Atlas Hifi Corporation Malaysia Sdn Bhd (“Atlas Hifi”) and Bose has launched the new Bose QuietComfort 20 (QC20) in-ear noise cancelling headphones and the Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth speaker. The new mobile audio products are targeted at customers on-the-go who want high quality audio.
Allan Jesu Dass, General Manager of Atlas Hifi Corporation said during the media briefing, “The move towards mobile devices that accompany us everywhere have brought us into a new era of portable audio, where customers want high quality audio in a form factor that is easy to carry around on the go,” he continued, “The Bose QC20 and SoundLink Mini are truly revolutionary devices that address these requirements, and I encourage buyers to try the products for yourself, and truly understand that the best things in life, can come in small packages.”
QuietComfort 20 headphones: Unprecedented noise reduction
The new QC20 headphones are the first ever in-ear noise-cancelling headphones from Bose. Featuring breakthrough noise-cancelling technology, they weigh only 43g.
Being its debut mobile audio product, Bose has integrated a substantial amount of its tech into the QC20, so much in fact, it features more U.S. patents than any Bose headphone every made.
Bose’s noice reduction reinstates musical detail previously lost through conventional in-ear headphones. Bose TriPort technology uses ports to increase the effective acoustic space of the earbud to reproduce deep lows, life-like vocals and instruments. Active equalisation tunes the frequency response for improved, natural sound.
The QC20 features new proprietary StayHear+ ear tips thats sit at the entrance of the ear canal. It’s unique conical design ensures an effective seal to ensure active noise reduction.
An outstanding feature of the QC20 is the new Aware mode – with a push of a button on the cord’s Y-joint, you can switch between listening to music and completely blocking out the world outside; or keep your music playing while still allowing external surroundings to be heard e.g traffic, airport announcement, or friend talking.
The rechargeable battery in the QC20 is good for 16 hours of playback. When the battery is depleted or power is turned off, the music still plays on. The integrated inline mic and controls also let you take calls.
The QC20 works with most Android, Windows and BlackBerry phones while QC20i headphones are tailored for select iPhone, iPad and iPod models.
Read more on the next page.
[nextpage title=”SoundLink Mini Speaker: Big sound in a small box”]
The new SoundLink Mini speaker is an outstanding, portable speaker that lets you connect wirelessly to a smart device for personal, out-loud listening. Weighing on 680g, the SoundLink Mini measures just 5 x 18 x 6cm, 30% of the size and 50% of the weight of the original SoundLink mobile speaker.
Beautifully made, the anodised aluminium housing is resistant to scratches and fingerprints and is as strong and durable as they come.
The speaker has two new passive radiators that are driven by new custom-designed, high efficiency transducers, to reproduce the lowest low notes. New Bose transducers debuts for the first time in the SoundLink Mini speaker, moving twice the air as a conventional same-size transducer.
The SoundLink Mini speaker connects to smart devices via Bluetooth A2DP. Six most recently used Bluetooth devices are stored in memory.
The speaker comes with a charging cradle, and the built-in lithium-ion battery is claimed to lasts for up to seven hours of listening.
To complement the sexy speaker, Bose offers a range of soft covers in orange, green and blue, and a travel bag.
More photos of the media launch on Flickr.
Pricing and availability
The Bose QuietComfort 20 headphones retail at RM1,560 (SRP), while the Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth speaker is priced at RM1,100 (SRP). Both products are available at Atlas Experience stores and selected distributors nationwide.
Visit the newly renovated Atlas Experience showroom at T-239, Level 3, The Gardens Mall, Mid Valley, Kuala Lumpur.
Overall impressions
The SoundLink Mini speaker impressed us with its big sound from its tiny footprint. I tested different genres of music streamed from Spotify Premium via my smartphone and the audio quality is good, as one would expect from Bose. There wasn’t any rattling despite music being played loudly. Pleasantly surprised at the price point too.
The one that impressed me most however, was the noise-cancellation capabilities of the QC20. Very outstanding. While I think my NuForce in-ear headphones are already good, the QC20’s active noise-cancellation is simply fantastic. The Aware mode is very handy, especially when one may need to be aware on the street, or at places with public announcements. For more quiet moments like on flights, the QC20 would be the perfect companion, too.
