Bose is the next company to go after Sonos, launches SoundTouch Wi-Fi music systems

Bose, a company already well-established in the audio industry, thinks it has a new product to out-do Sonos' home wireless streaming solutions. Bose has introduced the SoundTouch WiFi music systems, comprised of three one-piece speakers made to embed throughout your house.

Each SoundTouch unit connects through Wi-Fi, first offering Pandora for streaming and will follow with new services like Deezer, iHeartRadio, and more over time. Locally stored content is served up, too. There's no word for direct Spotify or RDIO streaming - both of which Sonos supports - but you will be able to AirPlay tunes if you have an iOS device. Windows and Mac apps are coming, as well.

The three SoundTouch systems include SoundTouch 30 (10"H x 17"W x 7 "D.), SouthTouch 20 (7"H X 12"W and 4"D), and SoundTouch Portable (6"H x 10"W) that has a built-in battery. Each unit has six presets at the top that can be loaded with your favourite Pandora station, for example, through the free SoundTouch app. The presets remind us of what you'd find in a car radio. An OLED display shows what station is playing, and stations stay synced across each unit in your house.

Bose will also offer a SoundTouch controller, an accessory that works with any SoundTouch system to control volume and other information via the OLED preset preview. The SoundTouch controller can be placed on a table, or on the wall using an included bracket.

Bose plans on offering the SoundTouch 30 system for $699 (£437), SoundTouch 20 system for $399, and SoundTouch Portable system for $399. Each will be available from 10 October, in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific through Bose and other retail stores.

By December, Bose will offer a Wave SoundTouch music system for $599. And the company says it has plans for more SoundTouch devices in 2014, such as an outdoor version.

Bose's in-home streaming audio unveil follows a Sonos competitor from Samsung, the Shape M7, earlier in the week.

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