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Originally Posted by TheDarkTrumpet /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Well, ok there are a few things I'd like to add.
I've commented on a number of posts about bose overall, and having owned the triports (which is probably more than I can say for most others who bash bose) and have used the Quiet Comfort 3s, that I have experience with what bose is actually good at (and yes, they do have some decent qualities.
Bose headphones, when others who don't know headphones look at them, they automatically think "oh wow, that guy is rich" or "oh wow, this guy really is into music". It's a status thing that Bose brings to the table. Simply, the bose products do look good. Both the Triports and the QC3s are excellent looking products, hands down in my opinion.
Now, to those people who've only listened to bose outside say the normal earbuds that came with the ipod, the bose sounds darned good. I know when I first got my triports, I was amazed with the sound, and seriously thought it was the best thing on earth. Only after listening to other headphones have I really noticed that maybe the bose aren't quite so good after all.
So, the sound quality. After listening to Beyerdynamics for only a month and a half or so, after using the triports for over a year, I can no longer stand the triports for sound quality. Both my Beyerdynamic 880s and my A900s beat out the triports without any problems.
As I mentioned earlier, though, Bose does have some nice qualities:
1. They look good, very good.
2. To the semi-untrained ear, they sound fantastic, you can't get better (from the perspective of the normal consumer).
3. They are small. My largest beef with the headphones I normally listen to, they are huge and heavy. I don't mind them when I'm by the computer, but they can't travel worth anything. I know other headphones exist, but at this point I want my sound quality everywhere, getting cheaper portable headphones that actually are portable won't sound as good on my music now, haha.
I don't think bose is worth the money to spend on their headphones. The triports do beat out the QC3s in sound quality in my opinion, and the triports lose to near everything else. Placebo effect or not, my visit to the forums, and my plunge for new headphones have given me a lot better music. Through various pieces that are well mastered, I can hear the individual chime bells so clearly, where I couldn't hear them as clear or clear at all with the bose (I know because tonight I just messed around with both headphones, using the same source and was astounded by the feeling).
I don't want to bash bose, nor will. Basically if a pair of headphones sounds good to you, then use them. The name brand doesn't really mean a whole lot when it comes to sound quality in this case. Try out multiple types, and if you still like bose after all that, then that's good
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I hate when people quote everything to make a simple point, but in this case I think it's appropriate...
So basically what you're saying is that now that you have more experience with different competing products, you don't think that Bose headpones are "bad" necessarily, but yet they're not worth the money in relative terms. Does that sum it up? If so, that's pretty much the way everyone feels.
The people who are still using them (at least 99% of the time) don't have this perspective, but are still under the impression that "Bose is best" which is what they've learned from Bose's marketing program. That's why Bose products sell so well. They have a huge advertising budget that other, smaller, audio companies cannot compete with.
Most people don't have the time nor the inclination to audition zillions of headphones (or speakers) so they read a bit and talk with some friends, and get led down the Bose path by other people who don't know any better either. Without any real reference points to compare them to, they sound great! They look nice too, so everyone is happy and actually "proud" to have purchased the "best", etc.
To a lesser extent, the same is true of Monster Cable. Neither company's products (with some exceptions, most notably Monster's line conditioners) deliver great value for those who are well informed regarding competitive products. But this is often the way that big business works, so it should come as no surprise that we see some prime examples of it in our little hobby. Advertising works!
Heck, I just bought a Hoover steam cleaner for $160 and it doesn't do a very good job. I didn't expect miracles at that price, but didn't have the time nor the inclination to do a lot of research. I'm sure there is a steam cleaner forum somewhere (if you look hard enough you can find almost anything on the net), and some nerd with 7,000 posts is laughing at me right now!
