>In isolation it is difficult to dislike the Bose Music System III. It has a warm, powerful and crowd pleasing sound while the flexible BoseLink connector adds in Bluetooth, an Apple dock or CD multi-changer functionality. The trouble is the Music System III is not judged in isolation and its audio performance is bested by products half its price which also pack in more functionality. Bose has long traded on premium performance at premium prices, but in today's brutally competitive audio sector those prices will need to drop if the halo long held above its brand isn't going to slip.

If it was a few hundred dollars cheaper in price (ok, maybe less than half?), the Wave Music System could have ground for a much higher rating. It sounds fantastic, but at this price, it simply isn’t justified.