Bose - The most overhyped company in audio?

Matt

Matt

Matt

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Seriously now, i remarked that Bose were 'not that great' and 'overhyped' at work today, and you should have seen the look on my colleagues face :D I'm personally of the opinion that Bose are really nothing that special, and seem to spend all their money on marketing, rather than the products. Am i wrong, and is there really some foundation to people's thoughts that they make amazing kit?
 
Extremely 'coloured' sound, and below average construction quality. But they do have an excellent legal department, which ensures they alway get favourable magazine reviews.

Trouble is a lot of people have a lot of faith in 'independant' reviews. But most magazines are largely paid for by their advertisers, and they cant afford to offend their primary revenue streams.
 
Matt said:
Seriously now, i remarked that Bose were 'not that great' and 'overhyped' at work today, and you should have seen the look on my colleagues face :D I'm personally of the opinion that Bose are really nothing that special, and seem to spend all their money on marketing, rather than the products. Am i wrong, and is there really some foundation to people's thoughts that they make amazing kit?
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No, you're not wrong. Your work collegues are idiots. They sound terrible, build is lousy, cheap components, low quality, over priced, and badly designed products that cannot get around the laws of physics.
 
Idiots is a bit harsh tbh... it will sound good to the masses, and they rely on the brand. My mother knows nothing about any form of electrical good, but thinks Sony, Panasonic etc products are good, and is happy with them, while she will have never heard of Arcam, Naim, NAD, Linn, Music Fidelity etc etc. Mass market appeal is where the money is.
 
Matt said:
Am i wrong, and is there really some foundation to people's thoughts that they make amazing kit?
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no you're not wrong

tbh the main problem with BOSE isnt the quality, its the price for the quality. They're stuff isnt that bad, its as good as the japanese stuff. But its just they charge twice the ammount for the same quality

this means bose products get compared with others in the wrong bracket. Eg a bottom end bose product costs twice as much, so if you're comparing what you can get for £1000 or whatever, you end up comparing high end japanese kit, with entry level bose kit. Which is why people say that they're crap.

because the stuff that is any good, is far far too expensive and gets shelfed off as "dreamware"
 
they are ****, plain and simple (for the price)

Look at their acoustimass speaker systems, costing anywhere up to 4K if i remember correctly. Saw some articles showing that the little satellites can't physically reproduce some frequencies, neither can *** sub, so where there should be sound, there is silence :eek: :rolleyes:
 
The sound of Bose stuff is that of the famous rock 'n' roll smile (think of a smiley shape on a graphic equalizer... no mids, overdone highs and overdone lows.)
 
But aren't Bose trying to sell you the best quality discrete speakers without going to the hassle of installing said speakers into the walls?

For the size I think they are bloody brilliant.

I think they are aimed at a different market and thats why you get polar opposite opinions on them

However because price and audio quality matters to me and size does not. I would not ever be forking out for them.
 
Kronologic said:
But aren't Bose trying to sell you the best quality discrete speakers without going to the hassle of installing said speakers into the walls?

For the size I think they are bloody brilliant.

I think they are aimed at a different market and thats why you get polar opposite opinions on them

However because price and audio quality matters to me and size does not. I would not ever be forking out for them.
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Are you being sarcastic? (first paragraph)
There are far better speakers than Bose with similar size, MA and M&K Xenon do a couple of similar designs, and they you can use matching or other quality sub and stereo amp/av amp. Unlike properitary Bose module.
 
I have to say that whilst I wouldn't give a Bose system the time of day, I can see why they appeal to those wanting incredibly small speakers.
I don't remember B&W making anything that really is as small as the Bose sat speakers, even the small B&W surrounds seemed to be at least twice the size.

Having said that, I'm also of the belief that something that small, simply cannot avoid the laws of physics and produce an effective full range sound.
I owned a set of Kef eggs for a while, and even with a sub, were pants.

As the americans say, there's just no substitute for cubic inches.
 
squiffy said:
Are you being sarcastic? (first paragraph)
There are far better speakers than Bose with similar size, MA and M&K Xenon do a couple of similar designs, and they you can use matching or other quality sub and stereo amp/av amp. Unlike properitary Bose module.
Click to expand...
Aye - my tiny little Aegos are bleeding brilliant for the size - and only £90! :)
 
The satellite setups are definately overpriced. There are some speakers by them commonly used in shops which are certainly better than what you usually expect to hear, no idea on price, they've been around a while.
 
bose are shiiiiiite and you should really know that if you do listenings

I'm currently chilling on my quad paradigms so f* what if the police comes : I have still untill the 11pm cut off putt be4 it gets serious
 
Stick with Monitor Audio if you want a colourless sound, Bose (IMO) are the opposite because they tend to colour the sound a LOT.
 
FYI: You're never going to get true full range from tiny speakers - it's just not physically possible.

Instead, they rely on use of harmonics to trick your brain into believing you hear that 'super-mega-thunder-bass-XT-MKII' sound ;)
 
isnt this sort of the same as B+O who use philips tubes in there crts but charge several thousand more coz it looks nice?
 
Even the car stuff is awful.... I've borrowed a Mazda 3 Sport from work for a couple of weeks, and it proudly presents it has "BOSE SOUND SYSTEM" when you switch it on, and the logo blazened across the speaker grills.... It's almost unlistenable. It's cold hard metal synthesized sound is lean and a barren in the mid, over pronounced top (treble set to flat) and bass is over done, in a one note way... Announcers sound so electronic.... The standard fit in the Seat Cupra I hand spanks it, and actual was quite musical.
I actually turn off after about minute.....tyre noise is less painful !!
 
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