These sit in different size classes, so this is not a straight ranking comparison. The Apple HomePod 2nd Gen ranks #5 of 19 powered desktop speakers by sound quality at $297.71; the Bose Portable Smart Speaker ranks #65 of 145 medium speakers by sound quality at $399.
What the Apple HomePod 2nd Gen does well: What Hi-Fi gave it a perfect 5 stars for sound and a What Hi-Fi Award, calling it natural, solid and energetic with a spacious, three-dimensional presentation on Dolby Atmos content. The tradeoff: What Hi-Fi’s own comparison found the pricier Sonos Era 300 has more power, punch and detail, and Siri cannot launch Spotify, Tidal or other non-Apple services directly, only Apple Music by voice; everything else has to be sent over AirPlay from a phone.
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 Apple HomePod 2nd Gen at $297.71 for a powered desktop speaker, or the Bose Portable Smart Speaker at $399 for a medium speaker instead.
Water resistance is not close: the Bose Portable Smart Speaker is rated at IPX4 (splashing), well ahead of the Apple HomePod 2nd Gen at no water resistance.
Want more options? Browse the full Powered Home rankings and Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Apple HomePod 2nd Gen | Bose Portable Smart Speaker | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $297.71 each | $399.00 |
| Ranked | #5 of 19 in Medium 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 (AirPlay 2 multi-room) | Yes (Bose Music multi-room, SimpleSync, AirPlay 2) |
| Power Input | External AC adapter (detachable cable) | USB-C |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Weight | 5.1 lbs (2.3 kg) | 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes |
| App | Yes (Apple Home) | Yes (Bose Music) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field array, no physical mute switch) | Yes (far-field mic array, mic mute button) |
| EQ | Yes (Reduce Bass toggle + automatic room correction) | Yes (Bass/Treble) |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| TWS | Yes (stereo pairing via Home app) | - |
| Drivers | 4in high-excursion woofer, 5x horn-loaded tweeters | 1x high-excursion driver with 360-degree deflector + 3x passive radiators |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2 | - |
| 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 | No | - |
| Dimensions | 6.7” x 5.6” x 5.6” (170 x 142 x 142 mm) | 7.6” x 4.7” x 4.1” (192 x 119 x 104 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Voice Assistants | Apple Siri | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Apple Music (direct voice control); other services via AirPlay only | AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn |
| Omnidirectional | - | Pointing up |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 4.2 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | - | SBC, AAC |
| Digital Aux Input | - | No |
| Strap | - | No |
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More worthwhile head-to-heads for Apple HomePod 2nd Gen:
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Audio Pro C5 MkII
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Marshall Woburn III
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Marshall Stanmore III
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Edifier D12
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs JBL Authentics 200
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
Apple HomePod 2nd Gen: $297.71 each Amazon eBay
Pros: What Hi-Fi gave it a perfect 5 stars for sound and a What Hi-Fi Award, calling it natural, solid and energetic with a spacious, three-dimensional presentation on Dolby Atmos content. A 4-inch high-excursion woofer moves 20mm of travel, paired with five angled horn-loaded tweeters, and the S7 chip continuously measures the room and re-tunes the output in real time, even as you move the speaker. “Hey Siri” is reliably heard from across a room even at full volume, and two units can be stereo-paired for a genuinely bigger sound.
Cons: What Hi-Fi’s own comparison found the pricier Sonos Era 300 has more power, punch and detail, and Siri cannot launch Spotify, Tidal or other non-Apple services directly, only Apple Music by voice; everything else has to be sent over AirPlay from a phone. There is no way to stream to it over Bluetooth at all, no 3.5mm or other wired input, no battery, and no IP rating, so it’s an AC-only speaker for an already-committed Apple household.
Full Apple HomePod 2nd Gen review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| App | Yes (Apple Home) |
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | No Battery |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field array, no physical mute switch) |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| Dimensions | 6.7” x 5.6” x 5.6” (170 x 142 x 142 mm) |
| Drivers | 4in high-excursion woofer, 5x horn-loaded tweeters |
| EQ | Yes (Reduce Bass toggle + automatic room correction) |
| HDMI Input | No |
| IP Rating | None |
| Inputs | Wi-Fi, AirPlay 2 |
| Optical Input | No |
| Party Mode | Yes (AirPlay 2 multi-room) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | External AC adapter (detachable cable) |
| RCA Input | No |
| Stereo | No |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Apple Music (direct voice control); other services via AirPlay only |
| TRS Input | No |
| TWS | Yes (stereo pairing via Home app) |
| USB Input | No |
| Voice Assistants | Apple Siri |
| Weight | 5.1 lbs (2.3 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
| XLR Input | No |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Marshall Stanmore III
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Edifier D12
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs JBL Authentics 200
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Marshall Woburn III
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Marshall Acton III
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Audio Pro C5 MkII
- Apple HomePod 2nd Gen vs Denon Home 250
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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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