Short answer: the Bose Portable Smart Speaker on measured sound quality, the Ultimate Ears Boom 4 on price. The Bose Portable Smart Speaker ranks #75 of 172 medium speakers, rated 3.4/5, at $297.77. The Ultimate Ears Boom 4 ranks #110, rated 2.9/5, at $114.99, $182.78 cheaper.
The Bose Portable Smart Speaker is the better-sounding option. 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 supports AAC Bluetooth, which the Ultimate Ears Boom 4 lacks. The tradeoff: 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.
The Ultimate Ears Boom 4 is the lighter, tougher pick. IP67 rated, floats, and finally charges via USB-C instead of the older Booms’ Micro-USB. At 1.4 lbs (620 g) it weighs much less than the Bose Portable Smart Speaker at 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg). It is rated IP67 against IPX4 for the Bose Portable Smart Speaker. It plays in stereo from a single unit, unlike the Bose Portable Smart Speaker. The catch: Not much improvement over the old ones.
Buy the Bose Portable Smart Speaker when sound quality outweighs the price for you, and the Ultimate Ears Boom 4 when the price outweighs sound quality instead.
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
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.
Amazon $297.77 Bose $399.00 eBay
IP67 rated, floats, and finally charges via USB-C instead of the older Booms’ Micro-USB.
Amazon $114.99 eBayPrices on this page were last checked October 16, 2026 at 5:46 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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Specifications Side By Side
| Bose Portable Smart Speaker | Ultimate Ears Boom 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $297.77 | $114.99 |
| Ranked | #75 of 172 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #110 of 172 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| TWS | No | Yes |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 15 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 | IP67 |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | No | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up | No |
| Weight | 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg) | 1.4 lbs (620 g) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 | 5.1 |
| Dimensions | 7.6” x 4.7” x 4.1” (192 x 119 x 104 mm) (H x W x D) | 7.2” x 2.9” x 2.9” (184 x 73 x 73 mm) |
| App | Yes (Bose Music) | Yes |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field mic array, mic mute button) | No |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble) | Yes (via app) |
| Drivers | 1x high-excursion driver with 360-degree deflector + 3x passive radiators | 2x 1.57” (40mm) active drivers + 2x 1.81” x 2.57” (46.1 x 65.2mm) passive radiators |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Wi-Fi | Yes | - |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant | - |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Music multi-room, SimpleSync, AirPlay 2) | - |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| Strap | No | Yes (built-in loop) |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn | - |
| Maximum SPL | - | 85dBC (Manufacturer specified) |
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