Bose SoundTouch 20 Series III Wireless Speaker Review

Description:

Portable speaker systems are mostly the norm nowadays for most users. Aside from the fact that it can be brought anywhere, the small size is preferred by more for easy storage – though at times the sound quality usually suffers and it’s seldom that we can find a small portable speaker that can actually deliver.

Enter the Bose SoundTouch Portable. It’s a portable speaker that can connect your Wi-Fi network that lets you stream your music from anywhere in your home.

Manufacturer’s Specifications:

• Dimensions        : 14.7 x 24.9 x 6.4 cm
• Weight            : 1.4 kilograms
• Connectivity        : 3.5 mm audio in, Wi-Fi, micro USB
• Package contents    : USB Cable
•             : Power plug
•             : Remote control

Design:

Part of the SoundTouch family of speakers, the Bose SoundTouch Portable comes in a simple design aspect easily merges with any appliance in your home. It comes in black or white and come with a monochrome OLED display at the front along with the control buttons located on top. A remote control that has all the functions present on the speaker is also included in the package.

Build Quality:

True to most Bose products, the Bose SoundTouch Portable offers a solid built even for a speaker this size. The matte finish on the majority of the speaker’s exteriors give a more elegant look and feel. The main display at front is a fingerprint magnet – though most won’t probably notice it unless you shine a light on it.

Features:

As part of the SoundTouch family, the Bose SoundTouch Portable features wireless connectivity as its main point of connection. This means that you can stream music from your computer or mobile device using Wi-Fi.

Additionally, the Bose SoundTouch Portable features a preset system. There are six presets on the speaker where you can assign various commands that you can use to easily listen to your music. For example, preset 1 can be assigned to your iTunes library and preset 2 can be used to launch an internet radio station. Along with that, it also supports Spotify, iHeartRadio and Pandora wherein if you have an active account, you can sync and play your music through the speaker. All of these commands can be done using the SoundTouch app that you can download on iOS and Android devices.

It also supports AirPlay, a proprietary feature by Apple that easily lets iOS devices stream sound directly to the speakers without the need for extra software. You can also stream music from iTunes library if you have it installed on your computer.

The SoundTouch app, which you can install for free, lets you tune and configure all the SoundTouch speakers connected in your home network. The app is also used for changing the presets on the Bose SoundTouch Portable.

The Bose SoundTouch Portable is pre-configured to work in a multi-speaker environment, meaning that if you have other SoundTouch speakers in your home, you can play different sources on each speaker, or output the audio on all of them at the same time. Since it is using Wi-Fi, the quality of the sound won’t be degraded unlike Bluetooth.

Speaking of Bluetooth, this feature is sadly missing from the Bose SoundTouch Portable. I understand the company’s dedication for a pure listening experience, but it could’ve been included here just so that it can connect to more devices.

Portability:

Portable and easy to handle, the Bose SoundTouch Portable weighs only 1.4 kilograms with dimensions measuring 14.7 x 24.9 x 6.4 cm (HWD). While the best place for this speaker should be on top of a desk, they’ve included a rechargeable lithium-ion battery you can still enjoy listening to your tunes even when it has been unplugged.

Bose rated the built-in battery to last for about 6 hours – though I got about 5 hours and 28 minutes of usage before it started telling me plug the speakers back in.

Connectivity:

As mentioned, the Bose SoundTouch Portable uses Wi-Fi to primary stream music and though Bluetooth is absent, the speakers can also output audio coming from a 3.5 mm audio jack, which is located at the back. The rear panel also houses a micro USB port, but it is merely used to setup the speakers using a computer.

Sound:

The Bose SoundTouch Portable needs to be setup first to your wireless network before you can use it. This would require you to connect the speakers using a USB cable and install the SoundTouch application on your Windows or Mac computer.

Once that is all setup you can start enjoying your tunes through the speakers. I used an iPhone primarily to test the device because of the AirPlay feature present. Connecting my device to the speakers is as easy as tapping AirPlay and then selecting the appropriate output.

And the results? The Bose SoundTouch Portable somehow perfectly offered a loud sound output without distorting the volume even when it is at high levels.

Trebles and were spot on – and each and every beat that emulated from the speakers delivered crisp sound that would match any high-end speaker available. The same goes with the bass, you wouldn’t expect a deep and booming low frequency effect to come from such a small device. it easily filled up the entire home with a decent sound output and the volume was just at 75 percent. There wasn’t much noticeable difference between using Wi-Fi and wired connections, so either one of these of connections will suffice.

While the sound output is great, AirPlay can sometimes be buggy. I’ve been using AirPlay for quite some time now with my other devices and they all work flawlessly. There are times when I would need to reconnect AirPlay since it keeps cutting. I hope these bugs can be fixed with future software updates.

That being said, I would probably buy the Bose SoundTouch Portable for its sound quality and less about its features. The Wi-Fi connectivity does bring something unique to the speakers and it was evidently convenient how you can use it in an ideal setup. It costs 1799 AED as well, more than your average portable speaker – so that’s another factor that may be worth considering.

Pros & Cons:

Pros

• Solid build quality
• Excellent sound output
• Wi-Fi and AirPlay support

Cons

• No Bluetooth support
• Minor connection issues with AirPlay