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This is the review of the comparison between two speakers from two popular brands in the market such as Bose and Sony. The comparison here is between the Bose SoundLink Micro and the Sony SRS-XB12. There is around thirty dollars difference in their price range. To know whether the difference in their price range brings the difference in their features and performance or not, and to know which one is good for you to buy, go to the detailed review.
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| Bose SoundLink Micro | Sony SRS-XB12 |
| BUY NOW | BUY NOW |
| PROS | PROS |
| Fully waterproof. Ruggedised and portable design. Multiconnect. Massive sound from a palm-sized design. Speakerphone capabilities. | Good sound quality. Tough IP67 build. Ruggedized body. Shockproof. The app includes EQ. |
| CONS | CONS |
| Average battery life. Doesn’t float. Latency issues. Micro-USB for charging. The Micro-USB port should be USB-C for faster charging times. | Built-in mic too muddy. Using the button-combinations can be confusing. The low end is too strong for my taste. Large and heavy. |
SPECIFICATIONS:
| HEADER | BOSE SOUNDLINK MICRO | SONY SRS-XB12 |
| Brand | Bose | Sony |
| Model | SoundLink Micro | SRS XB12 |
| CONNECTIVITY | BOSE SOUNDLINK MICRO | SONY SRS-XB12 |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.2 | |
| Bluetooth Range | 30 Ft | 33 Ft |
| Bluetooth Profiles | Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP), Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP), Hands-Free Profile (HFP), Headset Profile (HSP), Low Complexity Subband Coding (SBC) | |
| SPEAKER SYSYTEM | BOSE SOUNDLINK MICRO | SONY SRS-XB12 |
| Hands-Free Function | Yes | Yes |
| Amplification Type | active | active |
| Frequency Response | ||
| Audio Amplifier | integrated | |
| Connectivity Technology | wireless | Wired, wireless |
| Built-in Decoders | SBC decoder | SBC decoder |
| Controls | activate Bluetooth, power on/off, volume | |
| AUDIO SYSTEM | BOSE SOUNDLINK MICRO | SONY SRS-XB12 |
| Surround System Class | AAC, SBC | |
| Designed for | for portable use | for portable use |
| Type | speaker | speaker |
| SPEAKER SYSTEM DETAILS | BOSE SOUNDLINK MICRO | SONY SRS-XB12 |
| Speaker Type | Bluetooth Speaker | Bluetooth Speaker |
| Speaker Channel Type | mono | mono |
| Nominal (RMS) Output Power | ||
| Driver type | full-range driver | |
| Driver Diameter | 1.81 m | |
| BATTERY | BOSE SOUNDLINK MICRO | SONY SRS-XB12 |
| Run Time (up to) | 6 hour(s) | 16 hour(s) |
| Recharge Time | 4 hour(s) | |
| CONNECTIONS | BOSE SOUNDLINK MICRO | SONY SRS-XB12 |
| Type | USB | DC power input, audio line-in |
| Connector Type | 5 pin Micro-USB Type B | 5 pin Micro-USB Type B, mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm |
| DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT | BOSE SOUNDLINK MICRO | SONY SRS-XB12 |
| Type | Speaker | Speaker |
| Width | 3.9 in | 3 in |
| Depth | 1.4 in | 3 in |
| Height | 3.9 in | 3.6 in |
| Weight | 10.23 oz | 8.61 oz |
| FEATURES | BOSE SOUNDLINK MICRO | SONY SRS-XB12 |
| Features | Crisp, balanced sound. Durable silicone strap. Clear & loud outdoors. Rugged, waterproof design (IPX7). Up to 6-hour battery life per charge. Pair two speakers for Stereo or Party Mode. Works with Amazon Echo Dot. Access your phone’s Siri or your Google Assistant. Built-in speakerphone. | Speaker offers Extra Bass sound, incredible loudness and punchy bass with a tiny body. Long battery life of approximately 16 hours. The XB12 is compact, wireless, will go with you anywhere. With the included detachable strap, you can hang or carry it anywhere. It features a waterproof IP67 design. |
Detail Review:
INTRODUCTION:
Bose SounLink Micro
Bose SoundLink Micro is a popular speaker from the SoundLink series speakers. This speaker is retailing for quite a budget-friendly price range that is for around a hundred dollars. This speaker does have a built-in microphone that helps you in taking your phone calls. This speaker does sound really good and for its size, it is really amazing.
Sony SRS-XB12
The Sony SRS-XB12 is a mid-range kind of a speaker with feature 10W speaker. This is one of the best speakers available in the market at a budget-friendly price range. This speaker offers 16 hours of battery life and also, it is IP67 rated at the price of only sixty-nine dollars currently on Amazon.
DESIGN:
Bose SounLink Micro
Bose SoundLink Micro is a portable speaker and this might be one of the world’s smallest Bluetooth speakers. It is 1.5 inches high and 3.75 inches wide. As expected from Bose, this speaker has a great build. It’s got a rounded score-shaped body which I think happens to look pretty good. The body of the speaker is covered in water-resistant silicone rubber. It’s available in three different colors black, blue, and orange. The speaker is designed to lay flat on the surface and project music upwards. Under the front grill, there’s a custom design mono transducer next to a passive radiator. Bose boasts that this speaker can reproduce sound that’s better than any speaker of its size.
The silicone rubber layer prevents water from getting in, it also holds up pretty well against dents scratches, and cracks. All of the media control buttons are located on the front of the device, the Bluetooth button is located on the top and so is the power button, and in the middle, there are LED lights that indicate the battery life. There’s a simple and easy-to-use strap on the back of the speaker it looks like it’s made out of the same material that’s covering the speaker.
Sony SRS-XB12
The speaker feels really nice and it fits in the hand very well, you have the Sony branding on the front of the speaker. There is a fabric lanyard that is attached right there on the side of the speaker, and it can be taken off as well. On the top of the speaker, we have the speaker unit and the metal mesh there which feels good. The entire speaker feels kind of soft to touch, it feels like rubber but it is soft to touch though.
We also have the power on and off as well as the pairing button, the volume down and the volume up button, the play, and the pause button, and add button is there to add it to other speakers, they got the same thing like we can have left and right and we can have a stereo effect. On the bottom, we have some areas for the air to get in and like to work with the bass because this is the extra bass speaker from the Sony. Behind the speaker, we have s flap inside which we have the audio-in aux port, a reset hole, and a micro USB port to charge your speaker.
FEATURES:
Bose SounLink Micro
Because of the silicone layer, the speaker has IPX7 certified meaning it can be immersed in water up to one meter for thirty minutes making it a great companion to take it to the pool. Instead of adding another driver, there’s a passive radiator firing out the opposite side. The Bose Mobile Connect app isn’t really necessary but it will give you a few extra features. For example, it lets you connect two SoundLink Micro speakers in party mode or you can switch through stereo mode where instruments and vocals will naturally separate making your music feel alive.
The battery life on this is decent, it lasted me around six hours. The only con about this would be there’s no aux port in this speaker so that you could connect this speaker wiring. I really like the tear-resistant silicone strap, it’s easy to snap on and snap off, I can strap it onto my backpack, strap it onto my belt, I can take this with me anywhere I go. Overall, if you’re looking for a portable device that’s small enough to take anywhere, that also reproduces great sound quality then this is what you need.
Sony SRS-XB12
We have some highlights here on the top of the box, 16-hour battery life, Bluetooth 4.2, IP67 rated, they also have a lanyard kind of a thing which you can attach to the speaker, and then maybe we can use to use it to hang it anywhere, and also, we can pair more than one speaker of this together to have a stereo effect. Inside the box, we have some booklet probably the warranty, we have the user guide that tells us about the contents and how to use the speaker, then you have the reference guide and at last, you will get your speaker itself in the box. We also have the micro USB cable, it does not have the USB Type-C port, rather it has the micro USB port and you get the cable as well.
When you power on the speaker it will go in pairing mode automatically. The pairing process is really simple. You just need to turn on the speaker, then turn on the Bluetooth in your phone, then search for the XB12 in your phone and select it and pair it, you are done. The battery life of this speaker as the company claims is up to 16 hours which is at 50% volume. If you use the speaker at maximum volume, then you should expect it to give you have of what the company claims which is around 8 hours.
SOUND QUALITY:
Bose SounLink Micro
As far as the Bose SoundLink Micro’s sound quality, it is balanced and clear, there’s enough bass to enjoy the music, and this definitely sounds much louder than it looks. Also, if you leave the SoundLink Micro on the table, you will get better bass and better sound quality than if you were to attach it to a bar or a handlebar or something. If you do keep it in an enclosed space or next to a window, you will definitely get a much louder sound.
Sony SRS-XB12
As far as the sound quality of the Sony SRS-XB12, as it is advertised as it is an extra bass speaker, this does pushes out great bass. The bass is very punchy and you will feel the bass very well out of this small speaker. As far as the loudness of this speaker, I didn’t expect such loudness out of this small speaker, it was really very loud ven at 80% volume but they do get distorted minutely at 100% volume. The vocals and instrument separations were really very good.
WHICH TO BUY?
In my opinion, the Sony SRS-XB12 is good for you to buy than the Bose SoundLink Micro at around seventy dollars that is cheaper than the Bose SoundLink Micro by thirty dollars because the XB12 has better battery life than the SoundLink Micro, it has better features than the SoundLink Micro, and also, it sounds better than the SoundLink Micro.
Expert Reviews of Bose SoundLink Micro:
By Expert Reviews
If you told me this speaker was £40, I’d excuse its poor sound for its multifunctional voice-assistant button and…By cnet
The well-built and travel-friendly Bose SoundLink Micro is arguably the best-sounding speaker in its tiny size class.By Sound Guys
If you’re knee-deep in the Bose ecosystem and want a travel-friendly speaker that can withstand nearly anything, the SoundLink Micro is a great addition…By Pocket-lint
As small-scale Bluetooth speakers go, the Bose SoundLink Micro brings mega sound and volume…By Craving Tech
Bose SoundLink Micro is a compact and lightweight portable speaker with the power to deliver sound, perfect for outdoor adventures…Expert Reviews of Sony SRS-XB12:
By techgearlab.com
Though the Sony SRS-XB32 is a good speaker overall, in our opinion it fails to find any sort of balance that makes…By Sound Guys
While the Sony SRS-XB32 won’t be knocking anything off our best waterproof speakers list, it still has its place. Particularly if you like the idea…By beebom.com
The Sony SRS-XB32 is a Bluetooth speaker that packs in almost everything I was looking for in a Bluetooth speaker…By Indian Express
Sony is very serious about its party speakers lineup. It has just refreshed its portable offerings in this space…By Tech Radar
As a portable Bluetooth speaker with a ruggedized frame and powerful drivers, the Sony XB32 does the job of being a versatile playback…
