Bose has found the right combination with its wireless $699 SoundTouch 300 soundbar and $699 Acoustimass 300 subwoofer. The units have several integrator-friendly features to make them a solid offering for custom installation clients.
First off, the consumer packaging is impressive, so integrators should not be hesitant to open up the boxes in front of their clients. The Acoustimass 300 subwoofer is boxed ingeniously so a technician never has to stress him back lifting the 30-pound subwoofer.
The subwoofer's footprint is 12x12x13 inches, and because it is wireless, it can be placed anywhere in a room. The industrial design of the Acoustimass 300 is superb. The top of the sub is finished with imported Italian glass that fits well in a room's decor.
Likewise, the SoundTouch 300 soundbar has equally dramatic industrial design with a sleek single-piece aluminum grille in front and Italian glass on the top. In terms of bass reproduction, the Acoustimass 300 sub moved just the right amount of air for my large room. The unit has the largest driver and largest amplifier Bose has ever deployed in a sub.
The Soundtouch 300 soundbar has a sleek 2-inch height. The unit features Wi-Fi for easy network integration, and Bluetooth with NFC for easy device pairing.
For integrators, they merely have to connect the power, then connect the SoundTouch 300 to the back of the TV using the supplied optical fiber cable. To match the sound quality with the room acoustics, Bose supplies its AdaptIQ Room EQ system. The technician just follows the directions and plugs the AdaptIQ system into the soundbar and dons the headset. The system immediately walks you through the process. AdaptIQ plays space age tones to equalize the room acoustics in the various sitting positions.
Bose SoundTouch 300, Acoustimass 300 Wireless Pairing
The wireless connectivity that pairs the two devices is quick and easy. The devices actually self discover each other the network. Users can also use the Bose SoundTouch multiroom music app on their iPhone or Android device to access music and stream it to the soundbar.
Integrators can use Bose's API to control the SoundTouch features, including presets, volume control, zone grouping, metadata feedback and more. Current Bose partners include Control4, Crestron, RTI, Elan, Samsung Smart things, URC, AMX and Key Digital.
The multichannel system fills the living space with surround sound using Bose’s PhaseGuide array technology that sends sound to the left and right sides of a room.
Bose has a number of SoundTouch-connected products to create a whole-house music system, whether it be an all-in-one system like the Wave SoundTouch or SoundTouch 30, or the SA5 that has a built-in 100 watt by 2-channel amplifier to power in-ceiling or outdoor speakers, or the pre-amp SoundTouch wireless link.
Through Bose's contemporary industrial design, proprietary technologies, small product footprints and wireless connectivity, the SoundTouch 300 soundbar and Acoustimass 300 subwoofer meet a variety of homeowner needs ranging from Bluetooth music to full multichannel home theater. CE pros can even create a turnkey surround sound package by adding Bose's Virtually Invisible 300 speakers to the system.
If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our digital newsletters!
