Short answer: the Bose Soundlink Mini. It ranks #56 of 136 medium speakers by sound quality at $125; the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 ranks #89 and costs $129.90, so there is little reason to consider the other one.
What the Bose Soundlink Mini offers: Compact aluminum build feels sturdy and dense. Comes with a charging cradle. Watch for: Boosted upper bass like most Bose speakers. Upper treble rolled off. Bass doesn’t go as deep as others. Failures of the mainboard are common.
What the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 offers: Rich and warm bass without muddying mix, crisp highs, excellent 15-hour battery life, stable Bluetooth connectivity, IP67 rated and floats, rugged fabric shell, can pair up to 150 speakers via PartyUp Watch for: Not stereo, barely any bass, recessed treble. You can tell from the micro USB that they are just feeding you the same crap hardware over and over, this is inexcusable for a product released in 2021. Lots of mentions of failing batteries on amazon. Not technically a 360 speaker, only front and rear.
Buy the Bose Soundlink Mini. It ranks higher for sound quality than the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 and costs less, which settles it without a real tradeoff to make.
Battery life favors the Ultimate Ears Boom 3: rated for 15 hours against 10 hours for the Bose Soundlink Mini.
Water resistance is not close: the Ultimate Ears Boom 3 is rated at IP67 (brief submersion), well ahead of the Bose Soundlink Mini at no water resistance.
Specifications Side By Side
| Bose Soundlink Mini | Ultimate Ears Boom 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $125.00 Discontinued | $129.90 |
| Ranked | #56 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #89 of 136 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| Aux Input | Yes | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~58Hz | 91Hz |
| Battery Life | 10 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 15 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | None | IP67 |
| Stereo | Yes | Yes |
| Omnidirectional | No | Yes |
| Weight | 1.5 lbs / 680 g | 1.3 lbs / 608 g |
| Dimensions | 7.1" x 2" x 2.3" (180 x 51 x 58 mm) | 7.2" x 2.9" (184 x 73 mm) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC | - |
| Built in Microphone | Yes | No |
| Power Input | Proprietary connector | Micro USB |
| App | Yes (Bose Connect) | - |
| Drivers | 50mm full-range driver with passive radiators | 2x 2" active drivers + 2x 2" x 4" passive radiators |
| Discontinued | Yes | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Party Mode | - | Yes (PartyUp up to 50 speakers) |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 4.2 |
| TWS | - | Yes |
| EQ | - | Yes (via app) |
| Max Volume | - | 87dB |
Related Speaker Comparisons
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- Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove vs Marshall Emberton III
- Bose Soundlink Mini 2 vs JBL Flip 4
- JBL Flip 7 vs Bose Soundlink Mini
- Bose Soundlink Mini vs Beats Pill 2024
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: $125.00 Discontinued Amazon eBay
Pros: Compact aluminum build feels sturdy and dense. Comes with a charging cradle.
Cons: Boosted upper bass like most Bose speakers. Upper treble rolled off. Bass doesn’t go as deep as others. Failures of the mainboard are common. Discontinued.
Full Bose Soundlink Mini review and specifications →
| App | Yes (Bose Connect) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | ~58Hz |
| Battery Life | 10 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| 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 | 50mm full-range driver with passive radiators |
| IP Rating | None |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Power Input | Proprietary connector |
| Stereo | Yes |
| Weight | 1.5 lbs / 680 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Bose Soundlink Mini vs Sony ULT Field 3
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- Bose Soundlink Mini vs Soundcore 3/Soundcore Select 2
- Bose Soundlink Mini vs Xiaomi Mi Portable
- Bose Soundlink Mini vs Sony XB33
- Bose Soundlink Mini vs Turtlebox Ranger
- Bose Soundlink Mini vs Beats Pill 2024
- Bose Soundlink Mini vs JBL Charge 4
- See all 75 comparisons
Ultimate Ears Boom 3: $129.90 Amazon eBay
Pros: Rich and warm bass without muddying mix, crisp highs, excellent 15-hour battery life, stable Bluetooth connectivity, IP67 rated and floats, rugged fabric shell, can pair up to 150 speakers via PartyUp
Cons: Not stereo, barely any bass, recessed treble. You can tell from the micro USB that they are just feeding you the same crap hardware over and over, this is inexcusable for a product released in 2021. Lots of mentions of failing batteries on amazon. Not technically a 360 speaker, only front and rear.
Full Ultimate Ears Boom 3 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 91Hz |
|---|---|
| Battery Life | 15 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 |
| Built in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.2" x 2.9" (184 x 73 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 2" active drivers + 2x 2" x 4" passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (via app) |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Max Volume | 87dB |
| Omnidirectional | Yes |
| Party Mode | Yes (PartyUp up to 50 speakers) |
| Power Input | Micro USB |
| Stereo | Yes |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 1.3 lbs / 608 g |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
- Ultimate Ears Boom 3 vs Ultimate Ears Boom 4
- Ultimate Ears Boom 3 vs Klipsch Groove/Heritage Groove
- Ultimate Ears Boom 3 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom
- Ultimate Ears Boom 3 vs Sony SRS-XE300
- Ultimate Ears Boom 3 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 2
- Ultimate Ears Boom 3 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3
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