MIGHTY ONSOUND
Bose SoundLink Revolve+ is a great speaker that delivers 360-degree music
IRELESS BLUETOOTH speakers are a popular choice among music lovers. They come in all shapes and sizes, but the offbeat lantern-like design, clean look and conveniently placed controls of Bose’s latest Bluetooth speaker – SoundLink Revolve+ – make it a veritable design marvel. The unique shape represents the business end of this 360-degree speaker, delivering what audio engineers call omnidirectional sound. Most Bluetooth speakers are one-way facing and pump in the sound that way. But an omnidirectional design ensures that the sound flows evenly, in a 360-degree pattern, providing uniform coverage and better sound quality for all.
Available in ‘lux grey’ and ‘triple black’, this petite creation is just over 18 cm in length and weighs less than 1 kg. It packs a punch, though, and houses dual sound radiators for excellent low-note performance, a downwardfacing transducer that puts more feeling in your bass, which is more intimate and effective, and an acoustic deflector for 360- degree, omnidirectional sound.
We listened to Willie Nelson’s ‘Angel flying too close to the ground’ among other country songs, deep bass hits like ‘Tempted’ by Jazz Cartier and a few Bollywood numbers. High frequencies were extended and airy without artificially amplifying the sound; the midrange was pleasantly neutral, yielding vocals that sound authentic and natural, and the low frequencies were deep and powerful, but not overblown. Even when moving around, we noticed the uniform volume levels, perfect octave-to-octave tonal balance and clear, natural vocals.
Coming back to design, physical controls include the power button, volume control, Bluetooth, auxiliary input and a multifunction key (for playback, track navigation and call management) with small LED indicators. A long press on the multifunction key also gives you access to the voice input for Siri and Google Now from the speaker. You can also pair it to your phone with the Bose Connect app that gives you complete control of the speaker. The IPX4 rating is another plus, which makes this speaker water- and bump-resistant so that it can easily withstand light splashes or even a drizzle.
The company’s claim of 16-hour playback time on full charge (it takes around five hours for full charge) is true. The wireless range is up to 30 ft, but distortion starts at a distance of 25 ft. At ` 24,500, the speaker is priced on the higher side, but the sound more than makes up for it. In case you are looking for a slightly less expensive speaker with great acoustics, opt for the Bose SoundLink Revolve for ` 19,900. ~