While it isn’t the cheapest Bluetooth speaker out there, the Bose Soundlink Revolve comes with all the performance and durability you may need. You get Bluetooth 4.0 for connectivity along with NFC which even allows you to pair up with another speaker for greater sound. A 360-degree sound technology along with a pretty great battery life will provide you with sound loud enough to reach across the room. And paired with the fact that it comes with a solid build and easy-to-use controls, may just make it one of the best Bluetooth speakers you can get right now, despite the slightly expensive price. If you can’t afford this speaker, take a look at our HMDX Jam review instead.
Why We Like It – Bose Soundlink Revolve
Filling up the room with music that is both loud and clear, the Bose Soundlink Revolve is among one of the most compact and capable wireless Bluetooth speakers out there. If you want a slightly larger speaker, read our Altec Lansing inMotion Air imw725 review instead. You get everything ranging from good connectivity with Bluetooth 4.0, a 360-degree true sound that covers the entirety of a room, a durable body, as well as many easy-to-use controls packed with long battery life. And, with all of that as well as an NFC connectivity option for easy connection, the Bose Soundlink Revolve is a great Bluetooth speaker worth getting. If you want something with a bit nicer aesthetics, you should also read our review of how Harmon Kardon updates SoundStick speakers with wireless everything.
- Great sound quality
- Pretty good battery life
- Durable Body
- Charging time is pretty long
- Range is pretty short at 30ft.
Performance
Many of us are looking for a compact, portable Bluetooth speaker that also has a party mode performance, reaching out with audio across an entire room. And now with the Bose Soundlink Revolve Bluetooth speakers, you get all of that and a whole lot more thanks to the amazing Bluetooth speakers and the ever-so-great 360-degree sound technology. While the Bluetooth 4.0 limits the range from your device to just 30 feet, the sound which can be pretty great from the middle of the room, also provides you with a good bit of bass when placed against a wall. Apart from that, the Revolve Speakers also come with dual passive radiators on its side which fill out the low end of sounds whilst the transducer handles the Mid and Treble sounds with the help of a deflector plate. And so with that, the true 360-degree sound driver configuration and excellent sonic performance the Bose Soundlink Revolve offers you an excellent sound quality from a speaker of this size. And for your laptop, why not also take a glimpse of our review on how Logitech’s portable laptop speakers boost your audio.
Moving onto the connectivity of the device, you get the Bose Connect App support which means you can use it to easily pair to the device and even pair up the Speaker with other Soundlink speakers like the Bose SoundLink Color II. This will make sure that the audio reaches across a wider expanse of a room that too in complete sync. The Bose Soundlink Revolve even offers an NFC connection capability which makes it much easier for you to connect to devices.
When it comes to taking calls with the Bose Soundlink Revolve, it becomes easier thanks to the microphone on top of the speaker which picks up your voice clearly whilst also providing you with a great sound from the other side. The microphone can also be used for Siri or Google Assistant, unlike the JBL Charge 4 making it all the more convenient.
Finally, when it comes to the battery life, the Bose SoundLink Revolve offers you 12 hours of music playback, which although great, falls behind that of the OontZ Angle 3 Bluetooth Speaker. But, the actual drawback of the Bose Revolve is the fact that it takes up to 4 hours to completely charge, meaning that you’re gonna have to make sure that you charge the device up before a party or just about anything. You do however get the option of a charging cradle for an extra $30, which you can fit into the bottom of the speaker to charge up more easily than with the micro USB port. As for the resistance and durability of the device, the Bose SoundLink Revolve does offer IPX4 resistance which protects it against splashes, but it isn’t resistant enough to be dipped underwater like the JBL Charge 4.
Do note that if the battery malfunctions, by not starting up, ask for a replacement as it has happened with many amazon customers.
Design
With a design that is basically a stretched-out cylindrical version of the previous model described in the Bose SoundLink Mini II review, the Bose SoundLink Revolve has an aluminum housed body that is both durable and convenient thanks to the rubberized base for greater grip on surfaces. It also comes with six buttons on the top which are also rubberized. They allow you to switch between the 3.5mm input jack and the Bluetooth connection, adjust the volume, switch the device on or off, and also a multifunction button allows you to pause/play, skip tracks and even use Siri and Google Assistant. You can also use the power button by pressing it down for a while to know the amount of battery life left through a voice.
You get to choose from either a silver or black body, and also a lux grey or triple black rubber top which however may get a bit scratched. But other than that and the fact that it doesn’t come with a handle like the bigger Revolve Plus, the SoundLink Revolve measures to be pretty compact and lightweight at 6 inches high by 3.25 inches deep at 1.5lbs.
Value
Priced at about $200, the Bose SoundLink Revolve isn’t the most affordable Bluetooth speaker out there. And while you can get something similarly performing in terms of sound at a slightly lower price, you won’t find something as well built and as functional as the Revolve with the Bose Connect App. And so, if you’re someone who wants that premium build quality along with a pretty great look as well as an amazing sound quality, the Bose SoundLink Revolve may be worth the price for you. Otherwise, you could simply get yourself a much better-sounding wired speaker at this price range. What if you want a speaker that is great for the outdoors? As much as there are many options to fulfill this need, you can look at the Braven BRV-1 Bluetooth speaker review to learn about a Bluetooth speaker that can also serve as a power bank for charging your phone.
Bose Soundlink Revolve Wrap Up
With easy connectivity with Bluetooth, NFC, and an App paired with a solid, durable, and simultaneously stylish aluminum body, the Bose SoundLink Revolve is among one of the most well-built Bluetooth speakers out there. You get a pretty great sound quality with the true 360-degree sound driver configuration with loud and clear details as well as a bass that is neither too quiet nor too boomy. And paired with the fact that you can even pick up calls with the added microphone, the Bose Soundlink Revolve is definitely among one of the best Bluetooth speakers out there, that is if you want to spend as much. But if you’re more about water resistance and going underwater with a speaker, the JBL Charge 4 will work for you. However, if you’re someone who just needs the sound quality rather than convenience, a wired speaker, like the Bose Wave SoundTouch Music System IV, might be the way to go.
