Bose Soundlink III: minimalist goodness

Bose mixes technology and classic minimalism once again in the new Bose SoundLink III. This gadget is a wireless Bluetooth speaker that boasts 14 hours of battery life and excellent sound quality with its four neodymium transducers. We’ve gotten our hands on this slab of sound for a thorough review. Let’s see how the speaker matches up with Bose’s promise.

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PROS

• Minimalistic design. Besides top-of-the-line technology, one of Bose’s trademarks is its minimalist design. Like most of its offerings, the Bose SoundLink III has a no-frills design that’s both simple and intuitive. There are no hidden knobs and buttons. What you see is what you get. Its indicators are hidden and only made visible by light, but they hide no mysteries as these symbols (Bluetooth and battery lights, for example) are easily decipherable.
• Bluetooth capabilities. The speaker’s main grab is the Bluetooth compatibility. We’ve tested this out and we were satisfied. Its connectivity worked perfectly. Range was not an issue for the device. The range reaches as far as thirty feet. Connecting was easy. There were no apps that needed to be installed. It also had AUX ports for devices without Bluetooth. It’s as easy as plug-and-play—or connect-and-play, in this case.
• Strong battery life. We checked the promised 14 hours and were also satisfied. With average use, the device was able to clock in as promised with some additional hours left over.
• Sound quality. The four neodymium transducers deliver above-par sound. For a speaker its size and make, it delivers respectable sound quality. They were tested with a FLAC version of Empire of the Sun’s Ice on the Dune album. The Bose SoundLink III was able to deliver the electronic album’s austere clarity and bass.

CONS

• Very basic speakers. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But if you plan to charge that much, you might want to fix it up with a couple of other features. No doubt that the speaker does its job well, but it’s just that. We don’t have additional features like equalizers and integration apps. We don’t even have basic Previous, Pause, or Next buttons.
• Uncompensated price. Much of Bose’s woes stem from its steep price. The P19,000 price tag is enough to deter most consumers. Its lack of features don’t help at all to compensate for this hefty price.

THE VERDICT

There is no doubt that the Bose SoundLink III is an excellent Bluetooth speaker, but its steep price and lack of features might take it a tiny notch down.

SPECIFICATIONS

Sound system: Four neodymium transducers

I/O ports: AUX-in, Micro-USB

Connectivity: Bluetooth (range of up to 30 feet)

Battery: Rechargeable (with a life of up to 14 hours)

Dimensions & weight: 5.18 x 10.08 x 1.89 in, 1.37 kg

Price: P19,000