Bose SoundLink Air

Given the success of the Bose SoundLink Wireless Mobile Speaker?, a portable Bluetooth speaker system released last year, the Bose SoundLink Air?, a wireless audio system based on Apple's AirPlay, is a minor disappointment. Its simple design has the familiar, spare Bose look, setting it up is a breeze, and it also has the familiar Bose sound?slightly bass heavy, with some tweaked hi-mids and treble to make everything crisp. But the $349.95 (direct) system distorts on deep bass tracks at top volumes?something that simply shouldn't happen at this price. If you don't listen to music with deep bass content, you're probably safe, but modern mixes for popular music often contain sub-bass sounds that will wreak havoc at top volumes on the SoundLink Air.

Design
The Bose SoundLink Air is a sleek, black slab of glossy plastic and speaker grille, measuring 6.8 by 12.1 by 4 inches. There's a handle grip built in to the rear side of its 4.7-pound frame, just below the top panel, and if you spend $89.95 for a rechargeable battery, it becomes portable. As is, the system needs to be plugged in to a wall socket. There are very few buttons or controls on the system?just two Volume buttons on the right hand panel; all of the real playback controls are on the included remote control, or on the iOS device from which you're streaming.

An indicator on the front panel displays the status of your Wi-Fi connection, whether you've muted the speakers, and whether you're playing audio from the Aux input instead of over Wi-Fi. The back panel houses a 3.5mm Aux input, the power adapter connection, and a USB port. There is no physical dock connection for charging iOS devices or playing audio directly from the connection.

The USB port is essential for the initial set-up of the system (a cable is included). You go to a specified link on Bose's website and download an app to your computer that quickly walks you through the AirPlay set-up process, including getting your iOS device, be it iPhone, iPod, or iPad, streaming to the speakers.

The included remote control is also black, with rubberized buttons that control Power, Mute, Volume, Play/Pause, Track Forward/Backward, and switching between Aux input and AirPlay streaming devices. Bose put a bit more effort into the design and feel of the buttons than you typically find on cheap remotes included with speakers systems, which is a plus, but more often than not, you'll probably control the audio from your iPhone or iPad.

One major complaint: the power adapter is massive. It's a roughly 3 by 3 by 2-inch black box that includes a recessed area for wrapping the attached connection cable, but it can easily eat up an entire power outlet, and it sticks far enough out from the wall to be visually and ergonomically annoying. I'm not sure I have ever seen an adapter this large for a consumer speaker system.

Performance
Sonically, the Bose SoundLink Air offers a pleasant frequency response, with an emphasis on the lower frequencies. Low-mid frequencies seem to be particularly boosted, which means electric and upright bass parts really pop out of the mix, as they did when playing "Yet Again," off the new Grizzly Bear record, Shields. For content like Fiona Apple's latest record, The Idler Wheel?, this can sound great, because the album is not full of overwhelming sub-bass sounds, so the overall effect is to beef the mix up a bit, letting instruments like the upright bass or deeper percussion grab a bit more of the spotlight.

Purists won't love the bass boost, however, and no one will love what happens to songs with seriously deep bass, like the Knife's "Silent Shout." At top volumes, regardless of whether you're streaming via AirPlay or playing through the Aux input, this track distorts wildly. To be fair, the SoundLink Air can get quite loud, and at less intense volumes, it sounds powerful and clean, even on deep bass tracks. But distortion simply shouldn't be an issue in this price range, and it's a bit of a surprise coming from Bose.

Instrumental tracks, like John Adams' "The Chairman Dances," get some added low-end oomph for the lower register strings and deeper percussion hits. Again, purists may not love it, but it does add a certain dimension to the music that fans of stronger bass response will enjoy. Bose also does a good job of making sure the high frequencies never take too much of a backseat?whether it's Fiona Apple's vocals or John Adams' violinists, things are always pretty crisp.

Bose doesn't make systems for audiophiles, no matter what the marketing may imply. The SoundLink Air, like the Beats by Dr. Dre Beatbox Portable?, offers a highly sculpted frequency response designed to highlight the bass-heavy mixes we often hear in modern day pop, rock, rap, and even in film scores. The Beats system offers an even more pronounced bass response, but near this price range, there are some more purist-friendly wireless audio options. We love the JBL OnBeat Xtreme?, which uses Bluetooth instead of AirPlay, and offers a balanced, powerful output without distortion at top levels.

In the AirPlay realm, the best systems are usually a little pricier than the SoundLink Air?the Klipsch Gallery G-17 Air? and Altec Lansing's inAir 5000 Wireless AirPlay Speaker? are two fine examples of how good AirPlay can sound, but the higher price has a lot to do with why. The SoundLink Air is by no means a bad speaker system?if you don't listen to music with seriously deep, sub-bass content in the mix, you're unlikely to experience much in the way of distortion, even at top volumes. But if you're looking for a good wireless speaker system and you like hip hop, electronic, or modern rock, and you like to play your music loud, you're probably better off looking into other AirPlay or Bluetooth systems.

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