I went to their outlet center in San Antonio Texas. First I tried the 321 system, I watched and listened to 2 fast 2 furious. All I heard was front speakers. I tried some more systems out but the prices forced me to laugh. I have not laughed this much since I watched Dumb and Dumber on the first day. All Bose equipment sounds like it is missing something and I think I know what is is mids and lows. I think Gary Coleman said it best when he said this is the biggest rip off since webster!!! I watched Eric Clapton give a concert on dvd and I could not hear half the music.
Word of advice :
dont buy Bose! If you have little space or live in a apartment invest in some book shelf speakers .
This kid thinks you have to love bose as much as he does so you can get into his good graces. Don't worry dan, he is just a troll. He'll be out of here soon enough. He thinks that any other opinion besides his narrow view will suffice.
still hating bose
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Hey i am just going by what I heard and saw.
As far as the 321 system I was told it was not hooked up right. I still will not pay 1,200 for 2 speakers and a sub. Actually the subs are the only thing that sounded right.
Varit
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There's no way the subs sounded right...they are one of the biggest problems w/ the Bose system.
Reinhart
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That's no surprise. Bose is usually more expensive than what they're worth.
Fortunately, there are good alternatives to Bose, like Cambridge Soundworks.
Although, Bose has made some pretty good speakers as well.
It's just that their Acoustimass system is certainly overhyped and underwhelming. It seems that people in general remember Bose more for their Acoustimass line than anything else. - Reinhart
this my first time in this page i just wanna tell the guy who hates bose that he only listen to the 321 system u can only listen two speakers in that one if u listen to the lifestyle 38 5.1 surround system u will fell eric clapton in ur home
Reinhart
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Eric Clapton will likely sound even more alive when played through a decent full range 5.1 system, with each of the 5 channels outputted from a set of good, efficient 3-way speakers driven by high quality amplification from a decent receiver or through separates. - Reinhart
face it, nothing can make eric clapton sound good.
Reinhart
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But, let's go with another standard: any good orchestra that can perform pieces by Mozart competently with good recording quality.
For sound, I've noticed that hard rock and classical are two that can present real challenges to audio equipment.
Both hard rock and classical are also kinds of music that can reveal limitations in perceptual audio codecs. Hard rock, for instance, that has percussion heavy on the use of cymbals will have a "watery" quality whenever that kind of sonud is played, particularly if the bitrate is too low. - Reinhart
This morning I saw the add in the infomercial form for Bose 321. I have to say that I'm amazed, the add was so convincing that i'm going to get rid of my Klipsch Reference 5.1 speaker package and buy the Bose system. If those people sat in their room and told me that it was an all enveloping sound, they have to be correct. The complete selling factor was the diagram they put up. They showed all 5.1 speakers with little sound circles around the front of the speakers (in the direction of sound) THEN they showed the 321 system with larger circles. Those larger circles enveloped the diagram of the couch much more fully than the small 5.1 circles that they illustrated. All in all I guess I spent too much on my Klipsch system and should have saved up for that fabulous system *any scarcasm detected?* All seriousness the diagram made me laugh, it was amazing.
Hi... In my opinion bose is terrible. I know someone who is working in a hi-fi store and sells them... They have audio cds from bose... they have to use them for presentation (nothing else, just those cds)... and I can tell you that only those sounded great... otherwise bose is bad... You can hardly hear middle range frequency... For a lot less money you can get much better equipment...
2 be fair
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You cannot judge the speakers by just listening to it without thinking of a lot of things that affect the sound. Have you ever thought that the receiver that they used for those Bose speakers there weren't setup right. Did the sellers set the EQ right for a specific type of music or just left it Flat? The receiver also can deliver the sound right to your ear depending on how far you set in the distance options. Did they put the satellite speakers far away from the subwoofer so that you can hear the mid (because the bass travel farther)? Well, there are many many people trying to buy good audio systems but they don't know what that means "Good"; just waste the money. They need to learn a lot from the sound engineers.
The problem with Bose is that there are comparable, if not better, products from their competition for less money.
How they are configured is irrelevant if you can get excellent results under proper configuration with a set of Klipsch. Since a set of Bose tends to be more expensive compared to a comparable set of Klipsch, the Klipsch wins out through value for the same sonic gains from correct configuration.
I have Acoustimass 6 (series 1) with Marantz sr4500... Frankly,, this combination doesn't match.. I can't get to hear the mid and low range.. thinking of getting new speakers to match with Marantz SR 4500.. any suggestion?
Do Bose still use paper cones for their drivers? Last time I saw one on display in Sams I took off the grill and there were small paper cone drivers that looked fresh out of the 50s. And my understanding was that Sams was getting a 50 percent commission, which was why Bose got the demo space.
Son
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Yes they do still use paper cones. And I am glad that i finally found som people that knows Bose is just a name. They suck horribly. With ther subs u hav to hook up ther speakers to the sub with than actually steels power from it. The best connection for speakers is direct(ly from the reciever/amplifier) I worked at CC and sold Home audio for 2 yrs was the top salesman and not 1ce did i sell bose unless i needed to make a quota. WAY OVER PRICED FOR CRAP!! And when i worked ther i didnt make a dime in commision. That sux cause i sold over 1.5 million in sales alone by myself in a yr wich is litterally just about almost 3quarters more then the rest of the top 5 salesman.
As a former audio engineer who has read extensively on Amar Bose and the engineering behind acoustic engineering ideals, I'd like to comment on one or two things. The material used in the driver is largely irrelevant. We won't go into the equations (obviously), but what needs to be achieved in loudspeaker design is an electromagnetic piston with as few flaws as possible. The limitations are physical in nature and include inertia, stiffness of the surround (which is used to advantage) and the gap at the pole piece of the driver, basically making up what is referred to as the 'Q' of the driver. Coloration comes in from vibrations within and resonations on the surface of the cone, spatial characteristics making the driver more directional (or not) and room modes which cause standing wave interferential patterns (which are more pronounced at low frequencies). As gauss strength of the magnetic field becomes less as more and more of the voice coil is out of the 'sweet spot' of the magnet (at the extreme ends of compression and rarefaction), distortion is introduced. As distortion is a non-linearity in production, this reduction in efficiency produces heat in the voice coil (and in the case of tweeters, sends them to heaven).
So. How do you make a speaker system that is affordable, has acceptable distortion characteristics, can reproduce sound within the realm of normal human hearing (which, trust me is no where near 20-20K!) and not have it weigh 70 lbs to provide huge amplification? Active equalization is one very good method and Bose has been one of the leaders in this, since the 901. If you want to hear a crappy speaker, run a pair of 901's without the Active Equalizer in the circuit. Using the equalizer in the circuit, the sound is impressive and impressively alive. Although room reflections and resulting modes can seriously screw things up, an item that I've emphasized over the years should be introduced here. When I consulted to do an installation with a client, I tried to emphasize that the amount of money spent on the room should be at least as much as the money spent on the system for the room. You can spend 100,000.00 on a system if you want and if the room is hard wood floors, hard ceilings and hard walls, it will sound like dung. Even if you spend the money on a speaker with built-in equalization which is constantly adjusted at the speaker via a microphone and software (like the top end B&O systems), it can only accomplish just so much. When they redid Avery Fisher Hall, it sounded horrible. Then acoustic engineers came in and tempered the artsy fartsy stuff the architects/interior decorators did to the place and make it into a world class hall. The average place selling sound equipment has the worst acoustic setup possible and the only way to see how it will sound is in your home. And if you haven't thought about the dimensions, reflectivity and absorptive qualities of the room and the effects of bass on common drywall, producing standing waves and modes, you won't be happy.
That being said, I believe that Bose Professional equipment is the best on the planet and am a little less enthusiastic about the consumer stuff. Is it designed for really critical listening? Hard to say. I do know that anyone expecting a 5.1 or 7.1 surround experience with a relatively small woofer (if it doesn't reproduce to at least 25Hz, it isn't a 'subwoofer' by definition and the Bose units don't get there) and two speakers is delusional. I've owned Klipsch and Advent and BGW and Crown and Sony and Meridian and Sonance and installed just about everything and concluded that you get what you pay for (usually). Take it home. If you like it, keep it. If you don't, return it. If the place won't let you listen to it in your home with a money back guarantee, go elsewhere. Bose LifeStyle systems are probably o.k. if you're not looking to have 100 wires to deal with and want it to look good. If you read the technical specs on the Acoustimass module, you'll see the distortion rating at the low end not be impressed and will move on. I think you'll pay more as you go up in quality and down in distortion specs, but to each his own.
I believe their professional series are outstanding. I still own the 802 series. The only Bose product I own.
We know
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Boring! Get to the point, already.
Bunchawindbags
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After reading the previous post I realize that Kip and Dr David Secord are self-important morons. Who talks like that? Windbags that's who.
"As a former audio engineer who has read extensively on Amar Bose and the engineering behind acoustic engineering ideals, I'd like to comment on one or two things Blah Blah blah."
What good is qualifying yourself if most of what you wrote is what you believe or what is common knowledge to the average audiophile. Did you go to school to learn that? It's great that read up on Amar Bose. Fantastic. It's super that you owned all kinds of speakers, wow. Get to the point already.
Then there's Kip:
"How they are configured is irrelevant if you can get excellent results under proper configuration with a set of Klipsch"
Huh? Sorry, it is relevant, you can get excellent results out of Bose as well, if properly configured and no, you haven't made a point. Get off the bandwagon, follower.
I'm not a huge Bose fan but have owned them in the past. They aren't that bad but yes you have to work with them to get them most out of them. But isn't that what being an audiophile is all about?
I think 'We know' put it best ^ ^ ^ ^
What a bunch of dweebs.
Anonymous
Posted on
I have and acoustimass 10... and its the best sound i ever hear... man if you dont know about bose please dont talk about it... i think you need to work more and pay for a bose.. and please dont compare with your ACTECK 1.1 of your computer.. hahahahahahahahahahahahaha.....
works 4 bose
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I go to college and work at Bose part time for the past 6 months and i've learned alot about the product and all the technologies inside the products, which are quite amazing. We get our complaints here and there, but all in all we have very few returns, and alot of satisfied customers. We also offer 60 days money back...So if you don't like it you can bring it back rather than complain about it on a computer. The abilities of the lifestyle system are really amazing and are very simple to use. Bose likes to preach simplicity, and not having to deal with a receiver and its 100s of different equalizations makes home theater operations very simple with its self equalizing processing. Other technologies such as intergrated signal processing, digital range compression, and the adapt IQ make this system hard to resist. Another thing that people neglect to comprehend is that 100% of the profits go back into research. Everyone on Bose's payroll is salary based, even Doctor Bose himself. By the way we're closing in on a $3,000,000 fiscal year for our small store down here and that tells you something about how much people enjoy our product.
With the LifeStyle systems, you're basically paying for the computer processing in the all-in-one units. It does do some cool stuff, especially the high-end ones that store your music and can play a certain genre "automatacally". But, all of the automated, easy-to-use features don't do a lot of good if the system can't get the basics down, like full frequency response. It's fact that there are holes in it's mid-range response and that the Accoustimas module doesn't extend far enough down and is crossed over way too high. Give me better sound over bells and whistles any day.
I have a friend with an acoustimass 10. It sounds dull and lifeless with excessive midrange and no highs. A second subwoofer was added because the one Bose uses is extremely weak. Its a shame really, I don't have the heart to say anything.
I think you could hack up a better surround system made from flea market pyramid 4" coax car speakers and spend maybe $100 doing it.
Moronathon
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Maybe your friend should dump the Audiovox receiver if wants to get better sound.
Bose is pretty much only defended by those who have purchased one and still thinks they have the best. For some it may be the best if you are looking for small and out of the way rather than sound quality. At one time I thought bose would be best for me till I started researching and did in store auditions. I decided wanted quality more than anything and got it for far less than bose. Bose is brillant at marketing their product to the uneducated buyer. This is why their sales are so high. Alot of people that have had bose will buy something else and then say bose is garbage.
I am just curious as to this statement "Another thing that people neglect to comprehend is that 100% of the profits go back into research"
What is it that they are researching. The speakers are paper drivers, I thought that for the most part we moved past paper drivers. So obviously the "research" is not going onto the speakers (at least not the Acoustimass).
I believe that the % of profit is not going to research it's going to marketing (which has done a fantastic job)
IF your happy with the Acoustimass system that is great for you. I think what most people here try to get a cross to people who are interested in purchasing a system is to go and listen to the product.
No 1 speaker is the best. Every speaker has to make some sacrifice, ie Klipsch are high sensitivity, but have a horn "coloration". Electrostats (at least the pair i listened to) have a very specific "sweet" spot and there is a definate drop in sound when you not sitting in the correct location.
Basically go and listen don't buy something because "bose is the best so buy it". IF that is why you buy a product, then "buy chevorlet caviliers because they are the best car" How many of you will go and buy a cavilier? Probably none based on the statement. More than likely you will test drive a couple of cars and then purchase what you like.
Buy Other Sound Equippment....Research? What research. For the past 12+ years, BOSE line of products stays the same (ie 201, 301, 901..etc). No revolutionary, no mechanical advancements, just fancy facelifts. Direct/Reflecting? Isn't it those were the original Bi/Di-Polar concepts. Of all the loudspeakers in the world...ONLY Bose didn't mentioned their real technical specs like Frequency Response, THD..etc. They (BOSE Corp) should show the consuming public their lab tests of their products and not just a saliva pasted on the BOSE brochure.
I suggests, try and auditioned brands like: Monitor Audio, Paradigm, B&W (Bower & Wilkins), Mission, Sonus Faber, Spendor, Castle, Wharfedale, PSB, DynaAudio, Quad..etc. And I tell you guys, you will find a quality, Better Sound through combined Art & Craftmanship audio products.
As far as value...bang for your $$, simply speaking, OVERPRICED!!! 2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1, 7.1, 100.1 Doesn't matter, Bose can be blown away by other systems of the same confiuration for less $$. Sometimes even half or more. No debate there.
Well there will always be debates on the last point mostly with the yuppie generation who likes the fact people who don't know any better come in their homes and say, OMG You have BOSE.
I would constantly get "THOSE ARE SPEAKERS??" from people before I got rid of my scenarios. I never demoed them because the woofer and tweeter intergration was never to my liking, and the room was too dull. I sent them back to Tweeter in less than a month.
Now I have a great room for them, but didn't then.