March 10, 2008

Bose Soundock Portable

Most gadget lovers agree that the first Bose Sound Dock is and has been the best speaker system available for your iPod. The only downside that I could find with the sound dock is that it wasn’t portable because you had to carry around the power cord/supply. No more…the Bose soundock portable is just as powerful as the original version; however, it’s completely portable and of course it’s a Bose. The unit retails for $399; however, you can pick it for less and get free shipping from sites like Amazon.com. (See slideshow on the left side of your screen)

The sound dock portable comes in two colors just like the AC-only version…you have a choice of white or black to compliment your iPod. The unit measures 12 inches by 6.7 inches by 5.1 inches and weighs just over five pounds. It looks very similar to the AC version; however, the dock at the bottom front of the unit rotates into the body for transport and storage.

The Bose soundock portable has a simplistic design without controls other than the volume controls found the right side of the unit. The infrared remote has eight rubberized buttons making it pleasant to the touch and easy to use. The included remote control operates volume, playback, playlists, and power. The only downside of the remote is that you cannot brows menus or individual tracks. The remote works well from nearly every angle despite the limitations of infrared.

There are connectors on the back of the unit for analog audio input and the power adaptor. There are no outputs for music or video and the unit does not have USB. The soundock portable is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery can be removed and replaced by the user. The lack of user replaceable batteries is one of the biggest faults of the iPod; thankfully Bose has not made Apple’s mistake in this case. The rechargeable battery provides an average of three hours of playback at the loudest volume and eight hours at normal volumes. This is good considering the unit has remarkable bass response which tends to deplete the battery quickly.

The volume buttons on the side of the unit tend to be unresponsive; however, the remote does not have this shortcoming. Just like the AC version of the Bose soundock, the iPod’s batteries charge when docked. The portable soundock charges even when the unit isn’t plugged into AC power, although the soundock’s batteries will drain much faster. The portable soundock is very easy to carry around…the unit has a handle on the back which also functions as the wave guide (as Bose calls it) or Bass port. There is an LED light just behind the speaker grille that lights when you use the remote control and the light flashes when the battery needs to be charged. The unit’s batter charge can be checked by pressing down the remote’s power off button. If you let the battery drain completely and don’t charge the unit for 14 days you can only turn the unit on again by plugging it into AC power.

An LED behind the speaker grille lights up when you press a button on the remote or on the speaker, and it flashes red when the battery needs recharging. You can also check power level by holding down the remote’s Off button. Note that if you leave the speaker unplugged and unused for 14 days, you can only turn it on again by plugging it in. There are no dock inserts included…if you didn’t save the one that came with your iPod you’ll have to get one from the Apple store. The unit comes with a universal power plug and a cable winder that make it good to travel with; however, the plug takes up a lot of space.

Bose Soundock Portable Sound Quality

The unit’s presets aren’t so great…if it had base and treble controls built in it would be much better than forcing users to adjust these settings with the remote. The high end treble can sound a little tinny; however the bass sounds very good. Overall the sound quality is very good as you would expect from a higher-end Bose product. You might be surprised by the bass as the unit is surprisingly powerful with tons of punchy definition. With a retail price of $399 the unit is more expensive than competing products; however, savvy web shoppers can find it for much less and get free shipping out of the deal without paying sales tax. The only thing that’s missing from a “portable” soundock is a carrying case…why Bose saw fit to leave it out is beyond me.

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