Why do people around here think Bose speakers are so good?

[Kingman]

Is there a problem with Marantz?

...I hope not...trying to get one soon....

[Bill Cain]

Bill have you ever seen a pair of
901's or heard them?

Have you ever considered a career in international diplomacy?   

Around my house, I'll stick with my shitty Dahlquist DQ10's, Klipsch Heresy's or Advents.  Outside, I'll stick with my cheap EAW FR253's/SB180's/JBL 2505's, Klipsch LSIBG Industrial LaScala's or Klipsch KP250's and KP115's.  Bose 901's are, in my humble opinion, the perfect triumph of marketing over reality.  Anyone postulating that 901's are "special" must be Dana Carvey's illigitimate offspring. 

I'll stick with what works, thank you.

Bill Cain

[Kingman]

I had a pair of Dalquists and blew them up. I appreciate your honesty, but I beg to differ sir...We crossed?

[Sir Thrift-a-Lot]

Bill, while I agree with most of what you said, I feel compelled to point out that you never actually answered Kingman's question.

[Sir Thrift-a-Lot]

The thing about Bose is that they largely use EQ and other gimmicks to get around the physical limitations of the crappy little things they produce.   How much material is in one of those Wave table radios?   It can't cost more than ten dollars to produce.   If they sold the stuff at Soundesign prices like they should, they would be legendary for producing the most cost effective sound gear on the planet.   But they don't.   Instead they market (and price) the stuff to compete with legitimate high end gear.   To even think that their toy speakers and fixed EQ boxes are in the same league with even good consumer stuff is beyond preposterous to me.

BTW, I have heard 901s, but it was quite a while ago.   I just recently spent a day with one of their new line array PAs and it sucked.   Hard.   I wanted it to be good.   A PA that you can carry in one hand seems a dream.   It still is.

[OldiesButGoodies]

I agree with most of what is being said about Bose stuff.  The components are mostly crap.  That aside,  the Bose 301 and the early 501s were pretty clever designs that made the most of the shitty stuff they were made of.  The 301s, well positioned, could be made to be very satisfying for rock.  IMO anyway.

[Bill Cain]

Bill, while I agree with most of what you said, I feel compelled to point out that you never actually answered Kingman's question.

Compelled, eh?

OK, I've seen them and heard them.  I'm not stupid enough to buy them.

Next?   

Bill Cain

[Bill Cain]

I had a pair of Dalquists and blew them up. I appreciate your honesty, but I beg to differ sir...We crossed?

Why am I not surprised?  Bose is perfect for you.

WTF do you beg to differ about?  And WTF is "crossed?"  Inquiring minds want to know.    

Bill Cain

[Christopher White]

Here is the link to the greatest bose debunking ever. A well informed audiophile takes apart bose on a point by point basis. 

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

[Kingman]

WTF do you beg to differ about?  And WTF is "crossed?"  Inquiring minds want to know.

....

Have you ever considered a career in international diplomacy?

...why Bill...you appear to be angry? I beg to differ that 901's are junk. Crossed is in disagreement. No...I feel you might be better suited for that job!!!! 

[Slim-Shaddy]

In the early 80s my dad sold his L65 Jubals for a pair of 901s. Shortly after he sold the 901s for SDA1s which he still has to this day. He sees the bose purchase as one of his worst mistakes in audio. I vaguely remember them. I was 5 when he got the Polks. I heard 901s again a few years ago and they sound ok. Considering the crappy drivers they use, it's actually amazing they sound as good as they do. Their price is outrageous though. They cost the same as the SDA-1s in their day, and the polks are in a whole different league. I think if bose weren't so over-priced, they wouldn't get such a bad rep in audio circles.

[Bill Cain]

Here is the link to the greatest bose debunking ever. A well informed audiophile takes apart bose on a point by point basis. 

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

Thanks for a great link.   
It puts into concise language what most (of us) know, almost intuitively.

Those  paper tweeters and woofers are a fraud perpetrated upon anyone putting faith in Bose advertisements.
Sorry to be harsh about any manufacturer, but Bose deserves all the credit I can give them.
They provide NO PERFORMANCE SPECS for any of their products.
Wonder why? ? ? ? ? ? ?

Bill Cain

[Bill Cain]

I beg to differ that 901's are junk.

As I didn't say "901's were junk," why would you attribute that to me?     I know that things can get confusing.

I did refer to Bose L1 speakers as "crap" and I stand by that assessment.  Here's why:

I have friends who use them for PA work in a live environment and they are passable, as their instruments add enough direct fidelity to the mix.  However, if you play pre-recorded (records, CD's) music through them, they sound like crap.  They just can't reproduce the material accurately, or with dynamics.  And that's Bose's "latest and greatest" system.  Sorry......

BoSe puts the BS into audio gear......

Bill Cain

[Kingman]

I did refer to Bose L1 speakers as "crap" and I stand by that assessment

..I have never heard them so I cannot comment. My experience has only been with the 901 series 1 and 2 both of which are acoustic suspension models and they do sound crappy unless you have at least 250 watts into them. I bought mine at bargain prices so the investment was nowhere the new price of I think $1200! I do think that price is rediculious.

[OconeeOrange]

My experience has been with the Bose 301 and the Bose double cube things and the high end and next down sets of out door speakers.

My take on it is:

- bought the 301's in a pawn shop around 1998.  I have them hooked to my treadmill system and they sound great.

- don't have the 4 Bose double cubes hooked up at the moment I bought off ebay, but they sound great every time I have needed them.

- the high end Bose outdoor speakers will please most anyone.  The next down are a little bright and I have often used them inside with a sub.

If you by new, Bose might be over priced, but few here buy new (I hope).  At a fair price they are OK.  If you can find better, go with that, but just to out of hand dismiss Bose because it is the geeky thing to do makes no sense.