Go to rankings
Neither Altec Lansing Sonic Boom nor Bose SoundLink Micro were recommended by experts this month
On 2 Apr 2024 (18 days ago) we went through 115 Bluetooth Speaker expert endorsements , however neither Altec Lansing Sonic Boom nor Bose SoundLink Micro were included in any of those recommendations. Since neither Bluetooth Speaker received a single endorsement, as far as expert recommendations go, it's technically a tie. We do, however, recommend taking a look at JBL Charge 5 or other critically acclaimed Portable Bluetooth Speakers of this month.
For reference, JBL Charge 5 received 6 endorsements this month, from What Hi-Fi (18 Mar 2024), SoundGuys (9 Feb 2024) TechRadar (4 Mar 2024) and 3 others.
Rank | Change | Price | Bluetooth Speaker | What Hi-Fi | SoundGuys | PCMag | Popular Mechanics | TechRadar | Rtings.com | Tom's Guide | WIRED | TechHive | Digital Trends |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | - | $180 | JBL Charge 5 The JBL Charge 5 is a durable and high-quality portable Bluetooth speaker with a well-balanced sound, long battery life, and PartyBoost feature, making it perfect for outdoor activities and gatherings. | 1 | 1 | - | - | 7 | - | 12 | 2 | - | 15 |
N/A | N/A | $120 | Altec Lansing Sonic Boom | - | - | - | - | - | - |
- | - | - | - |
N/A | N/A | $119 | Bose SoundLink Micro | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Curious to see this month's entire Portable Bluetooth Speakers ranking? It's here
Customers like Bose SoundLink Micro way more
At ReviewFinder we prefer to focus on professional product reviews, because customer reviews can be disproportionately affected by unrelated factors such as delivery, specific seller listing problems, and, of course, fake reviews. With that said, below is the summary of consumer sentiment.
Bose SoundLink Micro
CS of 10 is similar to a 4.8 star review, CS of 0 is similar to a 2 star review.
Bose SoundLink Micro, the cheaper option, tends to get more favorable reviews than Altec Lansing Sonic Boom.
As can be seen in the chart above, median best-selling bluetooth speaker receives a consumer score of 9.1 (great). Bose SoundLink Micro ranks higher than that and Altec Lansing Sonic Boom ranks lower than that.
Altec Lansing Sonic Boom |
6.5 Average
|
Bose SoundLink Micro |
In comparison:
Bose SoundLink Micro ranks #15 out of 189. Very high levels of customer satisfaction. Go to rankings 10.0 Amazing
|
Median best-selling Bluetooth Speaker |
In comparison:
9.1 Great
|
Bose SoundLink Micro is more popular than Altec Lansing Sonic Boom
It's fairly safe to say that Bose SoundLink Micro is a more popular bluetooth speaker than Altec Lansing Sonic Boom, based on its 30,000+ reviews. Popularity is determined based on product sales. Note that older and cheaper products tend to sell more.
To consider
Table: Top compared alternatives for Altec Lansing Sonic Boom and Bose SoundLink Micro | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
JBL Flip 4 | $75 |
In comparison:
10.0 Amazing
| No expert recommendations | Cheaper More Popular | |
Marshall Emberton | $113 |
In comparison:
9.6 Amazing
| No expert recommendations | Cheaper | |
JBL Charge 4 | $105 |
In comparison:
10.0 Amazing
| No expert recommendations | Cheaper More Popular | |
Sonos Roam | $176 | 4 expert recommendations |
Rank | Change | Price | Bluetooth Speaker | What Hi-Fi | SoundGuys | PCMag | Popular Mechanics | TechRadar | Rtings.com | Tom's Guide | WIRED | TechHive | Digital Trends |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | - | $180 | JBL Charge 5 The JBL Charge 5 is a durable and high-quality portable Bluetooth speaker with a well-balanced sound, long battery life, and PartyBoost feature, making it perfect for outdoor activities and gatherings. | 1 | 1 | - | - | 7 | - | 12 | 2 | - | 15 |
2 | - | $433 | Sonos Move 2 | - | 2 | - | - | 10 | - | 5 | - | 5 | 4 |
3 | - | $176 | Sonos Roam The Sonos Roam is a highly versatile and durable portable speaker that delivers excellent sound quality, with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, voice assistant integration, and unique features such as Automatic TruePlay and wireless charging. | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 11 | 10 | - | 3 |
4 | - | $60 | Tribit StormBox Micro 2 The Tribit StormBox Micro 2 is a durable and waterproof portable Bluetooth speaker with powerful sound, long battery life, and versatile connectivity options. | 3 | - | - | - | 2 | - | - | 9 | - | 8 |
Show all rows |
Expert reviews [18]
- with a score: 11
- without a score: 7
Highest score by Old Time Music | 96 |
Average score based on 18 reviews | 78 |
Lowest score by Expert Reviews | 60 |
Score distribution:
80-100 | |
60-80 | |
40-60 | |
20-40 | |
0-20 |
- LOUD & CRISP AUDIO: We combine powerful drivers with a portable design to bring you a wireless speaker that provides just the right highs and lows, even with the volume turned up. It can maintain a stable connection with your bluetooth device for up to a 50-foot range.Waterproof : Yes
- Read more
- BOSE WATERPROOF SPEAKER: Small but powerful, the Bose SoundLInk Micro Bluetooth speaker produces loud, clear sound with shockingly deep bass. It packs a custom-designed transducer and passive radiators for crisp, balanced sound, WATERPROOF AND DUSTPROOF (IP67)
- Read more
Speakers range from not being able to handle even a drop of water to being able to be fully submerged in water for several minutes. Do you plan to take your speaker outside? To the beach? To the pool? In the shower? Then you definitely need to verify the level of water resistance before purchasing. You can tell the water resistance by the IP rating—the higher the rating, the more resistant the speaker is to the elements. For reference, the first digit refers to dust protection and the second digit refers to water protection. It reads as: IP68. Anything higher than IP66 will be dust- and splash-proof, meaning it can handle some contact with water, but cannot be fully submerged or soaked.
Battery life for Bluetooth speakers is measured in milliampere hours (mAh). Manufacturers will report the battery life of a speaker in the average number of hours it takes to empty from a full charge. Keep in mind this number is based on medium levels of usage. If you play the speaker on full volume, it will drain the battery faster. Some specialty features like using the speaker to charge your phone or casting an LED light show will also drain the battery faster. The manufacturer reported number is just an estimate, and may be slightly different based on your usage.
It’s also important to consider is the type of battery. Rechargeable lithium-ion (LI-ion) batters are ideal, but some speakers only take standard or rechargeable AA/AAA/C/D batteries. You may even find Bluetooth speakers that recharge via solar power—great for outdoor use!
Altec Lansing Sonic Boom is a well-known option in the middle of the bluetooth speakers price range. It's in the top 3 bestselling bluetooth speakers and has dozens of popular alternatives in the same price range, such as JBL Pulse 2 or Sony SRS-XB21 .
Altec Lansing Sonic Boom is $9.99 less expensive than an average bluetooth speaker ($129.99).
Bose SoundLink Micro is a very popular option in the middle of the bluetooth speakers price range. It's in the top 3 bestselling bluetooth speakers and has dozens of popular alternatives in the same price range, such as LG Xboom Go PK7 or Jawbone Mini Jambox .
Bose SoundLink Micro was released in 2017. There are dozens of newer bluetooth speakers on the market. Show newer Bluetooth Speakers
Bose SoundLink Micro is $40 more expensive than the average bluetooth speaker ($129.99).