In terms of audio features, the SoundTouch 30 uses a ported box design with two custom-made mid-range/high-frequency drivers with exclusive waveguide technology and a subwoofer to give bass frequencies a boost. Bose doesn’t quote power figures for the unit. Bose SoundTouch 30 – Setup and Operation

Both speakers have their merits, and depending on what you're looking for; either speaker could be the right fit for you. The speaker’s sturdy aluminum grille shields the speaker and keeps the sound intact. The construction is top-notch all over, feeling solid and long-lasting in use.

One must look at this model alongside other wireless speakers tо understand its worth. Some noteworthy alternatives are listed below. The speaker's upper-mids emphasis helps if you're using this as a speaker for your TV (yes you can do that using the audio input). Vocals (dialogue) are crisply delivered and easy to decipher. There's a definite "notchiness" to the speaker's response that emphasizes the sibilants in speech or the breathiness in a sax player's noodlings. That breathiness combined with the speaker's onboard processing gives the Bose an openness that the the Sonos Play:5 doesn't have. Compared to the more neutral Yamaha NX-N500 monitor speakers, the bass of the Bose SoundTouch 30 sounded overemphasized -- which was apparent when listening to King Crimson's "Walking on Air" via Radio Paradise -- the bass notes tended to overhang or sit a little too long.

Play the same music throughout your home with “Play Everywhere,” or listen to different music in different areas, it’s up to you. The SoundTouch® app lets you control one or multiple SoundTouch® speakers in your home, from any room. The SoundTouch 30 has а sleek, simple appearance that will complement any room’s aesthetic. Its circular design is aesthetically pleasing and practical, as it provides sound in every direction. The Waveguide’s sound path is optimized and amplified in conjunction with the drivers and subwoofer, delivering an audio profile that plays richer and louder than the size of the system would normally allow. What’s more, the mids and treble could do with a little more refinement – certain instruments and vocals flirt with hardness, a far cry from the silky top-end and gorgeous layering of the B&W Zeppelin Wireless and Naim Mu-So, or to a lesser extent the Denon Heos 7. On the whole, however, there are many more positives than negatives in the SoundTouch 30’s performance.

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The Sonos Play:5 really excels at being a multi-speaker system with other Sonos speakers. Its app is super intuitive, and setting up multiple rooms and zones is fairly straight forward. If you're looking to build out a home theater system or a big multi-room household-wide sound system, the Sonos Play:5 (and other Sonos speakers) is going to fit your needs better and be able to seamlessly grow with your sound system as you add to it.

Speaker overall, this has excellent sound quality, producing a loud and detailed sound that will please even the most critical listener. This speaker has excellent sound quality and will improve your entertainment experience in any medium. Connectivity and Features In the end we had to install the SoundTouch software on that laptop and tell it to look for an " NAS," even though it was just software running on the same machine. All that said, Bose's primary customer for this system probably isn't the person who has a networked music library or the hard-core audiophile. It's targeting people who want a system that's simple to set up and use and is most likely tapping into a music service such as Spotify, Pandora or Internet radio. Performance The speaker and the system it sits within is controlled via the SoundTouch app, which also features the same six shortcuts seen on the speaker and remote. As far as multiroom apps go, it's one of the better ones and places all the key functions front and center. As noted, the app started out a little rough around the edges, but has steadily improved -- and continues to get better.That said, the Bose’s sound can become a little dense and congested, particularly when you start turning up the volume. Its rich, bottom-heavy presentation comes at the expense of openness and breathing space. Placement and imaging become slightly lost within the Bose’s weighty wall of sound. While browsing music libraries, the lists are logically structured and lightning-fast. The app scrolls through huge music libraries without much hesitation – I whizzed down a list of more than 900 albums on my NAS drive and it needed only a brief pause when it reached “M”. Personalize your home with “living” presets like Spotify’s “Discover Weekly” or Pandora’s “Thumbprint Radio.” Always have a fresh list of favorites a touch away, without having to even find your phone.

Throw on something more chin-scratching such as “So Real Surreal” by Carl Hudson and the spacey jazz-funk groove is deftly handled – the synths and keys have warmth and body, while the live drums and bassline are handled with pleasing agility.The ability to easily connect a NAS device is a bonus, but one tempered by the omission even of Tidal– surely the most popular lossless streaming service. Playing podcasts across Bluetooth with the Apple Podcasts app sounded great. Each voice was clear and resonated appropriately. Similarly, when playing an audiobook through the Audible app, the SoundTouch 30 delivered crystal quality. Unusually, Spotify is incorporated into the SoundTouch app, which is simple and cohesive. Bose’s menu uses similar options as the main Spotify app, including featured playlists, genres and moods, charts and a search function, plus it even saves stuff you play in the Recents menu. You can, however, use the main Spotify app instead and stream to the Bose via Spotify Connect.