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Bose SoundLink Max vs Bose SoundLink Plus

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Bose SoundLink Max
Bose SoundLink Plus

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Jul 08, 2025 04:15 PM

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Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Jul 04, 2025 04:37 PM

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Amazon.com
Bose SoundLink Max Picture
Bose SoundLink Plus Picture
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Our Verdict

Bose SoundLink Max

Bose SoundLink Plus

The Bose SoundLink Plus is a better portable option than the Bose SoundLink Max, though the latter is a better choice for listening to music. While both speakers feature nylon carrying handles, the Plus is a fair bit lighter and smaller. The two have a very similar frequency response, though the Max has a bit more bass on tap. As the larger speaker, it can get louder without as much compression at max volume. It can also play back stereo content without downmixing to mono, which will be a boon for music lovers. Though the two speakers have a similar build quality, the Plus's longer battery life can make it a better companion for longer expeditions or camping trips, though be wary that it'll need the best part of five hours to charge.

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Variants

  • SoundLink Max (Black)
  • SoundLink Max (Blue Dusk)
  • SoundLink Max (Citrus Yellow)
  • SoundLink Plus (Black)
  • SoundLink Plus (Blue Dusk)

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Black
SoundLink Max
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Black
SoundLink Plus
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Blue Dusk
SoundLink Max
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Blue Dusk
SoundLink Plus
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Citrus Yellow
SoundLink Max
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Main Differences for
Music

Threshold 

0.10

Music 

7.4
6.7

Soundstage 
 

7.8
6.0

Dynamics 
 

7.6
5.7

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Style Photo  

Bose SoundLink Max Style Photo
Bose SoundLink Plus Style Photo

RGB Lights  

No
No
Show Text 

Portability 
 

8.9
9.0

Dimensions Photo  

Bose SoundLink Max Dimensions Photo
Bose SoundLink Plus Dimensions Photo

Volume 
 

222 in³ (3,644 cm³)
112 in³ (1,840 cm³)

Weight 
 

4.9 lbs (2.2 kg)
3.3 lbs (1.5 kg)

Power Source 
 

Battery & USB
Battery & USB

One-Hand Carry 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

8.7
8.7

Build Quality Photo  

Bose SoundLink Max Build Quality Photo
Bose SoundLink Plus Build Quality Photo

Material Quality 
 

Good
Good

Water Resistance 
 

Submersible (IPx7)
Submersible (IPx7)

Dust Resistance 
 

Dust-Proof (IP6x)
Dust-Proof (IP6x)

Impact Resistance 
 

Yes (IK rating unspecified)
Yes (IK rating unspecified)

Floats In Water 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Controls 
 

7.8
6.8

Controls Photo  

Bose SoundLink Max Controls Photo
Bose SoundLink Plus Controls Photo

Controls Photo 2  

Bose SoundLink Max Controls Photo 2
Bose SoundLink Plus Controls Photo 2

Ease Of Use 
 

Good
Good

Feedback 
 

Good
Good

Music Play/Pause 
 

Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)

Call Answer/End 
 

Yes (Physical)
No

Volume Up/Down 
 

Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)

Track Next/Previous 
 

Yes (Physical)
Yes (Physical)

Microphone On/Off 
 

No
No

Additional Controls 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

In The Box 
 

In The Box Photo  

Bose SoundLink Max In The Box Photo
Bose SoundLink Plus In The Box Photo
Show Text 
Sound

Frequency Response Accuracy 
 

7.2
7.2

Frequency Response Graph  

See details
See details

Slope 
 

-0.21
0.48

Std. Err. 
 

2.65 dB
2.63 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

52.6 Hz
54.2 Hz

High-Frequency Extension 
 

18.8 kHz
18.8 kHz
Show Text 

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw Frequency Response Graph  

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See details

Binaural Recording @ 1m 
 

Binaural Recording @ 2m 
 

Soundstage 
 

7.8
6.0

Directivity Graph  

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See details

Directivity Index 
 

4.23 dB
3.80 dB

Stereo 
 

Yes
No (mono)
Show Text 

Dynamics 
 

7.6
5.7

Dynamic Range Compression  

See details
See details

SPL @ Max Volume 
 

95.7 dB SPL
91.7 dB SPL

DRC @ Max Volume 
 

2.55 dB
5.36 dB
Show Text 
Active Features

Battery 
 

8.8
8.7

Battery Life 
 

15.5 hrs
19.1 hrs

Charge Time 
 

3.7 hrs
4.6 hrs

Power Saving 
 

Yes
Yes

Charging Port 
 

USB-C
USB-C

Battery Powered 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Voice Assistant 
 

0.0
0.0

Alexa 
 

No
No

Google Assistant 
 

No
No

Speakerphone 
 

No
No

Siri 
 

No
No

Voice Assistant 
 

No
No

Voice Activation 
 

No
No

Microphone Mute 
 

No
No

Far-Field Performance 
 

No Microphone
No Microphone

Ambient Noise Performance 
 

No Microphone
No Microphone
Show Text 

App 
 

7.9
7.9

App Picture  

Bose SoundLink Max App Picture
Bose SoundLink Plus App Picture

App Name 
 

Bose
Bose

iOS 
 

Yes
Yes

Android 
 

Yes
Yes

EQ 
 

Graphic + Presets
Graphic + Presets

Stereo Pair Mode 
 

Yes
Yes

Party Mode 
 

Yes
Yes

Multi-Room 
 

No
No
Show Text 
Connectivity

Wired 
 

Aux Input 
 

Yes
No

USB Audio 
 

No
No

Other Ports 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Bluetooth 
 

8.6
8.3

Bluetooth 
 

Yes
Yes

Bluetooth Version 
 

5.4
5.4

Bluetooth iOS Latency 
 

106 ms
126 ms

Bluetooth Android Latency 
 

84 ms
128 ms

Bluetooth Range 
 

334.6 ft (102.0 m)
328.1 ft (100.0 m)

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

2 Devices
2 Devices
Show Text 

Wi-Fi 
 

0.0
0.0

Wi-Fi Version 
 

No Wi-Fi
No Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi Frequency Band 
 

No Wi-Fi
No Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi 
 

No
No

Apple AirPlay 
 

No
No

AirPlay Latency 
 

N/A
N/A

Google Chromecast 
 

No
No

Chromecast Latency 
 

N/A
N/A

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Black
SoundLink Max
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Black
SoundLink Plus
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Blue Dusk
SoundLink Max
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Blue Dusk
SoundLink Plus
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Citrus Yellow
SoundLink Max
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Bose SoundLink Max

Bose SoundLink Plus

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  1. Comparison

Bose SoundLink Max vs Bose SoundLink Plus: Main Discussion

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