AC Contributor, vinyl collector, and hobbyist drummer Brady Snyder dives into the world of headphones, earbuds, speakers, streaming, and everything in between in Android Audio.
Bose is shaking up the portable audio space with the SoundLink Plus, a Bluetooth speaker that slots right in between the SoundLink Flex and Max offerings. The $269 speaker aims to bring a bigger punch than your typical on-the-go companion for beach days while still remaining portable.
That puts the SoundLink Plus in a unique position in the market. It's not quite a boombox, but it's bigger in price and sound than the portable speakers you'll typically see at a pool party. The Beats Pill, Sonos Roam 2, and Bose's own SoundLink Flex all cost around $150, for example, and that's before any potential sales, such as this Prime Day discount on the Beats Pill.
It begs the question: Is there a need for a portable Bluetooth speaker at this price point? I've spent months using the Beats Pill and recently switched to the SoundLink Plus. While I had my doubts at first, I've come to realize the SoundLink Plus absolutely brings more to the table than the Beats Pill.
You'll just have to decide whether bass and volume boosts are worth about $120 more than the Pill. With the speaker on sale for Amazon Prime Day, it's even tougher to ignore how attractive the Beats Pill looks.
Bose's SoundLink Plus packs a major punch in sound quality
Bose specifically notes that the SoundLink Plus is designed to bring the bass, and it doesn't disappoint. In fact, some of the people that I played the speaker for found the bass too intense. But let's face it, this is a beach and party speaker, so that's probably what you're going for. The further you stand away from the speaker, the less in-your-face the bass feels.
It's not just the speaker's tuning, however. Compared to the Beats Pill, the SoundLink Plus has a more full sound across the entire soundstage. While you might notice it most when listening to pop, hip hop, or R&B, you can also hear the difference across genres like alternative, jazz, and indie.
Listening to the SoundLink Plus sounds like I'm bringing my desktop speakers with me in a more compact form, whereas the Pill is more like an upgrade over my smartphone speakers. They both get the job done, especially while out and about, but the Bose SoundLink Plus makes the most of its bigger size.
The SoundLink Plus sounds better than the Pill at all volumes, but it was shocking just how much louder Bose's speaker can get than the Beats option. I tested both speakers listening to the same tracks at 50% volume back-to-back, and the Pill was incredibly quiet. I'd probably need to crank the Pill up to 80-100% volume to fill a room, and the SoundLink Plus sounded like more than enough with the volume at 50%.
Portability is up for grabs
It's tough to say which speaker is better for portability. The natural choice would be the Beats Pill, as it weighs about 1.5 pounds. The Bose SoundLink Plus is more than twice as heavy at 3.4 pounds, though it doesn't feel as bad in the hand. In terms of design, the Pill slightly tilts the audio drivers upward — toward your ears for a better listening experience — whereas the SoundLink Plus is shaped more like a rectangle.
The reason I like the SoundLink for portability has to do with its lanyard loop. It has a built-in "utility rope loop" that's shorter than the one on the Beats Pill but is much more durable. In this case, I think Bose's shorter and thicker loop is more useful than Beats' thinner and longer one.
I grew up near a beach town, and I could totally see people using a carabiner to clip the SoundLink Plus to a bike, beach chair, or backpack. It's rugged enough to handle that, and the shorter loop means the speaker won't swing as much as the Beats Pill would if used in a similar load-out. On the other hand, the Pill is small enough to slot into a water bottle holder, so both have advantages depending on your everyday carry.
Luckily, you get IP67 certification with both speakers, so you'll have sand and splash protection for your days at the beach.
Bose has the better app and buttons
The SoundLink Plus addresses one of the Beats Pill's biggest flaws — the Pill has an awful set of hardware buttons. There are two many purposes tied to the same button — the power button is used to turn the device on and off, check battery life, and initiate pairing mode. It's too much to keep track of, and it's frankly a frustrating experience.
Switching to the SoundLink Plus was like a breath of fresh air in this regard. There are six hardware buttons that handle all the functions you'd regularly need, making for little confusion. This simplicity alone made the Bose speaker feel more premium and handy than the Beats one.
Neither speaker has an outstanding companion app, but the Bose app at least adds an EQ function and lets you manage multi-source pairing. Meanwhile, the Beats app is mainly for speaker pairing, sharing, and changing call controls.
It sounds silly to say, but the little things — such as the utility rope, superior app, and hardware buttons — made me want to pay $120 more for the SoundLink Plus over the Beats Pill.
The Bose SoundLink Plus fills a hole in the portable speaker market
I've tried many portable speakers in the $150 price range, including the Beats Pill. They're all just fine — great for on-the-go use, but I'd never go out of my way to listen to them. It made me wonder, would a more expensive speaker like the Bose SoundLink Plus actually add enough value to be worth $120 more than those starter options?
After testing the SoundLink Plus for a few weeks, I came away massively impressed. To me, paying around $270 for a portable speaker is still probably a bit too much. As a budding audiophile, I'd rather invest in my main audio setup before branching out into premium portable options.
However, it's clear to me that the SoundLink Plus really is $120 better than speakers like the Beats Pill. It sounds sharper, fuller, and louder while having a better build and controls. If you have the money to spend or simply want to invest in a speaker for portable and at-home use, the Bose SoundLink Plus is a great option.
A premium speaker
With booming bass and a 20-hour battery life, the Bose SoundLink Plus is a big upgrade for people who need a portable speaker. It's definitely a pricier option, but that may be worth it if you want one speaker to rule them all.
The value pick
The Beats Pill doesn't sound as loud or as full as the Bose SoundLink Plus, but it has a longer 24-hour battery life and nails the value proposition.
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