Bose SoundLink Color 2 Review

COMPLETE REVIEW

Bose has always been a major player on the audio equipment market. It is an American corporation based in Massachusetts and has more than 50 years of experience in the field. Bose has managed to build a strong reputation manufacturing a wide range of audio products, from home audio systems to professional ones, headphones, speakers and more.

The SoundLink Color 2 speaker is water resistant and in spite of its relatively small size, it is impressively loud.

Here are the main specifications:

• Weight: 1.2 lbs
• Dimensions: 5.25” H x 5” W x 2.25” D
• 3.5 mm auxiliary input
• MICRO-B USB port

The SoundLink Color 2 doesn’t have the most attractive or aesthetic design, but it is well built and delivers a loud, high-quality sound. It has a soft silicone exterior, instead of the cheap plastic used for the previous model. The speaker is only water resistant or ‘splash’ proof. It is solid enough to be taken outdoors and get a little rained on, but it can’t be immersed in water, because it is only IPX4 certified. It comes is several colors: red, blue, green, black, white.

The buttons are placed on top, including the volume adjustment, playback, power, etc. A new feature of the new model is the built-in microphone that allows you to take calls or give voice commands via Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri. It also supports NFC connectivity.

Although it has a 3.5 mm aux. in port, you won’t get an audio cable in the box. If you want one, you have to buy it separately.

The small size makes the SoundLink Color 2 easy to carry around. As for the sound quality, Bose manages to deliver the same as always. The speaker is impressively loud and clear for its size and has a heavy bass, crisp highs and a radiating, surrounding sound. As always, you’ll never get disappointed by Bose when it comes to sound quality. The speaker also has a ‘Party Mode’ that can be activated by pressing the Bluetooth and Volume + buttons simultaneously. This mode doubles the volume output.

The Bose Connect companion app is free and compatible with both iOS and Android devices. It lets you check the battery level, control and personalize the functions of the speaker such as playback, volume, etc., disable voice prompts and automatically update your firmware.

The SoundLink Color 2 has a wireless range of only 30 feet (9 m) and lasts up to 8 hours on a single charge, according to Bose, although we haven’t managed to make it survive for more than 7. Of course, volume plays an important role when it comes to battery life. Overall though, this isn’t the best run time we’ve seen, but not the worst either, considering its size. The speaker fully charges in approx. 3 hours, which, again, is not the best time. In order to preserve battery, the SoundLink Color 2 will power off on its own if you’re not using it for 20 minutes. If the function annoys you, you can disable it anytime from the app.  

In conclusion, we find the SoundLink Color 2 to be a small, portable yet powerful speaker, with a crystal sound and a durable construction. It may not have the coolest design and it does have its shortcomings when it comes to range, battery and the IP rating, but it is a durable device and offers a high-quality audio experience, which in the end, should be the number one expectation.