I bought this to pair with an Echo Dot. Setup was very easy - almost effortless. Sound is much better than what the Dot, or even the full-sized Echo, can produce, and I am very pleased with its performance.
Deducted one star because it comes with a charging cable only - the wall plug is not included. I'm guessing their theory is that it will be charged by a computer and used on the go. And, yes, "everyone" has a wall plug anyway. But to package a product without all necessary accessories is just not right.
This speaker had an excellent sound, but it stopped working after a few weeks I got it. The speaker doesn't turn on, even if connected to a powered USB port.
Update: Fix: Follow these simple instructions: 1: Plug Soundlink in the wall charger, 2: Hold down the play/pause button for 15 seconds (the three dots button), 3: Before releasing the play/pause button, unplug the charge cord from the unit. 4: Release the button. 5: Plug the unit back into the wall charger. Last Step: Press the power button, and your Speaker should power on again.
If the above instructions don't work as expected, do the same procedure but connecting the speaker to the PC (it worked for me).
Lets just hypothetically say that I bought this as a gift in December 2017 for an ungrateful person. In September 2018 this same ungrateful person pissed me off, so naturally I decided to destroy this bose speaker. I ran water over it but i noticed the water rolling off. I then submerged it in water and watched until little bubbles formed. I removed it and placed it back. The next day, this same ungrateful person is blasting perfect sound quality music from this damn speaker... al hypothetically of course
Needless to say Bose has gained a loyal customer in myself
There are a lot of reviews saying the unit died after awhile. Hoping these aren't true. I find it's very beautifully designed, with a high quality feel and function. Looks great. The sound is excellent with good bass and clear midrange and treble. Has a very good sound stage, not stereo but it sounds broad, much bigger than you'd expect. Very good companion speaker since at low volumes it sounds quite full and present. What I was surprised at is a comparison with the Bose SoundLink Micro which I bought for a friend. The two speakers sound almost identical. The Color 2 does get louder, but not by a lot. And the Micro is much more compact and completely waterproof. Honestly, I'd go with the Micro. For 30 dollars less you get virtually the same speaker, much smaller and waterproof. So much easier to carry around the Micro and it has that great strap to attach it to whatever. Very interesting comparison. But I'll keep this because it does get louder and it does sound excellent. I do wish it played even louder for outside. But you won't be disappointed although the JBL Charger 3 has more bass, gets louder and costs the same. But it isn't as svelt as this (it's significantly larger and tube shaped) and the midrange/highs don't sound as good. Check them out at Best Buy. I gave the Micro 5 stars but the Color 2 has 4 for not being very much better and more expensive.
I read many of the reviews prior to purchasing. I understand that many have made comments on issues with it not being 'easy' to connect or even to increase or decrease volume. Understanding that information, I still decided to purchase. First of all, I love bose products and bose sound. I own several of their other products and will continue to own bose products.
so, this is my review - the instructions that came with the speaker were poor at best. while there isn't much to connecting a bluetooth, it simplly didn't give much info that was helpful. I got mine paired with minimal effort, pushing buttons and using my phone to actually make sure the process worked well. with that said, I had a very specific reason for ordering this particular bluetooth speaker; I wanted a speaker to use as a speaker phone, so I could enjoy having a phone call with family members that live away, while my hubby could participate as well. This speaker seemed to offer the appropriate qualities to do that. upon me trying to figure out how to do this, I became perplexed. I watched youtube 'how-to' videos and again no answers. I decided to call the bose customer service and spoke with a lovely person that listened to my request, put me on hold, went to their 'training lab', tried a few options and found a solution that worked for me. yay! I was soooooooo pleased. I received actual great customer service without being on hold for hours and getting disappointed. Now that i know how to make my speaker operate as I needed it to, I am very please with it. it sounds great, and I can easily answer and place calls easily. The only thing that is a bit annoying is that the volume up and down buttons have a slow response, but that is a minor issue.
Feature Product
- Innovative Bose technology packs bold sound into a small, water-resistant speaker
- Rugged, with a soft-touch silicone exterior that makes it easy to pick up and go.Bluetooth 4.2 Wireless.3.5mm Auxiliary Port
- Voice prompts talk you through Bluetooth pairing so it's easier than ever-or even quick-pair with NFC devices
- Lithium-ion battery lets you enjoy up to 8 hours of play time, rechargeable with USB power sources
- Built-in mic for speakerphone or accessing digital assistants like Siri or Google Now. The mobile devices must be within range
Description
From the pool to the park to the patio, the SoundLink Color Bluetooth speaker II provides full-range, portable sound anywhere you go. Advanced Bose technology packs big sound into a small, water-resistant speaker that’s durable enough to take with you however the day unfolds, even if it’s next to the pool. It’s durably built, with an easy-touch silicone texture that won’t slip out of your hand when you’re on the move. And it’s just as simple to use—voice prompts tell you what device you’re paired to so you don’t have to guess, and if you’re using an NFC-enabled device, just pair with a tap. Need to keep the music flowing? You’re covered with up to 8 hours of music, and it’s rechargeable via Micro-B USB. There’s even a built-in speakerphone to handle calls without holding your phone. Also download the Bose Connect app to drag and drop Bluetooth connections, unlock features and access updates down the line. This small colored wireless speaker is available in Aquatic Blue, Coral Red, Soft Black or Polar White. Included: SoundLink Color Bluetooth speaker II; USB cable.
The sound is fantastic and a perfect portable speaker. Easy download for Bluetooth. When active or playing music and your phone rings it will alert you through the speaker, nice feature.
I like this speaker. I purchased it in May despite the reviews I read about it. So, surprise when mine completely stopped dead this past weekend. It was charging via an outlet, but no matter how much I tried to turn it on or reset it. It would not work. I finally contacted Bose tech support who were very nice, and they are sending a replacement. Fingers crossed on the replacement.
Update of replacement
So, I received my new replacement in early September, I am sad to report that it too has stopped working. There is clearly something wrong with these speakers and I think I am going to try different ones, or maybe a different brand.
We have 3 of the original ones: Bose SoundLink Color Bluetooth Speaker and when our daughter headed to college she took her little brother's with her so we ordered a replacement for him not realizing that this was an upgraded (and even better model). The bass sound is really impressive and the overall sound is very clear. Never choppy or statically despite it being a bluetooth connect. Device has a wired connection too which is great to connect to a laptop for videos / video games. Didn't add a picture this time since it looks exactly as advertised.
I am quite surprised with the performance of this speaker. Being a Bose product, I had expected outstanding high quality sound on Bluetooth AND direct line-in connection. What I have found, is that the direct line-in has better quality than Bluetooth. When connected on Bluetooth, the music has that "fuzz-out" effect (barely noticeable to the non-musically inclined) like you would get if the treble (high frequency) was turned up to the point that the speakers can't handle it.
Not very impressed with this Bose product. I took a chance on it; this speaker was the first brand name Bluetooth speaker I've ever bought.
But, it deserves 4⭐ because even though Bluetooth doesn't perform as expected, the bass and over all sound quality (if you can get over the slight "fuzz-out" effect) is pretty decent.
Again, for the reviewers saying these are failing or "bricking" on the firmware update (they always do. I'm now three for three seeing this). Yes its' a bug and they all do it. Connect them to the USB port on a computer instead of just a power supply. They may need to sit for some time. Hold down the button with three dots for 10-15 seconds. Try doing so leaving the USB connected or disconnect while holding the button. Part of the problem seems to be if the battery gets run down too far. Or the power supply used provides too little power. It sucks but the point is, it hasn't failed and will wake.
Original Review:
This a great speaker. It's durable and the sound is very good for what it is. I originally listened to one in the store and thought it sounded like crap. Then I was helping a friend who was doing construction and heard music from another room that was so full with detail and bass. Well it was one of these. They really shine when there's some distance and they can use the acoustics of a room.
BUT and these are big BUTS. Don't even think you can use it connected to a power connection and a hard line audio connection. You can have one or the other, power or line in. Bluetooth on power or line in on battery. Otherwise there will be an inexcapable loud hum, like a ground loop problem. They share the same design flaw with their cousin the Bose Soundlink Mini II. I returned a Mini II for this but in this case I use the Color as a portable all the time anyway where the Mini II was to be stationary on power always. The previous version of either product seems to be ok without this issue.
Second and this one is biting a lot of people. It will suddenly appear to die especially when you update the software but sometimes just because. Read most of the negative reviews here.
Bose says to connect to power, hold down the button with the three dots for ten seconds and disconnect the power. Then push the power button. They say it goes into a hard standby... Well because of this standby there must be a mountain of returned Bose Soundlink Mini II Color speakers out there. Great for the environment.
Their fix didn't work for me on two of these. Here's the thing. Don't just connect it to power. Connect it to a computer's USB port. Windows for example mounts the speaker as a device partially waking the speaker probably because of the intelligent connection. Then do the button thing and it'll wake. It may need to sit for a bit.
Bose. Fix this.
But I absolutely love the speaker and am ok with this. Just know it going in... For the price the sound is so nice.
*** Update ***
Well, I continued to try to get the speaker to work with a line-in source while connected to USB power. I tried all sorts of things like different audio sources, power outlets, and finally started sampling different USB power supplies. I had a pile of supplies from my old iPad, iPhone, Samsung Androids, different Anker chargers. Different chargers brought different levels of ground loop hum. The smaller iPhone charger kind of does ok but the winner was an old Amazon Fire/Kindle charger. This is the small one where the prongs fold up inside for travel. Another is a Blackberry USB charger (These can be found inexpensively on Amazon and eBay. I prefer them because the USB outlet is oriented to the side saving outlet space).
Don't understand why no other speaker I've seen has this problem... like my older Logitech Mini Booms. But ok, it can be done...
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