Bose - Portable Smart Speaker

Wondering now if your stance still applies? I have the Bose Flex and the Bose Portable Smart Speaker (successor to the revolve+ II 360 w.e.?) I hardly use the smart speaker and it always has connection issues or drained battery. Usually keep it plugged in to avoid that. The flex has been good for my needs. Looking at getting the Sound Link Max to replace the Smart Speaker. Any thoughts? 

I have the Bose speaker as well. It does work with Chromecast, sounds great, and has good battery life. Keep an eye on their refurbished store on the website, they often have good deals and the stuff looks like new.

The Bose Portable Smart Speaker would be a great choice! It’s lightweight, portable, and has an IPX4 water resistant rating, so it’ll handle splashes or light rain. Plus, the sound quality is amazing for such a compact speaker!

Yes, it does! While it’s not a subwoofer-level bass, it delivers clear and balanced sound with a good amount of punch. It’s designed for outdoor use, so it should perform well in environments with some background noise. Plus, it has a 12-hour battery life, so it’s perfect for extended trips!

Definitely! The Bose Portable Smart Speaker integrates with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, so you can control your music, set reminders, or even get directions without having to touch the speaker. It’s super convenient for when you’re on the move!

Can confirm- the small Bose is excellent in bathrooms.

Going down a rabbit hole here trying to find a portable smart speaker that will work with chromecast (i.e. can play music via wifi/chromecast, has assistant built in, can be added to speaker groups, and is portable/battery powered, and is actually currently sold). Thought I'd share what I've found. I'd love to hear other (especially cheaper/smaller suggestions) if they exist, and are actually currently available for purchase, not just through resellers/ebay). **JBL:** * Link Series (discontinued) * Authentics Series (~~200~~, 300, ~~500~~). ~~200 version is on for $250USD/$350CAD. Might be the cheapest current option.~~. Never mind as pointed out below only the 300 has a battery. The rest are plug in only. 300 is on for $350USD ($500 normally) in the US but $650CAD still up here. Ouch. * Edit: I missed one. JBL Charge 5 Wifi. This appears to be one of the most economical options. It *does not* have a microphone (So no assistant) but it checks the rest of the boxes (wifi streaming, casting, speaker groups) and it's a tough/well known bluetooth speaker they added the wi-fi functionality to. **Sony:** * SRS Series, several cheaper/smaller options *were* available but all of them appear to have been discontinued * SRS RA-3000 and SRS RA-5000 (both appear to be available but cheapest option $380USD/$500CAD) **Harmon Kardon** * Several models in the past, but it does not appear they manufacture any chromecast built in models currently * Edit: The Enchant appears to be new and currently manufactured, but not seeing any retailers in Canada carrying it yet. **Bose** * Bose Portable Smart Speaker. Bose's page on "Chromecast Built In" devices claims this speaker has support but the manual and page for the actual speaker makes not mention of compatibility. Maybe not supported anymore? * Edit: Multiple commenters below have confirmed that the Bose Portable Smart Speaker does indeed work with Chromecast. **Acer** * Halo Swing Smart Speaker. Looked promising. $220USD but only available through Acer's US website and nowhere else by the looks of it. Not available in Canada at all (where I am). And may be discontinued...? Very little info available. **Google** * Home mini (or nest mini) with a third party battery base. It's an option but not the greatest sound quality and will not function as a bluetooth speaker when away from wifi. No battery bases exist for the larger google home/nest audio speakers to my knowledge.

Oh man! Thanks for the list. I don't see the Harman Kardon at any local retailers. Just resellers. I would have assumed it was discontinued as well. But if it's new I'll keep an eye out if I work my way up to spending that much. Brane-X could be cool but yeah a thousand CAD. This is going to be outside near water. A decent amount. That's limiting my price ceiling. The JBL is intriguing. Definitely a good price point and a popular speaker. I had no idea they made a Wi-Fi version . An it's available here from normal retailers. I feel like it might not be long for this world either since JBL released only the Wi-Fi less 6. But it is available now. But also I don't think it has a microphone? That's almost there but it would be nice to ask it to change tracks or start new songs without my phone around. I may end up springing for the Bose (good to know they are continuing support) or the Harman Kardon if I ever see it for actual MSRP.

Thanks again! I am feeling like I'm leaning towards the Bose. It has a microphone and a charging base too (so does the enchant by the looks of it but I'm a bit reluctant to buy something discontinued, and I'm not really seeing any sellers anyway). And I've had an old Bose Soundlink forever that has served me well. Just need to work my way up to spending the $. The detail you've provided is very appreciated. I still might end up with a Charge 5 wifi at some point too, very good to know that exists.

FWIW I got the Bose portable smart speaker within the last 6 months and can use chromecast with it. I have some Sonos also and absolutely cannot use chromecast features.

Eh it’s not needed. I also have the Bose Portable Smart Speaker and it already serves that purpose. Both sound very similar. 

What reasons? Are you looking for a wifi-enabled speaker that is also waterproof?  If waterproofing isn’t a requirement, then my suggestion of the Portable Smart Speaker would most likely satisfy your use case. If not, I’m interested what other reasons you have. 

I have both the Soundlink Max and the Smart Speaker 500 and there great. I have family members that prefer JBL but for me those are basically garbage since there only loud but once there heard my two Bose speakers they were shocked at how clear it sound and the amount of bass that came out of the speaker.

I think the Bose speakers in general handle EDM better than most with stock tuning...my other Bose speaker is the Smart Speaker (WiFi) and it rocks the EDM music with enough bass to shake your portlights! (Heh, I live on a big boat). If you have the cash, I'd also recommend buying factory refurb units (mine were around $90 each) so you can afford to buy two and pair them up. They're damned detailed, go loud, and a pair really opens up the soundstage. I typically have mine laying flat and projecting upwards for what I consider the best sound.

If you like the Sonos 5, why not explore other Sonos options? I have a pair of Move 2s (love them), Era 300, Beam Gen. 2 soundbar, Roam 2, and Sub Mini. They're nothing short of awesome-sounding, and since I only stream via Apple TV (AirPlay2), I don't have to deal with Sonos app issues. But, I also have a Bose Smart Speaker (very good sounding), Apple HomePod, and a pair of Bowers-Wilkins Formation Wedges hooked into the same sound system, and the Wedges are superior in sound to any one of the other speakers. BUT...I also have my eyes on the Brane X BT/WiFi speaker, as well as the Naim Mu-So QB 2. I heard the Phantom in person, and was pleased with its sound, but not blown away. I think the Brane X sounded more detailed and had a wider soundstage. Better bass as well. So, you have plenty of options...

You know, I liked the Revolve series, and kept my Bose Portable Smart Speaker…but I think you’re right. Sunset for Revolve.

I can highly recommend the Tribit Stormbox Micro 2. It's a great micro-speaker, waterproof, and in a small space with good acoustics, this unit is a beast. That being said, I've got a Bose Portable Smart Speaker in my shower/bathroom since it's WiFi and my boat runs on AirPlay 2. Picked it up (well, a pair) on sale for $39/each.

Since you identified the speakers you’re interested in, I’ll comment on them since I currently own all of them but the Brane. I’ve heard it in person, though, and have one ordered. I run Apple TV and WiFi speakers on my boat (we live on a 52-foot trawler), with a healthy mix of WiFi speakers including Bang & Olufson and Bowers & Wilkins. Bose Smart Speaker is very “Bose,” with a warm sound, good bass, and nice details. Goes Loud. Sonos Roam 2: Meh. Mine was free, so I kept it. Gathering dust right now. Sonos Move 2: Brilliant speaker, with excellent sound and clarity. Very good bass. Goes loud. I have mine paired, and love them. The JBL I haven’t heard, but it gets recommended here quite a bit by knowledgeable owners. I had the Charge 5 WiFi, but decided to send it back and replaced it with the Bose. I prefer the Bose, but it’s also pricier.

The Bose Portable Smart Speaker (WiFi/AirPlay 2) should also be on that list. I have one in my Sonos/Apple TV ecosystem, and it sounds pretty good. It works really well (with EQ) in the bathroom where I have it.

Not a cheap speaker, but the 360º sound is pretty impressive, and has that classic "warm" Bose sound with good bass extension. It replaced the Charge 5 WiFi that I previously owned and used in the bathroom.

Kind'a crazy, but I picked up an almost brand new (Refurb) Charge 5 WiFi off Amazon for $119 a few months back. Didn't love it, though (It's a fine speaker) and replaced it with a Bose Portable Smart Speaker. It's for my forward head (bathroom) and the Bose just sounds "richer" in that environment.

For an 8-inch tall speaker in its charging cradle, it puts out terrific 360° sound in the bathroom, with plenty of rich bass, detailed mids, and clear highs. Plus, it’s WiFi. The 5 was “okay,” but I prefer the Bose’s warmth.

Both my cat and dog hang out in there, and I like music for my showers…so, why not?

I have to say that, for as much as I love the Bose speakers I own, battery drain is far more noticeable than with other brands I own. My Bang & Olufsen speakers have the absolute least battery drain while idle; JBL is great for power retention, too.