Since our Beats Pill review was published, we’ve been inundated with a question that, given the abundance of Bluetooth speakers this year, is a valid one: Is the Beats Pill better than the Bose SoundLink Max?
Initially, I wasn’t too keen on comparing the two. I’ve owned the Bose SoundLink Max for a while and had the Beats Pill for about a week before it was released. A crucial detail is that I’ve had two Beats Pills.
Let’s dive into the comparison.
Price
A significant factor in my initial reluctance to pit the Beats Pill against the SoundLink Max was the substantial price difference. They belong to entirely different price ranges. A single Beats Pill costs $150, whereas a single Bose SoundLink Max clocks in at a hefty $400. That’s a tough disparity to reconcile.
However, there are ways to approach this. The Bose SoundLink Max is $250 more expensive than a single Beats Pill. If price is your priority, that decision is practically a no-brainer. You could purchase two Beats Pills for roughly $380 after taxes, still saving money or at least not spending significantly more than a SoundLink Max. The point is, you’ll spend less. Keep that in mind for a moment. The Beats Pill uses a free-hanging lanyard, while the Bose SoundLink Max comes with a carrying handle.
Size and Sound Quality
This is where things get subjective. I recommend closing your eyes when switching between the two because the Bose SoundLink Max’s sheer size can influence your judgment. It’s more than twice the size of a new Beats Pill.
This larger size allows for more speakers – five in the SoundLink Max versus two in the Beats Pill. Naturally, this translates to a fuller sound. The two speakers have slightly different tunings, which shouldn’t be surprising. Both are excellent, and I wouldn’t discard either. But if I had to choose, I’d say the Bose SoundLink Max wins out, although not by a huge margin. The difference is noticeable. Note that neither Bose nor Beats provides specifics on total power output, but I kept the volume around 50%.
A single Beats Pill doesn’t quite sound as good as the Bose SoundLink Max, but it also costs less than half the price.
Two vs. One
The essence of the new Beats Pill is this: one speaker is remarkably good, especially at that price. However, when you pair two together, it elevates the experience and offers more listening flexibility. I’ve previously written about how, if I were spending my own money in mid-2024, I’d opt for a pair of Beats Pills over my existing stereo Sonos system on the back porch. (It’s worth mentioning that this isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison since the Sonos Play:1 is quite old, but it’s what I have.) A pair of Beats Pills can operate in Amplify Mode (two mono speakers playing the same audio simultaneously) or Stereo Mode. The Beats Pills truly shine in Stereo Mode, surpassing the audio quality of the Bose SoundLink Max. And, as I’ve emphasized, you get that for less than the cost of a single SoundLink Max.
Other Considerations
Sound and price are the primary concerns here. Everything else is secondary. However, I’d also consider the following:
* Both speakers are IP67 water-resistant.
* The Bose SoundLink Max has a detachable carrying handle.
* The Beats Pill has a detachable rope lanyard.
* A single Beats Pill weighs approximately 1.5 pounds.
* A single Bose SoundLink Max weighs nearly 5 pounds.
* The Bose app offers EQ support, whereas Beats does not.
* The Beats Pill can function as a speakerphone, but the Bose SoundLink Max cannot.
* On paper, a single Beats Pill boasts 24 hours of battery life, while the Bose SoundLink Max claims 20 hours. Both should be sufficient.
* The Bose SoundLink Max has proper Multipoint, while the Beats Pill relies on Google Fast Pair and Apple’s pairing magic through your Apple Account.
If I had a $400 budget for Bluetooth speakers, I’d purchase two Beats Pills and still have some money left for lunch.
Which One Wins?
If I were spending my own money – assuming you’re looking in the $300+ range here – I’d go with two Beats Pills. It’s not that there’s anything inherently wrong or bad with the Bose SoundLink Max. However, considering that it’s more expensive than a pair of Beats Pills and lacks their flexibility, the Beats Pills are the smarter purchase. It’s worth noting that this flexibility includes using a single Beats Pill. There are situations where one speaker is enough. For now, though, there’s simply no beating a pair of Beats Pills, especially when compared to the SoundLink Max.
