bag, backpack, purse, or your luggage. I love that there is no virtual assistant, no "smart" speaker capabilities. I have so many smart speakers at this point, I don't need another. I love the look of the speaker, all matte black with no flashing lights or logos on it (except for the top), no seam on the speaker body. I really appreciate that it does not seem to pick up fingerprints or smudges at all. The top and bottom are covered in a rubbery bumper coating that protects it in the event of a fall or drop. It has some water protection - it is not submersible in water but if it gets a little water splashed on it every once in a while it should be just fine. I like to carry it into the bathroom with me and leave it on the counter as I shower, listening to my shower songs playlist. The outside of it gets a little coating of condensation from the steam. It wipes right off, no worries. It has a tripod mount on the bottom, but we don't have a tripod so we couldn't check that out. I think having a tripod would be super handy for an outdoor situation, when you don't want your speaker on a table around food or drinks, or you don't want it on the ground. The Bluetooth range is good. My house is small, a little over 1500 square feet, 1 story. I can leave the speaker at one end of the house and take my phone to the other and the speaker remains connected to my phone. It connects to Bluetooth flawlessly, quick and easy. The battery life is pretty awesome. I listen to it generally around 2 to 3 hours a day at a low to medium volume. I only have to charge it once a week. It's not even dead when I finally recharge it, it's never gone below 30%. Fantastic battery life! The voice prompts can be disabled, and I love this because the dislike the prompt that repeats "ready to connect" when it has been disconnected from one device and not immediately connected to another device. When it's connected to your phone via Bluetooth it acts as a speaker for any incoming phone calls. I only have one of these particular speakers so I'm not sure if it can be daisy chained with another just like it - I think I remember reading that it could in the FAQs on the Bose site. I was able to pair it with my Bose Smart Soundbar 300 - for listening to music, it works well. For the audio from a movie or TV show, it's not great - there is a delay. They do mention that in the FAQs though and recommend that for dialog audio that you connect by cable or USB. I was hoping to see some kind of bass or treble control for the speaker in the app, but there seems to be no way to change that. It sounds great as it is, but some people like to play around with those. I have owned this speaker for over a month now and I have used it for several hours every single day. I am just as in love with it today as I was the first day. It's a really nice speaker in a fairly small package. It sounds terrific, it's portable, it has an amazing battery life, and it looks nice. If you're in the market for a portable Bluetooth speaker I 100% recommend this one.

The Bose Soundlink Revolve+ II is well made and incredible sounding. It provides clear sound both inside and out without showing a preference for where you’re listening from. Music is rich and well balanced without any clear emphasis in any frequency range. The slightly cone shaped base provides excellent stability while the handle lets you easily attach the speaker to a boat mast or hang it from the shower. It feels like it’s made from metal and will hold up very well. It even has a tripod mount so it can easily play from the middle of your room for up to 12 hours! Pros: Full spectrum sound: This reproduced high and lows well. No noticeable change wherever it’s placed or where you’re standing. Good size and weight: This is half the weight of Amazon’s 1st Gen Echo speaker, but has the better sound. Fast Charger: Uses Quick Charge to refill in ~1 hour. Can use the charger for your Turbo charge devices. Highly water resistant: Sitting on the shower floor, it still works fine. Water started to block the sound and the mesh-like holes. A simple toweling off fixed that. Connects easy to different devices: A short press of the bluetooth button and you’re ready to re-pair. Using the app, you can choose from up to 6 active sources. Unobtrusive: Can easily set it on your table to provide background music and it will blend in. Very passable microphone for speakerphone usage. Cons: Some definition lost at lower volumes You might find yourself listening to music more :) I used this speaker both outside and inside with a variety of different music. I like a mix of classical, classic rock, show tunes, and pop. The rock and pop songs came out clearly. On the more complex tracks (Panic! At the Disco’s Crazy = Genius) there was some muddiness at lower volume as the speaker tried to reproduce both highs and lows simultaneously. I had no issues cranking this up on my back porch. At moderate volumes and above, the speaker was as crisp and clear as some of the best headphones I’ve used. The app will let you connect additional Soundlink speakers either in a stereo pair or in “party” mode where all speakers will play the same music throughout a party. While other manufactures offer similar features, you unfortunately can’t mix together speakers from different brands. Perhaps some day manufacturers will get together on a standard so friends can bring their speakers together when it’s party time! The amazing sound, versatile mounts, and long battery life all combine to make this an amazing all around audio delight. While Bose is often on the pricier side, this speaker demonstrates why you might want to spend a bit more.

First things first, I've used several different brands of Bluetooth speakers, from high end to your everyday cheap off the shelf speakers. This is the first one that I have had that checked every box of requirements. First thing that is a big deal is battery life, at almost full volume the battery will last around 15-17 hrs on a full charge, which for me is great as I primarily use this speaker at work. Secondly its physical size is perfect, fits nicely in my tool cart and pretty much everywhere else in my workspace. I also bring it home every day and it fits nicely in the saddlebags on my motorcycle. Third and probably the most important thing to me is the sound quality. I wouldn't expect anything less than the highest sound quality from a Bose product and they did not disappoint. For its compact size, the amount of sound that comes out of this speaker is amazing! I work in a very loud environment and have no problems listening to my music throughout my workday. For its small size it has a decent amount of low-end bass, very clear mid-range and highs, so you don’t lose anything in the music you listen to like you would with most other small Bluetooth speakers. Now let’s talk about durability. My workplace is dirty and dusty, things get knocked over frequently or even dropped, including speakers, drinks, etc. This thing takes a beating. I've used it outside in the rain and wind, I hang it in the shower with zero problems from getting dirty or wet. Included with the speaker is a charging block and micro USB cable. Downloading the App and setup is easy and very straight forward. The app doesn't have a lot of extra nonsense and is easy to navigate. The only thing missing in the app is an adjustable EQ to personalize the listening experience. The only negative thing I have to say about this speaker is that if you have multiple devices that connect to it, it will sometime connect to another device other than the one that is playing the music. My wife and I both use the speaker and we frequently have to ask one another to disconnect from it so there is no interference. But all in all, this has to be my all-time favorite Bluetooth speaker, I LITERALLY take it everywhere with me. Bose did a great job on this speaker.

I must say i have owned Bose headphones but never a portable speaker by BOSE. The first thing i must say is the quality, it has a nice rubberized texture that resists fingerprints but attracts lint. The metal has a coating to it that also resists fiingerprints but attracts dust. The connection/pairing process is very smooth. I experienced a strong connection without signal loss or interference but i was only about 20 ft away from the speaker. The sound is very vibrant and the mid are not muddled i was surprised by the bass it offered but it's not overpowering. The charge time is a little bit of a pain, it took me about 3.5hrs to fully charge the battery but it did last a full week with about 2 hrs use every day at a 50% of the volume. I use it as a computer speaker but i have it connected via the aux input, I AM SO GLAD THEY DIDN'T PHASE IT OUT!! I love it with the computer and that bose sound does make my movies, anime and gaming sound amazing..better than any computer speaker i have ever owned. The only gripe i have is since i use it with the computer i would love it to stay on and always have instant sound when i want it. The speaker has a battery shut off feature so if it sits for a bit it will shut off so whenever i use my pc i have to power it on which is minor but the speaker is not conveniently located so it's a little bit of a pain. OVERALL AMAZING SOUND THAT DOUBLES AS AN AMAZING PC SPEAKER BUT CAN ALSO BE UNPLUGGED AND TAKEN ON THE GO FOR SOME QUALITY SOUND WITH A LONG BATTERY LIFE.