Review: Bose SoundTouch 10 Delivers an Amazing Music Experience
At Rs 19,013, the Bose SoundTouch 10 delivers the best wireless audio experience.
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You really can’t go wrong with a Bose audio system. That statement is true 99 percent of the time. So when Bose decided to send us their new wireless speakers, the Bose SoundTouch 10, we were more than keen to find that 1% flaw.
So, were we able to find a flaw on the SoundTouch 10? Read on.
What’s Good?
Bose SoundTouch lineup includes SoundTouch 20 and SoundTouch 30 speakers. The SoundTouch 10 is the latest entrant into the family and the smallest one. It’s priced at Rs 19,013 and that’s not cheap, but when was anything from Bose affordable?
The speaker has a simple design and weighs 1.87 kg. The dimensions of 21.20cm X 14.10 cm X 8.70 cm also mean it doesn’t take up too much space. Name any connectivity option and the SoundTouch 10 has it.
You can connect music via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, AUX or even with the Bose app on your smartphone.
For the size of the SoundTouch 10, you wouldn’t expect a lot of power. But it surprises you as it’s loud enough for you to have a house party at home. The performance is distortion free. Other speakers like the Logitech UE Boom tend to deliver a flaky sound experience when the volume is cranked up, but the SoundTouch 10 manages to maintain its calm. For ease of usage, it also has six programmable memory buttons.
The base pitch and balance are near perfect whether you play music wirelessly or with an AUX cable.
The Bose SoundTouch 10 can also connect with your other Bluetooth and wireless speakers. So we also tried doubling it up as a home theater system and it was on the money.
What’s Bad?
Bose SoundTouch speakers used to support Apple Airplay earlier. But the new generation replaces that with Bose’s own Wi-Fi technology. So if you want to play music using your iPhone, iPod or iPad, you’ll have to download the companion app. That’s just a little inconvenient at times.
The SoundTouch 10 also lacks stereo output which was a bit of a bummer for us.
The app is available on both iOS and Android and has an easy to use interface. But we could have done without an app here with the SoundTouch 10.
Also, SoundTouch 10 does not come with an in-built battery. Sure the power that it needs can only come via a socket but that defeats the purpose of portability.
If you are spending in excess of Rs 15,000 on a wireless speaker, portability is something that you would want.
Why Buy it?
Overall, on the basis of pure audio quality and experience, the Bose SoundTouch 10 has no competition in the Indian market right now. For home usage, it makes perfect sense in every way.
But if you are the kind who loves to travel and take your sound experience with you, the Bose SoundTouch 10 may not be what you’re looking for.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)