Bose SoundDock Portable digital music system Docking Station (40251) for iPod and iPhone White
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- UPC: 017817357708
- Brand: Bose
- Compatible Devices: Apple iPod
- Type: Docking Station
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Dock your iPod in This Unit for a Whole New Listening Experience
Pros
Simple, easy-to use design; killer sound; compact size
Cons
Still looking for one
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
The SoundDock completes the iPod experience, delivering remarkably clear, crisp music in any room.
I love my iPod. I mean really, really love that little gadget. All of my favorite music at my fingertips with great sound, whether I'm on the train to work, in the office working on a project, doing yard work, etc. A never-ending mixture heavy on the 80s-based pop with some current hits thrown in, all at my fingertips; what's not to like?
Well, there was the pesky matter of not being able to really get a great listening experience without headphones. I'd tried some external speakers for my iPod, and actually do have a pair of cheap Sony portable speakers in my office that are passable for playing music without headphones, albeit sounding like its on an old transistor radio.
But then came the Bose SoundDock, a birthday gift perfect for the gadget guy with an iPod addiction. Suddenly, the iPod experience soared to a whole new level.
Design
Now available in black or white, the SoundDock is a classic Bose design: simple, smooth lines, relatively compact and functional. If you're looking for needless flash—things lighting up for no purpose, extra frills, splashy logos and the like—keep on looking. The SoundDock looks like a small speaker, about a foot wide and seven inches tall, nearly all of the front surface the speaker's grill. There is a semicircular base for the iPod when in use. That's it; classic and elegant with a small footprint perfect for inconspicuous use on a bookshelf or the shelves in many entertainment centers. It's not especially heavy—about five pounds, but that's enough to give it a solid, "sturdy" feel. The way the iPod docks in the center of the unit makes it blend almost seamlessly into the design rather than sticking out like a sore thumb.
The simple design carries through to the unit's credit-card sized remote control, which has just six buttons: play/pause, off, forward and backward (for skipping/repeating tracks) and volume up/down. No need to have a doctorate in physics—it's even more simple than using an iPod itself.
I wouldn't trade my SoundDock for any other system, but was curious when Apple announced they were coming out with a slightly higher-priced speaker unit, the iPod Hi-Fi. Call me biased if you like, but I think Apple's own system is inferior to the Bose Sound Dock in its design, as the Apple unit has the iPod sit on top of the speaker. Yes, it does have the option for using batteries for portability, but most of the times I want my iPod on the go, it's for use with headphones not as 21st-century boom box.
Ease of Use
The SoundDock will be single easiest piece of audio equipment you will ever need to set up. Step one: plug it in. Step 2: select the appropriate cradle for your iPod model using the instruction manual provided. Step 3: put your iPod in the cradle. Step 4: enjoy your music. (iPod Nano users will need to order an insert for the Nano at no additional charge.)
That's it—you can't beat something that simple.
The SoundDock also charges your iPod, so you don't need to look for your iPod charger or hook it up to the computer docking station (if you have one) just for charging.
The SoundDock will play whatever playlist you've selected on your iPod, with the same random/repeat settings, just as if you were using headphones. That means if you have multiple playlists, you need to select the one you want when you place the iPod in the SoundDock.
Sound Quality
This is a case of saving the best for last. This thing r-o-c-k-s. I frequently use the SoundDock to provide a soundtrack to walking on a treadmill, and even with the vibrations from the moving treadmill platform, I can feel the bass from the Sound Dock when I crank it up. (Speaking of cranking it up, the sound suffers no noticeable distortion that I can detect when I 'pump up the volume.') The sound on every type of music in my library is rich, and fills the room better than any stereo unit I've ever heard, and I don't need to push the volume much to hear the sound clearly and enjoyably. The songs I've ripped from my CD collection sound as good as MP3s coming from the SoundDock as they ever did in any CD/stereo system.
The Verdict
If you enjoy the versatility of music "the iPod way," but sometimes want to be free of the earphones, invest in the SoundDock. It may be the best single investment in your musical experience outside of your iPod itself.
Well, there was the pesky matter of not being able to really get a great listening experience without headphones. I'd tried some external speakers for my iPod, and actually do have a pair of cheap Sony portable speakers in my office that are passable for playing music without headphones, albeit sounding like its on an old transistor radio.
But then came the Bose SoundDock, a birthday gift perfect for the gadget guy with an iPod addiction. Suddenly, the iPod experience soared to a whole new level.
Design
Now available in black or white, the SoundDock is a classic Bose design: simple, smooth lines, relatively compact and functional. If you're looking for needless flash—things lighting up for no purpose, extra frills, splashy logos and the like—keep on looking. The SoundDock looks like a small speaker, about a foot wide and seven inches tall, nearly all of the front surface the speaker's grill. There is a semicircular base for the iPod when in use. That's it; classic and elegant with a small footprint perfect for inconspicuous use on a bookshelf or the shelves in many entertainment centers. It's not especially heavy—about five pounds, but that's enough to give it a solid, "sturdy" feel. The way the iPod docks in the center of the unit makes it blend almost seamlessly into the design rather than sticking out like a sore thumb.
The simple design carries through to the unit's credit-card sized remote control, which has just six buttons: play/pause, off, forward and backward (for skipping/repeating tracks) and volume up/down. No need to have a doctorate in physics—it's even more simple than using an iPod itself.
I wouldn't trade my SoundDock for any other system, but was curious when Apple announced they were coming out with a slightly higher-priced speaker unit, the iPod Hi-Fi. Call me biased if you like, but I think Apple's own system is inferior to the Bose Sound Dock in its design, as the Apple unit has the iPod sit on top of the speaker. Yes, it does have the option for using batteries for portability, but most of the times I want my iPod on the go, it's for use with headphones not as 21st-century boom box.
Ease of Use
The SoundDock will be single easiest piece of audio equipment you will ever need to set up. Step one: plug it in. Step 2: select the appropriate cradle for your iPod model using the instruction manual provided. Step 3: put your iPod in the cradle. Step 4: enjoy your music. (iPod Nano users will need to order an insert for the Nano at no additional charge.)
That's it—you can't beat something that simple.
The SoundDock also charges your iPod, so you don't need to look for your iPod charger or hook it up to the computer docking station (if you have one) just for charging.
The SoundDock will play whatever playlist you've selected on your iPod, with the same random/repeat settings, just as if you were using headphones. That means if you have multiple playlists, you need to select the one you want when you place the iPod in the SoundDock.
Sound Quality
This is a case of saving the best for last. This thing r-o-c-k-s. I frequently use the SoundDock to provide a soundtrack to walking on a treadmill, and even with the vibrations from the moving treadmill platform, I can feel the bass from the Sound Dock when I crank it up. (Speaking of cranking it up, the sound suffers no noticeable distortion that I can detect when I 'pump up the volume.') The sound on every type of music in my library is rich, and fills the room better than any stereo unit I've ever heard, and I don't need to push the volume much to hear the sound clearly and enjoyably. The songs I've ripped from my CD collection sound as good as MP3s coming from the SoundDock as they ever did in any CD/stereo system.
The Verdict
If you enjoy the versatility of music "the iPod way," but sometimes want to be free of the earphones, invest in the SoundDock. It may be the best single investment in your musical experience outside of your iPod itself.
