[thechungster]

I had a listen to the QC3s in The Apple Store, comparing it to my Sennheiser IE8s. They are roughly the same RRP price in the UK. Anyway, tried them on and noticed you had to turn them on to listen to music... I was thinking What? Hooked it up to my iPod touch, and tested a range of songs. Some rock, house, and some J-pop with female vocals... Comfort was very nice, but the sound... oh god. Bass was muddy and it overwhelmed the mids to my ears. Treble was laid back and recessed, and I don't even know what was wrong with the mids... very unnatural.

 

[as.we.proceed]

i dont see no grado or audio technica surround sound stereo speakers that are in every single car audio system upgrade package, that must tell you something about the spectacular bose sound and what amp are you using with those bose headphones anyway? they are very demanding and need something like a hornet m to acheive optimal sound quality.

 

[iriverdude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by as.we.proceed /img/forum/go_quote.gif i dont see no grado or audio technica surround sound stereo speakers that are in every single car audio system upgrade package, that must tell you something about the spectacular bose sound and what amp are you using with those bose headphones anyway? they are very demanding and need something like a hornet m to acheive optimal sound quality.

Are you joking? The reason Bose is everywhere is not because they're great speakers. They don't need high end electronics either.

 

[lweijs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iriverdude /img/forum/go_quote.gif Are you joking? The reason Bose is everywhere is not because they're great speakers. They don't need high end electronics either.

I think he's joking :x

 

[Fido2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kool bubba ice /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you tell a lie long enough people start to believe it. If all you hear is, BOSE are great, you tend to believe it if you have no actually headphone experience to back it on.

Exactly. OK kids advertising is propaganda. A lot of the news on mainstream news outlets is propaganda. Two main rules of propaganda:

1. The bigger the lie the more likely people are to believe it.

2. Keep telling the same lie over and over and most will accept it as fact.

Propaganda is always trying to "sell" you something in one fashion or another.

I know this is an oversimplified description sorry..heehehe

 

[fjrabon]

I think something that many here don't realize is that a lot of mainstream consumers will actually prefer the BOSE sound to audiophile headphones. BOSE are comfortable, not just physically, but sonically. They don't encourage you to listen to your music critically, which most people don't nor do they want to. They want to hear the melody and they want to hear the rhythm with a lot of bass. BOSE does that. Most people will describe BOSE as sounding "full and powerful" while they'll describe AKG's, Grados or Audio Technicas as "brittle" or "harsh". BOSE sounds like McDonalds food tastes.

 

[EYEdROP]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fjrabon /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think something that many here don't realize is that a lot of mainstream consumers will actually prefer the BOSE sound to audiophile headphones. BOSE are comfortable, not just physically, but sonically. They don't encourage you to listen to your music critically, which most people don't nor do they want to. They want to hear the melody and they want to hear the rhythm with a lot of bass. BOSE does that. Most people will describe BOSE as sounding "full and powerful" while they'll describe AKG's, Grados or Audio Technicas as "brittle" or "harsh". BOSE sounds like McDonalds food tastes.

This is the truth. Ive done a blindfolded test with my Dad and the Bose vs. my MS-1. He said the Bose sounded better every time. Like I said, people like that powerful, rich, warm sound. The Bose actually put out a decent amount of detail provided they have 100+ hours burn in and the bass has calmed. The problem is they make every recording sound very good to the point where crap recordings sound great, and great recordings sound too emphasized and unrealistic. But many people like that type of sound. It is something they can tap their toes to while listening to their 128kbps MP3's.

I actually admire the Bose sound. Its very distinct and has lots of emotion and fun to listen to. But for critical and serious listening they just dont sound realistic enough. But really, I dont know why some say they sound outright horrible. Mabey they are in denial?

 

[moonboy403]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EYEdROP /img/forum/go_quote.gif This is the truth. Ive done a blindfolded test with my Dad and the Bose vs. my MS-1. He said the Bose sounded better every time. Like I said, people like that powerful, rich, warm sound. The Bose actually put out a decent amount of detail provided they have 100+ hours burn in and the bass has calmed. The problem is they make every recording sound very good to the point where crap recordings sound great, and great recordings sound too emphasized and unrealistic. But many people like that type of sound. It is something they can tap their toes to while listening to their 128kbps MP3's. I actually admire the Bose sound. Its very distinct and has lots of emotion and fun to listen to. But for critical and serious listening they just dont sound realistic enough. But really, I dont know why some say they sound outright horrible. Mabey they are in denial?

I really didn't like the Bose On-Ear. For some reason, the sound was really compressed and it made me feel like I'm suffocating while listening to it. The other thing that really bothered me was their overblown bass. It really effected any male singer with a deep voice.

Would I call them horrible? Maybe not, but I definitely didn't find them appealing to my ears.

 

[EYEdROP]

Quote:

Originally Posted by moonboy403 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I really didn't like the Bose On-Ear. For some reason, the sound was really compressed and it made me feel like I'm suffocating while listening to it. The other thing that really bothered me was their overblown bass. It really effected any male singer with a deep voice. Would I call them horrible? Maybe not, but I definitely didn't find them appealing to my ears.

I know what you mean. It is a bassy phone and will make singers sound like that. But with burn-in, the Bose clear up noticeably. About the compressed sound, it might be that the drivers are angled in the housing which is causing reflections (on purpose). This may be bugging you.

 

[moonboy403]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EYEdROP /img/forum/go_quote.gif I know what you mean. It is a bassy phone and will make singers sound like that. But with burn-in, the Bose clear up noticeably. About the compressed sound, it might be that the drivers are angled in the housing which is causing reflections (on purpose). This may be bugging you.

Which model are you referring to?

 

[TopPop]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EYEdROP /img/forum/go_quote.gif This is the truth. Ive done a blindfolded test with my Dad and the Bose vs. my MS-1. He said the Bose sounded better every time.

That's not a blind test. You can tell as soon as a pair of headphones is put on your head which of two pairs it is... especially with two headphones that have such very different design and fit.

 

[Fido2]

good point Pop...how would you do a blind test with headphones?

 

[TopPop]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fido2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif good point Pop...how would you do a blind test with headphones?

That's a good question.

It seems the only possible way to do it is if the listener had absolutely no knowledge of what the headphones felt like before listening to them. Seeing them, even once, would ensure that this would not be the case.

 

[EYEdROP]

I was referring to the Bose Around Ear model, supposedly the best Bose headphone for SQ.

And my Dad never even knew I had the Bose because I had bought them for a short period for a review. He dosent give a rats ass about audio and I had him blindfolded, so there was no brand recognition involved.

 

[TopPop]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EYEdROP /img/forum/go_quote.gif I was referring to the Bose Around Ear model, supposedly the best Bose headphone for SQ. And my Dad never even knew I had the Bose because I had bought them for a short period for a review. He dosent give a rats ass about audio and I had him blindfolded, so there was no brand recognition involved.

Did he ever see either of the headphones (with his eyes alone) before trying them in the test? If he did, then it's not a blind test.

Actually, even if he didn't, it still wouldn't be a blind test, since there would need to be the option of him possibly thinking that one pair of headphones would sound different (either better or worse) across trials. What I mean is, for example, if he listened to the MS-1 once, and then again a second/third/etc. time, there would need to be the possibility in his mind of it being a different headphone for it to be a blind test. You could do this with Grado SR-60, SR-80, SR-125, and SR-225, for instance (as long as they have the same pads), since they would feel the same on the head, and the listener wouldn't know if a "new" trial was a different pair or the same pair.

Between Alessandro and Bose, though? Not a blind test. That's all I'm saying.