Polk Speakers vs Bose Speakers?

Answer 1

Polk is a real speaker company, Bose is not.

Bose is more like those cheap, $100 home theater in a box (HTiB) systems you see at even the cheapest store. Small, plastic speaker housings combined with the weird wannabe receivers...lame.

Bose has a good marketing team, they target the stupid, uninformed and old. Skim through late night TV asnd you'll see Bose commercials everywhere, along with Sunday morning (targeting church go'ers).

Bose doesn't even publish real speaker specs like real speakers companies do:

Frequency response
Sensitivty
etc.
etc.

These cheap Polks ($50 each) sound better than any Bose speakers out there:
http://shop4.outpost.com/%7BAdFE0VKsnxylnraHyUZm2A**.node2%7D/product/4965501;jsessionid=AdFE0VKsnxylnraHyUZm2A**.node2?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
http://shop4.outpost.com/%7BAdFE0VKsnxylnraHyUZm2A**.node2%7D/ShopCartServlet?purchase=4965501

Answer 2

I have owned two Bose systems, one Cinemate SR1 surround sound system and one 5 speaker Acoustimass. I sold both one by one. I got Polk audio speakers which happened to be on sale. When I hooked up the speakers to my receiver, I was surprised to hear things which I never heard with Bose. The sound was as clear as it can get. The left to right sound shift is amazing. When a tank or car in a movie goes from left to right the feel is real. Never felt this with Bose. I don't care what people say about each brand. I personally found Polk speakers to sound better with amazing clarity.

Answer 3

Neither ocmpany is known for superior sound. There are some companies out there - NHT, KEF, Monitor Audio, PSB, Revel, Heybrook - which for about the same money can give you a true high end sound.
I dont know what our budet is - but Bose or Polk do not come cheap. There are some amazing speakers out there- in any price range:
NHT - Absolute Zero $199
PSB Alpha B1 $279
NHT - Classic Model Three $399
Wharfedale - Evolution 20 $675
Monitor Audio Silver RS6 $999
Revel Concerta F12 $1,495
Vandersteen 2Ce Signature $1,995

YES! THERE IS LIFE BEYOND BOSE AND POLK!

Answer 4

I sold speakers and systems for years back when Circuit City was a respected audio seller. The secret is go to the store and listen to the speakers. Don't listen to what anyone tells you about Polk or Bose or any other models. I heard some Harman Kardon speakers that were $2500 each, and to ME they didn't sound any better than the Bose system we had set up.

So if YOU can't hear the difference, don't be baited by a bunch of snobs into paying a higher price. Go listen and then buy the most expensive speakers you can afford that YOU think sound good.

Who cares what Little Johnny Snob Appeal thinks? He isn't going to be stuck listening to YOUR speakers-----YOU are.

Answer 5

Hi there.The enjoyment of music is a personal,subjective experience. What one person considers"good music" may be regarded poorly by someone else.However ,this subjective musical preference should not be confused with the objective task of music reproduction--to reproduce the original music exactly as it was performed.This is why there are no ''jazz speakers",or"rock speakers"or "classical speakers"--just poor,good,better,and great speakers

Of the 400 or so brands of speakers available, there are only about 15 to 20 really good speaker manufacturers.There are literally hundreds of poor speakers on the market including Polk and Bose.As different as good speakers can sound there are two things that all good speakers have in common.One is a seamless sound from the very low bass to the very highest highs(you don't hear the individual drivers).The other is the ability to reproduce voices well.All good speakers do those two things.

In order to provide a complete and faithful musical experience and to avoid imposing its own sonic character,a speaker should preserve all of several independant musical characteristics : tonal balance,imaging, clarity, dynamic range, and bass response.Correct tonal balance ensures that the musical spectrum--from the highs to the lows---is reproduced without over or under emphasis of any part by the speakers' own colorations.Some speakers manufactured in Britain have all or most of these desireable attributes.

Answer 6

Polk makes great speakers. Far superior to Bose at every price point.

Bose speakers are dynamic. They produce sharp sounds, like a ricochet or a clap of the hands, very quickly. They tend to lack in their tonal balance (clarity, smoothness, fullness), their imaging (ability to localize sound in space) and their depth (spaciousness). That makes them better for action movies and games than for music, which is unusual for a speaker. Most try to achieve a better blend of characteristics.

Whatever you do, I'd suggest you test speakers using something you're familiar with, not the demonstration stuff at the store.

Answer 7

The short answer is: "Hooked up to what amp and in what kind of room, and what kind of frequency response do your ears still have? Is this for surround sound or audiophile stereo? What kind of music do you want to listen to?"

I've got Thiels on a Threshold amp. Thiels love violins but I kick in the ancient ADCs for rock and roll. I have found that the best wine is the wine my tongue enjoys, and the best sound is what I can still hear.

Beyond that, the quality of construction and engineering of Polk's and Bose's higher lines are both highly regarded for their intended purposes.

Go for your ears. They're the biggest limit on sound replication, and the most important to you. Research and base it upon your needs and budget. In-house demos are preferable, but seldom possible.

Music is worth the enjoyment. Have fun whichever you choose--just make sure it's appropriate for you needs, your household, and your ears.

Answer 8

Everyone here says Polk so Im gonna say Bose ... oh wait ... Bose? ... Bose is crap!

Answer 9

polk are better, but if you have the budget for bose i would look at KEF there far superior to bose.