Bose: Legit Audio Company or Slick Marketing?

[lovinthehd]

Yeah, don't remember toilet flushing on All in the Family....seemed most of it was kitchen or living room based....makes more sense for Al Bundy, tho

 

[Swerd]

If I recall, All In the Family may have been the first TV sitcom in the US to even admit that people had toilets in their homes. Certainly Ozzy & Harriet, Leave It to Beaver, etc., apparently had no need for such porcelain facilities.

 

[davidscott]

On the opposite end of the spectrum Two and a Half Men actually filmed quite a few scenes in the bathroom.

 

[Bullvyne]

Mr. Feinstein - Very impressive, well researched / written article on Bose products! Thoroughly enjoyed the "read." Despite the naysayers... still love my Bose 901 V's, coupled with a pair of Cerwin-Vega D9's, powered by a Yamaha RX-V1 receiver. Far, (yes, very far) from the "best" sound available, but to most... they never heard better.

 

[gene]

Mr. Feinstein - Very impressive, well researched and written article on Bose products! Thoroughly enjoyed the "read." Despite the naysayers... still love my Bose 901 V's, coupled with a pair of Cerwin-Vega D9's, powered by a Yamaha RX-V1 receiver. Far, (yes, very far) from the "best" sound available, but to most... they never heard better.

Interesting combo. You using the Vegas for front main channels and the 901s for surrounds or doing 4CH stereo?

 

[Bullvyne]

The RX-V1 allows for two pairs of main speakers which I use both, the 901's (top, on an I-beam,) the D9's (bottom.) Looks pretty cool,... like one big speaker. Using the Bose EQ, I needed to minimize the tweeter and mid-range settings on the CV speakers. Two Klipsch 15" subs, (East/West walls) along with two Klipsch Snyergy RP-240 rear surrounds, (ceiling corners) with 2 Polk bookshelf's' as front effect speakers help reproduce the sound.

But, here's where I went completely "off the grid" and... if the true audiophile isn't cringing yet, just wait... I purchased a Mitsubishi 92" HD TV which incorporates 17 front firing speakers that can be switched to a center channel for movies and sporting events. To enhance the center channel, a Bose Acoustimass 5 is utilized (cubes firing towards the rear, ceiling mount, behind the "sweet spot" and the sub, center, hidden back of the mammoth TV.) A Bose tech guided me through the hook-up to use the Acoustimass as a center channel. Obviously, the RX-V1 also allows for 2 center channels and... naturally, for music... none of the center channels are used. Audimute wall treatments cover my 18x28' dedicated HT room.

I realize mixing speakers is "taboo" in the "purist" world of audio, but somehow this mix-mash arrangement blows away my brother's Tekton Double Impact speaker system,... that he will... (reluctantly) admit. Actually, it's not even close! (I originally purchased the Tekton's for myself and then sold them to him.) Perhaps, to the "extreme, discriminate ear" my system sounds like what was described earlier; referencing the flushing noise of a commode. And possibly the jaw dropping reaction I get from my friends when they hear my system is:.. that's exactly what they're thinking... (highly doubtful, anything's possible!)

Maybe... as beauty is to the eye of the beholder - so is sound quality to the ear of the individual. And...just maybe... Julian Hirsch was really tone deaf, or...one better;.. let's conduct labs tests to see which champagne, tastes the best.

I put this (entry level) system together, many "moons" ago, not wanting to refinance my house for decent sound and video... I haven't been disappointed.

Gene - Thank you for messaging and keep up the GREAT work!

Jeff

 

[killdozzer]

I suppose some of my comments on the “What's More Accurate a Microphone or Human Hearing?” article may now appear clearer. The author writes about Bose much the same way Mr. Poes writes about ears. All we’re left with after reading it is someone’s awe.

Another parallel is this “I’m not criticising anyone, it’s just different approach” only to have few paragraphs down the line him saying that the “audio-enthusiast” is a snob for his specific view of high-performance (and I say specific quite sarcastically, there’s nothing specific about it and certainly nothing snobbish; “no Bose” lot goes for as faithful as possible and I think you have to be Bose employee to see this as snobbish). I always enjoy cool-headed articles like these.

But I never thought Bose can’t produce quality equipment (quality in a way said “snob” would understand quality), and I never thought Bose lacked in engineers. I simply always thought those engineers are being asked to produce appearance of thrill rather than successful reproduction of a material, an equivalent to “out-of-the-box” settings on your plasmas that are meant to “avatar” the hell out of your eyes and brain. I thought they invested in creation of ear-candies. They want to sweep off feet.

I said this many times in these forums, I see it not only as inaccurate reproduction, so you can love it or leave it, but I see it as unethical. My worldview is simply not the one of “push onto people anything that goes”. It’s not about; whatever weakness in people you find, it is fair game or; if they don’t know about better and don’t ask for better, why do you care...

I think the business model described should be put to use in advancing the sales of accurate reproduction equipment as this would represent investment into development and progress. I don’t think accuracy would harm this marketing model.

And this only makes a bigger issue when it comes to anechoic chamber. I always had a feeling companies like realise they have to put out a decent model every now and then simply to put a cork into critics mouth. It is a part of the message; you see, we can do it, we choose not to, we are not incompetent. I think they mention their anechoic chambers for the very same reason.

This “choosing not to” is the part I find unethical. I would see them less unethical if they simply couldn’t or actually thought they DO make a good sound. All this; we know what’s good but we sell ear-porn... I don’t know. I’d never subscribe to that.

 

[killdozzer]

There’s a hidden trap in this “we’re successful in marketing” or “we sell well” as it demands a question; why isn’t this article published in an economy forum then? Why come to Audioholics and talk about successful marketing? Selling good does not make you a successful audio company; it makes you a good marketing and sales company. And saying you can’t criticise audio aspects because of sales aspects is just dumb. And the fact you use to make something semi-decent doesn’t justify all your deeds until the end of time.

 

[highfigh]

Starbucks (aka Charbucks) is the 800 pound gorilla of the coffee market. They buy low grade poor quality beans and roast them very dark which hides the poor quality of the beans under a heap of IMO nasty burnt flavors. They then market their coffee as the best and most don't know the difference. Since a lot of what they sell are caffeinated milkshakes the coffee quality hardly matters. Of course like Bose it's all expensive as hell. (My "high end" self roasted coffee costs me 11 cents a cup).

Bose and Starbucks = higher profits through marketing. NTTIAWWT (Not That There's Anything Wrong With That)

I went to a Starbucks because I have a cousin who likes them and she sent me a gift card. I went in and while the guy was making my cup, he started to blather on about the roaster they have, how it's very expensive and rare, which I A) didn't care about, B) didn't want to hear and C) didn't pay attention to. Another couple came in about half-blather and asked what he was talking about- I said something that sounded like Charlie Brown's schoolteacher. Then, I asked about the temperature of the water and the guy told me more than I wanted to know, then asked why I wondered. I said "It's for the lawsuit".

I don't think he liked me being there.

I buy Sumatra beans from a Kroger-owned store and I like it. I know two of the owners of a local small chain and I like theirs, too- kinda pricey, though. They jumped on the coffee wagon very soon after Starbucks became a big thing- they're called Collectivo now, but started as Alterra.

 

[Dan]

Married with children had IMO the best bathroom episode of all time. Al buys a new toilet called "The Ferguson". When it flushed he said "Now that"s a man's flush!". To ruin the ending when it finally flushed at the end of the show the water pressure in the famous fountain fell and the water height dropped.

 

[donbegro]

Adverse effect of vaccines is in every aspect of life. Just get the f. speakers you like and enjoy the music. Right now I'm listening iMac while having Watt Puppy upstairs.
Bose makes money you making money and Bieber making money and Mercedes Benz developing cars that should start breaking after warranty ends making money too.

 

[everettT]

Adverse effect of vaccines is in every aspect of life. Just get the f. speakers you like and enjoy the music. Right now I'm listening iMac while having Watt Puppy upstairs.
Bose makes money you making money and Bieber making money and Mercedes Benz developing cars that should start breaking after warranty ends making money too.

The iMac might be a better value than those Wilson's

 

[JerryLove]

The iMac might be a better value than those Wilson's

I very briefly listened to a pair of Wilsons at the expo. I liked what little I heard. Dunno what their price was though; so they could be massively overpriced.

 

[everettT]

I very briefly listened to a pair of Wilsons at the expo. I liked what little I heard. Dunno what their price was though; so they could be massively overpriced.

They have produced some really good speakers and some dogs. The last great design they had a few years ago was done by a well respected and great DIY speaker designer.

 

[Sleqzypig]

I haven't read the article and don't know if/when I will!

However, I reject the fundamental premise that Bose is one or the other and they must be mutually exclusive!
I think it very unreasonable to believe that Bose is not a "Legit Audio Company"! They started out introducing some significant innovations. The 901's may not be the best speakers by many measures, but they would fill a room in a (good) way no other speaker I had heard at the time could. The 201's, 301's, 501's all were decently good sounding and I believe competitive speakers for their price in the late 70's/early 80's. While they did a good job with marketing, they certainly did not start out with the marketing end of their operations running the show and I believe they earned their niche among Audio Companies of the late 70's.

Perhaps I should add that I consider Pyle to be a legit audio electronics company - many of their products are sh!t, but I still think they are a legit player.

If you ask about value or orientation towards quality, that is a totally different question, but I fail to understand how you can begin to consider Bose NOT to be a legit audio company (guess I'll have to read the article).

As far as their marketing, yes they are a slick marketing operation.

I dislike Bose because I do believe they use slick marketing to compensate for overall poor value. I do have a pair of noise cancelling headphones from them, otherwise they have nothing of interest to me.

Honestly Bose bookshelf speakers are not about audio quality at all. This is why audiophiles dislike them so much. The primary thing Bose goes for in their bookshelves is to fill a room with background sound so you can listened to spotify while vacuuming the rugs or folding clothes. For that they do their job well as these things are bouncing sound off the walls. But for those of us that give a dam about audio quality the trade off of less direct sound isn't worth it.

 

[Gmoney]

Back in the 80’s I was in a Club in Lafayette and in that Club there where 2 pairs of Bose 901’s the D/J was playing music CD’s sound was really good. Now this was in a Club they where hanging from the Ceiling, Angled down slightly off the walls and in the corners. Now I went into a audio store they had the 901’s and other Bose speakers, the 901,s where way out of my price range the others I could afford. After looking at what was in them paper drivers paper tweeter some had two tweeters one in the back of the speaker. I believe the sales dude called them Direct Reflect speakers. lolo

Now as to my answer to Gene Thread, Legit company are slick Marketing? They are both,
One, they have spent a Lot of money on Marketing not Recently, on TV adds, remember the Bose “wave” radio and cd player. When was the last time anyone on AH has seen a Yamaha or Denon or Marantz add in a TV Commercial? none that I can remember. So are they a Real audio company? Yes they are, they found a “Niche“ nothing wrong with making a buck. I could bash Bose but I won’t it goes against Gene’s rules and as a Audioholic member on Gene’s forum I’ve been in Gene’s doghouse before for bashing and he give me two for one day’s on good behavior. I will say this about Bose speaker’s I have had first hand listening with Bose 901’s in a audio store and in a Club they did sound really good. Bose just isn’t a speaker brand I would consider putting in my home audio setup even if they where given to me.

 

[Auditor55]

Love Bose headphones.

 

[-Jim-]

I'm actually thinking of buying some Bose Quiet Comfort II headphones. I tried some and they were amazing but very pricey. Bose already rolled out the new top of the line ages ago but Best Buy (my closest retailer) never puts these ones on Clearance. So I wait.

The rest of their product lines do not interest me, except a Bluetooth Speaker which my wife bought me for Christmas ages ago. It decent but certainly not outstanding.

 

[MR.MAGOO]

these BOSE sunglasses look interesting!

Bluetooth Headphones & Wireless Headphones | Bose

Enjoy performance and comfort with Bose headphones. Choose from a wide range of Bluetooth headphones that bring you closer to the music you love.

www.bose.com

 

[Verdinut]

these BOSE sunglasses look interesting!

Bluetooth Headphones & Wireless Headphones | Bose

Enjoy performance and comfort with Bose headphones. Choose from a wide range of Bluetooth headphones that bring you closer to the music you love.

www.bose.com

If they're as good as their speakers, there are most likely better audio-sunglasses on the market for the same prices and possibly cheaper as well.