Bose SoundLink Micro Bluetooth speaker, SoundSport Free wireless headphones first impressions

Here are our first impressions after spending some time with Bose’s latest products.

Bose SoundLink Micro features a tear-resistant strap (Marcia Sekhose)

Bose on Tuesday launched two new products in India - SoundLink Micro Bluetooth speaker and SoundSport Free wireless headphones.

SoundLink Micro Bluetooth speaker is priced at ₹8,990 and will be available across online and offline stores starting February 7. SoundSport Free wireless headphones will retail at ₹18,990. Both the devices are currently available for pre-order on Bose's official website.

We spent some time with the two new Bose products at the launch event, and here's our first impression.

SoundSport Free wireless headphones

SoundSport Free is Bose's first truly wireless headphones, and a new competitor for Apple's AirPods. SoundSport however does more than the AirPods and are aimed at fitness enthusiasts. The wireless headphones come in three colours of 'Triple Black', 'Midnight Blue' with 'Yellow Citron', and a bright orange.

Bose SoundSport wireless headphones in 'Midnight Blue' with 'Yellow Citron' colour combination (Marcia Sekhose)

Bose SoundSport wireless headphones in 'Midnight Blue' with 'Yellow Citron' colour combination (Marcia Sekhose)

You have three sizes of StayHear+ Sport tips which you can choose from for the headphones.

I'm not a fan of in-ear headphones but these ones were quite comfortable and actually stayed put. You can connect the headphones via Bluetooth normally with your device or through the Bose Connect app as well. We played soft tracks with minimal bass which sounded crisp and also gave a surround-sound effect.

These headphones come with 'Find My Buds' feature which is available on the Bose Connect app. Turning it on releases a chirping sound from the wireless headphones so that you can locate them. The app also shows location range of both the left and right earbuds. In terms of colours, the 'Midnight Blue with Yellow Citron' was my favourite. With IPX4 rating, SoundSport Free wireless headphones can withstand sweat and rain.

The wireless headphones come in a small portable charging case which is claimed to give up to 10 hours of juice on a two-hour charge. Bose also says that a 15-minute charge can last the wireless headphones up to 45 minutes.

SoundLink Micro Bluetooth speaker

A quite reasonable offering at ₹8,990, Bose's SoundLink Micro aims to be your travelling companion. It comes with a tear-resistant strap which easily clutches on to a bike or even a backpack.

It's quite compact and fits right into the palm of your hands. Although suited for more outdoor activities, SoundLink Micro also does well as a Bluetooth speaker.

.@Bose #SoundLink Micro Bluetooth speaker pic.twitter.com/OZz1KunXzo

— Marcia Sekhose (@marciasekhose) February 7, 2018

The Bluetooth speakers connect to your device pretty fast. To test its audio quality, we played different tracks ranging from rock to rap and the sound delivery was quite good. What impressed me was the audio output for a palm-sized Bluetooth speaker which was pretty loud. SoundLink Micro is also IPX7 certified making it waterproof.

We demonstrated pouring water over the Bluetooth speaker and played music at the same time. The presence of water didn't affect the audio quality of the device.

Bose products usually don't disappoint and our brief time with them did impress us. Tune in for our review to know how the devices actually work after an in-depth use.