What's new

So When/Why Did Bose Change? (1 Viewer)

Wayne Cook

Grip
Joined
Dec 9, 2001
Messages
15
I woke up early today about 3:30 am and while running around the dial on the TV I came to SpeedVision where they were showing a Bose infomercial on the Acoustic Wave speaker system.

This is the one that looks like a bent briefcase and has a 7 foot long tube curled around inside it. The production was one of gloss with little substance and seemed to aimed at the novice audiophile (anyone still use this word?).

1970's - High end speaker system 901's.

2000's Late night infomercials hawking $1,000 systems that deliver much less sound than systems costing half the price.

Question, when did they change? and why?

I thought the idea of a stereo system that combined direct and refective sound made a lot of sense but the company seems to be stalled with 70's technology. Am I missing something or what? Is my 1970's assesment wrong?

I am hoping for some insight into what I perceive as a change in marketing during the last 30 years, rather than all out Bose bashing.

just curious.
 

John S Smith

Agent
Joined
Dec 16, 2001
Messages
41
Wayne

I don't understand why people pay vast sums of money to buy Harley Davidsons either, although there is a difference in that HD (IMO) don't really have a choice, if they tried to build a modern motorcycle they would burst their own bubble.

Bose on the other hand could easily invest a tiny fraction of the premium that their products attract and produce a great product! It can't be hard to stay ahead of the pack if you can charge twice (at least) the price!

..john
 

Brett DiMichele

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2001
Messages
3,181
Real Name
Brett
"Seemed" is the keyword.. Bose never was Audiophile grade.

They have just passed themselves off as being such a company

for the past few decades. (Didn't paper Tweeters go out with

the 50's ?)
 

Marc Rochkind

Second Unit
Joined
Aug 26, 2000
Messages
381
About the Wave: It is very overpriced at $1000, true.

But... It does sound terrific. I know of no other way to get such great sound in such a compact portable unit. I even have a carrying case for mine.

Sure, there are lots of bookshelf systems and boomboxes, but I know of none that are even close to the Bose in quality and size.
 

Frank Frandsen

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Dec 15, 1998
Messages
112
Bose reflecting sound did make sense but I always wondered how the 901s could produce clear highs with drivers all the same size? Now that reflecting technology is called "Bi-polar"......Which my Definitive Technology are. They sound great....Except when I placed a jar of lithium on them:)
 

ling_w

Second Unit
Joined
Sep 3, 2001
Messages
426
Bose were never high end. The 901's were deemed junk for audiophiles.
Here is a review of it that was done by JGH, who at that time was pretty much lone voice in the high end world, in which at that time was dominated by rags like High Fidelity and Stereo Review, and now dominated by its successor Sound & Vision.
http://www.stereophile.com/fullarchives.cgi?425
 

PaulKH

Second Unit
Joined
Oct 3, 2001
Messages
413
John S Smith said:

Bose on the other hand could easily invest a tiny fraction of the premium that their products attract and produce a great product! It can't be hard to stay ahead of the pack if you can charge twice (at least) the price!

They don't NEED to stay ahead of the pack. High end companies spend the majority of their money on R&D. Bose spends the majority of its money on ADVERTISING.

Bose is laughing all the way to the bank. How much do you think an Acoustic Wave radio costs to make? $40? Nice margins.
 

AndrewW

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Oct 21, 2001
Messages
141
I don't understand why people pay vast sums of money to buy Harley Davidsons either, although there is a difference in that HD (IMO) don't really have a choice, if they tried to build a modern motorcycle they would burst their own bubble.
Have you seen the new VROD?? Liquid cooled gobs of HP and torque...I guess their bubble is bursted. I'd never buy one though.
 

ling_w

Second Unit
Joined
Sep 3, 2001
Messages
426
Have you seen the new VROD?? Liquid cooled gobs of HP and torque...I guess their bubble is bursted. I'd never buy one though

Porsche designed the engine for them, since HD don't know what an overhead cam is. They probably had to retool their engine building facility and get rid of those machining equipment meant for those brigg & stratton OHV engines.

Seriously, Harley Davidson are more like McIntosh Audio Equipment (at least of 10 years ago,) where they were build great (same technique they did 50 years ago,) but performance stunk, and were bought by people who wants to get expensive equipment but don't know what is considered good.
 
Joined
Sep 15, 1998
Messages
34
Seriously, Harley Davidson are more like McIntosh Audio Equipment (at least of 10 years ago,) where they were build great (same technique they did 50 years ago,) but performance stunk, and were bought by people who wants to get expensive equipment but don't know what is considered good.
I always laugh when I read stuff like this. When you talk Harley Davidson performance...What "performance" parameters are you talking about? HP?

Torque? Straight line speed? Handling? What?

I build and own V-Twin based Custom bikes, and have owned Ducati's, Yamahas, Hondas, you name it. Each has its own flaws and downsides.

Ask the guys that have won numerous IHRA championships on those H-D's what kind of poor performance they have. hehehe.

Ducati and H-D are the only bikes you'll buy that in 10 years down the road, you can be pretty certain you'll get all, or at least 90% of your money back. Thats unheard of in just about anything else you can buy in todays market.

Its all in what you are looking for.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Forum statistics

Threads
356,815
Messages
5,123,812
Members
144,184
Latest member
H-508
Recent bookmarks
0
Top