Bose vs Sonos – Bose SoundLink Mini II vs Sonos Play 3

Bose and Sonos are two of the biggest names in audio. They are known for having high quality products. They each make a wireless Bluetooth speaker that is compact yet loud, so let’s see how they stack up against each other.

With both the Bose SoundLink Mini II and the Sonos Play 3, there’s not really any stereo separation. That’s a common disadvantage to using a mini Bluetooth speaker; it’s not a stereo system. If you’re going to invest $150-300 in one of these, make sure you take this into account. That being said, you may be surprised by how clear the sound quality on each of these is. Let’s have a closer look at each.

BOSE

The Bose SoundLink Mini II has deep bass, ideal for hip hop or RnB music. The treble sounds clear and clean. It’s wireless and very compact, making it easily portable. It comes with a built-in speakerphone so you can use it for calls as well as music play. There are voice prompts that guide you through the process of pairing your device to the speakers, making it convenient for anyone to use for the first time.

The SoundLink Mini II’s battery lasts for 10 hours on a full charge. There is also a voice prompts that warns you when your battery is down to 10%. The same voice prompt tells you which devices are connected to the SoundLink Mini II when you turn it on. It can be charged through micro USB. There is an included cradle that charges the speaker while acting as a base. The Bluetooth range for the Bose SoundLink Mini II is around 30 feet. It’s available in two colors, carbon or pearl.

Pros

– Long lasting battery life
– 30-ft Bluetooth range
– Micro USB compatible

-Good value for around $180

Cons

– Speakerphone is not great
– Voice alerts can get annoying
– It’s a bit heavy for its size

-You can’t pair two speakers together

SONOS

The Sonos Play 3 comes with three separate drivers with dedicated amplifiers. It includes Trueplay tuning, which customizes your music for the best possible sound. With the Sonos Play 3, you can use one app to control all your streaming and media, including Prime Music. It’s wireless and portable. It has very loud, HI-Fi playing power with deep lows and crisp treble.

The Play 3 plays Pandora or any other music streaming source. However, it does not include the bridge which connects to your router. Once plugged into your router, the Sonos Brigde instantly creates a SonosNet wireless connection for Sonos players to tap into. It seems like there’s a lot going on compared to the Bose SoundLink Mini II, but once you have it all hooked up, the experience is pretty intuitive and easy. It’s actually quite convenient as you can access your iTunes library straight from the Play 3.

Pros

– Very loud, clear speakers with good bass
– Allows processes to be streamlined
– Connects directly to your music library

Cons

– Price  (around  $300)
– Bridge is sold separately

– There’s no inline jack

If something a bit simpler is what you’re looking for, then Bose has a clear advantage. The Bose SoundLink Mini II is also up to $149 cheaper when it’s all said and done. It might not offer as many features as the Sonos Play 3, but it functions like a normal Bluetooth speaker that anyone can easily pair with and use. As for sound quality, the Sonos Play 3 may have the advantage. But does that slight improvement in sound quality justify spending at least another $100, and without full functionality at that? Probably not.

Sonos offers a fine product if you want to integrate a mini speaker into your home that can play music straight from your library or straight from Pandora. Bose on the other hand offers value and simplicity for ease of connectivity.

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