Music

Bose SoundLink Streams Music From Your PC Via USB

Following the trend of pretty much every other audio company, Bose’s SoundLink is their first wireless streaming speaker. But oddly enough, instead of using Bluetooth or wi-fi, Bose opted to go with an RF USB dongle for data transfer.

The $US550 speaker can transmit through rooms and walls (obviously), comes with a 3.5mm auxiliary jack and has a rechargable battery that lasts 3 hours. While the sound quality of this thing will more than likely be excellent, a USB dongle seems a bit janky (though I’m sure their filthy rich, technophile audience will love it).

It will be available on August 27. [BusinessWire via Dvice]

Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)

  • smegz

    I have an issue. If I'm gonna leave my PC on...why do I want a streamer? What I want...is something smart enough to read the media off of my NAS drive and play it...without having my computer turned on. Is that so freaking hard? And, at $550, this better come with a BJ. Seriously. Why do I want to pay $550 for a, basically, mid-range speaker. Bose stuff is great if you're into classical, but feed it to much range and it flattens it out and you have some of the clearest mid-range sound your money can buy.

    smegz

  • f0rge

    why with all the dongles? who in their right mind wants a dongle hanging off their computer for anything???

    (this comment applies to the laptop crowd)

    f0rge

  • whatne1wuddo

    @IDSkittlez: No. It's more expensive also.

  • yungjerry703

    bose-Better Of with Something Else.

  • craig_16

    @jpitsch: Probably to make it a closed system. Rather than dealing with customers who have various bluetooth stacks or ancient 802.11b WiFi complaining, it will just work out of the box.

  • IDSkittlez

    So this is the exact same thing we saw yesterday from creative except not as good?

  • jpitsch

    The sound is probably good. The ease of use is surely excellent. But why a freaking USB dongle?

  • chese79

    So does this have Boselink and connect with their lifestyle home theater?

    chese79

  • fastlanestranger

    "No highs
    No lows..."
    Say it with me folks!
    "It must be Bose!"

    fastlanestranger

  • MisterWho Cares

    Ha ha, more of this 1979 stuff. IR data transfer, yeah right.

    MisterWho Cares

  • Save me

    And here I am, sitting like a tool assuming audiophiles absolutely abhorred Bose speakers.

    I am disappoint.

  • davekaybsc

    Filthy rich yes. Technophile, no. Fools are easily parted with their money, and only fools buy Bose.

    davekaybsc

  • Hachiken

    "While the sound quality of this thing will more than likely be excellent..."

    Uh, nobody who really listens to music would buy anything made by Bose, the pasty, smeared, ham-handed, low-fi scam of the sound reproduction business. It's the audio equivalent of a Twinkie...cheap stomach filler that you'll outgrow in a week.

    Hachiken

  • bustedchain

    @jpitsch: This was their way of being able to include the word "dongle" on a spec sheet. You know you can picture the tech writers standing around chuckling about it.

    bustedchain

  • Bigby

    Okay, what's up with the BOSE hating? I listened to it at a friends' place, and it sounds quite good. I am not an audiophile, but a horse hasn't stomped my ears, either. It really sounds okay. Is it terribly expensive and likely requires selling of a nut in order to buy? Yeah, but it's not bad.

    @the IR thingy. I believe BOSE has that figured out quite well. The above mentioned system is well over 8-10 years old, and it has this IR remote that works everywhere. And this way before wi-fi and what not.

    Bigby

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