Bose first went wireless some three years ago and since then has been rather deliberate in rolling out untethered music accessories.
The latest SoundLink Color Bluetooth Speaker is its lightest offering yet and we mean that both weight -wise and on the purse. It is slightly larger than the SoundLink Mini speaker, albeit still palm sized, weighs just over half kg and comes in a new shape: it reminded us of a pair of binoculars. Rubberized feet and 'bumpers' ensure it will not topple over even if the party get a bit well-lively.
Power, Bluetooth, Aux, Play/Pause and Volume up and down controls are arranged in a neat row on top. Recharging the batteries which promise 8 hours of play is via a standard microUSB connector: Bose is slowly shedding its proprietary mindset when it comes to connectors.
Wireless pairing with your sound source phone, tablet or MP3 player is easy: just hold down the Bluetooth button till the blue light starts flashing. If even this is a challenge, Bose has added a useful voice prompt which also identifies the device being paired (up to two at a time). But the 24 language options other than English, cover like China, Japan, Middle East as well as some miniscule European markets but ignore India completely.
Audio-wise the SoundLink Color ( the name is a nod to Bose's new burst of 5 colour options) reminds us that the company pioneered the rediscovery of low and deep bass notes. The difference is palpable with classical music western or Indian.
The asking price of Rs 11,138 is considerably lower than that of the Bose SoundLink Mini for marginal difference in portability. But it still demands a premium over other offerings in this category, some of which throw in speaker-phone functionality as well as WiFi. Bose fans may not complain even though there are no deals to be found online which might shave off even a few rupees.
