so much Bluetooth speakers arrive almost every day, and it is easy to underestimate the speakers living in the middle position. Clipped in Bose’s new mid-sized Soundlink Plus (no, these aren’t streaming services), sandwiched between the packable Soundlink Flex and Offy Soundlink Max (9/10, wired recommendation), which largely wins its own niche, which largely wins the same nuance and Bravado.
Like a sibling, it looks and feels like a premium speaker at a premium price. It wears nine types, especially taken out in the citrus yellow I commented on, but the elements are properly dust-proof and water-resistant to prevent them from being well-defended. Despite the medium build, this is still a heavy package, but if you make a good compromise between the Boombox Migh Migh Migh Migh and Breezy Protability, SoundLink Plus Abides.
Advanced protection
Photo: Ryan Waniata
The minimalism of Sound Plus is styled with a smooth and strong powder-coated steel grille, soft touch keys along the rubber top, and a rich checkered nylon handle on the sides, making it easier to haul (or hang).
Behind are its four bass radiators and an open USB-C port vent. Note there: Considering its IP67 rating, plus the benefits of dunking, and even floating, but you need to wait for the port to dry before charging. This is worth noting because like the Max, the Plus took a sluggish five hours to charge the 20-hour battery from scratch. That said, after bathing in my laundry sink, the orange and white flashes quickly return to solid white, which marks a clear and ready-made port.
Size 9.1 x 3.94 x 3.4 inches (WXHXD) and weighing over 3 pounds, it’s not the easiest speaker to pack, but it’s still open-road gaming. It took me a while to get used to its weight, but after taking apart the box, it was the first mission after a camping trip to Columbia River Canyon. If it seems like an adventure to bring a shiny new Lemon McGlin speaker into dusty woods, you are not wrong, but I was pleasantly surprised by how clean the speakers are. However, you inevitably attract some markings, and the blue and black of dusk should be better.
Whatever the color is, I dig into the beauty added, and so do most of the people I show (although they say mainly in great voices). The touch feels great, and both look and build quality seem to outperform skinned competitors such as the JBL Charge 6 and the Ue Megaboom 4. I still prefer any of these speakers than because the Bose can’t survive, but is more likely to get a nickname or dent. In theory, the Charge 6’s IP68 rating gives it the right to brag, but all three ratings can be withheld, just like most speakers we tested.
Solid extra
Photo: Ryan Waniata
The Soundlink Plus feature may seem a bit grim at first glance, but there are enough features here to make the feature envious. Anyone wearing a Bose headset will be familiar with the compact interface of the Unified Bose App and has options such as connecting to both devices via Bluetooth multipoint, three-band EQ and presets, and monitoring battery and volume.
