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Tag: Bose

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Bose SoundTouch 130 Home Theater System Review

August 12, 2016 / / 1,591 Comments

Bose SoundTouch 130 Home Theater System Review

Buy on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2aZ5hlQ

Bose was kind enough to sponsor this video, and in this video I’ll be reviewing the Bose SoundTouch 130 Home Theater system. If you’re like me and you love movies AND music, this is a perfect addition to your HDTV.

The Bose SoundTouch 130 Home Theater system’s main hardware consists of a 37” soundbar, a wireless acoustimass module, a SoundTouch wireless adapter, and a control console. It also comes with a universal remote control, HDMI cable, speaker cable, USB cable, power cords, and an ADAPTiQ headset. A common question for a system like this with many components is how hard is it to set up? Well it comes with an easy to follow guide and I was able to set up everything in about 20 minutes which is pretty good. Part of the setup process includes connecting the included ADAPTiQ headset which is an audio calibration device that will optimize the SoundTouch 130 home theater system for your specific room layout which was a really fun and interesting experience.

Let’s start off with the king of this home theater system, the soundbar. It’s one of Bose’s best performing soundbars delivering a lifelike surround sound that will blow your mind when you’re watching movies. When I watched Mad Max with this, I was getting freaked out because I was hearing voices coming from the left and right of me. Not gonna lie I was a little scared at first, I thought there was an old woman whispering in my kitchen. But it was actually a result of how good this soundbar is and how detailed the TrueSpace multi-channel technology sounds. Inside it there are six drivers and two PhaseGuide sound radiators which makes it possible for it to easily fill a room with surround sound. What’s also great about this soundbar is that it’s only about 5 inches wide and 2.5” deep weighing only 7.8 pounds so it’s not a huge monstrous bar which simplifies the setup when you first get it. It also has Bose FlexMount technology that senses whether the speaker has been placed horizontally on a surface or mounted vertically on a wall. So you can install it either way, and it will automatically adjust the sound to make it the most natural which is pretty awesome.

The control console is a small box with all the inputs you need for high quality audio. Mainly it has an HDMI output to your TV and 4 HDMI inputs for your various different sources such as gaming consoles, Blu-Ray players, and even streaming sticks like a Google Chromecast which is what I use on it and it works great. So not only is this the control center for your theater system but it’s essentially like adding a hub of HDMI and audio ports for your TV which is great if your TV is like mine and has hard to reach HDMI ports.

The Acoustimass module is a wireless subwoofer that only requires a power outlet. It connects to the SoundTouch 130 wirelessly and has a range of up to 30 feet so it can be placed just about anywhere in the room, and it provides a pretty powerful bass. It’s not overbearing. The lows it produces are very tolerable, but you will notice how strong it is with certain audio.

Last but not least, the SoundTouch wireless adapter turns this home theater system into a music lover’s dream. Not only can you play audio from any Bluetooth device, but with the free SoundTouch app for Android and iOS devices you can wirelessly stream music to the SoundTouch 130 system from your favorite music services like Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Prime music, and even your own music library. The app walks you through the setup of adding the home theater system to your WiFi network and from there you just use the app to play your music. You can also set up to 6 different presets with the app. For example preset 1 can be your favorite Pandora station, Preset 2 can be your favorite Spotify artist, and so on. The universal remote or the app allows you to start playing any of the presets with the touch of a button.

Since it’s part of the Bose SoundTouch family, if you have other SoundTouch speakers in your home you can play music from all speakers at the same time. As a music lover, that is one of my favorite features of this system because I can easily fill up my entire apartment with music. Apologies to my neighbors.

So in summary, even though this is a pricey home theater system at over $1000, the highly detailed surround sound it produces when watching movies really turns your living room into its own mini movie theater. I don’t think I have a reason to even go out to the movies anymore because with a premium sound system like this one, with everything from the sound bar to the wireless bass module, the movie watching experience is just extremely satisfying. When you pair that with the ability to wirelessly stream music from any Bluetooth device along with the ability to play from the SoundTouch app and presets, the SoundTouch 130 home theater system is hard to beat. I would highly recommend it to music and movie lovers like myself. Thank you for watching. My name is Andy. I hope you enjoyed this review and I will talk to you in the next video.

By Andy Slye

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Bose SoundTouch 10 Wireless Music System Review

August 10, 2016 / / 1,587 Comments

Bose SoundTouch 10 Wireless Music System Review

Buy on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2b6EZ48

Bose was kind enough to sponsor this review of the Bose SoundTouch 10 Wireless Music System. If you love listening to music at home but hate dealing with messy wires, this could be for you.

The Bose SoundTouch 10 Wireless Music System comes in a black or white finish and it’s currently the smallest speaker out of the entire SoundTouch family. It has one goal in mind and that’s for you to easily stream music in your home without taking up a lot of space. Unlike the Bose SoundLink Color which is a portable Bluetooth speaker, the SoundTouch 10 wireless music system does not have a built-in battery. Instead it’s built to be used inside your home on an existing WiFi network or with Bluetooth devices such as your smartphone, tablet, or computer. However, it still provides an AUX port if you want to use it with a wired connection.

With it being the smallest SoundTouch speaker it can be placed just about anywhere in your home especially due to the fact that it has an included remote which is really convenient. If you find yourself listening to too much music in bed, just quickly move the speaker from your nightstand to your living room mantle. But don’t be deceived by its small footprint. It has some kick to it. I’m not an audiophile by any means, but I’ve used and reviewed enough speakers to notice good quality audio when I hear it, and the SoundTouch 10 provides a really nice fulfilling sound for most indoor rooms. It’s clear and rich. Similar to my experience with the SoundLink Color, the loudness of such a small speaker is pretty astonishing. I’m actually kind of scared to push the volume past 50% because I don’t want to disturb my neighbors. Danny Brown at 9am may be too much for them, especially on the SoundTouch 10.

But what’s really cool about this speaker, is that it not only plays audio from any app over Bluetooth, but it can connect to your WiFi network and play music via the free SoundTouch Controller app which is available for Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows. I’m usually not a fan of proprietary apps and I can understand why some people wouldn’t want to sign up for another online account and agree to another company’s privacy policy, but you can still use the system with Bluetooth if you don’t want to use the app. It’s not required, but if you don’t mind signing up for a free Bose account with your email address then you can take advantage of the WiFi playback and presets because that’s where this speaker really shines. With the SoundTouch Controller app you can connect the SoundTouch 10 system to your WiFi in a few simple steps. Once it’s connected you can connect your favorite music services such as Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, and a few other options and even your own music library. Unfortunately there’s currently no Podcasting services, and I would love to see an update in the future that allows connecting podcast apps to the SoundTouch Controller. But the best feature about connecting music services to the SoundTouch app is the ability to use presets. You can assign up to 6 presets with things like a certain Pandora station or a certain Spotify artist, album or playlist. Basically the SoundTouch app makes it super easy to instantly play your favorite music with the touch of a button.

So overall, the Bose SoundTouch 10 Wireless music system is perfect for people who are just starting to turn their home into a music streaming zone. Once you have the SoundTouch 10 system you can add more SoundTouch wireless systems from the SoundTouch family such as larger speakers and home theater systems, which I’ll also be reviewing in case you’re interested.

I would definitely recommend the SoundTouch 10 wireless music system under these conditions: if you already have a WiFi network and at least one Bluetooth device, and you want an attractive small wireless speaker that can easily be moved within your home but you don’t necessarily need a portable speaker to take outside of your home. You got that? Ok cool.

By Andy Slye

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Bose SoundLink Color Review: Best Portable Bluetooth Speaker?

August 10, 2016 / / 1,564 Comments

Bose SoundLink Color Bluetooth Speaker Review
Buy on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2aPy8fh

Bose was kind enough to sponsor this video, and today I’ll be reviewing the Bose SoundLink Color Bluetooth speaker. If you’re looking for a high quality Bluetooth speaker that is extremely portable, keep watching.The Bose SoundLink Color Bluetooth speaker comes in 5 different colors: blue, mint, red, white, and black. In the box you have the speaker with a built-in rechargeable lithium ion battery, a wall charger, and USB cable. So not only can you charge using a power outlet, but you can also charge it via a USB port which is pretty convenient. The majority of the casing is made of a strong plastic, while the top has a soft rubberized finish, making it both durable and simple. The speaker itself is approximately 5 inches tall by 5 inches wide and about 2 inches in depth so it’s fairly compact. On the back there is the power connector and an AUX port in case your device does not have Bluetooth or you just prefer a wired connection.

But let’s be real, one of the big reasons you’re probably interested in this speaker is its Bluetooth capability. This plays a huge part in the speaker’s best quality: its portability. Bluetooth pairing is super easy, when you first power it on the voice prompts will walk you through the pairing process. Once it’s paired you can start wirelessly playing music to the speaker. You can also pair the speaker to 2 Bluetooth devices simultaneously so for instance if you have an iPad and an iPhone they can both be connected at the same time which makes it easy to switch between the two. The speaker will also remember the last 8 devices paired with it so when you power the speaker off and back on again, your device will automatically pair with it. And let me tell you, the Bose SoundLink Color has the fastest pairing out of all the Bluetooth devices I’ve used. Seriously, it’s Lightning quick.

The Bluetooth range is listed at around 30 feet. I live in a 950 square foot apartment and it works from anywhere inside even passing through the walls. The portability also comes from how lightweight it is, weighing only 1.25 lbs it can easily be taken on the go, whether you’re taking it for a walk in the park or going for a bike ride. It easily fit into my girlfriend’s purse, which is kind of dangerous because we might take it everywhere we go now.

I haven’t owned this speaker for a very long time so it’s hard to judge how the battery will hold up as time goes by, but since I’ve used it the battery life has been fantastic. Bose claims it can get up to 8 hours of play time during a single charge, but I was able to reach 12 hours on a single charge. Of course I wasn’t listening to it on full blast, but even at a consistent 40-50% volume level 12 hours of playtime is awesome. I can see this speaker being great for people who work out at the gym and need music with them at all times because not only is it portable, but the sound quality is good for its small size. It’s definitely the clearest and loudest speaker in its size class that I’ve ever heard. I mean, this thing is loud. It has a deep bass for how small it is, maybe even too much of a bass for some people’s taste. But I like it. I was a bit surprised by the loudness and clarity when I first listed to music on it. It was Chance The Rapper by the way. It’s best to have the speaker in a relatively open space though because if it’s backed up to a wall then the audio, mainly the bass, will sound a bit muffled.

Some of you may be wondering how this compares to the Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth speaker. Well I’ve never used one of those, but I can say that this Bose SoundLink Color Bluetooth speaker has at least one advantage and that’s the Play/Pause button. Along with the other standard buttons, the play/pause button is very convenient to have if you want to quickly play and pause music without handling your device, which is something the SoundLink Mini does not currently have. One thing I wish the SoundLink Color had was a USB port to charge your smartphone especially for a speaker that costs over $100. Other than that, I love everything about this speaker so far. In fact, I’m actually going to install this speaker on my car’s dashboard with a little help from some velcro. My car doesn’t have a way to play my phone through the speakers, but the Bose SoundLink Color Bluetooth speaker is good enough for me to use it as my audio source when I’m driving. A small thing I noticed was if a deep voice is talking, like on talk radio or a podcast, the speaker has a slight vibration noise during the voice’s deepest tones, but it’s kind of a rare occurrence and not a huge deal for me. So with its clear and loud audio quality, compact size, and long battery life I would highly recommend this speaker to anyone looking for their next portable Bluetooth speaker.

By Andy Slye

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