I used to work for Bose retail stores. First off, the ADAPTiQ demo is rigged. The technology isn't being used during the demo. They just EQ'd the left and right audio channels differently on the DVD so that when it plays back on the display that shows a jewel cube surrounded by a carpeted box and the other in plexiglass, it sounds like the one in the plexiglass is echoey and the one in the carpeted box is muffled. Then magically, after the LCD screen tells you that this is what the lifestyle system sounds like with the ADAPTiQ calibration enabled, the sound plays clearly. Problem is, it's all smoke and mirrors.
My fellow employees and I snuck the demo DVD into an Onkyo setup. We suspected that the demo wasn't properly set up because it sounded echoey out of the carpeted speaker and muffled out of the plastic encased one. That means the acoustics were completely simulated(FAKED). Magically, the Onkyo system similarly behaved as if it had these "boxes" over its connected speakers. I actually have heard the benefit of the ADAPTiQ system, but it is not as pronounced as the Bose demo, because the demo was produced to create a "WOW factor" which is a component of performing your duties as a "Demonstration Specialist."
Having a Lifestyle system is very convenient in terms of size and simple to use. If you happen to like the sound, these other two reasons are probably why you'd want the Bose home theater product. Otherwise, you could put together a better sounding HT for less.
I could go off on Bose for pages, as a company, it's philosophies, its marketing, its customer service, its product quality (or lack thereof). All I know is I worked there and I only think their products were worth it when I got my killer employee discount.
