Why I strongly recommend this Bose speaker to most people - and it's on sale

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

The Bose SoundLink Max retails for $399 successful the colors Black and Blue Dusk
This unassuming Bluetooth talker delivers the high-quality dependable that Bose is known for, with the artillery beingness to support the enactment going each night.
The regular terms mightiness beryllium a turn-off, fixed you tin get perfectly susceptible speakers for less.

The Bose SoundLink Max Portable Speaker is presently connected merchantability for $329, a $70 discount. Act fast, due to the fact that this woody volition expire connected May 11.

Decades ago, erstwhile I was moving for an audio installation company, we utilized to person a saying: "No highs, nary lows; it indispensable beryllium Bose." Keep successful caput that we were dealing with speakers that outgo tens of thousands of dollars, truthful the thought of thing consumer-grade was laughable.

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Fast-forward to today, and Bose inactive makes speakers, headphones, and earbuds susceptible of producing rich, elegant dependable with wide soundstages, punchy bass, and crisp highs. Such is the lawsuit with the SoundLink Max.

When listening to the SoundLink Max, I'm precise overmuch reminded of the archetypal SoundLink, a large talker from astir a decennary agone that I ever felt was 1 of the champion I'd ever used. This caller iteration is adjacent better, arsenic it tin propulsion the measurement to caller heights without the slightest spot of distortion.

Although the dependable mightiness not fulfill the ears of a discerning audiophile, its large bass and almighty measurement are surely a crowd-pleaser. Let's get into it.

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The archetypal happening I noticed astir this talker was the emblematic Bose processing, which makes the dependable look a spot airy. This pairs precise good with audio from fashionable genres that typically don't request excessively overmuch from the hardware, and is owed to however Bose processes midrange sounds for a stereo effect. Unfortunately, it tin construe into imprecise midrange sounds that are somewhat off-color. I've experienced that with astir each Bose talker I've purchased oregon tested.

It's not a atrocious thing; it's conscionable a Bose thing.

I besides couldn't assistance but announcement this speaker's deficiency of features. It allows 2 devices to link simultaneously, has a three-band EQ (accessible from the minimal mobile app -- Android/iOS), and includes a play/pause button. That's it.

Here's the thing: a prime portable talker doesn't request a deluge of features. I privation the instrumentality to dependable great, person plentifulness of artillery life, and beryllium elemental to use. The Bose SoundLink Max easy checks each of those boxes.

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When I started investigating this speaker, I changed up my accustomed investigating strategy. Being acquainted with the Bose sound, I decided to propulsion 2 antithetic albums astatine it to spot however it fared. The archetypal was "Big Generator" by Yes. This medium was recorded and mastered astatine a clip that perfectly suited the Bose sound, and it sounded amended than I expected. The mids were perfect for Jon Anderson's chorus, the guitars were perfectly crunchy, and the soundstage was amazingly wide.

Next, I opted for a genre that isn't rather suited for the Bose sound: classical. I was taken aback by however George Frideric Handel's "Wassermusik" sounded. It was rich, lively, and not astatine each retired of place. Of course, nary enactment is implicit without a Baroque masterpiece.

As acold arsenic the bass is concerned, the SoundLink Max does a large occupation to astir 65Hz. Below that, the bass rolls disconnected a bit, truthful you're not going to consciousness the footwear drum arsenic you mightiness with a bigger speaker. Given the size of this device, however, it holds its ain connected the debased end.

ZDNET's buying advice

If you're a instrumentality of the Bose dependable and privation a portable talker that tin capable a country (and past some), the $399 SoundLink Max is the evident choice. If you're iffy connected the Bose dependable oregon similar to person much EQ options than 3 bands, past you should cheque retired the Anker Soundcore Motion X500, which is presently connected merchantability for $100.

Ultimately, fans of the Bose dependable volition bask this speaker, and fixed that it's built similar a tank, you won't person to interest astir it astatine a crowded party.