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Klipsch vs Creature vs Bose

U

U2Rules!

macrumors member
Original poster
I'm looking for some speakers to use with my iPod at work. I've narrowed it down to the Klipsch Multimedia 2.1, JBL Creature speakers, and the Bose Mediamates. Do any of you have any input on the correct choice to make? Your reviews are appreciated.
 
I'm sure most people would go with the white creature 2s becuase they match their iPod. To break it down:

Creatures: most stylish, good sound quality, most often chosen

Bose Mediamates: AWESOME sound quality, not as much bass as others

Klipsch Multimedia: Loud, boomy, good sound quality

Does that help?

🙂
 
Bose media mates

I have these speakers and have for 12 years. They are the most naturally sounding speakers in a small package I have heard. And like I said they are 12 years old and still sound great. Can you say that about the others?
Good Luck!
 
i have the Klipsch and they sounds great. i've never turned them up anywhere near how load they go because they can get way too loud, so you won't have to worry about blowing them. when i heard the original creatures i wasn't impressed at all. they suffered from the same problem as the sound sticks... no middle. they have a tweeter and a sub, but no mid-range woofer. the Klipsch have come down a little since i bought them but when i paid $180 it was well worth it.
 
I was all about Bose speakers for a long time, I thought they sounded awesome. As it turns out, Bose makes some of the worst speakers available when it comes to the sound quality you get for the money you pay. Most of what you pay for when you buy a set of Bose speakers is the name, not the quality of the drivers contained therein. Of those three Klipsch wins by a large margin, easily, hands down, no questions asked.
 
KLIPSCH ALL THE WAY!

I was VERY impressed with these babies, have been for years and years. There's still very few sets that surpass them, though the original Klipsch Promedias (which were THX certified, while the GMXs are not) were better. You will not be disappointed, and that's a PROMISE.

I've never been a fan of Bose, as their stuff is always overpriced for the sound quality you get (though they do make the best stuff out there on the high end, that level of quality is also far more expensive than "almost equivalent" systems). Just not my thing, really... but I'm impressed by their abilities in the end.

As for the Creatures... yuck. They sound TERRIBLE--anyone who thinks otherwise must have bought the Soundsticks because they looked pretty. Utterly lacking entire frequencies, the Creatures are the speaker equivalent of the Apple Pro Mouse--sure it gets the job done, but imagine what you're missing! I also find them ugly, though in a sort of cute way, so I understand the appeal. Likewise, the Soundsticks are beautiful, but for $200 I can do quite a bit better, thank you...

My vote is with Klipsch. I was about to buy them, however, when I stumbled upon my favorite secret weapon: Altec Lansing. Consistently proving that incredible sound can hide in inexpensive and downright sexy enclosures, I've been a fan since the Altec ATP3s and found my new speakers in the stunning piano-black MX-5021s. They look vastly better than the Klipsch (in my opinion) and sound as good, if not better. They also have fabulous wired and wireless remotes, much better designed than Klipsch's, and are so distortion-free it's almost unbelievable. I paid $135 for them, and the only set even coming close is the Klipsch at $150.

If it has to be one of these three, the Klipsch beats the other two by so much it's actually pathetic. Add the 5021s to the equation, and you at least have a real decision to make 🙂

Hope this helps...
 
Bluefusion said:
As for the Creatures... yuck. They sound TERRIBLE--anyone who thinks otherwise must have bought the Soundsticks because they looked pretty. Utterly lacking entire frequencies, the Creatures are the speaker equivalent of the Apple Pro Mouse--sure it gets the job done, but imagine what you're missing! I also find them ugly, though in a sort of cute way, so I understand the appeal. Likewise, the Soundsticks are beautiful, but for $200 I can do quite a bit better, thank you...
Click to expand...

I tested a few sets of speakers that sound good and match my PowerBook setup,the Creatures dont sound bad at all imo....I only paid $50 for them anyways😀
 
That's exactly the price you should pay... for $50 they're quite good. For $100, they're not.

And I'd still recommend Altec Lansing's ATP3s at $50 over the Creatures, and no i'm not an Altec plant.. just a fan 😉
 
BOSE, BOSE, BOSE, BOSE! if anything having to do with music is made by Bose I would buy it and have bought alot of it. Its the most amazing sound ever created. The Best examle would be the Bose Acoustic wave radio. Its all expensive, but never has the phrase "you get what you pay for come into play more than now" GO BOSE BRO!!!!!
 
The Klipsch Promedia 2.1's (which I currently own and love) have the fullest sound quality of the three you mentioned. Overall, I would say the Klipsch's sound *BEST*, but I have to admit, I haven't thoroughly examined the Bose's. I have always been a fan of Bose products, but I though for the money, the Promedias were the way to go (for $150 at Circuit City).
 
Bluefusion said:
That's exactly the price you should pay... for $50 they're quite good. For $100, they're not.

And I'd still recommend Altec Lansing's ATP3s at $50 over the Creatures, and no i'm not an Altec plant.. just a fan 😉
Click to expand...

I dont think I would pay $100 for any 2.1 speakers....Im sure I'll be happy with the Creatures.
 
While I'm all about Bose on the high end, I wouldn't think of them on the low end at all.

You should buy the Klipsch set but if you have the option, but the 5.1 kit, not the 2.1.
 
This is like deja vu.

I get the feeling that there are certain topics on these boards which should be set in stone. They are:

-Speakers
-RAM
-Mice

I have asked all the same questions, and researched them all. The best thing for you to do if you want to make a decision is to go to Best Buy, and you can hear the Klipsch and Bose speakers side by side. the cratures only have looks going for them.

So to make a long story short: ... Klipsch. 'nuff said.

The 2.1 ProMedia is the best 2.1 speakers you can hook up to a computer. And it's $100 cheaper than the Bose. The Altec Lansing is good and real cheap. Creatures are ok, but looks are the selling point. Bose is just a name, and decent quality. Klipsch is the unsung hero.

Their speakers will blow your socks off. Just ask a Best Buy employee. I talked with one of 'em about a home Theater system, and LOTR was playing. He came over to me and I just nodded at the speakers, and said "Klipsch?" He said yea, they're the best in the store.
 
Klipsch, all the way. I've got a set, and they are AWESOME. They sound better than my $500+ Sony surround sound system. No joke.

I've used mine as monitors for mastering audio, and they work great in this app. Although, the sub is VERY loud, and can often handle frequencies that would blow car speakers.

For movies, especially THX certified films, these speakers have to be heard to be belived.

The sound is comparable to my dad's Expensive Sony SAVA-9000 setup, but it's 1/10th the price.

Get these, you won't regret it. 🙂
 
Bose are some of the worst speakers out there. I cannot comment on the waveradio, but their acustimass speakers and other similar speakers are very poorly built, using inferior speaker parts that bose then offers to consumers at a marked up price. You will be much happier with a pair of klipsch or almost any other brand speaker. I will not detail the reasons that bose produces inferior speakers, but a good explanation can be found at http://home.earthlink.net/~busenitz/bs.html. This explanation is fairly thorough and actually explains the faults rather than just saying that bose speakers are not as great as many believe they are.

If you ask any audio professional(that doesn't work for bose) or audiophile, they will almost certainly tell you that compared to other speakers bose speakers are very lacking in many respects. I recently put together a HT system for a friend using Definitive technology floorstanding speakers and surrounds that costs around the same amount as bose's acustimass surround system in a box.
 
If you're using them at work, then you'll want something small, that puts out good sound, and is attractive to look at. The Creature speakers are all three. I have a set and they're great. When you come home, plug into your stereo system and you can have big sound. You probably won't need big sound (Klipsch) at work.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions and input. I'm going to best buy tomorrow to listen and buy. Right now I'm leaning towards the Klipsch, then Bose, I really don't like the look of the Creature II's but I've only seen pictures?
 
U2Rules! said:
Thanks for all the suggestions and input. I'm going to best buy tomorrow to listen and buy. Right now I'm leaning towards the Klipsch, then Bose, I really don't like the look of the Creature II's but I've only seen pictures?
Click to expand...

The Creature IIs are ugly indeed. I hate the new gray look as opposed to my set of metallic ones. Assuming you had a good color, let me put it this way. Most of the time (at least with my setup) you only see the satellites. They look cool from the front, especially with the lights out since they have the green LEDs. The sub is the only thing lacking otherwise. It just has too much space w/o detail. Solution: Slap a white apple sticker that came with your computer on it. Looks great now. Im no audiophile, but to me they sound pretty good.
 
otoloui said:
If you're using them at work, then you'll want something small, that puts out good sound, and is attractive to look at. The Creature speakers are all three. I have a set and they're great. When you come home, plug into your stereo system and you can have big sound. You probably won't need big sound (Klipsch) at work.
Click to expand...

My only beef about the Creatures is the cords and the power brick. They are out of control. I have a Bose Wave sans CD player which I am satisified with but their color white is not iPod white, more of a guano white. This irks me too.

On a side note, can anybody comment on Tivoli products? They actually changed a product name from "PAL" to "iPAL" within the last 6 months or so and are marketing it to be used in conjunction with the iPod. I always thought their products were sleek and minimalist but haven't tried them out.

Tivoli iPAL
 
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