Is Bose a ripoff?

[VIPERS-PIT]

It depends as to what you are buying and what you are paying. My parents bought last winter a bose stereo w/ cd player. They bought it from someone selling reconditioned bose materials....at first there was something wrong with it but then after having it fixed (no cost to them) it worked fine.

In terms of the overall sound quality in terms of what it sounds like the commerical is true. It is as big as a loaf of bread but sounds like full speakers. Best of all since it's more in terms of a direction the sound isn't bouncing off the walls. In other words you could be behind it and not hear it nearly as much as a conventional one.

In terms of the radio portion of it I think it's lacking for reception. DX'ing on the thing is nearly impossible etc. If this could be hooked up to a better antenna then it could be better. But the inputs on it sort of don't make sense...it's hard to explain but it looks like they are blocked when you plug in the cd portion to the main one.

If someone combined it with xm or sirus I think it would really be excellent.

I think some of these could be well suited towards other things like apartments where you don't want to use a ton of power for music and don't want others to hear it.

It is simple wave guide tecnology and Bose did NOT invent it!

 

[knasty]

http://www.shopping.com/xPR-Bose_Acoustimass_15~RD-27109658244

 

[vurbano]

http://www.shopping.com/xPR-Bose_Acoustimass_15~RD-27109658244

From that article:

"How much is the Bose Acoustimass 15 really worth?: Let's say $200 would still be a major rip-off... "

 

[VIPERS-PIT]

SO true!!!!

 

[directvfreak]

It depends as to what you are buying and what you are paying. My parents bought last winter a bose stereo w/ cd player. They bought it from someone selling reconditioned bose materials....at first there was something wrong with it but then after having it fixed (no cost to them) it worked fine.

In terms of the overall sound quality in terms of what it sounds like the commerical is true. It is as big as a loaf of bread but sounds like full speakers. Best of all since it's more in terms of a direction the sound isn't bouncing off the walls. In other words you could be behind it and not hear it nearly as much as a conventional one.

In terms of the radio portion of it I think it's lacking for reception. DX'ing on the thing is nearly impossible etc. If this could be hooked up to a better antenna then it could be better. But the inputs on it sort of don't make sense...it's hard to explain but it looks like they are blocked when you plug in the cd portion to the main one.

If someone combined it with xm or sirus I think it would really be excellent.

I think some of these could be well suited towards other things like apartments where you don't want to use a ton of power for music and don't want others to hear it.

Bose is working with Sirus to designn a radio.

 

[directvfreak]

SO true!!!!

SO FALSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[williamkmurphy]

Yes and No. I have an ancient pair of 901's that are hooked up to a 250Wx2 carver amp that absoutely rock.

I just sent a vcs-10 center channel to the basement because it would distort really bad at high volume (yes the receiver was set up correctly). Replaced it with a CSW M500 center channel that cost a 100 bucks more than what I paid for the bose and it kicks its arse.

The cambridge soundworks outlet store has some really sweet deals most of the stuff is 25-50% off.

 

[jbcheshire]

Bose is working with Sirus to designn a radio.

Can you post a link to the article discussing this? I'd like to read more about it.

 

[vurbano]

SO FALSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

86% say true. The only place you are going to see a different result is in a highly uneducated group of newbies or in a Bose support forum full of owners in denial.

 

[CWS_kahuna]

If there was some competition against Bose then their pricing might get more inline unless there is competition that I do not know about and the thread starter is probably trying to find out what that competition is. If money is no object then Bose is probably the way to go.

Isn't every other speaker manufacture out there competition to Bose? If you are talking about competition being very small cube size speakers, a company that comes to mind is Antonhy Gallo Acoustics http://www.roundsound.com/.

 

[vurbano]

Isn't every other speaker manufacture out there competition to Bose?

yes.

 

[VIPERS-PIT]

Isn't every other speaker manufacture out there competition to Bose?

No because any good speaker company sees bose for what they are, a total joke.

 

[Inno]

consider what they're doing, making listenable music with crap for components, ya gotta at least admire that a little...........but to charge what they do for it...........that is the true ripoff........
Although it's being done to every person who buys a new vehicle. The $0.50 speakers they put in most vehichles are only listenable (and barely) because of the 99cent DSP chip in the head unit that eqs the sh*t out of the sound before it gets to the speakers.............now consider that and look at the price you're paying for a "premium sound system"!!! Who's getting ripped off more?

Having said that, every time someone comes along and tells me how great Bose speakers are (and they're usually undereducated on the subject) I just cringe...........

 

[VIPERS-PIT]

I quicky replace my factory speakers with JL audio equipment. Not nearly as good as bose, but better than factory. The 12 inch subs and 2000 watt sub amps bose put out for cars ROCK!!!!

 

[scooby2]

The only thing Bose is good at is charging to much and for some Bose usually meets the WAF. There are literally hundreds of brands that are cheaper and sound the same or better.

Check any (non-Bose) audio forum. You will find that at least 85% of the posts will state the same thing. Don't waste your money!!!

 

[BKP]

I voted yes, basically for the pricing because I've never actually heard any of the newer stuff..

Although, I do have a pair of early 301's they kick ass for small bookshelf speakers.. Then again, I had a pair of 501's and they were only okay.. My mid-end Altec Lansing 886A's blew the 501's right out of the house, Hahaha..

 

[rockymtnhigh]

I agree with the statement about the noise-cancelling headphones; I tried them in an airport once and they are very nice; but not so nice as to have me dish out $200 instead of the $70 I spent on my Sony noise-cancelling headphones, which do a great job for more than half the price.

In general, I love my Infinity speakers, which while not cheap at all, were certainly less expensive than a comparable bose system.

 

[Madtown HD Junkie]

Used Klipsch since the beginning of my first stereo and loved every second (o:

 

[Kevinw]

http://www.intellexual.net/bose.html
Bo$e is like Mon$ter, a lot of money for very little. Those litttle cubes are great for the "Wife factor" but overall they sound horrible.

 

[boston area dtv]

I vote no its not a ripoff and heres the reason. BOSE isnt targetting the music afficianados. Its for grandma and grandpa or the uneducated college grad. They open the box and bamn they have a decent sounding system.

Is it a lil expensive yes. However, its decent enough. Its not comparable to the higher end component systems but for Joe six pack who knows nothing about sound he is going to be happy.

As for me I prefer Onkyo receivers and Klipsch speakers.

This thread kinda reminds me of the monkey and the music man. Man cranks the music and the lil pellett falls out and the monkey goes cookoo.

Here Someone bad mouths bose and well you all know what happens...its kinda funny..how long do you think you can keep it up? I find the monkey very entertaining