There's a speaker KAZUKIN has used for years: the BOSE SoundLink Mini II. It's probably been nearly ten years. Bluetooth speakers aren't unusual now, but to KAZUKIN this one is special. Because I still can't forget the shock the first time I heard its sound.
The incident happened at the BOSE outlet
This was back when BOSE still had a store at the outlet. I casually auditioned the SoundLink Mini II on display. And the moment the sound played. ...Huh? Why? How does something this small produce such thick bass? The size and the sound simply didn't match.
I picked up the unit to check. I lifted it lightly. Then I looked under the display shelf. Is there a hidden woofer? Of course there wasn't (lol). It all came from this thing. From this small box, bass that makes no sense for its size came out with a thump.
KAZUKIN has used various BOSE products, and later chose BOSE for wireless headphones too. Even so, in my “ranking of shock the first time I heard BOSE,” the SoundLink Mini II is still number one. Personally, I think it's a masterpiece among masterpieces.
And then KAZUKIN doesn't buy
After being that moved, you'd naturally think I bought it on the spot. The outlet sale price back then, as I recall, was about ¥11,000 (before tax). This sound at this price. A buy. Absolutely a buy. But KAZUKIN. After agonizing, goes home without buying. ...Why? Now I want to ask my past self: “You were so moved you checked under the shelf, weren't you?”
Wanting it after getting home
And, predictably. Back home, I couldn't forget that sound. I searched the SoundLink Mini II online. Searched. Searched. ...It's not there. It's not sold for ¥11,000. After all that agonizing in the store, I badly wanted it once I got home. Humans are such selfish creatures.
In the end, the lowest price I found after searching and searching online was about ¥16,000. I bought it. About ¥5,000 higher. What am I doing. This is no time to be hunting for undervalued stocks. I let a bargain BOSE right in front of me slip away. A painful high-priced buy by KAZUKIN (lol).
But when the sound plays, I forgive it
Of course at first I thought, “If I'd bought it back then, it'd have been ¥5,000 cheaper...” But then music flows from the SoundLink Mini II. Thick bass. A spread of sound you wouldn't believe from such a small body. And... ah, what good sound. The ¥5,000 regret fades a little. I listen again. ...It really is good sound. In this way, KAZUKIN's ¥5,000 was gradually purified by BOSE's bass.
Incidentally, there's one more lingering regret. The SoundLink Mini II I saw at the outlet had, as I remember, a white BOSE logo on the front. That looked cool. But when KAZUKIN searched online, I couldn't find the same white-logo version. ¥5,000 more expensive. And not even the white logo I wanted. ...Why didn't I buy it that day. Even nearly ten years later, I want to say a little something (lol).
Still active after nearly ten years
The SoundLink Mini II that came to our house after all that fuss. Still active. Of course, compared with the latest Bluetooth speakers, it has aged in features. Even so, when I play sound it makes me think, “Isn't this enough?” If anything, even after using it this long, I feel no urge to replace it. At ¥16,000 for nearly ten years of use, I've more than earned my money back. I thought I'd bought at a high price, but I won by ultra-long-term holding. The same as Ore-shiki investing. ...Probably.
And one place this SoundLink Mini II has been active lately is Splatoon 3. Playing with powerful sound is quite fun. The bass is solid. It has presence. My spirits rise. And then I meet an enemy. Bang bang bang! Thud! KAZUKIN, to the sky. I scatter gracefully along with BOSE's powerful sound. The sound is good. Very good. The problem is the player's performance. Even BOSE can't do anything about that.
Summary
Shocked at the outlet, going home without buying, regretting at home, and finally paying about ¥5,000 more. The SoundLink Mini II had that awkward start. Even so, nearly ten years later, it still plays music normally. Even now I sometimes think: how does this size make this sound? The surprise of the first day I heard it hasn't completely faded. A masterpiece may be exactly this kind of product.
このサイズでこの音、いいよね〜。
KAZUKIN Rating
- 🔊 Shock of the first listen — ★★★★★ (checked-under-the-shelf level)
- 💸 Judgment — ★☆☆☆☆ (didn't buy in the store, bought ¥5,000 higher)
- ⏳ Long-term holding record — ★★★★★ (active for nearly 10 years)
- 🎮 Match with Splatoon 3 — ★★★☆☆ (sound is the best; skill is another matter)
- 🕶️ Lingering attachment to the white logo — ★★★★☆ (still saying so after 10 years)
This article is a personal opinion and record of use. KAZUKIN LAB has no relationship with BOSE. I'm just a BOSE-loving customer. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.
The illustration is an image based on KAZUKIN's experience. It may differ from real stores and products. It is not an official manufacturer image.