Different classes, so treat this as a step-up-or-not question rather than a head-to-head. The Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen ranks #2 of 10 powered desktop speakers by sound quality at $219.99; the Bose Portable Smart Speaker ranks #65 of 145 medium speakers by sound quality at $399.
Why pick the Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen: SoundGuys called it the best-sounding Amazon speaker they have tested, scoring it 7.8 of 10. The tradeoff: SoundGuys still marked it down on Value (4.0 of 10) given the $219.99 list price, and it is explicitly not true left-right stereo from one cabinet, so a stereo pair is needed for real width in a larger room.
What the Bose Portable Smart Speaker does well: Both Alexa and Google Assistant are built in, and RTINGS rates its microphones as excellent at hearing commands from far away or in a noisy room. Watch for: RTINGS found the out of the box tuning boomy and says it doesn’t get very loud; the app’s bass and treble sliders help, and SoundGuys recommended cutting bass by 10 to 20 steps to balance it.
Buy the Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen at $219.99 if you want a powered desktop speaker. Buy the Bose Portable Smart Speaker at $399 if you want a medium speaker instead.
There is a real gap in water resistance: the Bose Portable Smart Speaker at IPX4 (splashing) against the Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen, which has no water resistance.
Want more options? Browse the full Powered Home rankings and Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen | Bose Portable Smart Speaker | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $219.99 each | $399.00 |
| Ranked | #2 of 10 in Small Size Powered Desktop Speakers | #65 of 145 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Battery Life | No Battery | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | None | IPX4 |
| Party Mode | Yes (Wi-Fi multi-room, Alexa Home Theater) | Yes (Bose Music multi-room, SimpleSync, AirPlay 2) |
| Power Input | External AC adapter | USB-C |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Weight | 3.6 lbs (1.632 kg) | 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (Wi-Fi 6E) | Yes |
| App | Yes (Alexa) | Yes (Bose Music) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC, AAC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (mic mute button, far-field) | Yes (far-field mic array, mic mute button) |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Mid/Treble + Dolby Virtualizer, via Alexa app) | Yes (Bass/Treble) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (Wi-Fi stereo pairing via Alexa app) | - |
| Drivers | 3.75in high-excursion woofer, 3x 2.25in full-range drivers (L/R/up) | 1x high-excursion driver with 360-degree deflector + 3x passive radiators |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | - |
| XLR Input | No | - |
| RCA Input | No | - |
| TRS Input | No | - |
| Optical Input | No | - |
| Coaxial Input | No | - |
| USB Input | No | - |
| HDMI Input | No | - |
| AES Input | No | - |
| Bluetooth | Yes, 5.3 | - |
| Dimensions | 6.1” x 5.6” x 5.8” (155 x 142 x 147 mm) | 7.6” x 4.7” x 4.1” (192 x 119 x 104 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa / Alexa+ | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant |
| Streaming Services | Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, SiriusXM | AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn |
| Omnidirectional | - | Pointing up |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 4.2 |
| Digital Aux Input | - | No |
| Strap | - | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
How Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen compares with other leading options:
- Amazon Echo Dot Max vs Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Denon Home 150
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Google Nest Audio
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Apple HomePod Mini
- Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen vs Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen
Prices on this page were last checked September 26, 2026 at 11:14 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Speakers In Full
Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen: $219.99 each Amazon eBay
Pros: SoundGuys called it the best-sounding Amazon speaker they have tested, scoring it 7.8 of 10. A 3.75-inch high-excursion woofer and three 2.25-inch full-range drivers fire left, right and upward, giving a real sense of width and instrument separation from a single enclosure, with vocals sitting forward and clean cymbals even at moderate volume. It supports Dolby Atmos and spatial audio on compatible content, stays distortion-free up to about 70% volume, and includes a built-in Zigbee, Matter and Thread smart home hub plus a 3-band EQ with a Dolby Virtualizer toggle.
Cons: SoundGuys still marked it down on Value (4.0 of 10) given the $219.99 list price, and it is explicitly not true left-right stereo from one cabinet, so a stereo pair is needed for real width in a larger room. There are no wired audio inputs of any kind and no battery, so it must stay plugged in, and Bluetooth is limited to the SBC codec. Voice recognition wasn’t perfectly reliable in testing, occasionally playing the wrong track for a specific artist-title request.
Full Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (Alexa) |
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | Yes, 5.3 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (mic mute button, far-field) |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Dimensions | 6.1” x 5.6” x 5.8” (155 x 142 x 147 mm) |
| Drivers | 3.75in high-excursion woofer, 3x 2.25in full-range drivers (L/R/up) |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Mid/Treble + Dolby Virtualizer, via Alexa app) |
| HDMI Input | No |
| IP Rating | None |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Optical Input | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (Wi-Fi multi-room, Alexa Home Theater) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | External AC adapter |
| RCA Input | No |
| Stereo | No |
| Streaming Services | Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, SiriusXM |
| TRS Input | No |
| TWS | Yes (Wi-Fi stereo pairing via Alexa app) |
| USB Input | No |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa / Alexa+ |
| Weight | 3.6 lbs (1.632 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes (Wi-Fi 6E) |
| XLR Input | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Amazon Echo Dot Max
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Denon Home 150
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Google Nest Audio
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Apple HomePod Mini
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Google Home Speaker
- Amazon Echo Studio 2nd Gen vs Google Nest Mini 2nd Gen
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- See all 28 comparisons
Bose Portable Smart Speaker: $399.00 Bose eBay
Pros: Both Alexa and Google Assistant are built in, and RTINGS rates its microphones as excellent at hearing commands from far away or in a noisy room. It works as a Wi-Fi speaker at home (AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect) and as a Bluetooth speaker away from Wi-Fi, weighs about 1 kg with a carry handle, and is IPX4 splash resistant. SoundGuys measured 13 hours 6 minutes of playback at 75 dB, beating Bose’s 12 hour claim, and found the bass impressive for its size, especially near a wall or corner. Its 360 degree design spreads sound evenly around a room.
Cons: RTINGS found the out of the box tuning boomy and says it doesn’t get very loud; the app’s bass and treble sliders help, and SoundGuys recommended cutting bass by 10 to 20 steps to balance it. Pushed to full volume, Tom’s Guide heard unbalanced sound and Pocket-lint found the bass struggling and turning incoherent. RTINGS measured only about 5 hours of battery in its own test. It is mono, has no aux input (the USB-C port only charges), uses Bluetooth 4.2, and the Bose Music app supports a limited list of streaming services. IPX4 covers splashes only, not submersion or dust.
Full Bose Portable Smart Speaker review and specifications →
| App | Yes (Bose Music) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field mic array, mic mute button) |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.6” x 4.7” x 4.1” (192 x 119 x 104 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Drivers | 1x high-excursion driver with 360-degree deflector + 3x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Music multi-room, SimpleSync, AirPlay 2) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | No |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant |
| Weight | 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
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