[memepool]

I thought the wave radio was one of the best clock radios I'd ever heard? but Bose seems to be a byeword for low-fi around here? What's the story? is there some other type of clock radio which is far superior?

 

[doctorjuggles]

I think the dislike isn't so much that it's a terrible product, but rather a bad product for the price. Generally, in the price-range that any specific Bose product goes for, the consensus is that you'll be able to find several products at the same price that far outperforms the Bose, or you'll be able to find something at half the price that performs at a similar level.

There's also an inherent mistrust of them as they refuse to publish any specifications at all, which they view as protecting their intellectual assets, but many view as hiding poor specs. I haven't a problem with not telling us exactly what components you use and how much they cost, but a general set of specs wouldn't go amiss.

Finally, I also think there's a dislike of their intense marketing strategy. Ask the man on the street who knows no better what sound they want, and they'll say "Bose is the best." This isn't from experience, but rather from Bose telling them as much in every magazine they open up.

I personally have never heard a Bose product. I'd like to one day, but from the sound of things it will only be someone else's product. If it's decent, I'd buy it, but I'd have to test it first, considering their reputation within the audio world.

 

[warrior05]

can't speak to their radios and most of the bose-bashing is in regards to their headphones which are way over-priced for the level of sq they put out which is not very good.

 

[Jahn]

bose isn't lo-fi. it's mid-fi with hi-fi pricing.

 

[granodemostasa]

the basic problem is that they just sound bad for their price range.... the companion 3 speakers could easily be beatedn by some klipsch, M-audio, and even altec lansing speakers.
as for headphones; the triports and the QC2 are terrible deals; althought the QC3 is actually pretty decent (for what it is suppose to).

my biggest bone with bose has to do with the way people view their products; it's an automatic assumption that they will sound better than just about anything in most people's minds, and it's hard to convince them of anything else.

 

[memepool]

Aside form their clock radio which I thought was one of the best products of it's type albeit an expensive one, I have heard their P.A speakers which, were hired rather than bought but, again sounded pretty good to me compared to equivalent products from JBL for example.

Also I have heard some of their more domestic ranges of speakers and the small cubes for surround sound which were less impressive but still not really all that bad.

I must confess I have never heard their headphones.

In the context of some of the ridiculous prices charged for Hi-Fi equipment these days where the price is out of all proportion to the complexity of engineering involved Bose don't really seem all that remarkable.

Take valve / tube amplifiers for instance, even the Chinese can charge thousands for the 'latest' single ended triode design whereas a DVD player costs 50USD. In engineering terms this is an absolute nonsense.

 

[jimholt]

Yes i think they regard themselves as the best which they aren't with their marketing. Went into one of their stores and a crowd of people were around this radio like sheep believing what a good sound. I walked out thinking nothing special, and noticed the salesman looking and probably thinking he's got sense. Jim.

 

[kramer5150]

overpriced, that's all. IMHO

 

[Garbz]

I used to be a believer that Bose made some of the best hifi products there were, and then I went to a real hifi store.

What's wrong with bose (a bird told me those little speakers cost bose under $50US each), they make cheap crap (the acoustimass modules are made of chipboard no mdf and the drivers have foam surrounds :S), over inflate the price (see first 2 points), and then spend their squillions on marketing (bose is the only company at all which skywrites on a regular basis in brisbane.

There isn't a single bose product that can't be beaten in price or performance. If you are after a clock radio look towards a decent one like Henry Kloss models, they are half the size of Bose's. If you are after something that "integrates" into the living environment or your modern house design then go for Bang and Olufsen, it may cost just as much but you actually get hifi quality from it too, and it looks better to boot.

While I was buying long runs of cable recently I overheard a shopkeeper in the shop next door demoing Bose gear and saying "Bear in mind that this is perfectly flat, there has not yet been an EQ applied to the music."

For those who have actually heard acoustimass would know that the bass response goes down to about 80hz and then uses some funky algorithms to make it appear as though it goes lower, there's also a massive hole in the midrange, and trebble extention is balls too. As for their floor standers which bounce sound off the back wall, What is with that! If you want perfect stereo all over the room get a Beolab 5 speaker

. Their pro stuff is as bad as our locally made AT PAs and are often dwarfed by Yamaha, and always drawfed by an IJS system costing half as much. The headphones while the sound cancelling works is not worth the money. Finally the clock radio is huge, ugly, and sounds crap compared to a Henry Kloss Model 1 which costs less than half as much. Hell the Model 2 is cheaper!

And the final rant, Bose is available at every supermarket, but is not sold in hifi shops, doesn't that say it all?

 

[zowie]

It's frustrating that they've convinced so many people that they are simply the best, when that is so very far from the case.

I will admit to wanting a pair of 901s in the 70s.

 

[Konig]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zowie It's frustrating that they've convinced so many people that they are simply the best, when that is so very far from the case. I will admit to wanting a pair of 901s in the 70s.

Do u think B & O is any better?

 

[Garbz]

Yes, B&O look better, and sound far better. We've had B&O equipment for 20+ years. Our hifi upstaris is still going strong, I have a pair of the earbuds and the only reason I gave them to my sister was because they didn't provide enough isolation.

B&O equipments looks as good as it sounds, but commands a premium price for their fantastically functional and beautiful designs.

 

[MatsudaMan]

People hate Bose because they take advantage of stupid people.

 

[jpr703]

Overpriced and it sounds like ass.

 

[biged]

I don't hate Bose. I just think their products are overpriced. I do think other companies could learn from their marketing strategies. If someone wants to buy Bose products I would have no problem with how they spend THEIR money. I will give them (if I know them) my opinion, but ultimately it's THEIR money.

Ed