View Full Version : Bose Soundwave
Pieoftheday
04-05-2017, 16:26
a bloke at work mentioned he was looking to buy some new hifi gear and asked if id heard a Bose soundwave, i turned my nose up but then it occurred to me that i havnt heard one, are they any good? jim
Very dependant on what youve heard before. In their own way they are quite good if overpriced. But i thought my son,s midi denon player and speakers was a fair bit better. Mind you it wasnt cheap at time either.over £300
hifi_dave
04-05-2017, 16:53
Friend of mne sold his 70s Pioneer stack and bought a Bose thingy with CD player, radio etc. He hasn't stopped moaning about it since..:rolleyes:
To my ears, it sounds like it looks - a big plastic radio. No magic at all and I suppose it is expensive.
Pieoftheday
04-05-2017, 16:57
the soundwave 5 is around 600 squid so that could get decent budget gear new or some really good 2nd hand stuff.
He would be out of his mind to spend £600 on one, it's a decent kitchen radio but it ain't hi-fi by a long chalk.
£600 would put him a great system together, if he won't consider used kit (and some won't) point him to Richer Sounds.
hifi_dave
04-05-2017, 17:20
Practically all you are paying for is marketing.
walpurgis
04-05-2017, 17:23
He would be out of his mind to spend £600 on one, it's a decent kitchen radio but it ain't hi-fi by a long chalk.
That's my take on it too.
Likely assembled from components sourced from China for a fraction of the item retail price. They make a big thing of this 'Soundwave' idea, but it's actually old technology. A truncated transmission line cabinet. God knows what it's tuned to, 16th wavelength maybe?
That's my take on it too.
Likely assembled from components sourced from China for a fraction of the item retail price. They make a big thing of this 'Soundwave' idea, but it's actually old technology. A truncated transmission line cabinet. God knows what it's tuned to, 16th wavelength maybe?
According to this https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=yllRXFB7VzAC&pg=PA92&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false you've got two full range drivers, one carries both bass channels below 200hz and drives a 34 inch line, the other either just does the other channel above 200 hz or runs full range. It isn't clear to me. Bass extension down to 70hz is claimed.
Martyn Miles
05-05-2017, 05:24
BOSE domestic products. 'Bullshit often sells Excrement'
BOSE talk up their products to an incredible extent
BOSE: Prof. audio products. 'No highs. No lows. That's BOSE'
BOSE prof. speakers don't have any real bass or clear highs.
The cheaper PA speakers run small coned drivers boosted by
an Equaliser.
Remember the BOSE 901?
This always makes me laugh
ZCBe7-6rw4M
Martyn Miles
05-05-2017, 06:37
I run a small, very high quality PA system.
When I install it in a venue I am often asked why I'm not using the installed PA system.
"Because it's made by Bose." I answer.
They often come back and say, "The guy who fitted it says BOSE are 'The Best.'
Surely you've heard the BOSE Waveguide Radio?"
At this point I turn and put my JBL Control 5 speakers on their stands...
Bullshit really does sell excrement.
Ha - not seen that for a while! :D
Let's put it this way: a Bose 'Soundwave' is about as good as a Crosley record player.
Marco.
jollyfix
05-05-2017, 06:42
A couple of friends of mine have a wave. To them it sounds great, as before the BOSE, they had several of those catalogue micro system things. The one's which sound like a tin can. So to them it has a nice full sound with Bass, to me it sounds muddled. The main thing more than the sound, is the usual no wires etc , and looks neat.
I have said to them why not buy a Ruark R4, as much better in sound, and looks, but no, Bose being a known brand is king.... fools.
Not just fools, but subservient SHEEP, who subconsciously have been fooled by the forces of marketing.... BUT - that's why these companies spend millions of pounds every year on such, in order to 'implant' their brand name in the minds of the general public, and once successfully done, is almost impossible to shift! :rolleyes:
Marco.
People I worked with over the years, knowing my hobby used to ask me which was the best hifi to buy. They were often interested in B&O, but couldn't afford it. "Isn't Bose supposed to be the best out there" Yes, I would say and they went away happy:D
Not just fools, but subservient SHEEP, who subconsciously have been fooled by the forces of marketing.... BUT - that's why these companies spend millions of pounds every year on such, in order 'implant' their brand name in the minds of the general public, and once successfully done, is almost impossible to shift! :rolleyes:
Marco.
You see the Bosewave advertised in magazines (normally those magazines such as Saga) where there is never any indication as to price. Is there a recc retail price or is it like the farcical "Double Glazing" fiasco where the "price" is what they can get away with....Oh, i'll see if we can do better than that....i'll just ring my manager......
I don't think anyone I work with have heard of B&O or Bose - I'll have to ask them. They know what my hobby is but the only thing they ever ask is why I don't just use an iPod or a smartphone, they don't understand the purpose of having anything more than that.
Not just fools, but subservient SHEEP, who subconsciously have been fooled by the forces of marketing.... BUT - that's why these companies spend millions of pounds every year on such, in order to 'implant' their brand name in the minds of the general public, and once successfully done, is almost impossible to shift! :rolleyes:
Marco.
Where can I buy one of these Bose things?
People I worked with over the years, knowing my hobby used to ask me which was the best hifi to buy. They were often interested in B&O, but couldn't afford it. "Isn't Bose supposed to be the best out there" Yes, I would say and they went away happy:D
Lol - far better to have told the truth and burst that particular bubble! ;)
Marco.
I don't think anyone I work with have heard of B&O or Bose - I'll have to ask them. They know what my hobby is but the only thing they ever ask is why I don't just use an iPod or a smartphone, they don't understand the purpose of having anything more than that.
Ask them if they think they've been brainwashed by marketing, or simply follow trends for the sake of it, and see what they say. It'd be interesting to know what their answer would be....
Marco.
Where can I buy one of these Bose things?
https://www.bose.co.uk/en_gb/store_locator.html
Go along and annoy one of their salesman! :eyebrows:
Marco.
Ask them if they think they've been brainwashed by marketing, or simply follow trends for the sake of it, and see what they say. It'd be interesting to know what their answer would be....
Marco.
I don't think it is either of those things. More a case of being perfectly happy with corned beef because you have never tasted steak.
Yes, I think that's part of it, but I strongly suspect so is peer pressure! ;)
Marco.
Its advertising which eventually causes peer pressure. Its mostly women that cause men to buy bose. It plays cd. It plays radio. It has a waveguide. Its all in one box. Please validate my post ;)
Peer pressure not to buy a proper hi-fi? No, it is just not on their list of things they need, or think they need. One colleague came to my place to pick up a TV I sold her, her comment on seeing all the kit was 'Why do the speakers need to be so big? That's ridiculous.'
Peer pressure not to buy a proper hi-fi? No, it is just not on their list of things they need, or think they need. One colleague came to my place to pick up a TV I sold her, her comment on seeing all the kit was 'Why do the speakers need to be so big? That's ridiculous.'
I wonder if she had a humungus fridge. A range cooker, etc. Lol
The Black Adder
05-05-2017, 07:49
I never liked how they sounded... My friend bought one and I seem to remember it being really very expensive. He loved it until he heard my system, he sold it but unfortunately got in to Naim ;)... he then got in to debt with the upgrade gravy train, he sold it all and bought a Zeppelin which IMO sounded much better than the Bose.
Zeppelins are surprisingly decent. B and O i think made them.. guy i bought my tannoys off used one instead of a stereo. He liked it
I wonde if she had a humungus fridge. A range cooker, etc. Lol
No, single mother, no money, that's why she was at mine getting a free telly.
Funny really, whilst blokes tend to see the point of a decent system even if they won't spend the money or wifey won't let them, women seem to take a lot longer to cotton on to the idea that it is worthwhile. One I lived with for several years, at first regarded the hi-fi as a bit over the top. After a while she started using it. We split up on good terms and the first thing she said after moving out was she missed the stereo. So I gave her a Trio receiver that was surplus to requirements and she got a BSR deck and some speakers elsewhere.
She moved away and I went to visit her in her new place a few months later. First thing she does is complain about the Trio receiver. 'I don't think the sound quality is up to much, I think I need to get something better.'
Peer pressure not to buy a proper hi-fi?
No, peer pressure to buy smartphones and iPods... Trust me, that's one of the main reasons why folk own them: because they've been 'made' to want them...! ;)
Marco (who owns neither a smartphone nor an iPod).
I wonder if she had a humungus fridge. A range cooker, etc. Lol
And does hee-haw cooking? So the 'fancy kitchen' (and associated appliances) is just for show, to 'impress' friends and family? :D
We can laugh at these folk, but ultimately it's all rather sad.
Marco.
No, single mother, no money, that's why she was at mine getting a free telly.
Funny really, whilst blokes tend to see the point of a decent system even if they won't spend the money or wifey won't let them, women seem to take a lot longer to cotton on to the idea that it is worthwhile. One I lived with for several years, at first regarded the hi-fi as a bit over the top. After a while she started using it. We split up on good terms and the first thing she said after moving out was she missed the stereo. So I gave her a Trio receiver that was surplus to requirements and she got a BSR deck and some speakers elsewhere.
She moved away and I went to visit her in her new place a few months later. First thing she does is complain about the Trio receiver. 'I don't think the sound quality is up to much, I think I need to get something better.'
Daughter has nothing much in house audio wise. tellys and games machine. a cd , and she doesnt have many, go in that and played through tv. otherwise its a smartphone. they seem happy so maybe they are right lol
And does hee-haw cooking? So the 'fancy kitchen' (and associated appliances) is just for show, to 'impress' friends and family? :D
We can laugh at these folk, but ultimately it's all rather sad.
Marco.
know a few women who have show kitchens and cant cook. show houses tbh. give me a working kitchen any day. I do see where these folk come from I guess stereo wise. They dont want loud, as it would dim down their loudness:rfl::rfl::sofa:
The Black Adder
05-05-2017, 08:28
Zeppelins are surprisingly decent. B and O i think made them.. guy i bought my tannoys off used one instead of a stereo. He liked it
Indeed... Yes, it was B&O. I was surprised when I heard one too.
Zeppelin is by B&W isn't it?
jollyfix
05-05-2017, 08:49
I thought it was B&W who make the Zeppelin
jollyfix
05-05-2017, 08:50
Quicker than me there Martin.
The Black Adder
05-05-2017, 08:50
lol... oh yes, your right, Martin, Dave.
No, peer pressure to buy smartphones and iPods... Trust me, that's one of the main reasons why folk own them: because they've been 'made' to want them...! ;)
Marco (who owns neither a smartphone nor an iPod).
People have them because you can use them for the internet when out and about. That's why I got one. In fact I've got two. The sat nav has come in handy on a few occasions as well. If you are on contract you get a new one every 2 years, doesn't cost any extra. Also doubles up as a personal stereo, most new cars you can plug it straight into the dash, no need to have tapes or cds in the car anymore. There are lots of purely practical reasons to have one, just like the original mobile phones, bloody useful inventions.
Zeppelin is by B&W isn't it?
sorry yes thats who i meant. doh
People have them because you can use them for the internet when out and about. That's why I got one. In fact I've got two. The sat nav has come in handy on a few occasions as well. If you are on contract you get a new one every 2 years, doesn't cost any extra. Also doubles up as a personal stereo, most new cars you can plug it straight into the dash, no need to have tapes or cds in the car anymore. There are lots of purely practical reasons to have one, just like the original mobile phones, bloody useful inventions.
Ive got lots of them .. I get my sons hand me downs.handy for spotify and chromecast too.
walpurgis
05-05-2017, 09:01
Remember the BOSE 901?
Yes. I rather liked the original first model.
know a few women who have show kitchens and cant cook. show houses tbh. give me a working kitchen any day.
...or at least if you have a 'show kitchen', then use the bloody thing for what it was intended for! When finished, ours will be reasonably 'showy', but it'll be cooked in plenty, that's for sure :eyebrows:
'Show houses' are simply for shallow, materialistic morons.
Marco.
...or at least if you have a 'show kitchen', then use the bloody thing for what it was intended for! When finished, ours will be reasonably 'showy', but it'll be cooked in plenty, that's for sure :eyebrows:
'Show houses' are simply for shallow, materialistic morons.
Marco.
as you saw, mine aint one of them lol
walpurgis
05-05-2017, 09:17
My home is a 'show house'. It shows what a mess and shambles can be achieved with a bit of application! ;)
People have them because you can use them for the internet when out and about. That's why I got one. In fact I've got two. The sat nav has come in handy on a few occasions as well. If you are on contract you get a new one every 2 years, doesn't cost any extra. Also doubles up as a personal stereo, most new cars you can plug it straight into the dash, no need to have tapes or cds in the car anymore. There are lots of purely practical reasons to have one, just like the original mobile phones, bloody useful inventions.
So how did we manage to live perfectly fine before without them? And ok, I hear you, but not so that they end up controlling your life. Do you walk about in public 'glued' to your phone, bumping into folk in the process, and treat it almost as if it were an extension to your limbs? I think (or at least hope) not....
Do you leave it switched on, even when you're asleep, so that you don't miss anything 'vital' from your Twitter feed? Twits indeed... If ever anything was so aptly named, it's that!! :D
Then there are the loons, fatally afflicted with a manic obsession of always needing to own the latest, 'bestest', most desirable (read as the one to be 'seen with') phone, whilst relegating their previous 'bestest' one (purchased only months ago) to the status of landfill....
Don't get me started on that idiocy! ;)
Marco.
as you saw, mine aint one of them lol
It's perfectly clean though, and there's nothing wrong with it. I wouldn't worry, as neither Del or I are the type to judge folk on the kind of house they live in.
Marco.
So how did we manage to live, perfectly ok, before without them? And ok, I hear you, but not so that they end up controlling your life. Do you walk about in public 'glued' to yours, bumping into folk in the process, and treat it almost as if it were an extension to your limbs? I think (or at least hope) not....
Do you leave it switched on when you're asleep, so that you don't miss anything 'vital' from your Twitter feed? Twits indeed... If ever anything was so aptly named, it's that!! :D
Then there are the loons, fatally afflicted with a manic obsession of always needing to own the latest, 'bestest', most desirable (read as the one to be 'seen' with) phone, whilst relegating their previous 'bestest' one (purchased only months ago) to the status of landfill....
Don't get me started on that idiocy! ;)
Marco.
I was on the train the other day, 6 other people in the carriage with me, all of them looking at their 'phones. And yes, the knobs walking around the streets engrossed in them as well, there are few. Worst are the ones who are looking at them whilst driving, in a traffic queue or at the lights, who don't notice that they need to move up or that the lights have changed. They should be dragged out of their cars and beaten to death.
Yes we got by fine without them but we got by 'fine' without washing machines, vacuum cleaners, cars, central heating, double glazing and so on. Doesn't make them bad things, they are all worth having. Are you going to sell your car because we got on fine before they were invented?
For most people technology enhances their lives, it doesn't control their lives. I'm not into this whole 'looking down at the masses with a sense of superiority' shtick. There's been too much of this calling other people stupid recently. You can always read PFM if you want more of that. ;)
Frazeur1
05-05-2017, 09:55
I thought about the original post here, and also where as most things Bose ends up heading off to. I hesitate to really even discuss(?)the Bose thing anyway, because we are coming from it at a whole different perspective in some respects. Bare with me a bit, or not....obviously nothing new here will be said.
We all know most anything Bose makes is overpriced for what it is, and basically very little material value goes into most of it. That is and has been a given for the most part.
It is most certainly about the marketing angle they have cornered, and I think probably that is the source of a lot of the issue too, especially when we are coming from the specialized side of things audio. And we are on the AOS site for a reason. But....Bose does fill an obvious niche, a place in the market that certainly isn't our own by any means.
Most of the people-even friends, yes, some of mine do or have owned Bose of some type or another, just want a simple plug and play setup that just works. And I have to say, Bose does have a fairly good reputation for things just working and decent support, dare I say better than some of the HiEnd bullshit we have seen or witnessed for ourselves? At the end of the day, these folks just enjoy their music and video, and chose not to faff around with cables, interconnects of this type, tube swap-out/rolling, gear swapping and endless trails of boxes, wires and what have you. Even I could probably learn a little bit about just sitting back and enjoying the music versus faffing about. But yes, I get it, it is part of the hobby-and I dare call it a hobby really.
I think what is funny in a twisted way, is that a lot of us folks in general will go to great lengths to say how incredibly foolish it is for a person to plonk down big money for Bose, and go on to rubbish the sound quality etc. But I think a lot of folks on the other side of things, could equally talk about how we "audiophiles" plonk down huge, and I dare say, much more money in a given period of time, for the pursuit of "better sound" as well. We all are fairly easy targets by the main stream. And all of us know that one can always buy better, get better for X number of dollars/pounds etc. Even in our own group, I am sure someone has said to you at one time or another, you could have paid a lot less and got as good, if not better sound out of XYZ...
And I suppose with my little post here, my main thought coming away from it all is this, is it not better for someone to just enjoy music period, no matter what it is played on? I enjoy music on a simple clock radio, and yes, it is obviously different than sitting in front of my system in the main room.
And yes, there are those Bose believers that can be as obnoxious and sheep-like as us audiophools, and it too can be annoying. In the end, we should though just be happy for those that are enjoying music, that is what it is all about, not Bose, not Croft, Yamaha etc.
Anyway, I am not sure what the heck I was even trying to get across, but thanks for letting me bore you all to tears...carry on, in the end it is all good, just let the music play.
walpurgis
05-05-2017, 10:12
And I suppose with my little post here, my main thought coming away from it all is this, is it not better for someone to just enjoy music period, no matter what it is played on? I enjoy music on a simple clock radio, and yes, it is obviously different than sitting in front of my system in the main room.
You have a good point. I enjoy music from my PC speakers and they are certainly not 'Hi-Fi'!
Yes Timothy it is horses for courses.
jollyfix
05-05-2017, 10:16
Yep, i agree Timothy, and i too enjoy music played on most things. My calling 2 of my friends fools, was more about for the same money there are better sounding and looking all in one box type of things out there.
I agree, you don't need a fancy system to enjoy music, even if it does enhance the experience.
But if someone wants to enhance the experience and is going to blow £600 on a Bose to do that then they still need telling.
walpurgis
05-05-2017, 10:22
I guess there are worse ways to spend £600 than buying a 'plastic thingy', but I can't think of one right now. :D
I was on the train the other day, 6 other people in the carriage with me, all of them looking at their 'phones. And yes, the knobs walking around the streets engrossed in them as well, there are few. Worst are the ones who are looking at them whilst driving, in a traffic queue or at the lights, who don't notice that they need to move up or that the lights have changed. They should be dragged out of their cars and beaten to death.
Lol... A tad severe. but I'd certainly empower the police to fine them heavily, confiscate the phone and terminate their contract (if applicable) with their supplier, then ban them from driving for a year. Then that might teach them!
Yes we got by fine without them but we got by 'fine' without washing machines, vacuum cleaners, cars, central heating, double glazing and so on. Doesn't make them bad things, they are all worth having. Are you going to sell your car because we got on fine before they were invented?
No, but then I don't feel the need to change mine every few months, in order to stay 'on trend'... Besides, I'd argue (and with some conviction) that cars, and all else mentioned above, is a damn sight more important, in most instances, than a mobile phone.
For most people technology enhances their lives, it doesn't control their lives. I'm not into this whole 'looking down at the masses with a sense of superiority' shtick.
I'd say that current evidence suggests the contrary, but then I guess that the definition of "control" is subjective. Certainly the idiots you saw on the train are being 'controlled' by it, and when you're out and about these days, it's patently clear that such folk are far from being in the minority!
Here's a question to consider. in order to see whether technology is controlling you or not... How long could you manage to live without having access to your mobile phone? A few hours, a day, a week or a month? In terms of not feeling 'lost' without it, and still being able to run your life as normal?
Marco.
Frazeur1
05-05-2017, 10:26
Indeed, and I think my horse is ready for the glue factory! I do think in my meanderings, and even after I put my words down here, as Art of Sound is indeed about sound, and dare I say, the betterment of it, often while that is the priority regardless of maybe many other things, we each have differing priorities within that said goal probably. Even I have to say these days as I get older, eye sight not as good, not wanting to haul around 80 pound amplifiers etc., some of the simpler "lifestyle" sort of products do become more tempting, and even as my main system has probably been "compromised" in the eyes of many-a Naim Uniti? Yet I have to say that I have probably enjoyed my music that much more, simply because it is simple to use, it just works, and the streaming end, not only helps on the eye sight thing by using my iPad to search for my music, streaming also has given me the ability to hear a lot of different music that I probably wouldn't have given a notion to. So I suppose in some ways, I do own a "Bose" type system, it just cost me quite a bit more! Now who is the big "Bose-O"? I guess me....We only have ourselves to keep happy!
And by the way, I lurk a lot obviously, and do not have much to add in general, but I will say, I do enjoy my time lurking here, and enjoy the banter every day from each one of you! Thanks to all of the wisdom, and also the fun! Okay, I will get my coat now and be off!
walpurgis
05-05-2017, 10:32
I do enjoy my time lurking here, and enjoy the banter every day from each one of you!
That's good. I think most members do have an enjoyable time here. The friendliness and relaxed banter is the hallmark of AOS.
Frazeur1
05-05-2017, 10:35
I agree, you don't need a fancy system to enjoy music, even if it does enhance the experience.
But if someone wants to enhance the experience and is going to blow £600 on a Bose to do that then they still need telling.
I agree to a point, Martin, because yes, we do want to try and educate listeners with "better" sound, and especially for the money. However, there are those, many of them dare I say, that fall into the typical Bose category that are just fine with having that Bose experience or equipment, and do not care for the things we cherish so highly. It then really isn't within us to prove our way is right, or "best". I think this is somewhat why the Bose threads tend to get a little sideways at times. It is an easy target to us, but in the end, it is really what works best for the end user. There is no best anything. But we already know that, don't we?
Dynamics
05-05-2017, 10:54
I think some of you are being a little unfair on Bose here.
My dads got a £1000 one (cd,radio etc) which he thinks is the best thing since sliced bread but most audiophile systems are many times more expensive. These Bose things serve a purpose and I actually think some of their products are great - their noise cancelling ear phones I've got (quiet comfort) are awesome on planes. They also have a reputation in the pilot community as being fantastic for aviation headsets.
TBH if you compared that £600 system I'd think it would probably compete with a £600 seperates system, as well as other £600 all in one type systems. People buy into marketing sure but I also think it's disingenuous to think that people won't make comparisons of products and buy with their heads on all the facts of performance etc. Bose operate in a competitive market are into selling at the highest possible price and frankly any commercial enterprise should, if marketing goes into that then great. Price is determined by demand which is determined loads besides quality, performance etc, as with all hi fi. But as I say I do think they perform well as no amount of marketing will compare against consumers who will buy with making comparisons. My dad didn't but then the dealers and reviewers would and they would stear the people like my dad, who isn't bothered with demoing like me, to buy the best performing products.
There is an argument to be had that the consumers of a bigger market are more 'right' of decisions around a product being consistently thought of as best at its competition with others, if there are more people buying , than say compared with audiophile brand differences with one another which sell in much smaller quantities. Whilst clearly people can still get together in these audiophile circles and rightly talk up which is good.
Frankly if I was buying one of these I'd spend an extra £400 and get the naim muso which gives awesome sound and much better than the Bose systems my dad has. But that said the one he has is 7 or so years old, they still make it I think, but the naim muso is a relatively new design.
Just feel they are overpriced and over thought of. Other than that as you say they do a job or fulfill a need. I believe there are plenty similar products but they don't have as good a pr dept
Firebottle
05-05-2017, 11:42
They also have a reputation in the pilot community as being fantastic for aviation headsets.
Yes but have you seen the prices :eek:
Dynamics
05-05-2017, 11:45
Yes David Clark headsets better value, and used much more over the world.
Beobloke
05-05-2017, 12:02
I will always be grateful to Bose.
About a year or so after we were married, Mrs. B and I found ourselves in one of those outlet shopping centres that had a Bose store. I wandered in for a mooch round and we were accosted by a salesman who asked if we'd like to attend one of their demos, so we did.
Well, we were shown into a mini theatre that had what appeared to be a big pair of speakers on the wall. The 10 minute demo was carried out with a mixture of music and video clips and then, at the end, the "speakers" were lifted away from the wall to reveal a pair of the tiny 'cube' satellite speakers underneath - the 'boxes' were just grille cloth-covered frames. To be fair, the demo was well set up and very slick with no hard-sell.
Anyway, we wandered outside and I asked Mrs. B for her opinion, hoping I wouldn't get a lecture on why we needed to get rid of the big speakers in our lounge and replace them. Her response was something along the lines of "The treble was a splashy mess, the bass was a horrible booming thump and that piano piece they played sounded like it was coming from a Casio keyboard. I seriously hope you don't want a set of those?"
So, thankyou Bose - at that moment I knew beyond doubt that I had married the right woman! :D
Yes indeed, buy whatever makes you happy, as long as you can afford it. No-one can argue with that :)
However, on a specialist audio forum, such as this, don't be surprised that if the subject revolves around spending £600 on something like a 'Bose Soundwave', there will be folk only too happy to politely and (correctly) point out that *if* achieving the best sound quality is the primary aim, then that is fundamentally NOT the best way of blowing your dosh...
There's also an element of 'ignorance is bliss' in all this too, as quite simply, you won't know what else is out there that's better unless, first of all you're made aware of it, then try (or hear) it for yourself. I have a friend who used to think that Dolmio pasta sauce was the bee's knees, and of 'ample quality' for his needs - until I showed him how to make his own! ;)
On AoS, we believe in teaching (for those who wish to learn) and practicing discernment at all times, and with all things in life, not just hi-fi, for those seeking to obtain 'maximum bang for their buck', from any important purchase. That is our raison d'être. Witness the food and wine (even cheese) threads here, for example, for ample evidence of that! :cool:
Marco.
Martyn Miles
05-05-2017, 12:19
It's advertising which eventually causes peer pressure. It's mostly women that cause men to buy bose. It plays cd. It plays radio. It has a waveguide. It's all in one box. Please validate my post ;)
The advertising for those dreaded Waveguide radios has no price mentioned.
I wrote to the Advertising Standards Authority and they informed me BOSE were complying with
regulations covering adverts. with no prices on.
I wrote back and said the guidance and regulations should be looked at again
I never heard back from the ASA...
Anyone fancy having a go at this, which I posted earlier, in a reply to Macca:
Here's a question to consider. in order to see whether technology is controlling you or not... How long could you manage to live without having access to your mobile phone? A few hours, a day, a week or a month? In terms of not feeling 'lost' without it, and still being able to run your life as normal?
:cool:
Marco.
Firebottle
05-05-2017, 13:01
No access to a mobile phone - months go by without me using one. :)
I agree to a point, Martin, because yes, we do want to try and educate listeners with "better" sound, and especially for the money. However, there are those, many of them dare I say, that fall into the typical Bose category that are just fine with having that Bose experience or equipment, and do not care for the things we cherish so highly. It then really isn't within us to prove our way is right, or "best". I think this is somewhat why the Bose threads tend to get a little sideways at times. It is an easy target to us, but in the end, it is really what works best for the end user. There is no best anything. But we already know that, don't we?
All I meant was that if they are unaware that there are better alternatives for the same money, let them know about it. If they still go for the Bose that is at least an informed decision.
Re the 'phone, yes could get by without a cellphone, but not without any telephony at all, though. If I needed a mobile for work then obviously the answer's no. Happily I don't. But lots of people do.
Arkless Electronics
05-05-2017, 13:11
BOSE domestic products. 'Bullshit often sells Excrement'
BOSE talk up their products to an incredible extent
BOSE: Prof. audio products. 'No highs. No lows. That's BOSE'
BOSE prof. speakers don't have any real bass or clear highs.
The cheaper PA speakers run small coned drivers boosted by
an Equaliser.
Remember the BOSE 901?
Yes. Very impressive in its own way if used with the correct EQ unit or Bose amplifier with the built in EQ. They wouldn't win any competition for transparency, imaging etc but in a domestic environment such as they were designed for the dynamics, bass extension and slam and max volume ability is bloody impressive!
Anyone fancy having a go at this, which I posted earlier, in a reply to Macca:
:cool:
Marco.
39 secs top! Gimmie, gimmie
Pieoftheday
05-05-2017, 13:31
Anyone fancy having a go at this, which I posted earlier, in a reply to Macca:
:cool:
Marco.
I try not to take mine out when we go to the pub and definitely don't have it with me when on me hols, I can feel a bit lost as everyone else is Twitterin or Facebookin, I end up drinking more;)
I need mine... the boy needs to keep in touch, and my daughter likes to know im ok. Doesnt bother me actually if i accidentally forget it but i get abuse fir scaring folk. Its a hard life with protective kids even when they are adults ;)
Dynamics
05-05-2017, 13:44
This always makes me laugh
ZCBe7-6rw4M
thanks very much for posting that Rob, it's just made my day and I've been in absolute hysterics watching it. Laughing so hard I've got hiccups now.
It's the computer guy you get on Windows speak back devices, in his monotone voice. Just picturing a dealer speaking in that way.
39 secs top! Gimmie, gimmie
Lol... Impressive! I managed a whole 24 seconds before rather frantically fretting about what my 485 imaginary 'friends' (aka followers) were saying on Facebook - and the stress of it all was too much! ;)
Btw, you don't need a phone to stay in touch with family. A laptop fulfils that purpose, as these days, phones can send emails (to said laptops), just as easily as texts to a phone - plus as you're mostly indoors, you're in a position to use a laptop, without needing access to a device when you're 'on the go'.
Personally, I can't stand using teeny-weeny keys and screens!
Marco.
Dynamics
05-05-2017, 13:55
The bit when he says you probably heard about Bose on 'oprah' and then he would go and stick an ice pick in his head after he has recommended something, to which she says can her parking be validated before he kills himself. Cracking up��
thanks very much for posting that Rob, it's just made my day and I've been in absolute hysterics watching it. Laughing so hard I've got hiccups now.
Yes, but if you'd *really* found it funny, you'd have had a little wee... :eyebrows:
Marco.
I try not to take mine out when we go to the pub and definitely don't have it with me when on me hols...
For me that's the acid test: whether one can remain 'off-grid' for a whole 2 weeks, while on summer holidays. I'm shocked at some of the 'paraphernalia' some folk think they need when going on holiday (especially on a plane)! :mental::mental:
A couple of years ago we went on holiday to Italy for 3 weeks, and all we had were ordinary phones. Never missed accessing the Internet once!
Marco.
Dynamics
05-05-2017, 14:02
Lady : If you are really high end why don't you sell Bose
Hi fi man : let me try and explain. High end is the difference between a BMW automobile and a Yugo
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Yugo_Koral_red_65_EFI.JPG
I thought "The High End Store" had been made into a 'sticky'. If it hasn't, it should be. :)
Dynamics
05-05-2017, 14:10
Yes, but if you'd *really* found it funny, you'd have had a little wee... :eyebrows:
Marco.
I very nearly did and a vacuum cleaner might needed to have been involved.
Dynamics
05-05-2017, 14:15
This is funny too when he says what do I do with my non apple phone. She says 'you throw it the f--k away'
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UAOtC9QfXac
I'm afraid that, for me, the humour and vocabulary/drawl was rather too 'American stilted'... So after less than a minute, it did my tits in, and switched it the f*ck off! ;)
Reminds me of why I hate The Simpsons/South Park/Family Guy, etc......
Marco.
Minstrel SE
06-05-2017, 13:07
Hi
I remember an elderly couple selling a Sondek, Creek amplifiers, Index speakers and other bits of bobs because they were buying a Soundwave to put on a bookshelf.
I thought it was a bit strange but we all nodded along because we were buying the used equipment.
I understood her need for convenience and compactness. Some people want an all in one unit but I dont really see the hassle with a couple of small speakers and playing units
My view having briefy heard the Bose is that you would be better with something like a Denon Mini system or quality separates. I hold the view that the money would be better spent elsewhere for a real pride of ownership.
Everybody makes their choice but the Bose just upsets my sensibilities when I think there is better value for money out there
Best wishes
Beobloke
07-05-2017, 18:22
I'm afraid that, for me, the humour and vocabulary/drawl was rather too 'American stilted'... So after less than a minute, it did my tits in, and switched it the f*ck off! ;)
Reminds me of why I hate The Simpsons/South Park/Family Guy, etc......
Marco.
Actually, if you give Family Guy a chance, you'll find that its creator, Seth MacFarlane, has a surprisingly Anglicised sense of humour!
I've tried Adam, trust me, but I just don't 'get' it... Not my thing at all, soz.
Marco.
Not just fools, but subservient SHEEP, who subconsciously have been fooled by the forces of marketing.... BUT - that's why these companies spend millions of pounds every year on such, in order to 'implant' their brand name in the minds of the general public, and once successfully done, is almost impossible to shift! :rolleyes:
Marco.
now that reminds me of a certain record player i USED to own :lol:
What else could it have been? :lol:
Mum and Dad have a Bose Soundwave radio thing in their kitchen at home. They showed me it and were a bit crestfallen when I didn't look impressed. They'd bought it via an ad in the Sunday papers. I said they could have spent half the money in a mini system from Richers which would have been better. Anyway, they're happy enough. They listen to Radio 4 on it, Dad is pretty deaf anyway after a lifetime in sheet metal work.
Was over at my wife's cousin's place in Florida a while ago and her husband had a home cinema set up, all Bose surround etc. Must have spent a small fortune on it, he's wealthy so probably didn't really worry about costs. We watched a few movies in it and it was certainly fun, boom, bang, whizz, whoosh and all the rest. Again, he was happy enough. I wouldn't want to listen to music on it though.
As for smartphones, well I use mine a lot for music. I travel with work and with a good pair of headphones that and a Spotify account keeps me sane on the go. Especially when staying away from home when I video call with my wife, nosy at social media, organise band rehearsals via messenger etc. Also handy for movies and vids, iPlayer, YouTube etc. To me it's star trek tech, stuff I dreamt about as a youngster. Sitting at Nebo yesterday adding things to my playlists I listen to this week, instantly buying CDs via my Amazon app. No its not a patch on my hifi for enjoyment but certainly gives me enough musical enjoyment and I wouldn't be without.
Minstrel SE
09-05-2017, 23:37
Yes with enough advertising in the sunday magazines there seems to be a market. Its money people will pay and they get a big enough sound from a compact unit. I dont want to sound patronising but the candle test and enhanced sound from a small speaker will do it for them
My parents have never really wanted anything more than a cheaper mini system in their living room. They have even downgraded from a little Sony system to some Technika? micro system. They even found the speakers so poor with the Technika that they kept the Sony speakers. I was apalled but I dont say anything. I think they are in the supermarkets for £70 and you really dont get much for that sort of money. It makes a noise and thats all they want it to do with a cd brought through from the kitchen.
In a way I would rather thay had bought a Bose...at least £500 shows some commitment :)
I tried.... oh boy I tried to introduce them to a decent system but they really arent interested. In the distant past I at least got him to buy a Philips cd player Arcam amp etc but they hardly used it before it got shuffled off to the loft.
I spend my life being disappointed. I walked into a large house in Royal Deeside. I thought they may have a nice hi fi only to be greeted by an Aiwa micro system. :(
I accept there is a market for such items but they just make me think of landfill purchases. I do have a mini Hitachi system in a work room but the key point is that is was £15 from the charity shop and it gets left on DAB for hours at a time.
It looks like a couple of micro separates stacked but the digital amp is very dodgy and the cd player packed up before I bought it. I dont have to switch main systems on and it makes a reasonable noise for less concentrated listening. Its better than a portable radio and sounds ok for what it is (as long as x bass or preset tones are off) I wouldnt have paid anywhere near the the RRP price for it though. Its too near the next decent stage up with a Denon for example. When it goes kaput I will throw it in the recycling bin.
I think when companies like Denon started working with Mission a good mini system could be bought for a reasonable price....Onkyo or anything similar would be a better buy than the Soundwave.
I have a Bose sound dock portable. I have had it for 7 years, and it is superb for what I want it for.
I wanted something small that could provide a bit of background music at BBQs and next to the pool. It's great as my iPhone or iPod will dock on it, and I can stream using Spotify. You just sit it n the corner, and let it get on with providing background music. It is also great for providing music when I have DIY to do, or I am working in the garage.
As for giving up my smartphone - that is impossible as I have one supplied by work which I use on a daily basis.
However, when on holiday, it is much easier to just go off grid. I still use my iPad to browse the Internet, and my phone for phone calls, but that all depends on where I am and what type of holiday it is. My daughter loves watching her favourite animated stories on my iPad when we are travelling, so I use the latest technology to enhance my life, rather than being a slave to technology. That is the key to me.
Boy.. nothing like a Bose reference to stir up the inmates.
Fairly common reaction though.. regardless of Where.
Minstrel SE
10-05-2017, 18:33
Yes I mean dont get me wrong. Im not going to get worked up about what people buy.
Ive just looked at the Bose website at how they market the soundwave. Really its just a large clock radio with cd for £500.
"There’s no stack of electronics. No big speakers. No wires running around your room. Proprietary Bose® technologies automatically perform many of the adjustments needed for high-performance audio. So you can enjoy the performance of a large, multi-component stereo without setting a row of controls. You may find yourself listening to music more often and enjoying it more. It’s really that simple"
"Just plug it in and you're ready to go. Regular or home-burned CDs/MP3 CDs load directly into the front, and your favourite radio stations are available at the touch of a preset. A slim infrared remote control lets you operate all system functions from anywhere in the room, and the convenient touch-top controls for on/off/snooze are completely invisible. You hear your music with clear, full, accurate sound. All from a system that fits virtually anywhere—living room end table, kitchen counter or bedside table"
I dont see the problem with a couple of small separate speakers which give more flexibility if needed later. I dont see the problem with setting up a Mini system. Just think there's better VFM and other products do come with a clock display :)
I suppose for a kitchen or a bedroom why not. Its better than the stuff my parents buy.
Anyway as long as people are listening to music and doing their thing, I dont really care. I think we all know deep down why it stirs us up but I dont want to say any more :)
I think we all know deep down why it stirs us up but I dont want to say any more...
I don't, Martin, so please feel free to enlighten me. It's a discussion, and so all about sharing opinions, which no-one here will bite your head off for :)
As I said earlier, if someone has bought one of these Bose Soundwaves, and thinks it's the bee's knees, then I'd say good luck to them and enjoy.
However, that doesn't preclude others from offering an opinion on the questionable VFM of the product, or on other options that would unquestionably deliver better sound quality, *IF* that is the main priority, which obviously with some folks, clearly isn't - and that's fine! :cool:
Marco.
Firebottle
11-05-2017, 07:39
This http://www.ruarkaudio.com/products/r4-overview is so much better for the same budget, plus it's British.
a friend has one and he wholeheartedly agrees it is better than the Bose offering (in the other room :doh:)
:)
jollyfix
11-05-2017, 09:08
This http://www.ruarkaudio.com/products/r4-overview is so much better for the same budget, plus it's British.
a friend has one and he wholeheartedly agrees it is better than the Bose offering (in the other room :doh:)
:)
Yep, said that already Alan, i have heard both, the Ruark for me so much better in every way. My friends who bought the BOSE, bought second hand, same price second hand as the Ruark. New the Ruark a tad more expensive.
My point was if someone wants an all in one box type thing, no wires, separate speakers etc, then for me the the Ruark wins hands down. I have heard a few other one box 'jobs', B&W Zeppelin, Samsung Da-750 valve ( more of a dock). Ruark all the way...
Dynamics
11-05-2017, 12:39
My dad has one of these in a corner alcove which creates bass boom
https://assets.bose.com/content/dam/Bose_DAM/Web/consumer_electronics/global/products/speakers/acoustic_wave_music_system_ii/product_silo_images/awms_II_titanium_silver_EC.psd/_jcr_content/renditions/cq5dam.web.320.320.png
But he doesn't like big speaker boxes everywhere. I'm trying to get him to buy these floorstanders which are fantastic speakers and only 45 cms tall
http://www.the-ear.net/sites/default/files/Iota_ALPHA-light-oak-pair.jpg
I caught a look at those Neat speakers in the window of Raleigh Hi Fi could not beleive how small thet were
Far better sounding than a Bose wave box. Almost free to build, not overly attractive, but it can be wall hung at least.
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/full-range/225622-ever-think-building-cornu-spiral-horn-now-you-can.html
Magna Audio
14-05-2017, 21:01
How do you think the sound compares to a Sonos system of comparable cost? Multiple units etc..
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