This is a serious question--not intended to flame or cause havoc or wreak horror in current Bose owners. I'm just curious if anyone else thinks Bose is overpriced, considering the many compact speaker systems that are available today. I mean, Bose was the leader in I-don't-see-your-speakers-but-I-sure-as-hell-hear-them systems, but today, there are many competitors. Cambridge Soundworks has been an old competitor of Bose for many years too.

Comments? Information? I used to own a Bose system, btw.

This sounds like "Do you still beat your wife?" or "Have you stopped beating your wife?"

overpriced "these" days? were they ever *not* overpriced?

they make decent speakers, but they've always made a name for themselves on marketing. you will notice that they NEVER publish specs for their speakers. ever wonder why?

YES!!!!!!!

In a sick sort of way....

So wrong, yet so funny...

I have friends who have plunked down thousands on Bose systems even after I try to explain the physics of reproducing sound from tiny cubes. It continues to fall on deaf ears, which is probably why they think they sound as good as my B&Ws.

Bose has done an incredible job of brainwashing, ........I mean branding.

I guess you didn't run a search for the word Bose on this forum, did you? For shame.

What he said.

Of the small systems there is very few that come close to the Bose performance. However most competition is all half the price or lower.

That said the answer is yes. For some people it is the right purchase. If money is not a big issue but you need a very simple system I still recommend the Bose. Look lots of people dont even understand that plus and minus is important in connecting speakers. For them Bose is a good purchase.

I went to a Bose store and the salesman was showing off thier 5.1 system (i.e. 5 teeny cubes and a sub-woofer) and I was SO not impressed. It seems like most of the sound was being forced through the sub. I have all Inifinity speakers and they kick A** even with the sub turned off! You can't say the same for those cubes.

Actually, the Bose cubes, are a fine system for people who don't want large speakers (or have room for them), but other than space issues, they really aren't superior to anything else out there. I guess the price is just for the name and reputation, but that's really about it.

I was at a friends this weekend who was showing me his new system. It was a joke I told him it was out of phase and he said "I didnt know that mattered"!

Mr. Salty,

Actually, I did. Found nothing, so I thought, well gee gosh darn, why not make a there them post thingie on dah home theee-atter forum.

you can see that most people are really anti-bose in here. you'll find that to be true in just about any home audio message board or forum. my own opinion is that the hating probably goes a bit too far. bose speakers are fairly decent. in the speaker tests that are run by audio publications, they score about average. some of their higher end stuff does a little better than average. HOWEVER, at the prices they charge, you can always do much better with a little research. and it's this fact that everyone hates and why there is so much bias against them.

one other thing that i mention when talking about bose. they NEVER publish specs. if they're speakers are so good, why are they afraid to match up with everyone else? i'm talking about frequency range, sensitivity, signal/noise ratio, etc. go to their website if you don't believe me. there's ZERO objective sound quality information.

My objection is really based on the "Pro Bose" people who have this sort of snobbery about them in thinking they are far more superior because they bought Bose. :P

IMPO Bose is always overpriced. You can do much better by purchasing a real set of speakers.

Remember it is not a SUBWOOFER, but a BASS MODULE, that is how MARKETING gets around not being able to produce actual sub sonic frequencies at audible levels.

It may produce 16-20Hz, you just cant here it cause it is 30db lower than the hump at 80Hz