Just thought I'd bring up more OT conversation just for the sake of discussion!

The other day, I was in bed late at night with nothing to watch so I settled on an infomercial for the Bose Acoustic Wave System. I actually became very curious about it and thought it would be a nice system for my office.

First of all, part of the commercial was just plain nonsense especially since they are presenting this to a TV audience. If anyone hasn't seen it before, it is presented by Herbie Hancock. To try and convince the audience how "live" and "room-filling" the system sounds, Herbie plays a piece on the piano and then replays a similar rendition through the Bose system that has a mic in front of it. Can you guess what it sounded like? Well it sounded a lot like Herbie's live playing amplified through my 19" tv...quite tinny and not room-filling at all. Imagine that! Well, I suppose if they had mic'd the crappiest portable radio that exists, then I suppose I could distinguish the *real* difference. It that respect, I guess I'll give them a little credit for that worthless demonstration. BTW, if anyone needs to audition any M60's, I'll make a tape for you of mine playing really loud !

OK, has anyone here really heard one of these? I thought while watching the commercial, "yeah, I would fork out a couple hundred dollars for this thing if it sounds as good as they say it does". Then I found out it sells for a little over $1000!

I've read several reviews afterwards with a lot of people defending the unit and it's sound, but mostly bought it for it's portability and size, claiming it to be the best "boombox" out there. I guess if I had money to throw around, I could justify the purchase just for it's portability. But it's hard for me to believe that one couldn't put together a way better sounding stereo system (like nice Axiom speakers with a decent receiver) for that kind of money. Any thoughts on this?

One more thing, inside the unit is a wound up tube of some sort (the Wave Technology) probably used to create the bass. For some reason, I can't help thinking of the Blue Man Group

Alright, I'll stop for now. That's why I don't post much here because I tend to ramble!

Mary

SF,

I haven't heard the "Acoustic Wave System" or "Wave Radio" or whatever the hell they call it but I did have an Acoustimas system about 5 years ago. I lived with it for about a 6 months until I couldn't take it anymore. In the store where I auditioned it, in a small dark room with carpet covered walls and floors and gobbs of other speakers it actually sounded very aluring and seductive, what with the small size and the Bose name and all.

But it did the Jeykl and Hyde thing once I got it home. I'd get a headache after about 15 minutes at moderate levels. The bass was awfuly "one noteish" and rather weak(lacked punch) no matter where the so called "bass module" was located. The mid range on these small wonders was a stand out...it would stand out and smack ya' in the face it was so(too) forward. Imaging was just ok but the small sound stage lacked dimension(width and especially depth) and weight.

But I'm rambling. I guess my point is that I was taken in by the "Bose Hype" and got a crappy, overpriced, toy-like product thats not worth even half the price that they ask for them. The wave system might be the best boom box on the planet, I don't know, but I do know that having been bitten by Bose once I'll not ever even consider another Bose product again. I know I probably sound like a bitter boy and I hope I haven't offended any one who has Bose speakers but this is my honest opinion on Bose.

I don't know what to do with the two little Bose cubes (and their dynamic Acoustimass module) I had upstairs at the old house. However, I did find that the bass module sounded better pointing laterally a few feet in front of the LP rather than pointing at the LP.

I have heard the system mentioned and I have also seen the infomercial. It's amazing how attractive the marketing makes it sound.

One thing I can tell you is this: It DOES sound great compared to any other complete system that fits in a similar amount of space. My uncle has one and used it to play music in the backyard at a barbecue party. Believe it or not, the bass was quite ample and the music sounded "appealing" -- some might call the sound "Enya-fied" in that it draws you in seductively even though you know something is not right.

I've seen the infomercials and I've listened to the waveradio at the local Bose outlet and I shake my head just thinking about it. It is nothing more than a glorified clock radio. I can't believe that they can sell such a cheap piece of plastic garbage for as much as they do. Now that I think about it, that's exactly how I feel about all Bose products. I do enjoy going to their outlet store just to hear their oral diarrhea and pick their brains every once in a while. It may not be nice but the truth isn't always nice.

Daniel

Have you heard of Anthony Gallo Acoustics.
http://www.roundsound.com/photos.htm
Those make Bose sound like made in china computer speakers.
http://www.audioreview.com/Main,Speaker/Gallo,Acoustics,Nucleus,Reference/PRD_120941_1594crx.aspx

I recently visited my local Bose store (for the record, my purpose was to check their new noise-cancelling headphones) and heard the Acoustic Wave playing. I seriously thought that many of those $300-$500 "microsystems" by Yamaha, Denon, Sharp, Technics, etc. would sound better.

i bought the girls in the office a cambridge soundworks similar system a year ago. they love it, but i think it sounds like crap. think it was under $200.00, w/cd player.

We have a Denon microsystem in our kitchen.
I have been rather impressed with its quality. The speakers for it were originally built by Mission i believe but have since been restamped with the Denon logo so now i'm not sure anymore.

Here's me starting another flamewar, but I think that the Bang and Olafsen systems sound pretty good (I haven't done any critical listening, mind you...), but they do seem to have a horrible problem with skipping, especially for a product whose price is 4 digits.

I'm making a tape right now of me in the bathroom and sending it to Bose along with a scratch and sniff card for their enjoyment. Now that is realism!!!

B&O aren't quite in the same class of rip off as Bose. They do have a very unique aesthetic and they sound good, though certainly inferior to other options in their price range. Bose can't really claim either of those.

I beg to differ. Bose DOES have a very unique aesthetic -- the only problem is it's about as pleasing as a steaming pile of partially digested food.

I was at one of my client's, and she had one of the Acoustimass/cube crap systems. She had the acoustimass "bass module" in a cabinet/closet. With her 200 disc changer and her Marantz 4300. It was quite painful. Someone must have talked her into it. She even said something about needing to call her audio "specialist" so they could fix something with the multiroom stuff. Imagine, a professional who puts the "subwoofer" in a closet!

to own a bose sub system---that sounds like something you would want to stay in "the closet"....ron

I don't think it can accurately be called a subwoofer. Bose systems roll off below 200Hz, which isn't exactly what I'd call sub-sonic.

Which is exactly why I had it in quotes.