Overview
Think of a portable Bluetooth speaker for your iPhone, and what do you see? A black box with boring colors with typical packaging and at its most a radio like sound quality. But the Massachusetts based audio giant Bose has changed the equations with its all new SoundLink wireless Bluetooth speaker, with its ravishing colors and elegant packaging packed in with awesome sound quality, the product will experience a true luxury feeling to you.
Pricing and availability
The Bose SoundLink wireless speaker is available in two versions, the standard version with a standard trim level with a dark gray Cordura® nylon cover costs $299.95, while the LX version with premium trim level and a dark brown leather cover can be yours for $349.95. The accessory covers are available in nylon (royal purple and bright red) $29.95 and in leather (tan and burgundy) for $49.95. The SoundLink® Mobile speaker and its accessory covers can be purchased at Bose retail stores, official website of Bose and at selected authorized Bose dealers.
Whatâs great
This ultra small, just some 3 pounds of weight and less than 2 inches of thickness is the real portable device and as they say never judge it by the size! The speakers are equipped with built in support for most smartpones, tablet PCs including the iPad and the iPhone supplying extravagant wireless music experience via the Bluetooth. It does not require any tedious configuration procedures for a network setup, a simple pairing process between the devices and you are ready to play. The styling and packaging of the product is another eye catching feature of the device, the brackets are available in many ravishing colors, the stylish bracket can also be used as a stand while in play for the speaker. The buttons and controls are located at the top, while at the bottom you will find the power jack, along with a 3.5mm audio input, additionally there is a micro-USB for the firmware updates it might require in the future.
What’s not so great
Despite its styling and sound quality, the Bose SoundLink mobile speaker has some of negative factors around. The very first is the evident one, the price, very high as compared for the speakers of its class. The range for he Bluetooth coverage is good, about 10 meters without losing a signal; but in reality, the stereo output is gone when we cross a mere 3 meters and the speakers perform a monotonic output. Yet, it is loud enough to pierce the eardrums, the sound actually starts to distort when we get the volume maxed up. Another issue arises with the battery, which promises to last 8 hours of continuous play, but with volume maxed up, it gives up at 4 hours of playback; although, if we keep it balanced with sound level and range, the battery performs well for around six hours.
Things to watch out for
If you are going for a luxury one, buy the LX version, for its availability of accessories and wide color options, it will be the best choice for you, instead if you want to stick with just the simple classy look, the standard version will suit just enough. So choose wisely. Its also must be mentioned that the SoundLink wireless mobile speaker doesn’t not have a remote with it you need to control the volume and equalizer from the smartphone itself.
Verdict
Although it is costly, the Bose mobile speaker is a money worthy product with its better sound quality and styling options, it is compatible with most devices, iPads, tablet PCs and laptops, with a range of smartphones. It has built in rechargeable lithium ion battery with four to six hours of backup. Bluetooth speakers have been here for years, so what is different about the Bose? It starts with how compact it is and ends with the awesome sound quality comes out of it, all packed in a stylish and durable package. Our say for it is an assured Thumbs Up.
Other alternatives
Amazon has made a combo deal for the two devices. One is the AudioEngine W1, which is actually a USB receiver compatible with many speaker, and the other is AudioEngine A5 Speaker, which is superior in sound quality than the Bose. The bundle of both devices is available on Amazon for $474 combined.
Mint 220 Digital Audio Station is just about the same in sound quality and loudness as compared to Bose, but its designed with an iPod dock. The speakers are available for a price of $119.99 .
Rocketfish RF-WS01 is another option available for you, which is actually a set of two wireless speakers with a stereo output supplied via a Line-in transmitter. The set can be yours at $104.99 only. The advantage here is that you can actually expand this set with RF-WS02 , to make it feel like a home theater system when you need it.
