Bose® - SoundDock Speaker System - Black

I bought this system, and tried it out for a week, that's all I needed. The Good: Bose sure makes this into a very sleek good looking unit, definitely no complaint there. The sound is very clear. Portability is wonderful, and the rechargeable battery is great to have, I used it many times just on battery power, and I like that feature. It has the same great sound quality when running off the battery as well, which is great that for those of us who don't want to compromise sound quality for portability when we can't have a device plugged into an outlet. Remote works great, at a good distance as well. The Not so good: It's overpriced. You are paying for the Bose name, you are also paying for the portability aspect of this. Also, for the price, no bass or treble or EQ audio controls? Bose also does not include the carrying case for this when you buy the portable system - which, for the money you put down for this item, you should get the carrying case included. Also, at times, the Bose system did have a somewhat tin can-tinny sound, when dealing with some midrange levels of music. Comparing the Bose to another system (yes, it's allowed): I did some more research, and found the Altec Lansing Mix IMT 800/810 at Best Buy, and bought this and then brought it home and compared it to the Bose Portable SoundDock. The Altec Lansing Mix is much larger, and even though they say it's portable, I would not want to lug that around, so Bose has the advantage there. Also, the Altec Mix runs on 8 D Batteries, so Bose has the advantage here as well being that it has the lithium battery. And, the issue of battery power was not really a strong point with me, being that my main issue was sound quality, and I am not really concerned with taking the system outside of the house and running it on battery power. I wanted a device I could move from room to room and plug into an outlet, that's all. I will admit, the Altec Mix is heavy on Bass, being that it has a subwoofer, but you can change and adjust the sound with the controls. The Altec Mix also has 2 tweeters, as well as 2 midrange drivers for full sound. I realize that the Bose, being more compact, has its limitations. For a small system and its desired portability, you sacrifice in other areas. As far as sound, the Altec Mix beats the Bose SD hands down - with much more Bass (Bose is weak in this area), and better balance of sound overall. the Altec Mix handles the highs/treble range better as well - which is clearly evident in symphony music with string instruments, and also the Altec has audio control adjustments with an equalizer as well as a treble/bass control. Some other advantages to the Altec Mix versus the bose: * You also get 2 auxiliary jacks with the Altec system, and just 1 on the Bose. You can play and switch music from the device in dock to the 2 auxiliary stations with the remote on the Altec Mix, you can't switch from the Aux jack to the dock on the on the Bose. * You get an FM Radio with the Altec Mix, no radio on the Bose. Docking my iPod Touch was an easier process on the Altec Mix as well compared to the Bose. I almost always could dock my iPod successfully on the first try with the Altec Mix, whereas, the Bose sometimes required re-docking or adjusting to get it connected correctly. For the money you spend on the Bose, the dock should work better. A few days before I have written this review, I purchased the Altec Lansing Mix from Best Buy for half the price of the Bose Portable SoundDock (on sale) and that in itself, was also the big plus for the Altec Mix system, and why the Bose was returned. I don't understand why the Altec Mix system does not get more attention, even the regular price of the Mix is much cheaper than the Bose, and you get a lot more for your money with the Altec Mix - a no brainer for me. Also worth noting, I bought the Logitech s715i at Best Buy as well, and I decided to compare this to the Bose portable SoundDock system. While the Bose system had better overall clearer sound, the Logitech was able to compete very well to the Bose, as far as the sound quality -- which surprised me, comparing a Bose to a Logitech system which is less than half the cost of the Bose. Compared to the Bose, and the dock on the Logitech was also much easier to use than on the Bose. The dock on the Logitech has a sort of hinging mechanism which allows it to move forward and backwards, which is great, because it allows you to plug in your ipod/iphone, and then make changes on your ipod/phone while it's plugged in to the dock, without it being disconnected. I really wish other manufacturers of these speaker systems would take note of what Logitech has done here with the hinged dock, it's brilliant. To me, it just seems that I found 2 other systems that fit my needs better than this Bose system. I did a lot of research, read a lot or reviews, I just didn't see that spending the extra money on the Bose Portable Sounddock was worth it. I would still recommend the Bose, it's a great system if you want the name, and the portability advantage. For me, it's about getting the most for your money, and that's where the Bose system comes up short, and why I would recommend either the Altec Lansing Mix iMT800/810 for superior sound quality over the Bose - and it costs less. Or the other system, the Logitech s715i for those who want a great sounding device, for less than half the cost of the Bose Portable SoundDock.

After reading MANY reviews, both here on BB and on many other sites on the Internet, I have observed that most people either love Bose and everything they make or they seem to hate everything that is Bose. Well I can honestly say that I do not fit into either of these categories. I do own some Bose products and I enjoy them very much. However, Bose items are extremely expensive and I will not pay out that kind of hard earned cash for a product just because of the name. I have learned, when it comes to Bose I ALWAYS insist on listening to the device first before buying it. I have heard some excellent sound from some Bose speakers but some of their speakers are only mediocre. Their headphones are a mixed bag as well. I never purchase a Bose product unseen or unheard. My decision to purchase this second generation Bose SoundDock Portable Digital Music System was no exception. I was on the fence about this purchase for several weeks. I had researched the first generation Bose SoundDock digital music system for iPod for quite some time. I found a couple of shortcomings that prevented me from buying that unit. First, it did not have a battery for portable use, so you always had to have it plugged in. Secondly it did not have an aux input, so it would only work with Apple iPod devices. What if I wanted to plug in my daughter's Sandisk MP3 player, or my son's Creative MP3 player? The second generation Bose SoundDock does not have these limitations. They have included a battery system, for hours of portable music without being tethered to A/C mains. They also include an aux input, so you can plug in any device's audio output with a stereo mini plug. They also added a slick swivel dock, which swings back into the speaker system when not in use. As far as the sound quality goes, both first and second generation systems seem to sound just as good; solid bottom end, crisp top end, and mild yet adequate midrange. I was tempted to order this item from BB, as their prices, shipping, and customer service are always top notch. However, I was still a little unsure as to whether or not I would be completely satisfied with this product in my home. After all, it is $400.00! I decided to purchase it from a local BB electronics store, which offers a 45 day return policy (i am a silver member), in case I decided that it was not worth the price after listening to it in my home. Well I am pleased to report that this Bose SoundDock sounds simply amazing. I don't know how they get such BIG sound from such a little device, but Bose has definately done a wonderful thing with this SoundDock. The sound is deep but not too boomy. The stereo soundfield is a little narrow but that is to be expected from any portable sound dock, as the speakers are so close together. Still, Bose is known for their ability to use angled speaker technology to offer a wide stereo sound. I guess they just didn't feel that this aspect was important enough for their SoundDock product. That is a shame. I must also note that the sound produced from this device seems different when listening from different angles. If I sit the device on a table and sit down right in front of it, the high end is crisp and bright but the lower end is a little on the weak side. However, if I back up a few feet the bottom end really jumps out, and yet you lose a little bit of the crispness of the highs. Overall the SoundDock sounds great and it really fills a small and medium sized room with full bodied sound. You can crank this puppy way up without any audible sounds of distortion. Very impressive indeed. I have listened to Pop, Rock, Country, Dance, House, and even classical music on the Bose SoundDock, and all sounded equally impressive. Bass notes are very tight, not boomy or sloppy like I have experienced on several other iPod music systems. My only complaint is that the midrange seemed a bit weak on a few tracks, but seemed just fine on others. This may have to do with the equalization of my iPod Touch, but I don't notice these differences when listening through headphones. Overall I am very pleased with my Bose SoundDock Portable Music System. It produces rich, room filling sound, offers perfect portability (thanks to the inclussion of a Lithium Ion Battery Pack), and has an auxiliary input for all of my family's digital music devices. Sure, $400.00 is a lot of money to spend on a portable iPod music docking system, but now that I have experienced the solid build and beautiful sound quality of the Bose SoundDock, buying anything less would always leave me wanting the Bose SoundDock. Still, I cannot find it within myself to give the Bose SoundDock a perfect 5 star rating. The narrow stereo soundfield and premium cost keep my rating at 4 and 1/2 stars. I take music sound quality very seriously, and in my opinion this Bose system, while expensive, is still worth the money. I highly recommend this product for anyone that is extremely serious about excellent sound quality and isn't afraid to spend the money to obtain it. pd: just got a samsung LCD, but sound was horrible, so instead of investing in a new home theater, just purchased the AV/AUX cable, so I hooked it up to my tv, and VOILA! BOSE RICH SOUND for my bedroom LCD, for 400 bucks!!! and I got everithing from BB of course

I am posting this review mostly to speak of the sound quality. I am not a Bose enthusiast. When I built my house in 2000, I had Klipsch speakers put in because I far preferred them over Bose. My car has a Bose sound system and I have never been overly impressed. So years ago I bought a Klipsch I-groove and was happy with it. Recently for the first time while at Best buy, I decided to listen to the Bose sound dock. I was very shocked at the depth of sound compared to any other Ipod device I've heard... but I know the store has an ideal setup and most times things don't sound nearly as good at home. So I went a few months before finally taking the plunge and figured if I was not as impressed as I hoped..I could return it. Well after placing it just on my counter and pushing play..I was quite blown away. The sound just filled the room. Clarity of the high's were my first surprise..followed by a nice full bass sound that was not fake or overpowering. The midrange is also very good for something so small. I put it on my night stand in my bedroom where it will stay most of the time when not being taken outside etc. The room is good sized, and the sound dock is closer to the wall etc...I am just really pleased with the wonderful sound. Compared to the Klipsch I-groove.... the difference is astounding. Now a little note on portability... a lot of people have mentioned it is heavy etc. I may not be the best person to comment on this aspect as I was in High School in the 80's when we had giant boom boxes with 8 d-cell batteries!! So I don't personally feel it is heavy or cumbersome. I understand if you are taking it on a trip where you are flying it may be large..but for my family's kind of vacation always going by car.. It will be ideal. I can't comment on the length of battery life as I have only had it a short while and it is too cold in Michigan to go to the beach or have a picnic.. so I will have to wait till summer around the pool to test that. I will say that just like all types of music boxes..this has the giant power adapter cord that I wish someone could invent a smaller solution...like a normal ended cord, but small potatoes for the other benefits. Of course like any human being..I wish the price were about $150 less..but that's life. Bottom line is that for my listening preference.. this thing sounds fantastic and looks great doing it.

I spent weeks researching portable systems that would work for my needs. I am a Hoop dance performer and instructor and needed something that sounded as good in a 10x12 studio space as it does in an crowed outdoor park. It had to sound good, carry a solid deep bass, be easily carried, (this fits in my backpack with plenty of room to spare!) and be simple to use. This Bose was an excellent choice! I use my system daily and normally get a solid 12 hours out of the battery before I have to plug it up. It plays while it's charging up and charges your ipod even when it is running on battery power. A nice feature that takes away the headach of carrying around an ipod charger too. I do have one or two small gripes. I find the remote useless unless you are basically within reach anyway (but it might work better in the home up on a counter than on the floor/grass where I usually have it) and I am waiting on the rotating docking port to open on it's own and get caught pulling it out of my bag one day. The only other complaint I have is that the volume adjustment touch pad on the side has a bit of a learning curve. At first my Bose seemed a bit possesed, not turning up when I touched it or cranking to ungodly volumes when I accidently pick it up by the wrong side. Always seeming to do opposite of when I REALLY needed it to work right. I had to go back and reread the manual to figure out what I was doing wrong. It works like a touch pad on your computer and I now am proud to say it is no longer possesed. (Although friends still claim it doesn't like THEM to touch the volume.) There is also a slight distortion at the uber high end range but I have no idea why you'd want to get that loud anyway. Major party volume range for the outdoors is great, people in space don't really need to hear music anyway. ;) Overall, I have nothing but GOOD things to say about my Bose. I'd buy another one just like it in a minute. It puts out big (QUALITY!!) sound that people are always amazed came from such a little machine. Spend the $, it's worth it.

This unit rocks hard! I'm toally impressed. I'm a newcomer to the sound of BOSE. A few weeks prior to purchasing the Sounddock Portable I stretched and purchased the BOSE in-ear headphones for my Ipod Video. They were OK. I was impressed but not totally impressed. Prior to purchasing the in-ears, I'd purchased the Shure in-ears for $99, the same price as the BOSE in-ears. The BOSE in-ears had more bass but less high tones. Plus, the BOSE in-ears fit better. My experience with the in-ears, convinced me to spring for the Sounddock. The Sounddock is excellent. It has much bass and the highs and midrange tones are solid. The BOSE product line is superior. I even tested the Sounddock at Best Buy and it did not sound impressive, probably due to the poor acoustics in the store. Get 'em home...They rock. I like the additions that the Sounddock Portable has added. The original Sounddock was too big and did not allow for use with any other electronic devices except the Ipod. BOSE figured out that you can't corner the market if you produce an Ipod-exclusive speaker system. I can connect my portable XM Radio unit to it. I also appreciate the roll-away/hide-away docking tray that the Ipod sits on. It makes for great portability. The removable battery is another great feature. It allows for carrying a back-up battery. I also ordered the Sounddock Portable's travel bag directly from BOSE. The Sounddock Portable is so new that even BOSE has they were on back order. SInce that time, I have received my bag. The original Sounddock's travel bag was almost as large and bulky as some suitcases. I could probably pack a weekend's worth of clothing in it. The new bag is slim and very practical. It's easier to carry. To summarize, the BOSE Sounddock Portable is a great unit. It's worth the money, if you're like me. I'm a gadget geek and I prefer the best. By theway, I have called Bose's Customer Service several times for various matters, they are superior. They don't try to side step the issue at hand like many other companies. They stand behind their products and will bend over backwards to satisfy the customer. There are companies that make products to sell to consumers today and they HOPE that you will consider their products the next time you're faced with a buying decision. Bose aggressively seeks out LIFETIME customers with their Customer Service efforts and superior products. Please don't hold this against me. I'm not trying to impress you by name dropping, but Bose, Rolex, BMW and even MontBlanc are all leaders in customer service and product quality. They know how to get ahold of their customers and capture them for life. Customer service is very important to me...

When in the market for an iPod dock speaker the biggest 2 factors for me were sound quality and portability. I wanted something i could just grab and take with me to the back yard or front yard when doing yard work. I also wanted something to take outside when I have an outdoor party. I have to be courteous with the neighbors, so a huge sound system wasn't an option. After hearing the Sounddock in-store, I simply kept going back to it. I would check the 20 other docks, then keep going back to the Bose. Nothing even came close to the quality of sound. The price tag was heavy, but my 30th birthday was coming up and I decided to splurge on something nice. The only thing missing was Bluetooth connectivity, but it was not a deal breaker. As soon as I got home, 2 minutes later I had my iPod docked and was cranking out music. I went to every corner of my house, and with the volume turned up, I could hear the music with crystal clarity and I could only smile. My next test was to take it to my backyard and see how far the sound would travel in my decent sized yard. So i kept walking, kept turning the volume up with the included remote, and the sound kept getting louder and reached me to the farthest corner. This thing pumps out the sound even on battery power with no distortion. I absolutely love it. If you can afford it, or just want to treat yourself to something nice, I would highly recommend this system.

If you are into maximum sound quality you need to purchase the SoundDock portable, if you enjoy only good quality purchase the soundLink. The sole purpose for the soundLink is the bluetooth and this will give you "radio quality" or over the air signals that reduce the clarity and high frequencies. In the store you will notice the soundLink is being played in auxiliary mode, this means it is "hard wired" for maximum sound quality. The soundLink still sounds good over the bluetooth air until you hear the SoundDock! Twice the volume, much better highs, mids and deep base. Also the left and right speaker separation is a huge factor over the SoundLink from 15 feet from either unit. If you own an iPod and an iPad or iPhone you can still use bluetooth by docking the iPod/iPhone in the SoundDock and purchase Tango Remote from the Apple app store. This means you can use either your iPhone / iPod and or, your iPad to control music selection and volume to your SoundDock much like how the SoundLink works except you will not lose sound quality because your iPhone/iPod is docked (hard wired) for best quality. I would rather listen to CD quality over "Radio" quality... I also get a kick out of others here who give this product 5 stars except for the price! If there was a better product on the market for less money you would not be complaining!!!

I've had the Bose Sounddock II series for a month now, and I am very pleased with it. Set up is so simple that it's pretty much ready for use straight out of the box. It has very clean lines and does not take up too much space either. I bought the Bose as a replacement for the iHome in the kitchen which I was happy with. I moved the iHome dock radio to the bedroom and placed the Bose in the living room instead. I was very excited by the sound difference. For its size, the Bose delivers big, crisp sound that can be heard in every room of my house. For even better bass sound, set the iPod equalizer to bassbooster. I actually use the Sounddock II even more now than my home theater system. Bose has been a reliable name and the performance of its product is a testament to the quality of work. You won't be disappointed with system, especially if you love your iPod/iPhone. It's the perfect match. Even if you don't own an iPod/iPhone, the Bose has an auxillary input to allow play of other mp3 players. One small thing that Bose could improve on is a more expanded function on the remote that can access the primary functions of the iPod/iPhone. A radio tuner is nice touch for those who do not have an iPod. For an iPod speaker/dock it maybe pricey for most people, although putting it on credit and taking advantage of the no-interest deals means that it is still within reach. Just pay it off before interest accrues.