Short answer: the Bose Portable Smart Speaker, if you are buying new. The Minirig 3 ranks higher than it (#8 vs #78 of 164 medium speakers, 4.3/5 vs 3.4/5) but is discontinued, so only consider it used; the Bose Portable Smart Speaker is still sold new at $399.
The Minirig 3 is the better-sounding, longer-running pick. Modular, can easily attach a subwoofer. It is rated for 30 hours of battery against 12 for the Bose Portable Smart Speaker. At 1.2 lbs (550 g) it weighs much less than the Bose Portable Smart Speaker at 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg). It supports aptX Bluetooth, which the Bose Portable Smart Speaker lacks. The catch: Calls itself splash resistant and has no official water rating.
Why pick the Bose Portable Smart Speaker: 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. Watch for: 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.
Buy the Bose Portable Smart Speaker new; the Minirig 3 is no longer sold new, so it only makes sense as a used find.
Still deciding? The full Portable Bluetooth rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Minirig 3 | Bose Portable Smart Speaker | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $140 Discontinued | $399.00 |
| Ranked | #8 of 164 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #78 of 164 in Medium Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | Yes | Yes (Bose Music) |
| Aux Input | Yes | No |
| Aux Latency | 0ms | - |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | aptX, AAC, SBC | SBC, AAC |
| Built-in Microphone | No | Yes (far-field mic array, mic mute button) |
| EQ | Yes | Yes (Bass/Treble) |
| IP Rating | Splash resistant | IPX4 |
| Bluetooth Latency | 60ms | - |
| Maximum SPL | 105dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | - |
| Power Bank | No | No |
| Power Input | Proprietary USB cable | USB-C |
| Stereo | No | No |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up | Pointing up |
| TWS | Yes (Bluetooth or cable) | - |
| Weight | 1.2 lbs (550 g) | 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg) |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 | 4.2 |
| Dimensions | 4” x 2.9” (101.6 x 73 mm) (diameter x height) | 7.6” x 4.7” x 4.1” (192 x 119 x 104 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Drivers | 70mm custom driver | 1x high-excursion driver with 360-degree deflector + 3x passive radiators |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 18kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Amplifier Power | 40W | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Wi-Fi | - | Yes |
| Voice Assistants | - | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant |
| Party Mode | - | Yes (Bose Music multi-room, SimpleSync, AirPlay 2) |
| Strap | - | No |
| Streaming Services | - | AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn |
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Prices on this page were last checked October 4, 2026 at 9:58 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
Minirig 3: $140 Discontinued eBay
Newer model: the Minirig 4, ranked higher, rated 4.3/5.
Pros: Modular, can easily attach a subwoofer. Measured bass extension of 53Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Not stereo. Calls itself splash resistant and has no official water rating. App is buggy. Wireless TWS pairing is buggy. A bit expensive. Has reliability issues more often than any other speaker. Discontinued; Minirig now sells only the Minirig 4, and the old product page redirects to it.
Full Minirig 3 review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 40W |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Aux Latency | 0ms |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 53Hz |
| Battery Life | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | aptX, AAC, SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 60ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 4” x 2.9” (101.6 x 73 mm) (diameter x height) |
| Drivers | 70mm custom driver |
| EQ | Yes |
| Frequency Response | 60Hz - 18kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | Splash resistant |
| Maximum SPL | 105dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | Proprietary USB cable |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes (Bluetooth or cable) |
| Weight | 1.2 lbs (550 g) |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
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- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Bose Portable Smart Speaker: $399.00 Bose eBay
Pros: 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 works as a Wi-Fi speaker at home (AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect) and as a Bluetooth speaker away from Wi-Fi, weighs about 1 kg with a carry handle, and is IPX4 splash resistant. SoundGuys measured 13 hours 6 minutes of playback at 75 dB, beating Bose’s 12 hour claim, and found the bass impressive for its size, especially near a wall or corner. Its 360 degree design spreads sound evenly around a room.
Cons: 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. Pushed to full volume, Tom’s Guide heard unbalanced sound and Pocket-lint found the bass struggling and turning incoherent. RTINGS measured only about 5 hours of battery in its own test. It is mono, has no aux input (the USB-C port only charges), uses Bluetooth 4.2, and the Bose Music app supports a limited list of streaming services. IPX4 covers splashes only, not submersion or dust.
Full Bose Portable Smart Speaker review and specifications →
| App | Yes (Bose Music) |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | No |
| Battery Life | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes (far-field mic array, mic mute button) |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 7.6” x 4.7” x 4.1” (192 x 119 x 104 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Drivers | 1x high-excursion driver with 360-degree deflector + 3x passive radiators |
| EQ | Yes (Bass/Treble) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up |
| Party Mode | Yes (Bose Music multi-room, SimpleSync, AirPlay 2) |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| Strap | No |
| Streaming Services | AirPlay 2, Chromecast built-in, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Pandora, SiriusXM, TuneIn |
| Voice Assistants | Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant |
| Weight | 2.3 lbs (1.06 kg) |
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
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