Bose! better sound through marketing??

[nnair]

hi everyone. as the title says lets discuss about ALL AMERICAN, ALL EXPENSIVE BOSE
i know a lot of people hate bose. they say that their way too expensive, doesnt sound good, compromised build... but still bose still lives and is growing strong.. why? anybody has any answers to that?
why is bose criticized so much?? i think they sound good, but way too expensive for me....

 

[rojo]

Flame bait. Bose bashing can be entertaining, but there are far too many people who say "Boz sux" without ever having auditioned their gear. Bose apparently makes a lot of people feel warm and fluffy. I say they deserve an audition as much as Pioneer or Paradigm, and their customers can vote with dollars on whatever makes them happiest.

Sent from my LG-VS980 using Tapatalk

 

[Pyrrho]

Flame bait. Bose bashing can be entertaining, but there are far too many people who say "Boz sux" without ever having auditioned their gear. Bose apparently makes a lot of people feel warm and fluffy. I say they deserve an audition as much as Pioneer or Paradigm, and their customers can vote with dollars on whatever makes them happiest.

Sent from my LG-VS980 using Tapatalk

I might accept that except that Bose goes out of their way to make sure that people do not do side by side comparisons. In most stores in which I have seen Bose sold, they are not set up next to other options, and so when one listens to them, there is nothing else with which one can do a proper comparison. So I think we can blame them for trying to get people to buy their products without their customers really knowing what the other options are. This, frankly, is enough to dislike the company, as such practices are less than admirable. They actively try to keep their customers ignorant of the competition.

Also, many people make no real effort to audition different options, and so they buy based on reputation rather than on what even they would think if only they actually heard the competition. With people who live in remote areas, this is somewhat understandable, but it is not a good way to buy speakers.


You are right, however, that there are those who excessively bash Bose products. Many times, people lump all Bose products together. Not everything they make is a tiny cube speaker like what is discussed at:

intellexual net · m k i v

And even there, though the basic point is right, it is written in a manner that is excessively emotive. And it would probably be more persuasive if it took a more matter-of-fact tone, instead of being as it is.


To the OP:

Not everything Bose makes is terrible, though usually it is more expensive than it ought to be even so. But if one does not comparison shop, and one buys a Bose product that is not bad, it is easy to understand how one could be satisfied with it. Frankly, if one has no reference point at all, even one of their poorly sounding products is likely to satisfy.

If someone does not know what the competition has to offer, one is not going to know how something compares with it, and consequently one is going to have a difficult time judging how good of a deal one really got.

 

[Kruz]

Totally agree. Let people vote with their dollars. Those that want to audition everything side by side will. Those that will purchase based on reputation will as well.

Flame bait. Bose bashing can be entertaining, but there are far too many people who say "Boz sux" without ever having auditioned their gear. Bose apparently makes a lot of people feel warm and fluffy. I say they deserve an audition as much as Pioneer or Paradigm, and their customers can vote with dollars on whatever makes them happiest.

Sent from my LG-VS980 using Tapatalk

 

[Adam]

I might accept that except that...

Now, there's a tongue twister.

In most stores in which I have seen Bose sold, they are not set up next to other options, and so when one listens to them, there is nothing else with which one can do a proper comparison. So I think we can blame them for trying to get people to buy their products without their customers really knowing what the other options are. This, frankly, is enough to dislike the company, as such practices are less than admirable. They actively try to keep their customers ignorant of the competition.

I don't think showcasing one brand by itself is either sleazy or unusual. For speakers, no speaker dealer in the world has every brand. They tend to only have a select few. For products in general, there are many examples of stores only selling one brand. Apple Stores don't display PCs next to their Macs or Android phones next to their iPhones. Dunkin' Donuts shops don't sell Starbucks and Little Debbies, and McDonald's doesn't sell Burger King fries. I don't think that's a poor or less-than-admirable practice. None of that actively tries to keep customers ignorant. After all, if some goes to an "Apple Store," they're going there to look at Apple products. If you go to a Bose Store...well, same thing. Customers can always go to other stores to check out those products. Plus, there's nothing wrong with trying to convince someone that your product is the best. If customers choose to not look at other options, that's there choice.

 

[Steve81]

I might accept that except that Bose goes out of their way to make sure that people do not do side by side comparisons. In most stores in which I have seen Bose sold, they are not set up next to other options, and so when one listens to them, there is nothing else with which one can do a proper comparison.

Depends on the product IME. I know I've seen the 5.1 setups on their own in the past. However, I don't think I've ever seen their computer speakers, portable Bluetooth speakers, and bookshelf speakers specially segregated in the big box stores.

Edit: I'd also note with respect to their standalone 5.1 displays, there's probably more reason for it than just to keep people from making comparisons. The average Big Box speaker comparo room isn't typically an ideal place for comparisons as you've got dozens of models crammed into a relatively small space and placement is rarely ideal. By contrast, Bose's special 5.1 displays ensure a bit of consistency and control over the presentation. That said, I'd agree with the assertion that listening to the setup near field gives unrealistic expectations for how they would perform in a conventional home theater.

 

[ReUpRo]

Bose caters to a specific segment of people shopping for AV equipment. Some are not even aware of what constitutes good sounds and what makes for good sounds reproduction. The informed AV shopper may overlap with this segment, choosing to buy Bose products knowing the strengths and weaknesses.

IMO, the Bose bashers just have an to axe grind and a desperate need to prove their point. Mainly, that their purchase equates superior AV acumen (which is likely) and to superior intellect (not certain) than the Bose product buyer. IMHO, either they're insecure or way too passionate about enforcing their agenda or both.

In my case, I try to help the buyer make an informed decision. Once the decision is made, I'll do my best to help them get the best use of their purchase, be it a Bose System or Polk Subwoofer or Beats Headphones or Monster Cables.

 

[Adam]

Dang it. Now I want a Little Debbie. My mind is weak...

 

[zieglj01]

but still bose still lives and is growing strong.. why? anybody has any answers to that?
why is bose criticized so much?? i think they sound good, but way too expensive for me....

You must be bored today - make sure you look at page #1 and #2
Bose 301 Bookshelf Speakers Reviewed

Also, you have a thread about wanting to replace your Bose headphones!
http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/beginners-audiophytes/90106-good-pair-headphones-under-200$.html

 

[j_garcia]

they say that their way too expensive

i think they sound good, but way too expensive for me....

OK....

You "think" they sound good and that's a good example of why they're still going strong. "Thinking" something is good and it actually BEING good aren't the same thing, and it is also all frame of reference. Bose banks on the fact that you haven't heard something better.

Theoretical example - you listen to Bose and like them. Day 2 you come back and listen to a better set of speakers and think "Wow!". Day 3 - come back and listen to an even better set of speakers than the last and think the same thing again...and so on and so forth. By about the 5th day, if go you back and listen to the Bose again, chances are very good that you won't understand why you thought they sounded good simply because you've now heard what better speakers SHOULD sound like and now you have a frame of reference.

 

[gene]

Bose is a brilliantly marketed company and they have a lot of satisfied customers.

I discuss them briefly in this video:

 

[3db]

Bose is muddy boom and sizzle and that appeals to the uneducated (in terms of doing research and going out to listen to other manufacturers) or to those that just don't care about sound as long as it fills a room with sound and not distort like a portable radio/boombox.

 

[nnair]

You must be bored today - make sure you look at page #1 and #2
Bose 301 Bookshelf Speakers Reviewed

Also, you have a thread about wanting to replace your Bose headphones!
http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/beginners-audiophytes/90106-good-pair-headphones-under-200$.html

na..im not bored. bose is just not worth the hype.. im an amateur, just like others(new to audio) i had no clue on what headphones are, how they should sound... blindly i went to the store and got myself ae2 and after a few months ie2.. after doing some research on the web, which i should have done before, found that these were not even close to any audiophile headphones ....now i have a fair knowledge about headphones..id probably go for ath m50.. cant find any better for less than $200.

 

[JohnnieB]

BOSE has become a household name, because of their marketing. A perfect example, my dad called the other day to tell me about someone who lost a high dollar stereo when his basement flooded. He lost his BOSE. OMG. My dad knows absolutely nothing about high end audio or technology in general. He cant erase his own voice mail messages.He represents the majority.Most people that have been around high end audio, consumers and dealers, have the shared opinion that BOSE leaves a lot to be desired. These people represent the minority. Not everyone is willing to spend the time or money it takes to find true quality audio gear. People in general don,t want to appear ignorant, they may feel it leaves them vulnerable to getting ripped off. In fact, not researching or asking questions to become educated about something leaves them far more succeptable to a good salesman. Just look at car buying as a great example. BOSE is not bad, but it by no means is worth the asking price. People often ask "whats the best thingy I can get for x amount" By all accounts the answer is probably not BOSE. When is the last time you saw BOSE next to something in its same price range. It usually is next to something cheaper. Even though the cheaper item may actually be better, uneducated people equate the price with what must be quality.This is the magic of BOSE.

 

[walter duque]

All I can say about Bose is that when I did owned them I enjoyed them. First pair I had was in 74 (901 series II). I was driving them with a Marantz 4400 (125 watts x 2)
In the eraly 80's I ran 4 (901 Series V) was driving them with a VSP Labs Staigtwire Pre-amp and 2 Vsp Labs Gold Edition 200 watts (mosfet) power amps, I think they sounded fantastic. The 901's need lots of power for them to shine. Got pair of 301's for free and gave them to my son, he's happy them. I send a picture of my system to my cousin in europe and the response I got was "wow that looks like a Bose showroom". I don't take it as an insult, they just don't know any better.