Whichever type of MP3 player you pick – whether you carry songs on your phone, your e-reader or your iPod – one thing all mobile music listeners will have in common is a computer full of MP3s. With the huge growth in downloading the latest tune or album (or to be honest that old classic you couldn’t find anywhere else), many people’s entire music collection often lives solely on their laptop or desktop. The SoundLink Wireless Music System solves this problem in the simplest way I can think of, without the need for MP3 docks or the burning of CDs from playlists.
My first reaction to the SoundLink system, consisting of a single Bose speaker unit and the SoundLink connection dongle, was how it all looked – it’s sleek, beautifully designed and totally unobtrusive. And as the entire system is not much bigger than an A4 sheet of paper, it fits in places other stereos plus speakers can’t. It also only took seconds to set up and get running as there is no software required or extensive cables.
It’s a clever bit of technology. The wireless dongle (the actual SoundLink component), which connects to a free USB port on your computer, feeds your chosen music through to the Bose speaker unit wherever it may be. From Iron Maiden to Wagner, internet radio to YouTube, the sound quality was crystal clear and never distorted. The speaker runs on re-chargeable batteries making it truly mobile and limited only by range. Unplug it and take it with you round the house or the garden, the sound quality is maintained so you don’t even have to have the speaker and computer in the same room. To test the range I took the speaker downstairs into the garden of my flat and sat listening to a random Canadian radio station in the sun….perfect.
A remote control works via the speaker allowing you to control volume and skip tracks on your computer, but this does bring to light one small problem with the system. Unless you’re at the computer, you can’t see what the next track is so unless you know your play list very well, or have gone for a random playlist, you are pretty much limited to listening to your album collection in order.
However, there is another option. The SoundLink dongle (pictured) can be bought separately and will work with the Bose Wave, a standalone stereo system in its own right. So owners of Wave systems manufactured after 2004 do not need to upgrade their entire system. But bear in mind the Wave must be plugged into the mains whereas the SoundLink speaker is truly mobile. Using the SoundLink in this way wont give you a truly wireless music system, but it will provide a link between the MP3s on your computer and the Wave.
Now comes the decision - do I invest in the Wave or the Wireless……hmmm.
Pros
- Sleek look
- Quick to set up and get running
- Excellent sound quality
Cons
- Can’t see the playlist if away from computer
- All computer sounds play through the speakers
- Expensive
Cost SoundLink Wireless Music System £490; SoundLink (on its own) £150
Contact bose.com
