Bose SoundLink Mini II Speaker Replacement

Written By: Tyler Roessler

Comments: 47

Bose SoundLink Mini II Speaker Replacement

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

20 minutes

Introduction

In this guide we will be disassembling the whole device to replace the speaker. It is very important to keep track of all the components and screws while following these instructions.

Note: This procedure requires removing and reinstalling the battery, which requires the use of a soldering iron and/or a lot of careful disassembly.

Tools

Step 2

Gently remove the rubber base from speaker by pulling around the edges.

Step 3

Remove the four 6mm T9 Torx bit screws from the corners of the battery.

Not sure what’s going on here but T9 is the wrong size—too big—for the screws on my SoundLink Mini II. Maybe T8? Perhaps my model is more recent and they’ve changed sizes? I bought the screwdriver from IFIXIT following these instructions, so I’m a *bit* annoyed…

David Whitley -

That’s really frustrating. I’ve seen this before, where manufacturers swap screws and other components without changing the model number. I have a 64 bit driver set from iFixit, but I don’t recall which bit I used for this. The screws in my one are different lengths to the ones in the original instructions.

Kate Morris -

Step 4

Carefully lift the battery from the side nearest the four gold contact pins, but don't try to fully remove it yet.
At this point, the battery remains connected via four wires to the power supply board.
Carefully desolder the four wires from the power supply board in order to completely detach the battery. There is very little room for the soldering iron without damaging the case or the board; you may want to remove the board first.
For help with soldering, see the soldering guide.
Alternatively, you may remove the battery and power supply board together, without any soldering, but access requires some additional disassembly while carefully leaving the battery connected via the wires the entire time.

cuanto tiempo dura la bateria original ?

Marcelo Lastra - 30/10/17

the mini 2 battery is soldered to a smaller board, either u desolder it or buy it with the small board, but with that it is even harder to replace

user user - 24/04/18

Yeah this guide is just like the original Bose Mini which looked like that model had a way to replace the batter easily. I purchased a battery off Amazon thinking it was the same. This is not the same. The Bose Mini II has a battery hard-wired directly to the board. Might be too late but read this guide’s comments first to get the low down. The guide is very misleading. The BOSE SOUNDLINK MINI II **DOES NOT HAVE A REPLACEABLE BATTERY**

Ian Lucero - 08/07/18

yess, got the same problem. Purchased an substitute which had as Replacement No. the original Bose-No. on its description. Bose’s accu has 4 strings, the replacement has 5 strings (where to put the fifth then?!).

Original we had to CUT OFF, because it is firmly soldered and glued with foam! No chance to replace it!! Nearly 60.- Swiss Francs as we say “for the foxes”.

Maranathatalitha - 31/03/20

DO NOT buy a replacement battery until you understand that the battery is HARD WIRED to the circuit board and is NOT designed to be replaceable. If you are not an electronics specialist, the only option is to send to Bose for battery replacement.

Even if you are an electronics specialist, finding a replacement battery may not be possible.

ldthom65 - 19/04/19

I am very glad I took the time to review everything and all the comments before I started this procedure on my Soundlink Mini 2.

I have to say, the author of this procedure is a pathetic jerk for posting this and not distinguishing the between the 1 and 2 versions. It is also highly suspect that there is no clear picture of the top of the unit, which would indicate which version is being used due to the fact that the 2 has no mute button.

trmsd - 14/08/19

Hey du hole Frucht, die Bose Soundlink 1 hat keine Kabel an der Batterie, nur die Soundlink Mini 2 hat Kabel die auf die Platine gelötet werden muss!

Ihr Affen habt doch keine Ahnung!

Und den Bose Schriftzug muss der Autor nicht zeigen, wegen der Rechtlichen Lage in Deutschland!

r.janda - 03/05/20

It’s disappointing, for sure. But to call the author, who’s been kind enough to post this without getting anything in return, a pathetic jerk is waaay over the top! Come on. If anyone deserves abuse, then it’s Bose for producing a speaker with a battery that’s totally and easily replaceable except they decided to solder it onto the circuit board for some unfathomable reason. Argh!

B. J. - 23/03/20

I suspect that the soldering the battery directly to the power board is a way to enhance revenue because most people will either send it in to be replaced or throw it away and buy another speaker. Of course Bose hopes that the replacement will be another Bose, but that is not likely for anyone who is frustrated by the idea that Bose would not make the battery easily replaceable.

wannabagolfer - 29/06/20

Absolutely. Great I checked up first. I will not buy any other rechageable battery operated Bose product. It is clear customer abuse. The same should go to companies like Samsung which produces cellular phones with practically embedded impossible to replace without risking breaking the cristal. Customer protection in this country unfortunately has gone away with lobby. (Legalization Of Bureaucratic BriberY) Same with Apple and then Microsoft when they do updates and then no longer support an OS that could be still useful for the needs of certain people or businesses

Dario Grisales - 04/07/20

………..just bought a replacement battery based upon ifixit’s original post. This is neither a 5 minute two wire push fit job NOR one for an amateur to attempt. I now have a box of BOSE bits and spare unsuable battery.

Thanks pal.

Beware of internet advice

Richard Brickwood - 22/10/20

……..just bought (£30) a replacement battery based up ifixit’s orginal post that it was a)simple and b)took 5 minutes only to discover that a) there are four wires involved hard solderied to a pcb. Spent an hour undoing torc screws to dismantel the whole thing. It is not possible.

I now have abox of BOSE bits and a brand new unuseable battery. And no speaker.

Shame on both BOSE and ifixit - the latter for being so misleading .

Richard Brickwood - 22/10/20

I’m pretty disappointed with ifixit on this one! I feel bad giving you guys a bad review but this one is just bad! It’s Missing steps, it’s labelled as easy when it certainly shouldn’t be. iPhone battery’s are easy. This requires awkward desoldering/soldering. In a tight spot. There’s not even a mention of that in this guide? Maybe someone could rewrite this so others don’t go and purchase a battery thinking it’s easy!

Wiebie - 23/12/20

The instructions are not complete, and I needed extra information to replace the battery on my soundlink mini 2. I successfully completed the battery replacement using instructions I found by searching for SLminiII_SM.pdf. That document describes the steps Bose technicians take. With that, it took about 30 minutes to replace the battery. I removed the board the battery is soldered to, which made it an easy soldering job (four through-hole wires, no SMT). I carefully saved and replaced the foam tape because the last thing you want in a speaker is buzzing sounds due to the wiring rubbing against the speaker. If you’ve already bought the parts, and have access to a soldering iron. I’d recommend searching for the instructions I used.

Kate Morris - 02/01/21

I was not able to find that document. Do you have any tips for finding it and I was wondering if you bought your replacement battery from ifixit or if you have any recommendations for where you bought yours.

Michael Calaiaro - 28/02/21

The instructions are at https://riverparkinc.com/wp-content/uplo... . I bought this battery from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08FHX... (not an affiliate link). The speaker is working fine and charging, a few months later.

Kate Morris - 28/02/21

Thank you very much

daniel -

I tried to follow these instructions. I cannot find where to download the 'Polycomm' software necessary to reset the hardwire between chip and battery. I've trawled all over the internet and Bose's own websites. Could some one please advise?

Christie Dunne Murphy -

I would like to measure the voltage of the battery before replacing it, does anyone know which one of the 4 wires is power or ground?

Akash Arora - 12/10/21

Playing with a soldering iron and live li-on battery leads ?

A good way to burn the place to the ground !

cricri -

I have a box of SoundLink parts.

That Polycomm software has got to be out there somewhere! Anybody?

Does anyone have a copy of this software tool.

Aaron V. -

You don't need the Polycomm software, you just need to reinstall the Firmware even if it's up-to-date. Got to https://btu.bose.com/ and plug the speaker in and update. It may say it's up to date, but if you type A, D, V, Up Arrow & Down Arrow it lets you into advance mode and you can force the firmware to be reinstalled

James Pither -

Kudos James!

You held the secret to finishing this up! Pressing A, D, V, Up Arrow & Down Arrow in sequence after getting the updater going at https://btu.bose.com/ , then updating the firmware got the job done. Before doing this my power light just blinked red when trying to charge and the speaker The physical replacement was no big deal. I bought a replacement battery from amazon or ebay, I don't remember where, and instead of de-soldering the battery from the power supply board, because I suck a soldering, I cut off the old battery real short and spliced the new battery into the wires still hanging from the power supply. Lots of whining about the hardwired battery but I think I understand the decision Bose made in doing it. This little speaker booms, and the last thing they wanted was a loose battery connector rattling around. The fact that they aren't suing me for fixing it, even thought it takes a little thought and effort to do so, at least keeps them above John Deere, Tesla, etc., in my eyes.

TMS -

So, is there anything I can do when even the Bose Updater doesnˋt recognize my Mini 2? Have the Updater installed, cable plugged in but nothing happens. Except for the red blinking.

Oliver Wiebeck -

Step 5

Bose Technicians Instruction Manual: https://riverparkinc.com/wp-content/uplo...

Step 6

Removing the device front grille with a metal spudger, starting in one corner and working around the border.
The grille is easily bent and deformed.

The speaker grilles have foam tape. The shop manual suggest dissolving the glue with alcohol to avoid destroying the foam tape.

Kate Morris - 27/12/20

Step 7

Remove the rear grille with a metal spudger, starting in one corner and working around the border.
The grille is easily bent and deformed.

Ich habe einen Ersatzakku gekauft, dieser hat aber jetzt einen Steckerteil mit 5 Anschlüssen, der alte Akku aber nur 4.

Ich habe wieder 4 Kabel an die Platine gelötet. Wie muss der 5. Anschlusspunkt am Akku verbunden werden? Eine Antwort würde mich freuen!

Danke, Karle

Karlhans Schwarz - 20/03/21

I recommend starting in the middle of one of the long sides and working outward, then doing the same with the other side. There are two strips of foam tape, about 2” long, at the centers of the long sides. The foam tape either needs to be cut or detached to remove the grille. The short sides are held on by tabs which must be released by bowing the center of the grille outward. Before reattaching, it’s helpful to put a slight inward bow into the grille, but to then seat the outer tabs before seating the center.

Christopher Dickey - 21/05/21

Step 8

Remove the eight 9mm T9 screws.

For the model I have, the four screws on the left hand side were 15mm not 9mm.

Kate Morris - 27/12/20

Step 9

Use the metal spudger to release ribbon cable retainer.
Detach the ribbon cable from the circuit board by sliding out from board connector.

This is the step I am unsure of. Could you add a better picture or more information? Does the ribbon cable connector clip in, or simply slide in? The foam that covers the cable hides some detail here.

Kate Morris - 26/12/20

Updating my comment: I searched for SLminiII_SM.pdf and found more detailed instructions, which helped me complete the repair.

Kate Morris - 27/12/20

The black strip on the connector lifts from the back side of the connector and then the ribbon cable just slips out.

Tracey Jackson -

Step 10

Pull the ribbon cable through the rear case wall.

This step is not necessary if all you are doing is replacing the battery (if you want to do a complete tear-down, go ahead!).

Kate Morris - 02/01/21

It is easier to slide the cable out through the slot if the barbs on the cable grommet (the gray rubber piece at the base of the cable) are first pushed through the slot with a spudger.

Christopher Dickey - 21/05/21

During this step I ended up ripping the ribbon cable connector from the control board below the back plate. Do not try to remove the back panel from the connector side. The connector side MUST not be lifted while removing the back panel. Not sure where to go from here. The cable connector is destroyed. I will have to solder a new connector or buy a new control board.

Tracey Jackson -

Step 11

Remove the top circuit board by lifting up.
Disconnect the wired pair from board upon removal.
There is a non latched connector connecting the top board to side board. Be careful to not damage this connector during the removal process.

Step 12

Remove the power supply board by sliding it outward from the device.
This is the board that was previously soldered to the battery.
There is a non latched connector connecting the side board to button board. Be careful to not damage this connector during the removal process.

If all you are doing is replacing the battery, you don’t need the following steps. Desolder the old battery from the board, solder the new one in, and reverse the steps to reassemble. Save and re-use the foam tape to prevent buzzing.

Kate Morris - 02/01/21

Step 13

Remove the eight 9mm T9 Torx screws from the front of the device.

Step 14

Use the metal spudger to remove the front case panel.

Step 15

Remove the speakers from the case.

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

Author

Tyler Roessler

Member since: 15/02/17

1496 Reputation

10 comments

Anyone know where to find the speaker for replacement?

Matthew - 19/09/17

Die Anleitung ist Fehlerhaft! Der Akku ist im SLM2 Festgelötet, in der Anleitung kein Wort davon und auch die Bilder sind damit Falsch.

Robert - 24/02/18

(englisch version below)

Scheinbar eine Verwirrung, es gibt verschiedene Ausführungen des selben Models. Es scheint als sie im amerikanischen die Soundlink mini 2 mit steckbaren Akku verkauft worden und die gelötete in Europa.

It seems there is some confusion ongoing, there are different versions of the same model. It seems likely in Amerika the Soundlink mini 2s battery is unplugable, as the european version is soldered.

Raphael Krug - 01/02/19

Nachtrag! Das ist die Anleitung vom Mini 1 und somit Falsch Deklariert.

Robert - 24/02/18

The German guy (Robert) seems incorrect. He claims this teardown is for the original Bose MiniSoundlink I. I just confirmed it is indeed a teardown for Bose Mini Soundlink II by checking the model number of my own Soundlink II with the teardown photos showing the model number (in steps 3 & 4). Both show model number 088796., confirming this is Soundlink II.

Jason - 26/08/18

Hi all.

One of the speakers of my soundlink mini II is malfunctioning (rattling/buzzing) due to (let us say) vandalism. Is there any place where I could purchase the replacement for the speaker?. I am in Spain and I can not find it. Thanks !

porrinchas - 31/08/18

How do you repair the press button on and off it has warned out. No longer cutting on or off due to the rubber switch wear and tear

Bernadette Everette - 27/04/19

Anyone know where can I get a shell and grill replacement part for my soundlink mini 2? I want to replace the shell and the grill of my soundlink mini 2.

Hadrian Wong - 28/09/19

Hi all,

instead of removing the parts in order to replace the cable I would recommend to unsolder the speakers from the cables and solder the new ones.

What do you think?

2ch -

Hi all,

while changing the speakers I learned that the cables are not soldered but wrapped around the contacts. However, they can easily be soldered which seems to me recommended. Works perfectly and spares time.

2ch -