Description
What the SoundLink Micro Is Built For
The Bose SoundLink Micro is a small waterproof Bluetooth speaker with a built in microphone, designed around a single scenario: audio that goes wherever the owner goes and does not need protecting. Bose describes a custom mounted transducer with passive radiators, a soft but rugged exterior, and a tear resistant silicone strap for attaching the speaker to a backpack, a cooler, or a set of handlebars. The listing gives the dimensions as 1.37 inches deep by 3.87 inches wide by 3.87 inches high and the weight as 12 ounces.
Those dimensions describe something close to a coaster in size, and the weight is high for that footprint, which is typical of a speaker built around a rigid enclosure and a driver that has to move air from a small volume. The strap is the feature that defines everyday use. A speaker that clips to a bag is used far more often than one that has to be carried in a hand, and the strap is what turns this from a portable speaker into a wearable one. Buyers comparing the class can look at the portable Bluetooth speakers category and at the JBL Flip 5 waterproof Bluetooth speaker, which trades pocketability for a larger cabinet.
Waterproofing and Durability
The listing states an IP67 rating and Bose describes the speaker as waterproof from the inside out, adding that a unit dropped in a pool can be dried off and used again. IP67 is a meaningful and specific rating rather than a marketing adjective. The 6 covers complete protection against dust ingress, and the 7 covers immersion in water to one meter for thirty minutes. That is a genuinely high standard for a consumer speaker, and it is the difference between a product that survives a splash and one that survives being dropped in a lake.
The exterior is listed as silicone and rubber, materials chosen because they absorb impact rather than transmit it to the enclosure. Bose specifically mentions drops onto a sidewalk and into sand. Sand is the harder test of the two, since fine particles work into ports and buttons on most portable electronics, and a fully sealed dust rating is what keeps that from becoming a failure. For anyone who wants similar protection in a design meant to be worn rather than clipped, the Noxgear wearable Bluetooth speaker takes a different approach to the same problem.
Battery, Pairing, and Voice Features
Battery life is listed at up to six hours from a rechargeable lithium ion cell. Six hours is modest against current portable speakers, many of which reach twelve to twenty, and it is the clearest concession this design makes to its size. For a day at a beach or a bike ride it is sufficient. For a full weekend away from power it is not, and the included cable is a Micro-B USB type rather than USB-C, which means an extra cable to carry for anyone whose other devices have moved on.
Pairing is over Bluetooth with voice prompts, and the listing gives a maximum range of 30 feet. A built in speakerphone allows calls to be taken through the speaker, and the same microphone provides voice assistant access, with Siri and Google Assistant both named. The Bose Connect application supports pairing two compatible Bose speakers together, either in a party mode where both play the same content or a stereo mode where they split into left and right channels. Stereo mode is the more interesting of the two, since a single small speaker cannot produce any stereo image at all. Listeners wanting more output from one enclosure should compare the Tribit XSound Plus 2 Bluetooth speaker.
Highlights
- IP67 rated against dust and against immersion in water to one meter.
- Tear resistant silicone strap for attaching to a bag, cooler, or handlebars.
- Built in speakerphone with voice assistant access through the speaker.
- Bose Connect app pairing of two speakers in party mode or stereo mode.
- Compact 3.87 inch square footprint at a listed 12 ounces, with a rubberized exterior.
Things To Consider
Battery life is the most significant real limitation. Six hours from a speaker in this class is short, and it is short in a way that matters because the product invites use away from power. Charging is by Micro-B USB, an older connector that most current phones and laptops no longer use, so the supplied cable becomes a dedicated item to keep track of. The listing also gives a charging time of six hours, which is unusually long relative to the runtime it delivers.
The specification table contains several entries that do not describe this product. The subwoofer diameter field reads 6 inches, which is larger than the entire speaker at 3.87 inches across, so it cannot be a driver measurement. The speaker size field reads 30 Feet, which is the Bluetooth range placed in the wrong field. The battery field claims one A battery is required and included, which contradicts the rechargeable lithium ion cell described elsewhere on the same listing. The mounting type reads Handlebar Mount, which describes one use of the strap rather than a mounting system. The number of USB 2 ports reads 1, and the controller type reads Google Assistant.
On physics, a speaker this small has a hard limit on low frequency output regardless of the engineering applied. Bose describes passive radiators, which extend low frequency response from a sealed enclosure without a port, and that is the right technique at this size. It is not a substitute for cabinet volume. Buyers should also note the listing lists an age range of 14 years and up, a limited warranty, and a first availability date in 2017, making this a long established product with a very large rating base of 33,879 ratings at a 4.7 star average.
Who Should Buy It and Who Should Not
The SoundLink Micro suits a cyclist, hiker, kayaker, beachgoer, or anyone who wants a speaker that can be strapped to a bag and forgotten about. The IP67 rating and the rubberized exterior mean it does not need a case or careful handling, and the speakerphone makes it useful as more than a music player. Its very large rating base suggests it has been used this way successfully for years.
It is the wrong speaker for a party, for a room, or for anyone who needs more than six hours between charges. Buyers who want volume and runtime should look at a larger cabinet such as the ION Tailgater Boom outdoor Bluetooth speaker, and those wanting a home oriented design with mains power should compare the Marshall Acton III Bluetooth speaker instead.
