Anyone know anything about home entertainment systems. I am looking to buy a Bose Lifestyle 30. Is it worth the money or am I better off buying something else? ------------------ SUCK POLICE!!!!!! To point out individuals or teams that have managed to reach the pinnacle of SUCKINESS!!!!! ----- GIANTS SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For the money, Bose is never worth it. I think it all comes down to how much you want to spend, but I know in terms of car audio, I could pay similar money and get better sounding equipment. Bose is usually frowned upon by most "audiophiles". They have an old saying that may still be true "no highs, no lows, must be Bose". Are you really into sound quality or are you just wanting the Bose name in your house (seriously)? Go to some of the audio newsgroups on Usenet and you can gain a wealth of information. Just don't tell them you're going to buy a Bose system - you may get shot. Have a price range in mind, then see what you can build for that price range that sounds great. ...oh, and you suck. ------------------ "No Brain Grant, no trade." -- Typos are a b**** as ZRB is holding Rocket trades hostage while he seeks a brain. Conspiracy theorists say this would explain why Hakeem has yet to be traded...
Thanks Dr of Dump. I do care about the quality of the sound. I thought Bose was suppose to be best at it? The Jewel Cube Speakers in the 30 and 50 systems are suppose to be the best arent they? and u suck too dr of punks! ------------------ SUCK POLICE!!!!!! To point out individuals or teams that have managed to reach the pinnacle of SUCKINESS!!!!! ----- GIANTS SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Check out the Bose speaker reviews from www.audioreview.com . You'll see the wide range of opinions. Bose is the only "high-end" audio company that anybody's ever heard of. Nobody else spends so much money on marketing. A lot of quality audio manufacturers dont show up in catalogs like J&R or Crutchfields or stores like BestBuy; they only sign exclusive distribution agreements with retailers. Not trying to advertise but, I like Audio Concepts in Houston. Lots of other good stores around town as well. You've probably never heard of most "high-end" speaker manufacturers. (no offense meant; I hadn't heard of ANY of them when I started shopping.) If you're ready to spend the $$ for a high-end Bose cube system, you'll find a LOT of options in that price range that may sound better. Take your favorite CDs or (DVDs) with you to listen to speakers. I took one CD for Jerry's guitar, a CD for Jerry's vocals, a CD for Mile's trumpet, etc. There is no substitute for listening to your favorite instruments and artists on tons of different speakers. (Its tough that the amp/cd player setups vary from store to store) I ended up buying JPW speakers and Sound Organisation stands and and NAD amp and CD player, after much shopping around.
Cables are important too. I read somewhere advising you to spend 30% on source (CD player, etc), 30% on amp, 30% on speakers and 10% on cables. Great advice, imo. Sucks though, cause you always get raped when you buy decent cables at brick-n-mortar retailers.
I have a friend who has that bose system . . . it's DAMN GOOD. ------------------ consultant, n.: Someone who knowns 101 ways to make love, but can't get a date.
With Bose, it's not that it doesn't necessarily sound good. They do sound pretty good (generally speaking). The problem is that you end up spending a lot more than you probably should. Like I said, you can probably find better sounding equipment in the same price range. ------------------ "No Brain Grant, no trade." -- Typos are a b**** as ZRB is holding Rocket trades hostage while he seeks a brain. Conspiracy theorists say this would explain why Hakeem has yet to be traded...
Part of the difference with Bose is quality though. You may be able to get the same quality sound at a lower price, but the physical quality is unparalleled. We had some Bose floor speakers purchased in 1978 that were still going perfectly in 1996, when we gave them to someone else. Now they're working up in Minnesota. From my personal experience, Bose speakers will last you forever. They may be overpriced, but if you factor in that you won't buy them but once every 20+ years versus JBL or something where they may go out in less than 10, you'll be happy you spent the money on Bose. ------------------ consultant, n.: Someone who knowns 101 ways to make love, but can't get a date.
I would say you could easily find something built as good as Bose and ad good sounding for a good bit less. Any reputable speaker will be as durable. I personally have a pair of JBL reference speakers that are older than me (late 70's). What you get for your money with Bose is style and marketing. I would suggest going to listen to them. If you like the way they sound and think they would look nice in your home, they're probably worth the money. That's the problem with speakers. You have to pay a lot more to get small increments in sound quality. You should figure out how much your willing to spend and go to an audio store and listen to what is available in that price range. Cambridge Soundworks, Klipsch, Energy Loudspeakers, JBL, KLH are just a few speaker companies that offer similar types of products (sylish, not too expensive home speakers). ------------------
I have to disagree about Bose being necessarily "better quality" than other speakers, too. Hell, my dad has some 1974 Fisher speakers that are still going strong. Bose creates decent to above average sound, but they're about as bad as Sony when it comes to the "you pay for the name" game. Again, I think they sound good, but my experience has been that I've heard better sounding setups at home entertainment studios. One thing about Bose is that if you go to Circuit City, Best Buy, or those type places, Bose is usually the top-of-the-line product they carry, so they probably will sound better than anything else they have. I still say get a price range you're willing to spend in and then ask around town for what you can get for that. Then see if you can go listen to it and compare it to the Bose Lifestly setup. Then ask yourself which one is cheaper and is the one you're paying more for worth it. Take CD's with you that you listen to often. Get CD's with lots of bass, lots of highs, mids, etc. Listen for the subtle differences. You'll be amazed at how many differences you can pick up once you hear things side-by-side. ------------------ "No Brain Grant, no trade." -- Typos are a b**** as ZRB is holding Rocket trades hostage while he seeks a brain. Conspiracy theorists say this would explain why Hakeem has yet to be traded...
Thanks everybody. I listend to the Bose 30 and while they were great they still are not worth spending 3 grand. I ended up getting the Energy Encore system with the Pioneer 39tx receiver, and IT KICKS ASS!!!! Much cheaper then the Bose system and atleast twice as good. ------------------ [This message has been edited by R0ckets03 (edited February 18, 2001).]
Good Rockets03, you comparison-shopped instead of just going after the name. I knew you weren't as big a dork as you sounded. ------------------ "Ive seen more class at a Pig Humpin Contest ." -- moestavern19 makes headlines again, and in the process leaves little doubt as to what Saturday nights in his hometown of Lompoc, California are like.
