Why not Bose?

[alaric28]

Hi there! im planning to setup my first home theater system and the bose cube speaker impressed me. but why thie site say no to Bose?

 

[markw]

You can get a LOT more performance for that money. As long as you realize that you're paying pretty much Rolex prices for something that doesn't keep as good time as a Timex does but looks sexy as all getout, then there's no problem at all

 

[alaric28]

Thanks! so what speaker should i get? and whats the differences between a statelite speaker and a speaker that is big or tall? which speaker is better?

 

[jaxvon]

What you get is determined by a lot of factors. If you want suggestions on what to get, you're going to want to post your:

• Room Size
• Budget
• Whether or not aesthetics matter
• Importance of Wife/Sig. Other Acceptance
• What you use your system for (movies/music ratio)

Until you provide us with this informtion, we'll just be throwing out random guesses.

 

[alaric28]

My room size about 6 meter x 5 meter the ceiling im not sure. I want my system to be played all the time once i one my TV either watching tv, movie to music. my budget will be about $2000.00 for the home theater (a/v receiver, surround sound and cable)
Im confuse about the size of the speaker size, does size matter?

 

[BMXTRIX]

Bose would like you to believe that size doesn't matter and that you can get full definition sound out of their tiny little speakers. That's where every reputable installer knows they are wrong. Bose also likes using proprietary cabling to make installation easier. That's great, but if you want to upgrade, you quite often can't because the industry already has a standard, and it isn't Bose's way of doing things.

From the sound of things you have $2,000.00 to spend on a full 5.1 setup with receiver. This may put you into a decent home theater in a box (HTIB) system with plenty of inputs and outputs to handle all your gear.

I will leave recommendations up to others since I haven't shopped that price range in a while. Keep in mind that an assortment of speakers really helps. All the monitor speakers will have at least one larger driver (4 inches or so) and one tweeter (for the high frequencies). There are definitely some packages in your price range that will include dual 4 or 5 inch speakers with a tweeter as well. Then to give your room some bass, the package will include a subwoofer which will help with the rocket ships taking off in movies.

There are a ton of factors that affect the cost of systems, but you definitely have the budget to get something much better than Bose. Actually, if you ever have the budget for Bose, then you have the budget for something much better.

 

[Resident Loser]

Why not Bose?...

...the minute you mention Bose in some circles, the eyes roll up, the look of pity and disbelief accompanied with a sigh and some significant head shaking usually begins...

I have heard some of the Bose products, and I can't understand why all the fuss...other the the fact there are quite a few Don Quixote's who feel the need to charge the Bose windmill...

Complaints about using the cheapest components available, that they manipulate the consumers with endless advertising, that they charge too much for their products...all these things mean zip-o to the many people who own and enjoy their equipment...

It's the business of business to make money and as long as the customer feels happy about their purchase, who is to say what's right or wrong?

Bose produces products that seem relatively simple to install, look good and are easy to incorporate into home decor which usually results in a high WAF(Wife Approval Factor)...that, coupled with advertising costs(and don't kid yourself, those costs are built into every purchase you make) results in their pricing structure...and don't dismiss the part convenience plays in those prices...simple plug'n'play vs. mix-and-match footwork...Do I have all the right cables? How do I set this up? Gee, the salesman told me this would work, so why doesn't it? The ol' cost vs. value argument is a hard nut to crack.

I'm not being an apologist for Bose(so don't all the Don Qs out there get huffy) there is a downside other than price...You really can't upgrade a Bose HT system, once you buy it, you got it...unless Bose offers some sort of post-purchase retro-fit or trade-up allowance, you're stuck with it. But, for some folks that is not a problem...they aren't interested in the traditional "audiophile" quest for the Holy Grail. The only alternative is to buy new...and for some folks THAT'S not a problem either...they think nothing about trading in their car every year or two to have the newest or to avoid maintenance issues, so why should something as truly insignificant as HT be any different?

So, after it's all said and done, it's your money, it's your time, it's your entertainment...it's ultimately your decision...

jimHJJ(...just my two cents...)

 

[flyv65]

A friend of mine (well, his wife is friends with my wife) bought a Bose cube system some time ago because back in our day Bose had a reputation for making some kickin' speakers (that should let you know how old we are). Now Jeff liked to play the "I got" game-you know, "I got this for XXX dollars" (implying that, for that much money it must be the best). I showed up on his doorstep one day when he was trying to figure out what went where, and since he knew I was *into* stereos and HT he asked me to set it up.

I spent the afternoon screwing around with speaker placement, (and furniture location, to a small extent), and finally concluded that the cube system he bought was so-so...at least to my ear. I thought that the speakers were a bit bright on top, a little muddy on the bottom (with the sub; non-existent w/out it), and that the mid-range wasn't very clear either; once or twice I thought I heard the fragile little plastic speaker cases vibrate. Jeff popped in a few DVDs and CDs, and while I thought that the Bose were tolerable for small room HT and rather awful for music, Jeff just bumped up the volume a little higher and proclaimed them perfect...to each his own.

Now if I were going to buy $1300 worth of HTiaB, I know of two I've personnaly heard I thought were better-Denon has a jammin' little HTiaB setup, and the DefTec monitor 80 series w/sub were both much cleaner and, well, *balanced* sounding, you know? Boston Acoustics makes (made?) speakers that were comparable in price but not as bright as the DefTecs, and then there is Polk, Infinity, KEF...the list goes on and on. Wanna drop more cash? Try the higher end stuff from these same manufactures but add in the low end stuff from B&W, JMLabs, Tannoy, Spendor, Quad, Totem, Energy, etc.

From your post it seems you've got a pretty good-sized room you'll be working with (about 30 feet by 25 feet, right?), so if you are inclined to assemble your surround system yourself I probably would lean towards a larger, more efficient speaker in front for two reasons: 1, larger *usually* allows lower freqs (bigger cone+cabinet volume); and 2, speakers w/ less than 87 or 88db efficency will need a lot of power if you want to put out some volume. And get a decent sub, if only for movies.

Don't worry if this seems confusing-I rarely ever manage to make sense on the first try, and there are some really knowledgeable people here who also write better than myself-I'm sure they'll be along shortly to correct and clarify what I wrote. In the meantime, go listen to as many different systems as you can; take one or two CDs and a DVD you know well to use for references; if possible, try to listen in direct modes, or at least avoid using a DSP; and lastly, if it turns out you like the Bose system best, then buy it-you only need to please yourself.

Bryan...boy am I long-winded...

 

[Rob Babcock]

Do you live in the US? Your options will vary a bit depending on where you live & what you can find in your market. My advice is aimed at the US consumer.

There's always a few B(l)ose defenders on every site, and it seems like they pop up like mushrooms after a warm spring rain... They're really charging windmills, though, trying that on this site! The simple fact is that B(l)ose offers suprisingly low performance for a pretty high price (relatively speaking). The fact that you're inquisitive enough to ask is very positive- most B(l)ose owners never reach the point where they research their options or attempt to learn anything before they buy. That's where the gigantic ad budget really pays off!

I'd suggest going down to your local Best Buy and start by auditioning some KLH speakers. Despite being roughly 15% of the price of B(l)ose they're the closest thing you'll find to them in build quality and sound. While you're still at BB, try to audition some Athena's (if your local store still has them). Barring that, JBL has some smallish speaker sets that you might find passable.

I don't mean this to be as sarcastic as it probably sounds, but you can walk into any store that sells a decent array of gear and buy something better for 1/2 the price. Unless you don't take music very seriously and are very technologically disinclined, you really should weigh your options. Your post here is a good first stepl. There are literally hundreds of better systems for the same price or less, so it may take some time to narrow down the ones that will likely serve you best.

You may also wish to check out Sony's "Dream Systems." They have several decent HTiBs in the same range you're looking for. They offer the bonehead-proof simplicity of B(l)ose with somewhat better sound quality.

I missed what your actual budget is...if you can spend $2000 USD, then you can actually put together a fairly high performance rig, even if WAF is an issue for you.

 

[BMXTRIX]

For us Americans still using the stupid English measuring system...

His room is about 18 x 15 feet. So it is not a huge room, but mid-sized.

 

[farscaper]

You used meters in your dimensions. Are you in the US? If not, what country are you in? It will help everyone direct you to the right place.

 

[Automan]

I won a brand new Bose 6 series II speakers set in an ebay auction for pretty less (about $450). When I saw the product, I realized that it is no where close to my receiver's standards (Yamaha RX-V1500) and it doesn't even have a dedicated subwoofer input. I decided to make some research on the compatibility and ended up at this website. I gave a search for "Bose" and no one had anything good to say about it I decided to sell it off and did that in no time losing about 50 bucks.
Fortunately for me, there was pre-thanksgiving sale at Goodguys. I bought Klipsch front, surround, center channels and a 8 inch sub for about $1000 from them (this store is only in the west coast of US). Later I saw that Circuitcity has ALL speakers on SALE for the blackfriday. I bought a 10 inch POLK sub and 2 POLK bookshelf surround speakers for literally nothing ($99 for the sub and $49 for a pair of POLK) and returned the surrounds and sub I bought from Goodguys. Believe me, I have absolutely no regrets for all the hassle I have gone thru. The speakers and the receiver work just fantastic and am 100% satisfied. I should really thank the people in this site who influenced me to get rid of Bose. I bought much better speakers now with the total cost of about $650 because of the SALE!!

 

[Leprkon]

a two grand budget is a Denon 2805 and a med-line Axiom Audio speaker system. imagine this package is the Yankees and the cube system would be the Bad News Bears at the beginning of the movie....

 

[alaric28]

statelite speaker or big tall speaker?

Thanks for all the comment, now i understand why my brother in law also told me dont go for bose its just a brand

about the speaker, im still confused about the differences of big tall speaker and the satelite speaker. which is better? i knw satelite speaker look cool but the quality of the sound is better or equal to a big tall speaker? what speaker should i buy?

i live in philippines

thanks for any comments

 

[markw]

Phillipines, eh?

I was there @ Clark AFB in 70 - 71. Beautiful country and nice people. Horrible typhoons though. I hear things got weird for us later but that's another story.

What brands are available to you there? A lot of stuff we Americans (and others) might suggest may not be available there and, not knowing what costs you would entail importing it, put us at a disadvantage in offering advice.

For instance, Canada makes a lot of very good and fairly priced speakers but the price might be different there and wipe out any cost advantage we see here.

 

[flyv65]

Thanks for all the comment, now i understand why my brother in law also told me dont go for bose its just a brand

about the speaker, im still confused about the differences of big tall speaker and the satelite speaker. which is better? i knw satelite speaker look cool but the quality of the sound is better or equal to a big tall speaker? what speaker should i buy?

Which speaker should you buy? The ones you like the best, of course. Thank you; I'll be here all week, and don't forget to tip your waitresses . Seriously, the speakers you buy should be the ones that best suit your listening environment and pocketbook (notice I didn't say "musical tastes. Thats because I think speakers should be able to play *all* types of music at least well-why limit what you might listen to, eh?).

Many people like bookcase speakers, and for good reason: they don't take up alot of space; they frequently have a fairly high WAF; they are often more affordable than their bigger, floorstanding brothers; and many of them are producing some truly quality sound. On the down side, most small speakers don't have much extension into the lower frequencies due to the size of the cones (there are exceptions of course: but if you 're picking up picking up bass range in a small speaker you're often trading it for playing volume [sensitivity]); and with some bookcase speakers placement can be important, and may necessitate buying brackets (if they allow it), or even stands (which can be pricey).

Floorstanding speakers typically will give you a better range musically, and don't need stands, but they have their own quirks, not the least of which is that they can take up a good bit of floorspace-do you have it? Also, many floorstanders aren't really happy unless they're getting pushed pretty heavily watt-wise. Sure, the specs might say "30 to 200 watts rec.", but you'll be wanting to give them more rather than less to get them to sound right.

So your 18x15 foot room (thanks, BMXTRIX) has some options: a nice HTiaB setup will work fine and be similar musically. If music is pretty important to you, maybe you'll want 4 bookcase speakers, a matching center and a good sub. If you actually sit down and *listen* to 2-channel music, you might decide to get two floorstanders for the fronts instead of two bookcase speakers and keep the rest the same...but then you might need more juice to push them (trust me on this: if I couldn't bi-amp with my 3805 I'd be pricing Sherbourn amps at this moment). By the way, we've probably skipped right past your $2k budget by now if we're shopping for a receiver, too. Depending on how much music you really listen to, I'd probably lean towards the HTiaB or 4 bookcases: I think we're sliding out of the floorstanding price range.

Bryan...good luck with your "hunt" for speakers...

 

[furrycute]

I bash Bose as much as anybody does. But two weeks ago while I was in NYC, I happened to pass by a small Bose store in Grand Central station (I know, not the best place to audition audio). I played around with the Bose table top radio, and their new speaker system for the Ipod.

For something so small, they do sound pretty good, to my ears. I know they wont stand up to my home stereo rig, but for the size, they are pretty good. Of course I am not going to dish out $500 for a clock radio. But still, if I can get one for $100, I'll probably go for it.

 

[toquemon]

Well, yes, if their stuff cost like 50 bucks i would buy it for my bathroom, because it's its real value.

 

[Rob Babcock]

One thing, Furry- Cambridge Soundworks makes a little "table clock radio" that sounds better than the B{l}ose model for about 1/3 the price. Strangely enough, some Wally World stores carry the Cambridge model (talk about a non-ideal place to audition a component!). I've actually considered getting one myself.

 

[MtB]

Right cables ...

...all these things mean zip-o to the many people who own and enjoy their equipment...

Not true. Even someone who enjoys the product they bought will feel ripped off when they hear a $300 system that sounds every bit as good. Its called buying shielded computer cubes from Future shop and plugging them into a $30 decoder from Walmart for your inputs and getting *better* sound than Bose.

Often those computer speakers look nicer than Bose too.

prices...simple plug'n'play vs. mix-and-match footwork...Do I have all the right cables? How do I set this up? Gee, the salesman told me this would work, so why doesn't it? The ol' cost vs. value argument is a hard nut to crack.

Aside from being picky (and that's good if you're an audiophile), I'd like to point out that *almost any piece of wire that fits* will connect your speakers to any receiver on the market. And almost any wire that fits will connect any component you have to that receiver. The inputs are even labelled, last I checked, on every brand out there. There's nothing easier about the Bose way, its often less intimidating because it has *fewer* options. So buy a really cheap receiver.

Please remember the main part -- people wouldn't care IMHO about Bose being crap if they priced it like crap. Even priced it like pretty crap. But they price their components like HIFI systems, and they're not.