Since getting my iPad I have been drooling over the Bose Soundlink wireless speaker -- and while I was sorely tempted to get one from the factory store yesterday in Waterloo, NY, I controlled my urges and settled for a much less expensive Sony SRS-BTD70 which was on sale for the ridiculous price of $80 Cdn at Best Buy (sorry gents, sale ended Thursday night).
Just setting it up now --- it's not quite as portable as the Bose unit, but was 1/3 of the price. I'll try it out, and then decide to go with the Bose if the sound isn't up to par for me. The Bose factory store sells these babies refurbished for $230 US - which is about $100 less then a new one costs here in Canada. I just couldn't justify the added expense so close to Christmas.
Just paired it with my iPad and I have to be honest, it's very, very good sound production for the price. Far superior to the jambox or Monster HDClarity -- no distortion at all. It can easily fill a small to medium sized room as well.
Couldn't get it to work fully with my laptop, but that's not what I purchased it for -- I wanted to connect to wireless devices. I am currently streaming some Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas music from the web on the iPad and the sound is more than acceptable. There is a little ported sub-woofer thingie that is delivering reasonable bass response as well.
Not Bose, but really not bad at all for a small wireless speaker especially when considering the price point I paid.
Wendell, we have two Bose Wave radios, and to be honest, I'm not that impressed with the sound. The low end is a bit muddy, and the high end just doesn't have the clarity I think it should for the price. People rave about them, though, so maybe it's just me.
Wendell, I've been looking over some bluetooth speakers for the same use, but I have never pulled the trigger. Another option is (if you have a nice home stereo setup with the television) to utilize an AppleTv. I have one connected to my tv, but no speakers yet. I've wavered back and forth on sound bars or just getting a wireless speaker for music. I do live in a vintage one bedroom apartment, so a sound bar may be all that I need as opposed to someone that has a larger home to fill. It might be something to look in to should you decide to upgrade in the future. Though the portability of the bluetooth speaker is nice to have.
Jim -- we have lots of Bose equipment -- and I am quite happy with it all, but I do get what you mean about the wave system. You have to have the volume just right and be in direct line of the front firing speakers for the best sound experience. We have several sound docks in our family -- both series I and II -- and find them outstanding. The SoundLink has much better sound output than any other truly portable speaker solution I have hear. But this Sony sounds awful good for its size and price paid for it.
Greg -- the Apple Store try to sell me an Apple TV each and every time I go in -- dunno why, I guess I look like a target or something. I don't for the life of me see myself getting one any time soon at all --- but I also said I didn't see the use of a tablet before I pulled the trigger on the iPad mini. The Sony speaker will sit in my office at church where I do the majority of my volunteer work - it will allow me to stream live or iTunes music while I am on my own or between interviews. I am mad about music and feel that it sets the tone for so many things.
Kyle76 wrote:Wendell, we have two Bose Wave radios, and to be honest, I'm not that impressed with the sound. The low end is a bit muddy, and the high end just doesn't have the clarity I think it should for the price. People rave about them, though, so maybe it's just me.
Not me; I love the sound from my Bose Wave radio and I'm thinking of purchasing another one.
Understandable Wendell. I'm surprised that Apple pushes a product that they jokingly call a 'hobby'. Having never subscribed to cable I hope that they work content deals for a more a la carte system. I will say my quick pitch though for the apple tv. Roku boxes may be better, but since I got myself 'stuck' on the Apple ecosystem I purchased the Apple Tv as opposed to other options. I usually always have my music playing in the background either through the cloud from my own music collection or airplay from the iPad through Pandora, etc. I listen to my podcasts on it. I like to create slide shows of pictures so when guests are over I have certain photos showing on the tv with music in the background. I purchase some movies through iTunes when I didn't see it in time in the theatre. Sometimes I mirror the screen to utilize the larger picture though this isn't ideal as the differing aspect ratios. Airplay though various apps. Keep in mind though I live alone in a one bedroom apartment. It's an open living space, so my television (an oversized 51") ends up being a hub for all of the entertainment. The only thing I'm missing is a speaker system to enhance the sound. Take it with a grain of salt, but sometimes I feel that the AppleTV box is a nice add on to the tablet experience though that doesn't mean it's for everyone.
I can't get my head around what I find to be the tinny sound of the Jambox - especially at volume. I find this to be the case for virtually all the mini-mono bluetooth speakers on the market these days. I love the size and portability, but not the sound.
The best bluetooth sound I have heard for the money is still the Bose SoundLink --- but I haven't heard the really high end stuff that sells for $500+ either. I only paid $80 Cdn for the Sony unit which normally sells for $120Cdn and typically is on sale for around $90 Cdn -- I couldn't resist that deal - it was simply too good. It takes AA batteries as well as runs on AC which is perfect for my needs.
jww wrote:I can't get my head around what I find to be the tinny sound of the Jambox - especially at volume. I find this to be the case for virtually all the mini-mono bluetooth speakers on the market these days. I love the size and portability, but not the sound.
The so-called "Live Audio" mode, enabled by default, is terrible. Disable this and it's a different story.
The main problem with the Jambox is that the bass is so powerful, the damn thing won't stay put anywhere.
I was listening to Kim Komando the Computer goddess on the radio. She told us that there was no reason to spend the extra money on the Bose blue tooth system, because the quality can only be "so good" as a result of compression and other techie speak. Most people can not tell the difference.
Bobwhite wrote:I was listening to Kim Komando the Computer goddess on the radio. She told us that there was no reason to spend the extra money on the Bose blue tooth system, because the quality can only be "so good" as a result of compression and other techie speak. Most people can not tell the difference. ...
While that may well be the case, my ears certainly tell me different.
Seamaster wrote:The new Logitech UE Bluetooth speaker is getting rave reviews.
The sound is better than the Jambox to my ears, but still not near as good as the Sony unit I purchased. The issue that I have found with many of these portable bluetooth speakers is that they are mono speakers --- as they are pretty much too small to create a stereo sound stage. The Sony I have separates the speakers just enough to get some stereo effect -- but more importantly, there is a small sub-woofer that provides a semblance of bass -- something that none of the small portable units I looked at had.
Don't get me wrong -- these are brilliant units -- surprisingly other than the Bose SoundLink which is still the best sounding to me -- the Big Blue Studio speaker actually produces a very good projection of sound in large spaces. This is helped by the fact that there are separate bass and treble controls on the back. One drawback is that the Big Blue Studio needs to be plugged in for power -- which limits the true portability of the unit somewhat. My Sony runs on AA batteries which I actually prefer to Lithium -- I simply have an extra set with me when I am using it without a plugged in power source.
In addition, since I only paid $80 for the Sony, and the Brookstone is almost double that plus shipping, I think I ended up with a decent deal that meets my needs perfectly. If I were designing the Brookstone product, I'd try to make it a bit more sleeker looking -- although the big space below the speaker itself does help improve the bass response significantly -- at least for a small portable speaker, that is.
I got the $100 JBL Flip Portable Bluetooth speaker as a Christmas present for my son. The size is compellingly small and it gets good reviews. He'll be using it mostly with his MacBook Pro.
Greg -- I like the JBL unit -- only downside is the 5 hour charge limit --- however, on the up side it is stereo. Most small bluetooth speakers are mono with some kind of sound processing to make them sound stereo -- but then it's tough to have true stereo sound in such a small package that doesn't have much physical distance between the actual speakers in the unit.
For the record, the sony that I bought is a great sounding product. I know AA battery power is so old-school, but the last time I checked, you can still pick up AAs just about anywhere.
