Bose has been around quite a while. At one time they made amazing boat anchor sized components such as the model 1801 stereo power amplifier. Today the 1801 is still considered by many one of the most impressive amplifiers ever made. The Bose equipment produced which is now considered vintage was every bit as good if not better then your favorite high end brands. To the present, Bose makes small clock type radios, home theater speaker applications, and car radios / audio. Comparing the Bose equipment of yesteryear to modern day “Bose” equipment is like comparing water melons to grapes. There is no similarity, the only thing which is similar on all Bose equipment is their logo and they both produce or play music
Ten to fifteen years ago if you mentioned “Bose” in audiophile circles you would be considered a audio idiot. You would be abused for eternity for even thinking about a Bose product. Bose hatred could be found at consumer audio shows, online forums, websites, magazine columns and articles, and by stereophiles in general. People would be banned from audiophile/stereo forums on the internet for stating they had a “Bose” radio, no kidding. Stereo guys HATE anything BOSE to this day. My take is different, I think the people at Bose are geniuses. Unlike the big audio guru’s and their followers Bose saw the future. Most of Bose competition fell by the wayside a long time ago. Think about it, Bose at one time was a high end manufacturer of massive audio equipment much like McIntosh, Krell, Audio Research, etc. Don’t believe me? Look up the Bose amplifiers and components of the past, they were awesome by any standards.
Ok, snap to the future. What does Bose make now? Plastic clock radios and arrays of small speakers and control centers mostly for home theater/surround sound/TV video applications. They have sold 1000’s and thousands of Wave Radios for $700.00 -$800.000 a clip. Every Sunday newspaper had a flyer advertisement to purchase a Bose radio. Do they sound as good as the Bose 1800 and it’s elk???? Of course Not. But it’s the best sounding little clock radio by FAR. Being a realist, I think that little Wave Radio sounds amazing for what it is. Inside is a tiny transformer, switching power supply and rinky dink circuit board, switches and components. And guess what? I have one in each of my three bathrooms. My wife listens to it every morning whether it be the AM 10.10 News/traffic/weather or FM. It’s been on every single morning for over ten years. Would I ever spend 7 bills on one? No way, hahahhahaha. I picked them up at yard sales for $20.00 -$25.00 piece over the years. They fit on the counter, have great frequency response for their size and withstand my son’s one hour showers(until the hot water runs out and there is enough steam to run a ferryboat.) Oh yes, the digital displays start getting funky after ten years or so but who cares. As previously stated it’s my opinion they have made the greatest sounding clock radio by far. This opinion is from a guy who has had virtually every McIntosh to Technics component ever made. So the audiophile crowd would have no love for me, lol. I am a Boseeee trader. No I am not, I just call it the way I see it.
In these times (2017) most people rich or poor, smart or stupid, small or large home owners, women or men, etc, etc simply don’t want what we consider cool from the 1960’s -1980. That’s right, I know it’s hard for Grandpa or even Daddy to grasp but the young and middle aged people of today don’t want or have a need for a component stereo system that takes up half of their den or living room. No matter how wonderful it is, they don’t want it. As much as I love this stuff I live with my eyes open and I am real. Yes there are exceptions to the rule but most people want “personal electronics” today. They don’t want your love boat sized Caddy or even your GTO. Money aside they wouldn’t trade their BMW or Lexus for a modern day rendition of 1970’s car no matter how good you say it was. Yes Papa Joe, the world is going to continue even after we are gone. There will be new technologies even in music reproduction and music itself. It’s not going away, even if we are.
OLD School Bose 1801
Yes, BOSE made all the right moves. I can prove it…they are still here when much of their competition has been gone for twenty or more years. Obviously cost isn’t the only factor. New age Bose is quite expensive, but affordable to the masses. Not as much as a Mac by far but McIntosh and other esoteric equipment were never made for the middle or even higher wage earners. These high end components were for super successful individuals who could afford to spend the price of a nice car on an amplifier. Or maybe for the person who lives for audio and nothing else. Even today, not too many people fit that profile. The few high-end component stereo companies that still remain, well just price some new McIntosh or Krell components. Is it their phone # or the price of amplifier? Bose hit all the right notes…small footprint, great sound vs. equipment size, some what affordable to all people, can be easily used with ipod, cell phone, or computer, moved mostly to the audio/video scene integrated with your TV, and due to size and cuteness has a high wife approval rating, unbelievable advertising campaign, and all around usability(people actually take their Bose radios when they move. Many large component audio systems stay in the house because by weight/size and survival rating it’s just not worth it. I truly love the stereo and hi fi equipment from the 1960’s and 1970’s. The look, the sound, the feel, the smell, I enjoy it all. Nothing like the vintage stuff. But that’s what it is, vintage, old, on its way to becoming an antique. It’s going to be replaced, no…it has been replaced. What do you think?
NEW School Bose Wave
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