Short answer: the Bose Soundlink Mini 2 on measured sound quality, the Ultimate Ears Boom 4 on price. The Bose Soundlink Mini 2 ranks #55 of 136 medium speakers at $184. The Ultimate Ears Boom 4 ranks #88 at $105, $79 cheaper.
What the Bose Soundlink Mini 2 offers: Compact aluminum build feels sturdy and dense. ~10 hour battery life; can pair to two devices at once and remembers up to 8. Watch for: Boosted upper bass like most Bose speakers. Upper treble rolled off. Bass is 2db less boosted than the Mini. Bass doesn’t go as deep as others. Failures of the mainboard are common.
What the Ultimate Ears Boom 4 offers: IP67 rated, floats, and finally charges via USB-C instead of the older Booms’ Micro-USB. 15 hour battery. Customizable EQ and speaker-pairing via the UE app. Watch for: Not much improvement over the old ones. Weak bass extension and thuddy bass. Gets distorted above 90%
Buy the Bose Soundlink Mini 2 when sound quality outweighs the price for you, and the Ultimate Ears Boom 4 when the price outweighs sound quality instead.
There is a real battery-life gap here: the Ultimate Ears Boom 4 is rated for 15 hours, the Bose Soundlink Mini 2 only 10 hours.
Water resistance is not close: the Ultimate Ears Boom 4 is rated at IP67 (brief submersion), well ahead of the Bose Soundlink Mini 2 at no water resistance.
Specifications Side By Side
| Bose Soundlink Mini 2 | Ultimate Ears Boom 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $184.00 Discontinued | $105 |
| Ranked | #55 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #88 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Aux Input | Yes | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~58Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 10 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 15 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | None | IP67 |
| Stereo | Yes | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| Weight | 1.5 lbs / 680 g | 1.4 lbs / 620 g |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 | 5.1 |
| Drivers | 2x 33mm fullrange | 2x 1.57" (40mm) active drivers + 2x 1.81" x 2.57" (46.1 x 65.2mm) passive radiators |
| Dimensions | 7.1" x 2" x 2.3" (180 x 51 x 58 mm) | 7.2" x 2.9" x 2.9" (184 x 73 x 73 mm) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | - |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | No |
| Power Input | Proprietary connector | USB-C |
| App | Yes (Bose Connect) | Yes |
| Discontinued | Yes | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| TWS | - | Yes |
| EQ | - | Yes (via app) |
| Power Bank | - | No |
| Max Volume | - | 85dBC |
Related Speaker Comparisons
A few more comparisons worth a look in the same class:
- Bose Soundlink Flex 2nd gen vs Ultimate Ears Boom 3
- Bose Soundlink Mini vs Ultimate Ears Megaboom 3
- Bose Soundlink Mini vs Marshall Emberton III
- Bose Soundlink Mini 2 vs Bose SoundLink Color II
- Soundcore Boom 3i vs Bose Soundlink Mini 2
Prices on this page were last checked August 27, 2026 at 10:09 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
Bose Soundlink Mini 2: $184.00 Discontinued Amazon eBay
Pros: Compact aluminum build feels sturdy and dense. ~10 hour battery life; can pair to two devices at once and remembers up to 8.
Cons: Boosted upper bass like most Bose speakers. Upper treble rolled off. Bass is 2db less boosted than the Mini. Bass doesn’t go as deep as others. Failures of the mainboard are common. Discontinued.
Full Bose Soundlink Mini 2 review and specifications →
| App | Yes (Bose Connect) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~58Hz |
| Battery Life | 10 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 |
| Built in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.1" x 2" x 2.3" (180 x 51 x 58 mm) |
| Discontinued | Yes |
| Drivers | 2x 33mm fullrange |
| IP Rating | None |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Power Input | Proprietary connector |
| Stereo | Yes |
| Weight | 1.5 lbs / 680 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Alan Ross: Hall of Fame classic vs latest Bose tech! More from alanrossreviews →
- Patricio Benadon: Bose SoundLink Flex vs. Mini 2 SE. Music audio quality sound test. Listen 4 different genres!
- techkiste.net: Bose Soundlink Mini 2 vs the world ;) (Denon Envaya DSB250, Vifa Reykjavik, iRoar Go)
- Reddit Search for Bose Soundlink Mini 2 Review
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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Ultimate Ears Boom 4: $105 Amazon eBay
Pros: IP67 rated, floats, and finally charges via USB-C instead of the older Booms’ Micro-USB. 15 hour battery. Customizable EQ and speaker-pairing via the UE app.
Cons: Not much improvement over the old ones. Weak bass extension and thuddy bass. Gets distorted above 90%
Full Ultimate Ears Boom 4 review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 15 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.2" x 2.9" x 2.9" (184 x 73 x 73 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 1.57" (40mm) active drivers + 2x 1.81" x 2.57" (46.1 x 65.2mm) passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (via app) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Max Volume | 85dBC |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.4 lbs / 620 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Boom 3
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3
- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4
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- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Tribit Stormbox
- See all 74 comparisons