Best Bose wireless speakers – reviewed

SoundTouch 10 (£170)

The baby of the SoundTouch family stands taller than it is wide, looking a little out of place next to its siblings. The design change has meant a few sacrifices; namely the OLED display, which has been ditched for four status LEDs.

The tweaked looks aren’t exactly inspiring, either. Sonos’ Play:1 looks much more stylish, without trying too hard. It also lets you join two up in a stereo pair, which can’t be done on the Bose. At least the slim profile means it’ll slide onto the slimmest of bookshelves, mantelpieces or bedside tables.

At least the top panel has the same physical buttons as the rest of the range, with six presets to instantly load your favourite Spotify playlists or internet radio stations, change volume or music source, and turn the whole thing on and off. You get a remote, too, but it’s a lot easier to just use the app on your phone.

Sure, it’s small, but the SoundTouch 10 can belt out a decently sized sound and easily fill a small room. There’s a decent amount of bass here, giving your music plenty of presence at the low end.

It’s not the punchiest speaker we’ve heard, though. Drum kicks and bass drops are weighty, but they could have more impact. Dynamics are fairly middling across the board – something Sonos’ Play:1 does a much better job with.

The midrange is strong though, with crisp, clear vocals that avoid the closed-in sound of some smaller speakers. They sit forward in the mix, with decent levels of detail and insight, even if the Play:1 delivers them with a touch more cohesion with the rest of the track.

There’s enough volume here for a party, but the upper mids and treble can lose stability towards the top of the dial. Cymbal crashes and ‘s’ sounds fizz when pushed – things you won’t hear at more reasonable levels.

We’ve got a decent little speaker here, that’s a lot more affordable than the rest of the SoundTouch range. It’s bettered by the more expressive Sonos Play:1, is perfectly listenable, and with more flexible connectivity to boot.

Tech Specs

Bose SoundTouch 10 in figures Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3.5mm • Audio formats: MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC, Apple Lossless • Remote control: Yes • Dimensions: 212x141x87mm • Weight: 1.87kg • App: Yes (iOS/Android)

SoundTouch 20 Series III (£280)

The Goldilocks of the range is sandwiched between the dinky SoundTouch 10 and the mammoth SoundTouch 30. It should suit most rooms.

Looks-wise, it’s smart but safe – just like a SoundTouch 30 that’s been shrunk in the wash. It sits wider than the SoundTouch 10, but isn’t much deeper, so will still find a home almost anywhere you put it.

The OLED display is a welcome addition, making setup that little bit clearer and giving you something to glance at to see what song’s being blasted out.

You get those familiar physical controls on the top for power, volume, music source and custom presets, plus a remote for quick changes when you’re on the other side of the room – and you don’t have your smartphone app to hand.

Stick a SoundTouch 20 in the corner and you might find bass a little over-egged. The rather enthusiastic low end won’t please anyone that likes a more balanced listen, wherever you end up putting it.

Bass could be a bit tighter, too. It weighs down the rest of the frequency range, so it’s not as clean and agile as we’d like, even if it gives the crystal clear midrange plenty of body.

Vocal harmonies and guitar strums have real depth and texture – there’s no hint of coarseness in the upper mids or treble either. It’s a lot more comfortable for long listening sessions than its smaller brother.

A touch more separation would have troubled the competition at this price, but as it is things can sound a little overcrowded, lacking the space to be as expressive and dynamic as we’d like it to be.

It delivers a bold, upfront overall performance that more than justifies the jump in price and size. Neutral ears will want more balance, but could be just the ticket for casual listeners and the odd house party.

Tech Specs

Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth, 3.5mm • Audio formats: MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC, Apple Lossless • Remote control: Yes • Dimensions: 188x314x104mm • Weight: 3.2kg • App: Yes (iOS/Android)

SoundTouch 30 Series III (£430)

There’s really no missing the SoundTouch 30. Weighing in at a hefty 12kg, it’s a huge speaker that dwarves the “mid-range” SoundTouch 20 and makes the SoundTouch 10 look positively minute.

Not only are you going to need a space big enough to house one, but you’ll need a space big enough to justify it. If you can count your number of bedrooms on one hand, we challenge you to find a room this won’t fill with rich, full-bodied sound.

This is ever bit the powerhouse speaker that it looks, throwing out a weighty sound that’ll go louder than you (or your neighbours) could probably ever want.

That means it’s right at home with big, muscular tracks – chomping through rock and hip-hop with real drive and enthusiasm. The SoundTouch 20 felt held back by its beefier baseline, but this bigger beast thrives on it. Neutral ears still won’t be pleased, but it stays upbeat and agile.

Details are decent enough for most recordings, but you’ll get more from the B&W Zeppelin Wireless. Vocals are always clean and clear, though, cutting through rich instrumentals to sit pretty at the front and centre. Trouble is, they don’t always tie together with everything else going on in the song, and can end up feeling a bit detached.

Higher volumes can trip things up too. Notch the volume up much past half way and bass-heavy recordings start to sound muddy. Really push it and they distort, badly. The otherwise clear and open treble starts to harden up, adding some harshness to hand claps and cymbal crashes that isn’t there when the volume is a little lower.

The thing is, you shouldn’t have to push the SoundTouch 30 this hard – it’s a speaker with volume to spare, so it’s not hard to keep it in its comfort one.

B&W’s Zeppelin Wireless will give you a much more balanced, more precise sound for a touch more money, but if you want a fun, bold as brass speaker that will most definitely get the party started, this is well worth a look.

Tech Specs

Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Bluetooth, 3.5mm • Audio formats: MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC, Apple Lossless • Remote control: Yes • Dimensions: 246x435x180mm • Weight: 11.7kg • App: Yes (iOS/Android)