Bose SoundLink Home review: a speaker that’s all about looks

Sometimes it’s good to bargain a talker mostly for the aesthetic. And from the infinitesimal it was archetypal announced, Bose’s $219 SoundLink Home stood retired from the battalion (and Bose’s ain different efforts) with a mid-modern benignant that bears small resemblance to astir competitors. It’s the benignant of gadget that radical are apt to announcement and remark on. No 1 says a connection astir boring, ho-hum cylindrical speakers.

But this thing, with its cloth lodging wrapped successful a brushed aluminum band, feels similar vintage Bose. The institution doesn’t ever amusement this overmuch attraction to item successful plan and materials, truthful I’m encouraged by the Home’s unsocial vibe.

If you’ve utilized oregon heard Bose’s SoundLink Flex, past you’ve already got a bully knowing of what the Home talker volition dependable similar successful your surviving room. Their tuning is rather similar. Like the Flex, the Home outputs mixed-down mono audio. I’ll ever instrumentality stereo speakers erstwhile fixed the choice, but mono is communal for the portable talker class — though Bose is pushing it with the terms present — and particularly astatine this size. 

With that successful mind, the SoundLink Home sounds rather elaborate and clear. Vocals are crisp. Acoustic instruments person a interaction of warmth. And adjacent if you dial the measurement up to extremes, there’s small distortion. That’s partially due to the fact that this talker is nary bass champ; the SoundLink Max wipes the level with it successful that regard, but is bulkier and astir doubly the price. The Home lone supports your modular AAC and SBC Bluetooth codecs, whereas the Flex (second-gen) and Max some propulsion successful aptX Adaptive compatibility for devices that connection it.

The happening is, you’re going to person to truly similar the Home’s out-of-the-box sound, due to the fact that there’s nary changing it. In different departure from different Bose speakers, the SoundLink Home lacks immoderate benignant of mobile companion app. As a result, you’re incapable to customize its EQ astatine all. That’s a disappointing omission that would beryllium easier to forgive from a cheaper speaker, but not this one. You can astatine slightest brace 2 units unneurotic to make a stereo pair. If you’re consenting to driblet the wealth connected that, you’ll beryllium rewarded with noticeably richer sound. 

Another important happening to beryllium alert of with the SoundLink Home is that there’s nary h2o absorption to talk of. The aforesaid goes for particulate resistance. This is not meant to beryllium a poolside oregon outdoor speaker. It’s close determination successful the name, I suppose. You’ll privation to enactment the talker determination harmless (and dry). A covered patio is astir arsenic acold arsenic you’ll privation to instrumentality it. Bose doesn’t adjacent urge taking it into the bathroom. The ruggedized Flex is simply a amended prime for those who request a roadworthy warrior that tin withstand the elements. Durability is 1 country wherever the Home falls abbreviated of Ultimate Ears, JBL, Soundcore, and different brands that person Bluetooth speakers astatine akin prices.

So acold I’ve discussed a batch of what’s missing, but 1 vantage implicit the SoundLink Flex is that the Home supports USB-C audio in. And you tin instrumentality vantage of that astatine the aforesaid clip that you’re paired implicit Bluetooth. So you could theoretically perceive to wired audio from your laptop portion utilizing the talker for telephone calls oregon interacting with Siri oregon Google Assistant. (You tin clasp down the multi-function fastener up apical to activate your phone’s dependable assistant.) Calls and different Bluetooth enactment volition override the USB-C connection.

That USB-C larboard is connected the speaker’s near side, which makes immoderate cables look a spot inelegant erstwhile they’re plugged in. Bose astatine slightest includes a 90-degree USB-C cablegram to support it arsenic subtle arsenic possible. Battery beingness is rated astatine up to 9 hours of playback, and my tests person shown that fig to beryllium mostly accurate. If you’re listening astatine oregon supra 70 percent volume, expect to suffer a mates hours. It’s not awesome endurance, but for a talker that’ll lone beryllium traveling astir your house, it’s sufficient. It takes betwixt 3 and 4 hours to afloat recharge the talker implicit USB-C, which seems alternatively agelong for the passable artillery beingness you’re getting.

There’s truly not overmuch other to screen with the SoundLink Home. It bets a full batch connected looks and consciousness and clears the barroom connected dependable prime without immoderate glaring tonal weaknesses. The lack of immoderate EQ settings volition inevitably disappoint those of you who similar to tinker, and I deliberation any $200-plus Bluetooth talker should person immoderate measurement of weatherproofing. But Bose went successful a antithetic absorption with the SoundLink Home. If you’re looking to bargain (or gift) a talker that’s disconnected the beaten path, I wouldn’t responsibility you for choosing this one.

Photography by Chris Welch / The Verge