Customer Reviews

Bose SoundDock digital music system for iPod (White)

5 star:		(88)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

Between my wife and myself we own a JBL On stage, an InMotion IM3 and this Bose SoundDock. They each have their advantages and purposes:

The Bose SoundDock has, by far, the best sound of all three: Absolutely beautiful, clear and rich, with powerful base. Note that it's too big to easily throw in your suitcase for a 2 week vacation, but is small enough to easily move between rooms. If you want great sound, are OK with generally leaving this home, and are OK with the price, this is the one to get. IMO the remote is just the best for these kinds of systems: It has an instant off button that will turn off your iPod backlight and screen while it continues to charge (this issue is a bit of a hassle on the other systems), as well as buttons for next/previous track (or scan within track) and volume control.

The InMotion IM3 is the only one I have which will play on batteries, is extremely portable and includes a decent remote. It's the most cost effective and portable of the three, and it has really decent sound.

The JBL On Stage is a nice compromise. The sound is quite noticeably better than the InMotion, most significantly in the low end. For a very small room, this unit is so good that you might not miss the Bose. It's small and light, so it's very portable, but unfortunately does NOT play on batteries, and has no remote. Note, we did have a problem with this unit as others have described (don't put your iPod in its cradle while the sound-stage is powered on.) It went bonkers, and the nice people at the apple store replaced it on the spot. No problems since. If you want this kind of portability and sound but feel you need a remote, you can buy the $50 navipod remote, which works with the on-stage for switching tracks. (It works with volume too but not if you put your ipod in the dock cradle, instead you'd need to use the on-stage's separate audio cable.)


I think one could be happy with any of these, depending on their usage and need for portability.

Pete

I did my own field review of all Apple iPod speakers (inMotions, JBL, etc)

Sound quality wise, the Bose clearly outperformed all other speakers

However, this unit is pretty big, so for portability, I wouldn't recommend it, in comparison to many others

However, if you're looking for a stereo replacement, then look no further - this unit will provide you with sound that rivals most stereos

The price is pretty high, but if you're big on music, then its well worth it

Despite user complaints, I have found the remote to work pretty well

And yes - iPod Minis work great in this thing

Before I write anything here, I'd like to say that I believe people should buy what they want, especially when it comes to sound systems. I've worked in a music store for over five years. What people do or do not hear musically varies widely from person to person.

I have to say my experience with the Bose SoundDock was not good. After about two weeks of owning mine, the speaker was rattling and the bass was (literally) nauseating even at low volume. I was told by a rep that it was broken and the frequencies were obviously out of whack. They promptly shipped me a new one.

Strangely, the imaging was actually better on the first one, the one that was broken. The bass was still overpowering, and changing the EQ settings on my iPod did nothing but make the overall sound quality worse. My Peggy Lee album sounded like it was recorded in the early '30's. I tried a Delius piece that's almost entirely for string orchestra -- all midrange frequencies. I heard static over the strings. I tried a flute piece. The highest notes actually broke up. A U2 remix from four years ago sounded one-dimensional.

To make a long story short, after spending an hour talking to Bose and Apple, Apple kindly gave me my money back. (Bose refused.) I was told by both that the problem was my iPod Photo. I have a hard time believing that. I know of people who have used their iPod Photo with the SoundDock and have not had problems, and there are published articles with quotes from Bose reps saying the iPod Photo will still work without the still-awaited new plastic adapter. Draw your own conclusions with that information.

After all that, I bought a new Sharp shelf system to replace my dying Aiwa (The loss of a stereo had been my motivation for buying the iPod). I bought that backup stereo *and* a pair of HK II Soundsticks for *less* than what I paid for the Bose. The sound quality of both betters the SoundDock, especially the HK's.

If you're a parent looking for speakers for your teenager's IPod, I genuinely recommend investing in the HK's. There is no reason to spend $300 on the Bose SoundDock when there are better speakers for half the price, unless you fall for the convenience factor and the design, which I did. So much for that.

Or if you've got line-out jacks, just buy an RCA Y-plug and hook up your iPod to an existing stereo. You'll be spending only $3.00 as opposed to $300.00.

First I would like to say that I am not an expert on speakers. I am just someone who loves listening to all kinds of music.

The SoundDock from Bose actually delivers pretty good sound for its size. I like listening to music at high (but not extremelly high) volumes, and it performs quite well. Once in a while I do hear some distortion. But anyway, it handles bedrooms and small rooms easily. For larger spaces it lacks the punch delivered by larger speakers and subwoofers.

If size is not crucial for you, you are probably better off with cheaper but larger speakers.

I am satisfied with my purchase. If it costed a little less (200-249) I would have given it 5 stars.

Pros:

Great sounding speakers with plenty of power to fill a room. Excellent Bass & Treble response. The best I've heard for its compact size and small footprint.

Cons:

1.) The SoundDock uses an external transformer. You have 13 feet of power cables to tuck away. Five feet of cable from the wall outlet to the converter (which is 4.5"x2.5"x1.5") and another 8 feet of cable to the SoundDock. It's not as neat or convenient as it should be, were the converter built into the unit. For a Bose designed product, this is a major fault if you want to use it on a countertop in a kitchen environment. It also makes the SoundDock a bit less "portable" for anyone who would like to move it between the Kitchen, Patio, Bedroom or Family Room.

2.) No external input for a second audio source.

3.) The price. In additon to that, Bose products are never discounted and always seem to have the same price no matter where you shop. (So are Apple products for that matter, how is that NOT some kind of price collusion?)

Overall I couldn't be happier with the sound, but that happiness comes at a price.

Out of the box, the actual dock - which is attached with four screws to the actual speaker system - looks like it's going to break because it appears so loosely attached. Sure enough, after traveling with the unit (and packing it very safely I might add) the dock broke off the unit. The design is such that it almost seems like Bose anticipates you are going to break it and you can therefore unscrew it and go and spend even more money for a replacement dock port. Sonically the system sounds great, but if you are planning on traveling with the unit, look elsewhere for a unit that is built a bit sturdier.

I listened to both at Apple store, and felt I needed a better test at home. So I bought both Bose and Apple. My report? Bose sounds a little richer, fuller. Apple has more user control capabilities to tune the sound for more bass, classic, jazz, etc. although none of these seemed to do much. Bottom line, both are good. I moved the Bose to my wife cuz she can't deal with making different settings, I kept the Apple so I could try a few changes in the settings and it was a bit louder and almost equalled the Bose in quality. If my wife told me to swap 'em, I'd be fine with that too. Slight preference for Apple controls and using ipod displays, slight preference for Bose sound richness. Uh, Bose does take up less desk top space. Sorry if I can't tell you that I have a definite pick, but it's a slight edge to the Apple for me (controls, visibility of what's playing) versus a slight sound advantage to Bose. Oh, should all our choices be so good.

This is a simple docking station for your iPod (mini or older version)with amazing sound! I walked into a Bose store and this thing was playing and I was expecting some serious speaker set-up and instead found this simple, relatively inexpensive item (Bose had for $299). It's an amazing "accessory" for your iPod and worth every penny! I'm so relieved...I'm selling my huge CD player now with it's 5 mini speakers and replacing it with this. Makes intelligent use of your iPod investment.

First off, don't pay too much attention to the geeky audiophiles that keep slamming this product. Do yourself a favor, go to Best Buy or a store that sells this product, bring your iPod and try it out. I am obsessed with music and when I tried this product, I instantly fell in love. The naysaying audiophile geeks keep forgetting a basic rule about music: If it sounds good to the individual listener then that's all that truly matters. There is no perfect product and there is always criticism and praise in these reviews.

I first tried out the Bose Soundock at Best Buy. I was blown away by the sound coming from that little unit. I started playing all types of music from my iPod. Soon, people were stopping by to look at the product I was playing with. Then, after playing some classic hip hop, the Best Buy employee who showed me the Bose said that other people were asking where that "good music was coming from." I tried rock songs, reggae, and of course hip hop. They all sounded great. I stood back at various distances and it still sounded terrific. In fact,it was so loud and clear that I hesitated turning up the volume until a Best Buy employee encouraged me to turn it up.

I left Best Buy to think about the Bose and do some research. After reading reviews on the net, I learned about the Klipsch iGroove. I went to another Best Buy and saw the iGroove side by side with the Bose. Both products are similar in design but that is where the similarities end. Everybody perceives and experiences sound differently. With that in mind, I played the same songs on both the iGroove and the Soundock. I stood there for about 40 minutes going back and forth between products. Here is the bottom line: The iGroove had slightly better bass but that's all. The Bose Sounddock was actually louder (meaning that you could turn it up louder than the iGroove, it was crisper and sounded better overall. The Best Buy employee told me that more people were buying the Bose. So after actually testing both products side by side, I did not hesitate to buy the Bose.

The only reason I give this product 4 stars out of 5 is that there are no equalizer controls. I would also like to see better volume controls. Aside from that, this product is perfect for people who live in apartments or for those who don't want to spend money on a component stereo system. It is portable enough that you can bring it with you on vacation etc or to a friend's for a party.

No matter what product you end up buying, the most amazing aspect of these iPod units is that, depending on which iPod you own, you can listen to your entire cd collection on your iPod via the Soundock. I put the iPod on shuffle mode, turn on the Bose and let it play. That alone makes these products worth every penny.

I've read the reviews, I've gone to Fry's and stared at it, played with it, turned it up to full volume, and generally tried to justify the cost. Of course, in the end I bought it and I don't regret it.
Pro's:
The sound is great. It's on par with anything I've listened to stereo-wise
The volume is sufficient. It'll make my ears ring. I can hear it clearly throughout the house (1,600 sq-ft) at half volume
The epiphany is that I can finally use the alarm clock function in the ipod, and I can certainly hear it in the bedroom from the living room.
The powersupply is a transformer, but the transformer isn't at the plug where it would grab two spaces from a power-strip. It's like a laptop powersupply. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Stereo separation is very good. You'd think that since the speakers are so close together that you'd lose the stereo separation, but you don't.
Small enough to fit anywhere and easily transported.

Cons:
Wish it could also run on batteries, but at the volume this thing can crank out, it would probably suck 'em down quickly.
But mostly I wish it had some kind of alternate audio input. As it is, it is a dedicated ipod-only device. Someday the ipod will croak and hopefully Apple will continue with this form factor so as not to make it obsolete too soon. Plus, I would love to run my TV through it.