Bose SoundLink Max review

The Bose SoundLink Max is the most powerful addition to the brand’s SoundLink lineup of portable Bluetooth speakers, promising “epic stereo sound and deep bass” in a sleek yet compact package. While we enjoyed our time with the refreshed SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen), its reasonable price didn’t make us look twice. Does this latest offering from Bose justify the premium price tag? Let’s pump up the jams and find out in this Bose SoundLink Max review.

Editor’s note: this is the first version of the article. Updates will follow as the market changes.

What’s it like to use the Bose SoundLink Max?

The Bose SoundLink Max is a dense, compact, and feature-rich portable Bluetooth speaker. At 2.13kg or 4.6 lbs, it’s not the lightest unit out there—you certainly feel its weight when it’s in your backpack, but it’s still packable nonetheless.

Metal grills protect its drivers and passive radiators, and the rest of the enclosure is wrapped in the same soft-grip siliconized rubber you’ll find on the SoundLink Flex. Its control strip is also recessed into the enclosure, but unfortunately, none of the playback controls are backlit, so it can be a little tough to navigate in darker settings. Overall, the unit is well protected from any bumps and bruises, although its rubberized finish quickly picks up dust and debris.

Around the back of the unit, you’ll see its USB-C port, which doubles as a charge in or out if you want to top up your phone, and a 3.5mm aux jack. While this speaker is IP67 rated for protection against dust and water, no tab or flap protects these ports; they could easily get sand in them if you’re a regular beachgoer. Up top, the SoundLink Max offers a detachable, replaceable rope handle. You even have the option to purchase a longer, shoulder sling-style strap from Bose, which easily twists and locks into the existing holes.

Should you use the app for the Bose SoundLink Max?

The Bose app is a little lean. Casual listeners could certainly get away without it, but it does offer a better-than-nothing 3-band EQ to help personalize the sound of your speaker, although I would much prefer a 5-band EQ at a minimum. Here, you can also assign your shortcut button to access Spotify tap, switch your source from Bluetooth to Aux-in, or link up with a second Bose speaker. Of course, it also allows you to access any firmware updates and modify some of the unit’s default settings, like auto power off.

How does the Bose SoundLink Max connect?

The Bose SoundLink Max offers a variety of connection and codec options. It connects to your device via Bluetooth 5.4 and supports the SBC, AAC, and aptX adaptive codecs. But wait, there’s more. The SoundLink Max also offers Snapdragon sound, Google Fast Pair, Bose SimpleSync, multipoint connection, and, lastly, a 3.5mm aux in for wired listening. Phew!

I also have a new appreciation for Bose’s dedication to its Bluetooth device list feature. Plenty of Bose products offer this feature; the SoundLink Max will remember and store up to 6 different Bluetooth devices, and simply pushing the Bluetooth button will cycle through them. At home, I often listen to the SoundLink Max from my computer and phone, but I also like to use it with my Nintendo Switch, which makes pairing it a breeze.

How long does the Bose SoundLink Max’s battery last?

Bose advertises up to 20 hours of playback off a single charge and that the unit takes 5 hours to charge fully. It’s worth noting that while the SoundLink Max offers USB-C out to charge a device in the field, unlike some other speakers like the EarFun UBOOM X or the Soundcore Boom 2 Plus, it’s not a separate battery bank. This means you’ll drain the main battery if you choose to charge your phone.

Just be cautious if you hope to keep your party going well into the night. Rocking out to a bass-heavy preset at high volumes while charging your phone is the fastest way to reduce playback time.

How does the Bose SoundLink Max sound?

The Bose SoundLink Max offers a reasonably neutral-sounding listening experience, which can easily be enhanced via the companion app EQ.

Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores (MDAQS)

The chart below shows how the sound of the Bose SoundLink Max was assessed by the Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score (MDAQS) algorithm from HEAD acoustics.

Regarding its MDAQS results, an overall score of 2.7 is around average for portable Bluetooth speakers. The scores reflect the reality that a small sound source positioned a meter away can’t deliver the same immersive experience as a pair of over-ear headphones. While we see a decent Timbre score of 3.6 and an Immersiveness score of 2.6, unfortunately, its meager Distortion score of 1.5 brings down its overall rating, but again, it’s not too much to be concerned about.

Reviewer’s notes

Editor’s note: this review uses a hover-enabled glossary to describe sound quality based on a consensus vocabulary. You can read about it here.

Should you buy the Bose SoundLink Max?

If money isn’t an issue, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with the SoundLink Max’s performance or build quality. There is plenty to love about this great-sounding and durable Bluetooth speaker, and nothing about it feels cheap or lacking. However, $399 is a tough pill for the rest of us, making the Bose SoundLink Max one of those “wait until it goes on sale” speakers.

What should you get instead of the Bose SoundLink Max?

If you’re after something beefy with decent output and stereo performance, the JBL Xtreme 4 is worth a look. It’s larger in size compared to the SoundLink Max but still plenty durable with an IP67 protection rating. The Xtreme 4 also advertises a hefty 24 hours of battery life and even offers swappable, rechargeable battery packs. JBL also includes a shoulder-style carrying strap, and you can personalize the sound of the Xtreme 4 thanks to the JBL Portable app. The JBL Xtreme 4 sports a similar price of $379 on the product's website.

Heck, for less than the price of the SoundLink Max, you could buy two SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) units and run them in stereo. Essentially the younger sibling to the SoundLink Max, this much more portable and backpack-friendly unit shares plenty of the same features, like a weatherproof design, EQ options, and aptX codec support. You can find the SoundLink Flex (2nd Gen) for $149 at Amazon.

Frequently asked questions