The Bose SoundLink Mini II is showing its age with its average battery life and lack of features like NFC and waterproofing. However, it remains one of the best sounding wireless speakers on the market.

Stellar sound; Built like a tank; Compact form factor

No NFC or multipoint Bluetooth; Not water resistant; Average battery life

I received this speaker a gift for Christmas and it sounds wonderful (have an older version at home). After 6 months of use - the battery level would never charge back to 100% (I never took it off the base because it just sat in my office).

Says it will last 10 hours. Over time it will steadily decline to where it won't last for 1 hour. I enjoy listening to music on my deck for 2 to 4 hours and it got to the point where it would go dead in less than an hour. This was over a time span of a year.

So we set out to find out if the Bose SoundLink Mini II would be a good way to add more functionality and use to your mobile phone. In the end, I was pleasantly surprised with the portable speaker.

It's been a couple of years since Bose released the SoundLink Mini ( at Amazon) , a portable Bluetooth speaker that seriously impressed us with its smart design, features, and big sound. The updated SoundLink Mini II is priced the same ($199.95), and looks quite similar in terms of size and design layout. New features include improved battery life and speakerphone functionality, but the main attraction remains an uncanny ability to produce convincing bass from its tiny frame. It may not sound like a subwoofer is involved, but this speaker can muster enough low end that, at times, you'll ponder its size in minor disbelief. Portable Bluetooth speakers have a long way to go before audiophiles and purists hop onboard, but for those looking for a powerful, clean audio experience from a tiny speaker, the SoundLink Mini II earns our Editors' Choice award. DesignThe SoundLink Mini II ($170.00 at Amazon)  replaces the SoundLink Mini. Like the original, the speaker is easily portable in ter...

The tiny Bose SoundLink Mini II delivers the richest bass you'll find in a portable Bluetooth speaker this size, while managing to stay balanced with crisp highs.

Powerful audio performance with surprising bass response for its size; Well designed; Built-in speakerphone; Can connect to two Bluetooth devices simultaneously

Digital signal processing changes bass response at different volume levels; Deceptively heavy; Aux audio cable isn't included

What's the best product Bose has ever made? That's hard to say, but a case can be made for the SoundLink Mini , the company's 2013 compact Bluetooth speaker that features impressive build quality and sound for its size and isn't too outrageously priced at $200 (£170 and AU$299).

Bose SoundLink Mini II remains one the few standout products in the ultracompact wireless speaker category, featuring a top-notch design and very good sound for its tiny size.

The Bose SoundLink Mini II is a very sleek, compact wireless Bluetooth speaker that sounds great for its small size. It also has excellent build quality with a unibody aluminum enclosure, and it includes a charging cradle that you can leave plugged in.

There's no real stereo separation, and you can't pair two speakers together.

The Bose SoundLink Mini 2 is a worthwhile successor to the original

Excellent build quality; Can be paired with two Bluetooth devices at the same time; Well-rounded sound;

Not ruggedised; Mediocre battery life;