While the speaker has integration with iTunes there is no Apple Music yet (Sonos has now added it to its list of services accessible via the Sonos app). He's also an e-reader and e-publishing expert as well as the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity. Ty was nominated for Best New Journalist at the Australian IT Journalism awards, but he has only ever won one thing.

While the improved routine is still not as elegant as Sonos' -- you need to press the "2" and "Vol-" together to put the speaker in setup mode -- it's still preferable to what preceded it. Press the Bluetooth/AUX button is pressed, the last used input (Bluetooth or AUX) will be selected by the first button press. If you're looking for a large speaker that could become your main stereo system, and like your music on the less boisterous side you may find the SoundTouch 30 to have the pep that you need. Burly bass output and a tight, cohesive union between the drivers and subwoofer makes music sound remarkably solid and punchy. That would be the review in a nutshell, but there's a whole lot more to chew on, particularly if you're looking to build out a multiroom system for your home and are trying to decide between Bose's and Sonos' ecosystems.For many years Sonos had the DIY wireless multiroom audio market largely to itself, but it's now facing serious competition from. SoundTouch lets you take total control of your listening experience, right from your smartphone or tablet. It's also worth noting that the previous version of the SoundTouch 30 supported AirPlay, but this one does not. While we found the original Bose SoundTouch 20 to be more neutral sounding than the original Sonos Play:5 this time around the roles are reversed.

Attractively designed, it comes in a choice of white and black finishes (with a matching gray or black speaker grille) and features a black-and-white OLED display in the center of the unit.Another difference is that both SoundTouch 20 and 30 display in-depth song, artist, station and connectivity information on an OLED screen whereas the SoundTouch 10 displays simple connectivity information via 4 LEDs on the front of the product. The speaker ships with a remote, which is a welcome addition for a device without a touchscreen and limited controls. For instance, we initially had difficulty adding music from a Twonky server on a networked laptop (it simply wouldn't find it), while the Sonos system had no problem. But perhaps the biggest challenge is Bose, which is also targeting mainstream consumers and has been steadily improving its software to make its systems easier to set up and use.

The Bose Skill is compatible with all current generation SoundTouch speakers (SoundTouch 10, SoundTouch 20 Series III, SoundTouch 30 Series III, the SoundTouch 300 soundbar, Wave SoundTouch IV, the SoundTouch SA-5 amplifier, the SoundTouch Wireless Link adapter, and the Lifestyle 600 and 650 home entertainment systems) and previous SoundTouch speakers/systems that support Bluetooth connectivity.

Embedded into the top is a panel of large buttons, dominated by six numbered preset keys that let you access favourite tracks, albums or radio stations quickly – one of the SoundTouch 30’s most useful features. Well, the Bose speaker comes with a few features the Play:5 doesn't have: Bluetooth connectivity (in addition to Wi-Fi), a remote, and a presets system that allows you to get your favorite playlists or Internet radio stations up and running instantly. The Bose SoundTouch Control Skill will be available to all existing SoundTouch owners through a free software update. It's targeting people who want a system that's simple to set up and use and is most likely tapping into a music service such as Spotify, Pandora or Internet radio.

This hi-res display is sharp, and with three lines of text at its disposal there’s enough room to fit long song titles without scrolling. Compared to the more neutral Yamaha NX-N500 monitor speakers, the bass of the Bose SoundTouch 30 sounded overemphasized -- which was apparent when listening to King Crimson's "Walking on Air" via Radio Paradise -- the bass notes tended to overhang or sit a little too long. Below the system icon and name, choose the desired device source (Note: Only sources available on the system with appear, i. With the volume slider set to 2/3 or less, the Bose can sound big and lush, especially with huge atmospheric tracks like Dead Can Dance's "Yulunga.input, and an ethernet por, for connecting to your network (and wi-fi too) so you can stream music from a laptop, PC or NAS drive. Functions such as queuing songs and creating playlists – key to the usability of systems such as Sonos – are missing, as are some of the major streaming services.