Bose PC speakers pissing me off

[Inazone]

A buddy of mine has a pair of Bose PC speakers that sound phenomenal, so I was quite happy when a set of Companion II speakers (newer version of what he has) showed up at Christmas last year. I specifically wanted as close to what he had as possible, which meant no subwoofer. I don't need a sub anyway. But honestly, the only thing these speakers have in common with the older variety are the shape and the brand name. They can't handle ANY low end, and crackle like crazy. Games with cool music sound OK (Gothic 3, Lord of the Rings, etc.) but metal? Hell no!!!

I used to have a set of Boston Acoustics speakers with a sub, and they sounded great even with the sub turned off. The satellite speakers were smaller than the Bose. They died from a power surge or something like that after many years of use. But I got those used off an old roommate. Any suggestions for a decent pair of small PC speakers w/o sub under $80 or so?

[KMud]

BOSE = Buy Other Sound Equipment...they're more about aesthetics and marketing than quality components.

[thetroy]

Depends on what your ears like. I'd just get some cheap powered monitors but I like very flat speakers

[Spivonious]

BOSE = Buy Other Sound Equipment...they're more about aesthetics and marketing than quality components.

Never heard that one before, but it is exactly right. Bose gear is overpriced junk.

Check out Logitech, Klipsch ProMedia, and Altec Lansing for some good general purpose computer speakers. You should be able to find a pair with no sub for under $80, although I'd recommend getting the sub since it really does help round out the frequencies lacking from the satellites. www.newegg.com

[Inazone]

I should have mentioned that I do have M-Audio BX5a active monitors too, but I always like to listen through "generic" speakers when playing back a mix, for example. Even more so when converting songs to MP3 for online use. That's what really brought about this frustration with the Bose speakers. We just remixed some songs for the band MySpace, which sounded great on my car stereo and little bookshelf system. The Bose speakers sound muffled and just generally unpleasing to the ear.

[ABSOLUT CHARVEL]

No highs - No lows = it must be Bose

[followthereaper]

This thread is insanely convenient because I was about to go buy a pair for my desktop because the monitor speakers sound worse than shit. Thanks for saving me $80... I'll check out the other shit at Best Buy.

[skorb]

I'm not sure all this Bose criticism and trashing is completely warranted.

I've had an acoustimass 3 sub/sat system hooked to my Harmon/Kardon stereo for 15 yrs and it fucking kills for what it is.

Bose revolutionised compact speaker systems that still produced amazingly full sound, they were an industry darling in the 90's at least.

I will say I have not tried their pc speakers myself.

[hippietim]

People are amazed at Bose because they are small, not because they sound good.

[shreddermon]

Not sure about their PC speakers, but I've had very goodd luck with the Bose systems in my past two cars. Not exactly huge in the power department, but I really like the sound quality.

That said, I used to have a Boston Acoustics set for an old PC. It sounded very good, but crapped out just like yours did. The company sent me a replacement set at no charge. But they quickly crapped out, too. I'll never buy anything from BA again.

[Ripley7t]

I have a pair of Bose 301 Speakers that are 20 years old and well broken in. They sound amazing. I would not ever consider buying anything smaller for serious audio. I have often thought about doing a little research and then making a pair of wood cab. monitors. My neighbor has a wood shop in his garage and would do all the cutting and assembly for me.

[OnlineStageGear]

Take a look at the power supply/wall wart that came with it. It should be pretty hefty to be able to power the speakers. A lot of manufacturers ship PC speakers with crappy power supplies and you need a lot more power to get the lows vs the highs. You can use the amp rating and voltage to get the watt output of your power supply. Watts = Amps x Volts

Matt

[Spivonious]

Not sure about their PC speakers, but I've had very goodd luck with the Bose systems in my past two cars. Not exactly huge in the power department, but I really like the sound quality.

That said, I used to have a Boston Acoustics set for an old PC. It sounded very good, but crapped out just like yours did. The company sent me a replacement set at no charge. But they quickly crapped out, too. I'll never buy anything from BA again.

Didn't Creative Labs buy Boston Acoustics 6 or 7 years ago?

[patricef]

PC speakers are overpriced for what they are. I bought monitors for home studio plugged into a mini mixer.

[AlexL]

I bought the Companion II speakers. I didn't want a sub, just two speakers, so they filled the bill. I like the style, and the color matched my new laptop exactly. I though the low end was distorting, but that was when playing songs from ITunes. CDs sound fine. Haven't heard any crackling.

The speakers are shielded, so no magnetism concerns with hard drives, and are quite heavy, generally a good sign of quality for speakers of this type.

I like the extra audio input on them for connecting auxiliary devices.

Definitely cheaper speakers out there, but I was pleased with mine. Maybe somethings wrong with yours.

- E.