How many Bose Conversions

[CAvolleyballguy]

So I was reading through the website and I see a lot of people have "graduated" to Polk from bose cubes.

I'm just curious... how many bose heads have been converted to bass heads via the polk pipe of addiction....

Its kind of funny. I remember being a pretentious snoot that I had BOSE speakers and my system was so good...Now I'm really going to be a pretentious snoot...(in comparison to what I had, I know my system is laughable to real audiophile snoots)

I wonder though...for the price...how much better is what I have now to what I had then... is it 8 times better since that was the cost differential???

So share your conversion story.. what was it that makes big men admire small cube speakers and then one day realize the error of our metrosexual ways and have our inner giant woofer awoken...

Mine was the pursuit of a little more base and my buddy turned me on to polk for my budget, after making fun of my little cubes..

[Willow]

Make a long story short... when HT where still somewhat new my wife and I bought a sony HTIB, at that time I didn't know anyone with HT. Then we moved into a rental house, I wanted something better. My dad had just bought a Bose Lifestyle system. Well I trust my dad's opinion and he is a brilliant man which I respect more then anyother man out there. So we ditched the Sony and bought Bose. I think the Bose lasted about 5-6 months. I was on a spending spree went to a reatail shop and found Polk... So 5 avrs later tons of cables later 4tvs later, 5 dvd players later. I have a kick a$$ system. I enjoyed my Polks so much that I sold my Bach Stradivarious Trombone to buy my Rti8s. I had not touched it in 10yrs at that point.

[Keiko]

Last summer I swapped out my vintage Bose 301's for a pair of RTi6's. Those old 301's served me well for over 25+ years but it was time for something else. I did a lot of online research before deciding on polk. When I started updating my entire system last year I considered one of those 321 Bose systems. So glad I did some homework now and went the direction I did instead of the Bose or some HTiB. I have the 6's powered by a Yamaha 2 channel 200W receiver, integrated with a Yamaha YSP-800 sound projector and a recent addition of RTi4's (rear) for HT. Yeah, it sounds great and I'm a happy polkie. :)

[avguytx]

I've got a pair of Bose 901 Series IV's that I just finished up refoaming all 18 drivers. Since the weather is crappy in north Texas today, I'll be reinstalling the drivers back in the cabinets and hooking them up. I've always wanted to formulate my own opinion with their sound in my own setting so this gave me the chance. I have the original EQ which is a must with them, too. In no way would they replace my SDA's or any other speakers I have but I enjoy tinkering with things like this. In High School, our auditorium used 3 (maybe 4) pairs of 901's with Crown amps and those jokers filled the place up.

My parents have one of the big Bose Lifestyle systems in their ranch house in Colorado and they like it I guess. (stepmother does for sure) Dad was always into sound thru the years and had nice gear back when I was in college there. I remember Adcom equipment, ADS speakers, Nak tape decks, some Harms Labs speakers (local company in Ft Collins, CO), Infinity RS series speakers, etc. He still enjoys music but the Bose stuff just does what they need for movies, etc.

[lockmart]

I am coming over from the Bose 3-2-1 and Acoustimass 7 / Bose 101 speakers. They sounded good, but not near the detail of the Polks or the level of impressive soundstage. The 3-2-1 isn't a bad setup for what it was designed to do, a bit overpriced but there is always a strong secondary market for Bose which is how I got rid of mine.

[lanion]

I got a Bose lifestyle system when I was younger because I was ignorant and Bose was the best sound available at the local circuit city mall-outlet. Eventually I realized the sub was rattling/crapping out all of the time because it just wasn't that good, rather than being defective. Spent some time on the web learning about lots of audio products and wen with Polk LSi.

[rskarvan]

On occasion... I still miss my Bose AM5 Series II speakers. They were the best sounding, least obtrusive speaker system made in 1991.

[Gadabout]

Well, my story is pretty recent. About 6 years ago I bought a lifestyle 30 system (the small jewel cubes). Mainly for HT. It worked fine for what I was using it for and really had no complaints.

This Xmas I decided it was time to upgrade and get something that would do some Dolby HD or anyone of the upgraded formats that my existing system didn't produce. I went to the bose web site and started looking around. I noticed that they were offering a system that could use any head unit not just thiers. This system was using the larger cubes and not the jewel cubes. I decided to call Bose and see if they offered just the sub woofer for the jewel cubes, in this new style so I could use my existing speakers and I would just buy an AVR.

Upon calling Bose, they say that they don't offer the sub upgrade like I wanted but were offering rebates ($700 & 900) to upgrade my system to the newer lifestyle systems. I inquired about the sytems required for the rebate. The rep starts off on his spiel about the Lifestyle 48 and the Lifestyle V30. While he is talking, I'm reading about these systems on his web page.

I ask - I see these head units aren't Blu Ray or HD DvD. Any chances that is in the future?

The response - We are not taking any steps in that direction till the format wars are over. Our upscaling technology is almost as good.

I ask - So are your head units going to decode all of the new Dolby formats for movies?

The reponse - I think you'll find that Bose's decoding will provide everything your looking for your movie watching.

I ask - So let me get this straight. You want me to spend $4000 to get the new Lifestyle 48 system and then you'll give me a $900 rebate when you recieve my old system?

The Response - that is correct.

I ask - So, for $3100 I get a head unit that doesn't decode the Dolby digital, the Dvd player only upscales and is a generation behind the current offerings of other players, I get a new style subwoofer but the speakers are the same jewel cubes I already have? - Doesn't sound too enticing.

The response - Silence

I ask - Let's try this another way. Are you planning on offering the sub woofer that is compatible with an AVR so I can just buy that and keep my existing speakers.

The response - No, were just offering the rebates.

I ask - Any plans on offering this in the future?

The response - No, we think the rebates are a very good enticement to upgrade from your old Lifestyle system.

My response - Well, that's just crazy marketing. I guess this will end my years of buying Bose speakers for my Home Theaters. I'll look elsewhere.

Kinda pissed me off that they were essentially dead ending my stuff. They had upgrades available just not for the top of the line jewel cube speakers.

So, I went out to some of the local stereo stores to give some speakers a listen and see what was out there. It just so happened that I really liked the Polk Audio stuff and it was all on sale to boot. So, for my Xmas present in 2007 I went out and got all polk speakers for the HT and a new AVR and couldn't be happier.

I still have some breakin time to do on the system, but I'm really happy with the sound so far. So, while I'm still pissed at Bose, it was a perfect timing to get a great HT setup with Polk Audio.

Anyone's Mom need a Bose lifestyle system cause she thinks it is great? ... :p ...lol

Scott

[zx_toth]

I had a close encounter of the BOSE kind 2.5 yrs ago! I started my Home Theater plans at that time, once the pay cheques started rolling in from my first 'real' job since finishing school.

Since I got so excited by going into Futureshop as a teenager and university student I figured thats where I would keep my loyalities. I think my research of speakers at that time involved going onto the Futureshop Website and seeing which Home Theater in a Box was the most expensive .... wouldnt you know it it was the Bose Accoustimas 15 ... so there it was my selection! Not having the money upfront as I had begun paying back my student loans I decided to get the BOSE credit card and pay off the speakers over time through Bose online rather than have to have the money up front at Futureshop ... bad idea of course.

Rushing into the whole thing I talked to the Bose people via phone and ordered the 'high end' Accoustimas 15 system, feeling quite proud. Even told my father of the impending order.

Anyhow, I smartened up a bit and decided to actually do some online research only to find out that in the eyes of the audio/ home theater world these lil cubes were viewed as garbage and a joke by any true home theater enthusiast. I quickly called the next day after a late night on the internet researching various items.

To my relief they had not sent the speakers as I had yet to fill out all the paper work involved ... so I simply never filled out the paper work and never got pulled into the Bose marketing giant.

I think sometimes people like me fall prey for such things ... i.e. finish school, pay cheques rolling in, want to spend on electronics you've always wanted, dont know anything beyond big box stores and believe that price is the only determinant of quality of sound .....

Through some smarter research, a few good sales, a lot of saving money, I put together a decent little home theater sound system 2 years ago ... since than I have made some good upgrades (LSi 25s, Rotel Amp, Sony XBR4 LCD, etc), but the little RM Polk speakers were always the backbone that system that made it sound impressive to my fledgling ears.

Zsolt

[phipiper10]

Bose 301 and an old Pioneer was what I started with. Years ago walked in a circuit city and thought - wait a minute - that sounds much better than my Bose! Then off to the races!

[rainman31]

I went from an all bose set up the am15 double cubes to an all polk setup rti 12's, csi5, and fxi5's, 4 of them for 7.3, I have 3 subs.

[george daniel]

every time I go into a box store with my wife,,she always makes a comment about the "little" bose system,and how her sister has one,,,,don't have one,,ain't gonna get one,,that battle was fought long ago,,my comment is "I'll get you,and your little Bose too,,I'm not sure what relevancy this post has to this thread,,just kinda came out----george--out.:)

[mule]

I remember in the mid 80s my friends bringing their dads copy of crutchfield into high school and blabbing about the bose 301. I didn't have that much interest in that stuff at the time because I spent every penny I made on a new street bike. But the way I remember it those speakers would sound decent on a cheap ass amp.

Now my older brother had a yamaha amp with Klipsch heresy speakers and my best friends older brother had a Nad setup with Klipsch Cornwalls, now I couldn't tell you how they really sounded but to a teenager I can tell you they were loud as could be. My first setup was a yamaha amp with advents, the sad part is I have no idea what happened to that setup.

As I have recently been bit bye the bug again and have been researching and shopping for stuff my girlfriend said "why don't you buy one of those Bose systems and be done already" My jaw hit the floor, I said "Are you insane !?? Do you have any idea of what is sitting over in that room!?"

[Joe08867]

I had a nice pair of Bose 701's and liked them very much for a long time. I sold them to a friend when I bought a pair of Polk SDA2's. The difference was like night and day. I can't belive how much of the music I was missing with the 701's.

The problem with Bose is they believe there own hype. They make good intermediate level equipment for the average consumer, but not audiophile grade. IMHO!!

I sat through one of there demos in Bridgewater Commons mall and was'n't impressed. My Panasonic HT blows there best stuff away. My wife agreed which in itself is amazing. She said she was impressed until they played a song I have played on ours and she looked at me and said well that sounds so thin and fake.

I do like the wave clock radio for what it is though. The footprint is nice for the soundcoming out. I have not heard the polk equivalent to compare.

I was im a band that had 901's for the vocals and they did fill a bigger room then you would expect. Alot of sound out of that small cabinet. And never a real problem with feedback.

[Joe08867]

Double post!

[Monster Jam]

I have two friends, one with an accoustimass system, and the other with a lifesyle system. While I would never own Bose (at least not with their current offerings), I think the Bose systems are the right fit for these guys. They are neither technicaly inclined, nor care to be technicaly inclined where home theatre is concerned. Unpack it, plug it in, and turn it on. And guess who they called to plug it in? As Im making connections, I sigh thinking about what they could have done with the money.

[treitz3]

I have two friends, one with an accoustimass system, and the other with a lifesyle system. While I would never own Bose (at least not with their current offerings), I think the Bose systems are the right fit for these guys. They are neither technicaly inclined, nor care to be technicaly inclined where home theatre is concerned. Unpack it, plug it in, and turn it on. And guess who they called to plug it in? As I'm making connections, I sigh thinking about what they could have done with the money.

Is this the definition of a.....................


I can't say it.

[Zero]

When I was roughly 13-14 years old, I recall my father retiring the large speakers that he designed when he was a teen, in favor for a new Bose Acoustimass system. I never thought much of it. Hell,I was just thankful that his behemoths were gone. Loud volumes scared the crap outta me - and while their Sansui receiver drove the Bose well - the effect wasn't nearly like those large speakers.

Fast forward a number of years when I first caught the audio bug. Despite owning Polk's mighty RT2000P's (my first real speakers), I still had an thing for Bose and found myself with a set of (then recent) 301's. I used em as rear's. That set up lasted me for years... until I caught the audiophile bug.

[vonnie123]

I replaced a set of Bose 601 Series 3, and a set of Bose 501 Series 3, with two sets of Polk RM8000Ts and one set of Polk RTi6s. It has been a positive upgrade.

[CAvolleyballguy]

I'm impressed at all the stories. I didnt expect to see so many posts. It just boggles my mind that I was so sucked in by it too, and because of my father who first had the accoustimas, then when he got the first lifestyle all in one, I bought his accoustimas or he gave it to me, I cant remember... but either way the current top of the line lifestyle system is going for 4 k and it is absurd. I put together what I have now for the same price and its not even in the same league... I just cant believe I was so naive for so long. Im annoyed at myself.

[rainman31]

When I got the am 15 I basically stole it from the store at right under $500, thats 5 double cubes and the best sub they make, I am much happier with my polk stuff, it's night and day.

[buton6]

Hi I only had bose bookshelf speakers for $60 (I still have them just don't admit it) model 40 I think, nevertheless for the $60 they weren't too bad. But their $1000-$4000 stuff is worth 5-10% of they charge.

My brother in law got the 321 system for $900 I told him to get a KEF KIT200 a $3000 system was on sale for $900 too, he said, he likes bose (he didn't even want to listen to anything else) nevertheless I got the KIT200 instead (at least each satellite speaker has a tweeter 3" midrange and 3" bass driver), nevertheless the sound different is night and day, and equivalent bose system would have to be $20,000 or more.

People that buy bose just want bose, they don't even listen they know bose is the best.

[Monster Jam]

People that buy bose just want bose, they don't even listen they know bose is the best.

"We" can hate on Bose, but one thing is clear: their marketing has been nothing short of genious.

[jakelm]

The wife came home with the kids Sunday afternoon, from watching Jumpers at the theatre. The very first thing they all said after I asked how the movie was, "our system sounds better than the theatre's, the theatre wasnt clear at all, could barely understand what they were saying in the movie".


Our?????? So now its ours????

I do not own Bose.

[Ryder888]

Might depent on the Bose ? I had a set of 401's and like them. My new Polks are better but the Bose were good. I can't comment towards the cube speakers, other than they seem over priced, for what you get.

[Tracy]

I'm a recent convert. I just replaced my Bose 4.2's with RTi A3's, my 161's with FXi A4's and the VCS-10 with a CSi A4. My Bose 4.2's served me well the last 15 years but with everything becoming more HT oriented, I wanted and needed something better. Polk Audio impressed me the most. I love my Polk's and I'm very happy with the switch. No more Bose for me!

[steveinaz]

I owned 901 Series VI for 14 years, I really enjoyed them, and sometimes miss them. I did NOT like series V and below--they sounded to "nasal" for me, but the VI's really were a big improvement. 901's need alot of power and a big room to truly appreciate. I ran mine with 2 bridged amplifiers for 600 watts/rms. Bose speakers are not "wine sippers" speakers, they are fun, exciting; especially with rock/jazz. I bought mine back in 1988 at the Army PX, got the speakers/pedestals/eq for $899. Mine were the light teak/sand color.