I am happy with my Solo. Dr. Bose always delivers great sound

After a few weeks of operation, I am generally pleased with my Solo. As do all Bose products, the Solo produces great sound and is simple to use. My only complaint is that it is, perhaps, TOO simple. I sometimes find it desirable to customize sound -- and with the Solo, that is impossible.

I have no doubt that Bose (via its quality speaker design, unique baffling system, and sophisticated input-signal processing) faithfully delivers to the listener exactly what the original producer of the audio signal had in mind.

But that is not always sufficient. Now and then, the bass is a little too "big," the dialogue unintelligible, or the treble too low (especially for older listeners, whose abilities to hear high-frequency sounds is diminished).

By contrast, Z-Vox devices (Z-Base soundbars) offer extensive sound customization. The 555 costs the same as the Solo, and not only allows the user to adjust bass, treble, dialogue-frequency amplification, surround-sound levels, and so on -- it also allows multiple devices to be simultaneously connected to the speaker system. Switching between them is as easy as selecting the desired input (TV, MP3 player, BlueTooth receiver for a smart phone, etc.).

Finally, the Z-Base 555 has physical controls on the device that mimic the ones available on the included remote. (Bose abandoned on-device controls, for most of its products, years ago.)

Bottom line: I am happy with my Solo. Dr. Bose always delivers great sound. But the lead engineer at Z-Vox has a terrific reputation, too. So I'm willing to bet that the Z-Base devices sound terrific, too. Moreover,after using the Solo for a while, I find that I miss having the ability to customize sound to suit different listening situations. So I have ordered a Z-Base for use in another room. Time will tell which one is ultimately preferred.

Update (5 Oct 12):

In a side-by-side comparison, I found things I liked and disliked about both the Solo and Z-Base 555. Dislike might be too strong a word; each machine's strengths far outweighed its weaknesses.

Sound quality:

The Z-Base had a slightly "tinny" sound when compared to the Solo - using the same source content (music, movie, sports, etc.) and Z-Base's default settings. After multiple trials, however, it seemed to me that the Solo -- as many others have noticed -- under-amplifies treble, relative to bass. Since the Z-Base emphasizes high frequencies to a greater degree, it is more vulnerable to distortion (real or perceived). But, since Z-Base allows the user to customize its settings, lowering the treble (and, if necessary, increasing the bass) achieves a sound somewhat comparable to Solo's. Also, while both systems delivered satisfactory bass, Solo seemed (to my ear) to reproduce low frequencies a wee bit more faithfully. Advantage Solo.

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