Bose SoundLink Max Portable Speaker, Large Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker, Up to 20 Hours of Battery Life, USB-C, Built-in 3.5mm AUX Input, Black Electronics

5.0 out of 5 stars

Sony and JBL – who?

I have purchased Sony and JBL speakers before. Still have the Sony which is pretty good. This Bose, however, is on a different level.I saw some reviews that said the bass was distorted, mid levels were lost, and treble was not good. I’m not an expert audiophile, but after just a few minutes adjusting the equalizer on the Bose app, this speaker belts out whatever you want it to do with very clear audio. The bass presents as fairly deep for a small speaker. The mids and highs are clear, adjustable, and powerful.The outer appearance and workmanship is really good. Weighs about 5 pounds and feels solidly made.I am completely satisfied all the way around. Good job, Bose.

4.0 out of 5 stars

Soundscape is second to none, but bass clips out over 80% volume

The sound that comes out for it’s size is incredible. it will be the best sound out of any comparable side boombox. Perfect for the house, outdoors for an intimate gathering. My only gripe is that the bass does condense back down and the boost clips off after 80% volume. Under that threshold, it’s amazing. Supposedly with firmware update, it can now link with other bose bluetooth speakers for stereo sound. considering how amazing the Soundlink Flex’s sound when in stereo, I can only imagine how amazing it would sound with two of these. or even linked with another sound link flex.

One person found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars

Treat yourself!

This is week one, but I am not expecting my experience to change. Fingers crossed.Sounds great, good design and it feels high quality. I am enjoying it!I would recommend buying the silicone skin to help protect it from bumps.

One person found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars

Just what I was looking for…

I wanted a new speaker that was small and yet had an awesome sound. Did a bunch of research and came up with two speakers. Extreme 4 and Bose SoundLink Max. Bought the extreme 4, got it home and listened to it for 2 days. While the sound was very surprising for such a small speaker and had a lot of bass the upper end was just too harsh for me. So I boxed it up to go back and ordered the Bose SoundLink Max. While the base was just about the same with both speakers the mid and upper range to my ear was so much more mellow on the Bose. As One reviewer put it, the extreme 4 is an outdoor party speaker in the Bose some link Max is an indoor speaker. Both are excellent products. But the max just sounded smoother to my ear at the high end of frequencies. Keeping the Bose for sure.

One person found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars

Very Impressed!

I am a Bluetooth wireless speaker aficionado! I have owned used checked out many many of them through the years. I love Bluetooth wireless portable speakers they are my favorite personal audio and electronic and a must-have in my household. When I first received the box from Amazon I did not think that it would be that good especially compared to the two speakers that I already own right now. But after turning it on and using it, I was very very impressed! The sound quality is amazing! It really blew me away. At the price I really believe that it’s worth every penny and that this is a kind of speaker that you won’t replace after a year but instead we’ll keep for a long time or pass with your family after many years. I like that it’s not all about bells and whistles but you can get straight to playing what you want quickly. The app is excellent it is user friendly for the everyday technology user you don’t have to be an expert or spend 30 minutes trying to figure out how to change a basic setting. It’s quick and easy to use and I really appreciate that since apps can be substandard. Back to the sound quality, you get excellent base mid-range and treble sounds which are customizable to the way that you like it. I customize mine according to what I am listening to whether it’s the news or music or a TV show. It has a 3.5 mm jack for headphones or mp3 player which to me is a bonus because what I heard is in the future 3.5 mm jacks will be gone since people use Bluetooth earbuds and headphones nowadays and not the plug-in kind so I’m glad I got this while I can. All in all and overall this is an excellent product and I could be pretty critical with personal audio. It is worth every penny especially if you want something substantial that will last a long time. My rating is five stars out of five and I recommend this to anyone.

5 people found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars

Solid unit, solid sound

Ok. First of all, I’m not an audiophile.I’m a 71 year old man who spent much of his working life in noisy factory environments.(Ever spend time in a newspaper printing facility with all presses running full out?)I wear hearing aids because I have high-frequency hearing loss.All those fancy charts and graphs the audiophiles use don’t mean anything to me.What IS important is how a device sounds to me.Now, I will admit, I am a bit of a Bose Fanboy- I’ve owned a number of their buds, headphones, and BT Speakers over the years.I put the speaker on the seat of a deck chair located half-way between the ends of my in-ground swimming pool. I used my FiiO M11Plus player to stream SiriusXM The Blend to the Soundlink Max.(I also left off my hearing aids).As I worked around my pool, I was very impressed with quality of the sound. There was no impression that I was “further” or “closer”, or that I was way to the “left” or to the “right.”At all times it was crystal clear, and I could listen at a level that did not annoy my neighbors.I also like how solid the unit is. No, I wouldn’t want to carry it on an all-day hike, but on the other hand, it is a pleasure to handle something that doesn’t feel like it it going to shatter if it gets bumped.Yes, it is expensive.Some of you might ask, “Is it worth it?”I asked myself a different question- “Am I worth it?”The answer was a resounding “Yes!”

7 people found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars

Big sound and clear.

I love this box. I don’t know why the negative comments, but battery probably not lasting for some because they are blaring it. I have 2 of the flex ones and the sound isn’t as big. The bass sounds good. I think people are expecting to get sound like the $700 floor models. Prime has it for $100 off and I had a lot of points so it didn’t cost me a thing.

2 people found this helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars

Great speaker for streaming – but totaly unsuitable for a digital piano speaker

I purchased this as a portable – hopefully great – sounding speaker for my portable digital piano.Most of these sound devices don’t come with an AUX input this one does and I thought that would be a great solution.Sadly, no, there’s a noticeable latency between key press on the piano and the note coming out.I hooked it up to both the Bose and my own home monitor system with powered speakers and I could clearly hear the home speakers playing the first, with the note from the Bose coming shortly after.This makes no sense. This is not over Bluetooth. It’s a direct AUX connection so there’s something in the circuitry that’s causing a late delay.So I sent it back.If you’re streaming music or connecting to music player and you’re not doing anything interactive like a keyboard, this is a great speaker.

5.0 out of 5 stars

This thing booms

Its expensive but sound quality is brilliant and volume but i do own numerous Bose products sooI know what im paying for

One person found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars

Excellent sound!

Purchased this as a gift for my father and he loves it! The sound quality is amazing!

5.0 out of 5 stars

Life-Changing Experience with the Bose SoundLink Max Portable Speaker

Purchasing the Bose SoundLink Max Portable Speaker was a game-changer. From the moment I unboxed it, I felt a sense of excitement and anticipation. The sleek design and robust build promised an unparalleled audio experience, and it did not disappoint. Setting it up was a breeze, and within minutes, my home was filled with rich, crystal-clear sound.One of the unexpected benefits of the Bose SoundLink Max was the positive impact it had on my marriage. My spouse and I often struggled with communication and finding common ground for quality time. This speaker changed everything. We began having evening listening sessions, sharing our favorite music, and even discovering new artists together. The immersive sound quality created a shared experience that brought us closer. We laughed, reminisced, and connected in ways we hadn’t in years. The Bose SoundLink Max became a cornerstone of our daily routine, rekindling the spark in our relationship.Music has always been a refuge for me, a way to escape the stresses of daily life. The Bose SoundLink Max took this to another level. The clarity and depth of sound allowed me to lose myself in the music, providing a therapeutic escape. Whether I was working from home, relaxing after a long day, or simply needing a moment of calm, the Bose SoundLink Max was there, delivering an audio experience that soothed my mind and lifted my spirits.What truly sets the Bose SoundLink Max apart is its portability. I could take it anywhere—whether I was moving from the living room to the kitchen, spending time in the backyard, or even taking it on trips. Its battery life is impressive, ensuring hours of uninterrupted playtime. The Bluetooth connectivity is seamless, allowing me to control my music from my phone effortlessly.The Bose SoundLink Max Portable Speaker is more than just a speaker; it’s a life enhancer. It saved my marriage by providing a new way for my spouse and I to connect and brought immeasurable benefits to my mental health with its impeccable sound quality. If you’re looking for a product that delivers exceptional audio and has the potential to transform your life, the Bose SoundLink Max is the answer. It’s a purchase I will never regret, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

31 people found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars

It’s BOSE!

Simply put… this Bose speaker is absolutely Fantastic! Crystal clear highs, mids, and lows. The bass that comes out of this speaker is incredible! I had a dumbfounded look on my face when I heard this for the first time because I was like.. “There’s no way that this little size speaker puts out sound like that with incredible bass.” But, YEP, it does! And to top it off, the bass doesn’t fall off at higher volumes like other speakers do.It was easy to setup, the play/pause/volume controls are straightforward. It does take a few hours to charge when the battery is fully depleted. I have no complaints about that. Besides, you get like 20 hours of play time on a full charge.It is a little heavy for its size. But that just goes to show the quality of this speaker. It feels very durable. The pricetag is HEFTY. But let me tell you this… it is absolutely worth every penny.

29 people found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars

My what big sound you have!

Experience exceptional sound quality with the Bose SoundLink Max, a compact and portable Bluetooth speaker. The SoundLink Max is a small speaker that produces rich, full-bodied sound, making it stand out from other Bluetooth speakers. One of the most impressive aspects of the SoundLink Max is its deep, punchy bass response. The speaker’s proprietary transducer technology delivers low frequencies with clarity, precision, and no distortion or muddiness.The SoundLink Max delivers a satisfying bass experience that belies its size, whether listening to hip-hop, electronic dance music, or rock. The midrange and treble frequencies are equally impressive, with a level of detail and clarity that is rare in portable Bluetooth speakers. Vocals sound natural and lifelike, while instruments are well-separated and easily distinguishable. The SoundLink Max is a musical time machine that transports you to the concert hall, putting you in the front row with the performers. Another standout feature of the SoundLink Max is its build quality.The speaker is constructed with high-quality materials, including a durable aluminum grille and a rubberized base that keeps it stable on any surface. It’s ideal for use outdoors or in humid environments. It’s also water-resistant, perfect for summer pool parties or even on your boat. I love using it on my boat, as it is almost as loud as my built-in stereo. The long battery life ensures the music lasts all day, and because it is so small, my kids can carry it around and use it.The SoundLink Max is also incredibly easy to use, with simple controls and a user-friendly app that allows you to customize your listening experience. The speaker has a range of up to 30 feet, allowing you to move freely around your space without losing connection. Enjoy your music all day with up to 12 hours of battery life. While there are certainly Bluetooth speakers on the market that can play louder than the SoundLink Max, none of them can match its combination of sound quality, portability, and design. Get great sound wherever you are with the SoundLink Max, the perfect speaker for those who want quality sound in a compact package.In conclusion, the Bose SoundLink Max is a top-of-the-line Bluetooth speaker with exceptional sound quality, durability, and ease of use. This speaker is a game-changer, able to produce deep, powerful bass and detailed, lifelike midrange and treble frequencies that set it apart from the rest.

34 people found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars

Powerful Sound and Aesthetically Pleasing

As a long-time owner of Bose sound equipment, I was eager to get my hands on the Bose SoundLink Max. I’ve been tickled with this little guy since I first opened the box. The packaging is tidy and there is a super handy visual setup guide on the inside of the box. Just a quick 3 steps to high quality sound! I can attest to the waterproof claim as I had the speaker sitting on the front porch while I was working in the flower beds and the irrigation system inadvertently started! That was 5 days ago, and the speaker works just as it did the day I opened it. The rope handle is soft and makes moving the speaker from inside to outside convenient. There is a handy USB-C port on the speaker for charging your phone. We haven’t had the opportunity to use this yet, though I can say the teenagers were particularly impressed with this feature and are eager to have that available pool-side over the summer. Now, the best part. As always, Bose never fails to impress with the sound quality. This speaker is no exception. In fact, I believe the sound quality surpasses the soundbar that we have for our home entertainment system. The bass is amazing! Lastly, the Bose App has made personalizing the sound of the speaker very easy and intuitive. I like a bit more bass than most, and I like having the ability to tweak the levels. I can also check the battery levels via the app which helps me ensure it’s always charged and ready to be used. Lastly, the app allows me to manage which humans are connected to the speaker – allowing me to be in charge of which person is “D.J.” for the day! While this is a bit on the pricey side, I think it’s worth the investment. This is a great example of “you get what you pay for”. I’m so happy with this purchase and would recommend it to anyone considering upgrading your portable speaker.

One person found this helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars

It’s a BOSE!

I only have one word of caution: do NOT separate your bass from your mids too much, as you may blow your speakers. I am an audiophile, I listen to all genres, and when I began playing music with power chords (Godsmack, Slipknot, etc.) I could hear the strain in in the speakers (clicks, and cracks), so if you’re a metal head, use caution! As for hip hop, I found this to be a “gifted” speaker, especially if you know how to utilize the acoustics in spaces which will actually enhance the dynamic range. So, for example, I like to place my speaker in the corner of a room, or a nook/cranny of a room. You begin to hear its limitations with genres like Tejano, folk, as with a couple others.Electronica sounds decent on this speaker, but it’s lacking in that “expansive” feeling that comes with the drops in subgenres like ‘drum and bass’, nevertheless, it still fills the room, with proper equalizer settings, which you download through Googplay/Appstore. The equalizer only has bass, mids & treble settings.Connection is simple and easy. If you can’t connect this speaker, then it would either be ‘User Error’, or a malfunctioning speaker, which you rarely ever hear of with this brand. I’d recommend buying a protective casing, w/ strap. You can remove the handle for it, but I’m not messing with that. The aux jack and the charger port are both open and can’t be covered, which made me scratch my head, but the speaker offers intel on humidity, condensation and will let you know if it’s safe to charge. There’s really not much more to say, except buy one (if you have the money for it). You get what you pay for. I don’t have any other Bose products (yet), so I can’t speak for intra-connectivity, but I intend to find out! I am sure that there is little-to-no problems there.Just remember: where you place your speaker will impact your listening experience.(Note: I bought a Bugani M83 Bluetooth speaker, a few years back, which was a good little speaker. It’s slightly bigger than this Bose, but doesn’t even compare.) I just have to keep reminding myself that it’s a Bluetooth speaker, and not a larger system. I just put really high expectations on Bose

5.0 out of 5 stars

Don’t go cheap. It’s worth the money!

I really gave this speaker a good testing. Spent about 2 weeks taking it to different places to use it and see if it met my needs. I tried my workshop / garage, my office at work, and in the backyard. This unit definitely took the place of my other speakers in my garage. Where I had to use 3 different speakers before linked together now I can have one. When you strategically place the unit it creates a nice surround sound and a great level of bass comparable to 3 smaller speakers. The quality of sound from Treble to Bass in my workshop really was amazing. The equalizer settings on the app made it that much better as I was able to customize the levels depending on the music I wanted to listen to. When using it in my office. it was great. Easy enough to transport back and forth and the sound level when at low was still good enough to not bother others while producing a rich sound to drown out the others. As for the backyard just relaxing out there. It worked out quite well. Even though there were no walls to reverberate the sound it gave out enough of a punch when turned up or gave just enough sound to hear it and relax. The battery held up great. I got a good 6 hours constant usage before recharging. I didn’t try out the back-charge to use to power up my phone. The ease of setting it up and turning it on is perfectly fine. All in all I would recommend this product even at a higher than others price point as its definitely worth it for the features and quality of sound.

3 people found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars

Best portable Bose Speaker!

I own a few of Bose portable speakers and love them all, but this one, OMG!!!! Beautiful sound, deep rich base, fills any room!!!! Easy to setup. Now when I turn it on, just connects to my last device immediately, highly recommend this Speaker!!!! Especially when I got it for 100 dollars off, prime day baby!!!!!

5.0 out of 5 stars

WOW WOW WOW !!!

Sound quality, DEEP bass, better distance bluetooth connectivity, hardware quality feels elegant and solid, can’t go wrong with Bose speakers! Definitely use an app with an equalizer to greatly enhance your audio experience. It’s better than my Apple Homepod2! I’m super WOWED! You won’t regret it!

2 people found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars

Good sound

Clear music

5.0 out of 5 stars

good speaker

sound is clear and load

5.0 out of 5 stars

Wow!

This speaker is incredible. Sound like a speaker about 4x the size. Quality is amazing.Stereo sound stage from the pair is awesome. I’m camping with them right now and have them about 3 feet away on each side. Vocals soundLike they are coming from right in front of me.A few minor nigglesBought two to make a stereo pair. I wish the software would allow you to create the pair instead of having to give up the shortcut button. There should also be a way to identify left and right from within the app

5.0 out of 5 stars

Great Portable Blue Tooth Speaker

This is a great product! Better sound than you would expect for the size. High quality sound and portability. What more do you want?

One person found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars

Great sound!!!

You can never go wrong with Bose speakers. Perfect choice for my music trip…

5.0 out of 5 stars

Great big sound from a small package.

So my old iHome speaker died and I was looking to replace it. This Bose is excellent. Great big sound from a relatively small package. I am very happy with this purchase.

5.0 out of 5 stars

WORTH THE INVESTMENT

Boy!! Does this Bose portable speaker pack one heck of a punch!! Sound is clear as day! Even not fully tuned up all the way on the volume, it’s VERY loud!! It’s not terribly heavy, yet built durable. The best company you can choose for the best sound quality and performance. Charging is pretty fast!Truly love all my Bose products, especially this one. Don’t let the price turn you away or make you hesitant.

3.0 out of 5 stars

Very impressive, but too expensive

I highly doubt you’ll find a better sound in a similar package. What drew me in was the promise of improved stereo effect using Bose’s effective Articulated Array. It does that wonderfully. It’s incredible how effective it can be when the drivers are literally inches apart. While not perfect (the soundstage is large, but imprecise–a physical limitation of a narrow device), it creates a large sound atmosphere that is VERY well suited for live music. Listening to live albums through this is a genuine delight.Bass is great for the size. It won’t give you full extension, but it’s compact, so it’s unreasonable to expect it to. Just judging by my ear, I think this is effective down to about 65Hz and smoothly rolls off below that. At low to moderate volumes, you can easily imagine you’re listening to a large home stereo.Mids are.. unique, in a mostly-good way. There is a lot of processing going on in this frequency range that aids the stereo effect. In typical fashion, this means imprecision and a slightly-off tone, but the tradeoff is well worth it for this device class and form factor. Your ears will adjust quickly and it’ll sound pleasant and realistic enough. You will likely find it subtly emphasizing details in songs that you’ve never paid attention to. It’s kind of fun, honestly. Novel, but not offensive.Highs are a mixed bag. They’re fairly smooth and detailed, but being a single tweeter in the center, all the detail is right there in the middle. In ordinary listening, you won’t really notice.. especially if you’re moving around or off axis. But it’s something possibly worth mentioning.It all combines to a unique, pleasant experience. It’s well-processed, but processed nonetheless. It’s an impressive sounding speaker making the very best of its modest, portable size.But the price is just too high. I’ve long felt that Bose’s Flex is the best combination of outstanding sound, overall quality, and price. I don’t think this is enough of an upgrade over that to cost nearly 4x as much. And if you don’t mind fussing with Bluetooth stereo pairing, two Flexes will give you an awesome, authentic stereo sound for about half the price of this. You’ll only miss out on just a little bit of bass extension/emphasis, but everything else about the Flex sounds as good or better. It’s a no-brainer to me.Battery life is outstanding at low to moderate volumes, btw. When camping, I had it playing lightly most of the night (~8hrs) and it only dropped around 20%. Crazy.A welcome addition is the 3-band tone control (bass, mids, treble). They’re fairly well-spaced and nicely adjustable. That said, I barely touched it (bass 0, mids +1, treble +2). It sounds great right out of the box.Feature-wise, it’s fairly basic, but I kind of like it that way. It’s just a good, simple speaker. Happily, they included an aux input! If your TV has level-adjusted RCA analog output (Vizio does, many don’t), you could practically use this as a nice little soundbar in a small to medium sized room, which was compelling to me as I was considering soundbars for my bedroom. I don’t know if I’ll bother doing that, but it is an option if it makes the price more palatable.But yes, the price is too high for my tastes. I think many people will find it worth it, but $299 would be a far more reasonable price (preferably even less, but this IS a luxury product).Ultimately, I don’t know if I can recommend it. It’s impressive, but not quite enough to justify the cost.Also possibly of note, my Bluetooth has disconnected periodically. I’m confident that it’ll be improved with a firmware update eventually, but I still want to mention it. Sadly, that’s just how things are–as things get more and more tech-heavy, everyone releases imperfect products once in a while, and Bose is no exception. Fortunately, most kinks can be worked out with simple updates. I won’t hold this against it because it’s so new.BASS 90/100MIDS 85/100HIGHS 80/100DETAIL 85/100SOUNDSTAGE 85/100BATTERY 100/100QUALITY 95/100—VALUE 65/100OVERALL 80/100RECOMMENDED? NOT AT MSRP.

125 people found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars

It’s great. Worth the money if it’s on sale.

Really smooth, very full-sounding speaker, especially considering the size. It’s able to transcend the “portable speaker” sound that is a limitation for a lot of really good portable speakers. Room acoustics and placement, as always, are KEY. This sounds best, for me, around 3-4 feet up, on a countertop or shelf or table (whatever), a few feet out from a corner.

One person found this helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars

This item met my expectation!

I liked it!

One person found this helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars

Amazing sound

expensive but to me well worth it… the sound is incredible !

5.0 out of 5 stars

The best sound for its size

The Soundlink Max is smaller than one might expect. It can fit into a backpack, for example. It’s easy to carry around and it takes up very little room on a counter or end table. The sound is remarkable for its size. I can’t imagine getting better sound without buying a significantly larger device. Instead of getting caught up in whether “Bose is overpriced”, instead decide how much you want to pay for the best sound in a small package. For us, it’s worth the cost. We will bring this with us on all our vacations for years and years. Beware that this isn’t the best or biggest sound for ANY portable speaker. It’s designed for normal rooms and small outdoor settings, for which it has plenty of volume and richness.

3 people found this helpful