Bose SoundDock digital music system for iPod (Black)
by BOSE
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Bose SoundDock digital music system for iPod (Black)
Customer Review: Bose SoundDock Speaker
Summary: 3 Stars
Good sounding speaker with lots of power considering the compact design. Must keep volume low!
Music (rock, pop, classical) and speech from audiobooks are clear and sounds well.
Relatively simple to use: Remove from box, plug together power adapter and into unit, choose appropriate iPod adapter, insert iPod then turn on and listen!
The speaker is made primarily from plastic so durability may be questionable. It's relatively bulky and slightly heavy for a compact speaker but it's not meant to be portable (according to Bose's website). That's why Bose created a portable version with battery option.
It works with my 2G/3G Nanos and my 1G iTouch though I haven't test it on my older iPods (30/60/80G versions which Bose manual are all compatible).
The speaker does have some obvious limitations:
The power adapter is a BRICK and have a relatively long cord. Why couldn't Bose created a simple power cord similar to those used in portable stereos??
There's NO auxilliary input port! This speaker is ONLY meant for the iPod!!
The remote rather big and is very limited in functions: On/Off, reverse/fast forward with scanning/skip features. That's it!
There's a hissing noise while iPod is docked even when turned off!! Probably some magnetic interference or battery interference. Just undock the iPod and the noise disappears!
It's still EXPENSIVE!!!
Managed to buy this unit as brand new and sealed at a highly recognized auction site at a reasonable price as the original price was $399. Funny how Bose had this advertised model on their website until literally about 1 week ago when it disappeared, making way for the newer, less expensive model for $299.
Let's see...
I bought mine with "free shipping" for $195. If I bought it at retail, it would've cost $399 + 15 sales tax in my state = $414; I saved 53%!! Woo-Hoo!
Too bad it's now "outdated" and replaced my an updated, lower cost model! AUGHH!
With hesitation due to price and the slight limitations, I'd still recommend this unit but it's a moot point now that this model is now outdated!
Bose released the SoundDock II which includes the improvements that I mentioned such as an updated remote control feature of controlling playlists and the additional of the auxilliary input port in the back!
What were the engineers thinking when designing the original design? All the improvements made to the SoundDock II should have been included with the original SoundDock!!
Adding insult to injury (to the owners of the original SoundDock which have the "limitations" and higher price), Bose reduced the newer version's price from $399 to $299!!
Overall, the speaker works well as it was designed to despite the price and limitations.
Still have my Wave radio and QC3 headphones! Now added the SoundDock!
Plan to keep the SoundDock, like my other Bose products, for many years to get my money's worth!!
Update: 3/2009
By now, people (should) know that this original Sounddock does NOT charge the newer generation of ipods (4G nano, 2G iTouch) and iPhone 3G.
It's posted online that Apple had made the power adapters using the Firewire pin setting but now has since dropped it using the USB standard.
I contacted Bose, who responded that Bose Sounddock owners have the "option" of sending in their units along with $60 so Bose can replace the adapter and ship it back. The older iPods would NOT play anymore on the "updated" adapter change so the Bose rep advise people of this cautionary move!
It's amazing that Bose would CHARGE Sounddock owners a fee to fix something they already knew (as Apple officially posted a comment that they notified ALL companies of this Pin adapter configuration) instead of absorbing the cost itself. I can understand paying for postage but to pay for the "upgrade" is Frigging Unbelievable!!
There are two companies that made the adapters:
1. Scosche Charging Adapter $35
2. Scosche Bose Adapter $40
3. Griffin Charge Converter $30 + $2 separate Sounddock adapter
I have #1 for the chargers and #3 for my Sounddock. Got it relatively for less than retail online. Now I still use my Sounddock on my newer iPods to listen to music while it charges!
It's cheaper than buying all new chargers or the inconvenience of sending in the Sounddock for a swap in adapter!
I definitely won't consider another Bose product as I'll use mine until I tire of it or it breaks! It's Definitely NOT worth the price premium for a product like this or any other Bose products!
Customer Review: Bose vs. other ipod dock units -- a comparative review
Summary: 2 Stars
I'm cross posting this review to the 3 products I evaluated.
Bose Sounddock
iHome Bongiovi IP1
Panasonic SC-HC3
I purchased a Bose Sounddock, but the thing kept rejecting my iPhone. After borrowing a friend's iPod to test with it, I was underwhelmed by the sound quality. Due to both facts I returned the item. Put me in the camp that thinks that Bose is more about marketing than the end product. I think most of the Sounddock products sound about the same, though I didn't test the Sounddock 10.
After checking out reviews on the iHome IP1, I next went to a warehouse store and gave it a test run. The sound quality was better than the Bose, though the footprint was much larger and not as elegant looking. One negative is the power adapter brick which is large and would be hard to tuck away to hide somewhere.
On the way to checkout I saw the Panasonic SC-HC3. There wasn't an evaluation model out, but after looking at it I noticed the footprint was much nicer and looked great. In addition it has a built in CD player and AM/FM radio. I decided to give it a go and purchased that as well and would let my girlfriend (whom was the recipient) decide which one she wanted. When I got it home and tried it out side by side the sound quality wasn't as nice as the iHome. However I thought it was "good enough" because at moderate levels it still sounded very good. I also considered where this was going to be used, which would be in a small apartment or bedroom and realized that it would be very rare for her to want to crank this up to 11. The smaller and nicer looking footprint was great, and the CD feature and AM/FM radio was the clincher for me (as well as her). One note: This unit is not compatible by default with an iPhone, though it will work with it however you probably need to turn the airplane feature on to get the best sound.
Summary:
Sound: The iHome was the best sounding unit, marginally better than the Bose. The Panasonic was moderately less preferable to both the iHome and Bose, but please take into consideration your listening environment and habits. If you are an audiophile then the Panasonic is probably not for you, but I personally feel it would be satisfactory for 90% of the people.
Footprint: The Bose and Panasonic are sleek and thin units and are about equally preferable. The iHome is a bit bulky and doesn't look as classy. You will have a harder time finding a nice place put this.
Features: The Panasonic wins hands down on this. CD/AM/FM are great extras. While I personally don't need the CD player I still think it is a shame that the Bose and iHome don't include at least an FM radio. Had the iHome had an FM tuner built in, I would have strongly considered this model instead.
Cost: At the time of this writing the iHome is slightly MORE expensive than the Bose, while the Panasonic is about 40% less.
I would recommend either the iHome IP1 or Panasonic over Bose. If you are more interested in great sound at high volumes over form and function then get the iHome. This would be a great unit for a college student so they could enjoy music in the dorm, and take it outside (with extension cord) to provide music for all to enjoy. If you don't plan on cranking the volume all the way and want decent quality as well as good aesthetics and a compact footprint then the Panasonic is a better option. If you ever need the CD or radio features then I think this makes the Panasonic a much better choice. Also you should strongly consider the lifetime guarantee you can get by purchasing these units at certain stores over the 1 year warranty Bose gives you. Make sure you save the boxes however!
If Bose had included at least an FM tuner, I might give this a unit a "maybe". While the sound is good, it isn't awesome. It looks great but is woefully lacking on features. Finally compare the warranties to that of the other units (from a warehouse) and I find it makes recommending this unit much harder to do.
Customer Review: Decent quality for its size, though pricey
Summary: 4 Stars
Most of the speakers in this size range are really quite poor - in this respect, the SoundDock stands well above the rest. The systems that sound better are larger, as far as I have found.
If you are into bass-heavy music, I am not certain you will like it, but classical it does reasonably well, and some of the New Age and jazz I tried were also adequately handled. It doesn't "pound" bass; that's a plus as far as I am concerned. There is a fairly good balance across the spectrum.
Other reviewers are correct in pointing out that the adapter is a bit cumbersome, but on the plus side, the version that I have is universal, handling anything from 100 volts to 240. If it were built into the unit, I am certain the dock would have been heavier, and in most audio equipment, it's best to keep the power supply away from the amplifiers anyway, to avoid noise being coupled from the power systems into the audio.
Like other reviewers, I think that there should be another input for devices besides the iPod; I can't figure out why Bose omitted this.
The iPod adapter plates are very lightly labeled "A", "B" and so on, but the imprint was so light that I ended up having to open three of the clear plastic bags to see which plate was the correct one for my iPod.
One thing to note about this is that due to its small size, there isn't much of a sound stage, because left and right speakers are just about 23 cm (9 inches) apart, so it's best to think of this as a good quality mono speaker system, unless your head is within a metre (3 feet) of the unit (at which point you will hear both channels separately).
One reviewer complained that you can't scroll through your playlists and the menus with the remote, but as far as I know, that's the fault of the iPod standard for remote controls, not Bose's fault. Even Apple's remote control does no more that the Bose. It does work on video files for scanning back and forth, pausing and restarting the playback.
Also, if you start a slideshow of the photos on the iPod, the remote will allow you to go forward, back and pause the show - not bad if you are doing a presentation with the iPod, though it will make sense to use the optional AV cable to connect the iPod a TV screen for displaying the slideshow. The Apple AV cable can be obtained from Apple retailers like Amazon or third party (more affordable) versions of the cable can be obtained from vendors like Other World Computing [...].
I expected that this would be good, not great, and what I got was a unit that was very good. The unit is loud enough to make a small room uncomfortable, and will certainly be heard reasonably well in a medium-to-large room.
I would definitely recommend getting the carrying case if you plan to be moving it about - the carrying case has compartments for the dock and the power adapter, and on the side there are pockets for the iPod, the remote control, and a small zipped pouch presumably so you can carry the iPod's USB or Firewire cable. There is enough room left over for putting the extra iPod adapter plates in with the AC adapter if you need to take them with you - most people wouldn't.
All in all, this is a very good purchase for those looking for a small, very good sounding unit with minimal fuss and bother. If you want audiophile stuff, that's likely going to be a physically bigger system, and probably more expensive than this.
I would say the Bose SoundDock has the best combination of size, portability, and sound in its class.
Customer Review: Bose: the Greatest Sound (w/excellent remote)
Summary: 5 Stars
After reading some of the reviews, I thought that I would weigh in because as an owner of the Bose SoundDock and also a comparative shopper; I feel that I disagree in part with a couple of the reviews and wanted to just offer another opinion to keep in mind.
First, I own the product and the Bose's sound is unparalleled. Yes, it costs more than the Altec Lansing M602 but I think it is worth it. The footprint is smaller than the Altec and it is in my opinion very attractive and more attractive than the Altec. Aside from the cosmetics, the sound quality is better than the Altec especially at the upper and lower end of the spectrum.
I own Altec Lansing products (woofers) for my computer and the sound is terrific; but the M602 as a SoundDock does not surpass the Bose. Other companies have tried the same tactic as Altec: add some additional features and cut back on the price so that the Bose comes out at about $100 more. I agree that the sound of the Altec is good and can also fill a room; but it still is not the same quality clean and fresh sound that the Bose has. So if you are looking for the best clean sound quality, then go with the Bose.
Now for those who say that they are looking at the iM7! Yes, here the difference in price is about $50 and the sound is the same quality as Bose. If you like using your remote, you will love the Bose and dislike the iM7's. The iM7's remote has problems operating beyond 8-10 feet and this is a lot less than it states in its marketing. It uses a weak infrared and if you are looking at the iM3 that remote is even worse. So often I am in the kitchen and just shoot the remote across 15 or so feet with no problem with my Bose. You better like to walk if you buy the Altec. Check it out and you will see what I mean.
Additionally, the iM7 comes with a very short power supply cord. Many might like the design of the iM7 but I find the footprint to be larger and less attractive than the Bose. The Bose is definitely the most attractive. The Bose cannot dock to your computer but it does have a great remote control, great sound and superb styling and is very easy to use and set up.
If price is the factor then maybe the Bose will not be your choice despite its great minimalistic look and sound. If a good powerful remote is important; one that clearly can be used beyond 8-10 feet, then I would suggest that the iM7 or iM3 is not a good choice for you.
It all comes down to what you are willing to pay for the sound quality you want as well as the specific features that are important to you.
For me, I wouldn't trade the clean design, sound, remote, power supply for any other. Just thought that I would add some other details about the features discussed since I own the product and have listened to the others prior to purchasing.
Good luck with your purchase and enjoy whatever SoundDock you buy.
Note: (UPDATE)
Just noticed that Amazon has an incredible 42% off the price of the iM7; that price point might influence you since the difference in price is now $100 lower than the Bose. I am happy with my Bose; but that deal for the iM7 is a good one; (though I am partial to the minimalistic design and the Bose remote).
But did want to point out that this is an "extremely great discount" on the iM7.
Bentley/2007
Bose SoundDock digital music system for iPod (Black)
Customer Review: Others can't compare with the sound quality
Summary: 5 Stars
First, let me say that I have the most recent ipod Nano 4th generation, which will NOT charge on this Bose dock. However, after comparing the sound of this dock with others like Klipsch(sp?) and Altec Lansing, I am 100% satisfied with my purchase and am happy to deal with the inconvenience of charging my ipod at my computer.
I am no expert in the area of electronics and am not claiming to have any technical wisdom whatsoever. My review is based strictly on sound quality and volume level.
I tried other docks, and was sadly dissapointed with the almost static and tinny/hollow sound they offered. Apparently this is a common problem with ipod docks.
It should also be said that I found this particular Bose dock on sale at a local warehouse club for MUCH less, as it was the older model and they were making room for the new ones. So, had it not been for the deep discount I got, I probably would have purchased a less expensive brand like Altec Lansing or Logitec. I was looking in the 100-150 dollar price range.
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this dock. The sound is amazing for such a small unit. Other brands have nowhere near the bass level this one does. (Of course you're not going to get thumping bass with any small speaker, that's just an obvious truth) Also, the sound is so rich and full. So far, this dock has the best quality sound of ANY stereo unit I have ever owned (with or without ipod dock).
Another thing that was very important to me when looking for an ipod dock, was the volume level. I use my ipod for my work and wanted a speaker that could be heard in a large room with noise. (I need a larger, professional sound system to get "ideal" sound quality for what I do, but this thing is workable) I can get tremendous volume levels with this dock. There is abosolutely NO distortion of the sound quality at all. The sound is still perfect when the volume is super loud.
The remote WILL work with the Nano 4th Gen. My only con so far is that the remote control does not have the ability to allow you to go through your ipod menu. You basically can control the volume and flip through the songs on whatever particular menu you set it to. Flipping through the menu has to be done directly on the ipod. It's fine though.
Although this is NOT the portable Bose dock, there is no reason why you can't take this unit along just as easily. Provided you have an electrical power source. I debated buying the more expensive "portable" unit. But, I realized that I probably wouldn't want to take such an expensive dock to the beach or any other outdoor location without a nearby powersource anyway.
I did a lot of research and read almost every review on every dock Amazon sells. I obsessed for a month over what to buy. For me, it came down to price and sound quality. I was lucky enough to find this dock in the upper end of my price range, and the sound quality is hands-down the best available. If I had not found this one so cheap, I probably would have gone with a Klipsch. It does not charge the Nano 4th Gen either, but it was next in-line for sound quality.
Good luck!