Bose SoundDock

Since the company first started making speakers, Bose have been recognized for the quality of their products - the latest SoundDock is no exception. They may be a slightly higher price than some systems but the quality and versatility makes the extra cost well worth it.

Bose believe that the new SoundDock is the best-sounding system for your iPod - and it will handle your iPhone too. Whilst many cheaper systems cope adequately with filling a small area with your music, according to Bose "The SoundDock system delivers performance so powerful and lifelike, it could easily become your home's main music system. It's ideal for parties, gatherings, or your own personal listening. You've probably never heard your iPhone/iPod sound this good."

The SoundDock has a massive tonal range, reaching from the upper ranges of vocals to the deep bass lines. Bose use their advanced Waveguide technology together with a specially developed new woofer. This newly designed woofer has a larger magnet than is conventional giving a much more powerful performance.. The waveguide is a long and intricately folded tube system inside the unit which improves the output of the woofer to deliver much stronger and deeper low notes, a trademark of the Bose sound.

Available in silver or black, the latest unit also makes it possible for you to use other sound sources by connecting to the unit's auxiliary input and, to make things easier still, you can switch from the iPod to your other sound source using the remote control unit. An added sophistication is the ability to watch your iPod or iPhone videos on the TV whilst listening to the sound on the system - how cool is that?

One of the best things about an iPod is how easy it is to use. If you are going to have a speaker system, you want one that is equally simple to use, without sacrificing sound quality. When you unpack your Bose SoundDeck you can simply mount your iPod and press play. Half the pleasure of new systems is spoiled by having to spend hours deciphering complicated instructions when all you want to do is play with your new toy. The manual is simple and clear but you don't need to read it first and you don't have to mess around with miles of complicated wiring, even the geeks among us get fed up of that sometimes!

You can use the remote, or the unit controls to increase the sound, choose the next track, increase volume, flip back to the previous track - whatever you want. The unit is simple and uncluttered, just like the iPod it was designed to support.

Once you go 'under the hood' and start looking at sound quality, you soon understand why Bose has such a fantastic reputation for it's sound systems. No muffling or distortion - the woofers at the front of the speaker make sure everything is crystal clear. Bose are experts at using angled speakers to get the best quality stereo sound out of their units so, despite the small size, the sound coverage is excellent even in relatively large areas

The SoundDock has become one of the most highly regarded iPod sound systems because of this marriage of functionality, ease of use and clean design lines, whilst it is not the cheapest system on the market, it's use of the unique Bose Waveguide technology,makes it good value for money in terms of the sound quality.

There are a number of stylish accessories that go with your SoundDock to make it even better. Most useful to my mind is the Bluetooth Dock as this gives you a great deal of freedon - you can still have your phone with you whilst playing your music. Because of the modular design of the SoundDock system you can easily replace the iPod dock with the Bluetooth one giving you the ability to listen wirelessly. The system will store six phones in it's memory so can be used by the whole family without having to constantly re-enable. Not a cheap addition, but if there are several of you in the house who use the SoundDock it is well worth it.

Another favorite is the Portable SoundDOck bag, sure you could get just any bag but if you have invested in the best, then why not use the proper bag that is set up for it. It has three pockets so you can get all the gizmos and cables in without any difficulty, there is a dedicated pocket for the battery and a good, wide shoulder strap that makes it comfortable to carry. I loved this review from Amazon - especially the last sentence

"I confess that if Amazon had not offered this bag as a "bundle" with my Bose SoundDock, it would have never occurred to me to buy one. As with anything you keep on a tabletop, the sound dock collects dust and keeping it protected eliminates that. Eventually the dust will collect in the grid and surely damage it. The bag is great, sturdy, elegant, and it even has a pocket for the socket attachment. You can store your sound dock anywhere and just pick up the bag and carry it with you (the shoulder strap is an added bonus). I supposed eventually I would have bought a bag to keep the dock from getting scratched or damaged; it didn't have to be a Bose bag, but it's simply ELEGANT. "

Color co-ordinated remotes and batteries are also available from a number of suppliers, whilst battery life is good, it can be handy to have a spare charged and ready if you are on the move with the portable system. The remote gives good control for the system, you can set up pretty much anything you want with them, leaving you to enjoy whatever you are doing whilst the music plays on....