Bose quality - Perception or Reality?
NEWS ANALYSIS
By David Kiley
Can Bose Tame Rhythms of the Road?
The audio company has a new project: An auto-suspension system designed to deliver a smoother ride. Carmakers may be all ears
Porsche and Mercedes-Benz (DCX ) have been trumpeting Bose stereo systems to bolster their own tony brands for a while now. And they could soon turn to Bose to supply a truly high-quality ride. BusinessWeek has learned that company founder and chairman Amar Bose is ready to unveil what he believes is a revolutionary road-handling suspension system.
Bose has been working secretly for the past decade on a way to smooth a vehicle's ride. He won't reveal details until late August, after patents are filed. It's unclear whether Bose plans to manufacture suspension systems, components, or simply market the technology to auto companies and suppliers and collect royalties on the patents.
Bose, 75, has stunned rivals before with products in previously unheard of segments such as its $349 Wave Radio and $299 noise-canceling headphones. Still, at first blush, auto analysts are skeptical. "Bose is incredibly strong in audio, but it could take years to achieve any recognition if it wants to be a player in engineering of the car," says Tom Libby of Power Information Network.
QUITE A LEAP. Working in Bose's favor is the fact that auto engineers have a great deal of respect for the company and its founder. Marketers at auto companies also know the power of a strong brand. They could make a case for adopting Bose's technology and then touting it in advertising and even inside the vehicle.
Lesser automotive brands fighting for street credibility, like Suzuki, Mitsubishi, or Kia could also see a boost in image from co-branding with Bose, provided the system works as expected and Bose can effectively market its expertise. Bose fooling around with a vehicle's suspension system, after all, is a far bigger stretch than Dell (DELL ) venturing into consumer electronics or Sony (SNE ) entering the PC market.
For Bose, a success in automotive technology beyond sound systems could strengthen an already-humming business: The privately held company had $1.6 billion in sales last year, a 23% gain from 2002.
"THE SECRET." The Bose brand has come to dominate the digital surround-sound segment and has made its name virtually synonymous with premium sound quality among the upper half of the mass market -- people who aren't necessarily audiophiles but are willing to shell out $300 for headphones that silence the noise on an airplane, for example.
Jupiter Research analyst Avi Greengart says despite the hurdles of entering a new market like auto engineering, Bose and the power of its brand can't be counted out from anything it tries. "The secret to Bose is it communicates high-end quality to real people in a way that's easily grasped by nonaudiophiles," says Greengart.
A recent study by J.D. Power & Associates shows Bose is the brand consumers most link with superior sound quality in cars. So if Bose's idea has merit, auto makers will be all ears.
By David Kiley
Can Bose Tame Rhythms of the Road?
The audio company has a new project: An auto-suspension system designed to deliver a smoother ride. Carmakers may be all ears
Porsche and Mercedes-Benz (DCX ) have been trumpeting Bose stereo systems to bolster their own tony brands for a while now. And they could soon turn to Bose to supply a truly high-quality ride. BusinessWeek has learned that company founder and chairman Amar Bose is ready to unveil what he believes is a revolutionary road-handling suspension system.
Bose has been working secretly for the past decade on a way to smooth a vehicle's ride. He won't reveal details until late August, after patents are filed. It's unclear whether Bose plans to manufacture suspension systems, components, or simply market the technology to auto companies and suppliers and collect royalties on the patents.
Bose, 75, has stunned rivals before with products in previously unheard of segments such as its $349 Wave Radio and $299 noise-canceling headphones. Still, at first blush, auto analysts are skeptical. "Bose is incredibly strong in audio, but it could take years to achieve any recognition if it wants to be a player in engineering of the car," says Tom Libby of Power Information Network.
QUITE A LEAP. Working in Bose's favor is the fact that auto engineers have a great deal of respect for the company and its founder. Marketers at auto companies also know the power of a strong brand. They could make a case for adopting Bose's technology and then touting it in advertising and even inside the vehicle.
Lesser automotive brands fighting for street credibility, like Suzuki, Mitsubishi, or Kia could also see a boost in image from co-branding with Bose, provided the system works as expected and Bose can effectively market its expertise. Bose fooling around with a vehicle's suspension system, after all, is a far bigger stretch than Dell (DELL ) venturing into consumer electronics or Sony (SNE ) entering the PC market.
For Bose, a success in automotive technology beyond sound systems could strengthen an already-humming business: The privately held company had $1.6 billion in sales last year, a 23% gain from 2002.
"THE SECRET." The Bose brand has come to dominate the digital surround-sound segment and has made its name virtually synonymous with premium sound quality among the upper half of the mass market -- people who aren't necessarily audiophiles but are willing to shell out $300 for headphones that silence the noise on an airplane, for example.
Jupiter Research analyst Avi Greengart says despite the hurdles of entering a new market like auto engineering, Bose and the power of its brand can't be counted out from anything it tries. "The secret to Bose is it communicates high-end quality to real people in a way that's easily grasped by nonaudiophiles," says Greengart.
A recent study by J.D. Power & Associates shows Bose is the brand consumers most link with superior sound quality in cars. So if Bose's idea has merit, auto makers will be all ears.
I am sorry, I have no opinion on the matter. I am sure you do. So, don't mind me, I just want to talk audio and pie.
Post edited by polkatese on
Comments
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They cant be serious, Bose does research?
SO THAT IS WHERE ALL THEIR R&D MONEY WENT!- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit. -
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"Bose is incredibly strong in audio, but it could take years to achieve any recognition if it wants to be a player in engineering of the car," says Tom Libby of Power Information Network.
He said 'Bose is incredibly strong in audio'
HAHA!! -
hence, the question: Perception or Reality?
If it is Perception, then kudos to Bose's Marketing team for being extremely successful in convincing the majority (non-audiophile general mass) that it is a great product.
If it is Reality, well folks, I don't know what to say....;)I am sorry, I have no opinion on the matter. I am sure you do. So, don't mind me, I just want to talk audio and pie. -
I bet it'll feel like a smoother ride unless you have any experience with other cars whatsoever and realize that their smooth ride is, although smooth, not smooth enough for the price.
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False Perception. The Bose marketing machine has no rival in today's audio enviroment, period.
I am betting that eventually we will find out that Bose causes Cancer.CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint. -
I stopped by a garage sale over the weekend.... a guy had a nice pair of Bose 501's for $200. :eek:
i didn't buy them needless to say.
said he just replaced all his home theater speakers with......
Polk Audio ones. nice huh?
PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin: -
The US Government (military) had a contract with Bose for those headphones. After testing the hell out of them the military said they DO NOT work and threw Bose out!!! I think it's general knowledge that something has to be really, really bad for that to happen.
F**K Blose, there's no way I'd buy any car with Blose audio in it much less suspension parts. Hmmmm...let's see, paper seals in the shocks anyone!?!Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Any way to reduce costs while jacking up the price will be employed. "This shock has a special intestinal wavelength path that does some cool ****! Buy it now!"
My boss still swears up and down that his Bose HTiB is the **** and nothing else comes close to it. I will admit, it sounds okay, but I just have to laugh at his ignorance when he tells me how much he paid for it. (Not going to mention that he's never heard anything BUT the HTiB, so he has no clue)Ludicrous gibs! -
Let me guess, they will remove the ball bearings and replace them with plastic bushings and "prove" that there is a smoother ride for the first 3 hrs until the plastic gives out. I'll stick with my Bimmer for now.
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Interestingly enough, I had heard about this from a Bose rep at my store almost a year ago. I think the story had something to do with a race track with a steep embankment and a cup of coffee filled to the brim.
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When I first started shopping for home theater, I went to the Bose store and listened to their top-of-the-line setup that was $2999. I couldn't believe how lackluster it sounded for the money.
That being said, I own a pair of the Quiet Comfort 2 headphones, and really like them. I went through about a half-dozen pairs of headphones, including some that came very highly recommended from Headfi, but couldn't find any with the comfort-to-sound ratio of the Bose. -
My first Camaro had the Delco-Bozo premium sound system in it. I took it out as soon as I got the car home...
madmaxVinyl, the final frontier...
Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... -
Even though Bose sucks at good sound they are the 2nd most recognized name in the world. Last year they did 2 billion in sales and have less than a 2% return average on their products. They put most of their profits back into R&D. They make alot of stuff for the military like noise cancellation head gear for chopper pilots, so they can hear the radio and not the engine. Look, I hate selling that crap but if someone wants to buy it, i'm there. It pays me fat because it's all price locked.
Even though we love our Polks, the average woman has the say in the majority of the purchases and they love the cubes. Just take a little comfort in the fact that you know what good audio should sound like. Bose is mostly a form before function product anyway.
Kudos to bose marketing and
Kudos to Polk for excellent sound.:D
-Jer"The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it." -
Jer,
Read my post above for the truth about those headphones.
F1Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Sony also makes a "Noise Cancelling" headphone.
Trying to compensate for the 100+db of helicopter rotorwash/jet whine as oppossed to your friend talking to you is two different things. Have you ever been in a military helicopter? Do you know how damn loud they are? Or is the perception from the Predator movie?
Hundreds of things fail military specifications, yearly and half the items that do pass, still suck. Take it from a prior service member that this is true.
So Bose failed in that harsh enviroment, BFD, the consumer level headphones do work as I have tried them. As well as the Sony model. I wouldn't call them amazing, but they are moderately effective in my eyes.
Would I buy the Bose, of course not I'm a Sony man CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint. -
There are lots of companies now building the ANR headsets for flying, David Clark, Lightspeed etc... The big problem with the Bose sets is that there is absolutely no passive attenuation at all. So if your batteries go out, the headsets become a $1000 set of ear muffs. They are fairly comfortable, but like most Bose stuff way too expensive compared to everyone else, and severly lacking in areas that their marketing tries very hard to cover up.There are two ways to argue with women. Both of them are wrong.
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False perception: Bose "audiophile" sound quality. Ears need cleaning, too much wax.
Reality: Bose selling-power and popularity among the "masses"
By the way, we all here belong to the "elite" group...... :cool: -
The Bose noise cancelling headsets are currently being used by one of our services to conduct "certain" flights. I know, I flew with them the other day. That being said, I wouldn't spend MY money on Bose.SDS-400, SDA-1B, SVS 20-39pc+, B&K Ref 50, Denon 2900
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Bose does do some research, some of it is kinda nifty, but I hate the fact that they try and convince the world that the laws of physics do not exist, you will not get big full accurate sound out of a tiny cube, and I don't like that they do not publish any spec whatsoever, they don't even tell you a nominal impedence, yup 4-8 is good enough for me.
Anyways... Noise cancelling is not something I would invest in, for phase cancelling to really work, you need to have the microphone in your ear, I have heard the headphones, and I'm not to terribly impressed. excuse me if I have said anything inaccurate. I have a pair of AKG studio headphones for $100 that would absolutely blow away Bose headphones.
