Short answer: the Bose Soundlink Mini for better sound quality, the Ultimate Ears Boom 4 for the lower price. The Bose Soundlink Mini ranks #56 of 136 medium speakers at $125. The Ultimate Ears Boom 4 ranks #88 at $105, $20 cheaper.
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 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 when sound quality outweighs the price for you, and the Ultimate Ears Boom 4 when the price outweighs sound quality instead.
Battery life favors the Ultimate Ears Boom 4: rated for 15 hours against 10 hours for the Bose Soundlink Mini.
Water resistance is not close: the Ultimate Ears Boom 4 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 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $125.00 Discontinued | $105 |
| Ranked | #56 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 |
| 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 |
| Drivers | 50mm full-range driver with passive radiators | 2x 1.57" (40mm) active drivers + 2x 1.81" x 2.57" (46.1 x 65.2mm) passive radiators |
| Discontinued | Yes | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 5.1 |
| 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:
- Sony XB23 vs Ultimate Ears Boom 3
- Ultimate Ears Boom 3 vs Ultimate Ears Roll 2
- Ultimate Ears Boom 3 vs Soundcore Motion X500
- Bose Soundlink Mini vs Bose SoundLink Color II
- Sonos Roam vs Ultimate Ears Boom 4
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
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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
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- Ultimate Ears Boom 4 vs Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4
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