Beats by Dr. Dre or Bose?
- Thread starter Johnny Truelove
- Start date
Bose uses there rip off prices for people to be like "duh, there the best, I needed 4 loans to get em" they suck dick, and especially suck dick dollar for dollar, My roomate is a pro home theater installer, why would he lie? Bose just filters the highest, and lowest frequency's to clean up the sound, aka ruining how the artist intended it to be heard.
how much did you pay for them?
Why Bose Sucks Review Resources
The following is a list of resources you should read before you let anyone you know buy a Bose system. You can get far better sound performance for a much lower price if you buy audiophile brands such as Epos, NHT, and even the more well-known B&W. For those in the market for a pair of affordable, high fidelity "audiophile" speakers, I recommend the Usher S-520. I bought a pair recently and I'm very very satisfied. Stereophile also has a good list of audio component reviews for under $1000. If you have questions for other smart early adopters, try our discussion forum.
Smart Money Review - http://www.klipsch.com/media/Newscenter/SmartMoney Reprint_062404.pdf
We turn up the volume on the Bose Acoustimass 5 Series IIIsystem ($500), which includes two tiny speakers—just 6.2-inches high— and a subwoofer. Bose is the No. 1–selling speaker brand in the country, likely due to the company’s hundred or so retail stores. But it’s certainly not this audiophile’s speaker of choice. “No, no!” Reed yells, not even a minute into “Rock Minuet,” furiously waving his hands back and forth for us to stop. His complaint? The speakers deliver high- and low-end sound, but no middle. Plus, they display a “harsh high end,” and although the subwoofer adds nice bass, “it makes the guitar sound thin.”
A Bose spokesperson says that the speakers are balanced and designed to reproduce low and mid-to-high frequencies “according to the artist’s original performance.” But this artist, for one, disagrees. Still, we give the Bose another shot, this time playing hip-hop artist Mos Def, to test how the speakers handle heavy bass. “Oh no, oh no,” Reed groans, sitting up to pet Lola, his Jack Russell terrier, who’s curled up on a pillow next to him. “I’d pay money not to hear that.” “Next,” Reed demands.
Why Bose Sucks - http://www.intellexual.net/bose.html
As a part of a small sect of audio enthusiasts who loathe the company Bose Corp. for its marketing deception, shortcutting in manufacturing, and shameless consumer trickery, I was recently passed on a website written by a "Bose-o-phile", who was defending the company. Upon reading his site, I vowed to represent our side: the TRUTH.. Popularity of a name brand doesn't equate to quality. Bose mystique feeds off of its well-targeted audience: the ignorant, ill-informed, mass-market consumers who search for simplified hifi audio solutions in "all-in-one" chain stores.. Audio newbies often throw out the "But I heard that Bose is good!" defense, to which I respond "From who?" Was it a sound engineer, electrical engineer, materials scientist, studio engineer, sound producer, recording professional, musician, Mark Levinson? Ray Dolby? George Lucas? Anyone credible? Or was it your neighbor with the GoldStar walkman, Teac boom box, Funai mini-system, and Sylvania receiver? Perhaps the ubiquitous Bose Ads that they find in completely irrelevant magazines such as Popular Science, Times, Playboy, GQ, People, Astronomy, etc, had some sort of subliminal effect against the better of their judgment?
Bose equipment, even the flagship LifeStyle 50, resembles the sonic performance of the 11-year-old Aiwa minisystem in my garage. For $500, the Wave Radio is an overpriced alarm clock. If you're impressed by it, have a listen to a Henry Kloss radio for a fraction of the price! For $1000, the Bose 3-2-1 can not be described as anything less than a crime against sound reproduction. The message I want everyone to take from this lengthy review is that Bose, like Bang & Olufsen and Nakamichi, sell lifestyle and designer products whose prices are very heavily saturated by image and appeal. They are by no means, no means at all performance products. They have no cost-effectiveness, no bang-for-the-buck value, and draw no respect from any true audio enthusiasts. If your goal is to appeal to and impress housewives, then this system gets the job done, but if your goal is high fidelity, high performance, high endurance, upgradeability, and fair market value pricing then I would very highly suggest you look elsewhere.
Former Speaker Salesman - http://www.hometheaterblog.com/hometheater/2006/03/what_about_bose_1.html
I’ll close in saying that Bose is very often an emotional purchase by uninformed (through no fault of their own) buyers looking to buy a ‘surround sound system’ and more often than not the size of the Satellite Cubes is what seals the deal. However if you’re after genuine sonic fidelity and aren’t limited to a speaker that’s tiny, I urge you to do your research, hear multiple systems and refrain from impulse purchases, your ears and wallet will thank you.
Leading A/V Message Board on Bose - http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=343759&highlight=bose
I currently have a Bose Lifestyle 35 System. I thought I had the best system until I heard a friends Klipsch system. It litteraly blew me away. Apparently I bought advertising.
My roommate a few years back had Bose 301's. He thought they rocked. I picked up some Wharfedale Valdus 400's for about $200 less for a pair that simply made him want to cry. He said it made him sick, that he wasted all that money on a set of speakers that he cannot even listen to anymore without getting FURIOUS. To say the difference was night and day is a GROSS understatement.
The thing I don't like about bose is that in almost all of their displays the speakers are right on top of you, and usually cranked up to a very high level. This gives the consumer the idea that speakers are full and and have a good soundstage, when it's just the opposite. Almost any speaker will sound good, in a crouded store, when the speakers are right on top of you and cranked up so loud they are distorted.
Bose Sues Consumer Reports - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Reports
In 1984, Bose Corporation sued Consumer Reports for publishing a review in which Bose speakers did relatively poorly. The review stated that the stereo image of the Bose speakers was unstable and "tended to wander about the room", undermining the basic Direct/Reflecting concept behind Bose's products. The final verdict ruled that Consumer Reports had in fact libeled Bose by overstating its negative findings, which were, more precisely, that the stereo image merely "moved along the wall" behind the speakers. This was something of a Pyrrhic victory for Bose, as since then both Bose and Consumer Reports readership in demographic areas where Bose products are targeted have became bitter enemies, and the same may hold true today. Furthermore, the monetary award of $210,000 in libel damages was appealed to the Federal Supreme Court, who overturned it. Nevertheless, the case is believed to have had a chilling effect on publication of subjective preferences in reviews, both specifically by Consumer Reports as well as in the media as a whole.
Circuit City Employee - http://www.retailworker.com/node/10435
Friends Don't Let Friends Buy Bose.. I am really fucking sick of telling customers that the Bose speakers are really cheap cardboard and foam pieces of shit, and that Bose's high-tech "engineering" (if you can actually call it that) makes no sense at all. Also, small speakers (especially ones that are cardboard with foam surrounds) are not meant to handle any midrange or bass frequencies. My point to all this mess? Well besides hating companies like Bose (and sony too) that have no shame in ripping off people who don't know any better, I'm hoping that newer entertainment employees or CC employees in general will stop selling these pieces of shit. Permalink - Discuss
Why Bose Sucks Review Resources
The following is a list of resources you should read before you let anyone you know buy a Bose system. You can get far better sound performance for a much lower price if you buy audiophile brands such as Epos, NHT, and even the more well-known B&W. For those in the market for a pair of affordable, high fidelity "audiophile" speakers, I recommend the Usher S-520. I bought a pair recently and I'm very very satisfied. Stereophile also has a good list of audio component reviews for under $1000. If you have questions for other smart early adopters, try our discussion forum.
Smart Money Review - http://www.klipsch.com/media/Newscenter/SmartMoney Reprint_062404.pdf
We turn up the volume on the Bose Acoustimass 5 Series IIIsystem ($500), which includes two tiny speakers—just 6.2-inches high— and a subwoofer. Bose is the No. 1–selling speaker brand in the country, likely due to the company’s hundred or so retail stores. But it’s certainly not this audiophile’s speaker of choice. “No, no!” Reed yells, not even a minute into “Rock Minuet,” furiously waving his hands back and forth for us to stop. His complaint? The speakers deliver high- and low-end sound, but no middle. Plus, they display a “harsh high end,” and although the subwoofer adds nice bass, “it makes the guitar sound thin.”
A Bose spokesperson says that the speakers are balanced and designed to reproduce low and mid-to-high frequencies “according to the artist’s original performance.” But this artist, for one, disagrees. Still, we give the Bose another shot, this time playing hip-hop artist Mos Def, to test how the speakers handle heavy bass. “Oh no, oh no,” Reed groans, sitting up to pet Lola, his Jack Russell terrier, who’s curled up on a pillow next to him. “I’d pay money not to hear that.” “Next,” Reed demands.
Why Bose Sucks - http://www.intellexual.net/bose.html
As a part of a small sect of audio enthusiasts who loathe the company Bose Corp. for its marketing deception, shortcutting in manufacturing, and shameless consumer trickery, I was recently passed on a website written by a "Bose-o-phile", who was defending the company. Upon reading his site, I vowed to represent our side: the TRUTH.. Popularity of a name brand doesn't equate to quality. Bose mystique feeds off of its well-targeted audience: the ignorant, ill-informed, mass-market consumers who search for simplified hifi audio solutions in "all-in-one" chain stores.. Audio newbies often throw out the "But I heard that Bose is good!" defense, to which I respond "From who?" Was it a sound engineer, electrical engineer, materials scientist, studio engineer, sound producer, recording professional, musician, Mark Levinson? Ray Dolby? George Lucas? Anyone credible? Or was it your neighbor with the GoldStar walkman, Teac boom box, Funai mini-system, and Sylvania receiver? Perhaps the ubiquitous Bose Ads that they find in completely irrelevant magazines such as Popular Science, Times, Playboy, GQ, People, Astronomy, etc, had some sort of subliminal effect against the better of their judgment?
Bose equipment, even the flagship LifeStyle 50, resembles the sonic performance of the 11-year-old Aiwa minisystem in my garage. For $500, the Wave Radio is an overpriced alarm clock. If you're impressed by it, have a listen to a Henry Kloss radio for a fraction of the price! For $1000, the Bose 3-2-1 can not be described as anything less than a crime against sound reproduction. The message I want everyone to take from this lengthy review is that Bose, like Bang & Olufsen and Nakamichi, sell lifestyle and designer products whose prices are very heavily saturated by image and appeal. They are by no means, no means at all performance products. They have no cost-effectiveness, no bang-for-the-buck value, and draw no respect from any true audio enthusiasts. If your goal is to appeal to and impress housewives, then this system gets the job done, but if your goal is high fidelity, high performance, high endurance, upgradeability, and fair market value pricing then I would very highly suggest you look elsewhere.
Former Speaker Salesman - http://www.hometheaterblog.com/hometheater/2006/03/what_about_bose_1.html
I’ll close in saying that Bose is very often an emotional purchase by uninformed (through no fault of their own) buyers looking to buy a ‘surround sound system’ and more often than not the size of the Satellite Cubes is what seals the deal. However if you’re after genuine sonic fidelity and aren’t limited to a speaker that’s tiny, I urge you to do your research, hear multiple systems and refrain from impulse purchases, your ears and wallet will thank you.
Leading A/V Message Board on Bose - http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=343759&highlight=bose
I currently have a Bose Lifestyle 35 System. I thought I had the best system until I heard a friends Klipsch system. It litteraly blew me away. Apparently I bought advertising.
My roommate a few years back had Bose 301's. He thought they rocked. I picked up some Wharfedale Valdus 400's for about $200 less for a pair that simply made him want to cry. He said it made him sick, that he wasted all that money on a set of speakers that he cannot even listen to anymore without getting FURIOUS. To say the difference was night and day is a GROSS understatement.
The thing I don't like about bose is that in almost all of their displays the speakers are right on top of you, and usually cranked up to a very high level. This gives the consumer the idea that speakers are full and and have a good soundstage, when it's just the opposite. Almost any speaker will sound good, in a crouded store, when the speakers are right on top of you and cranked up so loud they are distorted.
Bose Sues Consumer Reports - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Reports
In 1984, Bose Corporation sued Consumer Reports for publishing a review in which Bose speakers did relatively poorly. The review stated that the stereo image of the Bose speakers was unstable and "tended to wander about the room", undermining the basic Direct/Reflecting concept behind Bose's products. The final verdict ruled that Consumer Reports had in fact libeled Bose by overstating its negative findings, which were, more precisely, that the stereo image merely "moved along the wall" behind the speakers. This was something of a Pyrrhic victory for Bose, as since then both Bose and Consumer Reports readership in demographic areas where Bose products are targeted have became bitter enemies, and the same may hold true today. Furthermore, the monetary award of $210,000 in libel damages was appealed to the Federal Supreme Court, who overturned it. Nevertheless, the case is believed to have had a chilling effect on publication of subjective preferences in reviews, both specifically by Consumer Reports as well as in the media as a whole.
Circuit City Employee - http://www.retailworker.com/node/10435
Friends Don't Let Friends Buy Bose.. I am really fucking sick of telling customers that the Bose speakers are really cheap cardboard and foam pieces of shit, and that Bose's high-tech "engineering" (if you can actually call it that) makes no sense at all. Also, small speakers (especially ones that are cardboard with foam surrounds) are not meant to handle any midrange or bass frequencies. My point to all this mess? Well besides hating companies like Bose (and sony too) that have no shame in ripping off people who don't know any better, I'm hoping that newer entertainment employees or CC employees in general will stop selling these pieces of shit. Permalink - Discuss
Here is another article:
Part 1:
Before I even get started, a bit of a disclaimer is in order: This post has been years in the making if only subconsciously. That is to say I’ve been a not-so-casual observer to the Bose phenomenon for the past 16 years or so and with the sheer amount of information I’ve been bottling up for the last decade and a half. This will be a long (and potentially controversial) post so please bear with me.
Circa 1994: I’m working in a high end audio store, a couple walks in and ask to hear a surround sound system. I take them to our audio for video room and begin a demonstration of a Marantz receiver paired with a 5.1 speaker package from PSB audio. They listen for a few minutes and say, “What about Bose?” After a brief pause I replied with my standard, “We feel we’ve found other brands that offer better performance than (insert-brand-name-here) and if you’ll let me continue, I think you’ll feel the same way.”
Both the customer and salesmen won that day, i.e. I sold them a system that offered significantly better sound quality than Bose and it consisted of components not all in one box. I’ve always found it odd that more folks don’t recognize the single box approach is a liability as much as a convenience. If a source component fails, you still have the receiver on hand for radio and television playback. If your all-in-one box fails, nothing works. Not to mention the lack of an upgrade path with single box systems, but I digress.
This was far from the last time I made that speech and it’s ultimately why I got out of retail sales. Those words, “What about Bose?” conjure up memories of frustrating afternoons trying to convince someone that brand recognition doesn’t necessarily equate performance. Some people are cut out for retail sales and others aren’t. I don’t consider myself a natural born salesmen, but given the setting I made due with the skills I had and more often than not I found ways to swing potentially negative outcomes my way. But in the end, I went on to focus on areas I had more expertise in; installation, design, and management.
I suppose by this point you’ve already realized this article won’t be overly favorable towards Bose, but at the same time I won’t overlook what Bose has done right. The problem therein lies with what Bose has done right; it has very little to do with performance and a lot to do with marketing. If you were to walk down the street in any major metropolitan city, or country back road for that matter, and ask a passerby quick name a speaker brand, a large percentage would rattle off Bose in a heartbeat. How can this be? How can one audio manufacturer be so universally well known? The answer is advertising and clever marketing.
Bose’s second closest competitor probably doesn’t spend 1/4 as much on advertising and it’s paid off for them in spades. Bose was founded in 1964, Sony in 1946*, and RCA in the 1920’s. Look at the vast array of products introduced by both RCA and Sony and compare them with the relatively few offerings from Bose. Yet Bose in many circles is just as esteemed and recognized as any other electronics company. How can this be? Again marketing. Bose’s perception and product recognition among consumers is undeniable, but I reiterate this doesn’t necessarily equate to performance, value, or quality.
• Why is Bose so popular?
So let’s examine some of the reasons Bose has carved out such a strong niche in the audio market and then I’ll offer my own observations and hopefully level the playing field a bit. Going all the way back to the Bose 901’s (and farther) the company began a campaign of branding and word association that remains with them to this day. A few examples of words that have become synonymous with Bose are: Direct Reflecting, Acoustimass, and Waveguide.
Now all of these terms may or may not mean anything to you, but how about a few more examples: Lifestyle System, Wave Radio, 3•2•1 system, Mini Cube System, etc, are all examples of the strong branding behind Bose. Simply put, it’s very likely you can go out and buy a system from Bose today that was available in-name 5,10 or 15 years ago. This was a very smart branding move on their part, as it allows the product to be introduced, mature and plateau in a time frame that other products have long since been forgotten.
And how did we learn these product names? From countless print, internet, and radio ads of course. If you’re like me you probably have a stack of home theater magazines somewhere nearby, go grab a handful. I’ll bet you Bose ads can be found in the majority of them. And it’s not just the ad themselves, oftentimes who delivers them is just as important as the content of the ad.
Paul Harvey, longtime Bose pitchman is heard by millions of listeners each day, many of who regard his word as infallible. Do I believe Mr. Harvey is doing his listeners a disservice by hawking Bose products? Of course not, the show needs advertisers and the product fills the needs of many of Harvey’s listeners just fine. But again I make the assertion that sometimes good or valuable is in the eye of the beholder and what’s adequate for one consumer falls very short of the mark for others.
Ok, so far we’ve examined several of the reasons Bose is such an icon in the consumer electronics industry. Now I want to explore some specifics behind the products and hopefully shed some light on why a little research can be well worth your time, if you’re in the market for a new audio system.
Part 2:
So far in part one of our discussion, we’ve explored a little about why Bose is such a dominant brand with consumers and I’ve even shared a bit about my personal experiences with customers who’ve been Bose-Washed ©. Now let’s get into some specifics on why I feel you’d be doing yourself a disservice to buy any audio product, especially Bose, without first auditioning some other brands.
In all honesty I have to admit this part of my post has caused me some apprehension. The overwhelming sense of where do I begin has been gnawing at the back of mind since I first decided to write the article. Ultimately I decided retelling my most recent conversation about Bose would get the ball rolling, so here we go.
Many, if not all, of my friends know I’m in the consumer electronics industry and from time to time they’ll ask me questions like, “What kind of surround system should I get, Bose?” One particular time I was asked this question and I grimaced much like when someone shows you a picture of their newborn and asks isn’t he/she so cute? You’re trying to muster a yes when all you’re thinking is, oh gosh that’s an ugly baby. It’s quite an uncomfortable feeling. This is exactly how I felt recently when a friend was looking for my affirmation on their potential Bose purchase.
After pulling my thoughts together I realized this person is looking to me for advice and not a gloss over, so I began with “It really all depends on what you want out of the system.” My reply seemed to shock him a bit as he said, “Well… I want a great sounding surround system of course.” I replied, “Then Bose may not be for you.”
Now context is very important here. This is someone who has already shown a predisposition for a really good system (I know because I helped him pick out his projector) and not someone who was starting from scratch.
I went on to tell him about how Bose tries to discourage dealers from demonstrating their products head to head with competitors. If you’ve ever seen Bose on display in a retail setting, you may have noticed that the Bose stand or island display is set away from the rest of the sound equipment. Some might argue this is premium product placement but I’m of the opinion this is designed to put the product in a favorable light and in doing so, making it hard to make direct comparisons with the other products.
Lets talk about the product itself. In the interest of brevity for the rest of this post assume that I’m talking about a Bose home theater system. I’ve already mentioned my dislike of their all-in-one approach to electronics so for the remainder of the post, I’ll focus on their home theater speakers. But keep in mind whether you’re looking at a complete Lifestyle system with electronics or a stand alone speaker system, the speakers themselves are relatively consistent throughout the 6.1 packages.
• Frequency Response
Ah, let’s not forget about the diminutive cube speakers. Modern technology is a wonderful thing. We’ve solved so many day to day problems in our lives with technological advances. Many would assume the tiny speakers that handle the high and middle frequencies in a Bose system are just another example of this. Unfortunately, the laws of physics didn’t get the memo that a 2.5” driver can accurately reproduce high frequencies and down to lower-mid range frequencies. As it turns out, those lower mid range frequencies are one area where the Bose Cube-Satellite system falls short.
It’s not that the Bose system doesn’t recreate lower-mids at all, it’s where they come from that’s the issue. The Bose Acoustimass subwoofer by and large handles these low-mid frequencies for the system, which introduces another two-fold problem back into the system. Firstly since the cubes aren’t going down as low as a standard bookshelf speaker would, the system suffers from poor mid-range localization. And since those frequencies are being handled by the subwoofer, the sub itself suffers from an overachiever complex that often results in poor low end response.
Speaking of frequency response, Bose doesn’t publish frequency responses for their consumer products. Dr. Amar Bose was quoted as saying “looking at frequency responses on paper and charts doesn’t really matter – it boils down to how it sounds to people”. I will be the first to admit that frequency responses aren’t a good way to judge a speaker, especially if you’re comparing similar speakers. But I think it’s safe to say Bose would be exempt from the similar speaker comparison example.
When your competitors publishes their frequency responses and your company doesn’t, you’re either betting that your average customer doesn’t care enough to investigate statistics or that they really don’t matter at all. Given the fact that Bose cites several technological advancements as a direct result of their engineering, I’m betting it’s the former.
Here is the simple truth about Bose Cube/Sat speaker systems and their frequency response. There are obvious localization problems caused by the low-mid frequency shift to the subwoofer. A simple way to illustrate this (if you happen to own a Bose home theater system) is during a movie unplug all of your satellites and see if you can still follow the dialog from the subwoofer.
So far in about 5 out of 5 attempts, I’ve been able to follow the dialog. No I don’t own a Bose system, but I’ve replaced several. You shouldn’t be able to follow dialog from a subwoofer alone. This is indicative of a sub that’s recreating mid to upper mid-range frequencies, and not focusing on the low end as it should.
The general consensus is that as little as a 30hz gap or as large as a 80hz gap exists between Bose’s Cubes and Subwoofer. But again with out official frequency response figures from Bose, we’re left with outside independent reviewers speculating on the actual numbers. That is to say, I’m unaware of any credible third parties testing the frequency response of Bose’s Cube/Sat systems. But suffice to say, ANY frequency response gap would be worse than a high or low roll-off.
I haven’t even mentioned the price of Bose’s home theater systems, but I need to. Bose’s premium home theater systems aka The Lifestyle System, range anywhere from $1,599 to $3,999 at time of press. I don’t want to get into the “you could buy xyz components instead of Bose diatribe”, but I will say please do some shopping. You’ll be very surprised at what you can get in a component/speaker package from other manufacturers for say $2500.00, which often winds up being the average price of one of the Lifestyle Systems.
• Summary
I’ll close in saying that Bose is very often an emotional purchase by uninformed (through no fault of their own) buyers looking to buy a ‘surround sound system’ and more often than not the size of the Satellite Cubes is what seals the deal. However if you’re after genuine sonic fidelity and aren’t limited to a speaker that’s tiny, I urge you to do your research, hear multiple systems and refrain from impulse purchases, your ears and wallet will thank you.
In doing research for this article, I ran across a reprint of an article from SmartMoney entitled ‘The Sound and the Fury’. The article reviews 5 speakers (Bose among them) and features Lou Reed as a guest reviewer. There is a hilarious quote from Mr. Reed in the article about Bose, but I’ll let you read it for yourself.
Note: don’t take the link as an endorsement of Klipsch speakers, that’s just where the .pdf of the mentioned article resides.
p.s My goal here was informing potential Bose buyers, not lambasting current owners. If you own a Bose system and think it’s the cats meow then kudos to you, but please understand our comment system is for on-topic polite discussion and not for belligerent rhetoric.
http://www.hometheaterblog.com/hometheater/2006/03/what-about-bose-part-1/
Part 1:
Before I even get started, a bit of a disclaimer is in order: This post has been years in the making if only subconsciously. That is to say I’ve been a not-so-casual observer to the Bose phenomenon for the past 16 years or so and with the sheer amount of information I’ve been bottling up for the last decade and a half. This will be a long (and potentially controversial) post so please bear with me.
Circa 1994: I’m working in a high end audio store, a couple walks in and ask to hear a surround sound system. I take them to our audio for video room and begin a demonstration of a Marantz receiver paired with a 5.1 speaker package from PSB audio. They listen for a few minutes and say, “What about Bose?” After a brief pause I replied with my standard, “We feel we’ve found other brands that offer better performance than (insert-brand-name-here) and if you’ll let me continue, I think you’ll feel the same way.”
Both the customer and salesmen won that day, i.e. I sold them a system that offered significantly better sound quality than Bose and it consisted of components not all in one box. I’ve always found it odd that more folks don’t recognize the single box approach is a liability as much as a convenience. If a source component fails, you still have the receiver on hand for radio and television playback. If your all-in-one box fails, nothing works. Not to mention the lack of an upgrade path with single box systems, but I digress.
This was far from the last time I made that speech and it’s ultimately why I got out of retail sales. Those words, “What about Bose?” conjure up memories of frustrating afternoons trying to convince someone that brand recognition doesn’t necessarily equate performance. Some people are cut out for retail sales and others aren’t. I don’t consider myself a natural born salesmen, but given the setting I made due with the skills I had and more often than not I found ways to swing potentially negative outcomes my way. But in the end, I went on to focus on areas I had more expertise in; installation, design, and management.
I suppose by this point you’ve already realized this article won’t be overly favorable towards Bose, but at the same time I won’t overlook what Bose has done right. The problem therein lies with what Bose has done right; it has very little to do with performance and a lot to do with marketing. If you were to walk down the street in any major metropolitan city, or country back road for that matter, and ask a passerby quick name a speaker brand, a large percentage would rattle off Bose in a heartbeat. How can this be? How can one audio manufacturer be so universally well known? The answer is advertising and clever marketing.
Bose’s second closest competitor probably doesn’t spend 1/4 as much on advertising and it’s paid off for them in spades. Bose was founded in 1964, Sony in 1946*, and RCA in the 1920’s. Look at the vast array of products introduced by both RCA and Sony and compare them with the relatively few offerings from Bose. Yet Bose in many circles is just as esteemed and recognized as any other electronics company. How can this be? Again marketing. Bose’s perception and product recognition among consumers is undeniable, but I reiterate this doesn’t necessarily equate to performance, value, or quality.
• Why is Bose so popular?
So let’s examine some of the reasons Bose has carved out such a strong niche in the audio market and then I’ll offer my own observations and hopefully level the playing field a bit. Going all the way back to the Bose 901’s (and farther) the company began a campaign of branding and word association that remains with them to this day. A few examples of words that have become synonymous with Bose are: Direct Reflecting, Acoustimass, and Waveguide.
Now all of these terms may or may not mean anything to you, but how about a few more examples: Lifestyle System, Wave Radio, 3•2•1 system, Mini Cube System, etc, are all examples of the strong branding behind Bose. Simply put, it’s very likely you can go out and buy a system from Bose today that was available in-name 5,10 or 15 years ago. This was a very smart branding move on their part, as it allows the product to be introduced, mature and plateau in a time frame that other products have long since been forgotten.
And how did we learn these product names? From countless print, internet, and radio ads of course. If you’re like me you probably have a stack of home theater magazines somewhere nearby, go grab a handful. I’ll bet you Bose ads can be found in the majority of them. And it’s not just the ad themselves, oftentimes who delivers them is just as important as the content of the ad.
Paul Harvey, longtime Bose pitchman is heard by millions of listeners each day, many of who regard his word as infallible. Do I believe Mr. Harvey is doing his listeners a disservice by hawking Bose products? Of course not, the show needs advertisers and the product fills the needs of many of Harvey’s listeners just fine. But again I make the assertion that sometimes good or valuable is in the eye of the beholder and what’s adequate for one consumer falls very short of the mark for others.
Ok, so far we’ve examined several of the reasons Bose is such an icon in the consumer electronics industry. Now I want to explore some specifics behind the products and hopefully shed some light on why a little research can be well worth your time, if you’re in the market for a new audio system.
Part 2:
So far in part one of our discussion, we’ve explored a little about why Bose is such a dominant brand with consumers and I’ve even shared a bit about my personal experiences with customers who’ve been Bose-Washed ©. Now let’s get into some specifics on why I feel you’d be doing yourself a disservice to buy any audio product, especially Bose, without first auditioning some other brands.
In all honesty I have to admit this part of my post has caused me some apprehension. The overwhelming sense of where do I begin has been gnawing at the back of mind since I first decided to write the article. Ultimately I decided retelling my most recent conversation about Bose would get the ball rolling, so here we go.
Many, if not all, of my friends know I’m in the consumer electronics industry and from time to time they’ll ask me questions like, “What kind of surround system should I get, Bose?” One particular time I was asked this question and I grimaced much like when someone shows you a picture of their newborn and asks isn’t he/she so cute? You’re trying to muster a yes when all you’re thinking is, oh gosh that’s an ugly baby. It’s quite an uncomfortable feeling. This is exactly how I felt recently when a friend was looking for my affirmation on their potential Bose purchase.
After pulling my thoughts together I realized this person is looking to me for advice and not a gloss over, so I began with “It really all depends on what you want out of the system.” My reply seemed to shock him a bit as he said, “Well… I want a great sounding surround system of course.” I replied, “Then Bose may not be for you.”
Now context is very important here. This is someone who has already shown a predisposition for a really good system (I know because I helped him pick out his projector) and not someone who was starting from scratch.
I went on to tell him about how Bose tries to discourage dealers from demonstrating their products head to head with competitors. If you’ve ever seen Bose on display in a retail setting, you may have noticed that the Bose stand or island display is set away from the rest of the sound equipment. Some might argue this is premium product placement but I’m of the opinion this is designed to put the product in a favorable light and in doing so, making it hard to make direct comparisons with the other products.
Lets talk about the product itself. In the interest of brevity for the rest of this post assume that I’m talking about a Bose home theater system. I’ve already mentioned my dislike of their all-in-one approach to electronics so for the remainder of the post, I’ll focus on their home theater speakers. But keep in mind whether you’re looking at a complete Lifestyle system with electronics or a stand alone speaker system, the speakers themselves are relatively consistent throughout the 6.1 packages.
• Frequency Response
Ah, let’s not forget about the diminutive cube speakers. Modern technology is a wonderful thing. We’ve solved so many day to day problems in our lives with technological advances. Many would assume the tiny speakers that handle the high and middle frequencies in a Bose system are just another example of this. Unfortunately, the laws of physics didn’t get the memo that a 2.5” driver can accurately reproduce high frequencies and down to lower-mid range frequencies. As it turns out, those lower mid range frequencies are one area where the Bose Cube-Satellite system falls short.
It’s not that the Bose system doesn’t recreate lower-mids at all, it’s where they come from that’s the issue. The Bose Acoustimass subwoofer by and large handles these low-mid frequencies for the system, which introduces another two-fold problem back into the system. Firstly since the cubes aren’t going down as low as a standard bookshelf speaker would, the system suffers from poor mid-range localization. And since those frequencies are being handled by the subwoofer, the sub itself suffers from an overachiever complex that often results in poor low end response.
Speaking of frequency response, Bose doesn’t publish frequency responses for their consumer products. Dr. Amar Bose was quoted as saying “looking at frequency responses on paper and charts doesn’t really matter – it boils down to how it sounds to people”. I will be the first to admit that frequency responses aren’t a good way to judge a speaker, especially if you’re comparing similar speakers. But I think it’s safe to say Bose would be exempt from the similar speaker comparison example.
When your competitors publishes their frequency responses and your company doesn’t, you’re either betting that your average customer doesn’t care enough to investigate statistics or that they really don’t matter at all. Given the fact that Bose cites several technological advancements as a direct result of their engineering, I’m betting it’s the former.
Here is the simple truth about Bose Cube/Sat speaker systems and their frequency response. There are obvious localization problems caused by the low-mid frequency shift to the subwoofer. A simple way to illustrate this (if you happen to own a Bose home theater system) is during a movie unplug all of your satellites and see if you can still follow the dialog from the subwoofer.
So far in about 5 out of 5 attempts, I’ve been able to follow the dialog. No I don’t own a Bose system, but I’ve replaced several. You shouldn’t be able to follow dialog from a subwoofer alone. This is indicative of a sub that’s recreating mid to upper mid-range frequencies, and not focusing on the low end as it should.
The general consensus is that as little as a 30hz gap or as large as a 80hz gap exists between Bose’s Cubes and Subwoofer. But again with out official frequency response figures from Bose, we’re left with outside independent reviewers speculating on the actual numbers. That is to say, I’m unaware of any credible third parties testing the frequency response of Bose’s Cube/Sat systems. But suffice to say, ANY frequency response gap would be worse than a high or low roll-off.
I haven’t even mentioned the price of Bose’s home theater systems, but I need to. Bose’s premium home theater systems aka The Lifestyle System, range anywhere from $1,599 to $3,999 at time of press. I don’t want to get into the “you could buy xyz components instead of Bose diatribe”, but I will say please do some shopping. You’ll be very surprised at what you can get in a component/speaker package from other manufacturers for say $2500.00, which often winds up being the average price of one of the Lifestyle Systems.
• Summary
I’ll close in saying that Bose is very often an emotional purchase by uninformed (through no fault of their own) buyers looking to buy a ‘surround sound system’ and more often than not the size of the Satellite Cubes is what seals the deal. However if you’re after genuine sonic fidelity and aren’t limited to a speaker that’s tiny, I urge you to do your research, hear multiple systems and refrain from impulse purchases, your ears and wallet will thank you.
In doing research for this article, I ran across a reprint of an article from SmartMoney entitled ‘The Sound and the Fury’. The article reviews 5 speakers (Bose among them) and features Lou Reed as a guest reviewer. There is a hilarious quote from Mr. Reed in the article about Bose, but I’ll let you read it for yourself.
Note: don’t take the link as an endorsement of Klipsch speakers, that’s just where the .pdf of the mentioned article resides.
p.s My goal here was informing potential Bose buyers, not lambasting current owners. If you own a Bose system and think it’s the cats meow then kudos to you, but please understand our comment system is for on-topic polite discussion and not for belligerent rhetoric.
http://www.hometheaterblog.com/hometheater/2006/03/what-about-bose-part-1/
As far as subwoofers? Pretty much anything.
You have to understand, Bose is basically made for convenience - they are small and can be hidden. Many people find that attractive becuase they have bad acoustically setup rooms or their significant others cant stand the look of speakers in the living room. Bose mainly "suck" becuase of the outrageous prices they offer. On top of that, they dont go very loud before they distort (sub).
For the price of the 5.1 system they offer, which is I believe $1000, i could get you nearly 3X the output for HALF that. I just purchased a 5.1 Wharfedale setup for just over $500. Pinnacle offers their setup for $1000, but you can find it for way cheaper online. Even Energy has a pretty sweet 5.1 setup for under $400.
If you are going to buy a system, you need to LISTEN to it yourself...that's the biggest variable in this equation. Getting your Bose sub for $200 is fine becuase it warrants the purchase. However, that same sub cost $500+ MSRP, and that's where the grumblings come in...its WAAAAY overpriced for what it does (or doesn't).
You can find GREAT subs for under $500 that will CRUSH the Bose. Look at Pinnacle, SVS (one of the top brands for the price), HSU Research, Velondyne, and BIC America.
You have to understand, Bose is basically made for convenience - they are small and can be hidden. Many people find that attractive becuase they have bad acoustically setup rooms or their significant others cant stand the look of speakers in the living room. Bose mainly "suck" becuase of the outrageous prices they offer. On top of that, they dont go very loud before they distort (sub).
For the price of the 5.1 system they offer, which is I believe $1000, i could get you nearly 3X the output for HALF that. I just purchased a 5.1 Wharfedale setup for just over $500. Pinnacle offers their setup for $1000, but you can find it for way cheaper online. Even Energy has a pretty sweet 5.1 setup for under $400.
If you are going to buy a system, you need to LISTEN to it yourself...that's the biggest variable in this equation. Getting your Bose sub for $200 is fine becuase it warrants the purchase. However, that same sub cost $500+ MSRP, and that's where the grumblings come in...its WAAAAY overpriced for what it does (or doesn't).
You can find GREAT subs for under $500 that will CRUSH the Bose. Look at Pinnacle, SVS (one of the top brands for the price), HSU Research, Velondyne, and BIC America.
Here is a deal of a lifetime:
http://infiniteelectronix.com/bicf1212450-wattfrontfiringpoweredsubwoofer.aspx
http://infiniteelectronix.com/bicf1212450-wattfrontfiringpoweredsubwoofer.aspx
LOL
There was a screw up the factory and I got two sets of speakers for my install today.
I gotta move these things in the next hour before my boss shows up and sees the extra speakers.
I will sell you those Theater Research speakers for 600 bucks. Look at this glossy brochure they retail for $3,999 so you know they are the best.
Oh white van for sure.
It made it to wikipedia lol
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_van_speaker_scam