So, you've got a few options here. Do a little research and piece together your own surround system, hire a voyeur from Geek Squad to do it for you, or just hire a live-in technician to handle both present and future issues. Whatever you settle on, you can pretty much rest assured that it'll be cheaper than forking out for one of Bose's hilariously overpriced Lifestyle systems. In typical Bose fashion, the company is introducing a new trio of 5.1 rigs (the V35, V25 and T20), each of which utilize a new "Unify" technology that is said to make "connecting speakers and sources, programming remotes, and accessing content easier and faster than ever before." And by that, they mean "we'll show you pictures of the connectors on your television screen." Each setup comes with a handful of tiny, cube-like speakers and a surely unimpressive Acoustimass bass module, and if you're hoping to find detailed specifications -- you know, things like RMS, impedance, frequency response range and other vital audio statistics -- we wish you the best of luck. Oh, but here's a few figures that are being handed down: $3,299, $2,499 and $1,999. Yeah, those are the MSRPs in order of mention, and amazingly, we aren't kidding.
There's a whole lot of IKEA in that picture. The greenish vases are IKEA. The clear floor vase on the right is IKEA. The "sticks" in the floor vase are also IKEA. Carpet looks to be IKEA as well.
@BryCivicSi How can you tell the quality of these without things like RMS, impedance, and frequency response range. Coming from a professional audio enthusiast, I would say those are the things I'd look for before committing to a new loan from the bank.
Except for the people that are rich, ignorant, and do not know shit about speakers (only buying products due to its name brand [same people who buy Apple]); everyone else would buy this product without such info.
I'll spare you the car analogies but I think most would agree there's a difference between premium (most of Apple's products) and luxury (most of Bose's products).
here goes apple again. you just cannot stop, can you? people buy apple just because it works out of the box. if this is ignorance, what is intelligence then?
@abedinthehouse I hate playing into these flame-wars, but when someone calls other people ignorant while showing their ignorance so boldly, I had to reply. How can you know the quality without RMS, impedance, and freq. response? Are you kidding me? None of those specs ever translate to real world usage. Quoted frequency response is measured by a microphone in an anechoic chamber while the speaker plays white noise at stepped SPLs. And as far as RMS and impedance, this is a home theater in-a-box; the only reason to know those specs are for compatibility if you're not investing in an end to end system. I applaud Bose for not playing in that game and just saying, "Listen to it. Decided with your ears." I know for defending Bose my comment will be invisible within an hour, but I only want specifications if they mean something to my experience.
Also, isn't "professional audio enthusiast" an oxymoron? Are you a professional or an enthusiast?
A majority of the people are bashing Bose because they can't afford their products. This is also the same reason many of them bash Apple products. If Bose products were inferior to their competition, then why are heralded as the best audio manufactures over the last 4 decades? Why are some of their 20 year old speakers still being used in many home theaters around the world? That is because they know how to engineer a remarkable sounding speaker. Specs don't always make the difference...
@SKRuBAUL I have listened to BOSE, I have listened to speakers with a reasonably flat response curve (mine go from 41-20kHz at +/- 3 dB). There is a huge difference, and it's not speaking for BOSE. I miss real bass from those huge "subwoofers", though admittedly there is A LOT happening in what sounds like the 80-120 Hz region. Sounds like they try to compensate for the lack of sub 60 Hz bass. The top end is missing as well.
Yes, I know BOSEs philosophy is to make speakers that sound good to the ear, and not on paper, however I can't see what is good about just leaving away huge parts of the music (though I don't care about speakers that go above 20 kHz... my ears go to 17-18 kHz. But BOSE seems to cut of at like, I don't know, 12 kHz.
I agree though that impedance is really not important in a system like this and that RMS is overrated. My NAD amp is rated at 2x35W, and seriously, before my amp gives up my ears bleed (I don't have a huge room though).
And obviously the technical specs aren't everything, there is a lot more to a speaker. But a good response curve is the basis for everything.
@SirSpam Well it doesn't even look like the tv or speakers where even in the original photo. It looks all photoshopped in to me. Thats the whitest wall I've ever seen. Not to mention none of the shadows match up plus doesn't it just look a little fake at first glance
@brycivicsi: sorry but bose is not a high quality sound product. Its just way too overpriced for the quality of sound it provides. Just coz it's expensive doesn't make it good.
hear, hear. just as much of a ripoff. the sad thing is that people often don't believe me when i tell them. they just don't want to believe they, or anyone, spent $4000 or so on a mediocre sound system.
@maveric101: Yep, just like that $50 bottle of wine *must* be better than a $15 bottle of wine. Believing otherwise would be admitting that you made the wrong choice and wasted your money.
@Meltz I know its really hard to believe, but go to one of their gimmicky showrooms and get the presentation. Those 2" guys really do put out quality mid-to-high end. The low end from the bass module is a lot more omnidirectional, so you don't need these massive drivers pointing directly at you.
Does it justify that high of a price? No, not necessarily, but it still does sound fantastic.
@collinrs That might be (we don't have these fancy showrooms here), but I don't care how good it sounds in a terribly expensive show room, I want it to sound good at home, where I don't have expensive DSPs and engineers to set it up perfectly. If (!) the BOSE in such an expensive environment can compete with the competition that was placed without care, then what do you think how would good speakers sound in a perfectly set up room?
Anyway, I have listened to some Lifestyle and Acoustimass sets in a more normal set up, and they sound awful. Anything, from any speaker brand that takes itself serious, sounds much more balanced. Heck, I'd rather get one of the better Logitech sets, and I don't even think those are any good. For example: With the BOSE I can hear that the singer is in the subwoofer. He is not standing somewhere on a stage between the speakers, he is just in the subwoofer. I can't hear the high end, parts of the mid range is missing, the bass in general is too loud/muffled and can be located.
Ps: $3299? For that price I could buy two nuVero 11, which do 30-26kHz at +-3 dB (while the BOSE sub reaches 46 Hz, and the sats only do about 280-13 kHz at +-10 dB, thus leaving out the low end and the high end, and a lot in between). They are also very sexy, sleek speakers that look classy and expensive. (Admittedly there is no money left for an amp).
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
posted May 25th 2010 10:42PM
Is that a foreman grill on the table?
@themshill
Nah, its a Playstation 3 ;)
@Chaosdivine
No, I bet it's the Bose receiver or whatever you want to call it.
That does not look like a PS3.
@BryCivicSi
(there fixed that for ya... ;)
@Chaosdivine
(end sarcasm)....stupid Engadget stripping out tags! SHEESH!)
There's a whole lot of IKEA in that picture. The greenish vases are IKEA. The clear floor vase on the right is IKEA. The "sticks" in the floor vase are also IKEA. Carpet looks to be IKEA as well.
@themshill
Mmmmm, quadraphonic chicken breast.
@AbSoluTc Is it safe to say you work for IKEA?
@themshill
Though the ability to grill meat while watching a movie would be a great innovation.... and yeah, I thought it was a PS3 for a moment, but it's not.
No meat, no games. This house is no fun.
@AbSoluTc
Maybe IKEA should sell Bose speakers in flatpack versions.
@KennyB123
Nah, just shop there too much :)
@Zhuzhu
Lol. Flat pack Bose, I love it! :D
High quality goods don't come cheap.
@BryCivicSi I think you misunderstood, these are Bose products.
@bernie16wb No Highs? No Lows? Must be Bose! (Someone had to say it! lol)
@BryCivicSi
How can you tell the quality of these without things like RMS, impedance, and frequency response range. Coming from a professional audio enthusiast, I would say those are the things I'd look for before committing to a new loan from the bank.
Except for the people that are rich, ignorant, and do not know shit about speakers (only buying products due to its name brand [same people who buy Apple]); everyone else would buy this product without such info.
@BryCivicSi You know what Bose stands for? Buy Other Sound Equipment.
Enough said.
@abedinthehouse "[same people who buy Apple]"
I'll spare you the car analogies but I think most would agree there's a difference between premium (most of Apple's products) and luxury (most of Bose's products).
@abedinthehouse
here goes apple again. you just cannot stop, can you? people buy apple just because it works out of the box. if this is ignorance, what is intelligence then?
@varera Works out of the box? Honestly... If you have to install even one program on a Windows machine it's too much for you?
@abedinthehouse
I hate playing into these flame-wars, but when someone calls other people ignorant while showing their ignorance so boldly, I had to reply.
How can you know the quality without RMS, impedance, and freq. response? Are you kidding me? None of those specs ever translate to real world usage. Quoted frequency response is measured by a microphone in an anechoic chamber while the speaker plays white noise at stepped SPLs. And as far as RMS and impedance, this is a home theater in-a-box; the only reason to know those specs are for compatibility if you're not investing in an end to end system.
I applaud Bose for not playing in that game and just saying, "Listen to it. Decided with your ears." I know for defending Bose my comment will be invisible within an hour, but I only want specifications if they mean something to my experience.
Also, isn't "professional audio enthusiast" an oxymoron? Are you a professional or an enthusiast?
@BryCivicSi
All of your sarcasm meters didn't go off? lol.
Running Paradigm towers and an MK sub over here. :)
@abedinthehouse
Professional enthusiast = Oxymoron
Not that I disagree with you.
@SKRuBAUL
A majority of the people are bashing Bose because they can't afford their products. This is also the same reason many of them bash Apple products. If Bose products were inferior to their competition, then why are heralded as the best audio manufactures over the last 4 decades? Why are some of their 20 year old speakers still being used in many home theaters around the world? That is because they know how to engineer a remarkable sounding speaker. Specs don't always make the difference...
@SuperDLuxxx
It's called marketing.
http://www.intellexual.net/bose.html
Get informed.
@SKRuBAUL I have listened to BOSE, I have listened to speakers with a reasonably flat response curve (mine go from 41-20kHz at +/- 3 dB). There is a huge difference, and it's not speaking for BOSE. I miss real bass from those huge "subwoofers", though admittedly there is A LOT happening in what sounds like the 80-120 Hz region. Sounds like they try to compensate for the lack of sub 60 Hz bass. The top end is missing as well.
Yes, I know BOSEs philosophy is to make speakers that sound good to the ear, and not on paper, however I can't see what is good about just leaving away huge parts of the music (though I don't care about speakers that go above 20 kHz... my ears go to 17-18 kHz. But BOSE seems to cut of at like, I don't know, 12 kHz.
I agree though that impedance is really not important in a system like this and that RMS is overrated. My NAD amp is rated at 2x35W, and seriously, before my amp gives up my ears bleed (I don't have a huge room though).
And obviously the technical specs aren't everything, there is a lot more to a speaker. But a good response curve is the basis for everything.
Btw., brilliant article there Engadget.
That screen doesn't look level.
That TV doesn't look level.
@SirSpam
It's connected to a Bose system...is it really that surprising that they were too incompetent to mount the TV properly?
@SirSpam
Well it doesn't even look like the tv or speakers where even in the original photo. It looks all photoshopped in to me. Thats the whitest wall I've ever seen. Not to mention none of the shadows match up plus doesn't it just look a little fake at first glance
I submitted this info on sunday they upload it today, and I don't even get a message saying thanks????
@StephenPallotta
Thank you, Stephen
@StephenPallotta Thank you SO SO much. Please, keep sending them endless BOSE updates! We can't get enough! *ugh*
@brycivicsi: sorry but bose is not a high quality sound product. Its just way too overpriced for the quality of sound it provides. Just coz it's expensive doesn't make it good.
Buy
Other
Stereo
Equipment
@HandlesIT Damn, you beat me to it. /facepalm
@HandlesIT +1 lol
If the Engadget editors decided to ban all Bose news like they do with M*nster C*ble, I for one would not oppose it.
@Traycer
hear, hear. just as much of a ripoff. the sad thing is that people often don't believe me when i tell them. they just don't want to believe they, or anyone, spent $4000 or so on a mediocre sound system.
@Traycer
You just have no sense of humor. Bose exists to provide comic relief in this drab world.
@maveric101: Yep, just like that $50 bottle of wine *must* be better than a $15 bottle of wine. Believing otherwise would be admitting that you made the wrong choice and wasted your money.
@Zhuzhu: Sadly, my friends who continually fall for the Bose marketing hype provide enough "comic relief" as it is. :~(
@Traycer
Wow, a lot of people here who never heard Bose speakers. Not one mention of their legendary 901 or my fave, the 601.
Educate your ears and minds first people.
I have no use for Acoustimass systems, but to say Bose has no sound, puh-lease. Try to get a listen to some 601's.
@Dank Dillweed: Sadly, your comment would only be relevant if we were still living in the 70's.
$3299!? I could get 6000 chicken fajitas for that much money.
@deepdigits
Or a pair of B&W's. I mean come on people, how much sound can one possibly achieve out of those little 2" drivers?
@Meltz I meant to show a link (from a high-end audio store in Denver): http://www.listenup.com/B%26W+683-p-683-p-floor.html
@Meltz
I know its really hard to believe, but go to one of their gimmicky showrooms and get the presentation. Those 2" guys really do put out quality mid-to-high end. The low end from the bass module is a lot more omnidirectional, so you don't need these massive drivers pointing directly at you.
Does it justify that high of a price? No, not necessarily, but it still does sound fantastic.
@collinrs That might be (we don't have these fancy showrooms here), but I don't care how good it sounds in a terribly expensive show room, I want it to sound good at home, where I don't have expensive DSPs and engineers to set it up perfectly. If (!) the BOSE in such an expensive environment can compete with the competition that was placed without care, then what do you think how would good speakers sound in a perfectly set up room?
Anyway, I have listened to some Lifestyle and Acoustimass sets in a more normal set up, and they sound awful. Anything, from any speaker brand that takes itself serious, sounds much more balanced. Heck, I'd rather get one of the better Logitech sets, and I don't even think those are any good. For example: With the BOSE I can hear that the singer is in the subwoofer. He is not standing somewhere on a stage between the speakers, he is just in the subwoofer. I can't hear the high end, parts of the mid range is missing, the bass in general is too loud/muffled and can be located.
Ps: $3299? For that price I could buy two nuVero 11, which do 30-26kHz at +-3 dB (while the BOSE sub reaches 46 Hz, and the sats only do about 280-13 kHz at +-10 dB, thus leaving out the low end and the high end, and a lot in between). They are also very sexy, sleek speakers that look classy and expensive. (Admittedly there is no money left for an amp).
I think it is level just the guy who took the picture saw a nice girl outside and jizzed in his pants causing the shot to be wonky ;)
No highs? No lows?
Must be Bose.