The Bose Skill is compatible with all current generation SoundTouch speakers (SoundTouch 10, SoundTouch 20 Series III, SoundTouch 30 Series III, the SoundTouch 300 soundbar, Wave SoundTouch IV, the SoundTouch SA-5 amplifier, the SoundTouch Wireless Link adapter, and the Lifestyle 600 and 650 home entertainment systems) and previous SoundTouch speakers/systems that support Bluetooth connectivity.

Helpfully, you don’t have to press any buttons to kick-start discovery – just plug it in, run the app and enter your Wi-Fi password. Inside, Bose uses its ‘Waveguide’ technology, which effectively performs a kind of traffic-warden role in delivering the power of the SoundTouch 30’s two high/midrange drivers and singular subwoofer in a way that belies even its already considerable size. For example, say “Alexa, play my jazz playlist in the Kitchen,” and the playlist will begin to play on the SoundTouch speaker named “Kitchen.

Audiophiles should be aware that like Sonos and Denon's HEOS system it will only support CD-quality files and not 24-bit high-res files.

dual-band wi-fi, the connection is stronger and more reliable, with the addition of 5GHz compatibility catering for more stable streaming. While the upper-mid emphasis meant the middle section with the child's prayer did come from outside of the speaker boundaries, the cymbals became thin and distorted, like a rainmaker instrument. That breathiness combined with the speaker's onboard processing gives the Bose an openness that the the Sonos Play:5 doesn't have. While the speaker has integration with iTunes there is no Apple Music yet (Sonos has now added it to its list of services accessible via the Sonos app). While the diminutive SoundTouch 10 stood up well against this current crop of competitors, our testing of its chunkier sibling led us to having little alternative but to review its original star rating.

For example, you can set the latest Deezer station to one preset, your favourite Spotify playlist to a second and the tracks saved on your tablet to the third. Using AirPlay with your Bose speaker Apple AirPlay technology lets you wirelessly play audio from an AirPlay device (i. Press the Bluetooth/AUX button is pressed, the last used input (Bluetooth or AUX) will be selected by the first button press. The SoundTouch® 30 Series III System from Bose® has a dynamic woofer that reproduces the bass notes with profundity and precision.

Of course, audio is a subjective experience, and if you want something that's a little more exciting and a touch more hi-fi, you may prefer the Bose's sound. By including six shortcut buttons on both the unit and an accompanying remote control, it's a lot easier to get music playing on the Bose system if you don't have your phone handy. All the basics are in place: pairing is simple, grouping components or conversely setting them apart is simple and well synchronised, and it runs smoothly. Swipe the “Explore” tab and you’ll see a list of music sources, including Spotify, Music Library (PCs, NAS drives), Internet Radio, Bluetooth, Aux In and Add Music, the latter allowing you to add new music libraries or log into any streaming services you subscribe to.A carry handle on the rear comes in handy when moving the Bose into position – it weighs a hefty 5kg – and rear connections include a 3.

Functions such as queuing songs and creating playlists – key to the usability of systems such as Sonos – are missing, as are some of the major streaming services. This bass preponderance had a negative effect on performance at higher volumes--just over the 60 percent mark-- with our test bass track, "Life," by the Beta Band.It's targeting people who want a system that's simple to set up and use and is most likely tapping into a music service such as Spotify, Pandora or Internet radio. The bass slams of the large drums that appear midway through the track didn't upset the balance of the song -- as long as you didn't turn it up any louder. Play an energetic song such as “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson and the infectious “doh” bassline and big slapping drums throb through your chest, while the guitars, vocals and brass licks are fired into the room with dizzying gusto. Of course, that won’t matter to Spotify users, for example, and it’s easily remedied, however it just sees the Bose app toe just the wrong side of the line between uncomplicated and undercooked. In the SoundTouch app, the host system is listed first followed by the number of grouped systems (i.