Say what you’ll about Bose’s extra bold swings — I recognize that it takes them within the first place — however as we speak, the corporate is releasing a brand new product in a class that it’s all the time been fairly glorious at: Bluetooth audio system. Bose is kind of supersizing its SoundLink Flex into a brand new, bigger mannequin known as the SoundLink Max. Contemplating how Bose’s acoustic processing has for years squeezed spectacular sound out of comparatively small {hardware}, I’m excited to listen to what a much bigger machine is able to.
Coming Might sixteenth for a worth of $399, the brand new speaker is loaded with three transducers and two custom-designed passive radiators. So proper there, you’re already in for fairly an enchancment over the mono SoundLink Flex.
Now, I can get fairly irritated when tech corporations cost some huge cash for Bluetooth audio system that solely do Bluetooth, so I’m glad to see that Bose has outfitted the SoundLink Max with a good-old aux enter. A button on the speaker may be assigned both to Spotify Faucet or to change over to no matter’s plugged into the aux jack.
However in actuality, most individuals are going to go wi-fi as a rule, and the corporate has fortunately included AptX Adaptive codec assist for higher-bitrate streaming than the usual AAC and SBC that the speaker additionally helps. Battery life is rated at round 20 hours, and like many different transportable audio system as we speak, it’s acquired a USB-C that can be utilized to juice up your cellphone whenever you’re away from an outlet.
Measuring 10.42 inches broad, 4.73 inches excessive, and 4.13 inches deep, the SoundLink Max weighs slightly below 5 kilos, and that was sufficient for Bose to incorporate a (detachable) rope deal with. The corporate can be promoting a bigger rope carrying strap if you wish to toss the speaker over your shoulder. Identical to the SoundLink Flex, Bose is providing the Max in both black or mild blue, and it’s rated IP67 to face up to the weather.
Keep tuned for impressions of Bose’s SoundLink Max within the subsequent few weeks. New Bluetooth speaker season is upon us. I’ve additionally been testing Sony’s $500 ULT Discipline 7 recently, and lemme let you know, that factor is extra speaker than most individuals may probably want for the hotter months. Nevertheless it’s additionally in a very totally different dimension class than the SoundLink Max. I’m hopeful that Bose’s secret sauce will let its newest speaker defy expectations.