First impressions: Beats Pill XL

<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZ_TTObYG9yymThfHbZW1QEhKub4yl5r5Yr1AMVazDJ8NEp4wr6KVX_6UjJlrp0l2BRK617fwgYvRM6YYP3NXqyNSokhiXNuBxHzEQYtV0iGfoj4HUq69qh4lH8vstrORNkqE1y0IgHx0/s1600/beatspillxl1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZ_TTObYG9yymThfHbZW1QEhKub4yl5r5Yr1AMVazDJ8NEp4wr6KVX_6UjJlrp0l2BRK617fwgYvRM6YYP3NXqyNSokhiXNuBxHzEQYtV0iGfoj4HUq69qh4lH8vstrORNkqE1y0IgHx0/s1600/beatspillxl1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Today during lunch I met my friend, who just received a Beats Pill XL as probable substitute for his IK Multimedia iLoud, after the iLoud started getting battery-problems with self discharge after one day without usage etc.<br /><br /><a name="more"></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsjwQyN0CRUc31h7T8FEZ1bsnUddeKlH9ZCsY7_FHGTECc9b49bsSRkQQLhDJs5H4U32s_b_n15cksSH1jal-iAkDQcpMIB0hoXm9DYXEk1aY-eRX_am_n9neTSaik54925jRXll4GZgET/s1600/beatspillxl-back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsjwQyN0CRUc31h7T8FEZ1bsnUddeKlH9ZCsY7_FHGTECc9b49bsSRkQQLhDJs5H4U32s_b_n15cksSH1jal-iAkDQcpMIB0hoXm9DYXEk1aY-eRX_am_n9neTSaik54925jRXll4GZgET/s1600/beatspillxl-back.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />We didn't have much time for any torough test, but he also had his iLoud as reference and I took my Bose Soundlink Wireless Music System to have a direct comparison. As we only listened outside I cannot say how good the Beats Pill XL would sound indoors. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcrVCafOtV-pSrjsimKxqyYXGkGwA7Vq1mJ4tOhV9Qw4Je9LqcAdhOnnp0drOf56oGegXwaYxW5x5l7wPy3qn2rkTsap-IdJAvs8YCtXYf16GPO-A0R3jfkjT_GOyRNB9t4lp3i8GJdUmu/s1600/iloud-bose-pill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcrVCafOtV-pSrjsimKxqyYXGkGwA7Vq1mJ4tOhV9Qw4Je9LqcAdhOnnp0drOf56oGegXwaYxW5x5l7wPy3qn2rkTsap-IdJAvs8YCtXYf16GPO-A0R3jfkjT_GOyRNB9t4lp3i8GJdUmu/s1600/iloud-bose-pill.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />First of all, the Beats Pill XL is a funky speaker. As bad as the original small Beats Pill was, as good and impressive is the Beats Pill XL. The first you notice is the weight the speaker has. It doesn't feel cheap, it really gives the impression of high quality, except the gloss-finish on some parts, which makes the speaker look pretty dirty after some touches.<br />The volume controls are awkwardly placed at the back, but usually you won't need them often. The big lit Beats logo at the front also acts as control button for pausing or resuming music, skipping tracks, taking calls etc.<br />The Beats Pill XL even has some kind of retractable ports at the sides, which probably should take a strap for shoulder-wear. I am sure the strap will come as an <a href="http://demandware.edgesuite.net/aajh_prd/on/demandware.static/Sites-beats-Site/Sites-beats-master-catalog-en/default/v1392844244902/images/large/speaker-pillxl-standard-strap-O.png" target="_blank">accessory</a>, as it wasn't included according to my friend. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_Qk9eNLIffw8_qcA1vVrDBzLbqEMgqfIjcOMAtiSppBDh2pyPYzeIxX4if4t0GBDB7NwyAhxVcYMGmWmijYGHa_HCAt6w86GXWibWxw_O99cr741boHatjyytNTYozq4ZJxAuaNZOhci/s1600/pill-bose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_Qk9eNLIffw8_qcA1vVrDBzLbqEMgqfIjcOMAtiSppBDh2pyPYzeIxX4if4t0GBDB7NwyAhxVcYMGmWmijYGHa_HCAt6w86GXWibWxw_O99cr741boHatjyytNTYozq4ZJxAuaNZOhci/s1600/pill-bose.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The Beats Pill XL might be slightly bigger in overall volume than a Bose Soundlink III or TDK A33 for example, but it packs much more punch and power. Because of the round form factor it is still pretty packable and should find space in every bag or rucksack. Meanwhile I have heard lots of portable speaker that compact, but so far the Beats Pill XL seems to be the most powerful.<br /><br />Strangely enough we noticed that output and maximum volume varied depending on the device used. The Android phone of my friend seemed to play with a considerably lower volume than my own iPhone when connected through Bluetooth. Also audio seemed to be loudest when streaming through Bluetooth compared to aux-in, which seems to hint at a rather low-quality pre-amp or ADC.<br /><br />Apart from that the Beats Pill XL reached nearly the top volume of the already loud iLoud, but it played cleaner at full volume, with only very slight hints of distortion. The iLoud was slightly louder but it had to fight heavily with distortion and clipping.<br />The Beats Pill XL didn't reach the top volume of the Bose Soundlink Wireless Music System, but it didn't seem to compromise sound much at high levels, unlike the Bose which starts to compress heavily with strong distortion and dialed back bass at the same time. When the Bose was playing at acceptable distortion levels, the Beats could keep up pretty well, producing a similarly powerful and loud sound.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy24WbXSgzy2SZiAcRk0oJ1GKnGGSzcsPUhv4DcytecXyBNwrHWXATlQj4lxV0PqzOHZDlQO4dgF9u_58LqtviN5oyrm-ZLB1JycYopKTI7Df21VDn-yRlxVTAnKNl_D2D2qzJ9sySUWHm/s1600/pill-bose2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy24WbXSgzy2SZiAcRk0oJ1GKnGGSzcsPUhv4DcytecXyBNwrHWXATlQj4lxV0PqzOHZDlQO4dgF9u_58LqtviN5oyrm-ZLB1JycYopKTI7Df21VDn-yRlxVTAnKNl_D2D2qzJ9sySUWHm/s1600/pill-bose2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />I didn't notice much bass-decrease at high levels as sound remained bass-heavy and dynamic up to top volume, but the sound was especially thick at medium volumes, easily beating the iLoud in overall fullness. The iLoud might sound clearer and more natural, the Beats Pill XL has more of a sculpted sound, but it doesn't sound bad at all. Depending on the genre, this might be an advantage, especially for dance music or R'n'B or Hiphop. The Beats Pill has more upper bass than the Bose for example, and it has clearer treble. Also noticable are somewhat subdued mids when directly compared to both the iLoud or the Bose. The Bose had the deepest bass playing down to about 50Hz and even slightly lower. The Pill XL seemed to have the passive radiator tuned at about 60Hz, below there was hardly any output. As there are is no bass-reflex port bass seemed even cleaner and more powerful than on the Bose or iLoud, because any possible port noise was completely missing. I also noticed quite good treble dispersion, the Beats Pill XL seemed to be less directional than the others.<br /><br />With all the available features (Apt-X, NFC, stereo pairing of 2 speakers, charging of external devices) the Beats Pill XL might be one of the best choices if one looks for a powerful but still pretty portable speaker. The Beats Pill XL doesn't reach the power of a Klipsch KMC-3 for example or even bigger boomboxes, but it easily beats all comparably sized rivals I have heard so far.<br />If you don't need that sheer power, the much smaller Bose Soundlink Mini might still be an interesting choice. Up to its limits it should be able to keep up in sound quality with the Pill XL, maybe even beating it at lowest levels, where the Beats Pill XL seemed to sound a bit thin, at least from the short impression I had outdoors.<br /><br />I really liked the Beats Pill XL and if I was in the market for that kind of speaker, it would be definitely on top of my list, outperforming most similarly priced alternatives like the Bose Soundlink III, Loewe speaker2go, Big Jambox etc... </p>

Today during lunch I met my friend, who just received a Beats Pill XL as probable substitute for his IK Multimedia iLoud, after the iLoud st...

Review: Creative Sound Blaster Roar SR20 - the Swiss knife speaker

<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGBnaWxAN2ZZtCMzIORz8rRsde0AEMgILaNDbCqifIVxSaWAVMS1l857DldQltm0FUxr-ImVXVVByQ0SrHMUtTdwFOYWcsa_qdPeEZgipEVwVj_F0a4WFhH7lO-2rBltvMlP_emvBtUv9O/s1600/roar-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGBnaWxAN2ZZtCMzIORz8rRsde0AEMgILaNDbCqifIVxSaWAVMS1l857DldQltm0FUxr-ImVXVVByQ0SrHMUtTdwFOYWcsa_qdPeEZgipEVwVj_F0a4WFhH7lO-2rBltvMlP_emvBtUv9O/s1600/roar-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />I got contacted by Creative lately if I would like to review a new speaker from them, the "Sound Blaster Roar SR20". I started reading a little bit about it and as some first reviews were already online I got pretty excited, as it seemed to be an interesting portable speaker with infinite and even some funny features.<br /><br /><a name="more"></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0BtQUqLAYoMcRH92R0rW1bwNHg8iZBdJ_xhWe9ajGrQwV1GYN73MBur7qmDRWNI3ymdY7F7BMsQeta3hyphenhyphen9tk4_mP21zohdWJRxNNoV-_C3TJqshKMhdloaK1MDNkTI_ppeCWqpoLwaAR/s1600/roar-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0BtQUqLAYoMcRH92R0rW1bwNHg8iZBdJ_xhWe9ajGrQwV1GYN73MBur7qmDRWNI3ymdY7F7BMsQeta3hyphenhyphen9tk4_mP21zohdWJRxNNoV-_C3TJqshKMhdloaK1MDNkTI_ppeCWqpoLwaAR/s1600/roar-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />But first some facts: The Roar as I will call it from now on, is a compact portable battery driven Bluetooth speaker about the size of a book. The Roar is not a big speaker, but compared to the Soundlink Mini the Roar is about 2.5 times larger in overall volume. It is rather comparable to the original Bose Soundlink or TDK A33 being a bit "fatter" but overall shorter. It weights 1.1kg which is similar to the other competing speakers this size. It is driven by 3 active drivers (2 tweeters and 1 mids/bass driver) and 2 opposing passive radiators and it has some really strange features I have never seen so far in any other speaker. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMcqKM6Y0PUDYdOylhVxxO-y1oFAoqvZ6OKRTFNXnXs3eBk9_HkWYu8DMZgD35DThxOvaLEiNLqCi5wC2rTCbHuXy1XcvLivY-3jAb9zhfc0SggutQFHeF_qzkIAN9qxGZYQR8CXD7RisW/s1600/roar-sounlinkmini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMcqKM6Y0PUDYdOylhVxxO-y1oFAoqvZ6OKRTFNXnXs3eBk9_HkWYu8DMZgD35DThxOvaLEiNLqCi5wC2rTCbHuXy1XcvLivY-3jAb9zhfc0SggutQFHeF_qzkIAN9qxGZYQR8CXD7RisW/s1600/roar-sounlinkmini.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGKxRSgvDu7Cf2YFYx4raNginjc6VR7oStHMPtVk3cDdKeTBWe9khU8mDgE3sjKaBmuJLo_lbceivJTUvgnoCX6veYxDin7oFdEasUBKKXETnsFw41SAm4Vg33MFwoN_ZFClJE7mT-oEWH/s1600/roar-slmini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGKxRSgvDu7Cf2YFYx4raNginjc6VR7oStHMPtVk3cDdKeTBWe9khU8mDgE3sjKaBmuJLo_lbceivJTUvgnoCX6veYxDin7oFdEasUBKKXETnsFw41SAm4Vg33MFwoN_ZFClJE7mT-oEWH/s1600/roar-slmini.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />There is a built in alarm, which makes you sound like a police-car if turned on, or a "life saving mode", which plays random noises at random intervals to keep you awake, there is also a sleep mode, which gradually turns the volume down for 15 or 30 minutes. But the more useful features are a built in microSD slot for music playback or even for audio recording. A built in handsfree is self-evident, and you can use the microphone, aux-in, or Bluetooth signal as source for recording, even phone calls can be recorded. The speaker has NFC capability, and supports Apt-X for best audio quality. There is an USB-port for charging external devices (devices are even charged when the speaker is turned off), and there is a micro-USB port, which makes the Roar act as an external audio-card when connected to a computer or as a micro SD-reader. Enough features? No, there is another, although the Roar is usually charged by an extra charger, it can also be charged through USB, although charging should take considerably longer like this. And last but not least, the Roar is equipped with an own Roar-button, just like a volume-knob that goes to 11. Also worth mentioning is that the Roar can connect to 2 Bluetooth sources simultaneously, which means that you can stay connected from 2 devices at the same time, as soon as one device stops playback, you can start playing from the other without the need of repairing.<br />In fact the Roar is just missing a built in flashlight or coffemaker to really make it a Jack of all trades. Feature wise the Roar is probably the best equipped Bluetooth speaker I have seen so far, but I asked myself if the Roar can also convince on the audio side.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieq7vhJ66SHVJWhFuP-d0_xrxUI6laAeBY-nfp0dnjhuQDcbjHA7NM4CwNTNNrceS_izsY5f2TfzA-ZuvUCNuFqckw9HJlytJxAATXICUe8lGrjbEQt821IoqBU7KtlLCpnhEru0758J2d/s1600/roar-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieq7vhJ66SHVJWhFuP-d0_xrxUI6laAeBY-nfp0dnjhuQDcbjHA7NM4CwNTNNrceS_izsY5f2TfzA-ZuvUCNuFqckw9HJlytJxAATXICUe8lGrjbEQt821IoqBU7KtlLCpnhEru0758J2d/s1600/roar-3.jpg" width="640" /></a>I have heard some speakers from Creative that really sound pretty damn good, I had even bought a set of Creative T12 speakers for my mother-in-law, so that she could listen to some music wirelessly from her Ipad. I was pretty sure the Roar would also deliver and was waiting eagerly to try it out in person.<br /><br />According to Creative the Roar should become available in Europe later in June and should cost 149� or 199$ respectively, which is quite a competitive price, considering all the bells and whistles the speaker has built in. My review sample came even with an additional carrying bag and with an micro-SD card. From what I know the bag is going to be an extra, and I doubt the SD card will  be included either.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Normally I would have already disregarded a speaker if it had a built in alarm or "life saving mode" rather classifying it as some cheap useless trash (like all those junk-shops in Vienna at Mexikoplatz from the 70s were selling). But the Roar doesn't have any of these attributes, the quality of built is really high and the overall look is pretty elegant. In terms of look and feel, the Roar is indeed a top-notch prodcut. Even the box left some classy impression and reminded me a bit of Apple and their way of packaging.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaW7dN6GktboFOIhQh-xx7rUY9LkwpFOaLJ9OVf2zyIBS2-J1HT53x21Zcc0fZFanFRMqplf6HOFgbE_UGacZNtfg_fJyRMrwygZFtjnYqkjK5Y1KIQr9h6v9iTAhpO97veeCYcxc86b0/s1600/roar-box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaW7dN6GktboFOIhQh-xx7rUY9LkwpFOaLJ9OVf2zyIBS2-J1HT53x21Zcc0fZFanFRMqplf6HOFgbE_UGacZNtfg_fJyRMrwygZFtjnYqkjK5Y1KIQr9h6v9iTAhpO97veeCYcxc86b0/s1600/roar-box.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Inside the box you will find the speaker, the power supply including 2 different plug-adapters and a USB-wire beside some quick-start manuals and warranty-cards. It is a pity that the carrying bag is not included as well, as it gives quite a bit of protection to the speaker when on the go, without compromising on sound. It even looks quite good, all the openings at the back are left free, with the rest of the speaker being covered entirely. You can just leave the speaker inside for listening and don't need to take it out every time, the used materials seem to be acoustically transparent.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbn0plpBcfB3HXQf3uleoC8Jj3LA6yBAWZHp5C3YkPLYi647iZKw1nrtPOZOjG5XZH2DWDs2H1THoeEdAm802uIF3jolFB2NeqT806aULxqdPx5dK5Kqy5-XvfapLBMyJnp33IR8Bp2pYj/s1600/roar-bag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbn0plpBcfB3HXQf3uleoC8Jj3LA6yBAWZHp5C3YkPLYi647iZKw1nrtPOZOjG5XZH2DWDs2H1THoeEdAm802uIF3jolFB2NeqT806aULxqdPx5dK5Kqy5-XvfapLBMyJnp33IR8Bp2pYj/s1600/roar-bag.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakCAtE7mOgMXVKU2KZLQYG3AEuJRkTs7hg0pupf8wO12_88Cx4CUZ3QqnAuAJXeyXRJRRgPD9tTb2vQ532SIoZ-3_pV5qvr8X7isC2f_iSvV2twU6t5603CnZVVkLX6v5BHK-gXek6UNk/s1600/roar-bag2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakCAtE7mOgMXVKU2KZLQYG3AEuJRkTs7hg0pupf8wO12_88Cx4CUZ3QqnAuAJXeyXRJRRgPD9tTb2vQ532SIoZ-3_pV5qvr8X7isC2f_iSvV2twU6t5603CnZVVkLX6v5BHK-gXek6UNk/s1600/roar-bag2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />In contrast to most other peakers with similar proportions so far (from Bose, TDK, Loewe, Sony etc...) the Roar doesn't stand upright but rather lies flat. The tweeters are at the thin front, while the single mids/bass driver fires to the top, both the passive radiators aim to the sides. This driver configuration should fill any room best as audio is spread to all sides (except to the back). And thanks to this design the Roar will never fall over unlike all the other speakers, which need additional feet or covers to really stand upright. You could take the Roar on the road and just put it on the dashboard, it should stay there. Don't do this with any of the others, trust me, I tried this with the original Bose Soundlink or TDK and the only place where they (mostly) keep still in a car is on the passanger's seat leaned against the back-rest.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpzvoNbQWAOxAevO_XDPH9oOCc3_B594-VQ2SUgq-11mgaIEYMRYZHPPK_opxaIzYH1SNIQJXo08SEaeHNuc3d6kK41wDCdQ921RnHhvpH_1OkG6xvo7_IlXfFAAh_gWHUX9SHQPUNw6kq/s1600/roar-book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpzvoNbQWAOxAevO_XDPH9oOCc3_B594-VQ2SUgq-11mgaIEYMRYZHPPK_opxaIzYH1SNIQJXo08SEaeHNuc3d6kK41wDCdQ921RnHhvpH_1OkG6xvo7_IlXfFAAh_gWHUX9SHQPUNw6kq/s1600/roar-book.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Because of this its design the Roar has a larger footprint which has to be considered when placing it somewhere. While I could place the TDK A33 even at some narrow shelf or slot, the Roar needs more space to really lie flat. You could try placing it vertically like a book, but this should compromise sound as one of the passive radiators would be covered, and you would lose stereo imaging, but interestingly I didn't notice lots of problems like this, at least at normal levels. Due to both passive radiators being mounted in an opposing direction, you won't get much rattling or vibration from the speaker and it won't dance around like the TDK A33 at high levels.<br />The bottom has some slim rubber strips, although I would have preffered the whole bottom covered, as the Roar is still a bit slippery and could slide off the dashboard, when used in a car. I had it in my car several times and had to put it on an additional non-slip mat.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQYd3D5L5AqMN3XpLuYZSTYQGMtuc8Kfkj4F4Pv44kFwqHrCpwzzSJVHPiRElzUMfWsm_wcbM5BPW0SRE97ZVFlKWguqHtocgfp7HrF_SP6JGUVxWwpfcdrX7Qw01iop7x3WSxwSdlXNf/s1600/roar-controls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQYd3D5L5AqMN3XpLuYZSTYQGMtuc8Kfkj4F4Pv44kFwqHrCpwzzSJVHPiRElzUMfWsm_wcbM5BPW0SRE97ZVFlKWguqHtocgfp7HrF_SP6JGUVxWwpfcdrX7Qw01iop7x3WSxwSdlXNf/s1600/roar-controls.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The Roar is designed with the most important controls easily reached at the top, namely the power button, as well as both volume buttons and the pairing button, not to forget the "Roar"-button. All other controls are at the back of the speaker. The Roar even has track-control buttons, but these only work for playback from micro SD-card, which is a pity. Unfortunately neither button is lit. There are 3 small status LEDs which show the actual battery level, and there is also a LED which shows the current bluetooth connection status. But when trying to operate the speaker in darkness, you have no chance to figure out where the volume buttons are, as all buttons feel more or less the same, so instead of turning lower, you could also turn on the "Roar"-mode. The Soundlink Mini has at least the volume buttons elevated, so that you can actually feel where to press.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglytcjARySBVoeLte_ZtBx6Bej59huXPyI9zvGJj0S-J40I_2U0-IR3BhP2VBIgrV9rNyy3UCs08b2UwmdciJp0LnSOAS1hKQ2mUdCOdn7cdSkap_MWn9D5n30OKxLFzSO-8d9kvJVYX4J/s1600/roar-back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglytcjARySBVoeLte_ZtBx6Bej59huXPyI9zvGJj0S-J40I_2U0-IR3BhP2VBIgrV9rNyy3UCs08b2UwmdciJp0LnSOAS1hKQ2mUdCOdn7cdSkap_MWn9D5n30OKxLFzSO-8d9kvJVYX4J/s1600/roar-back.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Usage is pretty straighforward. Keep the power button pressed for half a second and the speaker will come alive with a bit annoying and loud welcome sound. Pairing through Bluetooth is more or less a standard procedure like on any other speaker so far. My Iphone is not equipped with NFC, which would probably make the pairing procedure even easier, but if you keep the Bluetooth button pressed for about 1 second the speaker will jump into pairing mode with some voice promt telling you that "it is in pairing mode, waiting for the device to connect..." Fortunately the voice prompts can be turned off by keeping the - button pressed when turning the speaker on. The welcome tone as well as the turn-off sound or pairing-tone cannot be turned off.<br />When the speaker is connected to the Phone, you will get a battery-status symbol showing the actual charing level of the Roar, which is really welcome.<br />Unfortunately volume is not synced through Bluetooth, you will have to deal with 2 separate volume controls, the one from your device and the other one from the speaker.<br />Worth mentioning that Bluetooth reach was a bit less than with the Bose Soundlink Mini, I got some drop outs when using the Roar in the garden and walking away some meters. When switching over to the Soundlink Mini standing right beside the Roar I still had perfect streaming.<br />I also encountered some strange streaming drop outs, when streaming from an iPhone 4, where the Roar suddenly became silent. My iPhone was still streaming showing an active connection, but I couldn't hear anything. The only possible fix was to repair the iPhone with the speaker. I had similar problems with the TDK A33. I assume some interference problems with Wifi, when Wifi was turned off, I didn't notice any problems. Maybe the Iphone 4 is more prone to this than more recent models. But apart from the Roar and A33 no other Bluetooth speaker I have ever tried showed similar issues.<br /><br />If you have a micro SD-card inside the Roar, just start playback with the play-button. To jump between tracks, use the track controls. There is no way for fast forward or rewind though, you can just skip entire tracks. Because if you keep one of the track buttons pressed, you will jump to another folder containing music.<br />According to the manual the playback order is according to the file date when it was copied. I noticed though, that the tracks playback just as you would expect alphabetically. If your tracks start with track-numbers, they all should play fine and with the correct order.<br />I also noticed that playback was quite a bit louder when streaming through Bluetooth than from SD-card. I had the same tracks playing from my iPhone streaming through Bluetooth and from SD-Card and Bluetooth was always louder.<br /><br />When the Roar is connected to a computer with its dedicated USB-wire for the first time, the operating system should install all drivers automatically (tested on Windows XP, and Windows 7). When installation is finished, the Roar usually acts as a card-reader, and you can copy files to the inserted micro SD-card. If you keep the play-button pressed for a second, the Roar will become an external audio device instead, followed by another automatic driver installation. If installed correctly, you should hear the output from your computer coming out of the Roar now.<br />Creative even provides an own control panel which can be <a href="http://sg.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blaster-control-panel" target="_blank">downloaded</a> from their site and can be used to fine-tune the speaker and its DSP. There are lots of different SBX sound profiles which you can customize further even including an extra 10-band Equalizer. More on that feature later.<br /><br />There is no aux-button or anything like that to switch between different inputs like on many other speakers, because the Roar will play all sources together at the same time. Yes, funny as it is, you start playback from a device connected through aux-in, and you can also play from micro SD-card at the same time, additionally stream from your Bluetooth device and if the Roar is connected to a Computer through USB, it will also play from there. All audio sources will play at once, so no need to switch between them.<br /><br />The Roar has an automatic power down, when there is no sound playing and no active Bluetooth connection. It will stay on as long as the Bluetooth connection is kept active, even when nothing is being played. This might come in handy for some, who might want to use the Roar for waking up with music from their phone! Many complained about the fact that the Soundlink Mini turned off on its own after some minutes, even when plugged in.<br /><br />What about sound?<br />I must confess that the Roar sounds pretty good. It is not a jaw-dropping sound experience you are getting, but the overall sound is balanced, full-bodied and refined enough to put the Roar at the same level of the competition from TDK etc.<br />The sound is not that bass heavy as that from Bose, even the much smaller Soundlink Mini is able to produce a deeper and more profound bass, at least up to a certain volume level. The Roar can play considerably louder, but it is not the loudest speaker that size I have heard. The TDK A33 is slightly louder as is the Loewe Speaker2go. Great thing is, the Roar doesn't distort, even at its top-volume. There is a hint of volume-pumping at higher levels, which might be a bit annoying, but it depends on the music. It is also not the bass that puts the speaker to its limits, the bass is remarkably powerful and distortion-free up to maximum volume. I have rather the impression as if mid-frequencies were causing the speaker to turn the volume down on its own. Quite a bass-heavy song might become suddenly softer, when a loud piano-note or trumpet/sax etc. comes in. This is mostly noticable at the loudest volume settings. Turn the speaker some notches lower, and it is not obvious anymore. Apart from that the music remains pretty dynamic even at top level, unlike Bose where peaks are always compressed heavily. A problem I noticed was that maximum volume was automatically reduced, when the battery started to get weaker. When volume was automatically reduced, the Roar didn't even manage to reach half of its usual maximum volume. I cannot say how many hours it would play at maximum volume as I also charged my Iphone at the same time with the Roar.<br />Like on most other similar speakers the Roar reduces bass on higher levels as well. It is not that obvious and disturbing like on the Soundlink Mini, because the Roar doesn't push bass that much at low levels, but compared to mid volumes you can hear that bass power is reduced accordingly to prevent distortion.<br />Bass on the Roar is certainly powerful, but not as dominant as on the Bose, especially if listening at very low levels, it is never straight-forward, just there to give enough foundation to a song, but the Roar is not light on bass either. Some mixes can really sound "fat" even on the Roar, it is just the deepness you will be missing. For comparison a Sonos Play:1 although not portable and a different kind of speaker should cost about the same, but the Sonos sounds considerably larger with much deeper and more impressive bass response. The Roar has more focus on mids, more than Bose, therefore the Roar might sound a bit boxy in direct comparison. At the same time the bass from the Soundlink Mini reaches slightly deeper. The Roar has hardly any output below 80Hz, while the Mini plays down to 60Hz. <br />Many who usually claim the Soundlink Mini to be too bass heavy, might actually like the Roar more. The Bass is certainly there, the mids are better defined than on the Bose, and treble is quite natural, although very directional. I would even claim that the treble dispersion on the Roar is more directional than on the Soundlink Mini, which already isn't the most impressive speaker in this regard, to put it gently.<br />I think this is the biggest problem of the Roar. While sounding pretty clear when aimed directly at the listener, the sound starts to suffer quite a lot as soon as the speaker is tilted slightly up or down. It is not the best speaker for a big listening circle, despite all the drivers spread to various sides. In reality just the one sitting frontally at the same height as the speaker, will get perfect sound.<br />I am a bit unsure about the "Roar"-function. Although it seems to make the overall sound a little louder, I have the impression as if it achieves this by compressing dynamics stronger (similar as Bose does at high levels), but at maximum volume this will result in even stronger pumping effects than without. A bigger benefit of the "Roar"-button is that it makes the audio broader (probably due to some phase-shift) and clearer at the same time, unfortunately it doesn't seem to have any effect on the bass, while I would have also welcomed some kind of bass-boost. Infact the Roar sounds fuller and more convincing with "Roar" turned off if the volume is equalized. I only liked  "Roar" at very low listening levels, as it brightned up the sound and evened out some louder peaks, which might be disturbing when listening at really low volume.<br /><br />I prepared a video with a direct sound comparison to the Bose Soundlink Mini at various volume levels recorded at optimum position directly aimed at the front of both speakers.<br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/UgafB0z9wuM?rel=0" width="853"></iframe> <br /><br />Thanks to the Sound Blaster control panel there is a way of tweaking sound of the Roar, which could improve both bass and treble response considerably, with the annoying constraint that all the settings only work for USB-audio when the speaker is connected to a computer. Neither audio from Bluetooth nor SD-card or aux -in will benefit from these tweaks. All other audio sources will sound as if SBX was turned off completely.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjflbeX1KzWKYWf0jr8wj_y6R4ltS7M-zLURJKQ64uDtNOxx_mUHlO4JMLd6Mtmobxl83dsGwVvhynMq_EVV51FGTlgoztmEx5YLkTNLn0M2jUPPXGmN2Wpi7bfoeTphNgGQ3-ysDooZLP0/s1600/creative-soundblaster2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjflbeX1KzWKYWf0jr8wj_y6R4ltS7M-zLURJKQ64uDtNOxx_mUHlO4JMLd6Mtmobxl83dsGwVvhynMq_EVV51FGTlgoztmEx5YLkTNLn0M2jUPPXGmN2Wpi7bfoeTphNgGQ3-ysDooZLP0/s1600/creative-soundblaster2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />I played quite a bit with the different settings and found that if tweaked well, the Roar would sound clearer and more profound than the Bose Soundlink Mini, which unfortunately it doesn't with its standard audio setting.<br />Crystalizer set to about 65%, with bass slider pushed to 35% and crossover-frequency set to about 120Hz makes the sound quite mature, and much more impressive than completely without SBX.<br />I didn't use the additional EQ much, because the basic settings already produce enough impact to really sculpt the sound.<br />The crossover-frequency acts a bit like a notch-filter. From factory it is set to 80Hz, but I found it to sound better at 120Hz, because it doesn't filter away the deeper frequencies below 100Hz, which are already bit missing, but rather tames the boomy frequencies around 150Hz.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOX3FnnSJBbt9yWpRWlfop0TYKfjPozxPM9-uHNIWickRmufwCZiS53r2qjLkvhBF_MC3ZCblhMQr-7wZTtN6TWldjbgb2AqJuuwAyJ_0F_kT7h1P1O3DmskY7PUYi4Ijj9PlJwFYfg5de/s1600/creative-soundblaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOX3FnnSJBbt9yWpRWlfop0TYKfjPozxPM9-uHNIWickRmufwCZiS53r2qjLkvhBF_MC3ZCblhMQr-7wZTtN6TWldjbgb2AqJuuwAyJ_0F_kT7h1P1O3DmskY7PUYi4Ijj9PlJwFYfg5de/s1600/creative-soundblaster.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />There even is an iOS app called "Sound Blaster Central" which despite recognizing the Roar as device, doesn't provide any audio settings for tweaking in case of the Roar. There is just another player and an alarm inside the app.<br /><br />I have no idea why Creative didn't take all this serious, because even when you disconnect the speaker from your computer, all audio settings will be reset again.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsT_Rau7nn2TuJRlRtZ9q8obcjMLkLH91dvAwM3bWtk8SMZBzdnFQCtbmcjHxdZlIOW-yz5FMr1fiL2nEcZScAV0zMSAycT6qKUY1kh9o2_NoVATQV1dba2fZx0MIPaAvug0SV9c5rXXk/s1600/soundblaster-app2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsT_Rau7nn2TuJRlRtZ9q8obcjMLkLH91dvAwM3bWtk8SMZBzdnFQCtbmcjHxdZlIOW-yz5FMr1fiL2nEcZScAV0zMSAycT6qKUY1kh9o2_NoVATQV1dba2fZx0MIPaAvug0SV9c5rXXk/s1600/soundblaster-app2.jpg" width="266" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtu3jSoZBScZ4mjouQA9J7q7U-q08F_VlZpXOuGWQj3qghVyzRDn4bBdiR_ufVyw36TjSDNFjeORik7p-84lHwrMqqHpwUL56SjOT08ZqFX_mCFDm2AcrRqM_QRaw3J0QTJRQXfJQEqXk/s1600/soundblaster-app1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtu3jSoZBScZ4mjouQA9J7q7U-q08F_VlZpXOuGWQj3qghVyzRDn4bBdiR_ufVyw36TjSDNFjeORik7p-84lHwrMqqHpwUL56SjOT08ZqFX_mCFDm2AcrRqM_QRaw3J0QTJRQXfJQEqXk/s1600/soundblaster-app1.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />The Roar would easily be on the same level of Bose or even beat it, if the extensive SBX audio-controls were globally enabled for all inputs and also tweakable from the iOS app. I am not sure if this is just limited by the hardware, or if this could still be made up with some kind of firmware update. As it is now, they are pretty much useless, because they are not even saved when the speaker is deattached from the computer.<br /><br /><u>Conclusion:</u><br />The Roar is a very interesting and nice sounding portable speaker. Featurewise it beats most of the competition with built-in handsfree, NFC, Apt-X and such unique features like micro SD-card playback and even audio recording. I don't care much about "life saving mode", or built-in alarm, but some might have use for that too.<br />The Roar is perfectly portable, although not as compact as my personal benchmark for portable speakers the Bose Soundlink Mini which even manages to sound more convincing, at least for my taste. Many others might prefer the more neutral tuning of the Roar, with powerful but laidback bass and quite high distortionfree volume, although with some occasional pumping effects. A bigger problem is the rather strong directional treble dispersion, which makes the Roar sound quite muffled when listened off-axis (even more than the Bose Soundlink Mini, which is already known to be not a bright sounding peaker).<br />Although the sound is customizable through the downloadable Sound Blaster control panel, the settings have no effect at all on audio being streamed through Bluetooth, or coming from Card or even Aux-In. The settings only work when the speaker is acting as external USB sound card for a computer, but every time you deatach it, the settings will be reset to factory defaults.<br />I definitely liked the sound with active SBX processing more, it is a pity it won't work for anything else than for playback from computer.<br />Battery life should be as the advertised 8 hours, I couldn't complete a full battery-test, but got a whole day of listening at comfortable listening levels. That fact that you can charge the Roar through USB as well, makes the speaker really versatile, although it took more than 8 hours to fully charge it from my notebook's USB-port. Also charging other devices with the Roar will probably result in a considerable lower battery life. So expect to get about 4-5 hours at medium levels while charging another device at the same time. If priced as announced, the Roar should do really well even considering the strong competition from other brands like TDK, Loewe, Sony etc.<br /><b><br /></b><b>+ great design, perfect build quality</b><br /><b>+ broad and unique features</b><br /><b>+ balanced and full-bodied sound</b><br /><b>+ high volume without distortion</b><br /><b>+ charging of external devices</b><br /><b>+ recharging through mains supply or USB</b><br /><b><br /></b><b>- highly customizable SBX sound settings only work for USB-audio</b><br /><b>- strong directional treble dispersion</b><br /><b>- hardly any bass below 80Hz</b><br /><b>- top volume with pumping effects </b><br /><b>- volume control </b><b>not globally synced </b><br /><b>- ocassional Bluetooth drop outs (with iPhone 4)</b><br /><b>- status sounds too loud/cannot be turned off </b><br /><b>- hard to operate in darkness</b><br /><b>- convenient carrying bag not included</b></p>

I got contacted by Creative lately if I would like to review a new speaker from them, the "Sound Blaster Roar SR20". I started rea...

Some videos...

<p>I didn't have lots of time lately doing reviews etc.<br />Originally I planned to do a review of the Loewe Speaker 2go, the UE Boom etc... but it is really time consuming to prepare the stuff, write about it, and then still make it appear understandable to others, especially in English.<br /><br />But I was not completely inactive during this time, as I have prepared lots of different comparison videos. If you haven't subscribed to my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/clavinetjunkie" target="_blank">Youtube channel</a>, here are some recent videos for you:<br /><b><br /></b><b>Bose Soundlink Mini vs. UE Boom:</b><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/o4ca62UzKaU?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><b>Bose Soundlink III vs. Loewe Speaker 2go: </b><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/MKQFvAIb5gE?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br />An updated comparison of the <b>Soundmatters FoxL vs Bose Soundlink Mini: </b><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/VPBadQBYyMA?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><b>TDK A33 vs Bose Soundlink Mini: </b><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/VaR5Mi24b8Y?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><b>TDK A33 vs Bose Soundlink Mini outdoors: </b><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ONaYmlCDaGQ?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><b>Bose Soundlink Mini vs. Harman Kardon Esquire: </b><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/PyOLCD1nTxo?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /></p>

I didn't have lots of time lately doing reviews etc. Originally I planned to do a review of the Loewe Speaker 2go, the UE Boom etc... bu...

Music - some tips

<p>What value does the best speaker have without the right music to be played through it?<br /><br />I am no music expert by any means, but I listen to a lot of different music and I sometimes find interesting artists that are not known that much, but might be interesting for others too.<br />It is a sad fact that the best artists are rather kept secretly in the background while shit-music is commercially promoted and pushed through media and radio stations...<br /><br />Here I would like to present some recent albums from this and last year that I think are really worth to be listened to. The style is my own preferred music style, which lies somewhere between Jazz/Funk/Electronica/Groove whatever.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Resolution-88/dp/B00I3WR9NS/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1392823209&sr=1-1&keywords=Resolution+88" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/510KCBOUoiL._SL500_AA280_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>First comes a very fresh release, just released this week: <a href="http://www.resolution88.com/" target="_blank">"Resolution 88</a>"!<br />Tom O'Grady's jazz funk band sounds as if the original Herbie Hancock Headhunters band had rejoined together to record another album. The sound is very retro 70s sounding, but with modern mastering and a very thick bass heavy mix done by another Rhodes-wiz Dan Goldman aka "JD73", who will hopefully also be releasing his new album soon (if you don't know him yet, you have to check out his previous <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s?_encoding=UTF8&field-artist=Jd73&search-alias=music" target="_blank">2 albums</a>).<br />If you like the old 70s Herbie Hancock fusion sound, you will definitely love Resolution 88.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Zoology-Martians-Carl-Hudson/dp/B00CKGOYNG/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1392823245&sr=1-1&keywords=carl+hudson" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61KQiFGYYtL._SL500_AA280_.jpg" width="200" /></a> </div>Another pretty inspiring artist (and British as well) is Carl Hudson with his album "Zoology for Martians". The album is very Fusion-Jazz/Funk oriented too, but with more of a spacy atmospheric sound. Carl Hudson uses vintage keyboard sounds as well as some vocoder effects which makes it also quite reminiscent of Herbie Hancock's own experiments from the late 70s. The drums on this album are played by ex-Jamiroquai member Nick Van Gelder. If you liked the spacy sound of Lonnie Liston Smith or Christian Bruhn's soundtrack for the 80s TV-Cartoon "Captain Future" you will love Carl Hudson, but with a more groovy and more sophisticated sound.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sambadi-Lucas-Arruda/dp/B00BXO6YWA/ref=ntt_mus_dp_dpt_1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41U86JQr+tL._SL500_AA280_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>If you are into Brazilian jazz and funk with acts like Azymuth or Marcos Valle, you should have a listen to Lucas Arruda's masterpiece "Sambadi", which is a mix of modern Brazil-grooves, with electronic acid jazz elements. Lucas Arruda played all the instruments by himself which proves him to be one exceptional artist!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Leap-Faith-Bluey/dp/B00BNYEWMO/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1392823272&sr=1-1&keywords=bluey" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51iMOmyQq2L._SL500_AA240_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>This is the first real solo album of Jean Paul Maunick aka "Bluey", the mastermind behind the legendary Acid Jazz/Nu Soul band "Incognito". Leap of Faith is a pretty straight forward Nu Soul, R'n'B album where you can still hear some Incognito elements, but with all vocals parts sung exclusively by Bluey. Some tracks have an 80s vibe to them, while others remind me a bit of 90s Massive Attack. My favorite is "Why did I let you go", a kind of house-track bearing Simon Grey's signature.<br />Overall a bit short for a full-length album, but definitely worth listening to!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hacienda-Jeff-Lorber-Fusion/dp/B00EJ7JRLS/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1392823301&sr=1-1&keywords=jeff+lorber" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51uqrjXv1+L._SL500_AA280_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Jeff Lorber started to add "Fusion" to his band name recently like he originally did in the 70s. Jeff Lorber Fusion sound is indeed more groovy and jazzy than some of his previous smoothjazz albums, nevertheless there is still some easy smoothjazz-vibe floating around here and there.<br />The highlight is definitely the cover version of Frank Zappa's original "King Kong" that was originally played by Jean Luc Ponty who also plays the lead violin part here.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Origin-Aandra/dp/B007408JWU/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&ie=UTF8&qid=1392824051&sr=1-1&keywords=aandra" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/513CUS4g58L._SL500_AA240_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>After all those hot and groovy albums, now something to float and chill. Aandra aka Alexandra Hampton shows how sophisticated chill-out and lounge music should sound like. The vibe is soft and a bit jazzy with nice laid back grooves sounding a bit like Naoki Kenji. I am already looking forward to her upcoming release that should be out any minute according to <a href="http://www.aandra-music.com/" target="_blank">her website</a>.</p>

What value does the best speaker have without the right music to be played through it? I am no music expert by any means, but I listen to a ...

Review: Bose Soundlink III - the best Soundlink yet?

<p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8CYy3myhss4VadOmOavxkA3yZAWZC5KDEx-DmB9mqG2Y2cYdQlahtR3GqX3zXSqkZoOYkHAVvOHUbF9KaJ_VcTcrDmSYOzbhXV71f8ZwFF0IBPvkkybqR2g-tJOGxpb8qUQByBZ3hxqx/s1600/Soundlink-III-hand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8CYy3myhss4VadOmOavxkA3yZAWZC5KDEx-DmB9mqG2Y2cYdQlahtR3GqX3zXSqkZoOYkHAVvOHUbF9KaJ_VcTcrDmSYOzbhXV71f8ZwFF0IBPvkkybqR2g-tJOGxpb8qUQByBZ3hxqx/s1600/Soundlink-III-hand.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />I have been playing around with the new Soundlink III for the last days, comparing it to the old versions as well as to the Soundlink Mini, and I think I can state that it is the best sounding Soundlink so far. This should already have been the Soundlink when the first version was announced in 2011.<br /><br /><a name="more"></a><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBoQ2PDtmxaXM75H_4w4tt9esqLw-ZRiS1SSh4pmj4drs-l02vRHn-VVeVR7itu2nbHiEfoW6cKP6Hkie_jWw_wa97EhUmUCOaK0KM8QOWDq8XKNn3DICrjYzAAfk2TDNyrH6OlmfaP1pI/s1600/soundlink-family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBoQ2PDtmxaXM75H_4w4tt9esqLw-ZRiS1SSh4pmj4drs-l02vRHn-VVeVR7itu2nbHiEfoW6cKP6Hkie_jWw_wa97EhUmUCOaK0KM8QOWDq8XKNn3DICrjYzAAfk2TDNyrH6OlmfaP1pI/s1600/soundlink-family.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The entire Soundlink family (missing only the Soundlink Air)</b></td></tr></tbody></table>Apart from the very first Soundlink which was larger and rather a repacked Sounddock Portable, the original "real" Soundlink 1 marked a somewhat new speaker category that didn't exist before: "the book sized speaker". The only comparable speaker that could really compete by then was the Logitech s715i. The s715i was slightly bigger but lighter and it sounded really powerful with some nice deep bass for its size, but completely lost its power when run from battery.<br />Up from then the competition started bringing out similar models like the Philips P8/P9, which was designed pretty much like the original Soundlink. Some later models like the Grundig Bluebeat, Loewe speaker2go, Sony SRS BTX-500 started to sound even better than the Soundlink, that's why Bose probably brought the successor Soundlink II to the market one year later without any big changes in design apart from the differently folding cover.<br />The new one had better mids, but still suffered from a rather muffled sound, which seems to have finally been addressed by the latest Soundlink III model.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsOHY5whG7PiEonIPKeVImeS9gtZFA3NHu1ewvUdWXC5_Frm1ZZ6PP1_tZjsGx7zSk_jQ14IkTX4Q1zwVKQ7a6lRwK-JxzxkfdKrrIe76IEED6yWpJ1X8x92IZE9oldh9phzuMzxae3cc4/s1600/Soundlink-back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nbmmXSHRff_18H_PBTGMgeYEMeNrTKgLC_dyxgYY5YYt4k3bKcGFxn1Mpd_mvD6_pD-O_1ufeOrWORPoTLB_pOr26JxViB-VYCT1Ym_SC_c1SLRPiFf2OBrLtAVpm7uyCxouVwdSVWy0/s1600/soundlink-front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-nbmmXSHRff_18H_PBTGMgeYEMeNrTKgLC_dyxgYY5YYt4k3bKcGFxn1Mpd_mvD6_pD-O_1ufeOrWORPoTLB_pOr26JxViB-VYCT1Ym_SC_c1SLRPiFf2OBrLtAVpm7uyCxouVwdSVWy0/s1600/soundlink-front.jpg" width="400" /></a><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsOHY5whG7PiEonIPKeVImeS9gtZFA3NHu1ewvUdWXC5_Frm1ZZ6PP1_tZjsGx7zSk_jQ14IkTX4Q1zwVKQ7a6lRwK-JxzxkfdKrrIe76IEED6yWpJ1X8x92IZE9oldh9phzuMzxae3cc4/s1600/Soundlink-back.jpg" width="400" /></div><br />The Soundlink III got a complete design fresh-up with a new and svelte looking body. It looks very clean without unnecessary strips or slots. Build quality seems very high. Most of the body is out of metal (including the sides), only the top and bottom borders are out of plastic. The grille doesn't yield under pressure as it did on the old versions. The cover is needless now as the Soundlink III stands quite stable without. Although there are optional covers available, they are pretty useless, as they don't seem to give any real protection. Especially the grilles are totally exposed even when inside the cover. I am not sure how tough the used coating is, but the Soundlink Mini has a very scratch sensitive front and back, as even the units on display in the Bose stores showed scratches shortly after the Soundlink Mini was announced. I also managed to scratch mine pretty quickly, maybe meanwhile Bose improved the coating with the new Soundlink Mini series. Instead of the optional covers I would have preferred a real sleeve made of acoustically transparent materials, so that you could use the speaker inside without the need of taking it out when on the go.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnu72RMNYwnd1tmie08p42mDercDtzaJytY_taWV8OFGF6KXYmZy4tqm70Vil1C4ZbkPXmp2zATwdjvAcgjTWC7bqyayNRTIEFazhGOB5wuSgQGLwxz1xCtnVRU616wPHMdiZuQEiXsmAC/s1600/soundlink2-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnu72RMNYwnd1tmie08p42mDercDtzaJytY_taWV8OFGF6KXYmZy4tqm70Vil1C4ZbkPXmp2zATwdjvAcgjTWC7bqyayNRTIEFazhGOB5wuSgQGLwxz1xCtnVRU616wPHMdiZuQEiXsmAC/s1600/soundlink2-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXyUVZHg0Sbcr8IRQPj837uZMGt4SrnjAgQJS3aqKCiP_nhozxvSLMjCyKJ1ov3NNB1D2oiVFpjD_MqL87VVNII7hhS2k5-AMc2SdtNvvftRZNhCxuWow0E5I9MoyptRdE0MZCkpb0XI46/s1600/soundlink2-soundlink3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXyUVZHg0Sbcr8IRQPj837uZMGt4SrnjAgQJS3aqKCiP_nhozxvSLMjCyKJ1ov3NNB1D2oiVFpjD_MqL87VVNII7hhS2k5-AMc2SdtNvvftRZNhCxuWow0E5I9MoyptRdE0MZCkpb0XI46/s1600/soundlink2-soundlink3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-R6UNoEQYUSA46e_5j4M8ghfpZnELWDDBc0Qy8OGk4tM_BASqJHpxEqJs4ty6qCwVLBg01wk6Ix3J54dPbn_jh3qCkvydZ1lFZ5Aq87S3SxE14Qmpso4JjAjjYMxsV-skjkrKtamrOvxK/s1600/soundlink-top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-R6UNoEQYUSA46e_5j4M8ghfpZnELWDDBc0Qy8OGk4tM_BASqJHpxEqJs4ty6qCwVLBg01wk6Ix3J54dPbn_jh3qCkvydZ1lFZ5Aq87S3SxE14Qmpso4JjAjjYMxsV-skjkrKtamrOvxK/s1600/soundlink-top.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />The Soundlink III is standing straight now and therefore missing the slight upwards tilt of the previous versions, but treble response is considerably better than before, so the tilting is not needed anymore. After getting used to the new design, I think that the Soundlink III has a modern and classic look at the same time with a kind of "Braun-design" quality. The old Soundlinks suddenly look really old-school and dated.<br />Featurewise not much seem to have changed since the very first version. The Soundlink III still does the same as the first version: It connects to any bluetooth enabled device and plays music. There is no speakerphone, neither charging of external devices or other bells and whistles. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHplOJvvasdBCg3c0S4KXgSMowPOC100s7IDdN_2gEuYcyhR1C5zBK6I9GDcATsqNSOM2h1yZIQX_D7NdAglVRYpcCFLJ7B_tZJ86SqpFirG4djFCcATPxCJpKpMwKFaVpAdK5GTTtrSQ/s1600/soundlink3-shelf.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHplOJvvasdBCg3c0S4KXgSMowPOC100s7IDdN_2gEuYcyhR1C5zBK6I9GDcATsqNSOM2h1yZIQX_D7NdAglVRYpcCFLJ7B_tZJ86SqpFirG4djFCcATPxCJpKpMwKFaVpAdK5GTTtrSQ/s1600/soundlink3-shelf.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />It is a pity that Bose still doesn't seem to see the need of embedding current features like NFC, multiple pairing, volume sync etc. So you still have to deal with 2 separate volume controls, the one from your player and the other one from the speaker, which means you cannot turn louder from your device if the speaker is only set to low volume. The Soundlink III is rather about improvements in sound and in battery life. According to Bose it should play up to 14 hours, while the previous versions were rated at 8 hours only. Many complained about battery life at top volume, I was getting about 4-5 hours out from mine, this should also have improved on the new version. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7BARPiZi7P7TGS04_7BK-5BdFsqBg_x0AywuYluGhofAzTtag72XAgcSuwcTtLgnAZ6mb-mBS37jDAej6-VgXkm_dzgGhBo1TY-3Bzt8EuMx0yw4v6H0_9NeEdvIvZegJhaAJSJAiCuU/s1600/Soundlink-III.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7BARPiZi7P7TGS04_7BK-5BdFsqBg_x0AywuYluGhofAzTtag72XAgcSuwcTtLgnAZ6mb-mBS37jDAej6-VgXkm_dzgGhBo1TY-3Bzt8EuMx0yw4v6H0_9NeEdvIvZegJhaAJSJAiCuU/s1600/Soundlink-III.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />In this review I would rather like to concentrate on the audio quality of the new Soundlink III especially compared to the previous versions as well as to the more compact and cheaper Soundlink Mini. <br />The Soundlink III is definitely an improvement over the old versions in most aspects. While I liked the sound of the older Soundlinks at higher levels, the sound started to get really muffled at lower levels. At the same time bass was dialed back quite a lot and dynamic compression kicked in at levels above 70/80%. The Soundlink III on the other hand sounds much more coherent across its entire volume range. It sounds equally good at lowest levels and there is no such obvious DSP-processing at top levels with less compression. Bass is still dialed back at higher levels to avoid distortion, but the Soundlink III sounds fuller and more dynamic than the predecessors at its maximum volume. There also seems to be better stereo separation, while the Soundlink II rather sounded like a mono-speaker, now you actually get a hint of spatial ambiance from the Soundlink III, the sound has more breath and doesn't remain that constrained to the speaker, but rather manages to free itsself with some sparkle in the upper frequencies that were missing so much on the old versions. The Soundlink III is still not the brightest speaker around, and it still sounds most convincing if listened exactly frontally at ear height, but it doesn't suffer that much as the old versions when not listened frontally, meaning that you won't hear only bass when listening from the side as it was before. When switching back and forth between the Soundlink III and the old versions you have the impression of listening to a more expensive bigger speaker, while the Soundlink II suddenly starts sounding like a kitchen-radio. There might be particular recordings that will even sound more convincing on the Soundlink II, but overall I definitely prefer the sound of the Soundlink III by a far margin. For my taste it has a bit too much upper bass. When directly compared to the Sonos Play:1 the bass of the Play:1 seems more powerful with better impact, but not as loud as on the Soundlink III. The Play:1 has a more laid-back sound, while the Soundlink III is more straightforward.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_-Rpv0rqDq9UhepDKv_Cqv6nmYHQfizJQVk5vvEUKRSXOc1ElCOwCKoQt872hIQyhb-z4pkdWtjMehu0iE8mzKkdFEhBzAyCtYYqccsJcFGZy0MFZ0jJJtWwcOTRi7fXC6G5I4rUAGKk/s1600/soundlinkIII-outside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_-Rpv0rqDq9UhepDKv_Cqv6nmYHQfizJQVk5vvEUKRSXOc1ElCOwCKoQt872hIQyhb-z4pkdWtjMehu0iE8mzKkdFEhBzAyCtYYqccsJcFGZy0MFZ0jJJtWwcOTRi7fXC6G5I4rUAGKk/s1600/soundlinkIII-outside.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Comparing the Soundlink III to the Soundlink Mini is another story. The differences seem less between the Soundlink III and the Mini than between the Soundlink III and the older versions. In fact the Soundlink Mini impressed me most of all portable speakers I have heard so far and it still impresses me even now when directly compared to the Soundlink III. Although the Soundlink III has an overall better treble extension, I sometimes tend to prefer the Soundlink Mini, despite having a much smaller and more limited speaker in front of me.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjvAPIhJYI8i82MztvNe8vQX7Z4V8eWmnJkUzU1swZavFy-DeyoTw27bO0CnIq4T82ItbNBdJP3v-Xp5OXXs35dtByZydbuqmGhCD-BmeVop1y8CHnXB4FKol230jCqfi99JeG9UlM7Xc/s1600/soundlink3-soundlinkmini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjvAPIhJYI8i82MztvNe8vQX7Z4V8eWmnJkUzU1swZavFy-DeyoTw27bO0CnIq4T82ItbNBdJP3v-Xp5OXXs35dtByZydbuqmGhCD-BmeVop1y8CHnXB4FKol230jCqfi99JeG9UlM7Xc/s1600/soundlink3-soundlinkmini.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Funnily bass is similarly powerful on the Mini, reaching equally deep as on the Soundlink III. Both manage to play healthy 60Hz at normal levels, but the Soundlink III tries to push bass further and starts adding additional overtones so it would even play down to 45Hz but without any clean fundamental, the Soundlink Mini on the other hand seems to have a low pass filter built in and will just remain silent below 50Hz. <br />This somehow dirty bass reproduction was already present on the very first Soundlink, making particular low frequency tones sound strange, especially electronic bass drums, that start to get an ugly decay-plume, that is not present in the original recording. The Soundlink II even made this worse, but I finally hoped for an improvement with the the Soundlink III and while it is better than before it is still not perfect<br />I suppose this comes from the passive radiators, that react differently according to the actual volume level, so bass frequencies have to be pushed more at lower levels to compensate for their rigidity. But the best and most natural bass reproduction still comes from the Computer Music Monitors, although also based on the same dual opposing radiator design. Of course this is somehow nit-picking, and you will hardly notice this except with some particular recordings, but I thought it should be mentioned as most other comparable speakers don't suffer from this problem, albeit don't manage such a full overall sound.<br /><br />Here is a video where I tried to compare all 3 generations of the Soundlink. I wanted to show how they differ in sound when listened at optimum positioning, unfortunately I didn't manage to record them off-axis, but you can also hear how they sound at their top volume and which of them is loudest. The Soundlink I and II were slightly tilted forward towards the microphone to ensure the best soundquality. Audio was recorded with Zoom H1 which boosts bass frequencies a little bit in contrast too some other recorders that don't record bass very well, therefore the recording might sound slightly too bass heavy. I didn't do any postprocessing on the audio files except adjusting absolute levels.<br />Originally I wanted to use some music which I think demonstrates the differences in sound best, but unfortunately I am limited to the free music provided by Youtube to avoid any copyright issues as latest rumors claim that the German performing rights society "GEMA" now <a href="http://www.musikmachen.de/News/Gema-moechte-fuer-YouTube-Einbettungen-kassieren-3765627" target="_blank">plans to charge not only from Youtube</a> but also from the video creators...<br />Still I tried to select the best tracks with the best recording quality available from the Youtube audio library, as most of their music is pretty poor and not suitable for such a test:<br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ALlfkZGMy9U" width="853"></iframe> <br /><br />As you can hopefully hear all versions sound definitely different but they mostly differ in treble reproduction. Bass is rather similar on all of them, it is the quality and tuning of the bass that's different, but it is by no means a night and day difference, they all sound still pretty similar and could be mistaken for the same speaker without a direct comparison. Despite the much smaller size the Soundlink Mini sounds remarkably similar to the Soundlink III as you can hear in the following video. The Soundlink III can of course play considerably louder (about 5-6dB) than the Mini:<br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/iWlVj5zPSjQ?rel=0" width="853"></iframe> <br />  <br /><u>Roundup:</u><br />I really like the new Soundlink III. It has a more refined sound with nicer treble than all the versions before, but in relation to the difference in size between the Soundlink III and the Soundlink Mini I expected a bit more to tell the truth. The Soundlink III is overall more powerful with a considerably higher maximum volume, but at normal listening levels both sound equally powerful and full bodied. The Soundlink III doesn't seem to have any big advantage in bass power or quality of the bass, at least not up to normal listening levels. I had already chosen the Soundlink Mini over the Soundlink II, when I heard it the first time and as a truely portable solution I would probably still even choose it over the Soundlink III. For me the differences in sound between both just don't justify the much bigger size and weight of the Soundlink III. The Soundlink III might be able to play louder, but it is still by far not as loud and powerful as the original Soundlink Wireless Music System or a Sounddock Portable (<a href="http://youtu.be/Mr8JbHMdfx8" target="_blank">here</a> you can see a comparison video between both).<br />While sounding better than the old versions the Soundlink III still remains in the same category without any huge advantages. I am sure the same tuning could also be achieved by a good EQ on the previous versions. The missing features like USB-charging of external devices or handsfree might be a problem for most. <br />It is just a big letdown that Bose doesn't allow standard features like NFC-pairing, Apt-X support for even better audio quality let alone advanced features like multiple pairing, synced volume, app-support with customizable EQ etc.<br />I cannot judge yet how the Soundlink III sounds compared to the new Beats Pill XL which also costs the same now. From what I heard so far the Pill XL should pack considerably more punch while being about similar in size and weight. But the Beats Pill has much more features, can do stereo pairing with another Pill, charge external devices etc. <br /><br />The Soundlink III is definitely a nice sounding speaker, it sounds better than the old versions and it can play slightly louder without distortion, but compared to the Soundlink Mini in relation to the huge size difference, the difference in sound is just not worth the extra. It might play louder, but up to about 70% the Soundlink Mini holds up pretty well and remains the most impressive portable (nearly pocketable) speaker around. Bose could have come up with some new features or a lower price as most of the competition offer their products for considerably less. If you already own a Soundlink I or II I am not sure if the upgrade is really worth it.<br /><br /><b>+ modern clean design</b><br /><b>+ improved sound over the previous versions particularly due to better treble definition</b><br /><b>+ less boomy at low levels </b><br /><b>+ treble less directional</b><br /><b>+ more spacious sound</b><br /><b>+ slightly louder than the previous versions without that obvious DSP processing</b><br /><b>+ better battery life</b><br /><b><br /></b><b>- no additional features (handsfree, usb-charging, Apt-X support)</b><br /><b>- hardly better sounding than the much smaller Soundlink Mini </b><br /><b>- no app support</b><br /><b>- battery not that easily replaceable as on the old versions</b><br /><b>- too big, too heavy</b><br /><b>- optional covers do not offer any real protection </b><br /><b>- too expensive</b></p>

I have been playing around with the new Soundlink III for the last days, comparing it to the old versions as well as to the Soundlink Mini, ...

Bose Soundlink Bluetooth Speaker III - hands on and first impressions

<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiICsUNcJvZb14woE8UBJVV-99wGmfl1uAi26_78C2Cwmt5Mps6n82qN6yDaoLbtHCTm8GHgRu_t4hpRgeDUb1QJQcaVG9Rxs61jJB2dmvZe3OkcDiOuV5ltkXD0bItmFSOyWo-Ok58AhTn/s1600/soundlinkIII-soundlinkII.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiICsUNcJvZb14woE8UBJVV-99wGmfl1uAi26_78C2Cwmt5Mps6n82qN6yDaoLbtHCTm8GHgRu_t4hpRgeDUb1QJQcaVG9Rxs61jJB2dmvZe3OkcDiOuV5ltkXD0bItmFSOyWo-Ok58AhTn/s1600/soundlinkIII-soundlinkII.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Bose announced the new <a href="http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/shop_online/digital_music_systems/bluetooth_speakers/soundlink_wireless_speaker/index.jsp&intcmp=HPPANEL1" target="_blank">Soundlink III</a> speaker!<br />The third generation comes 1.5 years after the Soundlink II and 2.5 years after the original one, which was announced in September 2011.<br /><br /><a name="more"></a><br />The new Soundlink has a slightly different design and comes naked without any cover now, but there are optional covers with various colors available, for those who actually need one. I am not sure if I liked the old design better than the new, especially the <a href="http://oluvsgadgets.blogspot.co.at/2013/05/bose-soundlink-ii-limited-edition-white.html">limited white edition</a> was really an eye catcher. The new one reminds me a bit of a squashed <a href="https://www.google.at/search?q=beolit+12&client=firefox-a&hs=IJP&rls=org.mozilla:de:official&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=IbD0UrH8JsOJtAauxoDYBw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1920&bih=1096" target="_blank">B&O Beolit 12</a> just missing the leathered handle. At least the buttons are rubber covered now, similar to the ones from the Soundlink Mini. I must confess that with the Soundlink II I sometimes encountered unwanted resonance vibrations from the buttons that were rattling at particular frequencies, due to being a bit loose. This probably won't happen with the new one anymore.<br /><br />I am not sure if much changed on the hardware side apart from cosmetic adjustments. There is still no Apt-X support, no built in handsfree or USB-charging, the functionality remains exactly the same as before. Also the acoustic core consisting of 2 transducers per channel including 2 opposing passive radiators seem to be the same, so maybe the sound tweaks come only from different DSP-processing. But at least the new one is claimed to have an improved battery life of 30% which should make it play up to 14 hours. The battery doesn't seem to be directly accessible by the user anymore, but according to Bose it is still easily replaceable by pulling out the rubber feet, which I didn't try though.<br />I also found some new contacts at the bottom which would maybe suggest an option for a future charging cradle similar to that of the Soundlink Mini.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiNMMnfuCoZmIzPMjmQ1k93_oseof1ntMse2sXIsIGzGoM49Sbl4D0d6icTTa0P82_bM12wD0h3k20o0-twWkBx26vLQhuHgrWHMbG2vnXOeeL1R519dP5-jj0leDAkDDfKYxndc71HlWX/s1600/soundlink-III-battery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiNMMnfuCoZmIzPMjmQ1k93_oseof1ntMse2sXIsIGzGoM49Sbl4D0d6icTTa0P82_bM12wD0h3k20o0-twWkBx26vLQhuHgrWHMbG2vnXOeeL1R519dP5-jj0leDAkDDfKYxndc71HlWX/s1600/soundlink-III-battery.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />Thanks to Bose I already got a demo unit of the new one as well as the previous version. As my neighbour still owns the <a href="http://oluvsgadgets.blogspot.co.at/2011/09/review-bose-soundlink-wireless-mobile.html">first version</a>, I will be able to compare all three generations.<br /><br />First impression so far: The new one sounds definitely better than the previous one. The sound is less veiled, broader and more open with more brilliance in treble and seems less directional too, not suffering that much in treble response when not listened directly on-axis. Bass seems a little better controlled, not that artificial sounding as on the Soundlink II, at the same time the Soundlink III doesn't sound as stressed at top volume with less obvious dynamic compression and it sounds less boomy at low levels, which is pretty welcome if you want some low background music, which was hardly achievable with the old one, as that one sounded extremly dull when not applying some special <a href="http://oluvsgadgets.blogspot.co.at/i2012/07/bose-soundlink-der-trick-mit-dem-bass.html">"tricks"</a>. Top volume is more or less the same, the new one sounds a bit fuller at top volume with more upper bass and therefore can make the impression of being a bit louder, but don't expect any loudness miracles. The <a href="http://oluvsgadgets.blogspot.co.at/2014/01/review-bose-soundlink-wireless-music.html">very first Soundlink</a> still remains one of the loudest and most powerful portable speakers, but at a slightly larger size of course.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwJ68_s65Y9GyPCdFkK0T8Ztjd0FmBbcOfiyQ10l5EJymbyacD5nnnjja6X0FNRsAl2ZpYeMSdZL35mIceh6iu3IxoHKzS0dbgppUlGsLzhZ7jOExm5zKdt8XQGXA0r6lCS3hfK_nKvpGp/s1600/soundlink-III-soundlink-mini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwJ68_s65Y9GyPCdFkK0T8Ztjd0FmBbcOfiyQ10l5EJymbyacD5nnnjja6X0FNRsAl2ZpYeMSdZL35mIceh6iu3IxoHKzS0dbgppUlGsLzhZ7jOExm5zKdt8XQGXA0r6lCS3hfK_nKvpGp/s1600/soundlink-III-soundlink-mini.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Soundwise the Soundlink III seems to more resemble the Soundlink Mini now, although the differences are not huge between all of them to tell the truth, you are still hearing the same Bose sound signature, so don't expect JBL or Loewe sound now.<br /><br />So far I have the impression that this is the best sounding Soundlink yet! I am planning to prepare an extensive comparison video and review soon, so stay tuned!<br /><br /><u>Update:</u> full review can already be found <a href="http://oluvsgadgets.blogspot.co.at/2014/02/bose-soundlink-iii-review.html">here</a>, enjoy! </p>

Bose announced the new Soundlink III speaker! The third generation comes 1.5 years after the Soundlink II and 2.5 years after the original ...

Review: Bose Soundlink Wireless Music System - oldtimer redux!

<p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQY75QARMNWlc4dyfh_fS4RmnDGPHFj2jTbu3EILspmZfinCfqirpHAZ53ixc_UU2evi_amEtDEUCvlQD9zHfNSXVVkrogVbbvgCS5b196XOBwNJ3rf7Eur1d_lNbGtmGYhppjyxhZ6p6y/s1600/sasha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQY75QARMNWlc4dyfh_fS4RmnDGPHFj2jTbu3EILspmZfinCfqirpHAZ53ixc_UU2evi_amEtDEUCvlQD9zHfNSXVVkrogVbbvgCS5b196XOBwNJ3rf7Eur1d_lNbGtmGYhppjyxhZ6p6y/s640/sasha.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>  <br />Bose has the habit of very long life-cycles for their products. I have no idea how long their Waveradio has already been on the market without much changes in design or acoustics (not to mention their nearly 50 year old 910 speakers).<br />The same is true for their Bose Sounddock, which now is revived within the 3rd vesion, but didn't change much from the very first version that came out 10 years ago.<br /><br /><a name="more"></a><br />The core of the Bose Sounddock portable (now discontiuned) even found its way into several different products. One of them being the Soundlink Air, another one the current Soundtouch 20 (but this time without the option of an additional battery). But the first one to use the same design was the Bose Soundlink Wireless System brought to the market in 2009 and meanwhile discontinued as well. The Bose Soundlink Wireless System was marketed as a wireless home system, where you could stream music wirelessly from your computer to the speaker through a special included USB-dongle. The Soundlink Wireless System was quite overpriced at the beginning costing around 550$.<br />What hardly anyone knows is that the Soundlink Wireless System was a simple Bluetooth speaker. There is no need for the dongle, the speaker can easily pair with any A2DP enabled smartphone.<br /><br />When someone asked me about a speaker more powerful than the TDK A33 or the Bose Soundlink II, but without the bulk of a boombox like the Altec Lansing Mix or Klipsch KMC-3 there is hardly anything on the market. I had sold my Bose Sounddock Portable half a year ago, as I haven't used it anymore that often, because of the dedicated Apple-Dock and because due to heavy usage the dock got bad contact and wouldn't charge my Iphone anymore, but also because the Soundlink Mini was enough for my needs most of the time, as I didn't need the power or volume of the larger Bose speakers. Funnily the Mini even managed to sound more convincing than the bigger ones up to normal room listening levels.<br />Either the speakers are really small like the Soundlink Mini, JBL Charge, UE Boom etc, or book-sized like the Soundlink II, the Loewe speaker2go, TDK A33. But then there is a big gap until the really big ghettoblasters jump in with nothing inbetween.<br />I only found the new IK Multimedia iLoud (review will be coming soon), which is indeed a nice speaker not that much larger than the Bose Soundlink II but with considerably more power (they claim 40 Watts) and volume.<br /><br />But here I  would like to present an interesting alternative, that I found at Ebay. There were many used Soundlinks Wireless Music Systems for about 150-200�. Quite a bargain and much cheaper than a new iLoud for example! From my own experience Bose speakers hardly ever brake and even a used Soundlink Wireless System should do its job for the next 5-10 years if handled with care.<br />I got one for 199�, 3 months old with an original invoice from a store, which probably was sold during a stock clearance.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxynR0U1ZffJ4xJYF7vnb_F06r2B2IatWij62xuQrMp1FLjzT9y_dOxJO8aUYzYd-eHPj8-z6YKTLmYAC2Ij9HYsL-vNCFbhicpd5Vk6dmON4oJn6qAOFLg-aWU1jefXyXI3w8FWDzwa3/s1600/bose1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxynR0U1ZffJ4xJYF7vnb_F06r2B2IatWij62xuQrMp1FLjzT9y_dOxJO8aUYzYd-eHPj8-z6YKTLmYAC2Ij9HYsL-vNCFbhicpd5Vk6dmON4oJn6qAOFLg-aWU1jefXyXI3w8FWDzwa3/s1600/bose1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Of course I could also have bought the new Soundlink Air, but in my opinion Airplay is not so well suited for portable use. Although the Soundlink Air can be brought into some kind of direct-play mode where it would stream music directly from an Iphone without the need of an additional network, this isn't very stable and doesn't work every time. Also streaming through Airplay (or Wifi) uses much more battery than streaming through Bluetooth. Of course you can stream losslessly through Airplay, but normally in case of the Bose Soundlink Air or Soundlink Wireless System, you shouldn't be able to hear any difference between Airplay and Bluetooth, it is not the most detailed speaker.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3MYzyy2AWbq4Xh4VasgGAXcfarZhD8gX3qAD2qAhF_6hoWmDlQVsXzBvmqWp3kKyy-Zfc5uLburANsQqCF15OuTXEFZU5jZeUPUOFwveseliyiCqX7xgCi1hkER70WJVbTAWIlD3JvB-J/s1600/bose-back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3MYzyy2AWbq4Xh4VasgGAXcfarZhD8gX3qAD2qAhF_6hoWmDlQVsXzBvmqWp3kKyy-Zfc5uLburANsQqCF15OuTXEFZU5jZeUPUOFwveseliyiCqX7xgCi1hkER70WJVbTAWIlD3JvB-J/s1600/bose-back.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The Soundlink Wireless Music System has the advantage of exchangeable batteries over many comparable speaker systems. A spare battery usually goes for about 70-80$, and can be exchanged within some seconds by just turning a big screw with a coin or fingernail. At highest levels the Soundlink Wireless Music System should play about 3 hours according to Bose. I had it playing at lower levels like 70%, which is already pretty loud, but the sound doesn't suffer yet because of overly strong DSP processing, and it played for more than 4 hours. At comfortable room listening levels you should be getting more than 8 hours out of one single charge. I even squeezed out more than 12 hours out of my old Sounddock Portable, I haven't tested if I manage the same with the Soundlink Wireless Music System. I am not sure if Bluetooth drains more battery than charging an Ipod, as the Sounddock Portable was charging docked devices also when running from battery.<br />A full charge will take about 5-6 hours. The power supply is rather huge, but it has a handy loop to wind up the wire if not in use. There is also an additional car-adapter available, so you could charge the speaker even in your boat or caravan when on the go.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVmrynL3lKycTcZPcr5zhC4I3AJYaQMSwwcc9_YkfOArFpfpDuihTtGrB-lAP9_J3bNzIuCx4y7jgF_fWGoFtU7V3R1ZRjqg_3doPgJTGfnFg7KG6yl7lV8eayBMAR2nt68tThV_eNWgJ/s1600/bose-ac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVmrynL3lKycTcZPcr5zhC4I3AJYaQMSwwcc9_YkfOArFpfpDuihTtGrB-lAP9_J3bNzIuCx4y7jgF_fWGoFtU7V3R1ZRjqg_3doPgJTGfnFg7KG6yl7lV8eayBMAR2nt68tThV_eNWgJ/s1600/bose-ac.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />In fact if you already know the Bose Sounddock Portable, you will immediately recognize the Bose Soundlink Wireless System, as both are pretty much the same, but as there is no flabby rotatable Apple dock anymore, the Soundlink Wireless System makes an overall more sturdy impression and looks cleaner designwise.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhuvGmegRCycTISYxJg_Qv8A1N4Lnh-1KFvpfgcoFgYWPTQAmdi4H5cTDY4b1u8cnoY1EleOSaj9NdQlC4VovvoN5mDoabNgMsAFXphq_jWE6sOp08XlsrdcmHyo0PgZW_TForm7q1i2S/s1600/bose-side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhuvGmegRCycTISYxJg_Qv8A1N4Lnh-1KFvpfgcoFgYWPTQAmdi4H5cTDY4b1u8cnoY1EleOSaj9NdQlC4VovvoN5mDoabNgMsAFXphq_jWE6sOp08XlsrdcmHyo0PgZW_TForm7q1i2S/s1600/bose-side.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />The Soundlink Wireless Music System has no controls, there are only 2 touch-buttons for changing volume at the right side. Everything else must be done through the remote. While you could use the Sounddock Portable even without remote, because it automatically turned on as soon as you touched one volume-button, this is not possible with the Soundlink Wireless Music System anymore. You have to turn it on with the remote. If you lose the remote, you won't be able use it. You could force a turn-on if you remove the battery and attach it agian, or if you attach the power cord, then the speaker automatically powers on as well. It is also powering off automatically after 20 or 30 minutes when there is no Bluetooth connection active. So far I haven't noticed an automatic power down with an active Bluetooth connection. The Soundlink Mini even turns off when connected, provided that nothing is currently playing.<br /><br />When holding the wireless button on the remote for several seconds, the Soundlink Wireless Music System jumps into Bluetooth pairing mode and you can connect to it from any Bluetooth enabled device. It acts like a usual Bluetooth speaker, there is no need for the additional Bluetooth dongle (to tell the truth I haven't even tried the dongle out yet).<br />As the connection is based on A2DP, you can also use the remote for skipping tracks, or starting playback and pausing it again. This worked with my Iphone or Ipad, I haven't tested it with other Bluetooth enabled phones.<br /><br />How is the sound? Bose like! It is not perfect though. I cannot remember if my old Sounddock Portable sounded that much different, maybe Bose tuned the Soundlink Wireless Music System a little bit, but treble sounds somewhat harsh to me, especially on-axis, while mids are more restrained making the overall sound rather dull. Especially vocals suffer a lot compared to other speakers. It is not a very natural or linear sound, but it is still very enjoyable. Bass is really powerful and well under control, until the speaker reaches 3/4 of its volume, then bass and dynamics are reduced considerably. At top volume there is also some stronger distortion, but we are talking about really loud levels already, especially for a speaker as compact as the Bose Soundlink Wireless Music System.<br /><br />The Soundlink Wireless Music System sounds best at medium levels, at lower levels the sound can become too boomy as treble is muted too much then. I even prefer the sound of the much smaller Soundlink Mini at lower levels, as it sounds clearer, despite not having that much sparkle in the upper treble.<br />Compared to the Sonos Play:1 which seems even a bit smaller, the Bose has more power and plays louder. But the Sonos has a more natural sound with a similarly powerful bass, but less boomy. The Play:1 bass seems to even have more impact at the lowest frequencies, but it is not as pronounced in the upper region as that from the Soundlilnk Wireless Music System. The Play:1 also has a less directional sound dispersion, while the Soundlink Wireless Music System suffers quite a lot if  not listened frontally.<br /><br />I prepared some comparison videos. First is an indoor comparison with the Bose Soundlink Mini at room listening volume (about 60%). The other video is an outdoor comparison where both the Soundlink Wireless Music System and the Soundlink Mini were played at their maximum volume. The Soundlink Mini is already quite powerful, but compared to its big brother it sounds rather lost especially outside.<br />Audio was recorded with a Zoom H2n this time, which microphone records not as bass-heavy as that from the H1.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/EC6yBZKySLA?rel=0" width="853"></iframe> <br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Hughw8WpXao?rel=0" width="853"></iframe> <br /><br />I would claim the Soundlink Wireless Music System to be indeed better suited for outdoor listening. Outside it sounds nicely balanced due to the stronger bass, that usually gets lost pretty quickly in the open field. When cranked you can still hear it with acceptable volume from 20 meters away, and from some distance you won't even notice that much distortion even if playing at top volume. The Soundlink Wireless Music System won't be able to throw a huge beach-party, but it should have enough power for any garden grill-fiesta.<br />If you need something more powerful than the Soundlink II or TDK A33, but still need to keep it quite portable, grab a Bose Soundlink Wireless System if you can find one. It plays twice as loud and has an overall much more powerful and mature sound.<br />It is definitely worth 200$ even in used condition and I doubt it will break that soon. If the battery is already weak, you can buy a new one. There is still no real alternative at this size right now that I know, maybe the new iLoud from IK Multimedia, so stay tuned for a review and comparison of both.</p>

  Bose has the habit of very long life-cycles for their products. I have no idea how long their Waveradio has already been on the market wit...