It’s just about universally agreed that the original Bose SoundDock was and still is one of the best iPod speakers on the market. My big gripe with it was always that it just isn’t truly portable because you have to plug it in. But no longer. The SoundDock Portable is surprisingly similar to the AC-only version in both sound and power; it’s the loudest and best-sounding thing out there by far for its compact size. Of course, at $399, you’re paying through the nose for the Bose-ness of it all. Available to regular Joes at the end of September.
The SoundDock Portable’s glossy white shell (also comes in black) measures a very compact 12 x 6.7 x 5.1 inches and weighs 5.2 pounds. It looks a lot like the original version, but the iPod dock justting out from the bottom front can rotate into the body like a swiveling bookcase in a horror flick.
The overall design is very minimalist, with no on-board controls except a pair of touch-sensitive volume controls on the right side. Each of the eight buttons on the included infrared remote’s rubberized surface is ringed with a little lip, so it’s extremely easy to operate by feel. It controls power, playback, volume, and playlist skipping, but not browsing your iPod’s menus or music. I had no trouble using the remote in my living room from most angles.
The only connectors on back are for analog eighth-inch input and the included power charger; no video outputs or USB port. The lithium-ion battery is rechargeable and easily removable by pushing and turning a pin on the back, which is a huge plus. No word yet on spares, but you get anywhere from 3 hours of playback at full volume to around 8 hours with normal usage. Not bad given the level of bass performance, which can drain batteries quickly.
I’m not crazy about the sensitivity of the volume buttons on the side, but you can always use the very responsive remote instead. I like that your iPod charges even when the speaker isn’t plugged in, but be aware this will drain the speaker’s battery faster. The SoundDock is very easy to carry via the handle on the back, which pulls double duty as the system’s bass port (or Wave Guide exit, as Bose puts it).
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.
Bose didn’t include any dock inserts; you’re meant to use the one your iPod came with. The universal power plug has a cable winder on it that makes it convenient for travel, but the plug itself is enormous and takes up a lot of outlet space. For $399, it would have been nice if Bose gave you a travel case or bag, but it turns out you have to pay an extra $59 for that. Boooo.
Acoustic jazz like John Coltrane’s “Blue Train” sounds full, though the cymbals are a bit on the harsh side. Some simple bass and treble tone controls would have fixed this better than forcing owners to use the iPod’s inflexible equalizer presets. The bass is tight enough that it can stand a little boost without becoming muddy. Still, it’s hard not to be overwhelmed by the highs. Excellent detail in the mids, with the tenor sax at a comfortable spot in the mix. Very lively all around.
On Sergei Nakariakov’s classical trumpet and piano duet album Carmen Fantaisie, you can hear every nuance of the trumpet, including the young Russian’s breathing and the trumpet valves moving, and the piano comes through clear as bells. In larger orchestral pieces like Maurice Andre’s rendition of the Hummel Concerto, each section (woodwinds, brass, strings, percussion) is clearly separated from each other, and the soloist is presented clearly but not too up front, though you do lose some sense of the group’s size.
Interpol’s Antics album, especially electric bass-heavy tracks like “Evil” sound downright exciting. I used an MP3 version I downloaded from eMusic, and it still had plenty clarity and punch to it. The Red Hot Chili Peppers sound driving and forceful, since the SoundDock Portable eats Flea’s overdriven bass parts for breakfast. This is some of the
Reverend Horton Heat’s Revival and Phish’s Picture of Nectarsound better on instrumentals than they do on vocal tracks. Those midrangey male singers tend to get a bit overwhelmed by the rest of the music thanks to a slight dip in the mids where some vocals and guitar sounds land. Bass and drums sound beautiful with lots of punchy definition.
On the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” you can hear the congas, which often get lost, just as clearly as the tambourine, and vocals come through this dense track very clearly. The bass and high-hat cymbal really shine on Bob Marley’s “Exodus”, though the vocals are just slightly recessed. Jay-Z’s “Justify My Thug” and “Change My Clothes” have surprising power and thump coming from such a tiny place, and Jay-Z’s lyrics have all the presence and clarity that they do in a club.
$399 is a lot to pay for an iPod speaker, but this one happens to sound exceptionally good — better than any other currently available portable model, in fact. If you can shell out the dough, you won’t be disappointed, except maybe by the lack of carrying case to protect your expensive purchase.
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Actually, the best sounding portable currently is the lower cost but MUCH higher fidelity Harman Kardon Go Play also designed for the Ipod. It sounds better than even the larger desk only non portable units such as Apple’s large unit.
Hmmm… I’ve got to disagree there, as I’ve A-B’d them both. But the HK is definitely a worthy contender, and it is $50 cheaper. Also, I hate that on the HK, the iPod lays flat on top instead of standing up. And I much prefer the Bose’s rechargeable battery to lugging around 8 D-cells for the HK…
-mk
I have an old sounddock and bought the new portable one recently only to find that my old ipod does not charge on the new sounddock! (it charges fine on the old sounddock) What a pain!
How does the sound of the old sounddock compares with the sound of the new model? Any considerable improvements?
I just bought the new sounddock portable and my old IPOD i bought back in 2003 (3rd gen) does not work with the new sounddock portable. Now I have to buy a new IPOD in order to use the portable. What a Rip Off.
does it work for the nano as well?
® models for SoundDock® systems
SoundDock® systems work with most iPod models including the iPod touch and any iPod featuring a click wheel, including all iPod nano, iPod mini, iPod photo, iPod video and iPod classic models. They also play music with iPhone™. (In the event of audio interference, set iPhone to Airplane Mode.)
Hey!
I was wondering if this works with the iPod Touch?
Yes it does work with the touch
this thing sounds sooo cool for its rather compact size, i couldn’t believe it.
i also have a harman kardon go&play, but the bose being much smaller and producing this fat bass is really stunning.
by the way the bass from go&play is reduced quite a lot when run from batteries. but the bose sounds equal regardless if plugged in or run from battery. really really impressive! if it was not that expensive it would really be the best portable ipod-speaker around.
Just bought this 2 weeks ago and I must say despite having a home theatre system (floor standing speakers) with an audio input line for my ipod this little unit has great sound and is AMAZING for its size.
It is so convenient to just stick your ipod in and way to go, no fiddling with cables etc. PLus it charges and has a decent remote.
And plus it looks great. Thoroughly recommend.
It really is worth the money. Think about how much money you would spend if you were alway having to buy D batteries to put in it, or what if you had to run your laptop off D batteries? It would get pretty expensive. You are paying for what you get, and that is endless rechargable power. I love it!
I bought this Bose SoundDock Portable about a month ago (I let my sister bring it all the way to Bangkok from Holland since the import tax here is around fucking 80%. Thai rules are crazy, really!).
I LOVE this toy! But I do have to admit that when you turn this baby up to a high volume level when there’s a song with very low bass-tones, it screws up sometimes. Bose claims it adjusts the sound by pre-analysing it, but it doesn’t always work well. But the fact that this sound is coming from a one-way small driver is really amazing! It’s the technology about the accoustic which makes this amazing sounds possible.
Final conclusion, a wonderful toy which is really worth buying, even if it’s quite expensive. Yeah, Bose is like Apple, keep the price up to make sure you make one hell of an impression at your friends, because they know it’s expensive… ;-)
If my iPod has a protective case, will it fit in the SoundDock?
Mine does.
Is the remote waterproof?
The remote comes tightly wrapped in plastic and I have not removed the plastic cover