seriously about bose?

Question

i have read a lot about the pros and cons of bose. more people hate then love. and everyones response is, you can buy better for cheaper, with no examples. but really, what other manufactures have small near invisble speakers that sound really clear. and looks good! (i understand no mids) but i looked everywhere and good speakers are really big. the closest i came to was orbaudio(ugly) and mirage(just as expensive at $300+ for there flagship satalites. please help with these criteria. quality, size, and appeal not just for home theater. oh and i did check boston acoustics its ugly,and plain. is there such a system?

Answer 1

Bose is expensive, but their promotion is convenience. A small
system that blends into your decor. The misconception is that
Bose is high-end audio, when actually it's more high-priced mid-
fi gear that looks good.

For a change from the average looking speaker system that will
actually sound good, you might consider KEF or Gallo Acoustics.
There are others out there as well that are not as well known but
if you do an online search, I'm sure you'll find some superior alter-
natives to Bose and their master marketing prowess.
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Answer 2

If you are buying a set of speakers based on looks then it appears you have already made your decision.

I think when most people talk about price they are talking about the lifestyle systems. The ones that start at 2000 and go to 4000.

When it comes to speakers and 5.1 speaker set then the price will definitly become closer but sound quality will still go towards the others.

Buying better for cheaper yeah I agree there too. I think the cheapes bose setup is the AM6 which goes for about 600 and sound the same as the speakers that come with a 200 HTIB.

To compare to the bose you would only have to look at the Mirage nanosat 5.1 system the sound buries bose. Definitive technology also has a small set that smokes bose. Both system can be had for under a 800 and the come in a vaiety of colors.

But if your just buying for looks than good luck

Answer 3

I have sold Bose products for more than 20 years. With the possible exception of the 900 series, I found them to be horribly over priced and acoustically inferior. The 900s were still over priced, but if you placed them right, they sounded not bad.
That is why, when you find Bose products at your retailer, they are not displayed with any competitive products. If they were, you would be able to make comparisons to other speakers and you would notice a vast difference in sound quality. The Bose products would never sell in that environment.
If you want a sub/satellite speaker system that has mid tones, then the satellites need to be slightly bigger. They don't have to be big monsters, they just need to be big enough to contain a mid-sized driver AND a tweeter.
The simplest way to achieve this is to purchase a pair of small bookshelf speakers and a powered sub-woofer separately.
You don't have to spend a lot of money on the sub-woofer. Anything with an 8" or 10" driver and at least 100 watts of RMS power would do the job. The money should go on the satellites as that is what you will actually be listening to.
Go to your local stereo store and listen to several makes of bookshelf speakers.
1- Bring your own CD to listen to. One that you very familiar with because that way you will notice anything that sounds wrong or different.
2- Make sure they are NOT running a sub-woofer during the demonstration. All speakers will sound good at first if a sub-woofer is running.

JBL makes a very good, reasonably priced bookshelf speaker. So does Polk Audio. If you are in Canada, also look at the Quest brand.
If they are going to be placed near a TV, then make sure the speakers are magnetically shielded. Most brands are.

Answer 4

A set of 4 Paradigm Titans will set you back $400 and a Low - Mid level Reciever by Denon or Onkyo will cost maybe $400 - $500. Throw in a cheap ($50) DVD player and that system will blow the doors off any of those $2000 Bose Lifestyles rip-jobs for about half the price.

Throw in a good $500 sub, and a Center Channel Speaker $250, and it's still no comparrison.

Answer 5

Siting examples is not needed. Pick any Bose price point say $500, ANY speaker at the $250 range will sound far better. AT the Bose $2000 point a $700 system by any other manufacture will sound better, ANY.

To reproduce mid range accurately mids need to be large enough, 4 to 5 inches in diameter.
To reproduce base you have to move enough volume of air hence a larger size, at least 8" better at 10" and 12". It's simple physics.

Bostons are awesome at their price points, and if you think they are ugly go see an eye doctor. What, have you been sold some bill of goods by an interior designer? Show your gear! it has a unique beauty of its own.

Answer 6

Bose is a high quality company and they charge according. The speakers themselves are OK for tweeters and mid range, but the bass is lacking even with there sub woofers. If you were going to go with Bose surround sound I would buy them separately and get there 901's as my front channel and a pair of 201,s or 301,s as my rear or side channels. The thing with invisible speakers is that they will never sounds as good as larger speakers. A compromise that actually has good sound and is pretty hidden is in wall speakers. I would go with them or actually larger speakers. or a combination.

Answer 7

paradigm speakers are good looking and great sounding

Answer 8

try sony or pioneer?