New York, October 11 2013: Global audio leader Bose, has made a small but significant expansion of its traditional turf -- from enabling great music to managing it. In a launch here yesterday, the company unveiled a system to wirelessly pull in one’s favourite music from multiple sources –online music services, Internet radio, personal collections stored on computers and music systems –and stream them to any room in the house with the single touch of a button.
Touch – and starkly simple operation – seem to be the key attributes of the three models of the Bose SoundTouch Wi-Fi music systems unveiled here: six selectable presets, allow users to pre-programme their favourite music and using existing home WIFI networks to stream them any which way they please – using a freely downloadable app. This effectively untethers music lovers from their fixed music systems and let’s them use any platform –iOS, Android, Windows or MacOS – and any device – phone, tablet, laptop or PC –to decide what they want to hear.
The SoundTouch music system comes in three models –The SoundTouch 30 for large rooms ; SoundTouch 20 that is adequate for most homes and a neat battery backed SoundTouch Portable.
Bose also previewed a SoundTouch Stereo Wi-Fi music system for their tiny Jewel Cube speakers – a version that also includes possibly the biggest chunk of design innovation in the current release: a disk shaped Controller that senses when you want to use it and reduces key controls like volume adjustment to intuitive movements that older users will love. The controller will be available next year and buyers of the three SoundTouch systems launched no9w, can order it as an accessory.
IndiaTechOnline will carry more detailed reviews of the SoundTouch range closer to the India launch in mid to late November. The SoundTouch 30 system will be priced Rs 52763 in India; the SoundTouch 20 system and the SoundTouch Portable system will be sold for Rs 32512.50 each.
Later this year, the Bose Wave music system will be offered in a SoundTouch version –the first of half a dozen Bose systems that will progressively by Sound-Touch-enabled. Clearly Bose thinks wireless is the way to go for music around the house.
More on the SoundTouch range here
- From Anand Parthasarathy in New York