much hate about bose?

They tend to be relatively overpriced.  At least, some of their speakers are - they charge a ludicrous amount of money for something made out of bargain-bin materials.  But some of their headphones aren't really that bad...the original AE1 was pretty good.  The QC15 is probably one of the nicer ANC headphones out there, at least that I've tried...it blocks a lot of noise.  But they still don't sound all that great and are really expensive.

Basically Bose is overpriced and most of their products don't even look good and tend to be made out of really cheap materials.  There's really not much going for them, and there is far better stuff on the market for the price.

Because they're overpriced for the sound you get. You could get similar sound for half the price.

I like the Bose AE1, but it sounds like a $70 headphone that costs $150 (or did).

BTW I never had headphone break on me except for the AE1..twice in under 2 years. Bose replaced it the first time without even requiring me to send it in.

I tried the AE1 recently again (got it for $40) and it still sounded pretty good. Fairly balanced, but did have a little more treble than I like.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tdockweiler 

Because they're overpriced for the sound you get. You could get similar sound for half the price.

I like the Bose AE1, but it sounds like a $70 headphone that costs $150 (or did).

 

BTW I never had headphone break on me except for the AE1..twice in under 2 years. Bose replaced it the first time without even requiring me to send it in.

I tried the AE1 recently again (got it for $40) and it still sounded pretty good. Fairly balanced, but did have a little more treble than I like.

I use Bose noise cancelling headphones because it's a great technology and works extremely well on airplanes.  Their sound quality to me is terrible, sounds manufactured, soundstage is totally compressed, etc.....

I think there's two general reasons:

- The first, which is what you've gotten thus far, is the value proposition. I think most Bose products are actually fairly decent, so let me qualify that. Now, having said that, I don't think many Bose products represent a decent value for the money. For example, some of their 5.1 systems can run up to $4000-$5000; you can buy quite a lot of equipment for $4000-$5000. The same is true with their headphones, like the QuietComfort. If you need/want the ANC, it's a fine price, but if your goal is absolute fidelity, there are a lot of alternatives for the same price that do a lot more "right." For example, the Sennheiser HD 600 is usually around $315, and is a better sounding headphone (all else considered). However, it's an open headphone, as opposed to not only a closed headphone, but a noise canceling closed headphone. In light of recent product releases and shifts in the CE market, I would argue that Bose does represent a better choice over a number of other mainstream manufacturers (such as Beats). 

- The second, which is a bit less openly-admitted, is that Bose is popular. And, as with all popular entities, it's fun to hate them. Often arguments will be made (or at least, there was a point in time when these arguments would be made) along the lines of "Bose is a scam because they tell you it's the best stuff ever and it isn't!" However when some other, smaller, company makes the same claim (and also does not give you the sun, moon, and stars) it's dismissed as unrelated (generally because "we" "need" to hate Bose). 

I have noticed a general cooling of attitudes towards Bose in recent times, and I'm guessing it's because various celebrifones and other nonsense has come out in the last 2-3 years that have demonstrated what actual over-priced and massively over-hyped crap can look like. Bose, despite it's shortcomings, does actually start out with sound quality in mind during the design stage (not saying it's their only, or top, goal). 

Regarding the headphones, I've never actually heard the QuietComfort headphones. I have tried both generations of the AE though. I feel that the AE2 is an improvement in some ways, but a failure in others. Both have the same common problems that preclude me from "wanting" either of them: they're bloody microphonic and bloody small.

My best advice to you is to test out some other headphones in the $200-$400 range, alongside the QuietComfort parts (this assumes you don't need ANC; if you need ANC just get the QC); if you still want the Bose headset then get it - I'm guessing you'll pick something else though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by reddragon 

can someone please explain to me why audiophiles dislike bose in general? i personally enjoy listening to them. i do not own any bose headphone but i have listened to bose quietcomfort 15 in best buy and to me they sound pretty decent. 

exactly...

not "great", "fantastic", amazing"

Yet their cost, as noted elsewhere in this thread, is quite high relative to their sound quality.
 

Another thing is the exaggerated hyperbole used in their advertising.

Sure, most everyone does it somewhat when extolling the virtues of their products -

but IMO Bose is especially over the top.

There is alot of hate, but they have made some decent stuff, so I dont see why we just disregard the brand all together.

Bose products are high-end consumer-grade, and they are priced as such.  I don't share the hatred, but I don't use Bose.  The sound of their stuff is fun, but it is far from audiophile quality.  I think people like my parents would appreciate Bose the most:  cool toys that you can plug n play.  They're definitely not good for a sound freak like me.  I get a lot of enjoyment from sitting and optimizing a home theater system by ear.

You have to be an educated consumer, which really is the whole point of websites like this one - for all of us to learn and decide what we are looking for in headphones.  I own a pair of QC15 and love them for what they do.  I use them to monitor the audio coming into a video camera and for travel.  On the camera, the overblown highs help me detect all kinds of audio problems that I may not catch otherwise and I often record in pretty noisy environments, so the NR is a godsend (although it often kills or significantly alters the bass).  For travel, I've never had anythng better on a plane and I absolutely LOVE that they come with an ipod control cable, now.  Also, I find them exceptionally comfortable which is often not the case with other headphones.

You just have to match your need to what they are.  It's unfortunate that so many people bash them and try to put them into categories that they shouldn't be in.  Do they have the best sound quality?  No, but they certainly serve a purpose and ARE the right headphone for certain listeners and situations.

They cost alot and sound like crap.

The only thing they are good for is for airplane use. But I'd rather use other headphones anyways. 

(Gift them to your grandmother or something)

Quote:

Originally Posted by reddragon 

well im not an audiophile, so if the headphone is really good, does it mean it will definitely make me go "great", "fantastic" or "amazing" even if i only have casual listener's ears?

Don't listen to that "audiophile" non-sense.

It's not like self proclaimed "audiophiles" have special ears that make them hear the music better or something. 

Anybody can benefit from good sounding headphones, even you would hear the difference between bose and some good headphones. 

I have a set of QC15's that are nice on airplanes but I think that's about the only thing of theirs that I've heard that sounded at all good.  For some reason any time I hear a Bose speaker I always have a hard time understanding words/lyrics.  I guess it's a combination of a suck out somewhere in the mids and their cheap enclosures resonating.