Bose - Soundtouch 20 Series III Wireless Music System - Black

I love Bose products, they are always have great quality products. This SoundTouch 20 Series III is amazing, it’s easy to set up, it’s wifi enabled, so you can play music from your phone instantly, the sound is amazing, it has wide ranges of sound, room filling. It works with Alexa for voice control. I like the white color, it looks clean, it may get tiny yellow spots on the cloth after years of using. The model comes with black color as well. Overall I like this Bose SoundTouch 20 series III wireless music system and happy with the purchase!

Amazing sound, one minor problems however...

The sound from the Soundtouch 20 is amazing with the high end sounds sounding unrivalled. The bass from this speaker is also up there but as someone who likes to feel bass rather than just hearing it, I wish the Soundtouch 20 could give me that tiny bit more. While this speaker is amazing, there are some minor problems. One of these problems being the compatibility with Apple Music. As someone using Apple Music this was a bit of a struggle and in couldn't find a solution whatsoever online. Therefore I gave up and decided to use Spotify which unfortunately requires you to have a premium account which is a tiny let down for some but for me I think the sound from this speaker is worth the extra £9.99 a month! the size of the speaker isn't ridiculous either. I would opt ... MoreThe sound from the Soundtouch 20 is amazing with the high end sounds sounding unrivalled. The bass from this speaker is also up there but as someone who likes to feel bass rather than just hearing it, I wish the Soundtouch 20 could give me that tiny bit more. While this speaker is amazing, there are some minor problems. One of these problems being the compatibility with Apple Music. As someone using Apple Music this was a bit of a struggle and in couldn't find a solution whatsoever online. Therefore I gave up and decided to use Spotify which unfortunately requires you to have a premium account which is a tiny let down for some but for me I think the sound from this speaker is worth the extra £9.99 a month! the size of the speaker isn't ridiculous either. I would opt into carrying a speaker needed to be plugged in over a bluetooth speaker just solely based on the sound quality difference. If I could give this any star rating it would be 4.5 stars out of 5 but I cant and I'm leaning closer to perfect than 4 stars and so I will have to give it 5 stars.

Bang for your buck non-smart speaker!

I am actually listening to the speaker as I write the review. Personally not a fan of smart speakers like Google Home, Apple HomePod, Alexa, etc. I was also after a speaker similar to my trusty old BOSE Sound Dock Portable speaker.The SoundTouch 10 while still sounding great for it's size, it just lacked that depth in the sound for my liking. The SoundTouch 30 sounds epic but it was too big for what I wanted to use it for and was out of my price range. This is where the SoundTouch 20 came in. It still offered a great sound, good size and good value!Cosmetically - it looks the goods especially with the gloss gunmetal grey carbon-fibre like effect at the top, the front looks good with the glossy screen in the centre and brushed steel SoundTouch emblem. For it's ... MoreI am actually listening to the speaker as I write the review. Personally not a fan of smart speakers like Google Home, Apple HomePod, Alexa, etc. I was also after a speaker similar to my trusty old BOSE Sound Dock Portable speaker.The SoundTouch 10 while still sounding great for it's size, it just lacked that depth in the sound for my liking. The SoundTouch 30 sounds epic but it was too big for what I wanted to use it for and was out of my price range. This is where the SoundTouch 20 came in. It still offered a great sound, good size and good value!Cosmetically - it looks the goods especially with the gloss gunmetal grey carbon-fibre like effect at the top, the front looks good with the glossy screen in the centre and brushed steel SoundTouch emblem. For it's size, it's got some weight to it!Technicality - if you purchase one of these and want to set up SoundTouch, you need to plug it in to Ethernet first to download an update. They don't want to set up wirelessly out fo the box. Being an I.T. guy, I worked out that it must use an older wireless security setting/protocol that is not supported by many devices. A quick software update via the Ethernet cable did the trick and the SoundTouch app set up wirelessly without issue. I have it connected to my home network via wireless and operate the speaker using the SoundTouch app.Love it. Such a good little speaker. Perfect for our front lounge/relax room.

Great Product, but some considerations

This product is very very good. Sound quality is awesome. We have to be very careful because is such a powerful device that if you live in an apartment building your neighbors won't be happy if you decide to hear at medium volume because the bass is so intense that it almost makes the whole room vibrate.So now some points to consider:1. The Bose app in the computer is not a friendly easy to use app. It has some bugs that need to be fixed ASAP. Using the app in a mobile device is much easier than in the computer.2. We use Spotify and it works perfect. Since the Bose app is so unfriendly to use we stream the music directly from Spotify and it works perfect every time.3. We purchased the white Bose device, maybe was not the best idea because it gets dirty ... MoreThis product is very very good. Sound quality is awesome. We have to be very careful because is such a powerful device that if you live in an apartment building your neighbors won't be happy if you decide to hear at medium volume because the bass is so intense that it almost makes the whole room vibrate.So now some points to consider:1. The Bose app in the computer is not a friendly easy to use app. It has some bugs that need to be fixed ASAP. Using the app in a mobile device is much easier than in the computer.2. We use Spotify and it works perfect. Since the Bose app is so unfriendly to use we stream the music directly from Spotify and it works perfect every time.3. We purchased the white Bose device, maybe was not the best idea because it gets dirty easily with dust or if you had cream in your hands, and I am worried that some of the stains in the frontal mesh wont go out.4. I would recommend to Bose for the future to create a block button because is very easy to accidentally put it on, on full volume.5. The Bose speakers uses a lot of the wireless capability, so if you are hearing music and you have other people using internet, for these other people the internet becomes slower.6. We have a 75m2 flat, and we purchase the bigger speaker, this was also unnecessary because we will never use the speaker on full power and we would have been better with a smaller one and also price wise. If you don't have a very big space then is not worth going for the bigger speaker.7. I love the idea that you can program any radio station or spotify playlist in the numbers above on the speaker. You might think this is unnecessary but is great, because you just literally press a button and you have your fav playlist available at instant.8. The bass is very powerful we had to lower it to the minimum possible, because we had some neighbor complainsTo sum up, this is a great product we LOVE IT, we had it for a year now and it has given us cero problems, the sound quality is superior, the look is sleek and elegant. The only things I will warn are the choice of color, the size, and not to have high expectations of the Bose App, but don't worry if you use spotify or other music tool you will be fine.Sorry for the English not my mother tongue I hope this review was useful!!!

I thought it was overpriced, I was so wrong

On Christmas 2015 I bought a SoundLink Mini and I was so satisfied (see my review) that last Christmas I decided to step up a little and buy another speaker with a little more power to listen in the kitchen and the living room, and at the end decided for the SoundTouch 20. At the beginning I was a little startled by its price, at that price you can buy a much bigger system, but I did not want a big system. I do a lot of casual listening when I am at home, especially streaming music, and this speaker with WiFi capability seemed perfect to me. And its size of course, I wanted something bigger than the SoundLink Mini to have more power, but still I wanted it to sit on the counter of the kitchen. I am do glad I bought it. For my use, it is just perfect. It seats on ... MoreOn Christmas 2015 I bought a SoundLink Mini and I was so satisfied (see my review) that last Christmas I decided to step up a little and buy another speaker with a little more power to listen in the kitchen and the living room, and at the end decided for the SoundTouch 20. At the beginning I was a little startled by its price, at that price you can buy a much bigger system, but I did not want a big system. I do a lot of casual listening when I am at home, especially streaming music, and this speaker with WiFi capability seemed perfect to me. And its size of course, I wanted something bigger than the SoundLink Mini to have more power, but still I wanted it to sit on the counter of the kitchen. I am do glad I bought it. For my use, it is just perfect. It seats on thecounter between the kitchen and the dining/living room, it is quite a large space and the little guy is able to fill it with music quite easily, keeping the volume just above half. Of course this is not a surround system, do not expect the floor to shake, but the quality of the audio is really good, like the SoundLink its position needs a little adjustment to get a balanced sound otherwise the bass is a little too overpowering.The aesthetics is great, it can blend in any space, it is really well built, easy to pair if you use Bluetooth, the WiFi connection is great, so far it never lost it. It has a rechargeable battery inside, so you can disconnect it, take it into another room (it is not that heavy really and easy to carry) and it remembers all the settings. It is great for music streaming, you can preselect up to six internet stations and select them pressing one of the buttons. It has a nice black and white display that shows you in which mode it is, and details of the song it is playing. With these six stations you can use it standalone, without the use of any external device. A WiFi device is needed to configure it, and the process it is very easy using a free application that you can download from whatever platform you use. I really like the volume, usually when the volume is set using two up/down buttons there is too much difference between steps and sometimes you can't set the volume at the right level, it is either too low or too high; not with this device, pressing the volume buttons a bar indicator showing the volume level appears on the display, and you can easily and fast reach the desired level.My only critic is the user interface of the associated app. It works great to configure the WiFi and set up, very easy to use. Unfortunately it is not intuitive at all when you want to listen to it, the few buttons are confusing and it took a while to me to learn the steps to select which "mode" to use and how to select the station. I found myself thinking "now what", so I started tapping buttons, only after few days I got used to it.Overall I really recommend this product. If you don't need WiFi connection you can find something cheaper, otherwise this is perfect.

Poor network operation

For a premium sound product the software design and operation of the networking leaves much to be desired. I have 2 Soundtouch 20s and a Soundtouch 10. I was going to expand my music setup with more Soundtouch devices earlier this year. I gave that idea up and am converting to Yamaha (my main hi-fi system is all Yamaha components).It would be great if Bose can provide some priority to fix a longstanding issue to have these speakers operate seamlessly on home networks like other products from Sonos, Yamaha, Samsung, LG etc.The Soundtouch 20 and 10 devices fail abysmally as consumer products because:- I have to regularly setup each of my devices 2-3 times per week because the connection has dropped or an update is forced through the Soundtouch app on my Android ... MoreFor a premium sound product the software design and operation of the networking leaves much to be desired. I have 2 Soundtouch 20s and a Soundtouch 10. I was going to expand my music setup with more Soundtouch devices earlier this year. I gave that idea up and am converting to Yamaha (my main hi-fi system is all Yamaha components).It would be great if Bose can provide some priority to fix a longstanding issue to have these speakers operate seamlessly on home networks like other products from Sonos, Yamaha, Samsung, LG etc.The Soundtouch 20 and 10 devices fail abysmally as consumer products because:- I have to regularly setup each of my devices 2-3 times per week because the connection has dropped or an update is forced through the Soundtouch app on my Android tablet. Other devices - Yamaha, various TVs, android tablets, CCTV etc do not behave like this.setup- The Soundtouch app on android is not exactly user friendly or intuitive and should provide an option to upgrade speakers or not.- All the advice provided on the BOSE forums to resolve the connectivity issue does not definitively or actually resolve it. Configuration and checking things like static dns, wavelength band and other network settings should not be necessary (see competitors devices) for home consumers. Reboots and calling doubt on routers and other equipment is ill informed advice from a company like BOSE and again unacceptable for consumer products.As this issue has been unresolved for several years (based on the forum threads) and my internet search for a solution, it is dissapointing that BOSE cannot resolve this significant operational problem and it certainly has impacted on my decision to change systems and actively discourage others from purchasing these units.

Poor user abled control

Disappointed with this item (soundtouch 20).The ads say ‘complete control over all your music’ but it is seriously lacking and I can’t believe that others haven’t mentioned it. You cannot control ANY music settings through an EQ unless you use Apple, then you can use their EQ in your Apple phone. Oh, and 1 little ‘bass’ thing in the soundtouch app that very minimally alters the frequency.For me, this is a major let down and forces users to listen to whatever Bose feels is suitable and not the user. And to be frank, I get better sound from my Soundlink2.I’d also like to point out that I have used Bose products for over 30 years now and to be honest, I feel my generation are being ignored slightly. The lack of detailed instructions that came with the item were ... MoreDisappointed with this item (soundtouch 20).The ads say ‘complete control over all your music’ but it is seriously lacking and I can’t believe that others haven’t mentioned it. You cannot control ANY music settings through an EQ unless you use Apple, then you can use their EQ in your Apple phone. Oh, and 1 little ‘bass’ thing in the soundtouch app that very minimally alters the frequency.For me, this is a major let down and forces users to listen to whatever Bose feels is suitable and not the user. And to be frank, I get better sound from my Soundlink2.I’d also like to point out that I have used Bose products for over 30 years now and to be honest, I feel my generation are being ignored slightly. The lack of detailed instructions that came with the item were barely legible nor very informative.It does, however, give reasonable sound across genres, not great though.And it’s quite solid and stylish too.I will probably box it up and gift it to someone for Christmas and look into purchasing something else that enables me to ‘control my music’ and listen to the music I have purchased the way I’d like to listen to it, i.e. not how Apple or Bose see fit.

Words cannot describe how much I love this system!

I've had my SoundTouch 20 for 3 months, and the reason I only got around to reviewing it until now is partly because I've spent so much time enjoying listening to it!My dilemma: A living room that was becoming crowded by a piano, 1980s era floor-standing speakers and an audio cabinet, plus other bulky items. I needed something to replace that overly large sound system but I didn't want to give up its sound quality. I never would have believed that this SoundTouch 20 -- only the size of a cereal box turned on its side -- could approach the quality of that old component system. But it does! The bass that comes out of this small enclosure is nothing short of amazing -- tight and well-defined. The high end is a not as bright as what I'm used to, but that's the only ... MoreI've had my SoundTouch 20 for 3 months, and the reason I only got around to reviewing it until now is partly because I've spent so much time enjoying listening to it!My dilemma: A living room that was becoming crowded by a piano, 1980s era floor-standing speakers and an audio cabinet, plus other bulky items. I needed something to replace that overly large sound system but I didn't want to give up its sound quality. I never would have believed that this SoundTouch 20 -- only the size of a cereal box turned on its side -- could approach the quality of that old component system. But it does! The bass that comes out of this small enclosure is nothing short of amazing -- tight and well-defined. The high end is a not as bright as what I'm used to, but that's the only sonic flaw I can find. It is really capable of filling my 18 x 13 living room and similar, adjacent kitchen/dining area with quality sound.The SoundTouch app works well, though it could load faster, especially on my phone & tablet, and the graphics need revision for those of us whose vision isn't what it used to be: Bolder fonts and larger buttons would be appreciated. Also, it would be nice if there were some sort of volume leveling feature, as certain Pandora channels and Internet radio stations tend to play louder than others.Set-up is a cinch, thanks to a well-planned guide that greets you as soon as you open the box. Bluetooth performance took some experimentation (make sure you don't have too many BT devices enabled at once), but the Bose forums & moderators helped solve that problem.All in all, this is a terrific product, well worth the price. If you need to downsize from a larger audio system, the SoundTouch 20 just might be the perfect solution, as it was for me. Nice job, Bose!

[Rewarded Review] Great speaker, app needs help

Let's talk about the good. As a speaker, this thing is awesome. It really sounds great and has decent bass.Let's talk about the cool. With the SoundTouch app, you can link this up with other SoundTouch products and have them all playing the same thing in different rooms. It really makes having parties and get togethers so much better. If you don't outright tell your guests you have everything linked up, you'll notice it becomes a talking point that it's like the music doesn't stop no matter where you go.Let's talk about the reason why I can't give it 5 stars. Bose kills me with the SoundTouch app. I have this linked with my SoundTouch 10 and my WirelessLink (which allows you to play through any speakers) and half the time they work phenomenally. Then the other ... MoreLet's talk about the good. As a speaker, this thing is awesome. It really sounds great and has decent bass.Let's talk about the cool. With the SoundTouch app, you can link this up with other SoundTouch products and have them all playing the same thing in different rooms. It really makes having parties and get togethers so much better. If you don't outright tell your guests you have everything linked up, you'll notice it becomes a talking point that it's like the music doesn't stop no matter where you go.Let's talk about the reason why I can't give it 5 stars. Bose kills me with the SoundTouch app. I have this linked with my SoundTouch 10 and my WirelessLink (which allows you to play through any speakers) and half the time they work phenomenally. Then the other half of the time, the SoundTouch app will not catch up to what's currently being played and trying to adjust the volume for the individual products they will not properly adjust. Sometimes the speakers will spike all the way up in volume and scare the living life out of you. The next minute, they'll completely mute and you have someone yelling from another room "what happened to the music???"If Bose could just better the link between these devices and their app, they'd be 5 stars.

reply to your comment

Dear Bose staff,As I mentioned before, I have two of your speakers. I use it on two different wi-fi network with no extenders used. There is no any kind of "stealth mode" turned on routers and problems appeared in both cases. During 4 years I have tried multiple options to make your speaker working including "Speaker already connected to network", manual mode, factory reset and other troubleshooting steps available in your manual or forums. Based on information on your forums, I am not alone who has such "syncing issues" and have to connect speakers to the same wifi network once a 2-3 month even nothing changed.Your reply:Thank you for reviewing our ST20 system. We're sorry to hear of the continued issues you've had here and would be happy to point you in the ... MoreDear Bose staff,As I mentioned before, I have two of your speakers. I use it on two different wi-fi network with no extenders used. There is no any kind of "stealth mode" turned on routers and problems appeared in both cases. During 4 years I have tried multiple options to make your speaker working including "Speaker already connected to network", manual mode, factory reset and other troubleshooting steps available in your manual or forums. Based on information on your forums, I am not alone who has such "syncing issues" and have to connect speakers to the same wifi network once a 2-3 month even nothing changed.Your reply:Thank you for reviewing our ST20 system. We're sorry to hear of the continued issues you've had here and would be happy to point you in the right direction. From the way you have described this, that the speaker can play a station but won't link back to your app/pc, it would appear that there are syncing issues from the speaker to your Wi-Fi network; and then back to your device. Depending on your Wi-Fi provider, there may be a setting on the router such as a "Stealth Mode" that can cause this exact issue, so please check for this! Additionally, as your networks are already split, we would advise (If there are any) that you try and temporarily remove any extenders in the network, and check this to see if this resolves your issue. If so, please ensure that the phone and speaker are also connected to the same extender, or both to the primary network. Furthermore, we would advise that you try removing the speaker from the app, then attempting to add the speaker back in using "Speaker already connected to network", which can also resolve this issue. Please try these steps to attempt to resolve your issue, and we hope this helps!