ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Bose SoundLink Max retails for $399 within the colours Black and Blue Nightfall
- This unassuming Bluetooth speaker delivers the high-quality sound that Bose is understood for, with the battery life to maintain the get together going all night time.
- The common worth may be a turn-off, given you may get completely succesful audio system for much less.
extra shopping for decisions
A long time in the past, after I was working for an audio set up firm, we used to have a saying: “No highs, no lows; it have to be Bose.” Understand that we have been coping with audio system that price tens of hundreds of {dollars}, so the concept of something consumer-grade was laughable.
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Quick-forward to right this moment, and Bose nonetheless makes audio system, headphones, and earbuds able to producing wealthy, elegant sound with huge soundstages, punchy bass, and crisp highs. Such is the case with the Bose SoundLink Max Transportable Speaker.
When listening to the SoundLink Max, I am very a lot reminded of the unique SoundLink, an excellent speaker from a couple of decade in the past that I all the time felt was among the finest I might ever used. This new iteration is even higher, as it will probably push the quantity to new heights with out the slightest little bit of distortion.
Though the sound may not fulfill the ears of a discerning audiophile, its massive bass and highly effective quantity are definitely a crowd-pleaser. Let’s get into it.
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The very first thing I observed about this speaker was the standard Bose processing, which makes the sound appear a bit ethereal. This pairs very effectively with audio from fashionable genres that sometimes do not demand an excessive amount of from the {hardware}, and is because of how Bose processes midrange sounds for a stereo impact. Sadly, it will probably translate into imprecise midrange sounds which can be barely off-color. I’ve skilled that with nearly each Bose speaker I’ve bought or examined.
It is not a nasty factor; it is only a Bose factor.
I additionally could not assist however discover this speaker’s lack of options. It permits two gadgets to attach concurrently, has a three-band EQ (accessible from the minimal cell app — Android/iOS), and features a play/pause button. That is it.
Here is the factor: a high quality transportable speaker would not want a deluge of options. I need the machine to sound nice, have loads of battery life, and be easy to make use of. The Bose SoundLink Max simply checks all of these containers.
Additionally: I’ve but to discover a Bluetooth speaker that pumps out louder bass and clearer mids than this
Once I began testing this speaker, I modified up my ordinary testing technique. Being conversant in the Bose sound, I made a decision to throw two totally different albums at it to see the way it fared. The primary was “Massive Generator” by Sure. This album was recorded and mastered at a time that completely suited the Bose sound, and it sounded higher than I anticipated. The mids have been superb for Jon Anderson’s refrain, the guitars have been completely crunchy, and the soundstage was surprisingly huge.
Subsequent, I opted for a style that is not fairly suited to the Bose sound: classical. I used to be stunned by how George Frideric Handel’s “Wassermusik” sounded. It was wealthy, full of life, and by no means misplaced. In fact, no get together is full and not using a Baroque masterpiece.
So far as the bass is worried, the SoundLink Max does an excellent job to round 65Hz. Under that, the bass rolls off a bit, so you are not going to really feel the kick drum as you would possibly with an even bigger speaker. Given the scale of this machine, nonetheless, it holds its personal on the low finish.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
If you happen to’re a fan of the Bose sound and desire a transportable speaker that may fill a room (after which some), the $399 SoundLink Max is the apparent alternative. If you happen to’re iffy on the Bose sound or choose to have extra EQ choices than three bands, then you need to take a look at the Anker Soundcore Movement X500, which is presently out there for $109.
In the end, followers of the Bose sound will get pleasure from this speaker, and provided that it is constructed like a tank, you will not have to fret about it at a crowded get together.
Bose SoundLink Max tech specs
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.4
- Weight: 4.9 lbs
- Dimensions: 4.73 x 10.42 x 4.13 inches
- Battery: As much as 20 hours
- Ports: USB-C, 3.5mm in
- Colours: Black, blue
- Buttons: Media controls alongside the highest
- Water and dirt resistance: IP67
