Customer Ratings & Reviews

The Bose SoundLink Max is the latest iteration to the SoundLink family, a well respected line up of portable Bluetooth speakers. Does this one live up the name, and as its own name suggests, provide the Maximum experience? Lets take a listen and find out. The packaging is clean and straightforward, with an emphasis on minimal use of plastic or Styrofoam. Refreshingly, the speaker comes with both a USB-C cable and a high wattage charger, bucking a recent trend of not including chargers with products. Other than those two items, some basic documentation, and the speaker, there is nothing else in the box. The speaker itself looks like a grown up version of the SoundLink Flex. It has side grilles for the passive radiators, a set of buttons on the top, and the carrying handle. It’s an understated design with no flashing lights or other gimmicks, which is what a speaker should be, in my opinion. The Blue Dusk color is very on trend and looks great. Inside, the speaker features two woofers and a tweeter, and does support stereo sound, which is nice to not have to link two smaller speakers together. It also supports Bluetooth 5.4, finally moving the line away from the older Bluetooth 4 standards. Another nice include is an analog audio input, letting you connect it to any number of devices, like a turntable if you are hopping on the vintage audio trend of late. You can also use the battery in the speaker to reverse charge your phone or other device by plugging it into the USB-C port. I do wish there were dust covers on the ports to keep sand and liquids out of them, especially the aux input port. If you are going to take it outside you might want to get a couple of dust plugs for the ports to keep stuff out of there. After charging the speaker the recommendation is to connect it and use the Bose app to configure things like the EQ, apply any product updates, and customize the shortcut button. Weirdly, the shortcut button right now has just two options – configure it to switch to the line in input, or be kind of an oddly hacked up interface only for Spotify. I left it at input switching. You don’t have to use the Bose app if you don’t want to, but a few controls do require connecting it to the app from time to time. After connecting, it’s time for a listen. It’s immediate that this by far has the most bass of any SoundLink speaker to date. It’s not room shaking, as there are limits to the size and power of a portable speaker, but it is present for sure. It also has a very wide stereo sound stage, remarkably so for a smaller speaker, especially at the sweet spot of about 4-5 feet away. Bose is claiming they are using some of their virtual surround enhancements normally reserved for a soundbar in here, and there is kind of an uncanny depth to some audio tracks that does sound more like a surround sound setup than just stereo. It may also lead to kind of an overprocessed sound on occasion, with Charle Puth’s “Left and Right” (which I used to test the stereo separation) having an oddly distorted sound at some moments in the drums. This could either be an issue with the track’s encoding or how the speaker is processing it, and Bose may still be working the kinks out of how their sound processing works with this specific speaker. I found the speaker with the default EQ to be a little bright and actually a little lacking in bass when used outside. I tuned the EQ to +5 bass and -2 treble to find what I found to be a more balanced sound. It can get SUPER loud at full volume. Overall, it sounds good, which at this premium price point, it should. As anyone with other SoundLink speakers know, one feature of the SoundLink family is the ability to link SoundLink speakers together in a “party mode” to spread sound around a space. Sadly, this speaker, despite the name SoundLink, does not actually link to any of its SoundLink cousins. In fact, it uses the Bose app, not the Bose Connect app, so it sits outside of the SoundLink line and only seems to share the name and the look. That said, this speaker is quite capable of filling a space with sound on its own, and having stereo means you don’t need two speakers linked together for stereo sound. You can link it to some other Bose smart speakers as well, but it's still a little odd that the SoundLink Max can’t link to the other SoundLink speakers. Overall, this is an expensive, premium portable speaker that punches well above its size. Showing up at a party with it or using it when you have guests over will almost certainly get comments about how much sound is coming out of this still relatively compact package. Portable, modern Bluetooth and charging capabilities, and still having an analog input make for a well rounded speaker that will keep your party rocking for hours.

This little speaker thinks it’s a big dog. It has fantastic sound that will fill a room and does well in the shower. Be honest, you want this little waterproof guy for the shower. You won’t be disappointed. It even has a built in handle that will fit around a shower rod. It’s perfect!!

Let me just say wow, I’m blown away by the sound of this speaker. No matter what genre of music I played it sounded great. There’s two small speakers on the sides & one large across the front. It’s small enough to fit on a countertop & it rumbled the countertop & cabinets. Setup was very easy, it synced with my iPhone immediately. I still have an iPod but I wasn’t able to sync it with that. Volume controls, Bluetooth & play/pause buttons are on the top of the speaker but can also be controlled using the app. I already have the Bose app so finding the Soundlink Max was easy. There’s an equalizer in the app for bass, treble, bass boost, etc. but it sounded great right out of the box. I added a little extra bass & treble & it sounds amazing. The range is good too, I walked through my house while using Bluetooth & there was no cutting out or lost connection, you can also use it while it’s charging. So far battery life is good & I used it for a few hours today. This is very sturdy & well made, even has a rope holding the handle on. I got the Blue dusk & it’s a beautiful color. My only complaint would be that it’s very heavy! I weighed it & it’s almost 5 lbs., not sure I’d want to carry it for a long time! Other than the weight it’s an awesome speaker for parties, picnics. Highly recommend!

This is the perfect speaker for on the go. We bring it to the beach, on the pontoon, outside during yard work, and throw it in the suitcase during travel, and never have to worry about it breaking. The case is very durable and waterproof. The sound is amazing for such a small speaker and even has decent bass. Another added perk; I also own a Bose Revolve speaker and the two can be paired for surround sound which sounds great.

This little BOSE speaker has a great kick to for it's portable size. It's price is a little hefty but I seem to get a lot of use out of it either when I'm biking and or hiking on nearby trails. The color is sleek compared to everything else I buy in black, it's a nice change. The sheer micro size makes it possible to fit in nearly any pocket, including your pants! The only real issue I had with it was it's price but your purchasing the house hold name. However, other then that I really do enjoy this portable speaker.

I Love, Love, Love this speaker...Bose knows how to make it's products sound incredible...I bought this because I needed something light weight to use at work, this speaker is perfect...It's loud, the sound is clear, it provides me with what I need..Has a strap, I hook it on my apron...the battery life is Strong, I use it off and on all day at work between 10 & 12 hours...since I strap the speaker on my shoulder I only need the volume at half or less, that holds the battery life longer...

I've been a big fan of Bose Speakers for +30 years and owned various Bose products ..... This speaker is one of the best ....... small and light but the sound is "HEAVY" ..... Awesome bass, easy & fast link to my phone, computers, tablets. Great to bring for travel and outdoor ... I'm so in love with this speaker, I'm waiting for another purchase when it goes on sale, if not I can use my BB Rewards points

The sound quality on this speaker is phenomenal for its size. It can connect to two devices at a time and you can easily switch between them. It will automatically disconnect when it hasn’t been used for awhile to conserve battery power but it’s easy to reconnect. You can turn off the voice prompts that say “connected to —-iPhone “ in the app. Then you just hear a subtle click when you’re connected. I highly recommend this speaker. I’ve wanted a Bose for years and this is affordable. What a difference! I even bought one for a friend and dance partner, so we have great sound wherever we go.

Awesome product ; quality construction; sound, portability ; efficient link to multiple devices ; long battery life; all these at cheap price vs competition with other manufacturers products.

This speaker can go anywhere; the sound for such a small size is unbelievable:made out of durable silicone; its waterproof, not water resistant; I put it in the bathroom which gets moist; works great; pair it to my cell phone to make & receive calls on speakerphone; up to 6 hours per charge; buy two for stereo; makes great gift for kids rooms. Highly recommend! You’ll love it

This speaker was such a good purchase! Easy to use, sounds amazing and great for travel. The charge lasts with continuous play and does not drain down quickly like others I've had. I would recommend purchasing this is you are in the market.

This speaker is so awesome. Sounds great and so portable and versatile. I have one I take on all my walks and my husband has one as well to listen to his sports talk radio

I would highly recommend this little Bose speaker, great for a beach/pool day, hiking, or just hanging out around the house. Great sound quality and easy to use. Only negative for me is that the charging port is micro usb in 2025. Was really hoping for usb-c which has become the standard. However battery life is good and I haven’t ever run out of power when out using the speaker!

We have the larger Soundlink Mini II and wanted something to take to the beach that was small and durable and it also needed to sound good which this does. It’s amazing the sound that comes out of it and the battery last a long time. I have not found a better small/portable speaker and may buy some as gifts to give out - that’s how much I like it.

I have Echo Dots in the house and wanted something similar for outdoors. This is about the same size and the music quality is a bit better so it works fine for that. The battery life, sound quality and volume is what I would expect for a speaker at this price range. The unexpected use is listening to the music on the iPhone when I'm using my pickup that only has a CD player. I'm not just stuck listening to the radio or carrying CDs around! My only concern is that the strap looks a bit fragile but I haven't tried using it so maybe it will be fine.

We love it so much so that we have bought around 6-7 of these in last few years - for home use, and for gifts. Sound quality: just amazing for its size. We are a big Bose fan family - the thing we love the most about Bose is the "clarity" of sound. We like bass but we value clarity of sound more and that is where almost all of Bose speakers excel - including this one. Functional: so easy to carry. It has a strap that you can use to attach to your backpack / bike / or whatever. Waterproof feature allows us to use it in / around pool. It has a built-in mic, but we have never used that. We have multiple headsets / ear buds that we use for that purpose. We have used it in sync with other Bose speakers (likes of this, as well as other models such as SoundLink Resolve). Overall we just love this specific speaker and buy it any chance we get to gift it (hey.. get in line)... :-)

I really love this speaker because it's very easy to carry around and it's silicone makes it easy to grip. I'm usually pretty precautious about protecting my gadgets from getting near water but I'm able to rest easier knowing it is waterproof. It stays charged for hours alone and I can listen to my music without any interruptions. Another feature that I love about it is I can connect my Siri to it to control different songs.

Outstanding range. Solid, crisp bass. I was initially hesitant because I am not a Bose fan but this speaker is amazing and worth every penny. Great highs and clear mids. If you like bass you won't be disappointed. It is much louder than I expected. I actually smiled. Solid build, very portable. My friend "Clavinetjunkie" does a great YouTube review.

I purchased 2 of these. They sound pretty good for the size, but the sound really improves when you pair 2 of them together and put them in stereo mode (using the Bose app). I bought them to use on my paddle board and kayak. Caution, the strap is not the most secure. I used the strap to secure the speakers to a bungie cord on my paddle board. I was relaxing on my paddle board one day and stretched my arms up and it instantly released the strap and the speaker sank to the bottom of the lake. The speaker is definitely submersible, but it does not float. I'm impressed with the sound - it's not phenomenal, but good for the size of the speaker. Battery life is really good, as advertised. Setup was simple, though I often have to try a couple of times with the Bose app to get both of them connected and in stereo mode. It's nice that the speaker will "talk" to you and let you know when it's connected to your device, the battery life. It also notifies which is left and right when in stereo mode. Next time, I'd seriously consider purchasing a single speaker in the price range of 2 of these. I've a feeling the sound would be just as good (or better), and you'd only have to worry about charging and securing 1 speaker instead of 2.

I bought this to replace my Bose Mini SoundLink 1. That speaker served me for 11 years! College parties, beach trips, kayaking, camping, work, grilling, sad boy hours. You name it, that speaker played its little heart out. It became an icon in the friend group. While many have had 4-6 speakers over the years, I've had just the one. I unfortunately dunked it in water while on the river. The battery was beginning to fail anyway, but that deemed to be too much for my Mini. It still played for a few hours after that, but its final song was Great Expectations by Day Wave on 07/04/2024. It played all the way through and turned off for its last time. I put that speaker though things it was never built to do, and it just kept going. I bought the Max because it IS built to withstand my lifestyle, and Bose as a portable speaker has won me over. I will forever buy Bose, and this speaker.. I mean wow! What a sound! The battery life is incredible, the tone and bass is amazing! truly one of the best sounding Bluetooth speakers I've heard for its size. To be fair it's a little too soon to tell, but if this is anything like my Mini SoundLink 1, (and this can withstand the river) I will be playing music out of it for many years to come, and I believe this too will become the next icon amongst friends and family. I have already enjoyed many hours from the new Bose Max.