Bringing the Beat Out

From its original design, the Bose SoundDock was utilized as a speaker system for popular media players such as an iPod. And they must be having a steady demand for their stylish speakers, because Bose has now upped the ante by releasing a portable version of the SoundDock that gives users more flexibility to listen to their music wherever and whenever. Thus, the Bose SoundDock Portable is born.

Chic and Compact

At first glance, nothing much has been changed on the aesthetic front compared to its predecessor, except that the SoundDock Portable sports a rotating hideaway dock, which is the main difference between the two. Primarily designed with Apple's iPod players in mind, the SoundDock Portable does have an alternative auxiliary input at the rear to accommodate other non-iPod portable media players in the market.

As the SoundDock Portable is all speakers for the main body, it is equipped with an integrated hand grip for portability reasons. For power, the SoundDock Portable relies on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack; replaceable of course, to allow you to interchange batteries with ease.

Controlling the SoundDock Portable is relatively simple. Its bundled remote control has the same aesthetic considerations as the player, and is actually a pleasure to hold with its rubberized encasing. Zen is the keyword here, and the eight buttons on the remote are all you need to operate the speaker system.

Portable but Powerful

Having a track record of strong audio prowess, the SoundDock Portable will not disappoint in fulfilling its purpose. Whilst blasting to Rihanna's Umbrella at full volume, the SoundDock Portable managed to deliver crisp and audible music without losing any audio integrity.

Not everything is rosy and perfect though. Like most of these big brand named 'audiophile quality' products, the SoundDock Portable is rather lacking in features. One would probably find the omission of an FM radio to be of considerable concern. Similarly, an LCD panel would have done wonders for the SoundDock Portable's usability, but we figured this might not be too smart for a portable device due to its dependency on battery life. Though designed to be a portable system for you to lug around to the beach or a friend's party, you might actually be inclined to leave the SoundDock Portable safe at home given its 2.37kg baggage, not to mention price.

Final Thoughts

As expected, the SoundDock Portable's price tag includes the brand name that comes with it. At a hefty S$749, the Bose SoundDock Portable is definitely more for the discerning consumer who demands exclusivity and style on top of the solid audio performance that is expected from Bose. For the rest of us that are looking for a more universal 'do-it-all' speaker system, you might want to check out the Philips AJ300D Docking Entertainment System instead.

Product Specifications

Compatible iPod models iPod mini, iPod nano (1st -3rd gen), iPod (4th – 5th gen), iPod classic, iPod touch and iPhone.
Dimensions 17.5 x 30.7 x 10.3 cm
Weight 2.37kg
Battery Lithium-ion