Why not a Bose System for Audio? I really need to be convinced here! (1 Viewer)

[RandyAlbert]

Alright, so all I hear on these forums is that Bose Lifesystle systems Suck! Well I am unforunately not convinced by this. There is never any reasoning as to why they suck and they never say.. Instead of buying the bose system, buy this system instead... And then give reasoning as to why.

I am looking at the bose lifestyle 28 system. Friend of mine just bought the Lifestyle 38/35 (not sure) system and it's great. I helped him hook it up and it sounds absolutely amazing. I don't see any problem with it at all. Why should I not purchase this system? What other alternatives do I have? I don't want to buy a peicemeal system because I am not an expert at tweaking and that stuff. Let me know what you think! I'm sure you will have a lot to say here!

 

[Marty M]

No one can tell you what is best for you. If you like the Bose system, go for it.

I, for one, think that Bose is over-rated and over-priced. I don't think Bose overs the "best bang for the buck".

 

[Jack Briggs]

Randy, since you say you've searched for and read threads about the manufacturer in question then you certainly have read all the reasons why it is held in somewhat low esteem here.

Now comes this I-dare-you post which triggers my troll-alert alarms.

If, as Marty says, you like the system you've mentioned, then take his advice and go for it. End of story.

If, on the other hand, you just want to provoke the group and start a row, I'll close the thread.

 

[RandyAlbert]

I just need to know why people say Bose is so bad... Yes I've searched online, but no one has been able to give any actual facts - they just say Bose is crap.

I'm just looking for answers - that's what I'm doing.

 

[NicholasL]

You clearly haven't truly searched if the only reasoning you're finding is something as infantile as "bose is crap."

 

[ChrisWiggles]

http://home.earthlink.net/~busenitz/bs.html

http://liquidtheater.com/editorials/56

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

Bose is easily *easily* bested by systems at the same price, that actually focus on performance rather than cheap salesmanship to people who don't know better.

If you've not run across links like these in threads, you haven't done much searching.

Bose is probably no worse than other really cheesy brands, but the difference is that they are WAY overpriced.

 

[EricRWem]

Bose isn't bad per se...it's just the price.

$1200 with Bose is about $300 worth with most rival brands.

 

[PaulDA]

I'd have to say I agree with "overpriced" as the main reason to avoid Bose. I've heard their systems set up in their store, and I've heard them in peoples' homes. If you read some of the threads out there, you'll find some vitriol (and I've posted some myself, mostly about price vs quality) but my rational, calm response to Bose is the following. If you appreciate speakers that are accurate, then Bose is not for you. Bose speaker systems, even the vaunted 901s from the 70s, were and are designed to produce a particular frequency response that Bose researchers claim is "pleasing". It is somewhat pleasant, at first, but it is NOT accurate (tests have shown that Bose Lifestyle speaker systems have a large frequency hole in the 80 to 280 hz range or so and the upper limit is around 13khz, rather than the usual 20khz). Second, the rather flimsy construction quality of the Lifestyle speaker sets, for the price asked, is a serious objection for me. On the plus side, Bose systems are extremely easy to set up, blend well with the decor and are low maintenance. Were they priced fairly, say 400-600 dollars for the 5.1 set, I'd consider recommending them to people who don't want to tweak and like the ease of installation. However, at the outrageous prices they ask for, I can't recommend them. But that's me. If you feel they sound pleasing to you, they meet your decor and ease of setup criteria and you don't mind the price, then don't let anyone stop you. Go ahead and buy them. No one can tell you what sounds best to you for the money you want to spend. However, before you buy, you should give yourself the chance to audition other systems, if only to reassure you in your decision. In the end, it's all about enjoying the tunes and films.

I hope this provides you with something other than "Bose SUCKS" to consider.

In parting, since you are considering systems in that price range, might I recommend the Boston Acoustics Avidea systems or something in the Micro speaker systems. (I own other speakers in the Boston Acoustics line and am very happy with them, so I'm stating my biases upfront.)

Good luck and happy speaker hunting.

 

[KevinWEL]

Well said Paul,
I also have met people that sing praises of their Bose systems. After talking A/V for awhile I realize they are rather uneducated in the area. My biggest eyeopener is the complete lack of specs or test reports on any of their equipment. When I hear about the $$$ people spend on a Bose system I challenge them I could build a system piece by piece for half the price that sounds better (and I'm no Hi-Fi genius).

I suppose there will always be people that have more money than desire to research a system from the ground up. It happens to be a labor of love for me. So maybe you can't do it yourself... Take the money you would spend on the Bose and go to a reputable stereo dealer and just see what you can get!

 

[ChuckSolo]

Let's reverse the logic and ask yourself: "What is it that makes Bose worth the money?" Let's see:

1. Are the materials and workmanship used in the Bose system heads up and above that of the other brands?

2. Compared side by side, does the Bose system sound a lot better than the other brands?

If you have physically and pesonally answered these two questions with a "yes" then by all means go get the system. I was in your position a couple of years back and concluded by direct comparison, that Bose is nowhere near worth the cost of 2 or three other brand systems. I went with separates myself. I concluded for myself then, that even though Bose is in the supposed "highend" of HT systems, they are still a HTiB and to me anyway, it just wasn't worth the cost.

 

[Philip Hamm]

Well, here's a practical reference.

If you like the "everything in one sleek looking tiny box" approach and easy set-up that Bose uses for their Lifestyle™ systems, take a trip to your local shop that carries the Sony Dream Systems. I think something like the $499.95 list price DAV-FR1 Dream System Can give you comparable (or probably better) performance for a fraction of the price that the B company is asking. My brother has a Sony Dream system in his small Queens apartment and it's very impressive!

 

[EricRWem]

I like Infinity's TSS series, Modulous, and Polk's RM's WORLDS better if you're looking for nice, smaller speakers. Polk, Infinty, Klipsch...aww, hell just about any other brand is going to give you way more value for your dollar.

 

[Brandon Steck]

First of all . . . who makes a 2000 dollar system that comes with a DVD player that isn't even progressive scan!?!? (I do believe they have upgraded the new 28 to PS, but I know last years wasn't) The PQ from this unit was bested by a 40 dollar Cyberhome player. That's one reason. The price vs. performance is the main reason Bose is frowned upon by most people I know. I work at Best Buy and everybody who comes in there thinks Bose is awesome. Then I show them a Klipsch package with a Yamaha receiver that's half the price that sounds twice as good, and they never mention Bose again. And there's plenty of systems out there that will easily outperform a Bose system without professional tuning that still ring in less than Bose. One thing to notice about Bose is that, whenever you go into a store, the Bose display is usually seperate from everything else, and it's always set up the same, and it always uses a disc that Bose supplies. This means that you are hearing what they want you to hear with speaker placement that flatters their system. Sure, those little speakers sound great when they're 3 feet from your head. Try putting them in a 20X20 living room and turn them up and see how they sound. I have tweeters in my car that are about the same size as the Bose speakers. They're not for midrange frequencies, yet Bose is putting them to use for everything but bass (all highs, no lows, must be Bose) Also . . . their "bass modules" are nothing but the mids out of a car system put into a fancy box. Compare the performance of their Acoustimass stuff to a true subwoofer and there's no comparison. Of course . . . some people just can't tell the difference between something that reproduces the entire range of sound and something that doesn't. That's not a cut on anyone, some people just can't tell the difference. And in that case . . . why spend the money on Bose when you could buy something a lot cheaper that will probably come out better?

 

[Tyson Wetzel]

Have you listened to the Bose system in a direct A to B comparison setting with any other product? I doubt it, because Bose is always merchandised off in it's own little display area. If you have, and you thought it sounded anywhere near as good as your second choice then go ahead and get it.

Keep in mind that for 3 grand you could get:

1. very nice micro speaker package like Energy Act6, Polk RM, Def Tech Monitor type speaker system (Act6 $799.99)

2. Full size, full featured receiver like something in the middle of the Denon or Yamaha line (Denon AVR-2105 $649.99)

3. Full featured DVD player like the Denon DVD-1910 $249.99)

4. Cables, accessories and univ remote like the MX-500 500 bucks

5. Labor to install/calibrate/program $500-$1000

You would have a system that sounds better than any Bose system, look better (video quality), be more flexible, be more durable and be just as easy to use if the remote is properly programmed. The only compromise you would have made is your gear stack is now 10" tall instead of 4".

It's pretty easy to say the Bose stuff sounds "just as good" when you never have the opportunity to compare it to anything else. Let your ears be the judge.

 

[EricRWem]

Quoted again for truth and the win.

 

[John S]

I just hate that Bose sound...

I'd give it the lowest rating possible.

2 out of a possible 10 or something like that.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

So that's a scale of from 2-10? (Kidding!)

The final arbiter should be your own ears. . .but as others have stated, you'll find Bose set up in your local electronics giant in such a way as to flatter its presentation. Also, those stores don't carry very much else in the Bose price range. Go to a higher-end A/V store and check out some of those other systems in that price range before deciding that Bose is the best after comparing it only to the cheap stuff.

 

[John S]

Well a rating of 1 would probably be using the display's internal audio including the speakers. lol

 

[Brian Elwood]

RandyAlbert - I understand your question and where you are coming from. My father in law has the Bose system in question and I thought it sounded awesome and was all set to buy one.

I really did not know THAT much about audio and it sounded good - I thought it was simple. Just buy it and be happy

However - I started reading these forums and started to look around and trust me. The system I put togather sounds WAY WAY better then his and at 1/3 the price.

I put togather Infinity Entras in the front, Paradigm ADP-170s for surrounds and an SVS 20-39PCi for a sub and it makes the Bose sound like an AM radio.

So - from THIS newbie stand point - it was an eye opener and I thank EVERYBODY on this forum for turning me away from Bose

 

[Tom Weaver]

I've been to the Bose showroom, heard the demo, very impressive. My son was wanting the Lifestyle system for a Christmas present. So I bought it (notice...nobody has discounts, the factory sets the price) and he opened it on Christmas day. We hooked it up beside my component system, with my CD player feeding both systems, and did some A-B tests.
NO COMPARISON!
The Bose lacked true bass, and the mid-bass was muddy and boomy. More suprising, the Bose system lacked on the high end too. Just rolled off, nothing much there. We played rock and roll, classical, Don Dorsey, vocals, guitar, pipe organ, NO COMPARISON!
Ever wonder why Best Buy, Circuit City etc. don't sell Bose? They don't want you to compare. Ever wonder why Bose doesn't print their power output, frequency response, distortion figures? They don't want you to compare. If you seccumb to their marketing hype, OK, you get a mediocre system. But it's all about the sound. So if you want great sound, buy components from manufacturers that openly share their specs.