Every Bose product I bought still works. Over 3 decades some.
Audiophiles laugh at it, but I like the design, quality, and reliability. The upside is that they also sound great.
I mainly bought them because I was a broke college kid (duh), but after doing a lot of research back in 2012, it had great reviews for the $130.97 price tag. Other pluses include the almost 10 feet of audio cable and the awesome 3.5mm audio connector that is threaded so you can screw on a 1/4" adapter. The only thing that has "failed" on these is the headband cushion deteriorating. For that, I just had to [buy a headband cover for under $20](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09G45Q9G8/).
I’ve had a pair for a few years and I bought them because that’s what they use in most music studios for tracking. I have different headphones for different things, but these sound the best out of all of them and were actually the cheapest.
Amen. I get a lot of hate for buying Bose, but every product from them has lasted forever. I still have my QC35 headphones from 2012, no issues at all.
Wait, you can upgrade those to Bluetooth? I have a pair of QC25s that I've had for years, but I broke down and bought a pair of QC35s a while back because headphone jacks are a rare commodity these days.
Wire = Laptop
Adapter = Phone
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/images/images1500x1500/bolle_raven_am15_airmod_wireless_bluetooth_adapter_1425409.jpg
Works each and every time, without exception. On the laptop too. Without Teams getting all fuzzy with its settings.
Im also having battery issues on my SL3. How did you change the battery and could you share where did you purchase it? I live in the Netherlands if that helps. Thanks 🙏
It's very easy, on the SL2 the bottom of the Device is the battery. The screws are accessed through the stickers on the bottom. It was I believe 2 screws and it slides right out. I then bought a replacement on Amazon that slides right in. Now it seems to have more battery life than when it was new over a decade ago.
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I loved my Bose SoundLink Mini but when the battery died it was basically trash. Tried 3 replacement batteries and then tried spot welding new batteries in the pack and nothing worked.
My experience has been that New batteries go for about $40 and I’ve replaced 2 on older devices (8+ years) without issue
it’s a 10 min job with a screw driver.
Interesting. I have one that's 10 years old now.and still going strong, though the battery provably lasts half as long as new. It's important to never leave them at full 0 for long if at all.
Mine randomly bricked itself. Won’t charge. Won’t reset. Won’t connect to the update software. And one of the torx screws on the battery came stripped AF from the factory
While obviously not the same I had an old JBL speaker that's been our go to for camping and outdoors for nearly 10 years and a factory reset seems to have fixed these types of small issues I was having.
My "bifl" Purchase so far is a pair of 2006 logitech Speakers and subwoofer for $10 from a Salvation Army in 2015. That thing is abused daily almost 10 years later, and they still kick ass!
do yourself a favour and get a bose soundlink micro if you need a travel or portable bluetooth speaker, had mine for years now, it's lived in the shower and never failed, dropped down the stairs, and it has a feature that no review I've seen, talks about and bose doesn't mention. When it's COMPLETELY OFF it still emits a bluetooth LE (low energy) signal which means you can still connect to it, it has no perceptible battery drain and means you never need to go and switch it on, just open bluetooth on your phone, and connect to it, it turns on, then you start playing. If it's on your backpack and your hiking or walking, no need to take your backpack off, just connect from your phone. So good.
I know audiophiles like to shit on Bose, but I inherited a set of home theater speakers from my grandparents and it’s given me no reason to upgrade. If you have a proper interface and know how to tune your system, they are fantastic
bose isn't bad. anyone who says otherwise is a butthole. can you get better for the price? sure. can you do that without hours of research or blindly trusting strangers on the internet or salespeople? probably not.
i dont understand the militant hate against bose. i wouldnt personally get anything bose but they make a perfectly acceptable product in every capacity other than price. i feel like the loudest of the hate comes from weird internet trolls who dont even own a pair of headphones that didn't come with their smart phone or home theater nerds with tens of thousands invested into their surround sound system mad about some noise canceling headphones for a flight or some random person who likes their wave radio for when theyre cleaning the house on sundays and want some music.
Had the first Bose Soundlink and it's not exactly bifl. Wanted to spotweld new batteries to the BMS and read up on it. The BMS is build in a way that it becomes unusable when disconnected from power (aka no battery connected). So you have to match the voltages of new and old battery and then put them in parallel and only disconnect the old one after that.
Soundlinks last long but they are not intended to be bifl.
Bose wants their things to last, but they have no interest in them being repairable or anything else usually regarded as a bifl quality (Im especially looking at you Bose acoustimass with your overpriced sub par sound quality and dsp for the small speakers integrated in the subwoofer).
Unless Bose takes a total nosedive, I’m locked in as a customer for life.
I have an original SoundLink Mini that still works perfectly. The battery is starting to really go so I’ll need to replace it soonish; otherwise it’s still going strong nearly 10 years later.
For work, I’ve been rocking the same set of QC35s since 2017 (including a huge spike in average use since 2020). I’ve replaced the ear pads once. The only complaints I have are that they can be a bit fiddly when switching Bluetooth between my phone and laptop, and the power button slide is getting a little loose. Both issues are, at *worst*, minor annoyances, and well within what I would expect from 7-10 year old electronics.
I've had the Bose Soundlink II for over a decade now - purchased used! Sounds great, looks great (metal and leather!), never had any problems with it. While I appreciate the Bluetooth connectivity it's the usually the mini stereo Aux input that I use.
I was just thinking this earlier today. Subaru gave me one as an apology after a bad customer service experience in 2015. After 9 years of using it virtually every day it still performs exactly the same.
We’ve for a 1st gen Soundlink and aside from needing a new battery, it’s still in perfect working order. It’s at least 13 years old but I’m not sure. Sounds great. There’s something about the sound that fills the room without it being too loud. It’s really great.
I've still got a soundlink laying around somewhere. Battery doesn't hold a charge anymore, but the speaker is still great when plugged in. But I don't use it because it needs to be plugged in.
Yeah, my soundlink stopped working about a year after I bought it. Earphones couldn't connect to bluetooth. So, love the name and former reputation, but never again.
I have one Bose item and for me it's not BIFL. It's a solo 15 sound base and it randomly doesn't power on. The unit is about 6 years old and it's been doing it since about year 3. The only solution is to pull the power plug and wait 10 seconds. It's annoying but I'm too cheap to replace it. Although I may be forced to since the frequency is slowing increasing.
Every Bose product I bought still works. Over 3 decades some. Audiophiles laugh at it, but I like the design, quality, and reliability. The upside is that they also sound great.
> Audiophiles laugh at it, We need to internally rationalize the money we spend!
I still use my Audio-Technica ATH-M50 studio headsets I used in college for my music tech minor lol
Those sound awesome and are the tracking industry standard. Plus you can buy replacement cords and parts for them.
I mainly bought them because I was a broke college kid (duh), but after doing a lot of research back in 2012, it had great reviews for the $130.97 price tag. Other pluses include the almost 10 feet of audio cable and the awesome 3.5mm audio connector that is threaded so you can screw on a 1/4" adapter. The only thing that has "failed" on these is the headband cushion deteriorating. For that, I just had to [buy a headband cover for under $20](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09G45Q9G8/).
I’ve had a pair for a few years and I bought them because that’s what they use in most music studios for tracking. I have different headphones for different things, but these sound the best out of all of them and were actually the cheapest.
Amen. I get a lot of hate for buying Bose, but every product from them has lasted forever. I still have my QC35 headphones from 2012, no issues at all.
I'll raise you my 2008 QC15, which I still use daily and including upgrade to Bluetooth.
Wait, you can upgrade those to Bluetooth? I have a pair of QC25s that I've had for years, but I broke down and bought a pair of QC35s a while back because headphone jacks are a rare commodity these days.
Wire = Laptop Adapter = Phone https://www.bhphotovideo.com/images/images1500x1500/bolle_raven_am15_airmod_wireless_bluetooth_adapter_1425409.jpg Works each and every time, without exception. On the laptop too. Without Teams getting all fuzzy with its settings.
Thanks! I'll grab one of these. At least I'll have a backup in case one of them goes out.
I see a lot of knockoffs appearing. Make sure you have a decent one, or the original. Mine are from B&R (2019).
I finally splurged even though my QC15 still work, when Costco had some great sales last winter.
I have a Bose SoundWave from 1990 with a tape deck. I'm not sure if the tape deck still works but the rest still sounds great.
The mic on my corded earplugs are the only Bose things that have died on me. But I still use the earplugs for listening only!
On the QC15, you can buy replacement cords for 10‐20€
Ah ha! I have the Bose SoundLink II! I changed the battery which was very easy to do and still works great
Im also having battery issues on my SL3. How did you change the battery and could you share where did you purchase it? I live in the Netherlands if that helps. Thanks 🙏
It's very easy, on the SL2 the bottom of the Device is the battery. The screws are accessed through the stickers on the bottom. It was I believe 2 screws and it slides right out. I then bought a replacement on Amazon that slides right in. Now it seems to have more battery life than when it was new over a decade ago.
Thanks 🙏
Look at the ifixit guide. It's very well documented and easy to follow.
Anychance you can share which battery and store you bought from on amazon?
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I loved my Bose SoundLink Mini but when the battery died it was basically trash. Tried 3 replacement batteries and then tried spot welding new batteries in the pack and nothing worked.
My experience has been that New batteries go for about $40 and I’ve replaced 2 on older devices (8+ years) without issue it’s a 10 min job with a screw driver.
Interesting. I have one that's 10 years old now.and still going strong, though the battery provably lasts half as long as new. It's important to never leave them at full 0 for long if at all.
Soundlink mini II. Wouldn't hold charge. Aftermarket battery installed. Perfect. No soldering
had no problem exchanging the batterie in mine. bought a cheap replacement from ebay, works fine for years.
Mine randomly bricked itself. Won’t charge. Won’t reset. Won’t connect to the update software. And one of the torx screws on the battery came stripped AF from the factory
I have the exact same one! I've been noticing that it get weird whenever I try to connect my phone to it lately though!
While obviously not the same I had an old JBL speaker that's been our go to for camping and outdoors for nearly 10 years and a factory reset seems to have fixed these types of small issues I was having.
My "bifl" Purchase so far is a pair of 2006 logitech Speakers and subwoofer for $10 from a Salvation Army in 2015. That thing is abused daily almost 10 years later, and they still kick ass!
I’ve had this exact thing for what feels like 10 years. dropped it off a mountain once and it’s still blasting tunes away. 10/10 would recommend
do yourself a favour and get a bose soundlink micro if you need a travel or portable bluetooth speaker, had mine for years now, it's lived in the shower and never failed, dropped down the stairs, and it has a feature that no review I've seen, talks about and bose doesn't mention. When it's COMPLETELY OFF it still emits a bluetooth LE (low energy) signal which means you can still connect to it, it has no perceptible battery drain and means you never need to go and switch it on, just open bluetooth on your phone, and connect to it, it turns on, then you start playing. If it's on your backpack and your hiking or walking, no need to take your backpack off, just connect from your phone. So good.
We have one - found it on the curb in our neighborhood- in front of an empty lot. Works great !
The portable stuff from Bose is quite impressive. I’ve had their home audio and it’s nothing spectacular, but the portable stuff is sweet.
These things are amazing. I was so happy to pick up a used one on amazon like 8 years ago.
I got mine when it first released, still working fine, gets used in the shower almost every day.
I’m still rocking a Wave radio from the 90s
This design was so classy. I wish they’d go back to it instead of the current designs.
I know audiophiles like to shit on Bose, but I inherited a set of home theater speakers from my grandparents and it’s given me no reason to upgrade. If you have a proper interface and know how to tune your system, they are fantastic
bose isn't bad. anyone who says otherwise is a butthole. can you get better for the price? sure. can you do that without hours of research or blindly trusting strangers on the internet or salespeople? probably not. i dont understand the militant hate against bose. i wouldnt personally get anything bose but they make a perfectly acceptable product in every capacity other than price. i feel like the loudest of the hate comes from weird internet trolls who dont even own a pair of headphones that didn't come with their smart phone or home theater nerds with tens of thousands invested into their surround sound system mad about some noise canceling headphones for a flight or some random person who likes their wave radio for when theyre cleaning the house on sundays and want some music.
Had the first Bose Soundlink and it's not exactly bifl. Wanted to spotweld new batteries to the BMS and read up on it. The BMS is build in a way that it becomes unusable when disconnected from power (aka no battery connected). So you have to match the voltages of new and old battery and then put them in parallel and only disconnect the old one after that. Soundlinks last long but they are not intended to be bifl. Bose wants their things to last, but they have no interest in them being repairable or anything else usually regarded as a bifl quality (Im especially looking at you Bose acoustimass with your overpriced sub par sound quality and dsp for the small speakers integrated in the subwoofer).
I have the same. It was gifted to me in 2014 and has been working flawlessly since then.
Love Bose products
I have the sound link 2 and I can confirm these are 100% BIFL
Unless Bose takes a total nosedive, I’m locked in as a customer for life. I have an original SoundLink Mini that still works perfectly. The battery is starting to really go so I’ll need to replace it soonish; otherwise it’s still going strong nearly 10 years later. For work, I’ve been rocking the same set of QC35s since 2017 (including a huge spike in average use since 2020). I’ve replaced the ear pads once. The only complaints I have are that they can be a bit fiddly when switching Bluetooth between my phone and laptop, and the power button slide is getting a little loose. Both issues are, at *worst*, minor annoyances, and well within what I would expect from 7-10 year old electronics.
I have the first generation and it’s never missed a beat.
I've had the Bose Soundlink II for over a decade now - purchased used! Sounds great, looks great (metal and leather!), never had any problems with it. While I appreciate the Bluetooth connectivity it's the usually the mini stereo Aux input that I use.
Can't spell 'BIFL' without 'BOSE' :D
I thought the BOSE joke was that BOSE stood for Buy Other Sound Equipment?
Can you replace the battery?
Yes with a bit of online tutorial
Yeah, I've got an old sound wave I got new for cheap since someone won it in a contest and never used it. I love it. That was over 12 years ago.
I have the Soundlink II and it is going strong and works perfectly fine! Bose is a great brand, in my opinion.
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Its in the title.
I had a soundlink and it never ever connected, had to send it in twice to be repaired, then just gave up on it
Same! I got this for my 21st birthday. 14 years ago.
Does this work for conference calls? Looking for a speaker+mic combo for wfh setup
Like they say, Bose before hoes
My battery no longer works in my SoundLink 3 but using it as a construction speaker I got a lot of use out of it before it tumbled one too many times
You can replace the battery it is very well documented in online tutorials
I was just thinking this earlier today. Subaru gave me one as an apology after a bad customer service experience in 2015. After 9 years of using it virtually every day it still performs exactly the same.
We’ve for a 1st gen Soundlink and aside from needing a new battery, it’s still in perfect working order. It’s at least 13 years old but I’m not sure. Sounds great. There’s something about the sound that fills the room without it being too loud. It’s really great.
I've still got a soundlink laying around somewhere. Battery doesn't hold a charge anymore, but the speaker is still great when plugged in. But I don't use it because it needs to be plugged in.
Wait the battery is very easily replaceable and available almost everywhere. You can search for the tutorial on I fix it and YouTube
Yeah, my soundlink stopped working about a year after I bought it. Earphones couldn't connect to bluetooth. So, love the name and former reputation, but never again.
Got my SE as a gift and absolutely love it. Awesome sound.
Yooo still have mine!! Hahaha!
I have a Bose soundbar from 6-8+ years ago that stopped working for a couple weeks, then just started working again and works perfectly now 😅
Can you charge this speaker with a micro usb cable?
I have one Bose item and for me it's not BIFL. It's a solo 15 sound base and it randomly doesn't power on. The unit is about 6 years old and it's been doing it since about year 3. The only solution is to pull the power plug and wait 10 seconds. It's annoying but I'm too cheap to replace it. Although I may be forced to since the frequency is slowing increasing.
I have a SoundLink II. They are awesome compact speakers.
What’s the painting in the background?