• Home
• /
• WKND

Let's hear it from Bose

Take the SoundLink Revolve speakers anywhere - except underwater

---

---

So you want to go out on a long drive for a picnic, near a body of water or near - as we've grown accustomed to here - some sand. But what's a getaway without some beats?
Given that scenario, it sounds like a recipe for disaster for a clunky, low-end wireless speaker, especially if the fun involves a bumpy ride, spills over to the water and/or dusty wind.
This is where the new Bose SoundLink Revolve speakers can come in handy - pun intended, as you'll soon find out.
The Massachusetts-headquartered audio company has always had sturdy products in its line-up, and the SoundLink Revolve and its bigger brother Revolve+ are some of the meanest among them. For starters, you may deduce that it's a 360-degree speaker - Bose's foray into this segment.
These two speakers, according to Bose, are among its best. And it speaks (yet another pun intended) for itself; place it anywhere in a room and you're sure to get the same quality of sound from every angle. There's a touch control panel on top (the layouts are different on each), which includes buttons for power, volume, aux audio, Bluetooth and a multi-function button, which controls everything from playback to mute/unmute to language selection to activating digital voice assistants (like Siri and Google Assistant). A microphone is also located here, which makes it easy for the device to hear you and doubles as a speaker phone. And there's also an optional charging cradle, plus a threaded universal mount beneath that allows you to screw it up to practically any tripod.
Obviously, these two aren't the first to adopt the 360-degree system, but they do hold their ground against the competition really well. They are IPX4-rated, meaning they'll withstand dust and splashes of water (reminds me of those yummy-coloured Ultimate Ear speakers that we reviewed in the past). However, Bose clearly mentions in its FAQ section: "just don't submerge it". It's quite a terrible idea to listen to music underwater anyway!
You can connect them to another device like a laptop or tablet if you want to watch a  movie, or stream music from your favourite services. You can connect up to eight
SoundLink Revolve speakers at a time. Try to connect one more and the first device you connected will be dropped.
I should mention that there's a big drawback: you have to make sure the speakers are within nine metres, otherwise, well, you know what'll happen. And since it only connects via Bluetooth (no Wi-Fi option here), you'll have to strategically place all your speakers - and the devices serving as your content source.
And if you're wondering what the main difference between these two devices is, it's quite simple: the Revolve+, expectedly, belts out higher-volume, room-filling sound, and has a generous 16 hours of battery life compared to its little brother's 12 hours. And going back to that hanging pun earlier, the Revolve+ also has a carrying handle for easier mobility; the Revolve is just big enough to grasp with your fingers or hands.

AND SO...
The Bose SoundLink Revolve and Revolve+ are great examples of handy wireless speakers, though they may cost you a little more compared to some others in their range. However, they do blurt out really good sound and have a beautiful design and build - though not fully-waterproof. And don't forget to install the Bose Connect app and fire up Party Mode.
THE
LOWDOWN
Dimensions/Weight
Revolve - 6" x 3.25", 0.66kg; Revolve+ - 7.25" x 4", 0.9kg
Connectivity
Bluetooth 4.1 up to 9m (30ft); 3.5mm audio, micro-USB; Bose Connect; Siri, Google Assistant
Durability
IPX4: dust-, water- and shock-resistant
Battery
Revolve - 12h; Revolve+ - 16h
Pros
Beautiful design, great sound, portable and durable
Cons
Limited range, not fully water-/dust-proof, USB Type-C not used

Price
Revolve - Dh799; Revolve+ - Dh1,199
Author Rating
8.5/10

• Hard Drive