Bose launched a new wireless portable speaker on Tuesday. The SoundLink Home is a relatively small addition to the lineup with “premium sound” and around nine hours of battery life for $219.
The SoundLink Home is quite “mini” for a home-branded speaker: 8.5 inches high, 4.4 inches wide and 2.3 inches deep. It weighs 1.93 lbs (0.88 kg). It shouldn’t be hard to tote it from room to room or find an open spot on a desk or table.
A small size often means compromised audio, but Bose promises its dual passive radiators will produce “deep bass that fills any room.” The company also says it has “premium sound” with “great acoustics.” The company can squeeze surprisingly powerful sound into small packages, as evidenced by its SoundLink Flex lineup (more on that in a second).
The SoundLink Home forgoes Bose app access, so you’ll need to tweak your source audio if you want to adjust EQ levels. In addition to Bluetooth 5.3 (including multipoint!), it lets you attach a USB-C cable for wired input. The speaker also has a built-in mic to use for voice assistant access or as a speakerphone for calls.
You can use its bundled USB-C cable for charging, too, and Bose says it will go from empty to full in around four hours. You can link it wirelessly with a second unit for a stereo setup.
As its photos indicate, it’s a snazzy-looking little speaker. Its body is made from anodized aluminum, and it has a “high-quality” fabric grille and a built-in stand.
The Bose SoundLink Home is available now exclusively on the company website. You can buy it in gray and silver colorways. The speaker costs $219 and (at least for me) shows shipping available immediately.
Bose SoundLink Flex
The company recently updated its SoundLink Flex, a pill-shaped portable speaker that’s one of Engadget’s picks for the best Bluetooth speakers. Unlike the first version (and the SoundLink Home), this second-gen model now connects to the Bose app. There, you can make EQ adjustments and store stereo pairing connections with other compatible Bose speakers. The new version supports AAC and aptX audio codecs and comes in a new Alpine Sage colorway.
The new model also gains a shortcut button (similar to the one on the SoundLink Max). Like that model, the button on the Flex is customizable through the app.
The second-gen SoundLink Flex is available now for $149.
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