Short answer: the SoundLink Plus, unless you specifically need the Max’s size and battery. The Max ranks #17 of 120 large speakers at $399, and the Plus ranks #25 at $179, a $220 difference for a 8-place gap.
Neither speaker has clean, neutral sound, and the differences are more about tradeoffs than a clear winner. Our notes on the Max call out a big peak in the upper bass, a dipped midrange, and lots of peaks and dips above the midrange, plus distortion above 80% volume. The Plus gets described more favorably as vibrant with booming bass and clean mids, but its bass is also called boosted and thuddy rather than genuinely deep, and our notes go as far as saying you should probably buy the smaller SoundLink Flex instead if bass extension matters to you.
The Max’s size buys it a few real advantages. It reaches 48Hz at -10dB, has an aux input the Plus lacks, and Bose’s own real-world testing found over 43 hours of battery life against its 20-hour rating. But it is not true stereo, its drivers are two midrange units plus a single tweeter rather than a stereo pair, while the smaller Plus is. The Max also has a documented issue where it self-drains its battery by about 20% a week when not in use.
The Plus has its own conveniences: Bluetooth 5.4 (versus the Max’s older 5.3), Bose Party Mode for pairing with other Bose speakers, and a more compact, lighter body at 3.3 lbs (1.5 kg) against the Max’s 4.9 lbs (2.2 kg).
Buy the Bose SoundLink Plus for most people. It costs less, has newer Bluetooth, and its sound signature, while still bass-boosted, is described more positively than the Max’s.
Buy the Bose SoundLink Max if you specifically want the larger size, the aux input, or the genuinely excellent real-world battery life, and can live with its rougher upper-bass and midrange tuning.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Prices on this page were last checked November 7, 2026 at 7:34 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 SoundLink Max | Bose SoundLink Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $399.00 | $179.00 |
| Ranked | #17 of 120 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #25 of 120 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes | No |
| Aux Latency | 33ms | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 48Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Built-in Microphone | No | No |
| IP Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Bluetooth Latency | 116ms | - |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) | Yes (USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C | USB-C |
| Stereo | Partially (1 tweeter) | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| Weight | 4.9 lbs (2.2 kg) | 3.3 lbs (1.5 kg) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | SBC |
| EQ | No | No |
| Party Mode | No | Yes (Bose Party mode) |
| TWS | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | 5.4 |
| Dimensions | 10.4” x 4.7” x 4.1” (264.7 x 120.1 x 104.9 mm) | 9.1” x 3.9” x 3.4” (231 x 99 x 86 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 2.5” (63.5mm) midrange drivers + 1x 0.79” (20mm) tweeter | 1x 2.5” (63.5mm) woofer + 1x ~0.78” (20mm) tweeter + 4x passive radiators |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Strap | No | Yes (built-in loop) |
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