Do (most) Bose Systems give you the utmost in full-spectrum, balanced sound?
In most cases - I feel that the answer would be a "No - BUT..."
I remember two distinct cases where Bose technology "Blew my Mind":
#1 - At High School in the 1980s. Somebody came in to give a unique, artsy A-V Presentation. We had a large but very good acoustically Auditorium that probably seated about 2500-3000 seats. This guy had (2) speakers that I THINK were 901's up on tri-pod stands / poles that got them about 6-feet off the stage floor.
Whatever they were - they FILLED the auditorium with IMPRESSIVE sound (and I've never been one to be easily impressed)
Plus, I would lay good money on them being powered by some pretty impressive amplification.
If they were 901's - what I find REALLY impressive is that it creates all that sound via an array of mid-size speakers that seem to be "nothing special" on their own, but the "Genius" lies in the way that they are controlled and deployed.
#2 - Late 1980's when people were still using tube-type Televisions and S-Video format (a whopping 480 lines of resolution) was a big deal. My Dad worked at a TV & Appliance Store and they had a Zenith 27-inch "Cube" TV. You could barely see any speaker grilles, but the unit had about 6 speakers built-into it using Bose Sound-Tube technology. That TV could FILL the whole showroom with pretty darned good sound that seemed to emanate from thin air.
So, as an Audio Geek - is it HiFi = Probably not.
But, it it pretty darned impressive? = a resounding "Yup!" in MY book
In most cases - I feel that the answer would be a "No - BUT..."
I remember two distinct cases where Bose technology "Blew my Mind":
#1 - At High School in the 1980s. Somebody came in to give a unique, artsy A-V Presentation. We had a large but very good acoustically Auditorium that probably seated about 2500-3000 seats. This guy had (2) speakers that I THINK were 901's up on tri-pod stands / poles that got them about 6-feet off the stage floor.
Whatever they were - they FILLED the auditorium with IMPRESSIVE sound (and I've never been one to be easily impressed)
Plus, I would lay good money on them being powered by some pretty impressive amplification.
If they were 901's - what I find REALLY impressive is that it creates all that sound via an array of mid-size speakers that seem to be "nothing special" on their own, but the "Genius" lies in the way that they are controlled and deployed.
#2 - Late 1980's when people were still using tube-type Televisions and S-Video format (a whopping 480 lines of resolution) was a big deal. My Dad worked at a TV & Appliance Store and they had a Zenith 27-inch "Cube" TV. You could barely see any speaker grilles, but the unit had about 6 speakers built-into it using Bose Sound-Tube technology. That TV could FILL the whole showroom with pretty darned good sound that seemed to emanate from thin air.
So, as an Audio Geek - is it HiFi = Probably not.
But, it it pretty darned impressive? = a resounding "Yup!" in MY book
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We used to muse in the early '70's at the local student union beer cave that the newly formed EPA, where I was a lab grunt, might fund a project I proposed, using the 901's hanging on the walls, as a proxy / measuring system for exposure to 2nd hand smoke, since they were mounted array side out, and there was a distinctive brown stain marking the outlines of all the drivers, most likely tobacco nicotine and tar stains generated from all the cigarette and other substance consumption, with a marked gradient from speaker to speaker depending on their position relative the clientele. Music sounded like crap, but noone cared after a pitcher or two.
Sometimes they'd crank up the ALTEC A7 horns hanging for live bands and such... the 901's would shudder in response...
Sometimes they'd crank up the ALTEC A7 horns hanging for live bands and such... the 901's would shudder in response...
Audiophiles hate Bose because Bose often sounds better than their own stuff.
Honestly, front firing 901 or 801 can do voices very well, have great phase characteristics, are extremely efficient, and are used without failing in professional environments 24/7 for decades on end.
Plus, and I think this is something Bose should be credited for, they were the first to understand that by employing electronic means to correct FR deficiencies from the loudspeaker as a complete system, you will gain some design freedoms.
Bose has employed these well.
I am not saying there are no better speakers, there are. But the fact that some audiophiles 'hate' Bose, that sounds like something with deeper and darker causes.
Honestly, front firing 901 or 801 can do voices very well, have great phase characteristics, are extremely efficient, and are used without failing in professional environments 24/7 for decades on end.
Plus, and I think this is something Bose should be credited for, they were the first to understand that by employing electronic means to correct FR deficiencies from the loudspeaker as a complete system, you will gain some design freedoms.
Bose has employed these well.
I am not saying there are no better speakers, there are. But the fact that some audiophiles 'hate' Bose, that sounds like something with deeper and darker causes.
My experience with Bose sound is that it gives bass that is clean and crisp but at the same time deep like the Grand Canyon; ---but it does not punch you in the back. This happens to be the way I like my bass. I am older now and i do not need thumping bass but I do desire it to be deep and with no distortion. The Wave radio does this as well as the Bose GM Delco systems.
My two cents,
Newbie, Dan Jenson
My two cents,
Newbie,
Dan Jenson
My first experience of Bose was a small clock/music player.
I was very surprised at the amount of bass for such a small unit.
Know the feeling, you go in knowing what you want and they try to sell you something else.
I get cold calls every day trying to sell me stuff. If I want something I go out and buy it so dont need anything.
Even when they find their offer is still more than what I am already paying they don't give up ! Bang, phone down.
The serious audiophiles do not like Bose mostly because their products sound very artificial. That's it.
Why haters? Probably, many audiophiles hate the companies like Bose or McIntosh because they think those companies target ignorant people who just buy audio products without listening to it...
I think that the GM Delco Bose car audio door amplifiers take the audio signal and compress it then convert it to digital then converts it back to analog then decompresses it, then runs it to a tubular vented .5 ohm speaker. (Or something to that effect anyhow you get the idea.)
The reult is that you get an absolutley noise free sound with non-abrasive trebles, clean crisp and clear mid's and bass as deep as the grand canyion but yet somehow smooth and not punchy.
I would say that this is great for millennials .
I heard it said that Dr. Bose could see the sound as he engineered it.
Personally, I do like it but secondly. Firstly, I more prefer the sound of vacuum tube amplifiers with their more nuance'd shading of the mids and bass.
Have you ever heard a young Frank Sinatra resonating from a tube amp ? Some artists have come into their craft with tubes. A more contemporary example of a voice naturally resounding with tube amp subtlety is Randy Travis. I just purchased his Christmas CD at Walmart and hooked the player to the Low Aux input of my Stromberg Carlson outputting into a crappy Sony bookshelf speaker. The baritone fills the room effortlessly.
Merry Christmas Dj
The reult is that you get an absolutley noise free sound with non-abrasive trebles, clean crisp and clear mid's and bass as deep as the grand canyion but yet somehow smooth and not punchy.
I would say that this is great for millennials .
I heard it said that Dr. Bose could see the sound as he engineered it.
Personally, I do like it but secondly. Firstly, I more prefer the sound of vacuum tube amplifiers with their more nuance'd shading of the mids and bass.
Have you ever heard a young Frank Sinatra resonating from a tube amp ? Some artists have come into their craft with tubes. A more contemporary example of a voice naturally resounding with tube amp subtlety is Randy Travis. I just purchased his Christmas CD at Walmart and hooked the player to the Low Aux input of my Stromberg Carlson outputting into a crappy Sony bookshelf speaker. The baritone fills the room effortlessly.
Merry Christmas Dj
Sorry to respond to your old post. I've got quite a few SoundTouch 20 II and IIIs throughout my house. They sell on eBay for under $150 if you are patient. I found them a little bass heavy actually, every one of them has the bass turned down via the settings. I've never had a problem with them being forgotten or loosing local music after an update. I wonder if you got a bum unit? I've thought about getting a 30 for the living room to get a fuller sound, but maybe not worth it.
I keep the real HiFi in my office. Don't have to worry about WAF there.
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People like what they like. And if they can't afford a dedicated listening room with hundreds of thousands of dollars of equipment held together with cables made from unicorn hair and dragon scales, then Bose is a safe bet for something that's going to fit in and be easy to use and sound acceptable for casual listening or background noise - for anyone who lacks the need for something a bit better. Among the great unwashed it may even have a teeny bit of snob factor for the win.
And yes to the observer that noted it's a popular click bait topic. Any Audiophile going there has clearly run out of things to say.
Frankly comparing Bose with high end audio is completely missing the point. I don't recall them ever claiming it was high end audio. But it has been carefully marketed to give that perception.
And yes to the observer that noted it's a popular click bait topic. Any Audiophile going there has clearly run out of things to say.
Frankly comparing Bose with high end audio is completely missing the point. I don't recall them ever claiming it was high end audio. But it has been carefully marketed to give that perception.
Where have you been? There are far more value for money options out there just look and think. The typical Bose customer clicks on the buy now button on a lifestyle web site.
Hi Scott,
Yes, I was going to say something like that.
You can do a lot better and also end up with much better sound. Bose is just one option and it reminds me of people who bought the old Zenith radios in the late 70's. They sounded pretty good for what they were, but that was it and they weren't much - just a radio.
-Chris
Yes, I was going to say something like that.
You can do a lot better and also end up with much better sound. Bose is just one option and it reminds me of people who bought the old Zenith radios in the late 70's. They sounded pretty good for what they were, but that was it and they weren't much - just a radio.
-Chris
I have a transoceanic, tube, that was my father's. I'll restore that one. My hobby is rebuilding tube radios from the 20's on up to the 50's sets. Yes, they sound great for the radios that they are. No, they arent supposed to hum.
I'm hopefully about to rebuild and restore a Sparton record player on legs. Fairly big piece, it's coming once COVID is all over. I'm excited to start on it. It was going to be for my wife.
-Chris
I'm hopefully about to rebuild and restore a Sparton record player on legs. Fairly big piece, it's coming once COVID is all over. I'm excited to start on it. It was going to be for my wife.
-Chris
Scott, My point exactly. I believe we are saying the same thing, using different words.
I bought Sansui speakers from the MCAS Futenma base audio hobby shop. My good friend bought those Bose speakers that you could hang in a corner or place on speaker stands. He thought they sounded great and I thought my Sansui speakers were just as good. I knew I wasn't an audiophile. I grew up listening to pop, soul and country/western music and he was a fan of ZZ Top and Van Halen when those guys were all young. Most of the rock bands I still like I hadn't heard of until after I bought my first stereo gear.
All those years have gone by and the speaker drivers have shorted on the Sansui speakers so I sold them for parts. My friend Gary still has the Bose speakers sitting in the corner on stands. They still sound okay.
Frankly, I wished I had bought a pair of JBL speakers I was jonesing for back then.
All those years have gone by and the speaker drivers have shorted on the Sansui speakers so I sold them for parts. My friend Gary still has the Bose speakers sitting in the corner on stands. They still sound okay.
Frankly, I wished I had bought a pair of JBL speakers I was jonesing for back then.
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