I almost bought Bose today. Really.

ROHfan

Somebody slap me!

I was at Best Buy shopping for computer speakers for my daughter. I was originally set on the Klipsch Pro Media 2.1 (yeah, I know) and the wife, being the boss of me, decided the sub was too big for her room. She argued that the Insignia NS-PSD5321 sounded just as good but for about $100 cheaper.

I then made the audiophile faux-pas and listened to the the Bose Companion 2. I know, I couldn't believe it either.

Not only was it $50 less than what I had set out to buy, but they sounded good. I was actually kind of floored--bass was decent, imaging was clear, and the sound stage was big. However, after my initial shock wore off, I wondered if they would sound that good in my kid's small room. I've heard other people's Bose computer speakers before and these sounded much different. I can only assume there's some trickery involved to achieve that sound. They must use different drivers in the demo version and give you the crappy ones to take home with you. They probably play around with the EQ, as well. It has to be.

Right?

mhardy6647

The 301 and even the 201 two-ways were honest sounding little loudspeakers that got the midrange right. I had a pair of dump-find 201s (don't remember which series) for quite a while, in fact.

voltz

I had some 401's for a long time it seemed till I upgraded to the Polk's, My old neighbor move into their cabin in Colorado after they retired and I let Gary have them and he still uses them today!

gudnoyez

http://www.frontrowelectronics.com/bose-companion-20-multimedia-speaker-system.aspx?utm_source=GoogleShoping&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Bose&gclid=CNqF_ZS8nsMCFQeKaQod8g4Ayw

These absolutely crush the klipsch pro media 2.1s we bought them both for the wife's laptop these stayed the klipsch went back that next day. The wife loves these hooked up to her laptop and fills the room nicely at loud volumes they sound just as good at home as they do in the store demo.

Her kitchen rig is a Bose I pod dock and she has one of those in the laundry room also, not aware of what kind of trickery they use but the wife's happy with them and honestly they don't sound bad streaming XM Radio as background music, just my 2 cents did you compare the Bose to the Klipsch? If so what were your thoughts.

txcoastal1

http://www.chanemusiccinema.com/swan-multimedia/M200MkII

I got my ears on these at RMAF a couple years ago, impressive sound for PC desktop speakers

maximillian

Those Swans look quite nice. My cmputer rig uses TSi100's powered by an Accurian amp :-) Not high end by any means but they probably sound better than most desktop speakers.

gudnoyez

I agree those Swans look very nice and are sure to best my Wifes Companion 20s sound wise and price wise. The Companion 20s do sound good and fill the room with great sound at loud volumes, I'm not a Bose Fan Boy but some of there stuff sounds decent and the Bose system she had in her Rouge was nice better than the Infinity System that came with her 2015 Soul. I would love to get an ear on those swans.

George Grand

Waiting to be unleashed on an unsuspecting public during my spring or summer yard sale, we have the following Bose items in addition to normal stock:

Model 100 - Three units, one of which is V100, probably just shielded.
Model 101 - one pair
Model 201 Series II - one pair
Model 201 Series III - one pair
Model 201 Series IV - two pair
Model 2.2 - one pair
Model AM3 - one powered sub-woofer module
Acoustic Wave CD & Radio Module - one

I can't wait. $$$

pongshi

I owned 301s and 901s. Back in the 80s, my 901s sounded great in a villa I rented in southern Italy. The living room was huge with plenty of free unobstructed wall space, really a perfect 901 environment. I also bought some black 301s and used them in a bedroom. My next assignment was to Korea and I lived in a small apartment off base. They sounded like complete crap there. I sold them and bought my SDA 1Cs (studio black) at one of the annual on-base stereo sales. I still have the 1Cs and use them to this day. I have never looked back.

As far as 901s go, they are not that bad if you have them set up right and have a proper room for them. My SDA 1Cs have always sounded good in any room I have had them in and there were a lot of rooms while in the Air Force. I will never part with them.

The 301s were not a bad little bookshelf speaker and I used them in my bedroom for a while. I ended up buying some monitor 4s and the 301s made their way to a closet. Even though I wasn't using the 301s, I held on to them until just a couple of years ago. I traded them for Technics SL-D3 turntable with a nice cartridge.

Of course there are much better speakers than Bose for the money, but the 901s in the right set-up are not that bad and 301s were not that bad a bookshelf speaker, but they are not in the same class as vintage polks. I have not owned any other Bose models.

By the way, my 1Cs are now in my master bedroom, since I just acquired a pair of stock SDA SRS in a CL deal. I am going to have to replace the tweeters because they are a little too bright. I will decide on caps after I hear the new tweeters.

Thanks for letting me ramble.