Bose Fan, Ready for the bashing. (Might be surprised)

[AskMrJake]

Hey guys, for a long time I have been a Bose fan, and was planning on saving money to buy the Bose Companion 5 speaker set up for my computer. I have always thought the sound quality was fantastic, and have never had any problems. (I work at an electronics store and get a more than generous discount on Bose products thankfully) But, I have been reading recently and have noticed that in the PC and Audio world, not many people care for Bose. At all. It caught me by surprise. Here is where you guys come in. Why does Bose have such a negative reputation online? And what would you recommend in place of the Companion 5 as a speaker set up? Has to include an L/R and Sub.

 

Thanks a ton you guys.

 

-Jake

[sirtoby]

Bose never really appealed to me. Their design as well as their high price tag isn't what I'm looking for when I'm buying pc speakers. What I give them credit for are their noise cancelling headphones. I have to fly quite regularly, and these headphones are the best 100€ I've ever spent. But apart from that, Bose isn't really worth its price imo.

[Syntaxvgm]

Hi. 

My name is also Jake. 

The Council of Jakes has requested you hand over your name, you no long have the right to use it. 

 

 

 

 

I kid, it's not that bad. They aren't beats. 

I mean, they are still bad, just not as bad as beats. 

[Klerk]

Overpriced. That is mostly it I guess.

[Comessy]

There are kinda like Beats, there alright but madly overpriced for what they are

 

Similarly to beats, they put a huge chunk of money into advertising

Ex, Rory McIlroy advertisment 

 

[W-L]

-SNIP-

 

Bose has a pretty good quality stuff for the most part, but it's just the pricepoint, I would say as long as your getting a deal on your purchase I don't see it as a bad investment.

As alternatives I have seen many recommend the audio engine A2+.

[AskMrJake]

Bose has a pretty good quality stuff for the most part, but it's just the pricepoint, I would say as long as your getting a deal on your purchase I don't see it as a bad investment.

As alternatives I have seen many recommend the audio engine A2+.

Checked out the speakers you recommended and they are only about $40 cheaper than the price I have available on the Companion 5. I am just hesitant to try another speaker brand because I have mostly accepted Bose as a quality audio company and am unsure if other brands truly do sound as good or better than Bose systems. From my experience, the products I have purchased have been pretty solid. Am I mistaken? Are there really better speakers for the price point? 

[AskMrJake]

Hi. 

My name is also Jake. 

The Council of Jakes has requested you hand over your name, you no long have the right to use it. 

 

 

 

 

I kid, it's not that bad. They aren't beats. 

I mean, they are still bad, just not as bad as beats. 

Hey no worries,  I know beats are complete shit, and people that buy them piss me off. like. I hate you because beats. lol. But I was unaware Bose had a similar rep to so many people.

[Syntaxvgm]

Hey no worries,  I know beats are complete shit, and people that buy them piss me off. like. I hate you because beats. lol. But I was unaware Bose had a similar rep to so many people.

Not nearly as bad. 

[Octavialicious]

meh, it's just for the price you can get way better stuff

[SSL]

Internet hate choo choo, do what you want with your money.

[AskMrJake]

meh, it's just for the price you can get way better stuff

Companion 5 is retailed at 399.99, if I were to get them for say... 280... Would you say that would be worth it?

[AskMrJake]

Internet hate choo choo, do what you want with your money.

True, many people are biased and fanboys, but I also do want to learn and get the most out of my hard earned cash. College makes it pretty scarce!

[Octavialicious]

Companion 5 is retailed at 399.99, if I were to get them for say... 280... Would you say that would be worth it?

I was referring to their headphones, I despise speakers

[creatip123]

In the past (like 10+ years ago), Bose speakers are the way to go for good stuffs. It's not crazy good, even at that time, but I'd say it's the lower level of 'hi-end' stuffs. It's considered hi-end, but kinda reasonable priced. I remember thinking a store must be hi-class if it got those Bose satellites hanging

 

Now as time went by, other companies got better and better, and they caught up with Bose's standard, with lower prices. This fact automatically make Bose products kinda overpriced. 

 

Well, the best thing is to judge by yourself. Do listening tests on various stuffs. Get the one that you think is best, regardless of the brand. 

[BoredErica]

At this point I think people that think Razer headsets are the best annoy me wayyy more. I have seen some people tout Bose as the best of the best simply by brand alone, but I guess people have done this for Beats too. Sennheiser too, but it's a little different there. The QC series are still nice products the last I checked. The speakers are not as highly regarded. I heard the QCs are pretty fragile in terms of build quality though.

 

I don't see a lot of Bose fanboying so I'm not overly bothered.

[Aphexx]

Bose established their name on speakers in the past they maintained that name on marketing, only recently with sennheiser have I seen these companies advertise much.

 

they had the lead in noise cancelling with the QC series but audio technica has caught up with them on that end. so now, they don't seem to have the lead over their competitors besides their ability to advertise..... which Beats is schooling everyone on how to do

[ym1453]

The qc line is still the best noise canceling line up in the market.

Their speakers are fine but for their price it didn't impressed me that much.

[creatip123]

The qc line is still the best noise canceling line up in the market.

Their speakers are fine but for their price it didn't impressed me that much.

 

Just to get things straight tho (for the readers), the QC is regarded as the best, only in the context of the noise cancelling. The sound quality itself is 'meh'....

[ym1453]

Just to get things straight tho (for the readers), the QC is regarded as the best, only in the context of the noise cancelling. The sound quality itself is 'meh'....

Yea that is very clear to stress out they cost 300 they sound 100-150 in my mind but the noise canceling effect is the best on the market and in the environments where it is needed might make it sound equivalent MIGHT make it

[ym1453]

Just to get things straight tho (for the readers), the QC is regarded as the best, only in the context of the noise cancelling. The sound quality itself is 'meh'....

Yea that is very clear to stress out they cost 300 they sound 100-150 in my mind but the noise canceling effect is the best on the market and in the environments where it is needed might make it sound equivalent MIGHT make it

[xtroria]

I dont like bose headphones and their other gimmicky products but i do like the sound signature on their speakers.

The speakers are tiny, but damn they pack a lot of punch. My family has acoustic mass 5 for years now and I generally like its sparkly mids, which is incredibly good for female vocals

[Oktyabr]

Price, hype (they were Beats before Dre!), and as xtroria said, gimmicky:

"Our exclusive TrueSpace® surround digital processing circuitry spreads the sound around you, so the enveloping effects seem to come from areas where there aren't even any speakers. The experience is developed especially for computer listening—putting you right in the middle of the music, the game, the special effects."

5.1 surround from a 2.1 speaker setup?  M'kay...  If you really want 5.1 for PC, you should really consider a set with 5.1 speakers!  But something else from the audiophile world...  "Buy what sounds good to YOU."  

[xtroria]

Price, hype (they were Beats before Dre!), and as xtroria said, gimmicky:

"Our exclusive TrueSpace® surround digital processing circuitry spreads the sound around you, so the enveloping effects seem to come from areas where there aren't even any speakers. The experience is developed especially for computer listening—putting you right in the middle of the music, the game, the special effects."

5.1 surround from a 2.1 speaker setup?  M'kay...  If you really want 5.1 for PC, you should really consider a set with 5.1 speakers!  But something else from the audiophile world...  "Buy what sounds good to YOU."  

 

Actually I tried their sound bar and the surround sound effect (it has surround effect drivers on each side) was surprisingly good, it tricked my ears as if there was a surround speaker behind me

[Oktyabr]

Actually I tried their sound bar and the surround sound effect (it has surround effect drivers on each side) was surprisingly good, it tricked my ears as if there was a surround speaker behind me

Did it work as well as actually having surround speakers behind you?  This is gimmicky stuff they have been playing with for decades (ever seen a pair of 901?)  I don't doubt that it produced a surround effect better than similar items from some of their competitors but a sound bar will always BE a sound bar, and a 2.1 system will always be just two speakers and a subwoofer.