[Anyware]

My dad just finished his basement, and he's purchasing a new 60" DLP TV, receiver, DVD player, and speakers. He's allocated $800 to the speaker purchase, and I know that he's very interested in Bose.


He's already run wires to spots on the walls, intending to mount some Bose cubes. Fortunately, I think I've been able to convince him to listen to something other than Bose.


I read a recent review of the Energy Act6 system, and it was positive. Plus, it's $800...right on the money.


Can anyone suggest anything else I should have him look at, considering that wall-mounting is important?


Thanks!

 

[mshe]

How about Mirage Omni Sat Micros:

http://miragespeakers.com/omnistat_mic.shtml


The micros can be mounted in several configurations (ceiling, wall, or on a stand). If none of the standard configurations work, I'm sure you can find a third party keystone speaker mount bracket which you can use.


Mirage also has the Nanosat speakers which can be wall mounted:

http://miragespeakers.com/nano.shtml


Usually when you purchase mirage equipment from an authorized dealer, they sometimes let you can mix and match. You can buy 5 - 7 omnisats + your own subwoofer if you choose to. You don't necessarily need to buy their 5.1 package.


In case you're not familar with Mirage... they're a sister company of Energy. Both Energy and Mirage belong to the parent company API.

 

[Deja-vue]

Well, if they have to be small, take a look at the Ventriloquist VT-12/STF-1


A Friend of mine owns these, he lives in a Appartment, and they do sound good.


The Problem with Bose


Cheers!

 

[BlazeMaster]

check out the B&W 600 series. The DM600 are their smallest bookshelves that comes with wall mounting bracket. They go for about $350 a pair. Get 2 pair of those which will be around $700. Get the LCR60 for about $350. That'll go for about $1050, but it's the best small speakers that I can recommend. This should also give him a chance to hear some of the bigger B&Ws and hopefully you and the salesguy can talk him out of Bose. Other than that, I think the Polk RM7200 are also worth a listen for small speakers.

 

[hometheaterguy]

Help Save My Dad From Bose, sounds like you are saving him from a plague

 

[TwinTurboZX]

I'm wondering if you guys don't like bose speakers because their specs don't stack up to equaly priced speakers or do equaly priced speakers from other manufacturers really sound that much better. What I'm saying is would you be able to tell the difference if you were blindfolded or is everyone jumping on the bose hater bandwagon cause it's coolest thing since the microsoft hater bandwagon? I mean I have heard their cube systems a few times in various stores and they sound pretty good.

 

[kgoetz97]

Quote:

Originally posted by TwinTurboZX I'm wondering if you guys don't like bose speakers because their specs don't stack up to equaly priced speakers or do equaly priced speakers from other manufacturers really sound that much better. What I'm saying is would you be able to tell the difference if you were blindfolded or is everyone jumping on the bose hater bandwagon cause it's coolest thing since the microsoft hater bandwagon? I mean I have heard their cube systems a few times in various stores and they sound pretty good.

I feel 99.9% certain that I could tell in a speaker A/B comparison. Now this is not exactly a great comparison but we have a Bose system in our Pathfinder. When I got my new TSX, my wife thought that I must have customized some speakers b/c it sounded alot better. Nope...just a Bose "upgrade" at work for ya against a factory system. I certainly don't feel a part of the anti-Bose bandwagon...instead I just can't believe how much they charge for a product that is not nearly equal to that price.

 

[PolkThug]

Quote:

Originally posted by TwinTurboZX What I'm saying is would you be able to tell the difference if you were blindfolded...

Yes! But don't take my word for it. Try to find a place where you can do an A/B test with their cubes or center channel and see for yourself.


Regards,

PolkThug

 

[tweeterex]

Definative Technologies has some VERY well reviewed small speakers, add them to his audition list...multiple price points as well

 

[ptaaty]

Quote:

Originally posted by TwinTurboZX I'm wondering if you guys don't like bose speakers because their specs don't stack up to equaly priced speakers or do equaly priced speakers from other manufacturers really sound that much better. What I'm saying is would you be able to tell the difference if you were blindfolded or is everyone jumping on the bose hater bandwagon cause it's coolest thing since the microsoft hater bandwagon? I mean I have heard their cube systems a few times in various stores and they sound pretty good.

Not everything Bose makes is the worst thing in the world. Some is actually fairly decent. But you can take anything most they make and find something higher quality at a much lower pricepoint. When I was first getting into home theater, a local Tweeter (it was called something else then..) had a Bose system and a Mirage micro satellite system installed with the same setup. (this is usually rare as Bose is given its own room, etc) The Mirage system was 1/3 the cost and I was just curious to how much better the Bose would sound because I couldn't afford it. How shocked was I when they weren't in the same league (Mirage was MUCH better), apparently the salesmen had done the same demo a few times before and noted that NO one had bought the Bose system after being given the demo....

 

[Bharat-N]

Quote:

Originally posted by TwinTurboZX I'm wondering if you guys don't like bose speakers because their specs don't stack up to equaly priced speakers or do equaly priced speakers from other manufacturers really sound that much better. What I'm saying is would you be able to tell the difference if you were blindfolded or is everyone jumping on the bose hater bandwagon cause it's coolest thing since the microsoft hater bandwagon? I mean I have heard their cube systems a few times in various stores and they sound pretty good.

No no and no ! My friend has a $2500 bose set up in his basement and his sound plain SUCKS and I am no major audiophile. I ahve literally spent hours trying to tweak his set up to sound half way decent with no success. His wife now admits it was good money completely wasted and she was one I imagined to be the last person to realize and accept this fact.

I have a set of HTD Level 3s which can beat his sound even if I was blindfolded and deaf (j/k). And my setup cost ~ $800 shipped and I had to spend no more than 30 minutes in tweaking the sound.

Bose only sounds good in stores because of the overall environment and setup. If you were to put a good set of speakers there, you too can hear the difference.

Normally, people say you ahve to buy what your ears prefer. In this case, believe me, no pair of ears can prefer Boses over another set of good speakers (millions of recommendations in this forum).

 

[emdawgz1]

Quote:

Originally posted by TwinTurboZX I'm wondering if you guys don't like bose speakers because their specs don't stack up to equaly priced speakers or do equaly priced speakers from other manufacturers really sound that much better. What I'm saying is would you be able to tell the difference if you were blindfolded or is everyone jumping on the bose hater bandwagon cause it's coolest thing since the microsoft hater bandwagon? I mean I have heard their cube systems a few times in various stores and they sound pretty good.

To me it has Nothing to do w/ Specs. Its only about sound. If you compare bose speakers to any comparably priced speaker. Bose loses badly. Now there are very real and valid reasons for this but try it and you will probably agree. The problem most people have w/ bose it that they market their speakers as "high fidelity" equipment. This clearly is a lie.


Bose speakers are cheaply made w/ cheap components. The majority of the Bose speaker price is made up of their intense and expensive marketing! This and the large markup and Spiff program they give to retailers.


Bose speakers are imho a specialty item only. If you want sound and small unobtrusive speakers bose can fit the bill. Otherwise run away as fast as you can.

 

[DMF]

Have your Dad read this thread.

 

[Jeff Krepner]

Anyware,


Here is the problem. About 5 years ago my brother purchased a big screen, DVD, and a nice Onyko receiver. He wanted Bose AM7's. I talked him into getting some nicer Infinity floor standing speakers, a powered sub, and nice surrounds. He likes the sound, but he has always wanted Bose. Keep in mind your dad hasn't bought a system in years. Right? In fact, he doesn't even know what sounds good. To him they all sound very good. He wants the image of Bose, the conversation starter if you will. I know my brother was disappointed that he didn't buy the Bose. But since I'm such an audio-geek, he took my advice and went with some nicer speakers instead of the Bose (even though to him the all sounded great). To him, Bose = awesome sound and who would ever want more??? Let me put it this way, to Average Joe 6-Pack, Bose are a staple of performance, kinda like a Corvette. Is a Porsche 911 GT4 Turbo faster? Yes. But when drooling over the Corvette, you can't imagine ever needing anything faster. So even if your father admits to liking one of the other speakers better, he'll still want the Bose. I went to my brother's house over the summer, and in his living room I saw that he bought a new plasma TV... and, argh... BOSE! He bought some sort of Bose thing that plays DVDs and has a speaker or two, and some lame white remote and it sounds like a Styrofoam cup. He loves it! He knew NOT to ask me my opinion this time, because I would have gotten him away from the Bose ASAP. Just like I would have talked him into buying something other than that Corvette he purchased. So, don't twist your dad's arm.


I hope no Corvette owners took offense to this posting.


My .02


Jeff

 

[Bharat-N]

Quote:

Originally posted by Jeff Krepner Anyware, He wants the image of Bose, the conversation starter if you will. I know my brother was disappointed that he didn't buy the Bose. But since I'm such an audio-geek, he took my advice and went with some nicer speakers instead of the Bose (even though to him the all sounded great). To him, Bose = awesome sound and who would ever want more??? Let me put it this way, to Average Joe 6-Pack, Bose are a staple of performance, kinda like a Corvette. Is a Porsche 911 GT4 Turbo faster? Yes. But when drooling over the Corvette, you can't imagine ever needing anything faster. So even if your father admits to liking one of the other speakers better, he'll still want the Bose. I went to my brother's house over the summer, and in his living room I saw that he bought a new plasma TV... and, argh... BOSE! He bought some sort of Bose thing that plays DVDs and has a speaker or two, and some lame white remote and it sounds like a Styrofoam cup. He loves it! He knew NOT to ask me my opinion this time, because I would have gotten him away from the Bose ASAP. Just like I would have talked him into buying something other than that Corvette he purchased. So, don't twist your dad's arm. I hope no Corvette owners took offense to this posting. My .02 Jeff

You are SOO correct. If someone comes to visit and asks what speakers he has, what will get him the raised eyebrows - saying Bose or HTD ? Most would equate the un-heard of brands (to the average Joe 6 pack as you put it) such as NHT, Paradigm, HTD to 'this guy bought it for cheap at Walmart'. Wheres Bose would equate to "boy this guy has serious money to spend and good taste".

Very few are like my friend and his wife who now admit to making a mistake having spent multiple 1000$. (see my earlier post),

 

[buckeye1010]

Polks are nice

 

[slick316]

bose doesnt really sound bad, but its not great either. its just that the speakers are so expensive for what they are. i've heard some car audio bose setups and they sounded "good", but if you have ever noticed the cost of the bose premium upgrade on cars, its too much.

the guys on this forum helped save my parents from bose. they were going to do B&W 600's and LCR60, but ended up with 602, 601, and LCR600. take a look at B&W 600 series, i think they would like it, or buy my JM Labs

 

[timtimes]

Bose aren't THAT bad, but I've made many a lifelong friend showing a comparably priced setup using nearly any good bookshelf speaker in the 200-350 price range coupled with an actual POWERED subwoofer.


That's the A/B comparison to make IMHO.


For my home theater setup (I'll post in the appropriate forum here in the appropriate time) I'm going with good two way inwall speakers that use either one or two 6 inch mids. No wires or unsightly boxes at all.


I'd buy a powered subwoofer, but then I wouldn't have anything to hook up to the half dozen power amps I've accumulated over the years. I'll rebuild my subwoofer cabinets yet again to fit (unnoticed) into the overall room layout.


And it'll sound fantastic not to mention NOTHING shows and it takes up zero floor space when coupled to my Benq PB 6200.


Enjoy.

 

[GaryZ06]

Quote:

Originally posted by Jeff Krepner performance, kinda like a Corvette. Is a Porsche 911 GT4 Turbo faster? Yes. But when drooling over the Corvette, you can't imagine ever needing anything faster. . I hope no Corvette owners took offense to this posting. My .02 Jeff

No offense at all...but I know cars and have never heard of a GT4....There is a Twin Turbo....Twin Turbo GT2 and a non-Turbo GT3....I drive a Corvette Z06 and if you know someone with those cars and want to video tape a me not losing that is cool.....and for the money a Z06 is without a doubt the best bang for the buck.....not like Bose

 

[Jeff Krepner]

Gary,


I'm not familiar with the Porcshe naming conventions, but they just came out with some super car and I thought there was a GT and 4 in the title. But I'm really clueless. As far as bang for the buck, you are correct in that the Z06 is and Bose is not.


Take Care.


Jeff