Short answer: the Minirig 4. It ranks #7 of 164 medium speakers by sound quality, rated 4.3/5, at $229.95; the Bose Portable Smart Speaker ranks #78, rated 3.4/5, and costs $399, so there is not much of a tradeoff to weigh.
The Minirig 4 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 keeps a wired aux input, which the Bose Portable Smart Speaker lacks. The catch: Calls itself splash resistant and has no official water rating.
The case for 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. The catch: 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 Minirig 4. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Bose Portable Smart Speaker and costs less, which makes it the one to get unless you need something the other one does better.
Still deciding? The full Portable Bluetooth rankings cover every ranked option.
Specifications Side By Side
| Minirig 4 | Bose Portable Smart Speaker | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $229.95 | $399.00 |
| Ranked | #7 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) | 56Hz | - |
| Battery Life | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 12 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC | SBC, AAC |
| EQ | Yes | Yes (Bass/Treble) |
| IP Rating | Splash resistant | IPX4 |
| Bluetooth Latency | 60ms | - |
| Maximum SPL | 106dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) | - |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) | No |
| Power Input | USB-C | 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 | 50W | - |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | Yes (far-field mic array, mic mute button) |
| 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 4: $229.95 Amazon eBay
Older models: the Minirig 3 (ranked lower, rated 4.3/5) and the Minirig 2 (ranked lower, rated 4.3/5).
Pros: Modular, can easily attach a subwoofer. Finally USB-C charging. Dynamically changes sound based on forward facing or upward facing orientation. Measured bass extension of 56Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Calls itself splash resistant and has no official water rating. App is buggy. A bit expensive. Has reliability issues more often than any other speaker
Full Minirig 4 review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 50W |
|---|---|
| App | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Aux Latency | 0ms |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 56Hz |
| Battery Life | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| Bluetooth Codecs | AAC, SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 60ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.0 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| 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 | 106dB (measured by Alan Ross Reviews) |
| Omnidirectional | Pointing up |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | No |
| TWS | Yes (Bluetooth or cable) |
| Weight | 1.2 lbs (550 g) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- 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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