I currently work for Bose, and some of what you say is true, but the rest of it is kinda ****. As a package, it is incredibly good. It's small and compact, powerful, easy to set up and not designed for Audiophiles and ******* alike. If you want something that is so easy to set up that a 5 year old could do it then this is what you want. Not something that takes hours and hours of reading and menus.
I do have to admit that it is on the high price side. At $7k NZD for a Lifestyle 535 System, that is a lot of dosh for what you get. But you do get something that will last for many years to come. I have customers come in and they have had their systems for 20+ years with no fail.
Look back on Bose's history, they started with Airline headsets and Noise Cancelling, not 5.1 surround sound. But look at how well they are doing, other companies cannot compare to how well Bose sells. Your other brands aren't nearly as recognised as Bose is. Imaging if Axiom was as well recognised as Bose is, you would think it was crap too.
Anyways, back to selling Bose gear like it's better than the rest. Peace
Bose speakers are very heavily advertised in all types of media. This company spends many times more on advertsing than any other audio/video company, it is not even close. The results are very effective. Ask anyone who is a newbie or only casually experienced in home theater and they will express the opinion that they have heard that Bose is the best. This is not surprising, the name is still ringing in their ears.
The emphasis at Bose is on marketing and the illusion of quality sound thru subjective techniques. They use low quality drivers and enclosures. They try to limit dealers to demonstrating their speakers under controlled environments that do not allow objective comparisons to other brands. They push the simple operation and lack of technical functions to those that are intimidated by complicated systems. It is all very effective.
Of those people who buy Bose there are two camps.
First are those who are objective and fair minded people. Eventually they realize that they paid a very high price for a comparatively mediocre speaker system. See the consumer reviews for example at www.audioreview.com. You will hear of many disatisfied owners at a far higher level than any other well known brands.
Second are the group who either never fairly compare to different brands or are the type who can never admit than anything they have purchased is not the best.
This is the only well known brand that is in the same class of marketing and pricing overkill. Those who are knowledgeable are negative about Bose because they are trying to save others from making a poor choice.
There are many systems in the $500 -$2500 range. We all have an opinion as to which ones are slightly superior to the others. It is usually a matter of well thought out investigations and audible differences through auditioning.
I highly recommend in this price range speakers from Athena, Axiom, JBL, Definitve Tech, Paradigm, NHT, Energy, Monitor Audio, Klipsch, Infinity, Polk, Atlantic Tech, just to mention a few. I have purposely tried here to keep with fairly well known brands and away from the "audiophile brands." We could discuss forever the differences among these fine speakers. What we would all agree is that Bose is not anywhere near these other speakers in sound quality per dollars spent.
Home Theater Magazine and Audioholics.com and others have given Bose speakers the lowest ratings I have ever seen in pro reviews.
Some here will post again complaining about the "Bose bashing." I for one will repeat my opinions as long as I continue to read threads that ask, "is Bose really the best."
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