Once upon a time, the Bose loudspeaker caught everyone's eye
15.5.2018
Translation: machine translated
Pictures: Dominik Bärlocher
The SoundWear Companion loudspeaker from Bose is a genuine alternative to conventional headphones, delivering music to the neck rather than the ears, while protecting the eardrums of those around you. I was lucky enough to test this strange device.
Introduced by Bose in the US last year, the neck-mounted SoundWear Companion speaker has just arrived on the Swiss market. I had the opportunity to try it out for a fortnight.
Such a curious object raises a lot of questions: how could such an idea cross the mind of a manufacturer? Who would want a horseshoe on the back of their neck? And why listen to music like that?
The concept behind the Companion is simple: listen to music without having to disconnect from your surroundings.
After all, an open set of headphones would do just as well. But that's without taking into account Bose's innovation: this speaker doesn't come into direct contact with the ears, it sits lightly around the neck.
Connected via Bluetooth to your smartphone, computer, stereo system or any other associated device, it also allows you to make phone calls and give prompts.telephoning and giving voice prompts thanks to a microphone positioned towards the front, all without people within a ten-metre radius noticing. So much for theory, now it's time for practice!
Potential improvements to this SoundWear loudspeaker
The Product Management department at digitec, who offered to carry out a test, wanted me to find situations in which the SoundWear would prove practical, to study use cases so to speak. I did just that, but instead I found situations where the SoundWear didn't really lend itself. For example:
- in the office;
- at the gym;
- on the train;
- in town;
- by bike.
In the office, the loudspeaker is not suitable, as the music is far too audible to staff all around, unless you want to strain their nerves. They get the impression that the music is coming out of a cheap speaker, with no depth whatsoever.
During a sports session at the gym, it doesn't go either, it's not fixed as it rests on the shoulders. When jumping, it follows the movement and falls back onto the collarbones with varying degrees of violence.
On trains and in town, like the first point, it has no place, the music being too noticeable to passers-by, because we want to avoid ridicule.
Last point: on a bike, the problem comes from not hearing the music enough. Even at full volume, I couldn't always hear certain passages because of the shifting wind, and I'm not very fast.
The fact that the music can't be heard enough and is ultimately lost comes down to the design of the speaker.
When do you need a speaker like this?
It's perfectly suited to home use, not only because you need a healthy dose of self-confidence to dare wear it outside given the contraption, but because it's at home that you can make the most of all its features.
Here are the situations in which the SoundWear speaker lends itself best:
- while cooking;
- while doing the laundry;
- while ironing;
- while watching series;
- while vacuuming;
In the kitchen, the SoundWear speaker comes in handy especially when you don't feel like using a hi-fi system. In a shared flat or with sleeping children, it will do the trick. In any case, it's pleasant, because the ears remain free, and you can hear right away when boiling water overflows from the pan.
It also comes in handy when you're doing the washing or ironing: it doesn't tip over your head when you bend over.
Also, I liked being able to watch series with the Soundwear, which I connected to the laptop screen; no latency to be noted.
Having no TV on which to test the speaker, I passed it on to my colleague Martin Jud. The result? It works without a hitch with a connected TV. The sound is synchronised with the picture by default, with no need to set anything.
Vacuuming with the SoundWear also works, but note that I own a silent model. Otherwise it would be, as on the bike, difficult to hear the music.
Pleasant sound
Overall, the sound is well present. What do I like most? The bass. At a rate of lightness and small size, the speakers produce a nice sound. The Bose app, on Android or iOS, lets you regulate bass through a menu item called Dialogue Optimisation, which not only lets you make calls but listen to music with more or less intensity. But no equalizer in sight.
Depending on their amplitude in the song, the bass even causes a tingling sensation in the shoulders. The SoundWear gives the impression of being in a music bubble. Even at full volume, you don't feel disconnected from your surroundings.
It broadcasts music in stereo sound. Treble reproduction is good, and the sound is balanced. This is precisely Bose's trademark.
Listening to loud music provides novel sensations when you tilt your head to one side. You hear much more in one ear than the other. But once your head is upright, it's very pleasant because, unlike headphones, there's no separation between the left and right ear. It's as if you're listening to music through a loudspeaker, as if you're in front of a real music stage.
A few small details in passing
At 266 grams, the SoundWear feels relatively heavy, but once around the neck it's light and comfortable, the weight distribution even.
Bluetooth connection is quick and easy, whether the device is Android or iOS compatible. According to Bose, the battery lasts for twelve hours. But depending on how loud the music is, this varies a little. On the whole, however, the manufacturer has not made any mistakes. The quick charge function, which lasts 15 minutes, provides a battery life of three hours.
To charge the SoundWear, you have to open the thin zip of the black cover - just a little, at the risk of taking the whole device out and not being able to put it back - and plug the USB cable supplied with the speaker into the connector provided. At the end of the test, I was surprised by how sturdy the cover was, with no tears to be found.
As soon as the device is switched on, the LEDs, covered by the cover, light up. They start to flash when the battery is almost empty.
The SoundWear's five buttons - On/Off, Bluetooth, sound settings and voice prompts - are also covered by the cover. That said, if you use the device without its protective cover from the outset, you'll instinctively know where they are later.
A not-so-new idea
Bose isn't the first to come up with this idea. In 1999, Sennheiser introduced the Sennheiser Sourrounder. The bass was so aggressive it made your hair stand on end. It was a flop, but looking at that monster, it's no wonder.
Manufacturer JBL offers the JBL Soundgear and LG, the LG Tone.
Samsung is also working on this concept, it's called S-Ray, presented at CES 2018. Compared to the SoundWear, the sound of the S-Ray should be directed more towards the ear, which would prove to be a very positive point. On the SoundWear, the drivers are also aligned with the ear, but too much of the sound evaporates.
Conclusion: a nice device in certain situations
In high quality debit, I wouldn't buy it, as I wouldn't get enough use out of it, especially at this price. After all, headphones allow you to listen to music in almost any situation. With a system like this, you'll need both, the speaker and the headphones.
If you want to avoid conventional headphones while cooking or watching a movie, these speakers will do the trick.
The sound quality is good, the finish, accomplished. Despite its rather disconcerting appearance, it fulfils its purpose, if that purpose is also yours.
Testing devices and gadgets is my thing. Some experiments lead to interesting insights, others to demolished phones. I’m hooked on series and can’t imagine life without Netflix. In summer, you’ll find me soaking up the sun by the lake or at a music festival.
