Bose SoundDock Portable digital music system (Gloss Black)
- UPC: 017817417778
- Brand: Bose
- Compatible Devices: Apple iPod Apple iPod Classic Apple iPod Nano Apple iPod Photo Apple iPod Touch
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Worthy Sounds
Pros
Range, volume, remote
Cons
Price
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
For whatever you need, and wherever you need it, this Bose will always deliver.
There comes a time when one must shirk his puny in-ear headphones and get himself a real monster of a portable, loud, music box. Since it's no longer the early 90s, the boom boxes of yesteryear can no longer be used to provide an outdoor ambiance. Today, we must rely on the likes of the sleek new Apple complementing products such as the likes of the Bose and others. In light of that mandate regarding the playing of music out of doors, I got the Bose SoundDock Portable for myself - the true usage of which is to accompany me in many adventures in backyard work of late. To that end, the SoundDock has worked remarkably well and has been able to deliver clear, crisp music at a volume level that is adequate for real out-of-doors use.
One of the first things you notice is how small this unit is. It is only about 6 inches tall and 12 inches wide. It is almost shocking that this much sound can come from a device this small. What this size does is allow the unit to be portable. It is small enough that it can be kept in the car without requiring much space and can even be easily tucked into a gym back to accompany a player down to the basketball courts. Despite the diminutive size, the SoundDock does not feel flimsy. It is solidly built and gives the impression that it could stand a drop or two, although at this price, I wasn't too keen on testing out that feature.
The sound itself is very impressive. At low and mid volumes the full range of Bose is present and all types of music sound excellent. I played some varied music including a bit of country, some acoustic numbers, some hard rock, and even a little bit of that Jay-Z character. Even at higher volumes, the unit has enough strength to play the bass without turning the music into the garbled junk that comes out of over-driven speakers. Some of the Jay-Z tracks did get a bit garbled at high volume but those tracks are very bass heavy compared to most music. Besides, Jay-Z is not the music most conducive to raking leaves and chopping wood.
I have often found that with higher end speaker setups that I am struck by the fact that I have no idea what to do with the equalizer. Especially when there are more than two or three changeable frequencies, I have no idea what anything should be set or what will make the music sound as best as it can. This system avoids that problem by not allowing any change at all. The good people at Bose have optimized the equalizer for you and do not give you any control over it. The only buttons on this machine, and they number two, are for the adjustment of the volume; one makes it go up and, oddly enough, the other, down. Even the least adept among us can tweak that feature like a pro.
The remote that is included with the SoundDock has a few more buttons than the speaker unit and allows for remote control of a docked iPod. They are the same basic controls that one can perform directly on the iPod itself and are consequently easy to use. While I am not sure of the frequency on which the remote transmits, it does have a significant amount of power. While walking around the yard and in excess of 25 yards away, I have been able to manipulate the sound from the Dock via remote. Of course, this is mostly forward and back on the track and volume up and down since I am far too distant to read the screen of the iPod and do any complex manipulations.
As with any portable unit, the battery life is an important factor. The people at Bose do not disappoint. This battery will last about six hours on a full charge at a normal volume. If used in a smaller room and at a lower volume, I have had the battery last almost eight hours. The recharge time is a bit on the long side at about ten hours, but if you remember to plug it in promptly when the battery dies, it will always be ready to go the next day. The only silly feature involving the battery is that it will charge the iPod. This is a bit odd as the iPod battery will go for anywhere from 8-15 hours - far in excess of the life of the SoundDock. It seems odd that the unit that will run out of juice first offers its own power to something that doesn't need it. Perhaps it's the altruism of the folks at Bose - or maybe they just made a mistake.
All in all, this is a great unit - even if a bit pricey at $400. The sound quality is great, the unit is very portable, and it works simply and easily. If you can ignore the price and are willing to pay more for the quality, then the Bose SoundDock Portable is for you.
One of the first things you notice is how small this unit is. It is only about 6 inches tall and 12 inches wide. It is almost shocking that this much sound can come from a device this small. What this size does is allow the unit to be portable. It is small enough that it can be kept in the car without requiring much space and can even be easily tucked into a gym back to accompany a player down to the basketball courts. Despite the diminutive size, the SoundDock does not feel flimsy. It is solidly built and gives the impression that it could stand a drop or two, although at this price, I wasn't too keen on testing out that feature.
The sound itself is very impressive. At low and mid volumes the full range of Bose is present and all types of music sound excellent. I played some varied music including a bit of country, some acoustic numbers, some hard rock, and even a little bit of that Jay-Z character. Even at higher volumes, the unit has enough strength to play the bass without turning the music into the garbled junk that comes out of over-driven speakers. Some of the Jay-Z tracks did get a bit garbled at high volume but those tracks are very bass heavy compared to most music. Besides, Jay-Z is not the music most conducive to raking leaves and chopping wood.
I have often found that with higher end speaker setups that I am struck by the fact that I have no idea what to do with the equalizer. Especially when there are more than two or three changeable frequencies, I have no idea what anything should be set or what will make the music sound as best as it can. This system avoids that problem by not allowing any change at all. The good people at Bose have optimized the equalizer for you and do not give you any control over it. The only buttons on this machine, and they number two, are for the adjustment of the volume; one makes it go up and, oddly enough, the other, down. Even the least adept among us can tweak that feature like a pro.
The remote that is included with the SoundDock has a few more buttons than the speaker unit and allows for remote control of a docked iPod. They are the same basic controls that one can perform directly on the iPod itself and are consequently easy to use. While I am not sure of the frequency on which the remote transmits, it does have a significant amount of power. While walking around the yard and in excess of 25 yards away, I have been able to manipulate the sound from the Dock via remote. Of course, this is mostly forward and back on the track and volume up and down since I am far too distant to read the screen of the iPod and do any complex manipulations.
As with any portable unit, the battery life is an important factor. The people at Bose do not disappoint. This battery will last about six hours on a full charge at a normal volume. If used in a smaller room and at a lower volume, I have had the battery last almost eight hours. The recharge time is a bit on the long side at about ten hours, but if you remember to plug it in promptly when the battery dies, it will always be ready to go the next day. The only silly feature involving the battery is that it will charge the iPod. This is a bit odd as the iPod battery will go for anywhere from 8-15 hours - far in excess of the life of the SoundDock. It seems odd that the unit that will run out of juice first offers its own power to something that doesn't need it. Perhaps it's the altruism of the folks at Bose - or maybe they just made a mistake.
All in all, this is a great unit - even if a bit pricey at $400. The sound quality is great, the unit is very portable, and it works simply and easily. If you can ignore the price and are willing to pay more for the quality, then the Bose SoundDock Portable is for you.
