A few things here need addressing and I’ll address the most important points first. Regarding your Bose? you’ll have no problem with accessibility whatever as the Bose is as accessible as any device could possibly be under the circumstances. Yep, the new Bose soundlink Mini has Text to Speech but that’s not a deal breaker as far as I’m concerned when purchasing a speaker, more of a gimmick if anything in my opinion. Regarding Hands Free? I think you’l find that Nokia had hands free speaking mastered in portable devices long before Apple came along. Grant you, we’re talking about two distinctly different systems and yes technology has marched forwards thousands of miles since the days of Nokia. Windows phones have not been in production for around a year now and if anyone is using a Windows phone then I can only admire them for their patience. The Windows phone was never truly accessible, you could only use Narrator in the US for example so the phone just wasn’t a viable option when it came to accessibility. I know the particular gentleman you speak of and I do remember that when the Apple iPhone 3GS came along he certainly made a point of rubbishing the whole concept of the iPhone, how times have changed <smile>. What this goes to show is that we all need to keep an open mind with regard to technology as technology is changing and evolving so quickly. My opinion was 8 years ago that it was just completely impossible for any blind user to use a Touch Screen and look how far out I was, yep I have no problem admitting it and I’m glad I was wrong. Regarding the bass of the Bose? Well it may be the same story for you as it is for lots of other people, “What you don’t hear you don’t miss”, in other words if you don’t hear anything better than the Bose then you’re most likely not going to be too worried about it. In my case I have some B&W speaker systems here so the minute I heard about the release of the B&W T7 - given I know what B&W Speakers sound like - I was curious to say the least to hear the T7.
> On 18 Feb 2017, at 5:59 am, Gordon Smith <[email protected]> wrote: > > Actually, to be utterly fair, I think that Apple started the real battle when > it comes to quality on a hands-free device. As early as the iPhone 3GS they > had solved many of the issues that plagued similar devices for years. Samsung > and their design team took this a stage further, as did Apple with every > incarnation of the iPhone since that originally ground-breaking device. > Indeed, changing tack for a moment, I distinctly remember having a > conversation with a certain well-known blind gentleman at the time of the > release of the iPhone 3GS regarding the accessibility and other features of > it. He stated at that time that he wouldn’t want a phone with all the dynamic > stuff found on every iPhone and Android device released in the last few > years. Granted, it took Google’s Android longer to catch up, but hardware > developers most certainly have now done so and, in some cases, they have > surpassed Apple. But, I digress. I had a conversation with this gentleman at > that time regarding phones, hands-free and accessibility. He made some quite > detrimental comments about Apple’s initial efforts. However, since the iPhone > 4S he has been a devote user of same, and is now a user of the Windows Phone > as well. Although Microsoft is actually moving out of the Phone market, as > there’s too much competition to make it profitable for Microsoft. So if it > isn’t already, the Windows Phone will very soon be an item worthy of the > history museums. > > Anyway, back to the speaker side of things. I very definitely won’t be > worried about what kind of phone the device has. As long as it is accessible > enough for me to pair the thing with Bluetooth, maybe use the Auxiliary input > from time to time, and hopefully it will allow me to pair simultaneous > devices although, for obvious reasons, not to use simultaneous devices. If it > meets this specification, which I’m sure it will, I will be happy. Regarding > the base end of the frequency spectrum, that’s an interesting piece of > information which I will be happy to vent my views on when it arrives. > Hopefully it should do so between 19:00 and 22:00 tonight. > > Actually though, one of the major reasons why I opted to go this route, > rather than the Amazon one, was purely and simply one of need. As I said > earlier today, my Echo Dot is now truly portable, with the addition of a very > adequate battery base. The fact that I can save and then recall networks from > the Amazon web page or from the Alexa app makes the transition from site A to > site B utterly seamless. So, I can move, for instance, from my own location > to either of my two sisters’ locations, and use their network with the device > without even having to think about doing so. Indeed, the connection is so > seamless that you don’t realise it’s happened sometimes. But as I was saying. > My Dot is truly portable now, and although it is true that had I bought a Tap > I could have used just the one device, the Echo Dot is, even with its battery > base bolted on to the bottom, still small enough to carry around. In fact, I > am looking at ways to have a custom leather sleeve made which will allow me > to carry the Dot and its base as s single protected unit. I’ll wait to see > what the requirements of the Bose SounLink3® are before deciding whether or > not to add that to the mix. But it’s highly probably that I will. I know > somebody who can have me a case made, using premium grade leather. So we > shall see. Personally speaking, I have a thing about leather. I love it! That > is why I am frequently seen walking around wearing a leather jacket and, in > the summer months, I don leather shorts as well. Too cold as yet, but we’ll > hopefully get the sunshine again this year. > > OK, I am waffling. I shall express my own views on that device once it > arrives and I’ve played with it. I may not be able to do so tonight. Depends > on when it arrives and how long the thing takes to charge. > > ======================================== > > My compliments and kindest regards > Gordon Smith: > <[email protected]> > > Accessibility & Information Technology Support Specialist. > Mobile/SMS: > +44 (0)7907 823971 > > ———————————————————— > > > > On 17 Feb 2017, at 17:26, Dane Trethowan <[email protected]> wrote: > > I think you'll enjoy it. > > As I said, the bass tends to mask other sounds but that's a pretty much Bose > Signature trademark, I believe that in the latest Sound Mini they've tried > hard to reduce the overpowering bass so that mid range and treble sounds are > more pronounced, I was going to buy the latest Soundlink Mini but I now have > the amazon Tap and there seems little point. > > I've never cared much for Speakerphones on Bluetooth speakers as it seems to > me that the manufacturers justt add them to the speaker more as a convenience > feature rather than a practical or even useable feature, compare one to the > hands free function on your phone even and you'll see what I mean. > > Anyway getting bacck to the Bose Soundlink 3, like the B&W T7 we're talking > power houses here so I can well understand Bose telling the user to charge > the unit for 14 hours, of coruse we're talking cross purporses here and I > think what Bose really means is that one should charge the battery for 14 > hours if the unit is on and playing? Whatever the meaning a 14 hour charge > won't do any harm. > > > > On 18/02/2017 4:03 AM, Gordon Smith wrote: >> Interesting comment, thanks. I just want something that I can use when not >> stuck at the computer and not stuck in the lounge. The audio quality only >> has to be decent, and I’m happy. Given my hearing condition isn’t great, I’m >> sure I’ll manage to get along with it. >> >> Yes, I did mean Bose, sorry about that. I looked for the T7 actually, but >> didn’t come across it anywhere. But not to worry, my voice is made and I’m >> sure I’ll be fine with it. The advert says 14 hours per charge cycle but, of >> course, that only applies to some circumstances. In my experience, the >> actual charge cycle is always somewhat less than the manufacturer’s claim. >> >> Anyway, we’ll see how we go tonight. I wasn’t fussed about a speaker phone, >> I don’t intend using the thing for that anyway. If I take phone calls, I >> want them to be private, so the very last thing IO’d use is a speaker phone! >> >> ======================================== >> >> My compliments and kindest regards >> Gordon Smith: >> <[email protected]> >> >> Accessibility & Information Technology Support Specialist. >> Mobile/SMS: >> +44 (0)7907 823971 >> >> ———————————————————— >> >> >> >> On 17 Feb 2017, at 16:41, Dane Trethowan <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Hi there! >> I think you have some of the name wrong, do you mean Bose Soundlink 3? >> B&W - Bowers And Wilkins - make the T7 Bluetooth speaker. >> I had a Bose Soundlink 3 not all that long ago and - on the whole - I was >> very happy with it. >> The Soundlink 3 is a nicely presented Bluetooth speaker in my view, not too >> big and not too small, you might want to purchase an optional protective >> carry back as the front and back consist of a metal grill. >> The speaker is easy enough to operate, a power on button, a bluetooth >> pairing button and an Aux-In selection button at one end, mute, volume down >> and volume up buttons at the other. >> The buttones are tactile so you'll easily identify them. >> The Soundlink 3 has its own wall charger so cannot be charged by a USB port. >> The speaker does however have a USB port for updating the firmware though I >> never bothered with this in the time I had my Soundlink 3. >> The speaker can be driven very loud. >> Battery life is reasonable, you'll get around 10 hours out of the Speaker, >> nothing spectacular but reasonable all the same. >> Now to the personal details I suppose, i've given the Soundlink 3 a good >> wrap and will continue to do so, why did I rid myself of the speaker? >> Again, the Bose Soundlink 3 is great for what it is and I take this view >> from a price view and an audio view but it can be bettered for a little more >> money by speakers such as the B&W T7 which is slightly smaller. >> Where the Bose Soundlink 3 is let down sonically in my view is with its >> overpowering bass which tends to maks the other sounds in the spectrum. >> A lot of people like this it would seem but I'm not a fan of overpowering >> bass much and try to avoid it if possible, when I'm listening to music I >> want to hear all the spectrum and not have influenced On 18/02/2017 2:40 AM, >> by any particular end, the B&W T7 provides a flatter and more honest >> response. >> Bose annoy me with the specifications for their spekers actually as they're >> not totally honest with the consumer and let's take an example. >> With the B&W T7 and most other Bluetooth speakers you're told about the >> implimentation of Bluetooth, what sort of Bluetooth system the speaker uses, >> what Bluetooth Profile the speaker supports and so on, not important I hear >> you say? Well no this probably isn't for a lot of people but for me this >> sort of information is very important. >> I love my music and I want to hear my music at its best - hwen I'm on the go >> or outside I want to hear my music in as fine a detail - if at all possible >> - as I do inside - so knowing that a Bluetooth speaker will provide the >> detail is important. >> Bose doesn't give you much information so we can only assume that the Bose >> Soundlink 3 doesn't provide lossless transfer between say smartphone and >> Speaker and yes, there is a difference particularly when you're used to >> listening to lossless FLAC or Wave files. >> With MP3 files and so on they actually sound worse! through a Bluetooth >> Speaker system that doesn't support a Lossless data transfer as the music - >> having already been compressed once - is compressed yet again. >> How do you know if your speaker system supports lossless data transfer? >> Those speakers marked with aptX are what you should look for and thus >> Smartphones etc providing Bluetooth aptX are what you should have. >> Thankfully aptX is common in many speakers/devices these days along with >> many Smartphones and computers - Apple or Bose not amongst them though -. >> So enjoy your Bose, I certainly did when I had mine and The Old Man is >> enjoying it now. >> Gordon Smith wrote: >>> Good afternoon everybody >>> >>> I’ve been listening to people, humming and hashing about this for about ten >>> million years, and I finally made a choice. It’s probably not the newest, >>> the biggest or the besets speaker system in the universe, but it should >>> pale my old original Jawbone Jambox® in terms of performance. The specs >>> look pretty good and I’m happy to have finally jumped in feet first! I’ll >>> probably receive a ducking for my trouble, but there we are. >>> >>> Anyway, I finally opted to disregard the Amazon Tap for the moment, >>> primarily because of a lack of availability. So, I have opted to go for the >>> Bose & Wilkins SoundLink3®. I think that it should serve my needs quite >>> well. I’m not particularly fussed about it being the latest and greatest. >>> In fact, I know it isn’t! But as long as it gives me reasonable audio and >>> is compatible with my gear, (which I know it is), that’s fine by me. >>> >>> There’s a store over here that I use quite a bit, and they offer same-day >>> delivery if you buy it in time. If you order one hour before the delivery >>> time slot you select, you get the item delivered same day. It costs four >>> quid for delivery, but it would cost me a lost of hassle at the moment just >>> getting to the store. So I figured that the four quid was a reasonable >>> price to pay under the current circumstances. >>> >>> So, I should receive my goods tonight, between 19:00 and 22:00. Hopefully >>> sooner rather than later. I’m satisfied with my option, and looking forward >>> to trying it tonight with both my Ego Dot and other Bluetooth® devices. >>> >>> Speaking of Bluetooth® devices, has anybody in this group tried connecting >>> a Samsung Galaxy to a Samsung Smart TV? I have same, but the Galaxy doesn’t >>> seem to want to see the TV. Yes, Bluetooth is enabled on the TV, other >>> devices see it but are not compatible with it. So this one is a big of a >>> strange one. >>> >>> ======================================== >>> >>> My compliments and kindest regards >>> Gordon Smith: >>> <[email protected]> >>> >>> Accessibility & Information Technology Support Specialist. >>> Mobile/SMS: >>> +44 (0)7907 823971 >>> >>> ———————————————————— >>> >>> >>> >> >> > > > ********** Those of a positive and enquiring frame of mind will leave the rest of the halfwits in this world behind.
