BOSE 3.2.1 System now $1300! Unbelievable.

B3Nut · August 2005

I had the misfortune of hearing the $3000 Laughstyle system at American TV in madtown...the audio quality was disappointing. It was playing a live-concert DVD of Warren Haynes (I think)...the bass was muddy, more harmonics than fundamental, like an 80Hz peak to it. The mids were veiled and indistinct, and the treble was rolled-off and smeary-sounding. No real image solidity, just a messy wash of impressive-on-casual-first-listen-but-irritating-after-5-minutes audio. It was jazzed-up enough to impress an untrained listener at first glance, but did almost nothing right sonically. The only positive aspect to the system was the one-box simplicity and the user-friendly remote. Now if Bose would somehow learn to make speakers that actually sound *good* as in hi-fi rather than faux-fi (ie - 4" midrange and 1" dome tweets in the sattelites and lose the disgusting bandpass mudbox!) they'd have something. They could re-engineer their speakers with at least acceptably mediocre drivers and still make profit...I wouldn't damn a clock radio with the crappy 2.5" "twiddlers" they stuff into those infernal cubes.

If you wonder why Bose doesn't print specs, especially freq. response graphs, check out http://www.intellexual.net/bose.html - there's a graph of an AcoustiMess system there...beyond pathetic. Truly beyond pathetic.

Todd in Beerbratistan

Joey_V · August 2005

Ron-P wrote:

My wife surprised me with a Bose job the other day.

Wait a minute..... :eek:

.

ND13 · August 2005

B3Nut wrote:

If you wonder why Bose doesn't print specs, especially freq. response graphs, check out http://www.intellexual.net/bose.html - there's a graph of an AcoustiMess system there...beyond pathetic. Truly beyond pathetic.

Todd in Beerbratistan

Great link, thanks alot, because he had another link to a speaker parts site that has parts for my Advents that I am in need of.

And the Bose review was priceless

B3Nut · August 2005

Tell me about it! Did you catch those breakup modes after 1.5KHz on those "twiddlers"? Good grief, the response is all OVER the place! And they charge 4 figures for those garbage speakers! I don't even think the White Van speaker I saw a curve off of was nearly as bad! Maybe Bose should get into Parking Lot Marketing!

Todd in Beerbratistan

gregure · August 2005

aaharvel wrote:

(edit) I still dig their 301's however.

I'm surprised you would say that. The 301's are horrible. As with everything with Bose, music sounds constricted, diffuse and as if it is coming out of a tin box. Add to that the fact that these "speakers" are made of plastic, and the woofer is made out of practically cardboard, and it's wonder they make sound at all. BOSE isn't worth a penny, let alone the thousands they charge. Of course, they have to charge a lot to pay their marketing department top $$$.

Toxis · August 2005

the 301's are god awful IMO. The bass is overexaggerated and muddy, there's not a touch of highs (go figure) and the midrange... wait, is there midrange?

B3Nut · August 2005

The old-style 301's aren't bad....not great at all, but head and shoulders better than their current 301, which ranks as one of the worst speakers I've ever had assault my eardrums, at a Circuit City, playing mp3's of all things! My gosh they were terrible.

The original 301 was a decent, if unspectacular, bookshelf speaker, and some like modding them (like yanking the marginal cone tweet and shoehorning a dome in there). Still, back in the day the old 301 was surpassed by many other speakers. About the only speaker in the Bose line today that's even slightly listenable is the 151, which has a 901-type 4.5" FR driver. Good patio background racket speaker, and holds up to the elements well.

TP

B3Nut · August 2005

gregure wrote:

BOSE isn't worth a penny, let alone the thousands they charge. Of course, they have to charge a lot to pay their marketing department top $$$.

Agreed. Hpying up a less-than-mediocre product to get a high-end price for it...in the immortal words of Al Franken, "Oy oy oy, those BASTIDS!"

Todd in Beerbratistan

aaharvel · August 2005

gregure wrote:

I'm surprised you would say that. The 301's are horrible. As with everything with Bose, music sounds constricted, diffuse and as if it is coming out of a tin box. Add to that the fact that these "speakers" are made of plastic, and the woofer is made out of practically cardboard, and it's wonder they make sound at all. BOSE isn't worth a penny, let alone the thousands they charge. Of course, they have to charge a lot to pay their marketing department top $$$.

diffuse. exactly. I didn't mean for critical listening- but 4 of them sound good as background music in each corner of a bar/restaurant. No, when it comes to critical listening of course not.

ND13 · August 2005

The only Bose speakers I've ever heard that were "decent" sounding were the original 501s and 601s. They were actually worth about 1/2 of what they were selling them for :eek: . That's better than what the newer **** is worth.

With all that being said, I wouldn't spend 1 red cent of my hard earned money on any of them, unless I could turn them real fast for a quick profit, to some idiot Bose fan

gregure · August 2005

I'll sum it up with this:

Even if I was given BOSE speakers for free, I would not keep them.

BIZILL · August 2005

funny how people always look for a new technology or product that produces remarkable effects. remember when cell phones used to look and feel like a brick in your hand? then the little motorola v60 and phones of the like came around. wow! this is cool. it is so cute, yet functions for its intended purpose. same shock factor with bose. "wow, these little cubes are cute, but are loud". nevermind sounding accurate. it's all in the "shock factor". wish more women felt that good things come in small packages............pun intended. i'd be set! hardee har har.....

bobman1235 · August 2005

gregure wrote:

I'll sum it up with this:

Even if I was given BOSE speakers for free, I would not keep them.

Fahk no! Right to the 'bay those puppies would go. Might as well give me cash

Toxis · August 2005

I heard a set of 10 year old 901's properly set up off some old tube gear and all I can say is Wow. That's the one and only set of bose speakers I've ever heard and didn't want to puke, and these made my jaw drop.

thehaens@cox.net · August 2005

Whatever, to each his own I guess, I am going to enjoy my polks, as well as my Bose, as well as my Paradigm and any other speaker model and manufacturer I decide to go out on a whim and buy, try, and if I like them keep....

Toxis- As I mentioned in a prev. post...my old man's early 70's vintage 901's sound great even to this day in their beer stained finish and tarnished stands. Seriously I can venture to say that if I put these speakers behind some black cloth and had someone take a listen to them through his old **** pioneer SX receiver, people would find them incredibly sounding.

ND - The 501 and 601's were nice as well. I really wonder if any of you that are bashing this brand, have really gotten them in your own home to audition, or are you just going along with the majority.......(lynching) on Bose? Anywho, once again to many margaritas, Tangeray 10 and not enough tonic...about to hit the rack, and am rambling along........F it......

By the way, if you are in North County San Diego, put your head out your window and let me know if you can hear Subdivisions (Rush)......I'm cranking this mother load.......................

aaharvel · August 2005

Toxis wrote:

I heard a set of 10 year old 901's properly set up off some old tube gear and all I can say is Wow. That's the one and only set of bose speakers I've ever heard and didn't want to puke, and these made my jaw drop.

those were the ones i was talking about originally. I f--ked up.

BOSE 3.2.1 System now $1300! Unbelievable.

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