Is BOSE worth it or are you paying for the name brand?

Question

I know I've heard a lot of BOSE surround sound systems and they sound amazing. I've never really heard any other types of surround sound systems. I have a 20x20 bedroom and was thinking about putting the BOSE 3-2-1 system in there, but is there anything else that only has 2 or 3 speakers with a subwoofer that's comparable to BOSE for under $1,000?

Answer 1

Don't buy Bose. They go as far as using low budget parts in their systems and then manipulating the acoustics to sound good to the average joe, and then they price it highly to make it seem like a luxury item. You might want to look at Klipsch's CS-500 and CS-700 systems (a lot of Best Buy stores have displays of them), as they are also two-speaker systems with a sub, but Klipsch is a much better brand. Both of these systems cost about as much as the Bose, but they are better.

Answer 2

I love my Bose.

Answer 3

Yes a receiver with two speakers and a sub. Add a DVD and you are in business.

Bose has a good form factor and likes to think they are high end. But I recommend that you listen to the systems without knowing who makes them and then decide.

I have gotten better sound for much less than Bose prices.  

Answer 4

Shop around, BOSE is way overpriced for what you get. Make sure you try before you buy since everyone's personal opinion varies.

Answer 5

My S-I-L payed about $2000 for a Bose surround system with DVD.

My F-I-L has a surround system he bought at Best Buy for about $200.

I have a $39 Magnavox dvd player from Wal-Mart.

My F-I-L's surround system is WAY better than the Bose. It actually sounds like you are in a movie theater. The Bose surround system is acceptable. But, for the money I would expect much better.

My $39 Wal-Mart dvd player plays more formats than her Bose. Also, if a dvd has the least amount of smudges or scratches the Bose system will not play it.

I have purchased new movies off the shelf and had them not play in the Bose and play fine in my Magnavox.

I would not recommend the Bose based on what I've seen.

Also, the Bose remote is a weird frequency that will not allow her to use an "all-in-one" remote. The factory Bose remote is supposed to work with other stuff but it doesn't work her satellite system or tv!

Answer 6

As Somebody who has installed well over a hundred HT systems and I keep up to date on alot of Audio Visual forums, I can tell you that Bose is pretty much some of the WORST speakers out there.  If you do a simple search on Bose in any Audio forum and you will see that Bose is disliked pretty much by every single one of them.

I suggest you check out AVSForum.com or SoundandVisionmag.com heck do a simple search on any forum and you will see how bad these speakers are.

Here is the main problem.  Physics dictates that a drivers (speaker) size can achieve a certain frequency response.  The human ear can hear pretty much anything between 20Hz (low bass) and 20kHz (high frequencies). Or think of it as a simple 100 points on the hearing scale.

Now because of Physics, those tiny cubes pretty much have a frequency curve of 95Hz to 13kHz and their "Bass Module" which cannot be called a subwoofer, because to be called a subwoofer it has to achieve a low frequency response of at least 35hz or lower.  So the Bose Bass Module has a frequency response of 47Hz-80Hz (normal crossover point).  So if we crunch the numbers we see that Bose is missing 20Hz-47Hz (27 points on 100 point scale).  It is also missing 80Hz-95Hz (15 more points) and is missing the upper frequency of 13kHz-20kHz (7 more points on the frequency curve.  So if we add those missing points it comes out to missing 49 points on the 100 point frequency curve.  You are essentially missing almost half of what you can hear.

So how come Bose cubes sound so good in stores?  Aha this is a good question.  What Bose does is they find music and demo movie scenes that basically hit upon every frequency that the Bose can handle.  If you bring in your own music or movies, you will find that it sounds pretty bad.

You will also find those tint little Bose setups, where the speakers are hanging on branched arms and completely surround you.  There is a reason for this.  They are very close to you and don't have that much space they need to fill.  With speakers all around you at a distance of four feet or less, the cubes don't have to fill that much space, because in a normal listening room, those cubes have to be cranked pretty loud and those tiny drivers will now introduce distortion into the mix.

Bose is all about marketing and a simple search in any audio video forum will confirm this.

Here are some great links.

AVSForum:  http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/archive/i...

and the most techincal data confirming the frequency response of the Bose speaker system.

http://www.intellexual.net/bose.html  

Answer 7

In my opinion Bose makes the thing of its kind ...i think bose cant be compared to any thing ....it creates a sensation when u listen to its music..i have its home theatre and i think its worth more than u pay for it !!!

Answer 8

BOSE does have a great sound, regardless of what you hear from other.  But the truth of the matter is, for the same money that you spend on a BOSE setup, you can get sooooo much more with a good reciever and bookshelf speakers.  You have to ask yourself, do you want to maximize your sound for music, movies, or both.  Assuming both, I would have to recommend Harmon Kardin Amp, keep it under $400, and either JBL, or Klipsh speakers.  Avoid the the big name subwoofer, you can get great sound from a lesser expensive sub.  

Answer 9

No, BOSE is all hype. They really get muddy in the mid ranges.

Answer 10

First - look into some of the new "Soundbars".  While I am not a fan of these for the liviing room, the more enclosed space of a bedroom (with nearby side walls to bounce sound off of) these can actually work quite well.

I tend to prefer a separate receiver, subwoofer, speakers even in the bedroom.  A brand of speakers that have been on the "Recommended" list for years of many magazines is Anthony Gallo. These are softball sized speakers that do quite well. You must add a small sub.

The other idea: get one of the higher end Logitech computer speaker systems. These come self-powered with a remote and 5.1 speakers, work well for small spaces, and retail for under $300.