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Best Speakers for my iMac

Old Smuggler said:
I would get the bose companion speakers they sound uber-good
and the volume control pod is nice too
They are a little more expensive than the competitors but the highs and vocals are definitely crisper
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Another vote for these, they are awesome.
 
Navigating the net for speakers, the Klipsch 2.1 and audioengine A5's keep popping up. So I'm going to decide between these 2. I like that so many people are touting the bass of the Klipsch. But I also like that you can send audio wirelessly to the A5's via airport express.

I also notice that there is now an update version: Audioengine A5+, but these don't seem to have the airport express capability, can anybody confirm this?

Also when streaming sound via the airport express, does it only stream sound from iTunes, or can it stream all the macs audio?
 
The swan m50s are probably the best 2.1 system you can get for $300, if you want a sub and excellent sound quality I would get these. When I was looking for speakers I did tons of research and these kept coming up as the best. Their amazing to watch movies and listen to music with. When the subs turned up it sounds very crisp and rattles the walls in my living room. By far one of the best purchases I've made.

Bose is definitely WAY overpriced.

http://www.theaudioinsider.com/product_info.php?loudspeakers=swan-active-desktop-sound&p=swan-m50w-active-desktop-loudspeaker-system&cPath=21_24&products_id=167&
 
bought the AudioEngine A5+ speakers recently. Wasn't that impressed to be honest, they sound good in a small room, but are just not powerful enough for my liking. Turn them up relatively loud and it struggles big time. So returned them yesterday.

Going to try the klipsch pro media 2.1 instead

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1336648136.593642.jpg
 
adam1080 said:
If all you want is something that looks good, by all means, buy BOSE.

If you want something that sounds good, for the love of all that is holy, don't buy BOSE.

In the audiophile community BOSE stands for Buy Other Stereo Equipment.
My intention is not to offend any of those who have purchased their products, Bose has an amazing Marketing campaign. Their stuff is easy to setup, and sounds good to people who have only listened to TV speakers or very low-end sound systems.

However, for the money, you can have much better sound. BOSE is extremely mid-range heavy with little to no highs or lows. They use extremely cheap components with woofers frequently made of cardboard like material.

If you want more impressive sound, you would be much better off buying some of the studio monitor models recommended here like the A5's(for more options checkout the A5+), Alesis or even B&W. If you only listen to streaming internet music or highly compressed MP3's it probably doesn't matter what you get. You would actually notice the compression with any $300 setup, but more so with these studio monitors.

My 2 cents.
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This is ridiculous. How do you know what sounds good to my ears? I don't base my purchasing decision on what the "audiophile community" thinks I base it on what I like listening to. Everything you stated is the same line every Bose basher uses. The old no highs no lows... Although there is also a disagreement and some feel Bose is all highs and lows... Never found much agreement from the so called self proclaimed audio experts on that. Then of course the paper drivers. Does the driver material really matter if the products last a long time and sound good? I'm not sure, but go look on eBay or Craigslist and you will find plenty of 20-25 year old still fully functional Bose products for sale. Yes sometimes the foam surrounds on very old Bose speakers need to be replaced, but that is not uncommon for many old speakers.

Can you find something out there that sounds better then Bose? I'm sure you can, but Bose does have a sound that is very pleasant to my ears. Since Bose sells well others must feel the same way. Some say it's all marketing... False... If the products really sounded lousy and were poorly built and engineered no marketing in this world would save them.

I own several Bose products and I also own competitors products. I have listened to a lot of different things over the years and I still enjoy listening to music through my little Bose Wave Music System. I don't know why. It's not the biggest and other systems are more accurate, but I just like how it sounds. That's it. No other reason.

One other thing that needs to be said about Bose is their Customer Service. Call them and you get knowledgable reps right from the headquarters in Framingham, MA. They even help you out when your outside of your warranty period. Have an older Bose product that quit working? They offer flat rate service that is reasonable and easy to do. They send you a shipping label and the product goes to their factory in North Carolina and you get a quick turn around.

No Bose isn't perfect, but they don't deserve the bashing some give them. The products are well engineered, sound good and Bose stands behind them. Bose never publishes specs because specs don't matter to the listener. Either it sounds good to you or it doesn't. There is no spec to judge a listeners opinion.

Just my 2 cents.
 
DakotaGuy said:
How do you know what sounds good to my ears?
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Most audiophiles are like most wine snobs. They likely couldn't tell you the difference between two if put to the test, but they'll swear up and down they can.

I know there are actually are people out there who can tell, but it's probably closer to a tenth of the people who claim to be able to hear (or taste) the difference. The best part about speaker snobs is it's a bunch of people who are almost deaf from listening to their music as loud as they can. This, ironically, is when you'll see the most difference in speakers anyway. If you don't listen to your speakers at extremely high volume the choice matters even less.
 
I am not an audiophile but I do have ears.

I have listened to BOSE speakers and they do sound good. They don't sound any better though than other speakers you can get for half the price. I have a set of Teufel speakers that to my ears sound better than anything similar BOSE produce and they cost just over half the price.
 
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