[Ebonyks]

Yes, i realize that they're overpriced, and don't sound very good, however, i have a friend who still likes bose. Can anyone give me a detailed list of reasons of why exactly that they suck?

 

[sideswiped]

I'm sure someone will be by here soon. Just give em a minute

 

[andrzejpw]

Quote:

Yes, i realize that they're overpriced, and don't sound very good

WE HAVE A WINNER!

lol. Also, I don't agree with their tactics. A few years back, Consumer Union gave the speakers a bad review. Bose sues, etc. CU doesn't review bose speakers anymore. . .

Ever been to bestbuy? Or any store that sells bose, for that matter. The sales people are VERY pushy in selling bose, etc.

 

[MacDEF]

http://home.earthlink.net/~busenitz/bs.html

 

[radrd]

http://arstechnica.infopop.net/OpenT...5&m=4040970304
http://arstechnica.infopop.net/OpenT...5&m=2820984214

I'm sure there are Bose bashing threads around here, but no one bashes Bose like the Ars A/V club.

 

[andrzejpw]

We do like to do that.

And there's the bose faq. Its a great read!

 

[pdc]

A few years ago I bought the top bose speakers. After a couple of weeks I took them back. They did not project a accurate or clean sound that I wanted out of a speaker. If you are looking for speakers try B&W or mission speakers. If you like the west coast sound then JBL or infinity are good.

I have not tried the Bose headphones, but they are not rated very well.

 

[KR...]

Quote:

Newbie: Does anyone have any opinions about Bose speakers? Five Responses: There are better speakers for the money including brands X, Y, and Z. Bose Defender: But Bose speakers offer superior design. They're the most popular speaker in the world, and for good reason. Ten Responses: Popularity does not equal quality. (Many long detailed rebuttals to the Bose defender. Tone tends to be slightly hostile since they've done this several times before. Some are very hostile --- "Bose sucks!!!") Bose Defender: No. You're all wrong. Fifteen Responses: What?! (Many more long posts explaining again why they are right) Bose Defender: (not in response to anything in particular) But Bose is a large corporation with excellent customer service. Other smaller companies may fail, leaving you without service. Twenty Responses: Good service for a poor quality product? So what? (Many more detailed responses about the problems they perceive with Bose, plus more "Bose sucks!!!" posts) Bose Defender: Bose is a very popular speaker. More people buy Bose speakers than any other speaker, and Bose has very high customer satisfaction rates. Twenty-five Responses: Agggh!! We just explained that quality does not equal popularity. Can't you read? Are you an IDIOT? Bose Defender: No. I'm not the idiot, you're all idiots. This newsgroup is populated by a small clique of crazy "audiophile" types who spend hundreds of dollars for cable that doesn't even make a difference. Newbie: (forgot about the newbie didn't you!) (in a weak voice) I want my mommy.

ROTFLMAO!!!!!

That FAQ always kills me!

 

[andrzejpw]

lol, I read it every few months. Just to keep the arguments fresh in my mind.

Gah. . . too late to read now. . .

hmmm, I did read a site defending bose though. . . it was quite funny. Basically, he was a college student that said "the speakers were loud and shook stuff. People came into our room to see the speakers."

Hmm, don't remember where it is. . .

EDIT: and here it is! http://www.wam.umd.edu/~rossi/
EDIT2: Here's the response to the above site: http://www.intellexual.net/boseframes.html

 

[yfei]

I am a newbie to Bose, just listened to a $2000 5(6?) satellite + sub Bose system for 15 mins. It is loud and clear, but EXTREMELY lacks of upper base and mids. For me it just just like a over powered $40 Creative SoundWorks computer 2.1 speaker.

So, where goes wrong? I think it's price goes wrong!

 

[Snufkin]

On topic; the BOSE faq is very handy - I've seen arguments that follow the above example for many products

off topic: Ebonyks nick just reminded me of a very handy website
http://www.atlantaga.com/ebonics.htm

Yo buss dis. If you need some help rappin in ebonics, dis link may be helpful or at leas amusin. Sheeit!

 

[sideswiped]

Yo buss dis. I be gonna look ovuh dat link an' add it to favorites Sheeit!

 

[mbriant]

I agree that Bose speakers are definately not the most accurate speakers available for the money.

I also agree that unless they can be purchased "on sale", they are overpriced. ( an extremely reliable source once told me they personally heard Dr. Bose boasting that his drivers cost only $0.50 each to manufacture. This was 20 years ago so perhaps they cost $1.25 each today)

And I definately don't want to champion Bose's cause, but I have heard Bose setups that sounded pretty good....when set up properly.......and when playing rock music which:

a) doesn't necessarily require extreme accuracy because of the fact that rock music is heavily processed when recorded and when played live so there is no definitive reference to compare. An acoustic violin or piano should sound like a violin or piano where-as a distorted, amplified guitar can sound different from performance to performance because of the thousands of guitar/amp/effect/venue combinations it can encompass.

b) rock music is often played in venues with acoustically poor, heavily reflective venues causing frequency shifts and the sound to bounce all over the place. IMO, Bose speakers' reflective design can often recreate this sort of live ambiance in a small listening environment better than regular front firing speakers....(again, I'm only talking about amplified rock music.)

I think it would be wise to keep an open mind and attempt to audition any speaker you are thinking of buying rather than immediately jumping on the negative (and mostly heresay) bandwagon, and completely writing off any product line.

I, like most people, enjoy the wit, humour and comradery of crapping all over a disliked product, but FAQ doesn't necessarily equal fact.

I respect the knowledgeable opinions of several people in this thread who have actual experience with the products they are praising or crapping on, but it bothers me to think that a bunch of people will read other people's opinions, then pass those opinions on as their own to others, without having actually properly auditioned the product themselves.....even if what everyone is saying is probably true.

 

[andrzejpw]

Yo buss dis. I ain't a fan uh bose rappers. Sheeit! :

I am not a fan of bose speakers

 

[Old Pa]

Bose products suck because of Amir Bose. Amir Bose possesses a considerable intellect and a very hard head. He decided that accurate full spectrum high fidelity audio reproduction at realistic sound pressure levels could be accomplished using 4" speakers. This is simply not possible. Bose persevered with active equalization and a bunch of other complexities, developing a nerd following while failing to accomplish accurate full spectrum high fidelity audio reproduction at realistic sound pressure levels. Bose then took the expedient shortcut of telling his fans that what they heard from his speakers WAS accurate full spectrum high fidelity audio reproduction at realistic sound pressure levels. Some idiots believed him.

Bose developed his initial technology while at MIT. MIT has a deal where it gets a cut of the profits of its students new technology since it educated them and provided them with the opportunity to do their work. All students sign this agreement before they start at MIT. Bose has been fighting paying his share for years. Amir Bose has very proprietary feelings about his products and the profits from their sales. His stuff is way over-priced because of 1) its mediocre performance, and 2) price controls and sales commission schemes promoted by Bose. These policies also suck.