Short answer: the Vifa Oslo. It ranks #8 of 82 large speakers by sound quality, rated 4.5/5, at $549. The Bose SoundLink Max ranks #17, rated 4.3/5, at $399, $150 cheaper, a saving that is not big enough to make up the sound-quality gap.
What the Vifa Oslo does well: Extreme treble details with decent bass. Watch for: Dip at 270Hz.
What the Bose SoundLink Max does well: IP67 rated - dustproof and waterproof to 1m. The catch: Big peak in the upper bass, dipped midrange and lots of peaks and dips above the midrange.
Buy the Vifa Oslo. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $150 you would save on the Bose SoundLink Max does not close the gap.
Battery life favors the Bose SoundLink Max: rated for 20 hours against 8 hours for the Vifa Oslo.
There is a real gap in water resistance: the Bose SoundLink Max at IP67 (brief submersion) against the Vifa Oslo, which has no water resistance.
Want more options? Browse the full Portable Bluetooth rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Vifa Oslo | Bose SoundLink Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $549.00 | $399.00 |
| Ranked | #8 of 82 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers | #17 of 82 in Large Size Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
| App | No (official app is broken, 3rd party android app only) | Yes |
| Aux Input | Yes | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50Hz | 48Hz |
| Battery Life | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | aptX, SBC | SBC |
| IP Rating | None | IP67 |
| Power Input | AC Power brick | USB-C |
| Stereo | Partially (1 woofer) | Partially (1 tweeter) |
| Omnidirectional | No | No |
| TWS | No | Yes |
| Weight | 5.3 lbs (2.4 kg) | 4.9 lbs (2.2 kg) |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | No |
| EQ | No | No |
| Party Mode | No | No |
| Power Bank | No | Yes (USB-C) |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.1 | 5.3 |
| Dimensions | 10.6” x 7.1” x 3.5” (268 x 181 x 90 mm) | 10.4” x 4.7” x 4.1” (264.7 x 120.1 x 104.9 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 50mm fullrange, 2x 80mm woofers + passive radiators | 2x 2.5” (63.5mm) midrange drivers + 1x 0.79” (20mm) tweeter |
| Frequency Response | 55Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Digital Aux Input | No | No |
| Amplifier Power | 50W | - |
| Aux Latency | - | 33ms |
| Bluetooth Latency | - | 116ms |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More worthwhile head-to-heads for Vifa Oslo:
- Vifa Helsinki vs Vifa Oslo
- JBL Xtreme 5 vs Vifa Oslo
- Tribit Stormbox Lava vs Vifa Oslo
- Brane X vs Vifa Oslo
- Minirig 3 with subwoofer vs Vifa Oslo
Prices on this page were last checked September 26, 2026 at 12:12 AM 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
Vifa Oslo: $549.00 Amazon eBay
Pros: Extreme treble details with decent bass. Full, natural, accurate sound at higher volumes. Rich, full bass from opposing 65mm woofers. Premium Kvadrat wool fabric with aluminum handle. 10 hour battery life. Measured bass extension of 50Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Dip at 270Hz. The Vifa Helsinki is cheaper and generally has a more neutral frequency response, so it is the better buy if you specifically want a Vifa. This one is hard to recommend generally these days: the Uboom L has 95% of the sound quality with more features and a much cheaper price.
Full Vifa Oslo review and specifications →
| Amplifier Power | 50W |
|---|---|
| App | No (official app is broken, 3rd party android app only) |
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 50Hz |
| Battery Life | 8 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | aptX, SBC |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.1 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 10.6” x 7.1” x 3.5” (268 x 181 x 90 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 50mm fullrange, 2x 80mm woofers + passive radiators |
| EQ | No |
| Frequency Response | 55Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| IP Rating | None |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | No |
| Power Input | AC Power brick |
| Stereo | Partially (1 woofer) |
| TWS | No |
| Weight | 5.3 lbs (2.4 kg) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- No independent measurement review is linked for this model; it is ranked from hands-on listening and comparison against similarly priced speakers.
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Bose SoundLink Max: $399.00 Amazon eBay
Pros: IP67 rated - dustproof and waterproof to 1m. Up to 20 hour battery; real-world testing found 43+ hours. Deep, rich bass with neutral tuning, app EQ. USB-C doubles as device charger. Sturdy carry handle. The aux input has lower latency (about 33ms) than most Bluetooth connections. Measured bass extension of 48Hz (-10dB).
Cons: Big peak in the upper bass, dipped midrange and lots of peaks and dips above the midrange. Bass not as deep as a Boom 2. Gets distorted above 80%. Self drains the battery about 20% a week.
Full Bose SoundLink Max review and specifications →
| App | Yes |
|---|---|
| Aux Input | Yes |
| Aux Latency | 33ms |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 48Hz |
| Battery Life | 20 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC |
| Bluetooth Latency | 116ms |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Digital Aux Input | No |
| Dimensions | 10.4” x 4.7” x 4.1” (264.7 x 120.1 x 104.9 mm) |
| Drivers | 2x 2.5” (63.5mm) midrange drivers + 1x 0.79” (20mm) tweeter |
| EQ | No |
| IP Rating | IP67 |
| Omnidirectional | No |
| Party Mode | No |
| Power Bank | Yes (USB-C) |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Stereo | Partially (1 tweeter) |
| TWS | Yes |
| Weight | 4.9 lbs (2.2 kg) |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Bose SoundLink Max & SoundCore Boom 2 - indoor soundtest More from Oluv’Sone →
- Joy & Oluv’Sone: Bose SoundLink Max & SoundCore Boom 2 - outdoor soundtest
- Alan Ross Reviews: Bose Max, the worlds most overpriced speaker? its a shocker! More from alanrossreviews →
- Oluv Patreon: Marshall Middleton II - first impressions
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Bose SoundLink Max vs. Ultimate Ears EpicBoom 🤑Big Bucks No Whammies? 💣 Let’s Find Out 😧 More from JaysStraightUpReviews →
- Jay’s Straight Up Reviews & More: Bose SoundLink Max vs Tribit XSound Mega 😲 Can the Budget Priced Speaker Hang With the Big $ One?
- Scott’s Reviews: Bose SoundLink Max First Impressions, Unboxing, and Sound Test. More from ScottsReviews →
- Mateusz Cholewa: BOGASING S8 Pro Max 100W vs BOSE Soundlink MAX More from Mateusz Cholewa →
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