Bose SoundDock

Summary: Let me just say, for those know think Bose is high quality and fine audio, I will tell you that I don?t and most audiophiles (people who know a ...

Read more

Summary: Let me just say, for those know think Bose is high quality and fine audio, I will tell you that I don?t and most audiophiles (people who know a lot about speaker) don?t either. But let?s not lay on assumptions about before giving this product a real evaluation. By itself, it?s not half bad. It makes adequate sound to fill a mid sized room (provided people are not yelling as in a party situation) It?s easy to use, simple, and elegant. It even comes with its own remote and a Bose logo slapped on the front, but that?s about where it ends because the way I review products is how they compare to other products in either their same respective class or appropriate price range. The fact is you would not have a hard time finding a $50 pair of PC multimedia speakers that would not outperform this system in SPL (loudness) frequency range, distortion, bass, midrange and treble. In fact, basically what I saying is, for 50 bucks you can have a superior audio system. Well then, what about comparing a 300 dollar product? I propose this: I give anyone a chance to find a 300 dollar product that is inferior in sound to the SoundDock in any possible way! I claim it can NOT be done! For 300 bucks you can have a multimedia system that will blast sound in your room with far more clarity and far less distortion than this little SoundDock. There is nothing magical about the "Bose" name. The only difference with other audio products is you don?t have to pay for name brand markup. Furthermore, most any other audio brand relates to far higher quality standards than Bose. I?m not saying a multimedia system is high quality, but for 300 dollars, there is not one that I know of that can?t blow this Bose clean out of the water. Sure there is not much to choose from if you want an iPod exclusive speaker system with a dock, but you can still spend your money on a better speaker system and have more then enough left over for an iDock.

There are many shortcomings to the SoundDock. For starters it doest even offer stereo soundstage. For a system that claims to be a ?stereo,? this is borderline fraudulent. The left and right speakers are stuck together, so how can this be true stereo imaging? The fact is, the SoundDock is mono. You can buy yourself an inexpensive pair of Klispch 2.0s?s ($100) which give you stereo soundstage, four midrange drivers that provide far more accurate sound midrange and deeper bass, and two 1? tweeters than actually give you frequency response up to 20,000 Hz. The Bose speakers only go up to 10,000Hz. That?s literally 1/2 the actual sound that is stripped out of your recordings by the Bose SoundDock. It?s unacceptable for a 300 dollar product to represent only 1/2 the human hearing frequency range! This is why the Bose soudndock is dull and lifeless next any other speaker for its price, and even ones 1/3 of its price as I just demonstrated.

If you have an urge to spend a lot of money on an ipod system (ie such as 300 bucks), go with the Klipsch iFi, its so far superior to the Bose, I can?t even begin compare them. Just go ask or a side by side demo in your local apple or shaper image store. Other that that, you can find 150 dollar solution from Altec, Cambridge Soundworks or Swans that could all make the SoundDock sound like a pair of tin cans getting kicked around.

The SoundDock is a fine system by itself. Take it home in your own bedroom and it will sound even better due to room acoustics. There is really nothing wrong with it other than the fact, that everyone else makes a superior system for less money! If you can live with that fact, and you really must have the Bose, then I?m sure you?ll love this system. Just don?t ever listen to anything else or else you?ll regret wasting your money. If the SoundDock was less than 100 dollars, I would say it?s a good product, but for 300, it?s a bloody rip-off and don?t let any armature who owns it convince you otherwise. Would you pay $75,000 for a Honda Accord? If you bought the SoundDock, you already did. (metaphorically speaking)

For most inside about Bose, please read this thorough article.

http://www.intellexual.net/bose.html

Show less

Summary: Bose is a bad company. They sell average products, advertise heavily while lying about it's capabilities and sue reviewers who critize their products (look it up!). I will never ...

Read more

Summary: Bose is a bad company. They sell average products, advertise heavily while lying about it's capabilities and sue reviewers who critize their products (look it up!). I will never buy any product made by Bose. Hook your iPod (or any player) up the Klipsch 2.1's for less than $200 and it will offer VASTLY superior sound quality for a lot less money (I am an audiophile).

Show less

Summary: Terrible performance for the money. Sound is distorted with no means of adjusting bass or treble. Low end has been boosted so much that the cabinet vibrates. I also had ...

Read more

Summary: Terrible performance for the money. Sound is distorted with no means of adjusting bass or treble. Low end has been boosted so much that the cabinet vibrates. I also had to unplug the system twice to "reboot" (as Bose tech calls it) because a glitch in the SoundDock was randomly advancing tracks on the iPod in the middle of the selection I was trying to listen to.

Show less

Summary: Cnet thinks the Zvox 315 is a better performer and i agree look up the review on cnet heres a quote.

" and it surely sounds richer and more substantial than

...

Read more

Summary: Cnet thinks the Zvox 315 is a better performer and i agree look up the review on cnet heres a quote.

" and it surely sounds richer and more substantial than Bose's iPod-only SoundDock while listening to music."

Show less

Summary: Bose, everyones perspective of "Top of the line". BS, I debuted this Speaker at Conns, and I'm pretty unimpressed. The sound quality sounds very bloated, has no soundstage, treble ...

Read more

Summary: Bose, everyones perspective of "Top of the line". BS, I debuted this Speaker at Conns, and I'm pretty unimpressed. The sound quality sounds very bloated, has no soundstage, treble is very rolled off, no overall balance. People's idea of good sound quality is bloated bass, and screeching high trebles. I admit that It would be good to purchase this item if it was $70 dollars, but $300, no. Audiophiles, stay away. Look into Klipsch for a better balance of sound.

Show less

Summary: First impressions out of the box...the unit could be better constructed. The lip that holds the Ipod could be sturdier.

Set it up on a desktop, dropped my 60GB

...

Read more

Summary: First impressions out of the box...the unit could be better constructed. The lip that holds the Ipod could be sturdier.

Set it up on a desktop, dropped my 60GB Ipod Photo into the cradle and was amazed at the sound reproduction. Bose have done an outstanding job!

Thought that the cheaper units would probably not be too far away in sound quality. So I bought the i-Station...to leave in work for when I was working in the evenings. Well...

The sound doesn't even come close to the Bose unit. It is like comparing the sound of a F1 car to a compact car.

Yes the Bose unit is expensive.

Yes the Bose unit is not portable.

Yes the Bose unit is built only for the ipod (btw it works with all the units including the 60GB photo...only the shuffle misses out).

Yes the Bose unit isn't the most sturdy product.

BUT...and it is a BIG BIG BUT...

The Bose speaker is the best sounding unit on the market...if in doubt...go and listen to the sound in the shop and take in any of the competitors to compare...if you have the money...you'll walk out with the Bose under your arm!

Wow!

Show less

Summary: i bought it, it is a great speaker system for the ipod but the lack of place to store the remote could lead to it being lost and it is ...

Read more

Summary: i bought it, it is a great speaker system for the ipod but the lack of place to store the remote could lead to it being lost and it is not mobile (can`t work it with batteries

Show less

Summary: My wife and I are dance instructors and we needed a VERY powerful (fill a room with a 100+ people powerful), portable system to play our Ipod through. We compared ...

Read more

Summary: My wife and I are dance instructors and we needed a VERY powerful (fill a room with a 100+ people powerful), portable system to play our Ipod through. We compared the Altec Lansing IM 7 and the Bose SoundDock. Now, I will not claim to be an audiophile, but I did study music and sing for most of my life (Chorale, chamber, classical etc.) and I have a pretty good ear for detail without being so picky that I complain about every little thing.

That said the biggest problem with the Bose is the sound. Or, lack of it. It is noticably "tinny" at lower volumes with limited Bass register. At higher volumes, the "tinniness" becomes even more prominent. It also starts to develop some hiss.

Now, it certainly has some serious firepower in the volume arena, but it's seriously lacking in overall sound quality. Now I am one of those people that doesn't discount Bose as a player in the speaker arena, and I have found their Wave radio to be as pleasant, in its own way, as some Polk Audios, Kefs, and Martin Logans I have enjoyed. Each speaker set had it's own completely different personality and so did the Bose. But, whatever Bose puts into its $400-$800 Wave Radio, it took out of the Sound Dock to bring it down to $300.

For the money, the portability, the power and the sound, the Altec Lansing IM7 is, by far the best machine on the market.

Show less

Summary: From the first song, the SoundDock was plain unbelievable. All the subtleties of the music are revealed. Even though it is in one piece, it separates the stereo sound. It ...

Read more

Summary: From the first song, the SoundDock was plain unbelievable. All the subtleties of the music are revealed. Even though it is in one piece, it separates the stereo sound. It has enough power to play at any party, or fill up your house. Just don't think about the price, and go buy it. You'll have it forever, and you'll be glad you do.

Show less

Summary: I own the iPod Nano. I experienced the Bose SoundDock at a Target in my home town. The store demo of the Bose SoundDock was amazing. I ordered the Bose ...

Read more

Summary: I own the iPod Nano. I experienced the Bose SoundDock at a Target in my home town. The store demo of the Bose SoundDock was amazing. I ordered the Bose SoundDock from the Bose website and it was delivered today. I was very upset when I discovered that a dock insert for an iPod Nano was not included in the shipment. I revisited the Bose website and reviewed the SoundDock web page. Bose?s description of the product states that the SoundDock works with the Nano. Further down on the web page, it is stated that ?there are no extra wires or adapters? needed. I then located a link in a frame on the side of the web page labeled ?For SoundDock System Owners?. The link was titled ?iPod Nano Dock Insert?. This link lead me to a page that states that the SoundDock is not shipped with the iPod Nano dock insert and if I provide my address, Bose will mail me one. However, the page states that I will not receive the adapter for 2 to 4 weeks! The Bose website is designed to intentionally mislead consumers. There is no comment or indicator in the description of the SoundDock product description to disclose the fact that the iPod Nano dock insert is not shipped with the SoundDock. The fact that the iPod Nano dock insert is not included is hidden on a page of the Bose?s website that is intended to only be viewed by consumers that already own the SoundDock. As the instruction manual states the proper dock insert must be installed before use, I will be unable to use the SoundDock until I receive the proper dock insert. I can understand how a manufacturer can have a difficult time preparing a product for the marketplace while trying to meet changing demands. The Bose SoundDock was released prior to the iPod Nano. The iPod Nano and iPod Nano accessories are in very high demand this Christmas. I do not think a reasonable consumer would buy a product, for personal use or as a gift, if they knew beforehand that it would be unusable for 2 to 4 weeks. For a company to freely disclose this fact would seriously hurt the sales of their product(s) this Christmas. It is my opinion that Bose?s website misrepresented the Bose SoundDock in an unethical manner that could be construed as fraud. If this is an example of Bose?s behavior in today?s marketplace, god only knows what else there trying to slip past the consumer.

Show less