The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II is a small, portable speaker that comes with a woven handle, which makes it look a little bit like a lantern when using it to hold it up. It's rated IP55 for dust and water resistance, so you can take it outdoors with you, though we didn't test this. It also has a fairly balanced sound profile and mid-range, making it suitable for listening to dialogue-centric audio content like audiobooks and podcasts. Unfortunately, it struggles to reproduce a deep low-bass, and its companion app doesn't feature a graphic EQ you can use to tweak its sound to your liking, which may be disappointing to fans of bass-heavy music genres like EDM or hip-hop.
Our Verdict
The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II is alright for music. Its fairly well-balanced sound profile makes this speaker suitable for a variety of music genres. Thanks to its 360-degree design, it has a decent soundstage with amazing directivity, so your audio should sound clear from all angles. Though this speaker can get reasonably loud, there are compression artifacts at max volume, so your audio may not sound as clear when listening at louder volumes. Unfortunately, it struggles to reproduce a deep, thumpy, and rumbling bass, which may be disappointing to fans of bass-heavy music like hip-hop or EDM. It also requires two units to play stereo sound, and has to downmix your audio to mono when using it on its own, which may not sound as immersive.
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Amazing directivity.
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Balanced mid-range.
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Compression artifacts at max volume.
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Requires two units for stereo sound.
The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II is passable for videos and movies. This speaker struggles to reproduce low-bass, so it can be difficult to hear the thump and rumble in action-packed scenes. It has many compression artifacts at max volume, so your audio may not sound as clean and clear during louder listening sessions. It also requires two units to play stereo sound, and has to downmix stereo content to mono when using it on its own, which may not sound very immersive. That said, it has low latency with iOS and Android devices, though some apps compensate for latency differently, and your real-world experience may vary. It also has amazing directivity, so your audio should sound clear from most angles.
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Amazing directivity.
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Low latency with iOS and Android devices.
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Compression artifacts at max volume.
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Requires two units for stereo sound.
The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II is good for podcasts. It has a fairly balanced mid-range, so vocals and lead instruments sound clear, making it good for dialogue-centric audio like audiobooks and podcasts. It has amazing directivity thanks to its 360-degree design, so your audio should sound clear from all angles. It can also be paired to two devices at a time, which can come in handy if you need to switch audio sources. That said, there are some compression artifacts at max volume that can affect the clarity of your audio when listening at louder volumes.
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Amazing directivity.
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Balanced mid-range.
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Compression artifacts at max volume.
The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II is middling for voice assistants. It doesn't have any built-in voice assistants, so it uses the ones from your smartphone. It also doesn't have a mute mic button you can use to turn its mic off when you no longer want the speaker to hear you. Additionally, it has great far-field performance so your speaker can still hear you when you're far away, and it also does a decent job of hearing you in noisier environments.
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Balanced mid-range.
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No built-in voice assistants.
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No mute mic button.
The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II is decent for outdoor use. This remarkably portable speaker is very well-built and even comes with an IP55 rating for dust and water resistance. It's also battery-powered, so you don't have to look for an outlet when taking it outdoors with you. That said, though it can get fairly loud, it has a lot of compression artifacts at max volume, so your audio may not sound very clean during louder listening sessions. It also requires two units to play stereo sound, and has to downmix stereo content to mono when using it on its own, which may not sound as immersive.
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IP55 for dust and water resistance.
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Battery-powered.
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Compression artifacts at max volume.
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Requires two units for stereo sound.
- 6.6 Music
- 6.2 Videos/Movies
- 7.8 Podcasts
- 5.8 Voice Assistant
- 7.2 Outdoors
- Updated Sep 04, 2024: We've updated the Battery scores and text, as we've reevaluated how the Battery Life, Charge Time, and Power Saving scores are weighted. We've also updated the relevant usage boxes and side-by-sides affected by this recalculation.
- Updated Mar 25, 2024: We've added a comparison between this soundbar and the Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 8 in Soundstage.
- Updated Aug 18, 2022: Changed the test result for 'Microphone On/Off' from 'Yes' to 'Yes (Physical)' in the Controls box.
- Updated Apr 29, 2021: We've updated the results for Microphone On/Off to 'Yes'.
- Updated Apr 27, 2021: Review published.
- Updated Apr 23, 2021: Early access published.
- Updated Apr 19, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Apr 16, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Apr 14, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II comes in two color variants, 'Triple Black' and 'Luxe Silver'. We tested the 'Triple Black' variant, and you can find its label here. We expect both variants to perform similarly. The manufacturer also released an earlier version of this speaker called the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ that's rated IPX4 for water resistance and is advertised to last up to 16 hours from a single charge, though we haven't tested this model.
Compared To Other Speakers
The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II is a small, portable Bluetooth speaker similar to the Bose SoundLink Revolve. It's rated IP55 for dust and water resistance, though we don't currently test for this. Like the Revolve, it has a fairly balanced sound profile with a balanced mid-range making it suitable for dialogue-centric audio content like audiobooks or podcasts. However, like many speakers of its size, it lacks low-bass. Unfortunately, it doesn't have an EQ you can use to tweak its sound to your liking.
See also our recommendations for the best Bose speakers, the best Bluetooth speakers, and the best home speakers.
The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II is a better speaker than the JBL Charge 5. It has a slightly better-balanced sound profile out of the box and offers a wider-sounding soundstage thanks to its 360-degree design. It also supports voice assistants through your smartphone. However, the JBL has a longer battery life, which can vary depending on your usage habits.
The Bose Portable Smart Speaker is a better speaker than the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II. The Smart Speaker has a more customizable sound profile thanks to the bass and treble sliders available on its companion app, so you can tweak its sound to your liking. It also has a fantastic voice assistant performance, with Alexa and Google Assistant built into the speaker. That said, the Revolve+ is better built and has a longer battery life, which some users may prefer.
The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II and the Bose SoundLink Revolve II are very similar speakers with different strengths. These two versatile speakers have a similarly neutral and well-balanced sound profile suitable for a wide variety of audio content. However, the Revolve+ II can get slightly louder than the Revolve II, with fewer compression artifacts at max volume. It also comes with a carrying handle to help with transporting it. That said, if you like using voice assistants, the Revolve II does a better job than the Revolve+ II at understanding your commands from far away and in noisier environments.
The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II and the Bose SoundLink Flex perform similarly. The Revolve+ II offers a wider and more natural-sounding soundstage thanks to its 360-degree design. It also has a longer-lasting battery life, though that can vary depending on your usage. On the other hand, the Flex is smaller, and voice assistants from your paired smartphone are better at understanding your commands from far away and in noisy environments. It's better built, with an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, and its default sound profile is also a bit more balanced.
The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II is a slightly better speaker than the Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 Gen 2, though they have different strengths. The Bose offers a better-balanced sound profile out of the box that can produce a more extended low bass. It also has a longer-lasting battery life, though this can depend on your usage, and your experience may differ. The Bang & Olufsen is more customizable thanks to its EQ presets and 'Beosonic' sound customization feature. It also offers fantastic voice assistant support with Alexa built-in and does an excellent job of understanding you from far and in noisier environments.
The Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 8 and the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II are both wireless speakers with different strengths. The Harman/Kardon has a more distinctive look and a more balanced default sound profile. It can also playback stereo content without downmixing to mono. However, the Bose is better built, has a longer battery life, and has better controls, both on the speaker itself and via its companion app.
The Bose SoundLink Revolve and the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II are very similar speakers. The Revolve is slightly smaller and lighter than the Revolve+ II, though it doesn't have a built-in handle to help you carry it around with you when you're on the go. Both speakers have a very similar sound profile; however, the Revolve+ can get louder with slightly fewer compression artifacts at max volume. That said, the Revolve has a longer battery life, though battery life can vary depending on your usage habits, so your experience may vary.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II or the Bang & Olufsen Beosound Explore. The Bose has a better-balanced sound profile out-of-the-box and can support voice assistants through your smartphone, though its performance isn't very good. It also has a Party Mode feature, so you can pair it to multiple other compatible speakers when you want your audio to fill a large room. The Bang & Olufsen is more portable and can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono. It also features EQ presets and a 'Beosonic' sound customization feature you can use to tweak its sound to your liking.
The Anker Soundcore Motion+ is a slightly better speaker than the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II, though they have different strengths. The Anker is more customizable thanks to the graphic EQ and presets featured on its companion app, so you can tweak the speaker's sound to your liking. It can also get louder than the Bose and can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono, which is more immersive. The Bose offers a better-balanced sound profile that can produce a slightly more extended low bass. It also has better directivity thanks to its 360-degree design, resulting in a wider and more natural-sounding soundstage.
The Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3 is a slightly better speaker than the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II. The Ultimate Ears is more customizable thanks to the graphic EQ and presets featured on its companion app. It can also get louder than the Bose with fewer compression artifacts at max volume and can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono. That said, the Bose has a better-balanced sound profile out of the box and supports voice assistants through your smartphone, though its performance isn't great.
The Bose Home Speaker 500 is a better speaker than the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II, though they have different strengths. The Home Speaker can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono. It can get louder than the Revolve+ II with less compression present at max volume, resulting in cleaner audio during louder listening sessions. It also offers incredible voice assistant support with Alexa and Google Assistant built-in, and it can understand your commands from far and in noisy environments. Its companion app even features bass and treble adjustments to tweak its sound. The Revolve+ II is battery-powered and has a built-in carrying handle, making it more portable.
The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II is a slightly better speaker than the Marshall Emberton. The Bose can produce a more extended low bass than the Marshall and can get louder with less compression present at max volume, resulting in cleaner audio at louder volume levels. It also has better directivity, so its soundstage may be perceived as wider and more natural-sounding. That said, the Marshall can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono, which is more immersive.
The Ultimate Ears HYPERBOOM is a better speaker than the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II. The Ultimate Ears can get louder with fewer compression artifacts present at max volume, so your audio sounds cleaner during louder listening sessions. It can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono and comes with a graphic EQ and presets to customize its sound. That said, the Bose supports voice assistants through your smartphone and can understand your commands from far and in noisier settings. Thanks to its 360-degree design, it also has better directivity, resulting in a more open-sounding soundstage.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II or the Ultimate Ears BOOM 3. The Bose offers a better-balanced sound profile that can produce a more extended low bass than the Ultimate Ears. It also supports voice assistants through your smartphone and can understand you from far and in noisier settings. The Ultimate Ears can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono, resulting in a more immersive soundstage. Its companion app also features a graphic EQ and presets you can use to customize its sound.
The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II is a better overall speaker than the JBL Flip 5. It has a slightly more balanced sound profile, is better built, and can support voice assistants. It also has better directivity, making it easy to hear your audio clearly from most angles. The JBL is slightly more portable than the Bose and has a strap to carry it around. It also comes in over ten other color variants, which some users may prefer.
The Sonos Move is a better speaker than the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II. The Sonos can produce a deeper bass than the Bose and is more customizable thanks to the bass and treble adjustments featured in its companion app. It also offers outstanding voice assistant support with Alexa and Google Assistant built-in, and it can understand you from far away and in noisier settings. However, the Bose has better directivity, resulting in a wider-sounding soundstage. It also has lower latency with iOS and Android devices via Bluetooth, making it suitable for watching videos and movies over this connection.
The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II is a better choice for music than the Marshall Willen. The Bose reproduces more low bass, so there's noticeably more rumble, especially with bass-heavy genres like EDM and hip-hop. Unlike the Marshall, it also supports voice assistants from your smartphone. Its battery life isn't as long as the Marshall's, and it doesn't come with an EQ, but it still lasts long enough for most listening sessions.
The JBL Xtreme 2 and the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II are similar speakers. Though the Bose is better built and has a better selection of controls, the JBL can get slightly louder with fewer compression artifacts at max volume, so audio played at louder volumes may sound marginally cleaner. The JBL can also support stereo content, which some users who like to feel immersed in their audio may prefer. However, the Bose has much better directivity, ensuring audio sounds clear from all angles.
The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II is a slightly better speaker than the Sony SRS-XB43 overall. The Bose is smaller and more portable than the Sony, thanks to its built-in carrying handle. It also has a better-balanced sound profile out of the box and has much better directivity thanks to its 360-degree design, so its soundstage is perceived as wide and spacious. That said, the Sony can get louder than the Bose and is more customizable thanks to the graphic EQ featured on its Sony Music Center app, so you can tweak its sound to your liking.
The Apple HomePod (1st generation) is a slightly better speaker than the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II, though they have different strengths. The Apple model has excellent voice assistant support with Siri built into the speaker, while the Bose uses the voice assistants from your smartphone. It also has a more neutral sound profile with a more extended low bass and better directivity, resulting in a more open and spacious-sounding soundstage. The Apple is a wired speaker intended for home use, while the Bose is a battery-powered speaker with a built-in carrying handle that's more portable and better built. Also, while the Apple speaker supports Wi-Fi, the Bose supports Bluetooth connectivity. That said, the Apple speaker may be harder to find in new condition since it's been discontinued by the manufacturer.
The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II is a better speaker for most uses than the Sonos Roam/Roam SL. The Bose speaker gets louder, has a better soundstage performance, and has a longer battery life. However, the Sonos Roam variant offers a better voice assistant performance and is more customizable, thanks to its bass and treble adjustments.
The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II is a slightly better speaker than the JBL Xtreme 3, though they have different strengths. The Bose is smaller and more portable than the JBL. It offers a wider-sounding soundstage and supports voice assistants through your smartphone, though its performance in this regard isn't very good. However, the JBL can play stereo content without downmixing it to mono. It can also get louder than the Bose and has a longer-lasting battery life, though the latter can depend on your usage habits, and your experience may vary.
Test Results
The Bose SoundLink Revolve Plus II is a small speaker with a smooth 360-degree design. Much like the Bose Portable Smart Speaker, it's meant to sit vertically and comes with a built-in woven handle that almost makes it look like a lantern when using it to hold the speaker up.
The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II is remarkably portable. It's small, lightweight, and its built-in handle makes it easy to carry it around with you when you're on the move. It's also battery-powered, so you can take it outdoors with you without having to worry about finding a power outlet to connect it to.
The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II's build quality is great. Its body is mostly made of an aluminum grille that helps protect the drivers, but unfortunately, it can collect fingerprints easily. Its top and bottom are silicone, and its carrying handle is woven. While its micro USB and AUX ports don't have a protective cover, this speaker is still rated IP55 for dust and water resistance, though we don't currently test this. You can also find its buttons at the top and a contact underneath to place it atop a charging base, though it's sold separately, and we didn't test it.
Update 04/29/2021: You can mute the microphone during a phone call by pressing the + and - buttons at the same time. We've updated the results for Microphone On/Off to 'Yes'.
The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II has a very good selection of controls. You can use the + and - buttons to increase or decrease the volume of the speaker. You can mute and unmute your phone calls by pressing them both at the same time. Its multi-function button is used to play, pause, backtrack, and skip tracks. You can also press and hold it to activate your smartphone's voice assistants. It has a Bluetooth button that you can use to pair the speaker to your device, which should trigger a voice prompt informing you of the device it's connecting to. The speaker also informs you of its battery levels through another voice prompt when pressing the power button, as well as through a battery level light under the power button when turning it on.
However, there isn't any audible feedback to inform you of your volume levels, and since most of the buttons aren't texturized, it can be difficult to tell which button you're pressing without looking at the speaker.
- Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II speaker
- USB power supply
- Micro USB charging cable
- Quick Start Guide
The Bose Revolve Plus II's frequency response accuracy is alright. It has a relatively neutral and well-balanced sound profile out-of-the-box, with a balanced mid-range that should ensure vocals and lead instruments sound clear. That said, it struggles to reproduce the deep, thumpy, and rumbling bass that fans of bass-heavy music like EDM tend to enjoy. Unfortunately, it doesn't come with EQ features you can use to customize its sound to your liking.
This speaker's soundstage is decent. Thanks to its 360-degree design, its directivity is amazing, and it offers a wide and open-sounding soundstage, so your audio should sound clear from most angles. That said, it has to downmix stereo content to mono, which may not sound as immersive, and requires a second unit to play stereo sound. You can check out the Harman/Kardon Onyx Studio 8 for a speaker that can playback stereo content and also pair with another Onyx Studio 8 speaker for true wireless stereo.
This speaker's dynamics performance is unremarkable. Though it can get reasonably loud, it has many compression artifacts at max volume, so your audio may not sound very clear during louder listening sessions.
The Bose Revolve Plus II's battery performance is decent. Though the manufacturer advertises it can last up to 17 hours from a single 4-hour charge, our tests showed it could last over eight hours off an almost 3-hour-long charge. Battery life can vary depending on your usage habits and chosen settings, so your real-world experience may differ. You can also use its companion app to set the length of time you want the speaker to wait before it enables its power-saving feature. You can set that length of time between five minutes and three hours, and you can even set it to never, in which case it won't enable the mode.
The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II has poor voice assistant performance. Since it doesn't have voice assistants built-in, it uses those that come with your smartphone. It also doesn't have a mute mic button, which can be disappointing when you no longer want the speaker to hear you. Additionally, you can activate them using your voice only when pressing and holding the speakers' multifunction button. That said, it has no problem hearing you from far away and does a decent job of hearing you in noisier environments. If you're looking for a similar Bose speaker with better voice assistant support, check out the Bose SoundLink Revolve II.
The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ II's Bose Connect companion app is alright. It's compatible with both iOS and Android devices. You can use it to pair two SoundLink Bluetooth speakers to create a stereo pair, which can come in handy when you want to feel more immersed in your audio. You can also use its Party Mode feature to connect it to multiple other speakers, which can be helpful when you want your audio to fill a large room without raising the volume on your speaker. That said, it doesn't have any EQ features you can use to customize the sound to your liking. It also doesn't have a multi-room feature, so you can't use it to control separate speakers and have them play different content in multiple rooms at once.
The Bose Revolve Plus II has an AUX input and a USB port you can use to wire your device to the speaker. To connect it via its USB port, plug your device into the micro-B USB connector on your speaker, then press and release the Input button until you hear the speaker say 'USB Audio'.
The Bose SoundLink Revolve Plus II's Bluetooth performance is superb. It has an outstandingly large Bluetooth range, so you don't have to worry about the speaker being too far from your paired device. It can be paired to two devices at a time, which can come in handy when you need to switch between audio sources. It also has low latency with iOS and Android devices, making it suitable for watching movies and videos. That said, some apps compensate for latency differently, so your real-world experience may vary.