OVERALL
ALTERNATIVES
SPECS
VS AVERAGE
REVIEWS
Scored using Portable Speakers Methodology v1.0
Portable Speakers Methodology v1.0
Mathematical & Unbiased Scoring
Products in this category are scored under Frontum Portable Speakers Methodology v1.0: technical specifications plus authentic consumer ratings, with 0% commercial bias.
Explore Portable Speakers Methodology v1.0

Bose SoundLink II Review | 130 Data compared

Avg. price:~£120Audio output power:25.00 WBattery life:8 hoursIP rating:?Bluetooth version:2.1Weight:1320 g

Bose SoundLink II Review: Compare 130 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Portable Speakers category and whether it is worth buying.

Bose SoundLink II
6.3/10

Overall score

Score
6.3/ 10
✕
What it is
An overall evaluation of products in the Portable Speakers category, based on technical analysis and user reviews.
When it matters
When you need a quick reference for identifying the best products in the Portable Speakers category.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 74% of models
Score components

80%

6.0

Technical score

20%

7.8

User score

â–¼Worse than 74% of portable speakers
7.4

Value for money

Value for money
7.4/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the overall score of products in the Portable Speakers category with their prices.
When it matters
When you are comparing products in the Portable Speakers category and want a good balance between quality and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 71% of models
Score components

70%

6.3

Overall score

30%

9.9

Price

â–¼Worse than 71%
6.0

Technical score

Technical score
6.0/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Portable Speakers category across these key areas: Audio, Connectivity, Battery, Durability, Controls, Design, Smart features.
When it matters
When you want to compare products in the Portable Speakers category by technical performance, specifications, and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 84% of models
Score components

32%

6.8

Audio

20%

5.9

Battery

18%

5.7

Durability

16%

5.5

Connectivity

8%

3.8

Controls

3%

8.5

Design

3%

4.9

Smart features

â–¼Worse than 84%
7.8

User score

User score
7.8/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews with the total review volume for products in the Portable Speakers category.
When it matters
When you want to know how products in the Portable Speakers category perform in everyday use and how reliable owners find them over time.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 76% of models
Score components

70%

7.8

User ratings

30%

7.7

Number of reviews

Based on ratings from across the web.
â–¼Worse than 76%
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Where to buy
*As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Best rankings
Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
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Technical Specifications of portable speaker Bose SoundLink II

Technical score
Technical score
6.0/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Portable Speakers category across these key areas: Audio, Connectivity, Battery, Durability, Controls, Design, Smart features.
When it matters
When you want to compare products in the Portable Speakers category by technical performance, specifications, and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 84% of models
Score components:

32%

6.8

Audio

20%

5.9

Battery

18%

5.7

Durability

16%

5.5

Connectivity

8%

3.8

Controls

3%

8.5

Design

3%

4.9

Smart features

6.0
User score
User score
7.8/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews with the total review volume for products in the Portable Speakers category.
When it matters
When you want to know how products in the Portable Speakers category perform in everyday use and how reliable owners find them over time.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 76% of models
Score components

70%

7.8

User ratings

30%

7.7

Number of reviews

Based on ratings from across the web.
7.8
Popularity
Popularity
7.7/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator based on the number of reviews received by products in the Portable Speakers category.
When it matters
When you prefer products in the Portable Speakers category that have been chosen and reviewed by many other buyers.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 76% of models
Popularity:
Bose SoundLink II has a popularity score of 7.7 points, which is higher than 76.1% of products in this category.
7.7
Value for money
Value for money
7.4/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the overall score of products in the Portable Speakers category with their prices.
When it matters
When you are comparing products in the Portable Speakers category and want a good balance between quality and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 71% of models
Score components:

70%

6.3

Overall score

30%

9.9

Price

7.4
Audio output power
25 W
Market range: <4 W – >100 W
This portable speaker has an audio output power of 25 W which is higher than that of 59.6% of portable speakers and equal to that of 2% of portable speakers.
Driver unit size
?
Number of drivers
4
Market range: <0 – >5
This portable speaker has 4 drivers, which is more than 81.7% of portable speakers and equal to the number in 11.9% of portable speakers.
Frequency response tolerance
?
Lowest frequency
?
Show more
Bluetooth connectivity
yes
This portable speaker supports Bluetooth audio. 5.4% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Bluetooth version
2.1
Market range: <3 – >5.3
This portable speaker supports Bluetooth version 2.1 which is older than that of 92% of portable speakers and equal to that of 7.3% of portable speakers.
Maximum Bluetooth range
9 m
Market range: <10 m – >30 m
This portable speaker has a maximum Bluetooth range of 9 m which is shorter than that of 95.8% of portable speakers and equal to that of 3.5% of portable speakers.
Bluetooth profiles supported
A2DP
Bluetooth LE Audio
no
This portable speaker does not support Bluetooth LE Audio. 2.5% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more
Battery life
8 hours
Market range: <6 hours – >24 hours
This portable speaker has a battery life of 8 hours which is shorter than that of 68.9% of portable speakers and equal to that of 11.6% of portable speakers.
Battery capacity
2,200 mAh
Market range: <900 mAh – >6.6k mAh
This portable speaker has a battery capacity of 2,200 mAh which is smaller than that of 56.6% of portable speakers and equal to that of 7.2% of portable speakers.
Charging time
3 hours
Market range: <2 hours – >5 hours
This portable speaker has a charging time of 3 hours which is shorter than that of 35.5% of portable speakers and equal to that of 35.1% of portable speakers.
Maximum charging input power
17 W
Market range: <5 W – >30 W
This portable speaker has a maximum charging input power of 17 W which is higher than that of 83.2% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.3% of portable speakers.
Built-in rechargeable battery
yes
This portable speaker has a built-in rechargeable battery. 18.7% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more
IP rating
?
Water resistance
no
This portable speaker is not water resistant. 61.7% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Dust resistance
?
Waterproof depth rating
Not waterproof m
This portable speaker is not rated for underwater use. 47.6% of portable speakers have a native waterproof depth rating.
Drop resistance
?
Show more
On-device controls placement
top
Touchscreen
no
This portable speaker does not have a touchscreen. 0.3% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Smartphone app control
no
This portable speaker does not support smartphone app control. 54% of portable speakers offer this feature.
No compatible mobile app for speaker control.
Remote control
no
This portable speaker does not include a remote control. 15% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Fast pairing
no
This portable speaker does not support fast pairing. 22.5% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more
Weight
1,320 g
Market range: <200 g – >5.6k g
This portable speaker weighs 1,320 g which is heavier than that of 62.3% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.1% of portable speakers.
Height
13 cm
Market range: <5.79 cm – >29 cm
This portable speaker has a height of 13 cm which is taller than that of 51.8% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.6% of portable speakers.
Width
24.4 cm
Market range: <7.6 cm – >37 cm
This portable speaker has a width of 24.4 cm which is wider than that of 68.2% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.2% of portable speakers.
Depth
4.8 cm
Market range: <4.3 cm – >19.97 cm
This portable speaker has a depth of 4.8 cm which is shallower than that of 84.6% of portable speakers and equal to that of 0.5% of portable speakers.
Carry options
none
Show more
Companion app name
Bose Connect
Firmware updates
yes
This portable speaker supports firmware updates. 52.9% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Supports user-accessible firmware updates.
Firmware update method
USB
Voice assistant support
no
This portable speaker does not support voice assistants. 26.5% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Spotify Connect
no
This portable speaker does not support Spotify Connect. 10.8% of portable speakers offer this feature.
Show more

Bose SoundLink II vs the average portable speaker

246810TotalAudioConnectivityBatteryDurabilityControlsDesignSmart features
  • 2 more speaker drivers
    This portable speaker has more speaker drivers than the average portable speaker (4 vs 2).
    4 vs 2
  • 1 more multipoint connections
    This portable speaker has more multipoint connections than the average portable speaker (2 vs 1).
    2 vs 1
  • Has built-in stereo speakers
    This portable speaker has built-in stereo speakers, while the average portable speaker does not have built-in stereo speakers.
    Provides true stereo output within the unit.
  • 7 W higher charging input power
    This portable speaker has higher charging input power than the average portable speaker (17 W vs 10 W).
    17 W vs 10 W
  • Has a removable battery
    This portable speaker has a removable battery, while the average portable speaker does not have a removable battery.
  • Includes a power adapter
    This portable speaker includes a power adapter, while the average portable speaker does not include a power adapter.
  • Supports firmware updates
    This portable speaker supports firmware updates, while the average portable speaker does not support firmware updates.
    Supports user-accessible firmware updates.
  • Supports playback mute
    This portable speaker supports playback mute, while the average portable speaker does not support playback mute.
    Speaker playback audio can be directly muted.
  • 2 more speaker drivers
    This portable speaker has more speaker drivers than the average portable speaker (4 vs 2).
    4 vs 2
  • Has built-in stereo speakers
    This portable speaker has built-in stereo speakers, while the average portable speaker does not have built-in stereo speakers.
    Provides true stereo output within the unit.
  • 5 W more audio output power
    This portable speaker has more audio output power than the average portable speaker (25 W vs 20 W).
    25 W vs 20 W
  • 1 more multipoint connections
    This portable speaker has more multipoint connections than the average portable speaker (2 vs 1).
    2 vs 1
  • 7 W higher charging input power
    This portable speaker has higher charging input power than the average portable speaker (17 W vs 10 W).
    17 W vs 10 W
  • Has a removable battery
    This portable speaker has a removable battery, while the average portable speaker does not have a removable battery.
  • Includes a power adapter
    This portable speaker includes a power adapter, while the average portable speaker does not include a power adapter.
  • Is UV resistant
    This portable speaker is UV resistant, while the average portable speaker is not rated as UV resistant.
  • Supports playback mute
    This portable speaker supports playback mute, while the average portable speaker does not support playback mute.
    Speaker playback audio can be directly muted.
  • Includes a travel bag
    This portable speaker includes a travel bag, while the average portable speaker does not include a travel bag.
  • 3.5 cm shallower
    This portable speaker is shallower than the average portable speaker (4.8 cm vs 8.3 cm).
    4.8 cm vs 8.3 cm
  • Supports firmware updates
    This portable speaker supports firmware updates, while the average portable speaker does not support firmware updates.
    Supports user-accessible firmware updates.
  • Is not water resistant
    This portable speaker is not water resistant, while the average portable speaker is water resistant.
  • 8 dB SPL lower maximum sound pressure
    This portable speaker has a lower maximum sound pressure level than the average portable speaker (84 dB SPL vs 92 dB SPL).
    84 dB SPL vs 92 dB SPL
  • Does not support smartphone app control
    This portable speaker does not support smartphone app control, while the average portable speaker supports smartphone app control.
    No compatible mobile app for speaker control.
  • 4 hours shorter battery life
    This portable speaker has a shorter battery life than the average portable speaker (8 hours vs 12 hours).
    8 hours vs 12 hours
  • 2.9 Bluetooth levels older
    This portable speaker has an older Bluetooth version than the average portable speaker (2.1 vs 5).
    2.1 vs 5
  • Does not support stereo pairing
    This portable speaker does not support stereo pairing, while the average portable speaker supports stereo pairing.
  • Does not support True Wireless Stereo
    This portable speaker does not support True Wireless Stereo, while the average portable speaker supports True Wireless Stereo.
  • 2 fewer paired devices remembered
    This portable speaker remembers fewer paired devices than the average portable speaker (6 vs 8).
    6 vs 8
  • 2.8% lower user score
    User score
    7.8/ 10
    ✕
    What it is
    A rating that combines user reviews with the total review volume for products in the Portable Speakers category.
    When it matters
    When you want to know how products in the Portable Speakers category perform in everyday use and how reliable owners find them over time.
    Score distribution
    ▼▼
    <55-66-77-88-99-10
    Bose SoundLink II
    the average portable speaker
    Bose SoundLink II has a lower user score than the average portable speaker (7.78 vs 8).
    7.78 vs 8
  • 2.1% worse value for money
    Bose SoundLink II offers worse value for money than the average portable speaker (7.39 vs 7.5).
    7.39 vs 7.55
  • 8 dB SPL lower maximum sound pressure
    This portable speaker has a lower maximum sound pressure level than the average portable speaker (84 dB SPL vs 92 dB SPL).
    84 dB SPL vs 92 dB SPL
  • 3,900 Hz lower microphone frequency limit
    This portable speaker has a lower microphone frequency limit than the average portable speaker (3,500 Hz vs 7,400 Hz).
    3,500 Hz vs 7,400 Hz
  • 2.9 Bluetooth levels older
    This portable speaker has an older Bluetooth version than the average portable speaker (2.1 vs 5).
    2.1 vs 5
  • 2 fewer paired devices remembered
    This portable speaker remembers fewer paired devices than the average portable speaker (6 vs 8).
    6 vs 8
  • 1 m shorter Bluetooth range
    This portable speaker has a shorter Bluetooth range than the average portable speaker (9 m vs 10 m).
    9 m vs 10 m
  • 4 hours shorter battery life
    This portable speaker has a shorter battery life than the average portable speaker (8 hours vs 12 hours).
    8 hours vs 12 hours
  • 400 mAh less battery capacity
    This portable speaker has a smaller battery capacity than the average portable speaker (2,200 mAh vs 2,600 mAh).
    2,200 mAh vs 2,600 mAh
  • Is not water resistant
    This portable speaker is not water resistant, while the average portable speaker is water resistant.
  • Does not support smartphone app control
    This portable speaker does not support smartphone app control, while the average portable speaker supports smartphone app control.
    No compatible mobile app for speaker control.
  • Does not support stereo pairing
    This portable speaker does not support stereo pairing, while the average portable speaker supports stereo pairing.
  • Does not support True Wireless Stereo
    This portable speaker does not support True Wireless Stereo, while the average portable speaker supports True Wireless Stereo.
  • Does not provide voice prompts
    This portable speaker does not provide voice prompts, while the average portable speaker provides voice prompts.
    No spoken status prompts; feedback is absent, visual, or tone-based.
  • 520 g heavier
    This portable speaker is heavier than the average portable speaker (1,320 g vs 800 g).
    1,320 g vs 800 g
  • 6.3 cm wider
    This portable speaker is wider than the average portable speaker (24.4 cm vs 18.1 cm).
    24.4 cm vs 18.1 cm
  • 7 older
    This portable speaker was released earlier than the average portable speaker (2012 vs 2019).
    2012 vs 2019

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

Expert reviews

In-depth analysis and verdict from leading tech publications

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hifi.de
08/12/2023
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Bose SoundLink Mini II Special Edition Review: The Classic, a Decade Later
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stereoguide.de
14/02/2022
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computerbild.de
09/05/2022
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Bose SoundLink Color II Review - COMPUTER BILD
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H
heise.de
11/07/2018
Summary of the review
Bose Soundlink Color 2 review: colorful and great sound - Heise
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C
chip.de
04/05/2016
Summary of the review
Bose SoundLink Mini II (Bluetooth Speaker) Review - CHIP
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lowbeats.de
05/10/2016
Summary of the review
Bose SoundLink Mini II: Reviewing the Bluetooth Classic - LowBeats
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E
edencast.fr
17/03/2013
Summary of the review
A closer look at the Bose Soundlink II speaker
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L
lesnumeriques.com
28/05/2014
Summary of the review
Bose Soundlink II Review: A Retro Feel
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F
forum.lesnumeriques.com
22/11/2012
Summary of the review
[Review] Bose SoundLink II Portable Speakers Review - Les Numériques
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0
01net.com
22/11/2012
Summary of the review
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hablandodemanzanas.com
14/12/2013
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tweakers.net
10/12/2015
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tweakers.net
30/12/2015
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stylecowboys.nl
06/09/2012
Summary of the review
Bose SoundLink Mobile Speaker II
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Third-party reviews

Based on ratings from across the web.
Reviews last updated: August 2026 · How we calculate this

What customers like about Bose SoundLink II

  • Impressive bass response and full-range, rich sound quality for its small size
  • Premium, robust build quality featuring a sleek anodized aluminium casing
  • Highly compact, pocketable, and easy to transport in a bag
  • Straightforward Bluetooth pairing process with helpful voice prompts
  • Convenient multi-device connectivity allowing two devices to pair simultaneously
  • Integrated speakerphone feature with a built-in microphone for clear voice calls

What customers don't like about Bose SoundLink II

  • Complete lack of water or dust resistance, making it unsuitable for pool or beach use
  • Noticeably heavy and dense relative to its diminutive footprint
  • Narrow soundstage with virtually non-existent stereo separation
  • Poor sound directivity, requiring the listener to sit directly in front of the speaker
  • Audio distortion can occur on certain tracks when the volume is cranked to maximum
  • Premium price tag that reflects Bose branding rather than budget-friendly value

Verdict

The Bose SoundLink Bluetooth Mobile Speaker II is a compact portable speaker measuring approximately 13 x 24 x 4.5 cm and weighing 1.4 kg, engineered with dual neodymium transducers and integrated digital signal processing. Key pros include a maximum power output of 25 watts, a wireless Bluetooth range of 30 feet, multi-point pairing for up to two devices simultaneously, and an integrated magnetic bi-fold cover that doubles as a stand and an automatic power switch. On-device controls manage power and volume, while a built-in lithium-ion battery provides up to 8 hours of playback alongside a 3.5mm auxiliary input. However, notable cons include its lack of speakerphone or integrated microphone capabilities, the requirement of a proprietary AC adapter over standard USB charging, potential clipping at the beginning of songs, and a prone-to-tipping stand footprint.

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