Bose Sound Link Mini

An ultra-compact speaker that combines performance with portability

The iPod changed the way we used to carry our music around. It allowed us to carry thousands of songs in our pocket and listen to them via headphones. As phones and MP3 players evolved their storage capacities increased, but for the sake of portability most models excluded in-built speakers, and we saw a slew of portable external speakers from various manufacturers. Even Bose came out with its Sound Link. Bose has now launched a more portable avatar of Sound Link—the Sound Link Mini. And it is adorable.

The problem with Sound Link was that it was slightly big and heavy to travel with. My wife and I did buy one, and we love to carry it, but as phones became lighter, the speakers needed to lighten up too.

The Mini comes in a single-piece anodised aluminium case, which makes it sleek and durable, and with Bluetooth pairing capability it pairs easily with your iPhone, MP3 player or any phone for that matter.

Bose has also innovated on its high efficiency transducers that move twice as much air as its nearest competitors, meaning more sound for its size. With the addition of dual passive radiators, the Mini generates plenty of low notes, while keeping the vibrations in control. Wherever you put your speaker, it stays there without moving, whatever the volume level you have.

The Mini weighs just 680 gm, and measures a cool 5 cm high, 18 cm wide, and 5.8 cm deep. Its rechargeable lithium-ion battery delivers up to seven hours of playtime. It takes about three hours to fully recharge an empty battery.

Like interchangeable cover options for phones, the Sound Link Mini offers three cover choices—orange, green and a blue that is available at an additional cost of Rs 1,350. You can also buy a separate travel bag for the speaker for Rs 2,250.

With big buttons on top, controlling the Mini is easy, and it comes with a wall charger that gets plugged into a cradle, so you get wire-free charging. There is also an auxiliary port where you can connect an additional MP3 player. It has a USB port but it is only for software updates.

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Gagandeep Singh Sapra