Bose SoundLink Max Portable Speaker - Black

Having been a user of various Bose products over the years, Bose really is in a new age of audio quality. My most recent purchases of the QC Ultra & Ultra Open Earbuds have demonstrated the new direction for Bose. They have always been synonymous with premium quality and sound, but they have really been working on the latter in the last year. There is a depth & clarity to the audio that shines through. I took a listen to some of my older Bose products for reference and soon realised they lack the upfront surefootedness of current Bose products. The modern age of Bose provides a customisable experience also, just head to the app for EQ settings to tune to your liking. This brings me to their latest product the Bose Soundlink Max. From the new style of colour ... MoreHaving been a user of various Bose products over the years, Bose really is in a new age of audio quality. My most recent purchases of the QC Ultra & Ultra Open Earbuds have demonstrated the new direction for Bose. They have always been synonymous with premium quality and sound, but they have really been working on the latter in the last year. There is a depth & clarity to the audio that shines through. I took a listen to some of my older Bose products for reference and soon realised they lack the upfront surefootedness of current Bose products. The modern age of Bose provides a customisable experience also, just head to the app for EQ settings to tune to your liking. This brings me to their latest product the Bose Soundlink Max. From the new style of colour packaging (departing the white, black & grey of Bose past) this hypes the Max with it is subtle hints to flaming bright orange & red. Unboxing the Max is as easy as ever just don’t miss the operational hints on the inside of the box. Unwrapping the Max from the protective packaging reveals a small & weighty form factor speaker, I like to think of it as a symphonic lunchbox. It is well made in premium quality materials and the silicone/rope handle adds a flair to the speaker. Although it shares visual ques to its smaller sibling the Soundlink Flex, the Max is in a different league entirely from an audio perspective. A USB-C cable is provided to charge and once it is at 100% get ready for the Max to shine! Any genre you throw at the Max will be reproduced with a stereo room-filling sound & bass that makes you question the size of the speaker. The audio separation is impressive which is helped by the angled drivers (articulated array) within the Max, and you can feel the bass from the speaker. Then its party piece, it can be carried anywhere you want to take the sound. BBQ, beach, forest, garden, bedroom, the choice is yours! I have also found it is fantastic for watching movies as a substitute for a soundbar. There are a few little negatives to this speaker such as a lack of microphone for taking calls, and the silicone acts as a dust magnet. As a Bose fan I could justify the price but if you are unsure head to a retailer to experience it for yourself in person. The biggest negative for me is the one-way sound, it does not provide 360-degree sound. Position is key for the Max, and you really must be in front of it for it to deliver the best audio quality, however it does go more than loud enough to fill a room or garden space, but just bear in mind its position. I have found the Soundlink Max to be a fun & detailed way to listen to music and it really does have you questioning its size once you hear just how much sound this speaker can push out of its casing. Its primary function is to reproduce Bose quality sound in a versatile, portable & rugged speaker that reflects the ‘Sound is Power’ tagline from Bose. In summary this is has become one of my favourite Bose products that can highlight the capabilities of the brand. Get ready for a chilled listening experience with a coffee, sit back and put your favourite movie on, or gather your friends for a party. The Soundlink Max truly is a versatile speaker and is there to be enjoyed, wherever you want to go!

We have a couple other portable speakers and this one is destined to become our defacto pool and beach speaker. The form factor reminds me of an old school boombox and it has the output to easily match and exceed the ones of my youth. This thing gets loud, with the volume cranked all the way up it could easily be heard 100 feet away quite clearly. I tested it in my single-story house and it was audible through doors at the opposite side of the house. It comes close to rivaling a TV soundbar.I appreciate the removable handle, it comes off pretty easily when you try to remove it but it seems sturdy and unlikely to come off accidentally. I'll probaby get the longer carying cord when it is available just to make carrying it on excursions easier.The ability to charge ... MoreWe have a couple other portable speakers and this one is destined to become our defacto pool and beach speaker. The form factor reminds me of an old school boombox and it has the output to easily match and exceed the ones of my youth. This thing gets loud, with the volume cranked all the way up it could easily be heard 100 feet away quite clearly. I tested it in my single-story house and it was audible through doors at the opposite side of the house. It comes close to rivaling a TV soundbar.I appreciate the removable handle, it comes off pretty easily when you try to remove it but it seems sturdy and unlikely to come off accidentally. I'll probaby get the longer carying cord when it is available just to make carrying it on excursions easier.The ability to charge your device while using the speaker is great, though it obviously cuts into how long the battery lasts it can save you from bringing a separate charger. Also, the speaker works normally while it is charging too in case you find yourself near an outlet and it is running low on juice. The battery does last a long time but I imagine a full day at the beach near full volume you could run out after 8 hours. In my test of charging my phone while playing music at about 50% of the volume it was loosing about 10% of the battery per hour.The Bluetooth worked well, the connection remained strong even at about 50 feet away with no crackling. The aux also worked as expected, though i don't plan to use it since basically everything we have uses Bluetooth and none of our phones even have an aux port.Overall, this is a really great speaker that puts out a lot of sound for a long time. The one downside is the rubberized outside of the case. If you have pets that shed, it seems to pick up their hair pretty easily. This might also be a minor nuisance with small sand particles; I tested pouring some sea salt on it and after a quick shake there was still a fair amount of small granules left. The salt did come off once I wiped it off with a damp paper towel, but the hairs were a bit more difficult to remove. This doesn't hamper the performance, it is just a minor annoyance and likely the rubber will help protect the speaker from dings and minor impacts.

My new Bose SoundLink Max has me looking forward to summer sparbecues (I'm a sword fighting instructor, so this is what my friends and I call it when we get together in someone's backyard for food and friendly fights)! It definitely has the power to be heard over the clash of steel. The best way to describe it is the modern answer to an old school boombox. It beautifully blends modern aesthetics and functionality with the nostalgia of a sound system portable enough and powerful enough to bring together a community. Whether you strap it on to parade down the street or plant it on a party table, this is the speaker you want when you want to share your music with the whole neighborhood.The silicon exterior is moisture resistant, so you can use it near a pool or after ... MoreMy new Bose SoundLink Max has me looking forward to summer sparbecues (I'm a sword fighting instructor, so this is what my friends and I call it when we get together in someone's backyard for food and friendly fights)! It definitely has the power to be heard over the clash of steel. The best way to describe it is the modern answer to an old school boombox. It beautifully blends modern aesthetics and functionality with the nostalgia of a sound system portable enough and powerful enough to bring together a community. Whether you strap it on to parade down the street or plant it on a party table, this is the speaker you want when you want to share your music with the whole neighborhood.The silicon exterior is moisture resistant, so you can use it near a pool or after a rainstorm with no problem, and it's surprisingly easy to wipe the bottom clean if it picks up any dirt. Considering the price, it's great not to have to worry about messing it up when taking it out and about. The AUX port is also a nice touch and adds utility. The handle is a bit challenging to get on and off, but that security means it isn't likely to fall off accidentally. I would like to see more customization options in the straps than are currently available, maybe even one that is just the attachment points so you can add your own personalized strap with more comfortable padding or unique colors. The possibilities have me excited to see what accessories Bose might release in future.My favorite thing about it is how easy it is to adjust the sound to your liking. You can literally fine tune the balance through the app with the touch of your finger. If you're like me with sensitive neighbors, you can lower the base enough to party hard without bothering them. Want to really feel your music in your chest? Turn it back up in a fraction of a second. Either way, you can also adjust mid and treble to keep the sound balanced. I sometimes had a spot of trouble connecting and disconnecting to it via the app but could do so easily enough in my phone's bluetooth settings, so not a deal breaker and probably more to do with software than hardware. Once it was connected, I could interact with it through the app just fine. Overall, I highly recommend it if you need a solid portable speaker that has everyday utility and can scale up the sound when you're ready to party!