Why do you hate/love Bose products!?

[Victor ch]

They will sound better if you can raise them up off the floor, but don't try to get them to "head height." Just look for rigid and spiked stands that will raise them about a foot or so off the ground. Warning--good stands are not cheap. Try Target stands or Sound Organization--both are good.

The reason you want to get them off the floor is to prevent excessive bass reinforcement--try it both ways, and you'll hear that raising them a foot or so will sound a lot better!

Ok so I am getting them off the floor, perhaps raise it a foot or two. The problem is there is no Target or Sound Organization in Costa Rica, but I will look for some good stands in different places. And how expensive are they 50$ or more?

-Victor

 

[Naimfan]

Ok so I am getting them off the floor, perhaps raise it a foot or two. The problem is there is no Target or Sound Organization in Costa Rica, but I will look for some good stands in different places. And how expensive are they 50$ or more?

-Victor

An easy thing to try would be (don't laugh!) a cinder block. As far as stands go, yes, good ones will be more than $50--I think good ones start at ~$100 USD. Just by way of example, take a look at this. Ideally you'd have a larger top plate, considering the apparent size of your speakers. You could also look at these, which would give you probably the best performance (look at the 14" stands).

 

[Rodimus Prime]

I think they are good products but over priced for what you get. You have to pay a lot for the name.

 

[Victor ch]

An easy thing to try would be (don't laugh!) a cinder block. As far as stands go, yes, good ones will be more than $50--I think good ones start at ~$100 USD. Just by way of example, take a look at this. Ideally you'd have a larger top plate, considering the apparent size of your speakers. You could also look at these, which would give you probably the best performance (look at the 14" stands).

Thanks for all the input but I think I will have them custom built at my family's business. Probably copying the design of the Soundanchors.com ones. And yep they are large heavy bastards😛 44 pounds and about 3 foot tall. Thanks again for the input.

-Victor

 

[John Jacob]

Need opinions

What do the audiophiles here think of the KEF Instant Theatre KIT 120?

I want a good sounding compact all-in-one system that doesn't take up much space, as I have a small room. The KIT 120 is a new product, but its predecessor the KIT 100 had good reviews. It's a pricey system though, so I'd like to know if it is worth the money.

I don't want to completely derail the OP's thread, so PM me. Thanks! 😀

 

[Victor ch]

What do the audiophiles here think of the KEF Instant Theatre KIT 120?

I want a good sounding compact all-in-one system that doesn't take up much space, as I have a small room. The KIT 120 is a new product, but its predecessor the KIT 100 had good reviews. It's a pricey system though, so I'd like to know if it is worth the money.

I don't want to completely derail the OP's thread, so PM me. Thanks! 😀

Chill bro, I find this thread to be an avid discussion on the sound quality of consumer products😀 I checked the link you gave and they look very nice, they do seem to pack a punch (the subwoofer has a volume of 16 liters😱) and the satellite speakers produce sound from the back too so they can produce surround. As for the brand Im sorry Im not familiar with it, I judged them by the specs and the looks ejejej.

-Victor

 

[Victor ch]

Hey, today I visited my local Bose retailer and asked the guy if he could "show" me how the 301 Speakers sound. Im gonna say I was amazed. To be honest I had very low expectations and was ready to hear some mediocre sound like the one on my Companion 3 (I like them a lot but they just cant seem to reproduce certain frequencies due to their nature) They actually beat my Altec Lansing 'Hi-Fi' speakers😱 They sounded just like them but with a much better controlled bass. What amazed me though is that they're priced at $300 and holy jesus those things are loud, I felt sorry for the other guy in the showroom who just spent 5K on a home theatre that have those little speakers (like the one in the Companion 3, home theaters and Acoustic Mass setups) that suck big time. I've heard their "older brother" 901 Series Speakers and is has that same mediocre sound but a bit bassier, the same goes for the 161 and Acoustic Mass. I went through the whole setup and only the 301 and 201 set of speakers had that sound that is just amazing. Im saving up money to buy them as they seem very very nice speakers and put to shame other Bose products and several "studio monitors" I've heard. Interesting that Bose does have very nice, loud, and most important: good sounding speakers.

Victor

 

[Victor ch]

My opinion changed a tad...

Well, when one is on a budget and on a quest to get the best for the price, one can realize many things, amongst that is the fact that most Bose products are not worth their price. Im utterly happy with my QC2 Headphones, love them to bits (I can isolate myself from the world into my Lossless word; get it? Lossless! 😉) Im modestly happy with my Companion 3's, they're loud, small and sound OK (far from amazing, precise or critical) I kinda hate my In-Ears and Im thankful my dad (and many other) told me NOT to get the 301's.

Although the 301's where astonishing at first, they are not worth the price. I mean, one can get a much more nice sounding set of speakers from Polkaudio at a somewhat similar price. And if you've just spend several hundred dollars on an "audiophile-grade" stereo amp, sacrificed lots of GB for Lossless files and has a 'mildly trained ear', you are just giving all that up buying Bose 301's for them. They sound nice, there's no denial in that, and they're bassy too, but you can get that for less amount of money.

Seeing my dad with his 25yr-old Altec Lansing speakers still working (although kinda dead now, one sounds weird @ high volumes) made me think: Will I keep these 301's for a long period of time? Hell no, Its highly likely I will keep searching for better speakers at similar price tags. So if I spend 500-600$ now for some KEF Q series speakers I will enjoy them long enough for me to gather $23K (or £11,400) for those B&O BeoLab 5's. If you can justify a Hasselblad H3D camera or buying a new Mini Cooper as a guilty pleasure then one can justify a 23K set of speakers 😛

Anyway, thanks again to everyone who has posted with their comments regarding Bose products. I specially want to thank Kyllip for his support in my "quest for a hi-fi system", thanks bro 🙂. I think we can conclude Bose doesn't live up to many expectations and even though they don't deserve to be called a worthless piece o' **** they don't deserve the title for an amazing (or above average) audio company. I won't change my QC2's for any other headphone (not even Grado) but everything else from Bose that I have right now can be replaced with something else and I wouldn't bother 😛 Anyone else with comments, experiences or something mildly related to what is discussed here feel free to post.

Victor

 

[asrmatt]

I think they are good products but over priced for what you get. You have to pay a lot for the name.

It's exactly what so many people tell me about my buying apple products...

 

[pimentoLoaf]

I love the sound in their headphones; I don't like the cost due to the overall cheapness of design.

Two Tri-ports mechanically failed within weeks of each other. The second wasn't bought: I got it free when the first broke apart whilst taking it off my head.

The head surround part fits into the headphones with a small metal clip holding it against detents; pull just a bit more than normal and the two halves of plastic detent "tube" split apart. The metal clip flies gosh-knows-where and ...

One solution is to wrap duct tape 'round the tube ends and remembering to be excessively careful when you stop using the headphones.

 

[riscy]

I love the sound quality and the small size of their speakers, very unobtrusive, I have them ceiling mounted, with wires concealed and people get a bit unnerved as to where the sound is coming from when I play music.

 

[cantthinkofone]

there is a saying:

"no highs, no lows, just Bose."

i think their stuff is very well marketed crap.

I second that. bose blows.

They sound disgusting. it's all mids. no highs, no lows. Their commercials make me laugh. All their diagrams of how their stuff works. The people they interview must be people who work for them.

I have a $20 pair of sony headphones and they sound perfect to me.

 

[QuarterSwede]

there is a saying:

"no highs, no lows, just Bose."

i think their stuff is very well marketed crap.

I second that. bose blows.

They sound disgusting. it's all mids. no highs, no lows.

I third it. The reason they do so well is because people don't know any better. It sounds like it's all there until you compare them to a really good system and then you go, "woah, that is crappy."

That being said, they do make some of the best sounding iPod docks. If Bose can do one thing it's bring out a lot of sound from a small package. Are they audiophile grade? No, but what small iPod dock is?

LOL, but what I've heard the most is that their products are to "bassy" which is partially true but not to the point of loosing audio performance.

They aren't too bassy, they're too low-midrangy. That's what people are hearing.

 

[riscy]

You buy quality, it last longer - my Bose speakers are still going very strong after 15 years and were not overly expensive to start with. Pretty good cost per year, IMO, and a better, richer sound than cheaper speakers. In fact, I am going to add to my system - not replace.

As someone else said, Bose is similar to Mac - might be a bit more expensive, but they last a lot longer.

I think they are good products but over priced for what you get. You have to pay a lot for the name.

 

[joekix]

In that case, when it comes to replacing it, your best bet is to look at Rotel and B&W.

Rotel make some of the best 'budget' equipment out there (although it really performs to an excellent standard, and is built beautifully), and generally matches the sound of B&W speakers very well (very soulful/effortless sound).

It won't be 'cheap', but it's definitely cheaper than a Bose setup, and worth it in the long run.

I used to love my rotel rb-1080 matched with my 805's until i got a sony es digital receiver. i really like the sound of digital amps. anyways, i have had nautilus 805's matched with a velodyne hgs-15 sub for the last 9 years and never had any inclination to upgrade. i knew when i got these 3 speakers, i was done. the rest of my system consists of the htm-2 and four lm-1s for surround.

 

[Shotglass]

To anyone thinking they buy quality when they get Bose equipment, I suggest you open one of their speakers.

 

[diehldun]

Oy, you should see the way my mom swears by her Wave Radio/CD that I got her for Christmas. She is convinced it is the greatest thing created by mankind. 😀

 

[Shotglass]

Oy, you should see the way my mom swears by her Wave Radio/CD that I got her for Christmas. She is convinced it is the greatest thing created by mankind. 😀

I know the type. I've seen the videos on Bose's website, with the smiling seniors proclaiming their love for this fantastic product. It's always the good hearted housewife/grandmother praising the radio for it's "clarity" and raging about how it "fills the room with sound". Such a terrible cliché...

 

[Victor ch]

Today I went to one of my country's few Hi-Fi stores and tested some Klipsch speakers... holy **** Those were just awesome, even the lowest of their lineup the Synergy F-1 will beat the **** out of any Bose speaker. They had KEF and other high-end brands but I couldn't test them as I ran out of time, first time conversation with someone who cares about sound quality. He did recommend me (due to my music tastes) that I should go Klipsch rather than KEF (even though he would get more $$ from the KEF) Curious thing is that the almost half hour I spent there talking to this guy and listening to Klipsch speakers I didn't knew who he was, turned out that he was THE owner of the store(s) and brother of the guy who runs the most prestigious music academy in the country and owner of the best music-related stuff store. That guy knew a lot and was an awesome person. Sorry Bose, you'll never hear from me again, unless my QC2's give me trouble **knocks on wood**.


Victor

 

[Shotglass]

Today I went to one of my country's few Hi-Fi stores and tested some Klipsch speakers... holy **** Those were just awesome, even the lowest of their lineup the Synergy F-1 will beat the **** out of any Bose speaker. They had KEF and other high-end brands but I couldn't test them as I ran out of time, first time conversation with someone who cares about sound quality. He did recommend me (due to my music tastes) that I should go Klipsch rather than KEF (even though he would get more $$ from the KEF) Curious thing is that the almost half hour I spent there talking to this guy and listening to Klipsch speakers I didn't knew who he was, turned out that he was THE owner of the store(s) and brother of the guy who runs the most prestigious music academy in the country and owner of the best music-related stuff store. That guy knew a lot and was an awesome person. Sorry Bose, you'll never hear from me again, unless my QC2's give me trouble **knocks on wood**.

I sincerely hope you will not be the last that I will witness getting sucked into the quicksands of audiophile music.

 

[Victor ch]

I sincerely hope you will not be the last that I will witness getting sucked into the quicksands of audiophile music.

What do you mean? If you mean I'll be the guy who won't take anything under 320kbps or other than Lossless then partially. If I have no other choice then meh f it, but I can have it @ higher quality then i'll do it. Im not the one who's gonna buy a magnetically suspended turntable so that the rotor itself won't interfere with the sound quality, nor will I get a turntable, I just enjoy good sound quality.

Victor

 

[mogzieee]

LOVE Bose cos it's so freekin awesome, but HATE it because I know i'll never be able to afford it lol

 

[Silencio]

Seeing my dad with his 25yr-old Altec Lansing speakers still working (although kinda dead now, one sounds weird @ high volumes)

Any 25 year-old speaker will most likely need some maintenance or repairs. How do the foams around the drivers look? Hard to tell from the pictures you posted, but the foams generally need to get replaced after a while if they decay and crack. It's cheap and fairly easy to do with most speakers. You can probably find a suitable do-it-yourself kit on eBay.

My own speakers (a set of Acoustic Research TSW-410s) are pushing 20 years old now. Thankfully they're still in excellent shape and the foams are still good. The only reason I'd replace them is because they're a little big and imposing; as much as I'd like a nice set of B&Ws I'd expect to shell out a substantial amount of money for a dramatic decrease in size and perhaps a marginal gain in sound quality, and there's plenty of other things I'd rather spend my money on right now.

 

[Victor ch]

Any 25 year-old speaker will most likely need some maintenance or repairs. How do the foams around the drivers look? Hard to tell from the pictures you posted, but the foams generally need to get replaced after a while if they decay and crack. It's cheap and fairly easy to do with most speakers. You can probably find a suitable do-it-yourself kit on eBay.

My own speakers (a set of Acoustic Research TSW-410s) are pushing 20 years old now. Thankfully they're still in excellent shape and the foams are still good. The only reason I'd replace them is because they're a little big and imposing; as much as I'd like a nice set of B&Ws I'd expect to shell out a substantial amount of money for a dramatic decrease in size and perhaps a marginal gain in sound quality, and there's plenty of other things I'd rather spend my money on right now.

I had to disassemble the right speaker since it didn't work; turned out to be a detached cable, when I did that I looked inside and the foam was kinda orange-ish (if that helps in anyway)and one of them actually housed a cockroach nest... The tweeters are kinda effed up and the connections in the back had to be glued in order for them to work. They're not so good sounding either, when you compare them to new speakers. My dad himself told me to better get new ones and finally give those a rest. Good thing he's paying for them hehe 😛 Thanks for the info though.

Victor

 

[Killyp]

You buy quality, it last longer - my Bose speakers are still going very strong after 15 years and were not overly expensive to start with. Pretty good cost per year, IMO, and a better, richer sound than cheaper speakers. In fact, I am going to add to my system - not replace.

Nonsense. My dad's ~40 year old Goodmans Minister speakers (from the days when Goodmans made proper hifi) are still going on strong and sound fantastic given their age. I would happily use them as main hifi speakers, and I'd be pretty confident in pitting them against pretty much any Bose speakers.

I used to love my rotel rb-1080 matched with my 805's until i got a sony es digital receiver. i really like the sound of digital amps. anyways, i have had nautilus 805's matched with a velodyne hgs-15 sub for the last 9 years and never had any inclination to upgrade. i knew when i got these 3 speakers, i was done. the rest of my system consists of the htm-2 and four lm-1s for surround.

Sick, I want your surround sound setup 😛 I've been eyeing up the latest B&W 680 series a lot lately, which bring some of the technology of the 800 series down to the entry level speakers. They've started using simplified crossovers (a single component is used), FST surround midrange drivers and properly engineered Nautilus tweeters. I've heard the 686 and 684 and they sounded disgustingly good...