I’m consuming about 500GB of data a month at my home these days. Between Netflix, Apple TV, Sonos, Sentian and Instagram, that’s where we’re at.

I’m an ‘early adopter’ to most domestic tech and, as a result, my mates ask me for advice when the ‘early majority’ phase kicks in. That’s why I’m talking to you about this today.

Music is a big part of my life. My grandfather, Lovell Procter, brought Hi-Fi to South Africa and ever since I was a child, we worshipped at the altar of Bose. From fully-wired home systems to iPod docking stations, that was the only audio brand we had. I was surprised when my folks installed another brand of system at the France house a few years ago, but understood the choice of Sonos – after all, they were the first-movers in the ‘wireless wi-fi home streaming systems‘ space and were doing a great job.

I followed suit and installed a Sonos system at the Camps Bay residence. This is what I want to chat about.

The big advantage was the ability to stream music in different rooms with no wires (besides a power connection to each speaker). From your stored music library and Spotify, to Deezer and iTunes Radio, different tunes could be played in different rooms, at different volume levels. They had and still have three sizes of speakers to choose from, depending on each room’s demands – and all of this operated through their smartphone app.

What more could one want? Well, as with all these things, you need time to fully weigh up the advantages and disadvantages. I’ve had Sonos at home for four years now and believe I’m in a position to comment.

It took a trip to the new Bose shop on Somerset Road in Green Point, Cape Town, for everything to become clear.

Unlike their famous noise-cancelling QuietComfort headphones for air travel, Bose were not the first movers in the wireless wi-fi streaming home sound space. Their SoundTouch range was launched after Sonos and, as so often happens with second movers, they addressed some glaring issues that the first mover was unable to anticipate. Bose also offers three size speakers, the SoundTouch 10, SoundTouch 20 and SoundTouch 30. They do everything Sonos can do, but, besides clearly superior sound, the unique standout features (compared to Sonos) for me included:

Bose SoundTouch 10

1. Whilst the SoundTouch 20 and Soundtouch 30 are at a similar price point to the Sonos 3 and Sonos 5, the entry level (smallest speaker – perfect on its own) SoundTouch 10 is more affordable than the corresponding Sonos 1 speaker.
2. The Bose SoundTouch system is just easier to install. You plug it in and it works. It doesn’t require the extra ‘Bridge’ device that all Sonos systems require to set up with your wi-fi at home (sold separately).
3. The Bose SoundTouch range of speakers all come with six analogue buttons on top – allowing you to have your six favourite presets available with a single click. One could be BBC World Service radio via TuneIn streaming radio, whilst another could be Jack Johnson’s greatest hits streaming from Deezer or Spotify. So there’s no need to find your phone and access the app, just to play one of your usual playlists or stations.
4. All the Bose SoundTouch speakers have Bluetooth capabilities. None of the Sonos speakers have Bluetooth. Often a friend would send me a link to a song and, because it wasn’t playing from inside the Sonos app I couldn’t play it. The Bose SoundTouch range lets you switch over to Bluetooth (instead of via the SoundTouch app) and play direct to the nearest speaker, via Bluetooth.
5. Unbelievably, that same tune can then be played through any of the other speakers in your home.
6. All the Bose SoundTouch speakers have AUX IN capabilities. Only the big Sonos 5 speaker has AUX IN.
7. I have a vinyl player at home and, because it’s in my study where I have a Sonos 3 speaker, I cannot plug it into the Sonos (no AUX IN).
8. An upcoming feature on the Bose SoundTouch system will let me plug the vinyl into any of the speakers AND play that vinyl through any of the other speakers throughout the house. Complete and utter game-changer! This will be a software upgrade – which means you won’t have to get new speakers. Read more on that here. For now, that vinyl can play through any speaker (that it is plugged into).
9. Bose’s revolutionary SoundTouch 300 soundbar will change the way you watch television forever, but ALSO happens to double-up and offers the same capabilities at the SoundTouch 10, 20 and 30. Thus forming part of your home system and taking care of the sound in the room where you watch TV.
10. We’ve managed to wangle a 7,5% discount on the Bose SoundTouch range of speakers from Sound Systems Cape, the official home of Bose in Cape Town. This is available to all 2oceansvibe readers. Simply click HERE for the voucher, and show it when you visit their store. You can print it out or just take a picture on your phone.

Bose SoundTouch 10, 20, 30

Bose SoundTouch 300 Soundbar

Do yourself a favour and just take a look (and listen) at what these things can do. When you’re ready to have music in your home, I cannot recommend a better system – even if it is just the Bose SoundTouch 10 to get you started 😉

Don’t forget that voucher when you head through to Sound Systems Cape.

For me, it’s off to Gumtree to flog my Sonos and raise my game!