Apparently, Bose Bashing is Justified

Discussion in 'General Audio Discussion' started by Azimuth, Jan 25, 2018.

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  1. Azimuth

    Azimuth FKA rtaylor76, Friend

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  2. Deep Funk

    Deep Funk Deep thoughts - Friend

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    If you do not like Bose, do not buy their products.

    They make good noise cancelling headphones. Would I buy one? Nope.

    Should you like their products, enjoy. It is your money.
     
  3. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    Oh, it really is- all the smoke and mirrors demos they have done at shows (with more expensive gear made by competitors hidden under stages and dropcloths). They have a history of fundamental dishonesty.

    Plus, a lot of their gear is poor value and doesn't sound that great- more tuned to sound "good" to casual listeners rather than in any way accurate. Old BBC sound engineers used to insist that "Bose" was an acronym for "Buy Other Sound Equipment" for a reason.

    (Disclaimer: I am wearing a pair of Bose QC-25 as I type this. They sound crappy, but they're comfy and isolating as office headphones. They were bought some years ago when I was doing a lot of air travel- they were actually useful for the peace and quiet. ANC works well with low frequency rumbles.)
     
  4. saint.panda

    saint.panda Friend

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    If there's one pair of headphones I couldn't live without, it'd be the Bose Soundsport Wireless. Gets more usage than all my other headphones combined. Rolled at the top and bass boosted but pleasantly done; fun and non-fatiguing sound. Don't think I could live without my QC15 for flights either. The QC35 is on my shopping list for next purchase.

    In all these years, I never quite understood the Bose bashing. I think the bashing is mostly to feel good about being "in the know" compared to the ignorant masses. Sound-wise their products are priced maybe 20-40% higher than alternatives (there are worse offenders than 20-40% in audio) but they often make it up in other areas like functionality or design. Haven't heard their "higher-end" products.
     
    Last edited: Jan 26, 2018
  5. lerrens

    lerrens Facebook Friend

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    I really enjoy my QC35 during flights, I figured 80% percent of my headaches & nausea on the plane were caused by engine noise.

    I wear them all the time on the plane even without playing music, and it works exactly as advertised: Quiet + Comfort.
     
  6. crazychile

    crazychile Eastern Iowa's Spiciest Pepper

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    Back in the mid 80's I sold Bose at a major chain store during the initial AM-5 craze. I could tell soooo many stories. They were truly pioneers of modern electronics marketing. I cringe at their tactics while secretly envying them in many ways.

    Having said all that, I would own a pair of their noise cancelling headphones if I spent more time flying.
     
  7. DigMe

    DigMe Friend

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    When I was recently shopping for something circumaural for flights I considered the QC25. When I tried them out at Target though it seemed like there was more of a pressure on my inner ear when I put them on than typical closed backs (same with all the Bose NC's that I tried). Not sure if it would have been an issue but I didn't want to buy them and then find after a time that it was bothering my ears. Aside from that I do tend to have a bias all my life against doing/wearing what everyone else is doing/wearing. Especially all the 50-something businessmen. Pure vanity I know.
     
  8. Skyline

    Skyline Double-blindly done with this hobby

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    Ditto.

    It makes me an interesting teacher since I was the student that would shoot daggers at my teachers from the corner of the room and dare them to make me do what all the other kids did while I was making 100s on every test :p

    But yes, the same thing applies to Apple. Bose. Etc.

    The other part, though, is value. I hate things that are overpriced. Bose and Apple both fit that bill. Perhaps this is also a personality flaw on my part, but at least I can justify this one with #s.
     
  9. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    Good grief, this is worse than a Jude Expose! I thought they just assaulted people's eardrums in stores and strapped them to the demo chair until they bought. Torture sells? Apparently.

    For myself, I have never been sure whether the bass-boosting, fake pseudo-cinema sound is just the way the set the things up in the shops? Can you get balanced sound out of a bose home speaker system? Lots of people tell me know, but I haven't tried.

    But audiophiles of my acquaintance have begrudgingly said that these guys can make noise-cancelling headphones.

    I'd also say that, albeit comparing with crap stuff in most of the halls here wherein I listen to live music, that one or two that use Bose actually have decent sound. Maybe their pro PA gear differs from their home stuff.
    Pedants'R'us... That's a disclosure, not a disclaimer :cool:
     
  10. DigMe

    DigMe Friend

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    Haha! Me too, man.. I was the biggest class clown and had more than a few teachers that didn't like me. I also had some that thought I was funny but there weren't many who had no opinion. :) when I had students like that I'd try to joke with them and enjoy the humor if it wasn't inappropriate or completely disruptive. I'm not an "Apple guy" but I have had iPhones since the 3G. At the time there was absolutely NOTHING like it on the market. I had waited for a competitor to offer something equivalent but Android wasn't even out yet. It took everyone a while to catch up and by then I was totally invested in iOS.
     
  11. Kattefjaes

    Kattefjaes Mostly Harmless

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    It is too a disclaimer- I am subject to their shitty audio Reality Distortion Field, and thus cannot be blamed for my actions ;)
     
  12. Azimuth

    Azimuth FKA rtaylor76, Friend

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    I have never been a Bose fan. I think they use audio trickery and have over-marketed claims.

    I remember my dad's Infinity (we're talking car here), and when you turned up the volume on the radio, it would get to a point, then it would engage a limter. At full volume there was no distortion, just a lot of sqashed limiting set to stun. When I sold HT systems, the surround sound systems were almost a joke. Low impedance drivers with a small watt amp and no telling how much THD. Those Acoustamass subs got really hot and there are not many working anymore. And most other things I just feel has reduced highs and bloated mid bass. There are two exceptions:

    - the QC headphones

    - their Pro Audio line arrays

    The QC headphones are not the greatest, but if you want noise cancelling, they are about as good as you can get. I think they pay more attention to low frequency noise that just overall broadband noise, thus why it works on planes and offices so well. You can get greater isolation at 1KHz with IEM's, but not at lower frequencies.

    The pro line of stuff I feel is build and designed by different engineers than the consumer stuff. We have it in our house of worship and it is clean and clear. Very clean and intelligible system that everyone loves. I get compliments all the time for running sound at Church, but really it's the Bose line array system that is so good.
     
  13. riker1384

    riker1384 Acquaintance

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    Their Bluetooth speakers are pretty good these days. They're much more refined than Bose products used to be (early Wave Radios and such.)

    Check out these curves on the Soundlink Micro (also the binaural sound samples):

    Pretty smooth, although not flat with a strong loudness curve at low levels. Flattens out at moderate volume, then cuts bass at high volumes to reduce distortion.
     
  14. Walderstorn

    Walderstorn Friend

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    The problem is poor value, imo. The only products I really enjoy, although still I think the price is a stretch, are:

    QC line
    Soundlink line
     
  15. jnak00

    jnak00 Friend

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    I had a Bose Companion (I think it was a 3, can't remember exactly) for my computer a number of years ago. It was two small speakers that were powered by an amp built into the included sub. The demo at the store sounded fantastic, but when I got home and set it up, it didn't sound right. It sounded over-processed somehow. Not sure how to describe it, but they sounded artificial to me and not at all how the one in the store sounded.

    After about a year, maybe a bit more, the right speaker stopped working. It appeared to be a problem at the amp as switching the speakers had the same result. It had been out of warranty for a few months when it happened and I've never bought Bose since (other than the Bose systems that were built into my vehicles).
     
  16. k.e.

    k.e. Winning combo: narcissistic and stupid

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    I have a QC35. I never use it but my girlfriend does. It sounds too warm for me. Speed is poor, thus resolution lacks. But... what should I complain about?

    They not only do ANC, comfort and usability better than most but they also did it long before the rest.

    I don’t see a reason to hate.
     
  17. luckybaer

    luckybaer Friend

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    I own a pair of Bose SoundSport Wireless Headphones. They sound OK, and wireless is certainly convenient at the office or at the gym.

    Unfortunately, they don't block out ambient sound very well (poor isolation). Since my gym likes to blast music I don't care much for, these headphones don't work as well as I'd like in one of the places I had planned on using them heavily. In quieter environments - work, home - they work well enough for me, but I usually grab a wired pair of IEMs (like Massdrop x NuForce EDC or an old Audio Technica ATH-CK7) because they are more to my liking from a sound signature perspective, and I'm sitting at a desk, so the wireless convenience is less important.

    Build quality seems average, and I am waiting for the day when the rubber seal that covers the charging port falls off. Sound quality = boosted lower end (but not grotesquely so, IMO), and rolled off highs. They aren't horrible, though. I find them pleasant and comfortable for wearing at the office - where, to be honest, I'm not engaging in critical listening.

    The SoundSport Charging Case is a big winner for me, though. It is a solid case, offering decent protection, and it serves as a portable charging station for the headphones. Big time functionality and convenience for me here.

    All in all, I paid about $200 for the entire package. I feel as though they are overpriced - perhaps a price point of $125-$150 for the package would have left me feeling as though I got a fair deal.

    I enjoy reading what many of you write about Bose - very fair approach - not just individuals screeching "Bose sucks! They are fart cannons! I hate Bose!!" You point out their aggressive marketing actions, actual sound impressions, and give Bose credit when they deserve a pat on the back. Thank goodness for SBAF - and I mean this. Ever since I've started lurking, I've made several audio-related purchases and not once have I experienced buyer's remorse.

    [Of course, lurking here feeds into my tendency towards analysis paralysis, but sometimes it works out better to overly-agonize over a purchase and end up happy with it, than to jump in feet first only to end up regretting it.]
     
  18. Azteca

    Azteca Friend

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    Their noise cancelling is still unparalleled. I just wish they would pull a Beats and move towards neutral. From Tyll's reviews, the QC35 and the IEMs are not so bad. But I stopped in a Bose store in my local mall and was not at all impressed.
    So, yeah, Bose has a history of BS marketing and weird sound. But if they had a noise-canceller with acceptably neutral-ish performance I might actually spring for it. I definitely wish I had them whenever I (infrequently) fly and I could use them on the bus too. On a plane, good cancellation is way more important to your enjoyment than good sound. But to actually put the $ down I think I'd need a few EQ curves to pick from (EQ done in the headphone, not by playing through a certain app) and a few levels of isolation to switch between (i.e. feeding in some ambient noise to hear the staff offering drinks or hear a car coming).
     
  19. Lyander

    Lyander Official SBAF Equitable Empathizer

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    The QC35 really isn't all that bad, in my opinion. A friend at school had them on and, after asking her permission, I borrowed em for a few minutes and ran a few songs through my phone (wireless mode with ANC engaged).

    The bass really is a tad elevated in relation to the rest of the spectrum, but it's not much worse than the lightly modded X00EBs I keep around the house. If anything, the midrange seemed a tad less recessed than on the Fostexes with treble equally (i.e. slightly) less sibilant on certain tracks. Heck, if they were a few thousand pesos cheaper I'd probably spring for them for school/work use. Yes I think they're a bit pricey for the sound you get, but it's far from offensive, and the build quality does make me think it'd survive quite a few years being tossed around in a bag.

    The noise cancellation really is worth the hype, or at least it seems so because I've yet to try an ANC solution that's even close to as good. Note that I've not yet tried the Sony WH-1000XM that was FOTM in local audio circles for a good few months.
     
  20. TwoEars

    TwoEars Friend

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    I think Bose is mostly fine as long as you consider them to be "consumer grade" products and not "hi-fi grade" products. And their noise cancelling is very good I'll give them that.

    I guess the irritating part for people like us is when average Joe starts going on about how fantastic their "high-end" Bose headphones sound... because if we're just talking about sound quality they sound like dog shit compared to something like the HD650. But the HD650 isn't noise canceling and not very suitable on a flight, commute or even in an office and I get that.

    As for the other stuff Bose makes, like the home cinema systems and so forth, I basically consider them to be the equivalent of whatever Sony, Samsung, LG etc makes but with a somewhat less competitive price. Does that make them bad? Probably not, but I'd personally rather buy something from Sony, Samsung or LG etc.
     
    Last edited: Mar 20, 2018

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