Hating Bose speakers
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ธ.ค. 2019
- psaudio.com
Bose speakers certainly are well known around the world. What does PS Audio CEO Paul McGowan think of them? And check out our newest TH-cam channel / @octaverecordsanddsdst... Octave Records. - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
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My father used to work at Best Buy, many years ago, and be casually interested in audio. I can remember when he gave me a pair of Eosone bookshelf speakers for Christmas many years ago. He was excited about them because he said the owners of Infinity and Polk got together and came up with this new brand called Eosone (We had a nice pair of infinity tower speakers in our home when I was growing up and when Polk came onto the scene we couldn't really afford those). How fun to watch this video and remember that. I still use them to this day in my home. They have traveled with me to college, and through several interstate moves, and finally settled some 2500 miles away from where I first unwrapped them. 👍
very wholesome. good speakers can cheap and impactful.
Paul, i have to say, you're the most genuine CEO of any company I've ever encountered.
That probably doesn't mean much since I'm only 21 and always kept my job, but I can say that if I had the experience to work for you you'd already have my CV on the way. You're the kind of guy that inspires respect instead of demanding it and that's what makes you a truly amazing leader.
I seriously wish I could work for your company since I know I'd do my very best because of the respect I have for you.
As a salesman my biggest gripe with the job is sometimes having to sell products that don't align with my values, and I don't feel like that's the kind of thing that would happen at PS Audio.
Maybe one day!
Thanks and hang in there! It's passion we look for in people and you seem to have plenty. Go, go, go.
As a younger person, I grew up on 901s with factory equalizer and high wattage amplifier. They sounded great when properly set up in their environment. Since I've retired, I found a pair of 601 Series II models from a time machine that found their way into my family room. 8 tweeters, 4 woofers, and they are an absolute delight! People never talk about the other models, but take a look at what kind of money they're now selling for on eBay, etc.
Watching/hearing this Q&A on my 5.1 Denon AVR 1312 on stereo mode and just with your magical voice and knowledge my equipment came to life and started to playback the background instrument sounds from Octave Studio. Love your videos Paul. Saludos desde Mexico 🇲🇽
For classical music, Bose 901/Macintosh amp, preamp, cd player configuration in a large live room (30x25, 12ft ceiling, exposed sheetrock walls, carpeting, one couch), was the most accurate system I have ever heard in the 50 years of my audiophile life. As a musician/recording engineer/audiophile, I listen for the life in music re-production. The "life" in music is the detail of articulations of the instrument/performer and the intricate harmonics that each acoustic instrument presents. The Bose system I listened to was the only system I have ever heard that had this detail, in other words, close your eyes and it was real....for classical/acoustic instruments only. For rock music in a large dead room I prefer the Electrovoice SH-1512ER with Crown amps and preamps.
Wilderness Music finally someone that hears the music in the audio.
No. Bose 901 has 9 cheap drivers . Some said they were like $10 each . I sold Bose and JBL. JBL L100T blew away the 901 in all kinds of music .
@@joeygonzo 🤦♂️
That's just it. If you have walls of X, Floors of Y, Ceiling height of Z then its an amazing piece of engineering... but what if you don't? That said, there's a few Bose products I like and do indeed work in some rooms like the 301 and 401, plus their cheap. You just have to listen with the understanding that they aren't audiophile speakers. They're just fun speakers that open up in some rooms and provide a sense of spaciousness with their reflective properties, at the expense of pretty much everything that audiophiles love... like balance, phase, efficiency, dynamics, sound stage, stereo image etc etc.
Paul, I absolutely love your stories,, and your storytelling abilities are truly wonderful.
Thanks you so very much, Paul. You have enriched my day.
Thanks, Nick and now you've made mine.
💯!
I have a pair of 301 II speakers I bought 35 years ago and are still going strong and sound amazing.
👍
I love yr little pause after "I don't hate Bose". Its like if u can't say something nice......
But we know you're a nice guy. 🤗
***Paul, you have THE best videos on here or anywhere as far as I'm concerned. Your generosity to share everything is amazing and I can't thank you enough as I have learned so much about audio from you!
My friend bought a pair of brand new Bose 901's (and all the B.S. hype that went them) without listen to them first in 1979. He bought his with the pedestal stands and of course the controller and couldn't wait to show them off. Boy he was not impressed and after about six months they were for sale at a loss along with many others who made the same mistake. But many people that I have read about and a couple I knew kept up the hype with things like "you have to be in the right spot" even though the huge soundstage was the main selling point! The drivers foam would turn to dust after a while also. I can't imagine people still buying the real old ones.
The worst thing for me and others I'm sure, was Bose would not give out any of their specs for years and years! You could even ask the sales people and they would just be like I don't know either!
There was a saying I first heard in the 80's and I'm sure many have heard as well. "No highs-no lows it must be Bose". Dr. Bose was an amazing engineer and if you would look it up, he invented the "Magnetic ride system" that is used in so many cars today and a ton of other things that is still used today.
I saw he L1 system being played through in a band, and wow! I was amazed by the volume and clarity.
Paul.. You are a good speaker.. Its always fun to listen to your stories.. You have the perfect voice for kid's bedtime stories.. I think you can start a new channel where u can talk about everything happening around us.. Keep going..
Hey Paul, I had a couple of L1 systems when I was a DJ. It wasn't the loudest by any means but it was brilliant for weddings where you wanted a system that looked good and sounded lovely without being deafening.
Roll forward 5 years and everyone has a line array system so they must have been on to something!
Yes Dave, I've got the Fishman array variety for live performance for fine dining. Sounds as good on the opposite side of the restaurant without any hotspots for any table. Can play at low volume and still be heard everywhere.
One of the fundamental bose principles, is to generate the opera reverb at the source of sound to ensure everyone in the room is happy.
Do u think a couple of L1s would make a good stereo for home listening?
@@rotaks1 It would make a great stereo system with the right pre amp and streaming device.
I bought mine be after hearing it at a wedding. I kept looking to either side is the DJ table for the usual PA speakers. Nope. The beautiful sound was coming from the single L1. In this case, the DJ was using a Mackie sub. I bought the older model that has the amplifier in the base.
Bose - "The magic is in the marketing."
Also it's funny how they are so known for being shit, that other brands can get away with being equally horrible. I mean, when did you last hear a Sony amplifier that sounds good?
That's one thing I feel their company has become really good at. Even though they might be knocked for some of the products and sound quality, their certainly have a good marketing side
@@rollingtroll I have to agree with that. Their was a time when most things sony made was great. Most of their receivers have been mass produced stuff that didn't sound the best or distinguish themselves from other brands. Would love to see them put as much or at least more attention to more of these products like they did with some of their recent signature series stuff for portable and headphones. I realize thier signature line is expensive and the vision of one person at Sony, but I know sony engineers have the chops to make good sounding stuff. I know I'm just dreaming but back in the day sony made some vfet integrateds and amps that were terrific sounding and still are. They stopped making the Sony vfet transistors long ago but folks still value them on the vintage market.
@Fat Rat There's a few. They made some amazing mos-fet amps in the 70's and the 90's Scenario series isn't half bad. There's also a few audiophile preamps that are properly good. But other than that, even the stuff that looks well put together, it all sounds thin and tinny, lacking any sort of definition. I'm sometimes impressed by how consistently bad it is.
@@brandonburr4900 Exactly. The Vfet time was great. Their reel to reel stuff was too. They also made a few really affordable record players like the PS-LX22 that sounded remarkably nice for the money.
Also there's Betamax and Playstation, which are both really nice. But starting around 1980, virtually all of their CD players, cassette decks, md's, amps were shit. Speakers were never good. Headphones were sometimes quite good, weirdly!
I have a set of Bose Companion 50 in my office setup which I use with a Chord Hugo2 and a Pi/HiFiBerry Volumio box. I've had them for a couple of years and I've been really impressed with them. For the cost they are very transparent - not at the level of my main system, but for what they are, I'm really impressed with them.
In 1969 when I was in 8th grade I got my first stereo which came with two small speakers. By the time I graduated from college the drivers had deteriorated and I brought them in to a stereo shop. The guy replaced the two drivers with some from a Bose 901. They sounded good for bookshelf speakers so I had a positive impression about Bose.
About thirty years ago I got a nice set of separates and some really big speakers, which I still use today. I believe in big speakers and their ability to produce sound. Over twenty years ago a Bose store opened in a plaza near me and I went in to check it out. The salesman tells me they have the greatest sounding new speakers, which were tiny little cubes. I am immediately cynical so he plays them and says "aren't they great?" They sounded adequate but not near as good as my stereo. So I say there is no way that amount of bass can come from his weeny speakers. It turns out he was misleading me and had a hidden small subwoofer he didn't tell me about making the bass. He tells me that Bose speakers are great because with such small speakers your wife will let you use them in the living room. To me that translated to it is all about cosmetics, sound doesn't matter anymore. My wife lets me keep my attractive 150 pound speakers in our living room so I don't have the problem Bose speakers solve.
I had an L1 SII Bose for my dj pa. It sounded great and had power to fill a big room and sound good everywhere in it!
quantity is not quality
I run sound for 2 groups using a Bose L1 system...It's great because it's light weight and breaks down so it will fit in a car. I've had nothing but compliments on the sound quality from any of our gigs since using it.
Back in 71 I was 18 making some money and decided to buy components. Philips 12s Phillips 6 midrange and a silk dome. Had a local wood working shop make cabinets, soldered in a crossover, made a cover with a silk print of bamboo, black on red. Looked great sounded good. My friend heard them and decided to buy a good system also. Marantz reciever, Yamaha turntable and Bose 901 direct reflecting speakers. He had a basement that had a room 15x15 feet square with solid walls. Floor was sheet pywood 1/2 inch thick and wardwood floor strips glued and nailed. Solid room. I heard those 901s and blew my mind they were so good. I think it was the room though. He had those 901s for 8 -10 years and swapped for Martin Logan ESL speakers. Huge improvement. I went to KEF then B&W 801s with Passlabs 350.5 dual channel amp. Denon suround sound reciever. Polk center and Polk RTIa9 rear and a sunfire 12 inch sub. In all is sounds really nice.
Paul---Please talk about Arnie & Eosone! I didn't know you were involved!
I sold Eosone while in college...my summer/seasonal job was at Best Buy.
They gave employees a 75% off Eosone initial offering. So I bought a set, and hane enjoyed them since.
Paul--please go into detail re: Eosone!
I used a pair of Bose 201 speakers as rear speakers (surrounds) from 1992 to 1998 during the period that I had Dolby Pro Logic surround where the rear was mono and I had them in the very back on tops of 2 bookcases. They served a great purpose for that, but once I upgraded to Dolby Digital and DTS in 1998, I got full-range speakers for the surrounds and moved them forward a bit. I ended up selling the Bose 201s afterward to someone who needed some rear surrounds on an older Dolby Pro Logic system.
My cousin had a set of Bose 901 speakers, and he bypassed the internal equalizer and instead used an graphic equalizer between the power and pre-amp and along with a whitenoise generator, a highly accurate microphone and a spectrum analyzer to adjust it. It sounded quite awesome without any brick walls. In particular, where a lot of systems using larger woofers have less than impressive transient response turning percussion into so much rumble, these were very clear with percussion. I thought it was a pretty good setup.
What do you think about Nubert speakers and amplifiers? 🤔
Listening to your stories har so Calming, thanks you !
I have a nearly 25 year old Lifestyle 30 system in which the main power cord crapped out ,called them and had a new one within 48 hours at no cost .Very impressive
I got one of those Bose SoundLink Mini bluetooth speakers several years ago, and it's very good for it's intended use. I get an amazingly stable image, and since broken in, has a decent range. I'm impressed, and that's all that ultimately matters..
That little thing is amazing! I love mine!
bose has become a law firm with more lawyers than engineers . Every magazine that dares criticizes their product is sued . The acoustimas response curve is just horrendous with a big gap between the sub and satelites . X-over components are dirt cheap
Gerrit Govaerts, is this about the lawyers appochryphal or can you give examples? (Apart from the notice above ;-). )
You are still in the days is the acoustimass 10 series 1. You need to stop quoting google search and check one personally.
They are such a innovative company people pinch their technology, hence the need for lawyers.
@@r423sdex LOL. No one has pinched Bose's "technology" - not if they want to maintain credibility.
@@johnnorris7289 bose have done alot of work reproduction low frequency from a smaller box which is all your bluetooth speakers and sound bars which alot of audiophile companies have gone down that route now because of demand.i dont like the sound other then for a portable speakers.better bass and soundstage can only real be recreated with bigger the box the better.and adding a subwoofer isn't the best for music,good for films.
Paul I love your stories, always entertaining especially on a cold winters' afternoon!
Paul, you are a real renaissance man, a great raconteur with lots of experiences to share. Bravo!
Keep the answers coming.
I have 2 bose L1s for outdoor events. They sound amazing. But I recently purchased the Bose S1 Pro's. I'm blown away. I set them up in a mall for a charity event. The sound was impressive and it carried it very far. I actually had family coming to the event and parked on the wrong end of the mall. But they could hear me from there. An it wasn't loud at the speakers, you could still hold a conversation. Kind like a cocktail hour sound level. I got a few nice compliments about them that night.
Niche is what they do best, just keep it out of the home.
My friend just gave me a pair of 601 Series II speakers and I love them . I think they are fantastic .
I've never had much to do with Bose domestic offerings. I was once the "sound man" for several years at a 500 seat concert hall though. The Bose 502 panaray system they had was pretty tasty. I spent many a happy evening alone in that hall "testing" the PA with my favourite CDs...
I had a pair of 901 series IV for almost 10 years and I thought they were great and I still do.I don’t understand the hate where it comes from. Truthfully, a lot of many of golden ear audiophiles suffer from audio acoustic mental masturbation. I lost interest years ago when I was being told that you could hear the difference between 14 gauge lamp wire and $100 a foot audiophile wire.
100 dollar a foot sounds expensive (and it is!) But, there are places that sell stuff substantially more expensive than that. Is any of that ultra premium speaker cable/wire worth it? Hell no.
What do you think of Bose F1 Model 812 ?
That last line from Paul gets the whole point.
It must be said that Bose doesn't make products for audiophiles almost since it was born, not because they couldn't, but because they didn't want that market.
Hate it or not, but it's likely the most well-known brand of audio for most consumers, because they focused on doing products that most people would want to have in their houses, due to the relationship/compromise between audio performance, size and design.
How many well-known audio brands from the past 30 years are as recognizable and are owned by the same founder? ;-)
Judging Bose audio performance by audiophile standards it's like judging Ferrari by their off-road capabilitites.
They're just not design for that.
The design is (mostly) to give the best results possible considering the small size and convenience that it provides.
This EOS/Energy concept is another proof of that, because while it sounded better and got a huge deal, Energy (or EOS) are not remotely as recognizable or valued as a brand as Bose is.
It means that Bose made the products that most people wanted to buy, and most people are not audiophiles.
All brands have good and not-so-good products in their range, it doesn't matter if it's Bose, Mercedes or Toyota.
But those aren't usually the ones that made de reputation for any brand.
If one looks at the origins of active noise cancellation, the small satellile + subwoofer speaker configuration, 2.1 DVD systems (defunct these days, but were bigger than 5.1 in worlwide market share at one point on all brands combined), the very small bluetooth speaker, tailor-made audio systems for cars (in a time where most manufacturers would only sell separate components), the famous Wave Radio, with a impressive sound for it's size and age, the L1 systems mentioned in this video (etc) did have Bose behind it.
I can totally understand that many people don't like Bose (although many obviously do, as sales shows), but aside from those not-so-good models (which do exist and always did), it only means that they don't have the right product for YOU.
I can't see myself buying an iPhone ever again (only had a 3GS back then), not because it wasn't a good product (is was), but because I'm not willing to pay the premium for their smartphones when I can get better results (for what I need and want) with other brands.
iPhones are not the right product for ME (although the entry-level iPads are) ;-)
But that doesn't mean that I would have to hate Apple (or any other brand).
There's one thing in common though, which is the fact that only big corporations get a huge amount of fans and haters.
Most people don't waste time hating small brands, which is kind of interesting.
I usually prefer to look at individual products than brands, and that is why I'm not "loyal" to any brand in particular.
Like Paul said, every brand will have some products that suck...
...but there are also that may have the right product for You.
To answer your question, Klipsch.
Bose 🎶🎵👌
Brand Loyalty is stupid. Always get the most for your money.
Now, Apple is a special case for me, where I legitimately hate their business tactics, such as planned obsolescence and obfuscation.
I have two pairs of Bose 301's, a 2nd gen and a 5 gen. When they are matched up with the right system sounds very nice. Also, having a sub helps a lot.
Do yourself a favor and get a pair of KEF q350 and see if you still like Bose after the first couple of minutes.
your series on food stuff piqued my interest for sure; cant wait :) !
Paul, I hope you will soon tell the story of Eosone and what happened as that brand seemed to disappear from Best Buy as soon as it appeared.
Eosone might have has bose for breakfast in the demo... But who survived? Now, who is the winner?
My family has 3 wave radios and we love them!
Polk badge or PS audio badge? Confused as Polk was from Matthew Polk or Paul involved in any capacity?
Is this a place to ask about what the best "compact" speakers are? Or at least what a good pair of really small speakers would be?
It's sad, but I don't listen to music very much these days, at least not on my main system, it's mostly headphones on my computer these days, and I want to downsize my system. I live in an apartment with moderate space and have B&W bookshelf speakers, 6.5" woofers I believe, and they're good, have served me well for 10+ years with little for me to complain about, but I'm really looking for a more minimalist look these days. Quite frankly, I know this is heresy, but I'll sacrifice a bit of sound quality for looks/aesthetics (of my room) along with ease of use, i.e. wireless speakers, or at least minimal wiring, and yes, maybe even streaming audio. I think my days of bi-amping and bi-wiring with $500 speaker cable are behind me.
One day I went into a Bose shop and was actually fairly impressed by the sound coming from their tiny cube speakers. I'm not saying I want them, just that something very small is my wish, I"d say no more than 5" woofers, and preferably smaller. And I don't listen to music very loud for fear of disturbing my neighbors. so volume is not a problem.
I actually looked at the Bose L1s that Paul was talking about and they look pretty interesting to me, I really like their super slim profile, but I want musical speakers. Also, the price I see for them($850 for one speaker) is a bit more than I want to pay. I guess I should go back to the Bose shop and see if they have a pair I can listen to.
Heck, I"m not saying I need 2-inch cube speakers, but I'm really looking to get something smaller so I can declutter my living space, visual space, and my mind.
Does anyone have any ideas? I don't think computer speakers will work(I actually already have a few pairs), I want something a bit more substantial. I also have 5" JBL LSR 305s, but they're too big for my liking as well.
I always enjoy your video's and agree the 901's are crap sounding WHEN THEY ARE NOT SETUP properly (Sorry for the Capital letters). As you know, my SGCD/M700 have been driving my 51 year old 901's both om the old Analog EQ that I modified and now using a miniDSP True Balanced in's and outs using it's I2S into the SGCD DAC/Preamp. Missed out on the DirectStream Sr. sale (lack of funds at the moment) but can't wait for the M1200 !
Enjoy your video's and screw the hater's !
What turned me away from them was their corporate snobbery. There was an ad on TV advertising their Wave Radio so I called them up asking for a price on the unit because it was never mentioned and they hung up on me.
I promptly called up B&O, They were extremely helpful and even directed me to their nearest showroom over the phone. I went to their showroom and was welcomed like a family member. They were very courteous, Answered all my questions perfectly and professionally. Their demonstrations were professionally delivered and perfectly on queue as well as respectful. I bought a B&O Ouverture with wall mount and speakers on that day and I still have it.
Thanks Bose. Missed an opportunity there didn't you! Sorry Bose. You irreparably lost a customer for life for doing that.
10.2 Bose towers from 1988 series 1 for 1200usd Teak veneer! I can stand to left and still hear the right speaker. They are impedance matched and 4ohm stereo everywhere. 32 years old and refoamed 5 years ago. I'm still happy. Would be no reason to change speakers.
Agree. They are underrated. I have 2 sets of the 10.2s. Series I and Series II. They have a wide spatial range, rich tight bass and the distinctive clarity of vocal and instrumental “voices” are phenomenal. People who bash the Bose for having no lows or highs have never listened to the 10.2 line. I challenge them to seek out and find someone who has a pair and listen for themselves. I believe they would change their opinion that all Bose home speakers are crap and are not audiophile quality. BTW, the 601 Series III is another quality Bose speaker.
Your final comment left me wondering...If turned around to PS Audio, what products of yours would you shy away from and why? Great video as always.
I think what audiophiles dislike about Bose is their products aren't about flat response or accuracy, they have no qualms using any weird porting or magic trick to sweeten a weird looking cabinet, because the cabinet comes first. They make speakers that try to be invisible, for people who don't want "unslightly" speakers in their homes, meanwhile audiophiles are like "look at my gigantic speaker setup"
Polk ended up selling "Polk" speakers at Best Buy. They were dirt cheap too (on sale). $750/pair Canadian for RTi A9s.
Paul: “I don’t hate them.”
Also Paul: “WE ATE THEIR LUNCH!”
The reality is that Bose ate their lunch.
@@craigellsworth3952 Actually no. Bose don't sell well in many countries where most people are audiophiles. In Singapore, Japan, Canada, Australia, North America and United Kingdom, those brands like Focal, McIntosh, Klipsch, B&W, Monitor Audio, and B&O sell more than Bose. One thing for sure, many don't like the mass produced quality of Bose products nowadays.
@@Prometheus574 Bose makes their money on little blue tooth speakers, headphones, earbuds... and are everywhere. The brands you listed are for us older, well healed audio geeks. A small market here in the states.
Paul, a side note, can you talk about if you believe or use a trickle down effect? thanks
I can but don't do it with Bose. Go for Bang & Olufsen, FAR better sound.
Paul who is George Klopher ? I had 2 specialty stores during the late 70s early 80s and dealt exclusively with Mat or Sandy which was not always a pleasant experience and there was no BestBuy for quite a while after ? Like the story time line seems off ?
No offense but Polk was a great speaker line sold a ton, but dealing with those two ??
We have the L1 system, but to my ears it sounds nothing like hi-fi - just good enough for basic PA. It _is_ interesting how it maintains an even sound pressure over a different listening distances, because line source, not point source. But it's basically a stack of clock radios (without the clock and radio) and a very primitive sub. Any old two-way hifi speaker sounds more exciting and life like.
I've owned two pairs of 901's over the years -still have one pair. I like them (obviously). A lot of other people do to, otherwise they probably would not have been on the market for over 45 years. But to each, their own.
I love good line array speakers,, would like to own a pair on day, just weird and transparant. The good ones have a treble that is reminiscent of a Martin Logan Electrostatic
Many people like the el-cheapo DIY arrays from Parts Express. For most rooms though, investing in a clean amp and some solid small tower speakers will be the best bet. I have KEF Q750's, q650 center, powered by Sony 1100ES, and a Sunfire DS8 in a small room. Most people are blown away. In the other room is my 2-channel setup: Sunfire TG3 Preamp, NAD 208 THX power amplifier (around 400x2), Klipsch KLF30 towers (upgraded tweeters in the dual horns, 12" woofers, updated crossovers and cabinet reinforcing in each tower) - this setup blows away the audiophiles.
For most people, the KEFq750's with a Yamaha AS301 will last them 10-20 years, and this equipment WILL find its way into the room. The towers will hit down to 40Hz.
Else, if you really need a clean look, invest in Sonance Invisible speakers (in-wall), with an in-wall Sonance sub, Sony XBR TV on the wall (Has analog output that is full range fixed, variable, sub, and headphone assignable) with two PS Audio sprouts mounted behind the TV. That will be the cleanest high quality seup for formal rooms and bedrooms. The Sony will pull this setup off much better than a Samsung Art screen, or the Q70, q80, q90.
LOL that was so random.. the diet stuff out of nowhere. Love you Paul!
Bose 802 + AWCS anyone? When I was a student in the 90s I would occasionally go to a club equipped with a dozen of 802s above the dance floor, they were making two rows, angled 45 degrees, and a couple of AWCS were installed on the ceiling. They were powered by 4x 1800 series amplifiers if I remember correctly. Man, the sound was BIG. Really loud, not sure about the dB limits in those days, but surprisingly comfortable to listen to. Good times :-)
It was my migraine headaches that hated the Bose products. I wonder if their noise cancelling headphones would ironically solve my problem if used simultaneously.
Hey paul, i watch your videos a lot it gives so much of confidence to buy audio equipment after knowing the facts
Can u suggest some good speaker and subwoofer placement tips for home theater setup with multiple subwoofers as well
Largely depends on what speakers and sub, plus the room dimensions. Be more specific.
I bought 2 Bose L1s for my church in Singapore many years ago and they are still functioning great! Not HiFi purposes but general amplification for talks, music and choir.. they are not great for sound staging but clarity is out of this world. Can be too 'honest' when you're a lousy singer or poor guitarist... this speaker can highlight your flaws!
Just like good horn speakers. Transparency is a double edged sword.
I rather get RCF or Vero System for church. Only for those organizations who are willing to spend big.
I love my Soundlink mini, it’s an awesome speaker, battery could be better but for its size the quality and bass are great. Not been so impressed with the bigger stuff.
Some of them are alright. Their newer small stuff is quite nice too considering what it is.
There’s also some not so great Bose systems too
I am with Paul, I also never liked the 901. Nonetheless, Bose has a few things going for it. Unoffensive sounding product, that are easy to set up and unobtrusive. Though in the consumer market they have never produced anything that is an outstanding giant killer; their genius is in offering an lifestyle product with an high wife acceptance factor. They are one of few brands that caught on early how many households do not want this big HT and speaker rig dominating their living rooms. Like them or not, I would still take the sound of an Bose lifestyle system over many HT in the box set ups at the same price. I see most of their products a competing within the super discount store market and not something intended to out perform what you find at an Audio boutique store. All this being said, I would recommend to anyone that is looking to purchase Bose products, to go down to an local audio dealer and audition something. There are a lot of compact systems on the market now that can do the same job a lot better and cheaper.
I am a Bose fan through and through. I like their clever engineering and of course the sound. Some time ago I went to a wedding in a castle. They had a DJ playing music. He used what looked like L1 ‘s. Four of them, one on each corner of the dance atrium. They sounded really great and everyone had a wonderful time. I think much of the Bose analysis and indeed hate is just envy.
Thanks Paul always very fair comments. The 901’s are lost on me but Bose went on to do a lot of cool things.
I do like the Bose 601 series II speakers. That's about it.
My main audio system set up in my lounge at home, comprises a Project Prospective record deck with PS Audio phono stage. A Rega Isis CD player. A Hegel H590 imtegrated amp. A pair of Kef reference 5 speakers and a pair of Rel T9I subs.
At work, I’ve a pair of Bose Companion active speakers sat either of my pc monitor. I luv them. I can play music on them I could never consider playing on my home system! Don’t knock Bose, everything has it’s pls d!
"Is it live or is it Memorex?" LOL!
OMG , you remember that !
@@davidspendlove5900 and that's coming from a Maxell fan. 😀
In the 70's i belonged to the Boston Audio Society and one weekend we all went up to Bose corporate Headquarters to see the 901. At that time I found the speaker loud and of limited range, everybody else in the group thought the same. Back when I used to do a lot of environmental testing on the power supplies we made for military use I saw Bose Automotive systems being tested for vibration and temperature / humidity compliance. I also saw a a nuclear bomb being tested for a whole suite of conditions they might experience while being transported and dropped - thankfully without the trigger or there might have been a large hole in Wilmington, MA to this day. I am happy to report this teting did not include someone sitting astride the bomb beating it with a large wrench.
Since then I've thought Bose was really a car and background speaker company. but I have never heard the L1 so that may not be a very well informed opinion.
Audio is about illusion and signatures. I like different flavors of sound and I have Wharfedale evo's but I could also enjoy a Bose setup. Not that I probably would ever equip my living room with them but I could enjoy listening to them.
Take it to other segments. Horn loaded speakers provide great presence illusions when it comes to voices and depth but aren't particulary well for all music.
I like my Bose sound wave iv does exactly what I need it to in a small apartment
love your show but you were joking about 'Mary Land' ....right?
Nice video. It's like we are casually chatting
Like your question guy, I had a pair of Bose 201s. They were good, but lacked bass response. I did appreciate how they could use the walls of the room to provide a more omnidirectional soundstage. I inherited my mom's 301s and they are much better. Bose 201s with a sub are great.
I think Bose has really lost their direction after the death of Dr. Amar Bose. "Better Sound Through Research" was their motto, but they don't seem to be doing anything innovative any more. Just super-expensive sound bars and stuff.
Paul, I also agree with your comment on the Wave Radio. I just bought the latest iteration of it, and it sounds great. Sounds like something double or triple its size, which is the same size as a clock radio from the 60s or 70s. It's nice to wake up to a CD that's faded in so as not to startle us out of sleep.
I was always curious about 901s; "how can they make decent bass from that design? No tweeters, so how can they make treble?" The answer seems to be that they can't. The whole point of it is not having to be in a certain spot for it to sound good. When set up right, sound seems to come from everywhere. Is that enough? Not for many of us, apparently. I'd still like to audition a set some time. TH-cam is now recommending your Bose 901 video, which I'll watch later.
I shouted "YES!!" at the start of the video.
Yay but when can I find PS Audio in best buy? 😄
Even though I have high end Magnepans to B&Ws paired with tube preamps / Mark Levinson amplifiers, I still believe there’s a place for Bose. I don’t use Bose for critical listening however I have a pair of Bose 701’s for $1500 which are excellent for theatre where I can omit a sub.
lies😂😂🎉😂😂🦮💩💩💩
A coworker once shared a similar experience about the best sound source he's ever heard in his life being a single speaker. Now I am wondering if they were the same.
Similar experience to...? Define what speaker Paul was talking about, please.
What about Bang & Olufsen? Don't they have similar issues? Why don't you talk about hi-fi enthusiasts' relationship with that brand?
I am not a fan of Bose speakers, generally, but I quite like my older QC25s as a simple wired pair of noise canceling headphones and as far as compact Bluetooth speakers go, it is hard to beat the Soundlink Mini II.
How could you possibly think the 901s were a good idea. 802s same thing. The "engineers", if you can call them that, came up with a really bad idea. All the drivers are in series, so the damping goes out the window. Bose knew this, so they actually built in a weird crossover. They high passed half the drivers, and then wired them in parallel to the other drivers. They then put a light bulb in series with the crossover capacitor. This meant at loud volume, the crossover was out of the circuit and all the drivers were in series. The obvious thinking was that at loud volumes, no one cared about damping factor. (or would even detect the loss of highs) At low volumes, the crossover was active to mask some of the poor damping. While one could try to argue the ideas were innovative, innovative trash is still trash.
Another fun fact. Bose bought their big amplifier from Dukane. It was a re-badged paging amplifier. The engineer that designed that amplifier stated it was a very antiquated design and not all that good. He couldn't figure out why Bose wanted to buy it. But they did, so as far as he was concerned, he would take their money.
Something else interesting, CerwinVega had a reflective midrange that played out the back of the cabinet back in the early 70s. Even long before that, some of the old record player consoles used the same idea. No innovation there.
Like many others, I never cared for the Bose sound. At all. Then as a commercial audio designer, I was introduced to Bose Professional and their RoomMatch line array systems and PowerMatch amplifiers. At the time, there was very little on the market that would perform to the level of the RoomMatch. If the consumer wing of Bose were to produce anything that sounded as good, the Bose comments we all know would make a 180 degree turn in little time. Truly impressive gear.
I can remember back in the 70s and 80s, going into bars and nightclubs that were stacked with Bose 901 speakers usually the series 3 or series 4. It was loud, it was rawkus , and it was fun. BTW, I have lost 46 pounds in the last six months on a ketogenic diet.
The worst part of bose is their salespeople at their stores. You ask them about ohms and sensitivity and all other tech specs and they say "we at bose are different and we don't use those kinds of specs. We are more of a different way of making sound"
How many people are into DIY Speakers..? the more you do, the more you start respecting Bose. The reason most hate them is, that they don't go by the "Text book" definition of speaker design.
They are a consumer product, who mainly look for compact system with room filling sound (Read zero sweet spot). Not catering to the elite 0.1% flat sound preferring, cable chasing audiophiles.
Interestingly, the technology they used 60 years ago, like DSP, FAST (Fullrange assisted subwoofer tech) are looked by audiophiles now!
If they are profit oriented company, they don't need to give 51%share to MIT. Honestly it takes time for many to understand the approach Bose is making..
👍
Foreigner uses four Bose L1s in small venues. You can find it on YT.
I'm certainly not gonna buy into a Bose home audio system. In fact I never even thought about doing so. I'm perfectly fine with my Heco Aleva GT 602s. However, the first time I've heard the Bose SoundLink Mini I couldn't believe that such a little speaker could perform so big. In my opinion, there are only a few bluetooth speakers of comparable size that could rival it.
I have that Bose L1 Model that I used for DJing. It sets up so much easier and sound just as good, if not better, than the usual 2-speaker PA setup.
no one has ever used bose for DJ !!! bose employee sus!!🦮💩💩💩
@@lunam7249 yeah, not true. Maybe not many, but definitely not no one. Ultimately, the clients loved it, so THAT is what counts.
@@eespinosa64 😹😹😹😹🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🦮💩💩💩soooo obvious you work for bose!!! hahhahaha! arebyou gonna sue me now!!hahahhah!!!😹😹😹😺😺😅😂😅😅
if bose company buys your kids thier christmas gifts, then i guess.....but brother i truly feel sorry for you
@@lunam7249 OK, snob. Not everyone has to agree with you. Unless your feelings get hurt, easily.
YOU FORGOT! Bose suspension (car)
I had a bose home system that i wqy over paid bc my parents had a set of cerwin vaga and i wanted good sound well i was so disappointed i sold them 2 weeks later and got a set of 15 inch cerwin vaga qnd ill never look back
Wath about the 601 3 perhebs the best Böse make
See the way the EOSone story was presented, was enjoyable and fun to listen to - it didn't feel disparaging or shitty.. lol. That makes all the difference in a quality discussion. As a Bose lover (and many, many others I've owned and some I still own, including Paradigm at the moment - good stuff) - I chuckled and nodded in light manner along with it. Haha, that was a good video 100%
I too did not like the BOSE 901s. Many products that Bose put out, just did not work the way they claimed. So I purchased the 501s back then which I believe was not available in North America. The 501s were a lot cheaper and in my openion worked quite well. I kept them for around 20 years, when I was a student.
Great video as usual.
I never really listened to Bose speakers for more that a few seconds except for my neighbor's. He's a graduate of Julliard school of music and is a successful music teacher in my town. He has Bose speakers AND enjoys them very much.....how can anyone explain that ? Are we talking about speakers that sound bad or speakers that are not accurate, which is two different things?
your an employee liar of bose....thats the explanation..."juliard" 🎉😂🎉😂🎉🎉😂 🦮💩💩💩
5:39 Very interesting! Previously I would have assumed a Best Buy speaker brand would be mediocre before hearing this history!
He is amazing and inspiring person.
21 years ago I purchased a Bose Lifestyle 12 series 2 home theater system. Playing in stereo, whether it CD or radio, wasn't impressive. Playing a movie was! I guess it was the recording format that made the difference. The movie, even when it played a song in the movie, was so much more bassy.
2:00 made me subscribe, well done dude. Seriously.
A lot of people, perhaps even most people, enjoy music. But only a small percentage genuinely concern themselves with it's reproduction at the highest levels. Audiophiles, like the enthusiast members of most any endeavor, tend to judge products associated with that pursuit against a much higher standard than the public at large. A hardcore automotive performance enthusiast will often label something like a Honda Accord as junk when in reality it's a great car and well designed to meet the needs of how the vast majority of people actually use their cars. Likewise, audiophiles often label Bose as junk when in reality they make a great product for the way the vast majority of people really listen to music. I've shown people on many occasions the difference between Bose speakers and higher end offerings from Bowers and Wilkins, Revel and Paradigm. Every time these folks heard the difference and noted that these other speakers sounded better. However, in all but three out of twenty plus demonstrations they would respond with something like, "Yeah, the B and W sounds better but the Bose sounds good enough for me and I can put it more places.
Most people aren't audiophiles and for them a Wave Radio might be the best sounding component they've ever heard. And, shockingly to an audiophile, this same little radio might be all these people ever care to own. In the consumer arena Bose makes lifestyle products which suit it's target audience perfectly. A lot of companies, like Sonos, are doing the same thing these days. But Bose got there first and the name is synonymous with such products. Heck, one could argue that Bose products helped create this target market. Their speakers are easy to integrate into most any domestic environment and, truth be told, whatever technology they do use produces very intelligible vocals for watching TV which is a bigger priority for more people than is exacting musical reproduction. Bose products provide "good enough" sound for the masses and make it easy to get such sound in locations where the masses want it. Which, ultimately, is all that really matters to the masses. Yes, marketing certainly drives people to the brand but if everyone actually hated their products no amount of marketing money could keep them viable.
I think Bose is more of a “lifestyle” company than a hi-fi one, let alone hi-end. I’ve never bought a Bose product, not until recently. But as my kid grew up a little, he came to me one day and said “dad, I want a good little bluetooth speaker” and he came up with Bose Micro something. The thing is the size of a palm without fingers but I have to say I was impressed! It may trick your ears, but it’s doing it right... My kid is happy with it, I’m thinking about buying one for myself...
Splendid and informative.
How does Bose get away with out ever listing specification ?
Their target consumer doesn't know and doesn't care.
Uhhhh... ever looked at PS audio's spec sheets? Specs that say almost nothing: THD 1KHz, 1W/8Ω
@Fat Rat Maybe... don't know until you measure it.
@Larry Niles OK, how was that ignorant?
@Fat Rat Your first question was a bit vague and I thought you were asking if testing the entire frequency range would significantly change their THD specs at rated power. Of course, only PS audio knows that. But to clarify, yes, 20-20k at rated power would be MUCH more informative. A 0.1% distortion spec at rated power doesn't bother me, but is it 0.1% at 30 Hz or 18 kHz? What if it measures over 1% at those points? We can't know based on how they report their specs.
I got an old pair, not sure which ones, would need to look it up, but they are a bit older, I took them over from my mother who bought them in the mid-90's.
They're okay. Not the amazing audiophile quality, but alright for a budget and good enough what I do with them. Miles better than the Logitech "gaming" setup I had before.
Are they amazing speakers? No. Are they trash? Also no. Are they fine if you don't fall for the marketing? Absolutely. Compared to what I had before there is a noticeable difference.