Bose Soundlink Colour
FOR Large presentation; works well with vocals; portability AGAINST Needs tauter bass; sound lacks finesse
The mere fact you can own a Bose product for less than £100 (the Soundlink Colour typically sells for £99) should be enough to ensure it makes many a portable-speaker shortlist. And why not? Bose certainly has experience in this field and has long traded on the ‘big sound from a little box’ approach.
Good ergonomics
The Bose fits nicely into the hand and nudges the scales at a slight 570g. This makes it eminently portable – in or out of the house. The shallow, rounded shape is also a great fit for rucksacks and suitcases, though some would welcome a bundled carry-case – the bodywork does feel a little brittle, and we reckon it would quickly pick up the odd scratch. The rubberised top control section feels a bit more ‘Bose’ and, for the price, overall build is fine.
Also acceptable is the level of specification on offer. An auxiliary input backs up Bluetooth connectivity, and enables connection of any old-school tech you may be toting. The rechargeable battery, Bose claims, will give music breath for up to eight hours, and the package includes a wall charger.
Talking point
The Bose Soundlink Colour also offers ‘voice prompts’ when pairing. In action, this means it states the name of the portable device it’s hooking up with. This is unlikely to prove a deal-maker to potential buyers, but it may prove an attractive feature to visually impaired users. It’s also kind of fun hearing the speaker say your name, so no bad thing. The Bose does not, though, act as a hands-free speakerphone. Time to feed the Soundlink some tunes. And initial impressions are good. Try Daft Punk’s Give Life Back To Music and lower frequencies flood the dancefloor. This is the type of sonic character that causes visitors, initially, to stop and declare appreciation for your shrewd choice in portable speaker.
But, as we say, these impressions are initial. Take a longer, more considered listen to the Bose and you realise that the bass on offer, while large in size, lacks focus. So Daft Punk’s album opener sounds big, certainly for the size of the Bose speaker, but it also lacks drive. Lower frequencies are soft, lacking the agility to give the song sufficient bounce. This little Bose has slightly leaden boots.
Cast your ears higher up the frequency range, sticking with Daft Punk, and further issues appear. It sounds as if the Bose design team has played safe – way too safe. The percussion lacks bite as well as sweetness. Claps don’t crack, cymbals don’t shine. Add to that the somewhat pedestrian bass, and overall presentation is only average. Switch to Bat For Lashes’ In God’s
House and the Bose delivers Natasha Khan’s vocals with good levels of detail. It also, during sparser moments, projects her voice with clarity. But the moment the band puts its foot back down, that unwelcome, unvarying bass reappears, resulting in a less interesting, less emotional musical ride.
A modest presentation
The Bose Soundlink Colour doesn’t go big on features. Nor does it suck up its design team’s budget in premium materials. Indeed, for a little portable number from the House of Bose, it lacks the visual flair of many from its stable.
But, for £100, many would happily trade feature count and visual flair for an appropriate uplift in audio performance. It doesn’t quite make good on this deal, however, and audio performance lacks the lower-frequency agility and upper-end shine to maintain interest levels. For such a colourful looking bit of kit, this Bose sounds too monochrome.
“The Bose fits nicely into the hand and nudges the scales at a slight, portable 570g”