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Why do you hate/love Bose products!?
- Thread starter Victor ch
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Im definitely gonna get a subwoofer, either Klipsch (reference OFC) or KEF but the specs are making me go for the Klipsch one... Also once I get this I can buy a center channel speakers (from klipsch prolly) and I already have enough speakers for 5.1 (I own a couple of other floorstanders)! then I could buy a proper receiver and voila! I have a home theatre, and a mighty good I'll say hehe.
Victor
Victor
Well, there has been some minor changes. The amp and the newly added tuner are in my computer desk (away from the tv; interference generator) and the PS3 is no longer hooked up. Ah, and the music now comes from an AirPort Express, the sound is just better. This setup will remain in their current position (possibly add a proper cd player) and when I get and HDTV I'll move everything to the tv furniture since the tv will be wall mounted. I think I've never heard radio sound so good hahah that old Sansui tuner is quite awesome.
Victor
Victor
Ahh, yes, I miss that brand as well. Bought them extensively through the 80's. Good value for the money, robust amps with pretty good specs and decent speakers, CD players and tape decks. A shame that Matsushita let the brand dwindle in the US. Today they make turntables and electric pianos. And interesting side note, on October Matsushita will change its name to Panasonic bringing the Matsushita and National brands to an end. I can only assume that the remaining use of the brands of Ramsa and Technics will soon follow.
I believe they made some very nice CD players in the early 90s, is that correct? I might be mistaking brands here, but I think I remember a champagne-colored, button-riddled player that looked alot like Sony's early attempts if you know what I mean.
Got rid of my Bose speakers and my uncle "gifted"me an HDTV (and I "gifted" him the Bose's). I posted in the Home Theater thread but I'll say its worthy of reposting 
Gear:
Its effin awesome and Im adding more stuff throughout the year.
Victor
Gear:
- Sharp AQUOS 32" LCD HDTV.
- Klipsch Reference 52's floorstanders.
- NAD C315BEE amplifier.
- 60GB PlayStation3
- AirPort Express for streaming music.
Its effin awesome and Im adding more stuff throughout the year
. Victor
Attachments
I've always been impartial to Bose and their products, but today was different.
My Bose In-Ears died out of the nowhere, the right earphone stopped working and from then it all went downhill, they are useless now. Thanks to that random failure (you can imagine how angry i was after having to deal with the screaming kids on the way to school in the bus), I had to undust my old PX100 Senns, and (after forgetting how they sound) realized they kicked the living crap out of my in-ears; I mean, I had forgotten you could actually hear mids and highs. So not only my $49 Senns destroy the much more expensive in-ears, they also have survived every single stress test after being mishandled and neglected, and my in-ears which I cared for like they were golden decide to die on me all of the sudden. No more Bose for me thankyouverymuch.
My Bose In-Ears died out of the nowhere, the right earphone stopped working and from then it all went downhill, they are useless now. Thanks to that random failure (you can imagine how angry i was after having to deal with the screaming kids on the way to school in the bus), I had to undust my old PX100 Senns, and (after forgetting how they sound) realized they kicked the living crap out of my in-ears; I mean, I had forgotten you could actually hear mids and highs. So not only my $49 Senns destroy the much more expensive in-ears, they also have survived every single stress test after being mishandled and neglected, and my in-ears which I cared for like they were golden decide to die on me all of the sudden. No more Bose for me thankyouverymuch.
Having been there when this "mishap" occurred I must say Im sorry bro. On the other side you're listening to better sounding equipment now (albeit the part that I have your PX100's now
)Anyway, Im getting rid of my last piece of Bose equipment, the QC2's. A pair of Senn's HD280 pro should arrive in the next month or so. Here's a graphic representation of my transition from Bose to good sounding equipment:
From
From
And shortly from
Goodbye Bose, it wasn't nice to know you.
Victor
I really like them... they just need to lower their prices by a couple hundred dollars.
And when this happens their price will be equal to their sound quality.
Victor
Do the JBL's have an alarm clock built-in?
Horses for courses, as they say. And it really is hilarious to see a bunch of Apple users ragging on Bose, since the two makers might as well be two peas in a pod in their clientele.
Know who got the better deal there lol
IMHO its a simple equation Boss = S***e
Im no audiophile but I know what sounds decent and what doesnt. I went into the Boss shop out of interest one day when hunting around for speakers, their demonstrations were embarassingly bad and their pricetags were stupid. I just said straight up to the guy, "you must actually be taking the piss, your stuff sucks ass completely, how can you sell this junk." I then left the shop, never to return.
My favourite set of speakers are my original 8 year old Harmon Kardons, and my ultimate aim would be to have a Linn system. So will just have to wait and see!! Take Boss near me and I might throw up over you.
Bose sucks and I'm sticking to either B and W or at least Polk for my next iPod docking station.
Granted, "good sound" is relative to the individual - but I will honestly say I've never ever come across a Bose setup that wasn't matched or even beaten to the floor by another brand in terms of sound quality, and usually for hundreds of dollars less.
I wouldn't say I hate their products... I just know I can get the same quality for less money.
I wouldn't say I hate their products... I just know I can get the same quality for less money.
In all fairness to the little Wave systems, they do produce a good sound for their size, and I could happily enjoy an album through one. However, I know I'd much more rather have a proper system.
then I'd recommend the Arcam Solo with a pair of B&W 686s, 685s, 684s or 683s.
In other news, I was in a Bose shop the other day in the North of the UK and their 301s + 901s were wired out of phase They were powering them with an Arcam Solo though which is pretty good going...
Instead of Linn (as great as they are), I'd look for some Naim. They're Linn's biggest competitor and tbh, with a pair of B&W 800Ds, you'll struggle to find anything which sounds better. If you can't afford the £30k+ you'd need to spend for that setupKnow who got the better deal there lol
IMHO its a simple equation Boss = S***e
Im no audiophile but I know what sounds decent and what doesnt. I went into the Boss shop out of interest one day when hunting around for speakers, their demonstrations were embarassingly bad and their pricetags were stupid. I just said straight up to the guy, "you must actually be taking the piss, your stuff sucks ass completely, how can you sell this junk." I then left the shop, never to return.
My favourite set of speakers are my original 8 year old Harmon Kardons, and my ultimate aim would be to have a Linn system.
then I'd recommend the Arcam Solo with a pair of B&W 686s, 685s, 684s or 683s.As good as Polk's dock is, the Zeppelin is in a slightly different league.
In other news, I was in a Bose shop the other day in the North of the UK and their 301s + 901s were wired out of phase
They were powering them with an Arcam Solo though which is pretty good going...
Yeah exactly, altought the clock radio one (pictured) is rather good, not fantastic and I rather have an iPod dock. The bigger version of the one pictured is pure crap, seriously, my sister (who gives sh** about sound) said the $1K "Acoustic Wave" DAB sounded odd, then she heard my Studiophiles and couldn't understand how someone could buy that system.
True, I rather go with the "well marketed crap" theme
I don't quite get the Apple/Bose comparison, but OK. And I don't find this hilarious.
Know who got the better deal there lol
IMHO its a simple equation Boss = S***e
Im no audiophile but I know what sounds decent and what doesnt. I went into the Boss shop out of interest one day when hunting around for speakers, their demonstrations were embarassingly bad and their pricetags were stupid. I just said straight up to the guy, "you must actually be taking the piss, your stuff sucks ass completely, how can you sell this junk." I then left the shop, never to return.
My favourite set of speakers are my original 8 year old Harmon Kardons, and my ultimate aim would be to have a Linn system. So will just have to wait and see!! Take Boss near me and I might throw up over you.
LOL, actually when I went to audition the 301's the guy claim they were hi-fi, even though I didin't hate them so much I knew they were NOT hi-fi, barely even "good". (thank god (and Killyp) that I didn't buy the Bose ones)
From what I've heard the B&W Zeppelin is quite fantastic, a tad pricey I'll say.
Good sound is good sound, when people are fooled (I've shamefully been there) that paying more money equals better sound they tend to go Bose, I have a couple of friends that insist their Bose headphones are the shizznit, when they really are just OK sounding, a pair of much cheaper headphones do the job better.
In all fairness to the little Wave systems, they do produce a good sound for their size, and I could happily enjoy an album through one. However, I know I'd much more rather have a proper system.
(snip some text)
In other news, I was in a Bose shop the other day in the North of the UK and their 301s + 901s were wired out of phase
Indeed, my grandfather is a believer in Bose (he's the one that actually owns the Acoustic Wave system and several Wave clock ones that I've tested) and those little clock ones sound OK and pack some features and are "reasonably" priced (I think they're like 350~400$).
LOL, in the Bose store in here they hook up the speakers to Yamaha receivers and such, the "Bose" labeled ones are unplugged and in the floor haha.
Victor
I really hate convoluted multiquotes, as much as mods may espouse them.
As I said elsewhere and then said "As I said elsewhere", the two manufacturers have very similar philosophies: Bose makes well-designed (from a user interaction point of view) yet ultimately rather mediocre and limiting products, but made easy to use, easy to buy and easy to achieve a desired result for those who don't understand audio-tech, dressed up in shiny packaging and marketed to the hilt with hyperbole that doesn't justify the product. Build quality and attention to detail in the engineering - not design - is somewhat variable as well.
Now where have I seen that before? Hmmmm...
Quoting myself again, "I own a couple of Bose products, and I find they do the job for me much in the way that Apple products do for entertainment. When I have an undemanding use for something which I don't want to fuss with or get all fancy with, I pick Bose."
I apply exactly the same rationale to my everyday players - a couple of iPods - which are although perfectly acceptable, not the best sounding DAPs/PMP's out there. If the critical level of sonic difference between say a Bose and a B&W dock is what you're raving about, I could point at that iPod you're trying to dock into it and smirk in a really annoying way
Me, I just don't need the degree of control or quality for the majority of my casual listening and can happily (or at least, readily) trade it off for the no-brainer features of the iPod/iTunes ecosystem. If I need significantly better audio for another purpose, I go elsewhere - as I do with computing products.
The fact that everyone here, on this board above all others, bashing Bose can't see the almost exact parallel is what makes it pretty funny.
I really hate convoluted multiquotes, as much as mods may espouse them.
As I said elsewhere and then said "As I said elsewhere", the two manufacturers have very similar philosophies: Bose makes well-designed (from a user interaction point of view) yet ultimately rather mediocre and limiting products, but made easy to use, easy to buy and easy to achieve a desired result for those who don't understand audio-tech, dressed up in shiny packaging and marketed to the hilt with hyperbole that doesn't justify the product. Build quality and attention to detail in the engineering - not design - is somewhat variable as well.
Now where have I seen that before? Hmmmm...
Quoting myself again, "I own a couple of Bose products, and I find they do the job for me much in the way that Apple products do for entertainment. When I have an undemanding use for something which I don't want to fuss with or get all fancy with, I pick Bose."
I apply exactly the same rationale to my everyday players - a couple of iPods - which are although perfectly acceptable, not the best sounding DAPs/PMP's out there. If the critical level of sonic difference between say a Bose and a B&W dock is what you're raving about, I could point at that iPod you're trying to dock into it and smirk in a really annoying way
Me, I just don't need the degree of control or quality for the majority of my casual listening and can happily trade it off for the no-brainer features of the iPod/iTunes ecosystem. If I need significantly better audio for another purpose, I go elsewhere - as I do with computing products.
The fact that everyone here, on this board above all others, bashing Bose can't see the almost exact parallel is what makes it pretty funny.
Fair enough, Im still reluctant to agreeing on this
They're overall different products, although they serve the purpose of other ones (computing and all) and the same goes for the speakers. As for the remark on the B&W Zepellin its still an all-in-one audio setup, its not meant to be the most sonically accurate thing, for its purpose its prolly the best or one of the best in its kind. For the best "hi-fi experience" I use a CD player that via gold plated cables goes to the amp, from there the signal travels trhough OFC copper with gold plated banana plugs, finnaly reaching the hi-fi speakers, not from iPod so don't smirk the event. The iPod is there for just the mobile necessities. As for Apple computers, they do include a series of "technologies" that make them partially worth the price, Im aware a Dell or something might to the job but is either vulnerable to other stuff and might not include the series of technologies that in such case do have a purpose (OS X, array of sensors and small details) that in the case of being a speaker might not end up in better sonic performance (Bose's technologies, other branded technologies). Take Bose, they say their speakers can achieve life-like sound, this in other words is trying to say "high-fidelity" something they can't reach. Apple doesn't say they're the best computers on earth, I wish to think so but I know they aren't. Im still oddly confused of your point here. You don't see me and others bashing Genius speakers, bashing cheap generic speakers, we're "bashing" an audio brand that claims to be top-of-the-line when they aren't.Victor
Fair enough, Im still reluctant to agreeing on this
Victor
Actually, they do. The Macbook Air introduction. Steve Jobs' exact words were, I believe: "As you all know, Apple makes the greatest laptops in the world..."
Fair enough, why don't you start a "Why do you hate/love Apple computers?!" thread?. On the other hand, if Im not mistaken a PC World mag. article claimed the MBP as the best PC laptop, how many What Hi-FI? Hi-Fi News, Sterophile or other magazines claimed a set of Bose speakers as the Best or one of the best?. Im still hesitant to say they don't correlate as much as some have told, this "comparison" could also be applied to cars, tv brands, furniture, jewelry etc. I insist they're way too different concepts.
Victor
Sound okay, oo, nice. Then you look at the price and see what you could get for the same amount and the smile, if there was one, turns blah. I guess their PA stuff is good, but Tannoy is so much better. Headphones? try Audio-Technica or AKG, Sennheiser, or Shure. Speakers? not my speciality but I think that any B & W would blow them away, and those are really pricey. Or Tannoy, or Avant, or nice Cambridge Soundworks, or Klipsch. Looks? B&O is quite nice, though I think overpriced, still. Computer speakers? Blue Sky. Home theatre? What about Yamaha? just to start. I just don't see any reason why one should buy Bose. And those people who say 'I've got stuff that's better than you because it's Bose' soooo annoy me.' They aren't the best but cost enough to be. rant over.
And about Steve saying Apple makes the best laptops? I disagree, too. Some of the best? sure. I actually think the MBA was a piece of Apple pulling a Bose, to a smaller degree... sigh. nobody's perfect. Some are just more perfect than others.
And about Steve saying Apple makes the best laptops? I disagree, too. Some of the best? sure. I actually think the MBA was a piece of Apple pulling a Bose, to a smaller degree... sigh. nobody's perfect. Some are just more perfect than others.
Sound okay, oo, nice. Then you look at the price and see what you could get for the same amount and the smile, if there was one, turns blah. I guess their PA stuff is good, but Tannoy is so much better. Headphones? try Audio-Technica or AKG, Sennheiser, or Shure. Speakers? not my speciality but I think that any B & W would blow them away, and those are really pricey. Or Tannoy, or Avant, or nice Cambridge Soundworks, or Klipsch. Looks? B&O is quite nice, though I think overpriced, still. Computer speakers? Blue Sky. Home theatre? What about Yamaha? just to start. I just don't see any reason why one should buy Bose. And those people who say 'I've got stuff that's better than you because it's Bose' soooo annoy me.' They aren't the best but cost enough to be. rant over.
And about Steve saying Apple makes the best laptops? I disagree, too. Some of the best? sure. I actually think the MBA was a piece of Apple pulling a Bose, to a smaller degree... sigh. nobody's perfect. Some are just more perfect than others.
Why would you buy Bose?
It's less true than it used to be since many, many other manufacturers have crowded into the 'lifestyle' hi-fi market over the last 5 or so years, but the 'Wave' systems were revolutionary for the time - not in terms of technology, but the marketing application of the technology. The HT speakers in particular were 'wife-friendly', and I know many guys who've bought Bose systems specifically with the approval of their wives since it didn't muck with the decor. It was a somewhat belated wake-up with the iPod explosion but many headphone makers are also now going after the same market that Bose is, and ironically Bose themselves were caught out, releasing a portable CD player as tragically late as 3 years ago. But it is a 'lifestyle' brand and still recognised as such.
And that's exactly what Apple is. 'lifestyle' computing. You could do a heck of a lot better for most, but it's friendly to people who don't know what they should be buying but make their decisions based on other factors, such as how it looks - or to people who do know better but need an application where outright function can be sacrificed for looks, or other attributes.
I sometimes have requirements like that in audio as well as in computing (although in computing, I'd say it's a slightly more debilitating compromise). The Triport AE headphone for example is very easy and comfortable to wear and also easy on the ears in terms of their sonic response. I think it sounds pretty mediocre in terms of absolute quality, it's relatively fragile and it's not that hugely isolating - but there are situations where it's the perfect fit. For better audio, for better isolation, etc - I have others. If I depended on audio accuracy and day-in, day-out use as a profession, I'd trash it as it'd likely break, and it's not accurate enough for monitoring. But in terms of who it's built for, I can't speak too ill of it. It's not like it's branded for 'Pro's
As for the PCMag review, given the wording in the review and the somewhat misleading tag of "the fastest Vista notebook that we tested" I'm wondering if it was an exercise in zeitgeist-surfing hit-bait. Other pubs have been more circumspect, giving praise where due but not going overboard. It may well have been the fastest Vista machine they had available to them at the time, but it has never been the fastest overall Vista portable *I* can buy. And by the way, the SoundDock does feature prominently in many audio publications, where it is usually positively reviewed. I take it Victor ch that's a valid endorsement too?