The $399 Bose SoundTouch 20, available now.
Now that Sonos has met with success in the wireless audio game, it seems like everyone is clamoring to get a piece of the action. Just last week, Samsung introduced the Shape, its own multiroom speaker system. Today, Bose is doing the same with its SoundTouch WiFi line – an awesome set of high-quality, next-generation speakers that can be networked together as a full-home system.
There are three new SoundTouch devices being introduced by Bose: The top-tier SoundTouch 30, the SoundTouch 20, and the SoundTouch Portable. The most notable difference in the three is size, though the larger SoundTouch 30 does contain a number of extra bells and whistles like a “proprietary woofer” and “exclusive waveguide technology.” The SoundTouch Portable comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery.
Our own Suzanne Kantra got a chance to test out all three yesterday, and picked out the SoundTouch 20 as “the clear winner of the three.” According to her, “it’s supposed to be the mid-range model, but it sounds better than their usual mid-line model.” Given the quality we’ve come to expect from Bose, that’s pretty high praise.
But how does the SoundTouch compare to the competition – that is, Sonos and Samsung? First, with SoundTouch you don’t need to connect a hub for whole-home playback – a real advantage if you want to expand beyond a single speaker. Another cool feature: SoundTouch has 6 'smart' preset buttons. One touch can start up an album, a playlist or even your favorite Pandora station. SoundTouch also supports AirPlay, so you can stream Spotify or iTunes Radio directly from your iPhone. A key limitation: You can only stream to one SoundTouch device at a time.
The Bose SoundTouch 20 and the SoundTouch Portable both retail for $399. The SoundTouch 30 will set you back $699. All are available for purchase starting today; you can expect to see SoundTouch technology integrated into the entire Bose line within the next year. You can learn more about SoundTouch technology at bose.com.
Hey, I've also just written
From Wirelesshifi on December 12, 2013 :: 3:08 pm
Hey, I’ve also just written a review of the Bose SoundTouch 20, it is indeed a competitor to Sonos, with a better sound quality but less features.
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