Will we ever see the AirPlay 2 update for SoundTouch?

[ellenich]

It's literally been years since the announcement that Bose will update SoundTouch systems to support AirPlay 2. I even bought a SoundTouch 300 over a year ago in anticipation of the update. I was thinking maybe we'd finally hear something at CES year– especialy with nearly everyone else annoucing support for AirPlay 2, but I guess not.

Feeling really had right now… wish I would have went with Sonos at this point. What really burns also is that now my SoundTouch stuff is obsolute with the introduction of the Smart Home products.

Should I just sell off my SoundTouch gear (bar, sub and surrounds) and go Sonos at this point?

[Brandon_M]

Hi ellenich,

Thank you for the post, and welcome to the community.

We're going to continue to support SoundTouch and release updates for the platform, as well as introduce Airplay 2.

We don't have any information yet on Airplay 2 availability.  As soon as we hear anything, we will be sure to update the community.

Best Regards,

Brandon - Community Support

[tjthayer]

"Should I just sell off my SoundTouch gear (bar, sub and surrounds) and go Sonos at this point?"

That's exactly what I did and could not be happier. I received two Sonos Play 5 units for Christmas because my wife was tired of hearing me complain about the Bose SoundTouch system over the past FIVE years while I've been waiting for some real updates.

After evaluating the two Play 5s, I picked up a third one a few days later and I'm all in. Selling my SoundTouch 30 and three SoundTouch 20s on eBay right now.

It's actually a pleasure to use the Sonos software - which always works, never "searching for speaker", never having to reboot the devices, never encounter any missing from the network -- and best of all, full AirPlay 2 support. I dumped Spotify and have been using Apple Music since I plugged in the Sonos units.

The sound is "different", but once your ears adjust to listening to speakers that aren't "Bose tuned", you realize just how much of the sound sprectrum you're missing out on with Bose. (We all know about the "No highs, no lows - must be Bose").

And it you don't like what you hear, you can make use of the equalizer built into the Sonos app.

I'm out a couple thousand dollars in the end, but life goes on.

I'm not completely down on Bose. I still think they make excellent headphones and I love my SoundTouch 300 soundbar and Acoustimass subwoofer - each of which are better than the current Sonos offerings. But when it comes to wireless multi-room sound, Bose is not even in the same league as Sonos.

[gonzalohb]

I recently sold two SoundTouch 30 Series III now it's the turn of the SoundTouch 20 Series III to replace them with Homepods and I'm running alone with two SoundTouch 300 plus the sub woofer acoustimas 300 and the invisible Bose 300 which I work with AirPlay 2 thanks to a two Apple TVs 4K. I'm tired of the slowness with which Bose updates its software and the lack of support for Apple Music and it is unfortunate that they are also leaving behind the system SoundTouch without expansion options in the future thanks to its new line that is not retro compatible.

[Kent A]

Sorry to break it to you, but after hearing the moderators saying ”it will come, we just do not know when” about Apple Music support and AirPlay 2 for the last coupe Of years i would say it Aint gona happen.

my advice; find another solution than Bose if you want to be in the Tech frontier, Their abillity to deliver software updates is close to zero.

[tjthayer]

Ooooo... Almost forgot... In my Sonos app, I extensively use "Add to queue" and "Play next". Two features I asked Bose for 5 years ago - and features that are included in literally every other music app in the world. Yet somehow, Bose can't figure out how to do it.

[ConstantinoM]

It’s official, I’ve sold all my SoundTouch devices. I was told a couple years ago when I purchased the system that it would soon support Apple Music and Airplay. Sorry to say but there are several other options for AirPlay and Apple Music support and I could no longer patiently wait. 

[sejoki]

I also got tired of waiting. I bought a ST10 a year ago, figuring they would add services and Airplay 2, but so far, all the updates fixed issues I never had in the first place. 

My parents have two Sonos speakers and the list of services you can use it with is endless. You have to scroll through them. Bose gives us Spotify, Amazon music and radio. That’s it. 

I’m going to try the Echo Plus with the sub, mostly because it’s a product that didn’t exist half of the ST series lifetime and yet they managed to develop a better smart speaker than Bose ever will. 

[rimibar]

Hi Bose (& Brandon!),

I have been patiently waiting now for almost 1 year for the Apple Airplay 2 firmare update. I bought the full set of SoundTouch 300 bar, sub and rears and the Airplay2 update was a key reason behind this.

In between then and now I have kept in touch with your Twitter team and asked for updates and everytime, almost verbatim, they have responded in the same way. See my conversation below. 

I'm sure I'm not the only frustrated owner out there. It would be great if Bose could be a little more open about why there has been a delay.

What is Bose's policy for returning my whole setup for a refund, or exchange for newer kit, that DOES have AirPlay 2 running?

Thanks

[mpf541]

I have come to beleive that when you but bose you buy for what it does the day you buy it. As In all the time I have had Bose equipment they never really added a single feature to it. With the exception of Alexa. And I bet that was more Amazon that Bose. Bose has a history of not giving you any more. Rather they want you to buy new equipment and get new features that way. 

But now I have seen that they are also taking stuff away. Such as Vtuner. Replace it with a POS like tunein. 

I hope any one considering buying Bose reads these forums first. There is enough here to make you change your mind. 

But I am pretty sure the only way I will ever get Appleplay 2 on my very expensive lifestyle 650 is to connect an apple TV. Although bose has said it will come I doubt it. 

Well all i can say is buyer beware. Expecially if you are buying bose