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Bluesound Pulse M review: a wireless speaker that fails to justify its substantial price tag, sonically speaking
The Bluesound Pulse M is a wireless speaker that boasts a sleek design and a plethora of features. It promises high-fidelity audio and seamless integration with other Bluesound devices. However, after extensive testing, it falls short of expectations, particularly concerning its sonic performance relative to its hefty price point. This review will delve into the strengths and weaknesses of the Pulse M, ultimately concluding that its sonic capabilities do not justify its substantial cost.
Aesthetically, the Pulse M is a triumph. Its minimalist design, featuring a cylindrical form factor wrapped in a premium-feeling fabric grille, blends seamlessly into most home decors. The touch controls are intuitive and responsive, adding to the overall user-friendly experience. Setup was also a breeze, thanks to the Bluesound app’s clear instructions and robust network capabilities. The Pulse M connected to my Wi-Fi network swiftly and without any significant hiccups.
The features list is impressive, offering a multitude of streaming options including Apple AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and Tidal Connect, among others. This ensures broad compatibility with most popular music streaming services. The app itself is well-designed and easy to navigate, providing a comprehensive control panel for managing playback, volume, and other settings. Multi-room audio setup was straightforward and efficient. Bluetooth connectivity is also available as a fallback option, although wireless multiroom functionality is limited in this mode.
However, the core function of any speaker – its sound quality – is where the Pulse M falters. While the sound isn’t unpleasant, it lacks the clarity, depth, and overall richness that one would expect from a speaker in this price bracket. The bass response, in particular, was disappointing. It was lacking in punch and precision, often sounding muddy and indistinct, even at moderate volumes. The midrange performed adequately, delivering reasonably clear vocals, though the overall presentation felt somewhat thin and lacked warmth.
The high frequencies, while not overly harsh, weren’t particularly detailed or refined. The overall tonal balance felt unbalanced, lacking the synergy and harmony needed for a truly engaging listening experience. Compared to similarly priced competitors such as the Sonos Five or the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin, the Pulse M’s sound felt significantly less sophisticated and less compelling. The lack of significant bass extension is especially noticeable, creating a somewhat anemic low-end presentation. This problem doesn’t always improve with changes in placement. Testing it against a multitude of room setups consistently resulted in this shallow low end
The issue seems to stem not from a lack of power, as the speaker can get reasonably loud, but from a fundamental flaw in its tuning. The soundstage also feels rather cramped, lacking the spaciousness and airiness characteristic of truly high-quality wireless speakers. It just doesn’t breathe the way higher performing speakers manage to. This resulted in a listening experience that was, frankly, underwhelming, even disappointing at such a price.
Despite the shortcomings in sound, the Pulse M possesses several undeniable strengths. Its elegant design and intuitive user interface are both noteworthy accomplishments. The extensive features list and robust app functionality further enhance the overall user experience, making it simple to stream music and control the playback. Setup was trouble free. Seamless multiroom connectivity is highly desirable feature.
In conclusion, the Bluesound Pulse M presents a paradox. It is a beautifully designed and feature-rich speaker let down significantly by its underwhelming audio performance. The design and user interface earn praise, while the sound fails to justify the substantial investment required to own one. For those prioritizing seamless integration with other Bluesound devices and a sleek design, it could prove appealing. However, audiophiles and listeners placing importance on top-tier sonic performance would be better served by exploring other options within a similar price range that offer a more rewarding listening experience.
While the build quality is excellent, the overall feel is somewhat compromised due to a lackluster acoustic delivery. Ultimately, this conflict between attractive non-sonic aspects and unsatisfactory sonics fails to deliver enough merit to match the asking price. The impressive list of connectivity options, intuitive app controls, and high level of design do little to alleviate this discrepancy between price and sonic ability.
In comparison with its peers, such as the Bowers & Wilkins Formation Flex, this difference becomes starker still. Whilst it shares the elegant and well finished quality construction, that model delivers significantly more refined and robust sonic output that makes the additional expenditure readily justified. While the Pulse M’s capabilities remain undiminished by many user friendly features, the failure to balance features with strong and impressive sound quality means the speaker suffers considerably compared with many other contemporary options. This speaker would simply find itself lagging behind, leaving users ultimately unhappy.
Therefore, it is recommended that prospective purchasers invest their time and research into further market exploration. Given the premium price point of this particular device, such meticulous prior investigation is arguably essential. Numerous competing offerings at or around this pricing level offer superior sound quality across all areas of frequency, demonstrating both improved clarity and enhanced bass. This superior audio ability should outweigh the Pulse M’s attractive features for many potential buyers. The end result is a recommendation against the speaker, instead suggesting a wider and more carefully considered survey of the options on offer before purchase.
In short the Pulse M excels at user experience factors, which may, in some contexts, satisfy those with low expectation of sound quality and value premium build. But at this elevated price the sonic offering is simply unsatisfactory and buyers should seek alternative options if strong performance is desired. For a device that costs as much as the Pulse M, it must offer substantial auditory value; regrettably this particular offering lacks the quality to earn a positive recommendation and this therefore serves as a clear indication that such users must consider options which readily justify such a pricing structure.
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