Customer Reviews

Bose SoundDock Series II Digital Music System for iPod (Silver)

5 star:		(136)
4 star:		(49)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

I did quite a bit of research before getting the Bose SoundDock II. I wanted a dock that would work with my iPod touch 2G, have superb sound quality, and preferably charge my iPod while docked. Well I have to say that I got all i wanted and then some with this unit.

I read some reviews online written by "audiophiles" and supposed "sound experts" bashing Bose for selling overpriced and underpowered equipment. These people just don't get it. I won't go on to bore you in detail about the ridiculous things that were said but I will mention that these people are comparing the SoundDock to a home stereo setup that entails having a receiver with two separate wired speakers. Is this a fair comparison? I beg to differ.

To summarize this product it's a compact unit you can have in virtually any room in the house minus a bathroom (for safety purposes) and its sound can be described as warm and beautiful with deep enough bass to make your sound come alive but not wake the neighbors. Clear, never distorted at any volume. You get what you pay for.

Thanks Bose!

The Bose SoundDock has the Bose quality sound you would expect. It is a great way to play your IPOD, just plug it into the dock and play. You do not have any control over bass and treble, just volume. The remote has a good feel to it and responds well. There is a small green light in the dock that lights up each time you press a remote button. You will usually use the remote to change the volume, select the next or previous track and turn it on/off. The SoundDock itself only has 2 buttons for volume up and down.
The volume goes louder than I expected and I never have turned it up all the way, even when the kids are playing their IPODs.

There are a few things they could have improved......The power cord has the transformer built into the middle of the cord, it should have been built into the unit. The power cord plugs straight into the back of the SoundDock with a small round plug and it will come out easily if the unit is moved. The docking station is a seperate piece that is attached and it moves around a little which makes it feel loose. There isn't an on/off switch on the unit, just the remote, so you have to turn the IPOD off or use the remote to turn them both off, or just pull the IPOD out. My SoundDock was missing one of the stick on rubber feet on the bottom. I called Bose support and they mailed me one free.

Overall it's a great quality unit where it counts but Bose cut corners where they could on the rest of it.

We do love it and use it almost everyday.

The sound quality is very good for the price point and the size. That said, the remote does not interface correctly with my ipod. Specifically it does not allow the user to move through the menus as it is supposed to. I thought at first the Bose system was defective so I returned it for a new one but the second one has the same problem. All the other remote functions work properly but in order to navigate through the menus on the ipod I either have to hold onto it in the docking station (it doesn't have a snug fit-another drawback) so that the pins don't come loose, or else I have to take the ipod out of the docking station all together, make my music selection and then put it back in the dock. This is a major flaw in an otherwise good product.

Have the 1st Bose SoundDock for 2 older iPods. When bought new iPhone 3GS, bought the new Bose SoundDock II. Excellent sound! Fills 2300 sqft house fully, plus the yard. Rich clear music. Can get very loud, impressive. Kept my iPhone on it for a couple months, then discovered AirTunes, the Apple way of wirelessly turning every speaker in the house into broadcasting station for iTunes playlists and radio etc. AWESOME !!! Just buy an AirPort Express and connect it to the SoundDock II via Belkin Mini-Stereo Cable and you can stream all your playlists / songs to this great speaker PLUS all your other speakers in every room of your house, all at once, individually, or in selected groups. The roof is about to fly off with the volume of intensely great music raising the rafters here!

Then your iPhone is free to use as a Remote, free Apple app, to control your music on all speakers. Heaven! Have a long kirtan / mantra / bhajan playlist and having it going all throughout the house and yard for hours (actually days) non-stop is an amazing boon.

The Bose SoundDock II is expensive but we are very glad we bought it. It is getting a workout now along with all our other systems / speakers, all at once. Plus, we can take the Bose out on the deck, or to the office.

I bought this about 8 months ago and love it. Sound superb for my bedroom (med/lg space). Very easy to use. But WARNING: it does not fit the new iPod Touch 4th gen. nor the newest iPhone. DON'T Force it on or you will break either the SoundDock or your iPod (likely the iPod). I have previous iPods so can transfer new music to them to play. But do Check The Compatibility Chart. It's a great product in spite of this problem. I can adjust, but if your only iPod is the newest Touch or iPhone: Don't Buy It. If you own earlier iPod models, it's room-filling sound is great.

UPDATE: November 29 2010
The SendStation Dock Extender (available here on Amazon) will get you back up and running with the combination of iPod Touch 4th gen, Bose SoundDock II and SoundDock 10. These Bose speakers are pricey investments and were compatible with iPod up to the newest Touch. Best I can figure, the angle of the docking mechanism was changed by Apple to accommodate the thin form. The SoundDocks don't fit the new angle and if forced will break your new Touch. These two Bose SoundDocks are still compatible with previous iPods. For some reason the Portable is not an issue.

The SendStation Dock Extender allows the 4th gen (and all previous models) to charge and play with both the Sound Dock II and SoundDock 10.

Bose: if you are listening, this is a solution involving no re-engineering. Possible "good-will" inclusion with new purchases of either of these SoundDock models (II and 10)

Apple: if you are listening, I checked in a number of your retail stores where you stock both of these models and the floor staff were clueless that the new iPod Touch doesn't work with Bose SoundDocks II or 10. Stocking the extender is the answer to a "Happy Customer" experience. As opposed to the return of the speakers and the broken iPod.

I am so pleased with this solution so I don't have to juggle my music all around, back to older iPod models in order to use my speakers!

Received the Bose SoundDock II (Silver) as a gift. What an exceptional powerhouse! It fills the house or can be quiet enough for just the den. I have Bose noise-canceling headphones. The Bose quality and engineering is exceptional. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is because the system lacks AM/FM radio like other (less expensive) docks (please take a hint, Bose!).

I have been thinking of having a Bose product from quite some time. And here it comes. I have owned this product close to 15 days and i must admit superb quality/output. It is just amazing how much of output i get from this little one. I'm almost (almost because i haven't find a permanent place for these speakers in my home yet) favoring these speakers over my HDTV speakers. Auxiliary input boosts the rating to this product. I have connected to Aux (using 3.5mm cable) from my Laptop, HDTV, CD player and off course iPod. All seems to be working as expected. Now that i have told about the product, i should also tell you (the buyers) that there are other products in market, which you get for a cheaper price than this one (for example: Sony Wireless speakers with FM/AM, Clock and iPod doc comes for about $180..) But the sound output in Bose is quite amazing compared to other speakers. So if your sole purpose (and not price) is to enjoy music, Go for it !! Finally for the benefit of future buyers i would like to list out Pros and Cons.

Pros: Superb Sound output (as always), Portable, Auxiliary input
Cons: None so far :)
Nice to have: LED display (for clock or volume levels)

And yes finally, i haven't yet seen the maximum volume in this speaker (because i do not want my neighbors to complain with that loud music). It gives a very good output with half the music on. However as specified in my Nice to have, this device doesn't come with any volume level indicator, so you wouldn't know how far you are with the volume levels.

Hope this review will be useful for whoever would like to buy a speaker.

I bought this product yesterday for my wife at a local vendor. Upon initial inspection I found the build quality to be poor. The gap at the bottom of the speaker grill was about 1/16" and you could see into the unit. The actual docking area that juts out from the main area was a bit loose and does not allow the unit to sit fully flat. However in the grand scheme of things this is pretty negligible. I am just particular due to my professional training and these sort of things bother me.

The sound quality is impressive for such a small unit it. It can definitely light up the room once you have the volume adjusted correctly. The speakers are crisp and produce a well rounded sound overall but a little weighted on the low frequencies. I find most Bose products to be like this, but this is a personal opinion. I played a variety of music on this unit and the music sounded great. On several occasions I was surprised by the clarity of the sound. My wife who I bought this for was extremely impressed and happy with this unit.

Considering the price, build quality and sound quality. I would recommend this unit to the masses looking for a decent sounding MP3 speakers. I should mention that it comes with an AUX input at the back. I would not recommended this to pure audiophiles as I am sure they could find fault with this unit. As for the build quality, I may have gotten a bad unit but it is negligible. It might bug me (a design professional) but my wife could really care less.

My husband bought this for me as a gift for my office. It is stylish and sleek enough for a professional setting, does not take up much room and is easy to operate. I agree with other reviewers that the Ipod holder itself is not a tight and secure fit. I have the Bose Waveless CD/Radio and love it as well. I had a 100.00 IHome prior to this and it is like a bubblegum machine docking station compared to the Bose! You get what you pay for in this instance. A great sounding electronic at all sound levels.

The SoundDock Series II is very good. I have found the sound quality to be very good even at high volumes. Contrary to a previous review it has no problem filling my room with music. The question is does the expense of a Bose product make it worth it compared to a much cheaper model you can buy at Target or Wal-Mart. In my case the answer to that question is yes.