The downside to having to charge the speaker with an AC adapter is that you have to carrying it around with you and if you end up losing it, you have to get a new one rather than just use another common Micro-USB cable for charging.Īs far as the volume goes, it really does play loud - it can fill a small- to medium-sized room, though it's a bit directional (stand off to the side and the sound quality diminishes). There's a Micro-USB port on the back, but it's just for future firmware upgrades, not charging. Like its predecessor, this model uses an AC adapter for charging. It's worth mentioning the charging situation. I also like it when these speakers have a USB port for charging devices (you use the speaker's battery to juice your device). But some people really do want the speakerphone capabilities. And aptX, which is supposed to make music streamed over Bluetooth sound better, doesn't seem to make a significant difference with a speaker this small. I personally don't see any use for NFC tap-to-pair in these types of speakers (you pair once, and then it pairs automatically afterward, so who needs NFC?). In the past, Bose has eschewed such extras as a built-in speakerphone, aptX and near-field communication support for devices that support those features.
The speaker has no pause/play button or transport controls and doesn't have speakerphone capabilities.