Mmm they don't go THAT loud. They have pretty weak amplifiers behind them, and generally very small drivers (incl. the subwoofer). A pair of say, Klipsches will go much much louder, especially if you add a subwoofer...
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Why do you hate/love Bose products!?
- Thread starter Victor ch
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Mmm they don't go THAT loud. They have pretty weak amplifiers behind them, and generally very small drivers (incl. the subwoofer). A pair of say, Klipsches will go much much louder, especially if you add a subwoofer...
Okay, point taken. I guess here is my point: I did not do a lot of research when looking for my speakers. I saw the Bose speakers, they sounded good to me, I liked the way they looked, so I bought them.
Fair enough. You just need to be aware that this kind of attitude is what lets Bose make tons of money from mediocre products.
Touché.... Couldn't have said it better; in fact thats what almost happened to me, I tested the 301's they sounded awesome to me (was very close to getting them) then I tested Klipsch (both consumer and fancier lines) and KEF; trust me, there's no point in comparing them, Bose is millions of miles behind these brands, specially from Klipsches Reference line and KEF iQ series. Their least expensive floor-standing non-reference speaker from Klipsch (the Synergy F-1) is easily 10x better. Im getting the Reference RF-52's this tuesday (yayy dad finally accepted the 'trade' with my old Sony system) and even though they don't quite match the décor I couldn't care less, they're plain awesome. Right now Im listening to some Lossless-encoded electronic music and oh boy.. these Bose Companion 3's are bassy m-f**** but the sound is hideous, can't wait for the Klipsches...
Victor
I'm sure you're gonna love them!
In other news, my CD player packed up this morning
Thanks!
Ohhh no.. The Bang & Olufsen one? (not sure what you mean by packed up, Im assuming it stop working or something bad)
Victor
Thanks!
Ohhh no.. The Bang & Olufsen one? (not sure what you mean by packed up, Im assuming it stop working or something bad)
Victor
Yeh, the CD7000 which is a stunningly good player - still one of the best sounding players around. Built like an absolute tank, works beautifully and it looks stunning. Just randomly stopped playing CDs although it is 20 years old so it's not surprising.
Took it to B&O to service - cleaned the whole thing inside out and cleaned the lens (which fixed the issue - I was too frightened to touch the thing) and charged me £10!
Picking it up soon.
Also managed to fix my old (but very good) Sony DVD player and my dad's old Nad CD player.
Bose, shame in you.
Well, I finally got my amp and everything set up... The sound coming from Klipsche RF-52's floorstanders + NAD C315BEE amp is just awesome. The speakers have this "solid, dry thump" instead of the o so common blurred bass you'll get from Bose, the mids are extremely clear, same goes from the highs. I can't thank enough Kyllip and all who told me NOT to go Bose as I would've regretted it badly. Its a shame Bose qualify their speakers as "room filling, and rich"; unless the room filling applies to distorted sound and rich to uncontrolled bass. The one and only Bose product I won't bash is their QC2 headphones that work quite good (although if you do the research there's a better pair from Audio Technica). I own other Bose products (in-ears, companions) and eventually they'll be replaced, specially the in-ears. I own Bose and other audio brands and well, you've heard what I've said, Bose is not worth IMO, perhaps the QC2s and only if you can't get your hands on the Audio Technicas.
I will post some pics of the setup in a short moment
Victor
Well, I finally got my amp and everything set up... The sound coming from Klipsche RF-52's floorstanders + NAD C315BEE amp is just awesome. The speakers have this "solid, dry thump" instead of the o so common blurred bass you'll get from Bose, the mids are extremely clear, same goes from the highs. I can't thank enough Kyllip and all who told me NOT to go Bose as I would've regretted it badly. Its a shame Bose qualify their speakers as "room filling, and rich"; unless the room filling applies to distorted sound and rich to uncontrolled bass. The one and only Bose product I won't bash is their QC2 headphones that work quite good (although if you do the research there's a better pair from Audio Technica). I own other Bose products (in-ears, companions) and eventually they'll be replaced, specially the in-ears. I own Bose and other audio brands and well, you've heard what I've said, Bose is not worth IMO, perhaps the QC2s and only if you can't get your hands on the Audio Technicas.
I will post some pics of the setup in a short moment
Victor
After trying a bunch of headphones, Bose and others, I settled on the Bose on-ear model. They are comfy and pretty portable and sound great to me on my iPod, but I'm a musician, not an audiophile. I hear music first and sound second, if that makes sense. In other words, Django, Louis, Billie, Miles, Herbie, Wes, and the rest can give me goosebumps on a crappy sound system.
BTW, Bose makes some kickass PA products for working musicians. Innovative, portable, and fantastic sounding stuff.
BTW, Bose makes some kickass PA products for working musicians. Innovative, portable, and fantastic sounding stuff.
Reinhardt, Armstrong, Holiday, Davis (genius), Hancock and Montgomery.
Oh, and at 504 posts you may now have an avatar.
Congratulations, that only took 5+ years.
Oh, and at 504 posts you may now have an avatar.
Congratulations, that only took 5+ years.
Reinhardt, Armstrong, Holiday, Davis (genius), Hancock and Montgomery.
Oh, and at 504 posts you may now have an avatar.
Congratulations, that only took 5+ years.
Lol - thanks, I think!
I went into our local Bose store and had a demo - the salesman was saying isn't that incredible in the demo room but I just couldn't see it (or hear it!)
They are small cube speakers which says it all. In acoustics like optics (so forget a 5MP tiny phone camera) size matters.
Music is my passion and I have 1000's of CD's
.
We have a Tannoy system with 1metre tall floor speakers. They are beautiful to look at and to listen to.
Others if you can get them are
QUAD
Wharfdale
Mission
Mordaunt Short
KEF
Acousic Energy
Celestion
Its a surprising fact that the UK leads the world in speaker design.
They are small cube speakers which says it all. In acoustics like optics (so forget a 5MP tiny phone camera) size matters.
Music is my passion and I have 1000's of CD's
.
We have a Tannoy system with 1metre tall floor speakers. They are beautiful to look at and to listen to.
Others if you can get them are
QUAD
Wharfdale
Mission
Mordaunt Short
KEF
Acousic Energy
Celestion
Its a surprising fact that the UK leads the world in speaker design.
True... The guy at the Bose retailer even made the terrible mistake to call them High Fidelity speakers, they where clearly NOT.
Actually I tested KEF and was about to switch but the least expensive floorstander (iQ5) was a tad out of my reach and didn't handle low frequencies the way I wanted. Apparently the US&A has few high end brands (I can only recall Klipsch to be honest) and yes, europeans (specially from the UK) lead the hi-fi industry.
Another curious thing is how the size thing doesn't matter that much (although your analogy is true), I mean, my dads Altec Lansing hi-fi speaker are 3-way cost like 800 bucks a piece and each woofer has 12", yet the sound isn't that 'bassy' nor precise when compared to the Klipshes, but definitely a very nice pair of speakers.
Ohh and one more thing, should I be concerned that I find it necessary to have my speakers at -2 in treble, cause if not I feel like the amp is raping the tweeters and my ears could start bleeding.
Victor
Yes, its strange but true but the UK has been historically and still is excellent at speaker design. The BBC and ex BBC engineers seemed to have spawned some of the leading companies.
Tannoy invented the loudspeaker for example " Over The Tannoy".
QUAD are mega mega expensive, I did hear some and it was like you were in a concert hall hearing a live orchestra. Incredible. But you have to super rich to afford them.
PS Bose are brought by the same people who buy BMW 3 series. All image and pose.
"Ohh and one more thing, should I be concerned that I find it necessary to have my speakers at -2 in treble, cause if not I feel like the amp is raping the tweeters and my ears could start bleeding."
I think that is fine since the Klipsch tweeters are horn drivers and tend to be "bright" anyways. I also have a pair of Klipsch speaker and really enjoy them.
I think that is fine since the Klipsch tweeters are horn drivers and tend to be "bright" anyways. I also have a pair of Klipsch speaker and really enjoy them.
Some of the best speakers i've heard are the Rogers brand, created by BBC engineers, they are no longer going (if you find a pair keep them!!)
Anyway check out the Sterling Broadcast LS3/5a V2 they have special drive units from KEF to BBC Spec's between £890 - £1000 and they look like a throwback to the 60's
Awesome speakers, truely awesome, specially on a good old Vinyl and a nice Sugden Tube Amp.
Anyway check out the Sterling Broadcast LS3/5a V2 they have special drive units from KEF to BBC Spec's between £890 - £1000 and they look like a throwback to the 60's
Awesome speakers, truely awesome, specially on a good old Vinyl and a nice Sugden Tube Amp.
I really had to fight my corner with my wife to get the Big Tannoy speakers we ended up with. She thinks they look uguly but as they say beauty is in the eye of teh beholder.
I think I was unfair on BOSE as they are very discreet and do fit in well with a rooms decour as teye are so small and easy to hide. I suppose for the size they are they do pack an impressive punch. But they are not for me. I would rather sound quality over looks.
It was a close tie with the Mission's but Sail to the Moon on radiohead's Hail To The Thief sounded just a bit better in the listening room.
I think I was unfair on BOSE as they are very discreet and do fit in well with a rooms decour as teye are so small and easy to hide. I suppose for the size they are they do pack an impressive punch. But they are not for me. I would rather sound quality over looks.
It was a close tie with the Mission's but Sail to the Moon on radiohead's Hail To The Thief sounded just a bit better in the listening room.
Seattle: thanks man, I thought the Tractrix Horn did had something to do with it. Which Klipsch do you have?
needthephone: You're completely right, wish I could go to the UK sometime around. Like your BMW analogy lol.
garybUK: I've heard bout rogers but never actually seen/heard one...
LiveForever: Well, I think you were fair with Bose, I mean, they DO try to trick you into thinking that those little 2.5" (and like 30$) speakers can outperform bigger sized speakers, when actually they are pretty much crap. And well, if what you want is something loud and discrete there's always wall/ceiling mounted (not Bose ofc) speakers that will outperform those little cube speakers.
And I had a similar situation to yours... I was close to go KEF till I started testing them with electronic music and well, Klipsch (reference ones) outperformed the only ones I could afford (iQ5s) in terms of bass handling and 'room-shaking abilities' and I didin't wanted to get a sub right then (I do want one, but with the Klipsch I can wait)
Thanks to all who posted, keep posting your thoughts!
Victor
needthephone: You're completely right, wish I could go to the UK sometime around. Like your BMW analogy lol.
garybUK: I've heard bout rogers but never actually seen/heard one...
LiveForever: Well, I think you were fair with Bose, I mean, they DO try to trick you into thinking that those little 2.5" (and like 30$) speakers can outperform bigger sized speakers, when actually they are pretty much crap. And well, if what you want is something loud and discrete there's always wall/ceiling mounted (not Bose ofc) speakers that will outperform those little cube speakers.
And I had a similar situation to yours... I was close to go KEF till I started testing them with electronic music and well, Klipsch (reference ones) outperformed the only ones I could afford (iQ5s) in terms of bass handling and 'room-shaking abilities' and I didin't wanted to get a sub right then (I do want one, but with the Klipsch I can wait)
Thanks to all who posted, keep posting your thoughts
!Victor
Out of curiosity, a question to those who have mentioned all of these lesser known (among non-audiophiles) speaker brands, how to they compare in price to the Bose offerings?
This thread hasn't been too severe, but I've seen some real venom directed towards Bose on some forums. I suppose they ask for it somewhat through their immodest marketing, but that aside, I doubt they deserve quite the hatred they get based purely on product - at least not all of their products.
Take their headphones - I bought a pair of their on-ear headphones after having tried a bunch of others. They in no way compare to my AKG studio headphones through a good headphones amp, but they do serve a nice purpose. They are designed to fold up to be quite portable, very comfortable, and they sound pleasing to me through a mediocre headphones amp like an iPod. It's not an accurate or honest sound necessarily, but I suspect that they were designed to add oomph to consumer devices.
And as I mentioned previously, their PA systems are a godsend. Most audiophiles would know very little about what is involved in getting a good live sound, especially for acoustic musicians. It's one thing to make a band sound good to the audience and another to make it sound good to the band at the same time. For us wee jazz musicians, the budget just isn't there to get a pro sound guy and all of the professional PA and monitor equipment required to do so, not to mention the desire to cary all of that crap around. Those Bose "sticks" as I like to call them sound terrific in 360 degrees with very little tweaking and through very innovative design, they are extremely compact. As good as a pro jazz player's setup at a nice theater? No. An extremely workable alternative for perpetually underpaid semi-pros? Hell yeah.
Anyway, just a little something in defense of a company which surely attracts much of the poop they catch!
This thread hasn't been too severe, but I've seen some real venom directed towards Bose on some forums. I suppose they ask for it somewhat through their immodest marketing, but that aside, I doubt they deserve quite the hatred they get based purely on product - at least not all of their products.
Take their headphones - I bought a pair of their on-ear headphones after having tried a bunch of others. They in no way compare to my AKG studio headphones through a good headphones amp, but they do serve a nice purpose. They are designed to fold up to be quite portable, very comfortable, and they sound pleasing to me through a mediocre headphones amp like an iPod. It's not an accurate or honest sound necessarily, but I suspect that they were designed to add oomph to consumer devices.
And as I mentioned previously, their PA systems are a godsend. Most audiophiles would know very little about what is involved in getting a good live sound, especially for acoustic musicians. It's one thing to make a band sound good to the audience and another to make it sound good to the band at the same time. For us wee jazz musicians, the budget just isn't there to get a pro sound guy and all of the professional PA and monitor equipment required to do so, not to mention the desire to cary all of that crap around. Those Bose "sticks" as I like to call them sound terrific in 360 degrees with very little tweaking and through very innovative design, they are extremely compact. As good as a pro jazz player's setup at a nice theater? No. An extremely workable alternative for perpetually underpaid semi-pros? Hell yeah.
Anyway, just a little something in defense of a company which surely attracts much of the poop they catch!
lol, this thread reminded me of a saying my friend picked up
"has no highs or lows? must be Bose" Personally, I've never liked any of the Bose systems I've tried. I could never get the right level bass or general clarity I wanted.
"has no highs or lows? must be Bose" Personally, I've never liked any of the Bose systems I've tried. I could never get the right level bass or general clarity I wanted.