Bose SoundLink Color Bluetooth speaker: great sound, unwired

14th December 2014
Bose SoundLink Color Bluetooth speaker: great sound, unwired

December 15 2014: Bose first went wireless some  three years ago  and since then has been rather deliberate in rolling out untethered music accessories.  The latest  SoundLink Color Bluetooth Speaker is its lightest  offering yet -- and we mean that both weight -wise  and on the purse. It is slightly larger  than the SoundLink Mini speaker --albeit still palm sized --  weighs  just over half kg and  comes in a new shape: it reminded us of a pair of binoculars. Rubberized feet and 'bumpers' ensure it will not  topple over even if the party get a bit -- well-- lively. Power, Bluetooth, Aux, Play/Pause and Volume up and down controls  are arranged in a neat row on top.  Recharging the batteries which promise  8 hours of play is via a standard microUSB connector: Bose is slowly shedding its proprietary mindset  when it comes to connectors.
Wireless pairing with your sound source -- phone, tablet or MP3 player --  is easy: just hold down the Bluetooth button till the blue light starts flashing.  If even this is a challenge, Bose has added a useful   voice prompt  which also identifies the device being paired ( up to two at a time).  But the 24  language options   other than English, cover   like China,  Japan, Middle East  as well as some miniscule European markets  but ignore  India completely.
Audio-wise  the SoundLink Color ( the name is  a nod to Bose's new burst of  5 colour options) reminds us that the company pioneered the rediscovery of  low and deep bass notes.  The difference is palpable with classical music western or Indian.

The asking price of Rs 11,138 is considerably  lower than that of the Bose SoundLink Mini  for marginal difference in portability. But it  still demands a premium over other offerings in this category, some of which throw in speaker-phone functionality as well as WiFi. Bose fans may not complain   even though there are no deals to be found online which might shave off even a few rupees.