I need help a friend wants a BOSE system!!

P.HUNT
P.HUNT Posts: 211
edited June 2006 in Speakers
Ok guys I have a friend whose wife is really sold on the Bose lifestyle system. I want to post this to give her proof that Bose is not a good choice to spend nearly $4000.00 on!!

Ok without coments like Bose sucks, please give me coments, sugestions, reviews, and links to things to help her to understand why Bose is an inferrior product. If you have had a Bose system and upgraded please describe your thoughts/ compare both. I have pleaded my case to them but thanks to Bose marketing I dont think she will believe me!
PROCESSOR-- Sherbourn PT-7010A
AMP
Sherbourn 7/2100A
DVD
DENON 3910
BLU RAY
PS-3
PROJECTOR --- Panasonic ae-900u
SPEAKERS
Klipsch Ultra2 System
92" Screen
PS Audio power cords
Buttkickers
Post edited by P.HUNT on
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Comments

  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,986
    edited June 2006
    Nothing posted here should convince anyone of anything. They either care about sound quality and value, or they don't. Small doesn't count much anymore - not just Polk, but KEF, Tannoy, Paradigm, Cambridge Soundworks, Mirage, Boston, JM Lab, etc etc ALL make 'Micro' speaker systems, and all will not only cost less, but SLAUGHTER Bose in sound quality.

    If they don't care, you shouldn't either. If they do, help them get their ears on something decent.

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • PolkThug
    PolkThug Posts: 7,532
    edited June 2006
    Have them read this:

    www.intellexual.net/bose.html
    Never Forget
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  • Demiurge
    Demiurge Posts: 10,874
    edited June 2006
    Tell them to give you the money they would give to Bose and buy something better for them.

    It's true what Russ says, though.
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  • thehaens@cox.net
    thehaens@cox.net Posts: 1,012
    edited June 2006
    RuSsMaN wrote:
    Nothing posted here should convince anyone of anything. They either care about sound quality and value, or they don't. If they don't care, you shouldn't either. If they do, help them get their ears on something decent.

    Cheers,
    Russ

    I couldn't agree with Russ more on this one. Fact is, there are a lot of people that are happy with their Bose purchase, and like the sound. If there wasn't, Bose wouldn't be in business. Take for instance, my wife. She could care less about my SRS 1.2's. She is just as happy with my garage system, which consists of Bose AM-5's and a Vintage Kenwood Receiver with pots so bad that I have to smack the volume control around every time I fire it up.

    If they are happy with it, let em be. Don't talk em out of it. It will be better for them financially in the long run...

    Scott
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited June 2006
    For many people a stereo is like a TV, they just buy whats affordable and matches the decor; you'll have a hard time swaying anyone with this mind set.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • P.HUNT
    P.HUNT Posts: 211
    edited June 2006
    PolkThug- that is a great evaluation of the Bose system! And will serve me well in my quest to kill Bose. HAHA
    Also they are looking at spending nearly $4000.00 installed for the Bose system!
    PROCESSOR-- Sherbourn PT-7010A
    AMP
    Sherbourn 7/2100A
    DVD
    DENON 3910
    BLU RAY
    PS-3
    PROJECTOR --- Panasonic ae-900u
    SPEAKERS
    Klipsch Ultra2 System
    92" Screen
    PS Audio power cords
    Buttkickers
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  • MADGSF
    MADGSF Posts: 603
    edited June 2006
    Agree with all the above, let them listen to a Bose system and your system. If they don't think your system sounds better drop it. I always tell people if they are happy with the sound then they bought the right system.

    An example, my brother in law recently bought a house that already had bose cube speakers, couldn't tell you which ones. Being a father of three with limited funds and no knowledge he bought the bose center speaker to match the system and liked it until he heard my system. First time he heard it he commented my system has much better overall clarity and wanted to know if I could tweak his bose to sound like mine. Of course I can't since he does not have money for new speakers.
    AVR: Elite VSX-21TXH
    Amplifier: B&K 7250 Series ii
    Misc: Velodyne SMS-1
    Mains: RTi-10
    Center: CSi-5
    Rear: Boston DSi460
    Sub: SVS PC-Ultra
    TV: Panasonic TC-P58V10
    DVD: Panasonic DMP-BD60K
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  • zombie boy 2000
    zombie boy 2000 Posts: 6,641
    edited June 2006
    thehaens@cox.ne wrote:
    If they are happy with it, let em be. Don't talk em out of it. It will be better for them financially in the long run...

    Scott

    Couldn't agree with this one more....
    My brother and his wife bought the Acoustimass system, and they've been thrilled with it. I think it sounds like garbage, but they honestly don't. Whether this is psychosomatic or the result of a placebo effect or BOSE's third reich marketing is irrelevant. It suits their lifestyle (no pun intended), and with an infant and a toddler in the home, they really can't afford to risk any exposure to Upgradeitis.:D
    I never had it like this where I grew up. But I send my kids here because the fact is you go to one of the best schools in the country: Rushmore. Now, for some of you it doesn't matter. You were born rich and you're going to stay rich. But here's my advice to the rest of you: Take dead aim on the rich boys. Get them in the crosshairs and take them down. Just remember, they can buy anything but they can't buy backbone. Don't let them forget it. Thank you.Herman Blume - Rushmore
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  • crazy
    crazy Posts: 443
    edited June 2006
    PolkThug wrote:
    Have them read this:

    www.intellexual.net/bose.html

    Great article!

    I was sold on Bose for a while and almost bought the Bose lifestyle series. A few of my friends had the system and when I heard it the first time, I thought that it was a killer system. It looked great and sounded great (so I thought). When I went to buy a Bose system, I stumbled across Polk Audio speakers adn there was no looking back ...

    I was surprised that the starter Polk series (Monitor series) sounded so much better than the Bose and it costed way way below. I got a 5.1 setup and bought Onkyo gear to support it and it still ended up costing a lot less than the Bose lifestyle (the cheaper one).
    Distant Dream - A New Beginning
    www.distantdream.com
    (Now also available on iTunes)
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  • zombie boy 2000
    zombie boy 2000 Posts: 6,641
    edited June 2006
    Crazy--
    speaking of which, are ya having any luck moving that monitor set-up you have?

    or are you relegating it to the attic?
    I never had it like this where I grew up. But I send my kids here because the fact is you go to one of the best schools in the country: Rushmore. Now, for some of you it doesn't matter. You were born rich and you're going to stay rich. But here's my advice to the rest of you: Take dead aim on the rich boys. Get them in the crosshairs and take them down. Just remember, they can buy anything but they can't buy backbone. Don't let them forget it. Thank you.Herman Blume - Rushmore
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  • cheddar
    cheddar Posts: 2,390
    edited June 2006
    zombie boy 2000 wrote:
    Couldn't agree with this one more....
    My brother and his wife bought the Acoustimass system, and they've been thrilled with it. I think it sounds like garbage, but they honestly don't. Whether this is psychosomatic or the result of a placebo effect or BOSE's third reich marketing is irrelevant. It suits their lifestyle (no pun intended), and with an infant and a toddler in the home, they really can't afford to risk any exposure to Upgradeitis.:D

    Yep,
    I thought my brother was crazy when he spent a lot of money on his BOSE. He decided to get a "killer" set-up after listening to my system. And at the time, I had a system that cost less but sounded much better in comparison. Well, after LSIs, seperate amplification, etc. I have spent more money than he did for his BOSE, but he still brags about it and shows it off to his friends like there's no better system. Who knows? Maybe for some people ignorance is bliss ;).
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  • Drumingman
    Drumingman Posts: 348
    edited June 2006
    And Now You Know, The Rest of The Story. :eek:
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  • zombie boy 2000
    zombie boy 2000 Posts: 6,641
    edited June 2006
    Drumingman wrote:
    And Now You Know, The Rest of The Story. :eek:


    LOL!!!!!!!!!!
    I never had it like this where I grew up. But I send my kids here because the fact is you go to one of the best schools in the country: Rushmore. Now, for some of you it doesn't matter. You were born rich and you're going to stay rich. But here's my advice to the rest of you: Take dead aim on the rich boys. Get them in the crosshairs and take them down. Just remember, they can buy anything but they can't buy backbone. Don't let them forget it. Thank you.Herman Blume - Rushmore
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  • ivansfo
    ivansfo Posts: 145
    edited June 2006
    I'm pretty satisfied with my Polk system but I'm really thinking about buying a used Bose Acoustimass speaker system for my small living room. The living room is small so I will wall mount a medium sized plasma and I think the small Bose cubes will be perfect mounted on the walls. Don't really want to have bookshelves or larger speakers in this 2nd setup.

    What other alternatives are there for small cube speakers? I have not seen any decent speaker about the size of a Bose cube. I agree that they are overpriced but I don't think Bose is that bad of a product if they reduced their list price by 40%.
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  • Drumingman
    Drumingman Posts: 348
    edited June 2006
    ivansfo wrote:
    I'm pretty satisfied with my Polk system but I'm really thinking about buying a used Bose Acoustimass speaker system for my small living room. The living room is small so I will wall mount a medium sized plasma and I think the small Bose cubes will be perfect mounted on the walls. Don't really want to have bookshelves or larger speakers in this 2nd setup.

    What other alternatives are there for small cube speakers? I have not seen any decent speaker about the size of a Bose cube. I agree that they are overpriced but I don't think Bose is that bad of a product if they reduced their list price by 40%.



    LOL.
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  • Drumingman
    Drumingman Posts: 348
    edited June 2006
    Really when I go into my local BB to look at recordings, they have a Bose cube system hanging over the CD dept. The sound is sooooo grating and tinny and aweful that I really have a hard time staying there to shop. I'm not trying to judge the Bose system, I have heard them sound better than that, but if that's what BB uses as a Hi-tech system to attract folks to buy music, it's failing. I haven't heard a bose system that sounds as good as my R50's.
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  • Refefer
    Refefer Posts: 1,280
    edited June 2006
    ivansfo wrote:
    I'm pretty satisfied with my Polk system but I'm really thinking about buying a used Bose Acoustimass speaker system for my small living room. The living room is small so I will wall mount a medium sized plasma and I think the small Bose cubes will be perfect mounted on the walls. Don't really want to have bookshelves or larger speakers in this 2nd setup.

    What other alternatives are there for small cube speakers? I have not seen any decent speaker about the size of a Bose cube. I agree that they are overpriced but I don't think Bose is that bad of a product if they reduced their list price by 40%.

    You should check out the Anthony Gallo's A'Diva Ti 5.1 system. I auditioned them a couple of months back and was incredibly impressed by them. The best part? Extremely small, each speaker the size of a grapefruit. Matched with their sub, I was very impressed with their fidelity. I don't think I've ever heard a set of speakers completely dissappear as readily as they did either.
    Lovin that music year after year.

    Main 2 Channel System

    Polk SDA-1B,
    Promitheus Audio TVC SE,
    Rotel RB-980BX,
    OPPO DV-970HD,
    Lite Audio DAC AH,
    IXOS XHA305 Interconnects

    Computer Rig

    Polk SDA CRS+,
    Creek Audio 5350 SE,
    Morrow Audio MA1 Interconnect,
    HRT Music Streamer II
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,986
    edited June 2006
    ivansfo wrote:
    What other alternatives are there for small cube speakers? I have not seen any decent speaker about the size of a Bose cube.

    www.polkaudio.com (RM6801 RM101)
    www.roundsound.com (Nucleus Micro and A'Diva)
    www.cambridgesoundworks.com (Movieworks)
    www.tannoy.com (Arena and EFX)
    www.jmlab.com (Sib and Cub)
    www.miragespeakers.com (Omnisat and Nanosat)
    www.bostonacoustics.com (Bravo II and Micro)
    www.kef.com (CI, KHT, and KIT200)
    www.htd.com (Middies)
    www.harmanaudio.com (Infinity TSS and Modulus / JBL SCS)
    www.psbspeakers.com (Alpha LR1)
    www.klipsch.com (Quintet)
    www.athenaspeakers.com (Micra 6)
    www.monitoraudio.com (Radius)

    Took me 5 minutes to find these 'decent' ones.
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • MrNightly
    MrNightly Posts: 3,370
    edited June 2006
    Well, back in the day, I was into the 5.1 HTiB and went to my local BB. They had a nice room where you could just push a button and swap the same movie between three different speaker setups. Bose, Sony, and Polk Audio. I had never heard of Polk before this, but thought, what the heck.

    I, of course, listened to Sony first. Not bad. Clicked over to the Bose and Sony's 5.1 HTiB actually sounded just as good. I was very impressed since I had always been told that Bose was the best out there. Then I clicked the third button for Polk's and I was shocked with the difference!!! Polks, though small cubes, where the CLEAR cut winners. Hands down. And they only cost $1400 for the 5.1 as opposed to Bose's 5.1 @ close to $3000. I knew then, that the Polks were so much better sound wise.

    I think that was the first time I really considered that high price didn't actually equate to high quality product.

    My first real speakers to every buy were the RTi8's. Combined with my CSi5 and RTi4's, they are some of the best sounding speakers for HT that I have ever heard!!! The Clarity of a bullet case hitting the ground, the whirl of a helicopter blade on my surrounds.. I LOVE it!! Underworld: Evolutions when the helicopter crashed out, the surround was simply outta this world. Some of the best I have ever heard.

    But as other's have said, you can't convince someone that a certain sound is better. A blind side by side comparison though, similar to what I experienced, is the best way possible, IMO.

    Good luck regardless...
    Honoured to be, an original SOPA founding member
    Stuff...

    RTi12's - front
    CSi5 - center
    FXi3's - surrounds
    RTi4's - surrounds
    SVS PB12-NSD/2 - sub :D:D:D
    Denon 3805
    Rotel RB-985 5-Channel Amplifier

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  • crazy
    crazy Posts: 443
    edited June 2006
    zombie boy 2000 wrote:
    Crazy--
    speaking of which, are ya having any luck moving that monitor set-up you have?

    or are you relegating it to the attic?

    Zombie boy - no luck with the Polks yet. I couldn't believe that I didn't even get a few enquiries :(

    However, I moved them to the bedroom and enjoying some great 5.1 music/ movies there lying on my bed for now. Since my other setup is just 2-channel, this is working out quite good, till I can get someone to take the system from me.
    Distant Dream - A New Beginning
    www.distantdream.com
    (Now also available on iTunes)
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  • aaharvel
    aaharvel Posts: 4,489
    edited June 2006
    PHunt if your friend desires convenience over all else, and if the B O S E label gives him a nice, warm, cuddly feeling inside, then buy all means let him do what he wants.
    H/K Signature 2.1+235
    Jungson MagicBoat II
    Revel Performa M-20
    Velodyne cht-10 sub
    Rega P1 Turntable

    "People working at Polk Audio must sit around the office and just laugh their balls off reading many of these comments." -Lush
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  • Home Theatre
    Home Theatre Posts: 469
    edited June 2006
    Tell him to buy 5 polk in wall speakers a sub, receiver, installion and a dvd player. He thank you for the money he saves.
    Everything I own burned in the fire!!!!!!!!!!
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  • crazy
    crazy Posts: 443
    edited June 2006
    Home Theatre wrote:
    Tell him to buy 5 polk in wall speakers a sub, receiver, installion and a dvd player. He thank you for the money he saves.

    Or tell him to buy my setup - get my Polkies off me!!! ha!ha!ha! *evil laughter*
    Distant Dream - A New Beginning
    www.distantdream.com
    (Now also available on iTunes)
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  • Home Theatre
    Home Theatre Posts: 469
    edited June 2006
    Yeah why not, and you can buy some new polks. As long as there in good condition why not?
    Everything I own burned in the fire!!!!!!!!!!
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  • cheddar
    cheddar Posts: 2,390
    edited June 2006
    P.Hunt,

    Wouldn't it be great if you could take your friend to a house with a polk in-wall installation, spread some BOSE cubes around the room on stands, and only tell them that the cubes weren't wired after they are blown away by the demo?
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  • P.HUNT
    P.HUNT Posts: 211
    edited June 2006
    Yha I thought about a side by side comparason but that would mean purchasing the Bose to begin with!
    PROCESSOR-- Sherbourn PT-7010A
    AMP
    Sherbourn 7/2100A
    DVD
    DENON 3910
    BLU RAY
    PS-3
    PROJECTOR --- Panasonic ae-900u
    SPEAKERS
    Klipsch Ultra2 System
    92" Screen
    PS Audio power cords
    Buttkickers
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  • PolkThug
    PolkThug Posts: 7,532
    edited June 2006
    Go to CC and pull a grill off a Bose cube and show them how crappy the drivers are, gotta love the non-functioning cloth surround for the cone.
    Never Forget
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  • reeltrouble1
    reeltrouble1 Posts: 9,312
    edited June 2006
    No highs, no lows its Bose, sound coloration emphasis of the mid-range, the most often heard in music leads folks into believing they sound good. But the musical dynmaic range of the speaker is its limitation. Point out Bose does not publish the spec's of the speakers, at least I dont believe they do.

    RT1
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  • cheddar
    cheddar Posts: 2,390
    edited June 2006
    P.HUNT wrote:
    Yha I thought about a side by side comparason but that would mean purchasing the Bose to begin with!

    Maybe you could make 'em out of paper. Not much difference to the real thing anyways :D!
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  • cheddar
    cheddar Posts: 2,390
    edited June 2006
    Seriously, though, if your friend does purchase them, why not do the side by side anyways before the install. They do have a return period, right?
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