Bose Info (1 Viewer)

[Tim Jin]

Hey,

I know you guys will enjoy reading this. Great article on why Bose speakers are awful.

http://www.intellexual.net/bose.html

 

[Matt_Smi]

Yep, I have already read most of that article. It really almost makes me sick how people buy into there marketing hype, and how sales people can actually think that they are selling quality speakers. And what is even worse if how when you ask anyone who knows next to nothing about audio what the best speaker company is or who makes a good speakers the answer is almost always “Bose”, makes me so angry! It really goes to show you where "good" marketing can get you though I suppose.

 

[Tim Jin]

This is so true. I've always dislike Bose because they really sound like crap. I much rather go to Radio Shack and get their sub $200 package because they sound way better.

Over the weekend, I went to a friend's. They got an new home theater setup. I asked my friend, "why did you get Bose???" He said that they looked good. Again, I asked the same question, "why???"

In my rig, I have KRK Rokits for my home theater. I have all KRK studio monitors for my 5.1 setup. I can't be happier. Sure, they are big and my friends are amazed how big they are, but once they hear the sound they produce, they are shock.

I am too amaze how consumers can buy into marketing so easily.

Maybe they just have too much wax in their ears.

 

[PaulKoss]

I love the bit where he points out that there are two drivers but no crossover.

 

[Wayne Ernst]

Not really in the mood to bash Bose, but I do have some thoughts:

- Clearly, people have fallen victim to the marketing hype.

- I frequently hear people who go as far as saying that their "dream" speaker is Bose. They see the product, but never hear it - and they are in love with it.

- The people who love the Bose speakers, have never spent time comparing speakers from different vendors/manufacturers. They don't take the time to really listen to good stuff, so they are never able to hear how bad the Bose is.

- Since they never compared speakers, the Bose will always sound good to them.

- There are two classes of people in life: Those who buy cheap and those who spend lots of $$ just to impress others. The cheap people will never buy Bose because they'll gawk at the price tag. Those with ego issues will buy the Bose products because of the logo on the front of the speaker. After all, the little "Bose" logo does make the system sound better, right?

- High "WAF" approval. Many wives will OK the purchase of such speakers because they have a color option of white and they can be easily hidden or concealed due to their small size. Many points are won due to the small size.

OK, now I'm getting off the soap box. Didn't mean to bash Bose per say, but had some thoughts that were begging to get out.

 

[ChrisAG]

I agree with everything said but you have to realize that some people don't want anything as large as bookshelf speakers, let alone towers. The cubes are nice and tidy, and put out decent sound for what they are (far better than the TV's own speakers, anyway).

Are there better speakers for the money? Yes (even among the smallest "satellite" speakers)

Does Bose overcharge? Yes.

But they fill a niche, for those with the money to spend that want "hideaway" speakers.

My Dad has Bose, and as much as I wish he consulted me first before buying, for a modest HT system Bose is tolerable, if not acceptable. Where they are seriously lacking, in my view, is music reproduction.

 

[Johnwild]

Well I sure just got my butt kicked! I always thought Bose was the cat's ass when it came to goo speakers. I always figured they ranked up there with Boston Acoustic and some others, but after reading this forum I'll have to eat crow..I have two sets of Bose. one small set for my bedroom and the stereo, and an accoustimas 5 series for the Living room and the surround sound... Well I guess they'll have to do for now as I just spent this and next years allowance on a Samsung DPL TV !!!! Oh hell I'm loosing my hearing anyway.. what the hell am I worried about...lolol.. Thanks so much for posting good info.. Today I really learned something...:b

 

[Tim Stumpf]

Johnwild, sell your Bose stuff on ebay and buy other stuff. I've heard that the resale on bose is pretty good. Get your money out and move on.

 

[Kha:T]

If you MUST have a sub/sat system, Cambridge Soundworks products are a much, much better alternative to Bose. They can out perform any Bose system for much less money.

Luckily, I did a lot of research before putting together my home theater or I would have had a Bose system now. I was once nuts about Bose products.

 

[Brad_See]

As I've posted here before I have this old pair of Bose Omnivector speakers that I bought for 10 bucks when I was trying to build a basic surround setup and had only a DVD player and receiver and close to zero cash. Those Omnivector's aren't so bad but the funny thing is they sound better or at least as good as these current "high tech" Bose speakers. They actually handle bass pretty good as they are normal to large sized bookshelf speakers that can actually move some air as compared to the current models. Just like all aged Bose speakers though when you touch the speaker surrounds they crumble under your finger. These things have got to be first generation or something...does anyone know anything about the Omnivectors by any chance?

I've definitely gotten my 10 bucks worth out of these speakers but thank God I'm about to get some new ones pretty soon here.

brad cook

 

[Kenneth Harden]

When I was shopping for my first pair of real speakers (to add to my Aiwa bookshelf system), I was really wanting some Bose 301's

For god fv**ing sake, they use CONE TWEETERS!!! What the hell, CONE TWEETERS on $350 speakers!!! Pull the grills and you are treated to a cheap paper cone, untreated foam surround, and a stamped steel frame. They even screw it in at the 12-3-6-9 o'clock position, which makes it look even cheaper!!!

You would think they could spend the extra DIME per driver and use a rubber surround and poly cone!!!

 

[Robert_Gaither]

Actually what shocks me about Bose is that it's a big name item that just outright sucks and nobody seems to know about it unless they do research about this hobby. As much as people of status are stuck on labels you'd think they'd at least buy something with a THX logo which denotes it met a standard, what that standard was isn't published to the general public.

Bose is about the only gear I know a person can buy that states "I'm trendy but a complete, easily marketed to idiot who buys something with a name that I can drop so my friends and family can envy me but at the same time laughed at by everyone who's really in the hobby". What's even more amazing, people go into debt willing to buy it!

 

[Tim Stumpf]

Christ Robert that's harsh. I know several people who have Bose stuff sitting on their entertainment center who are otherwise intellegent people. They walk into a store wanting to buy a decent set of speakers and they walk out with Bose thinking that they "done pretty good". They trust the people that they talk to in the store to steer them in the right direction. Should they have done more research? Yes, but most people want to make a decision quickly and move on with their lives. You may happen to know more about this type of equipment than most, so you'll likely not make this mistake. Use your expertise to educate your friends and family instead of calling people names. I'd be willing to bet that you make certain assumptions about at least one area of consumer goods that is not correct either though these companies marketing or some other bias you may have for whatever reason. I hate to see folks get ripped off with products like Bose, but I also hate to see people walk into a car dealership and pay full sticker price thinking that's what they have to pay. Can they rely on the car salesman? One can only hope that a mistake like this, on stereo equipment or a car etc is one that a given person will only make once? Maybe I'm an optimist.

 

[Greg Thomas]

Brad,

My old college roommate got some of those Omnivectors back in 1985 or 86. He still has them. I think they're 2 way bookshelf speakers with a 6.5" woofer and didn't sound too bad. He still has them. Since then he's got a new house, wife, kids, etc so a surround system isn't a priority anymore. He did mention to me he was looking for a 5.1 system that is WAF acceptable. He asked about Bose and I told him NO WAY, not for what they charge. I'm going to recommend, Energy, Polk, Athena, Orb, Gallo, NHT and some other sub sat systems that come in more than black. I think they're looking for something that will match the room.

 

[VinnieJC]

I bought my Bose 301 Series III's back in 1995. At THAT time (at least where I lived), there was no Best Buy, Circuit City, or Internet as we know it today. The store I bought them from had on their display floor:Cerwin-Vega, crappy Sony and Technics speakers and maybe a JBL set. A total of maybe 10 sets of speakers, tops. I actually bought them at a department store local to where I live. There were also only ProLogic receivers and VHS back then.

I listened to the Bose along with a few others, and I honestly thought they sounded the best, plus I'll admit their reputation had an influence too. I was only using them for stereo sources anyway.

Currently, I am still using them. Should I be shopping around for something new? Of course. I plan to be upgrading within the next couple years. 10 years ago, there really weren't that many options. If you're chuckling now, I also have the Bose center channel. Laugh it up.

Ease up on calling Bose owners "idiots", OK?? The next time I buy speakers, I will take more time and sample as many I can, and recommendations from anyone are appreciated. I can respect anyone's opinion regarding a product, just tone down the snobby name calling. Cripes.

 

[Jack Shappa]

- Jack

 

[JoeHard]

Bose has to be good, I heard Paul Harvey so so on the radio.

 

[Mike~Sileck]

Jack ~ Hilarious

Photoshop? Well done my friend, well done.

Mike

 

[Jack Shappa]

It's from www.somethingawful.com (see link in the picture) a humor website I like. I didn't do it, but thought it was worth linking to

- Jack

 

[PatrickM]

I think one of my friends put it best after hearing a demo from an eager salesman who thought he had another sucker.

"So what did you think?"

"Very underwhelming and basically craptacular!"