Making sense of sound

We spend an insane amount of time on our phones and many of us also listen to music on them. But if you consider yourself a music aficionado, Abhik Sen  and Kakoli Chakraborty list gear that will stand you in good stead, whatever you may like listening to.

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Bose Wave Sound Touch IV Rs 50,513

It’s not often that you are in Europe for the Christmas break. And if you’re a classical music aficionado, you may never be able to make it to all the great events on offer. But thank god for internet radio. This Christmas break, I was able to listen to all the concerts to my heart’s content; and that was while working through the Christmas-New Year break.

In for review was the Wave SoundTouch IV, the latest in the line from Bose. My introduction to the Bose brand was through a Wave system when I was a kid. Since then, the CD/Radio has evolved into something more advanced but without sacrificing its simplicity and form factor. The SoundTouch IV keeps that legacy alive.

Like all Wave systems, the SoundTouch IV, too, features a CD player and FM/AM radio. But what sets this system apart is the separate section on which the radio and CD player sit — which connects to the main unit via a BoseLink cable and adds network connectivity. After switching on, I downloaded the app on my iPod Touch and connected it to my home Wi-Fi network (you need to set up an account first). Once that was done, I could play music on iTunes two ways: One, by connecting to the Bose unit via Bluetooth; and two, by using the app to navigate to the correct folder on my home media server (which houses my iTunes collection). But doing this came with a caveat: the songs played alphabetically, not by track number.

There are hardly any controls on the unit and most functions can be accessed by either using the fully-featured credit card-sized remote or the app. One can set up six presets for the music source on the app; thus, at the touch of a button you can get your music to play. I slipped in a CD featuring The Byrds and was listening to the crystal clear notes of Turn! Turn! Turn!. 

Next up was internet radio and I spent most of my time listening to WQXR New York for classical music and the Hungama station back home for some retro Bollywood stuff. While listening to Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA, I realised that while the system was loud and clear and had ample amount of bass, it wasn’t something you could use to wake up your neighbours. Also, for a system 

this capable, the absence of any controls but for volume is a bit jarring. Next, I listened to a lossless version of Handel’s Messiah, I was amazed at the soundstage and range of the compact system. Sitting at the centre of the room with the SoundTouch IV placed six feet in front of me, I could experience the entire gamut of sounds.

The Bose Wave SoundTouch IV is for those who want to keep things simple but don’t want to compromise on quality.

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Panasonic DJ Technics 1200 Rs12,999

Made in Japan, the Panasonic DJ Technics 1200 is for music aficionados. It has a swing arm system and reversible housing, which essentially allows single side monitoring. The DJ 1200 comes with a 24-carat gold-plated plug and a copper-clad aluminum wire that, in turn, makes the sound quality clearer and sharper. It can also be folded making it easy to carry and comfortable to wear owing to the padded headband.

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Altec Lansing Dual Motion Bluetooth speaker Rs1,999

Since scores of Bluetooth speakers are already in the market, it’s difficult for  yet another one to stand out. But Altec Lansing not only has its brand name but also the quality. The Altec Lansing Dual Motion falls in the budget segment. It looks rugged and has four buttons on the top — play/pause, volume rocker and one button to receive calls. The speaker is light and easy to carry. The sound quality is great with the exception of bass. The bass faltered a little during the solo of Hallowed Be Thy Name by Iron Maiden.  Though it has the option of making and receiving calls, the microphone situated in the speaker isn’t very responsive. One has to be just a few inches away in order for the speaker to capture the audio. Nevertheless, it does provide seamless audio playback and can be one of your top picks.

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Altec Lansing MZW300-BLK  Rs4,390

Alist of good quality audio devices is incomplete without Altec Lansing. Dating back to the 1920s, this brand has made its mark in this segment and also boasts of having provided audio during Woodstock. We got our hands on the MZW300-BLK wireless headphones. The first thing you’d notice is how light these are. What hits you next is premium sound quality. No loss of noise was detected during the usage. These come with a bass enhancement feature for moments when you’d like to take it a notch higher. They are extremely comfortable to wear and the Bluetooth range is great. On full charge, they last about five to six hours wirelessly.

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JBL Everest 700 Platinum $299

This limited edition pair of headphones from JBL, commemorating its 70th anniversary, could give the Bose QC35 some serious competition. While its 40mm drivers provided thumpy bass while listening to David Guetta’s This One’s for You and This Is What You Came For by Calvin Harris, the mids were clearly discernible in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. While the ear cups are comfortable, wearing them for long can be tiring. Also, while the buttons on the headphones make life simpler, they can be accidentally pressed. The app, though, is a revelation, letting one tweak settings to get one’s kind of sound. The same goes with noise cancellation. While it was good, I could, thankfully, hear outside sounds while on the roads; the Bose QC35’s noise cancellation seems a tad better. Also, the battery lasts close to the rated 15 hours; and I as usual, found the wired sound a tad better.

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Skullcandy Uproar Wireless   From Rs4,999 

Skullcandy is known for manufacturing excellent bass headphones. The Uproar is not any different. These over-the-ear headphones are comfortable to wear. But that said, I wouldn't recommend wearing these for more than three hours at a stretch. The Uproar is great for listening to Hip-Hop and R&B. There was some loss of noise while listening to metal.