Why are Bose systems hated?

bigaudiofanat · 07-21-2009, 10:30 AM

Sorry let's not hijack the thread making a new one in the lounge

nightfire · 07-21-2009, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigaudiofanat

Sorry let's not hijack the thread making a new one in the lounge

good call my bad!

kannibul · 07-21-2009, 12:28 PM

Why - because Bose blows.

Seriously, from an audio perspective, they SUCK. They are as inaccurate as hell. I have a set of $600 Studio Monitors (I do audio mixing / recording for myself and my band, might eventually branch out and do other bands), and I can tell you WITHOUT a doubt, they are the worst sounding systems ever invented.

Way to bassy...and boomy. Treble is rounded off. Mids are grainy...Odd frequency spikes all over...all in the name of making the system sound "bigger".

Anyhow...

I'll hate it until I can come up with something better for my Z, which, given the lack of money I have now, means I'll probably have the bose system for a long time...lol

kannibul · 07-21-2009, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hiz-n-herz

You need to match the impedance of the speakers to the impedance of the amplifier that is powering them. Most after-market speakers are 4-ohm. Some subs are 3.2 ohms and even 2 ohms. The lower the impedance (ohms), the less resistance the amp sees through the speakers and the closer to a direct short you get. Good aftermarket amps can handle 2-ohms with no problems - some even 1-ohm.

Many OEM systems have amps and speakers operating at different impedances - usually higher than 4-ohms. so you should know the impedance ratings of the bose speakers and subs if you plan on only replacing them.

Usually no one knows what impedance the OEM systems are workign at and if you plug in aftermarkey speakers, the bose amp could get fried quickly.

Some folks replace them amp and subs both - there are aftermarket converters that convert the pre-amp signal from the OEM head unit to a proper voltage for the after-market amps and then you use your aftermarket speakers.

pac-audio makes such converters as do many others.

good luck...

One thing you didn't mention is that with solid state amplifiers (99.999% of car audio amps, unless you get tube...) can run with higher impedances (ohms), they just don't put out as much power.

So, if you have 8 ohm door speakers, and your amp is rated for 100w @ 4ohm, you'll probably get about 60-70w at 8ohm.

The important thing to remember is to not go BELOW what the amp can handle - run a 2ohm load on a 4ohm amp. That will make your amp unhappy, and could burn it up (overload)...

Alexus · 07-21-2009, 12:46 PM

I have spent over $10,000 in audio equipment from Bose over the years, from a full home theatre system, to a sounddock and a pair of earphones for my iPod. I even have the outdoor speaker system and let me tell you, it makes for one hell of a party.

Those of you who think Bose blows haven't experienced their home electronics, that's all I have to say.

bigaudiofanat · 07-21-2009, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexus

I have spent over $10,000 in audio equipment from Bose over the years, from a full home theatre system, to a sounddock and a pair of earphones for my iPod. I even have the outdoor speaker system and let me tell you, it makes for one hell of a party.

Those of you who think Bose blows haven't experienced their home electronics, that's all I have to say.

Hang on let me stop laughing first

If you are happy with spend money on overpriced junk be my guest but there is better stuff out there for the same money or less. You just need to go listen to the better stuff, also if you want to start turning your volume up and just be able to hear a few things that's cool. I have a set of cheap polk bookshelf speakers that sound better than bose stuff, the fact is that bose, there in no way good.

bigaudiofanat · 07-21-2009, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kannibul

One thing you didn't mention is that with solid state amplifiers (99.999% of car audio amps, unless you get tube...) can run with higher impedances (ohms), they just don't put out as much power.

So, if you have 8 ohm door speakers, and your amp is rated for 100w @ 4ohm, you'll probably get about 60-70w at 8ohm.

The important thing to remember is to not go BELOW what the amp can handle - run a 2ohm load on a 4ohm amp. That will make your amp unhappy, and could burn it up (overload)...

True but I am not sure what the bose amp will go to so I am suggesting things to be safe with.

bigaudiofanat · 07-21-2009, 01:34 PM

Also here is some insight into your "great" bose systems. The receiver if you have one the dvd player is take from a computer they do not even make it themselves it is from toshiba. The casings of the speakers are made in china with some cheap weather striping foam inside and some cheap looking paper woofers, the speaker wire is not bigger than a 20 gauge piece out of a toy car.. Oh ya there rely top of the line. Believe me we had one not very good it went in the trash as you can tell from the speakers and all.

theDreamer · 07-21-2009, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigaudiofanat

I have to highly disagree, apple and the apple ipod have been taking over the market, the ipod is the number one rated mp3 player and has been for over 6 years now. They hold there value tremendously and also run a lot longer than other cheap brands. IMO it is the best one out there I also own a apple powerbook 64 laptop, it is 3 years old had 0 trouble with it and it has been dropped 3 times by myself. My next purchase will be a new one, once you try an apple out and find out how well they are made you will not want to go back and you will see were spending the extra money is well worth it. Just my 0.02

Actually, yes/no.
The iPod has taken over the market but not because of it being good or "better" than others. It is because of iTunes and the ease of use for the average consumers. The iPod was very close to dieing just like a few previous MP3 players before it, but it brought iTunes and the music industry to the table and everything changed. They were the earliest to centralize the control of buying/syncing music, and controlled it so well that people thought it was perfect.

Yet now people can buy music from many online retailers, just drag and drop music onto an MP3 player with no thought of format. The idea of iTunes will continue because of the iPhone & the applications, but when I am only able to sync my music with one computer I will pass. I can take my Archos to any computer, drag the music on or off and add anything else I want very quickly, and all without having to install any extra software to do so.

Edit:
On the comment about spending 10k on a BOSE system years ago, that would have been money well spent then. They sold out in the past few years and have gone down hill, quickly. Now I am not saying they are horrible, but for the price per dollar you can purchase much better sound systems. Bose quality has fallen over the past years while the industry has moved forward to better technology and higher standards. Bose took a new turn with size, and found that people like small out of the way sound systems, but can lack the ear for quality.

bigaudiofanat · 07-21-2009, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theDreamer

Actually, yes/no.
The iPod has taken over the market but not because of it being good or "better" than others. It is because of iTunes and the ease of use for the average consumers. The iPod was very close to dieing just like a few previous MP3 players before it, but it brought iTunes and the music industry to the table and everything changed. They were the earliest to centralize the control of buying/syncing music, and controlled it so well that people thought it was perfect.

Yet now people can buy music from many online retailers, just drag and drop music onto an MP3 player with no thought of format. The idea of iTunes will continue because of the iPhone & the applications, but when I am only able to sync my music with one computer I will pass. I can take my Archos to any computer, drag the music on or off and add anything else I want very quickly, and all without having to install any extra software to do so.

Edit:
On the comment about spending 10k on a BOSE system years ago, that would have been money well spent then. They sold out in the past few years and have gone down hill, quickly. Now I am not saying they are horrible, but for the price per dollar you can purchase much better sound systems. Bose quality has fallen over the past years while the industry has moved forward to better technology and higher standards. Bose took a new turn with size, and found that people like small out of the way sound systems, but can lack the ear for quality.

Well that is good and all but also illegal, copying and pasting to other computers and sharing and all is just as bad as downloading the song from the internet. It is easily able to be done all you have to do is select let me manualy manage my library and ipod. But me I want quality not quantity and all my music is categorized in itunes it simply can not be beat.. It is the best program for organizing and finding your music I can have a song looked up in as little as 5 seconds. When you do not care about how many songs and start worrying about what format is the music in and what bit rate than you will not want to just grab any song from just any computer.

Anatoray · 07-21-2009, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexus

I have spent over $10,000 in audio equipment from Bose over the years, from a full home theatre system, to a sounddock and a pair of earphones for my iPod. I even have the outdoor speaker system and let me tell you, it makes for one hell of a party.

Those of you who think Bose blows haven't experienced their home electronics, that's all I have to say.

The real question is have you experienced real high end audio from other companies? While most of them are small and niche, Martin Logan has come into the mainstream lately, and is now sold by Best Buy, even if it is their cheap stuff.

My pair of Martin Logans that cost less than a Bose system shake the room, and not because they're loud. They hit the extreme lows perfectly, resulting in bass you can feel as well as hear, and with a sharp punch, rather than the muddy groan of a Bose sub.

Bose simply cannot compete on the level it tries to be at. With the proper research, you can get components that are miles ahead of them for the same money, which is the real reason they have such a bad image amongst high end audiophiles. If they were priced to compete with Sony, no one would probably say what they say now.

bigaudiofanat · 07-21-2009, 02:12 PM

Alexus · 07-21-2009, 02:18 PM

I'm not appreciating the bashing by bigaudiofanat, to say the least. I purchased Bose sound systems because they were small and for their size delivered an impressive punch. Room is of the essence as I live in a 3-unit condominium. It's decent in size, but what irritates me the most is that the kitchen shares space with the living room. It's annoying, so I definitely needed something small. Others were either too large or too expensive, so out of what was available here in Canada, Bose stood out.

I bought them out of convenience and because, at least to my ears, the sound was absolutely awesome.

theDreamer · 07-21-2009, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigaudiofanat

Well that is good and all but also illegal, copying and pasting to other computers and sharing and all is just as bad as downloading the song from the internet. It is easily able to be done all you have to do is select let me manualy manage my library and ipod. But me I want quality not quantity and all my music is categorized in itunes it simply can not be beat.. It is the best program for organizing and finding your music I can have a song looked up in as little as 5 seconds. When you do not care about how many songs and start worrying about what format is the music in and what bit rate than you will not want to just grab any song from just any computer.

Ummm...never said I want quantity.
I only buy CDs for the best quality, use only WMA Loseless. Also, I have probably four computers and being able to drag and drop my music for my needs is perfect. Also, iTunes is actually the slowest in media management. It has the bigger foot print of an install and usage, it has the slowest interface. Your best programs are Foobar2000 & Media Monkey (a few others but require user work).

bigaudiofanat · 07-21-2009, 02:30 PM

LOL K not the newer versions but enjoy your whatever program.

07-21-2009, 10:30 AM	#61 (permalink)
bigaudiofanat Car Audio Installer Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Magnolia DE Posts: 8,342 Drives: 2012 Infiniti G37x Rep Power: 853	Sorry let's not hijack the thread making a new one in the lounge __________________ Need help with car audio or electronics? Let me know!! Need Help Let Me Know Direct email address reimermatt@gmail.com Owner of: Dynamic Mobile Audio Follow me below https://www.facebook.com/Dynamicmobileaudio/

07-21-2009, 12:46 PM	#65 (permalink)
Alexus Base Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Montreal, QC Posts: 178 Drives: The Beast Rep Power: 16	I have spent over $10,000 in audio equipment from Bose over the years, from a full home theatre system, to a sounddock and a pair of earphones for my iPod. I even have the outdoor speaker system and let me tell you, it makes for one hell of a party. Those of you who think Bose blows haven't experienced their home electronics, that's all I have to say. __________________ "The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his." -General George S. Patton Jr., 1885-1945

07-21-2009, 01:34 PM	#68 (permalink)
bigaudiofanat Car Audio Installer Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Magnolia DE Posts: 8,342 Drives: 2012 Infiniti G37x Rep Power: 853	Also here is some insight into your "great" bose systems. The receiver if you have one the dvd player is take from a computer they do not even make it themselves it is from toshiba. The casings of the speakers are made in china with some cheap weather striping foam inside and some cheap looking paper woofers, the speaker wire is not bigger than a 20 gauge piece out of a toy car.. Oh ya there rely top of the line. Believe me we had one not very good it went in the trash as you can tell from the speakers and all. __________________ Need help with car audio or electronics? Let me know!! Need Help Let Me Know Direct email address reimermatt@gmail.com Owner of: Dynamic Mobile Audio Follow me below https://www.facebook.com/Dynamicmobileaudio/ Last edited by bigaudiofanat; 07-21-2009 at 01:43 PM.

07-21-2009, 02:12 PM	#72 (permalink)
bigaudiofanat Car Audio Installer Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Magnolia DE Posts: 8,342 Drives: 2012 Infiniti G37x Rep Power: 853	__________________ Need help with car audio or electronics? Let me know!! Need Help Let Me Know Direct email address reimermatt@gmail.com Owner of: Dynamic Mobile Audio Follow me below https://www.facebook.com/Dynamicmobileaudio/

07-21-2009, 02:18 PM	#73 (permalink)
Alexus Base Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Montreal, QC Posts: 178 Drives: The Beast Rep Power: 16	I'm not appreciating the bashing by bigaudiofanat, to say the least. I purchased Bose sound systems because they were small and for their size delivered an impressive punch. Room is of the essence as I live in a 3-unit condominium. It's decent in size, but what irritates me the most is that the kitchen shares space with the living room. It's annoying, so I definitely needed something small. Others were either too large or too expensive, so out of what was available here in Canada, Bose stood out. I bought them out of convenience and because, at least to my ears, the sound was absolutely awesome. __________________ "The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his." -General George S. Patton Jr., 1885-1945

07-21-2009, 12:28 PM	#63 (permalink)
kannibul A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Jenks, OK Posts: 2,281 Drives: 370z Touring/Sport Rep Power: 267	Why - because Bose blows. Seriously, from an audio perspective, they SUCK. They are as inaccurate as hell. I have a set of $600 Studio Monitors (I do audio mixing / recording for myself and my band, might eventually branch out and do other bands), and I can tell you WITHOUT a doubt, they are the worst sounding systems ever invented. Way to bassy...and boomy. Treble is rounded off. Mids are grainy...Odd frequency spikes all over...all in the name of making the system sound "bigger". Anyhow... I'll hate it until I can come up with something better for my Z, which, given the lack of money I have now, means I'll probably have the bose system for a long time...lol

07-21-2009, 02:30 PM	#75 (permalink)
bigaudiofanat Car Audio Installer Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Magnolia DE Posts: 8,342 Drives: 2012 Infiniti G37x Rep Power: 853	LOL K not the newer versions but enjoy your whatever program. __________________ Need help with car audio or electronics? Let me know!! Need Help Let Me Know Direct email address reimermatt@gmail.com Owner of: Dynamic Mobile Audio Follow me below https://www.facebook.com/Dynamicmobileaudio/

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