Review: Bose SoundLink Max Bluetooth Speaker

In 1968, just four years after he founded his eponymous company, Amar Bose published a paper titled “On the Design, Measurement and Evaluation of Loudspeakers.” It argued that the listener’s subjective perception, rather than any technical measurement, is the most effective way to assess sound reproduction. It might have been the first time Bose (as an audio company) had overtly flown in the face of popular opinion, but it wouldn’t be the last.

The new SoundLink Max might be the latest manifestation of this kind of attitude, albeit in a slightly less confrontational way. The range of products bearing the SoundLink name has served Bose well over the years, and it makes sense that the largest and most expensive of the lot should be called Max. But in its own way, SoundLink Max defies popular opinion and current market trends.

The SoundLink Max is a $399 Bluetooth speaker. That’s it, that’s all. No smart functionality, no Wi-Fi connectivity, none of the stuff you might reasonably have begun to expect from a portable, battery-powered speaker costing significant money. Admittedly it includes SimpleSync, a Bose tech that allows it to pair with other, appropriately specified, Bose speakers or soundbars to become part of a rudimentary multiroom system. But really: popular opinion? You know what you can do with popular opinion.

And besides, you want a portable speaker for listening to, don’t you, rather than the ability to ask it questions about the weather? And where this fundamental requirement is concerned, the Bose SoundLink Max needs no excuses made for it. And even before it makes a sound, it looks and feels the part.

Looks the Part

At 4.9 pounds and 4.73 by 10.42 by 4.13 inches (HxWxD), it’s definitely “max” by portable speakers standards. Its rope-and-silicone carry handle takes a fair amount of the strain, though, so it doesn’t feel quite as heavy in the hand as you might think. The handle can also be easily detached, if you fancy swapping it for the shoulder-strap alternative (and if you have the necessary $45 to buy one).

The speaker and the shoulder strap are both available in either black or “blue dusk” finishes. For some reason, the carry-handle can also be purchased (for $25) in “carbon blue” (which is darker than “blue dusk”), “chilled lilac,” “hyper citron” (an acidic green-y yellow), or apricot if you fancy a rather more sudden-looking appearance for your speaker.

Photograph: Bose