Bose SoundLink Max review

Full review

The SoundLink Max is Bose's largest portable Bluetooth speaker, and it is aimed at people who want a big sound outdoors or around the house. It has an IP67 rating and Bose quotes up to 20 hours of playback, with a full charge taking about five hours over USB-C.

Pairing options are the main reason to consider it for parties. Two speakers can be paired in Stereo Mode, with separate left and right channels, or in Party Mode for a bigger sound, and you do not need the Bose app: a shortcut button on each speaker does it. SimpleSync lets it work with compatible Bose smart soundbars and speakers. It connects to two source devices at once and remembers up to six.

Bluetooth is version 5.4 with a range of 9 m, and aptX Adaptive is used with Snapdragon Sound-certified Android phones. The USB-C port also charges a phone.

The trade-offs are bulk and weight. At about 2.2 kg it is the heaviest speaker here, and the page says there is no microphone, so it cannot be used for calls. Bose does not publish an output power figure, so we have left it as not stated.