Bose Speaker Measurements & Frequency Response Graphs

[mtrycrafts]

The Bose speaker came up, again, in a post just below on seeking the hi-end.
I thought I had something substantial on this and found a review and measurement of one of their systems. Very interesting indeed:

http://www.intellexual.net/bose.html

 

[Joe Schmoe]

The Bose speaker cam up, again, in a post just below on seeking the hi-end.
I thought I had something substantial on this and found a review and measurement of one of their systems. Very interesting indeed:

http://www.intellexual.net/bose.html

I think we have all seen that article by now. It is a good one, though, and should be required reading for anyone actually considering Blose.

 

[Seth=L]

.....should be required reading for anyone actually considering Blose.

Or BOK.

This should be a sticky.

 

[Halon451]

Seth, you're my hero for putting 'BOK' into your signature! Hilarious...


Edit: I vote for a sticky on this too - a month or two ago (before joining this forum), I might have been one of the ones tempted into sin by the crafty dealers down at the Bose store in my local mall. Thankfully I've learned a great deal from AH, and realize just what junk it is.

Another soul saved...

 

[fmw]

He sure sounds like someone with an axe to grind but I will have to admit that he speaks the truth. The Bose 901 were a sensation when they hit the scene back in the 1950's. I give them credit for successfully carrying that initial success for all these years with nothing but marketing. Hard to argue with success.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I think we have all seen that article by now. It is a good one, though, and should be required reading for anyone actually considering Blose.

Yes, I am sure this is where my link is coming from but it is good to refresh memories once in a while.
The two speaker sets, sub and the rest don't even have a good transition. But, the graph tells the story. Similar to some of that ultra hi-end speakers that was linked here not long ago, +5,-7dB for 5 figure speakers? Bose have them beat by a mile

 

[no. 5]

to some of that ultra hi-end speakers that was linked here not long ago, +5,-7dB for 5 figure speakers? Bose have them beat by a mile

They must be embarrassed by the superior hi-endness of the Bose systems frequency response: 280 Hz to 13.3k Hz at ±10.5 dB (!).

 

[gus6464]

What's BOK?

 

[Seth=L]

What's BOK?

A knock-off brand (white van scam) that mimics the look of the Bose logo.

 

[dobyblue]

Great article, I've known for a longtime that Bose blows, but I mean, that frequency response tested is beyond abysmal.

Satellites - 280 Hz to 13.3k Hz at ± 10.5 dB
Base Module - 46 Hz to 202 Hz at ± 2.3 dB

That's just disgraceful. They should have to answer for themselves, instead they sue people for their methods of testing.

It seems Bose and Scientology have a lot in common.

 

[mtrycrafts]

...
It seems Bose and Scientology have a lot in common.

Yes, if you don't have the facts on your side, sue them for whatever if you have a bigger pocket than they do.

Don't forget about Monster suing anyone and everyone who dare use Monster in their name, such as the Munster Snow Angels, etc.

 

[Alex2507]

He sure sounds like someone with an axe to grind but I will have to admit that he speaks the truth. The Bose 901 were a sensation when they hit the scene back in the 1950's. I give them credit for successfully carrying that initial success for all these years with nothing but marketing. Hard to argue with success.

So the 901's were something, huh? Any measurements of them kicking around? A guy I know has a pair that need to be refoamed. They were given to him. He would be interested in some spec's.

 

[jamie2112]

Thanks guys

My father was almost sold on a bose system, until I sent him this article. Thanks much as he didn't believe me about the bose hype. These crappy little systems they make are pure marketing voodoo and I can see how they can sell so much of this crap. Most americans are robots and will buy what they see in front of them IE: bad music bad films bad speakers the flowbee, spray on hair for the insecure sharper image crap, the list goes on ....sorry got off on a rant. Thanks for posting the bose article you helped and old dog learn a new trick...

 

[The Chukker]

Thanks for that find Mtry, an interesting article to say the least.
Makes me want to not trust any advertising at all.

 

[caupina]

I've come to learn in my humble experience as a listener not to believe everything I read, instead to trust my ears. If it sounds like crap to others, but I like it, that's all that matters, don't you think????

 

[sparky77]

I work third shift so I've seen plenty of the infomertials for the bose systems when there is absolutely nothing else to watch at 4am, and I can't believe the bs that people believe. I mean come on, a 3 inch full range in a plastic transmission line 33 inches long is not gonna fill the room with bass that your gonna feel, you might hear it down to 80hz, if your lucky. There is no science to back up any of their claims, it all comes down to very very good marketing since the products came out. It's just downright scarey.

 

[Exit]

He sure sounds like someone with an axe to grind but I will have to admit that he speaks the truth. The Bose 901 were a sensation when they hit the scene back in the 1950's. I give them credit for successfully carrying that initial success for all these years with nothing but marketing. Hard to argue with success.

Actually, I remember when Bose 901s came out and it was in the 68-72 era. They were marketed as high end (they were expensive) and they were driven by big honking amps such as MacIntosh and Phase Linear. Apparently their equalizer and speaker combination sucked up power like there was no end. Early on they sounded pretty good with the reflected sound being a new thing. It was also a neat trick to get bass out of all those little speakers. (Trivia question: How many speakers are in a Bose 901 and what is the size?) Now the reflected sound speaker is pretty much obsoleted by surround sound and DSP which produce the reflected sound much more efficiently than the Bose 901s. Also Bose 901s require a certain placement with acoustically uniform front and side walls that are not too absorbant.

 

[Pyrrho]

I work third shift so I've seen plenty of the infomertials for the bose systems when there is absolutely nothing else to watch at 4am, and I can't believe the bs that people believe. I mean come on, a 3 inch full range in a plastic transmission line 33 inches long is not gonna fill the room with bass that your gonna feel, you might hear it down to 80hz, if your lucky. There is no science to back up any of their claims, it all comes down to very very good marketing since the products came out. [emphasis added] It's just downright scarey.

But this is no different from what happens with other areas of audio, particularly at the "high end", where every snake oil claim is believed as gospel truth. Science and knowledge have very little to do with what people believe about other audio products. Probably, at least half of the people who deride Bose believe in something equally silly. To give just one example: Magic wires, anyone?

 

[Halon451]

I work third shift so I've seen plenty of the infomertials for the bose systems when there is absolutely nothing else to watch at 4am, and I can't believe the bs that people believe. I mean come on, a 3 inch full range in a plastic transmission line 33 inches long is not gonna fill the room with bass that your gonna feel, you might hear it down to 80hz, if your lucky. There is no science to back up any of their claims, it all comes down to very very good marketing since the products came out. It's just downright scarey.

It just goes to show what mass-marketing campaigns can accomplish to an otherwise unsuspecting public. I too finally had to corner my own Dad and make him read the above article - as he was completely sold on Bose systems, despite my hair-pulling verbal tirades (I guess he felt I was only personally biased against the brand). Any company that has to rely on such down-your-throat marketing tactics should be an immediate red flag, whether it's Bose, Monster, or whoever - even these days, one of the oldest fundamental principles of sales exists, if you are open-minded enough to pay attention: A great product will always speak for itself.

 

[canIscream]

Bose humpers crack me up. Typically when someone walks into my store on their Bose high horse, I show them Martin Logans or Vienna Acoustics. Usually they are still too proud to admit it, but every now and then, they admit defeat and realize that they shouldn't buy into hype. The only good thing about them is that when they are sold, they stay sold because they're so simple.

Great article and the first I've seen of it. Thanks for posting.