Are Bose Speakers worth the money???

troublefan · 10-20-2005, 12:52 AM

It is quite amazing in that I had the full Bose double cube, VCS-10, 161 set up and thought it was very cool. I didn't want to listen to the anti-Bose blowhards and windbags, but bought the Athena Micra6 package anyway, without auditioning it. No comparison, it beats up the Bose. I have to say I'm one of the dopes that bought into the mystique (and high price) but found something better through research (how ironic) and less expensive. I'm know systems out there will knock out the Athena, but for the $$ and personal experience, Bose ain't worth it.

daleb · 10-20-2005, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by troublefan

It is quite amazing in that I had the full Bose double cube, VCS-10, 161 set up and thought it was very cool. I didn't want to listen to the anti-Bose blowhards and windbags, but bought the Athena Micra6 package anyway, without auditioning it. No comparison, it beats up the Bose. I have to say I'm one of the dopes that bought into the mystique (and high price) but found something better through research (how ironic) and less expensive. I'm know systems out there will knock out the Athena, but for the $$ and personal experience, Bose ain't worth it.

We all learn similar lessons one time or another. The thing to be learned here is never assume anything, and keep an open mind.
For the money, I think they sound great too. Well conceived system.
Enjoy!

scottie · 01-14-2006, 11:05 AM

Bose is old technology. The material used for the speaker cones is old news. They sound good but only to a point. Go to a home theatre shop and test out some quality speakers. You will be able to hear the difference if you listen to them one after the other.

hdtvpros.com · 01-14-2006, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottie

Bose is old technology. The material used for the speaker cones is old news. They sound good but only to a point. Go to a home theatre shop and test out some quality speakers. You will be able to hear the difference if you listen to them one after the other.

This is true. I sell Bose, Klipsch, NHT and SpeakerCraft speakers and Bose to me and my friends and family sound the worst compared to the above. I also sell other brands of speaker but I am a authorized dealer of the above only. People who buy Bose pretty much buy into the hype regarding the sound. I do like the way they look when we ceiling or wall mount them for a customer (usually the wife decision and the husband agrees because he want some kind of surround sound).

daleb · 01-14-2006, 03:41 PM

Bose are an easy way out, but not necessarily the cheapest or best sounding. Still, preferable to buying speakers out of white vans.

Klipsch or okay, in my book, but I prefer the sound of the newer NHTs. I have a pair of Speaker Craft Aim Ones I am close to installing in my ceiling for surrounds after some other home decorating ideas get settled around here....

Maddod-99 · 01-15-2006, 05:00 PM

I have worked in this industry for over 7 yrs.
Bose is primarily a marketing company w/ limited quality.
Recently they switched their midrange/base cones from polymers to paper. they have a fancy name for it, but its paper. Open it up & look at them & you will see.

In time, w/ use, this will degrade as the memory begins to fail on them.

Bose is not 'bad' but is known for a strong high end & weak low end sound. Some prefer that. Lots of good suggestions above.

ALWAYS PERSONALLY TEST SPEAKERS before buying. There is NO foolproof OBJECTIVE WAY TO QUANTIFY AUDIO performance.

Also, budget to spend 50-60% of your available system dollars on speakers, they are the single most important element, & many of the other components are consolidated & costed down at production, w/ limited variance in output quality (amps, tuner, dvd, etc). Thats not true w/ speakers, you cant consolidate them "onto a chip" etc due to their nature.

Keep in mind, to reproduce accurate sound, you have to move air. to move air you need cones capable of doing that. & thats where the trade offs begin...

drock912001 · 01-16-2006, 02:29 AM

Years ago when I was looking for high end speakers,I walked into this hometheater store in Champaighn,IL called GoodVibes and asked about the price of some BOSE speakers.I was told to go to WorstBuy because they don't sell low end products in their store.9 years later and residing in another state I have never seen BOSE in one home theater store yet.Go figure.

daleb · 01-16-2006, 10:35 AM

The 901's were the last ones sold regularly in a/v stores, even some hi-end ones. The later versions of 501, and 601s, had a short life in the same stores. Since then........nada!
I think Bose are best relegated to small rooms and office systems. But even then, there are probably less expensive choices, that may not be as style conscious.

Ralphm773 · 01-16-2006, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by importpappa

Except for my Polk sub, my entire system is Bose. Front, center, sides and back. It's awesome and fits great with my living room decor. I'm sure there are better speakers out there. Just go to a Fry's or other big electronic store and listen to speakers in your price range. Bottom line? It's a very personal choice.

Sounds like my set up. I hated that sub and sold it. Athough I'm a big JBL fan, I ended up with the cubes because I was living in an apartment and got a good deal on eBay for my first AM7 set up. I'm running the cubes direct from the amp with no problem yet. But yes they are overpriced and not worth the money "new".

GISMO · 01-23-2006, 05:34 PM

i just bought the bose center speaker vcs-10 and i love it.

doggie · 01-24-2006, 01:19 PM

Before overpriced, overhyped Monster Cable, there was Bose - truly an example of marketing over substance.

There is nothing wrong product-wise with either Monster cables or Bose speakers. From experience, both make above average to great products. But for the price, it is outrageous. If for example, you gave any audiophile $700-$900 to buy you the best speakers, none on them would come back to you with Bose.

hdtvpros.com · 01-25-2006, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doggie

Before overpriced, overhyped Monster Cable, there was Bose - truly an example of marketing over substance.

There is nothing wrong product-wise with either Monster cables or Bose speakers. From experience, both make above average to great products. But for the price, it is outrageous. If for example, you gave any audiophile $700-$900 to buy you the best speakers, none on them would come back to you with Bose.

right on point!!!!

GISMO · 01-26-2006, 03:26 PM

my bose speakers are worth every penny i paid i LOVE them.they sound awesome.

tenman · 01-29-2006, 07:38 PM

There are a number of other options around, try them out at your nearest electronics store (Best Buy, Circuit City, etc.) but you won't go wrong with the Bose. We have the Acoustimass 16 System, and it delivers incredible surround sound through a separate Home Theater System. The dual cubes fit almost anywhere and do not impose, especially where you dont want audio "stuff" cluttering up your living space. The one drawback....I still enjoy the old style stereo reception when it comes to FM, CD play. The surround sound scatters the sound specrum too much. Still, all things considered...it's sweet sound.

ugamoose · 03-03-2006, 04:54 PM

I love my Bose system. I've got 301's, bose center, 161's in the back with a 12" Vendolyne sub.

These are powered by a Denon AVR-3805 receiver

The sound is great.

Keep in mind however that my space was limited and I had to have book shelf speakers otherwise I would have gone with different floor speakers for a bigger sound stage.

01-14-2006, 03:41 PM	#65
daleb High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Clovis, CA Posts: 7,351	Bose are an easy way out, but not necessarily the cheapest or best sounding. Still, preferable to buying speakers out of white vans. Klipsch or okay, in my book, but I prefer the sound of the newer NHTs. I have a pair of Speaker Craft Aim Ones I am close to installing in my ceiling for surrounds after some other home decorating ideas get settled around here.... __________________ Samsung PN50A650 plasma, Arcam AVR350, Dali Ikon6 (Vokal2&OnWalls), Outlaw Audio LFM-1EX sub, Anti-Mode 8033B, Oppo Digital BDP-83, Polk XM Tuner, Furman Elite power conditioner

01-15-2006, 05:00 PM	#66
Maddod-99 How can anyone watch standard def? Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 21	industry info I have worked in this industry for over 7 yrs. Bose is primarily a marketing company w/ limited quality. Recently they switched their midrange/base cones from polymers to paper. they have a fancy name for it, but its paper. Open it up & look at them & you will see. In time, w/ use, this will degrade as the memory begins to fail on them. Bose is not 'bad' but is known for a strong high end & weak low end sound. Some prefer that. Lots of good suggestions above. ALWAYS PERSONALLY TEST SPEAKERS before buying. There is NO foolproof OBJECTIVE WAY TO QUANTIFY AUDIO performance. Also, budget to spend 50-60% of your available system dollars on speakers, they are the single most important element, & many of the other components are consolidated & costed down at production, w/ limited variance in output quality (amps, tuner, dvd, etc). Thats not true w/ speakers, you cant consolidate them "onto a chip" etc due to their nature. Keep in mind, to reproduce accurate sound, you have to move air. to move air you need cones capable of doing that. & thats where the trade offs begin...

01-16-2006, 02:29 AM	#67
drock912001 NFL in HD nothing else Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Charlotte,NC Posts: 1,570	Junk Years ago when I was looking for high end speakers,I walked into this hometheater store in Champaighn,IL called GoodVibes and asked about the price of some BOSE speakers.I was told to go to WorstBuy because they don't sell low end products in their store.9 years later and residing in another state I have never seen BOSE in one home theater store yet.Go figure.

01-16-2006, 10:35 AM	#68
daleb High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Clovis, CA Posts: 7,351	The 901's were the last ones sold regularly in a/v stores, even some hi-end ones. The later versions of 501, and 601s, had a short life in the same stores. Since then........nada! I think Bose are best relegated to small rooms and office systems. But even then, there are probably less expensive choices, that may not be as style conscious. __________________ Samsung PN50A650 plasma, Arcam AVR350, Dali Ikon6 (Vokal2&OnWalls), Outlaw Audio LFM-1EX sub, Anti-Mode 8033B, Oppo Digital BDP-83, Polk XM Tuner, Furman Elite power conditioner

01-23-2006, 05:34 PM	#70
GISMO GISMO Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: RICHMOND VA Posts: 394	i just bought the bose center speaker vcs-10 and i love it. __________________ MITSUBISHI HD1000 PROJECTOR 120 INCH DIY SCREEN,KENWOOD 7.1 RECEIVER, BOSE VCS-10 CENTER SPEAKER, BOSE 301V FOR FRONTS, BOSE 201V FOR REARS,KENWOOD POWERED SUB.PS3,XBOX360,WII.

10-20-2005, 12:52 AM	#61
troublefan Not A Know-It-All Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 31	It is quite amazing in that I had the full Bose double cube, VCS-10, 161 set up and thought it was very cool. I didn't want to listen to the anti-Bose blowhards and windbags, but bought the Athena Micra6 package anyway, without auditioning it. No comparison, it beats up the Bose. I have to say I'm one of the dopes that bought into the mystique (and high price) but found something better through research (how ironic) and less expensive. I'm know systems out there will knock out the Athena, but for the $$ and personal experience, Bose ain't worth it.

01-14-2006, 11:05 AM	#63
scottie How can anyone watch standard def? Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 15	Bose is old technology. The material used for the speaker cones is old news. They sound good but only to a point. Go to a home theatre shop and test out some quality speakers. You will be able to hear the difference if you listen to them one after the other.

01-24-2006, 01:19 PM	#71
doggie TimeWarnerStinks Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: NYC Posts: 210	Before overpriced, overhyped Monster Cable, there was Bose - truly an example of marketing over substance. There is nothing wrong product-wise with either Monster cables or Bose speakers. From experience, both make above average to great products. But for the price, it is outrageous. If for example, you gave any audiophile $700-$900 to buy you the best speakers, none on them would come back to you with Bose.

01-26-2006, 03:26 PM	#73
GISMO GISMO Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: RICHMOND VA Posts: 394	my bose speakers are worth every penny i paid i LOVE them.they sound awesome. __________________ MITSUBISHI HD1000 PROJECTOR 120 INCH DIY SCREEN,KENWOOD 7.1 RECEIVER, BOSE VCS-10 CENTER SPEAKER, BOSE 301V FOR FRONTS, BOSE 201V FOR REARS,KENWOOD POWERED SUB.PS3,XBOX360,WII.

01-29-2006, 07:38 PM	#74
tenman What is HD? Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 1	Bose or No's There are a number of other options around, try them out at your nearest electronics store (Best Buy, Circuit City, etc.) but you won't go wrong with the Bose. We have the Acoustimass 16 System, and it delivers incredible surround sound through a separate Home Theater System. The dual cubes fit almost anywhere and do not impose, especially where you dont want audio "stuff" cluttering up your living space. The one drawback....I still enjoy the old style stereo reception when it comes to FM, CD play. The surround sound scatters the sound specrum too much. Still, all things considered...it's sweet sound.

03-03-2006, 04:54 PM	#75
ugamoose High Definition is the definition of life. Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Macon, GA Age: 34 Posts: 34	Love um I love my Bose system. I've got 301's, bose center, 161's in the back with a 12" Vendolyne sub. These are powered by a Denon AVR-3805 receiver The sound is great. Keep in mind however that my space was limited and I had to have book shelf speakers otherwise I would have gone with different floor speakers for a bigger sound stage.