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Klipsch vs Bose?


ckat609

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Quartets are hard to find, but if you can find 4 Quartets and an Academy Center

I think the sound would be pretty awesome. You should be able to do this for

$900 to $1,000 . I dont think the KG4s have enough punch for Home Theatre.

I too came here 9 months ago after buying 3 set of Bose 901s looking for infomation on Klipsch.

I was told by Thebes to box them up, sell them and buy Klipsch. So I did, but only have sold 1 set so far.

What Thebes didnt tell me was how addicting Klipsch sound was. Since then I have bought 28 speakers !!!!

6--- Kornerhons

2--- LaScallas II

2--- Cornwalls II

2--- Forte II

2--- Heresy II

4--- Quartets

4--- KG4s

2--- Kg2s

1--- Academy Center

1--- RC-25 Center

1 Boston Acoutics PV1000 sub ( not klipsch but sounds awesome )

I dont say this to scare you off but this should tell you something about Klipsch Products.

Oh, and by the way I am looking for a Belle for a Center Channel. " I LOVE THIS STUFF "

Don

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What I will say is not biased !

B0$e HT gear belongs in a dumpster back in the lane. The sub par parts quality,gross gaps in the frequency response and Better Sales Thru Marketing Hoopla is aimed at the person who knows very very...little about HT and what makes a great HT come alive.

I am polite here

If anyone here would offer me a B0$e HT system as a gift I would stomp a mud hole in the Acoustic Me$$ module and poke the Direct Repulsive sat(that have a gross ghole in the midrange,on top of sounding like $150 Logitech PC speakers!!).

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Blose marketing 101

"Bose Adapt IQ" = SYNONYMY...a fancy name for every other reciever on the market with room calibration; your Yammy has this (YPAO)

"Bose chooses not to publish specs, as they can give a false impression of what the human ear actually hears" = SYNONYMY...reverse false claims as seen on a 199.00 retail amp claiming 15000W of power. SYNONYM...WAR the politicion of speakers.

"Jewel cube full range speaker" = SYNONYMY...90d at -1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

But to their credit they are the ultimate plug and play system...... wait...no...the CS-700 is out; sorry bose don't call me. But seriously, don't call me.

Cangrats theEAR, you lit a fire under my A$$.[:P]

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I was talking to a co-worker the other day about home theater and she knew I was big into it. She said "So, do you have a Bose system then?" I said no, Klipsch. She had never heard of Klipsch before. So, you're not alone.

Klipsch speakers offer low distortion, dynamic sound that gives you a "you are there" experience. As others have said, Bose aren't terrible, they're just not the holy grail of speakers that they make people believe them to be.

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So I take it I didn't waste my money on the Yamaha... thank god!

Ok, so basically what all of you guys are saying is I should go with Klipsch. I went to the store again this afternoon and just fell in love even more with the speakers.

Now... I know a lot of you have recommended I should go with the bigger speakers... and as much as I'd love to, I can't afford them right now. Besides, only getting a pair, for surround sound in movies, just doesn't feel right. I stuck with the Quintet III and Quintet SL taking into consideration I had to get a subwoofer. Between these two, which one do you guys think are better for me (remember, movies and games). Remember, these are my first decent speakers... I'm a noob at all this. The other ones I've had have come bundled with some out of the box HT system.

Sorry about my room size... it's 16x12...

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Ckat, I'll make a prediction. Inside of a year you will have sold the smallerspeakers at a loss and buy another set that is larger. You'll wish you had just listened to a few of the more sensible advise on here. Take em back and find your self some fortes.You'll never regret it.

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I just went through basically the same thing. Went from a Samsung HTIB to a set of book self Infinity setup to a Plok 5.1 setup then to the QuintetII's. These where all bought from BestBuy and returned within a few days of each. The Quintet's was pretty good but after going back to a differnt store with the Klipsch Refrence series and having a listen they went back. I now have a RF-35 setup and can't see having to buy anything better in the near future. They cost about 4 times the Quintet's but they were IMO worth the extra and the fact that I shouldn't have to upgrade and loose the $$ I sent on something that would maybe get me by. Just thought I'd throw a newbie opinion in the mix. :)

Clinton

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I think the odds are better that you will transplant the Quintet III's into your bedroom and buy a better and larger setup for your HT. My first intro to Klipsch was 1 1/2 years ago. I too bought the QIII's and fell in love with Klipsch. Not 2 months later found (3) RVX-42's and bought online 2 RSX-4's and went to BB again and picked up an RW-10d. Sold the QIII's(wish I had kept) to a friend. In March 2008 Tweeter/Sound Advice had the RB-35's buy 1 get 1 free($299.99 total). Bought them and an RC-62. Two weeks later found an add on Audiogon for a pair of cherry RF-63's for $1100.00. Negotiated the price to $1000.00 delivered in person to my house. Took back the RB-35's(wanted to keep also, limited funds). Moved the (3) RVX-42's to bedroom. Eventually the RW-10d and RSX-4's will join them when I buy a pair of RS-52's and a RSW-10d for the family room. My point is, you will upgrade someday.

Bill

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You can continue to upgrade forever and never be satisfied. What you need to do is do a serious listen and find out what you would really be satisfied with. Maybe it's bookshelves, maybe it's the heritage line. Whatever that is, it is worth saving for. The times that I have settled for something, I always sold it, took a loss and spent more money in the long run. Truth is the Quintets are Klipsch's bottom line speaker. If you truly love HT, it would be to your advantage to be patient, look for deals and build your system slowly. We live in an instant, microwave society. We have forgotten how to make a plan, save our money and wait patiently...myself included. I bought a pair of older CF-2's with a KV-1 center and a Velodyne sub. All were 10 years old. I sold them, used the money to upgrade to the RF-83's and kept the older sub. Later I picked up the RC-7 center. I totally miss 5.1. I haven't had it in 2.5 years. But when I eventually have the RC-64 center that matches, a newer sub and some rears, it will be totally worth it. So my advice, go listen and compare as much as you can. Then figure out what you really want AND can afford. You might really like the Klipschorns but it might totally be out of your budget. Be realistic, get something middle of the line and you will be satisfied for years and years to come. Look at the guys that own heritage and have had them for 20+ years. That ought to say something about the quality of Klipsch. Good luck with your search. Go in it with the long term in mind and you will be fine.

Michael

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You can continue to upgrade forever and never be satisfied. What you need to do is do a serious listen and find out what you would really be satisfied with. Maybe it's bookshelves, maybe it's the heritage line. Whatever that is, it is worth saving for.

I think Michael makes a good point here and I'm going to try to rephrase it a different way (probably only to confuse it [:|])

My question would be...."when have you ever regretted buying quality?"

In general, that might be defined as buying a better car over a cheapo car... but here, what I really mean is... you should go listen to the different flavors that you can find (where are you located?)

you might find that you just LOVE the sound of RF series, or the Heresy is to die for.... you might just get blown away by a LaScala or (heaven forbid, Khorn) and decide that no matter what it takes to do it, you want to "do it right" and go with your selection.

Too often you will read on this site where people have started small (or suggested others start small) and then "work your way up" as you learn more and get accustomed to what you like...

My personal thought on that logic is bunk! Figure out to the best you can up front what you like and then if possible, don't settle for less. Why go through the time, accumulation and denial of use, as you work your way up the stepping stones when (if possible) you can leapfrog the intermediate stones and jump to your (presumed) final destination?

I say presumed final destination because I've owned LaScalas for 29 years and always considered them to be my 'big' pair of speakers. I always lusted for a pair of Khorns and finally had a chance to buy a pair. I thought I was done forever at that point....then I heard the Jubilee.... so my presumed final destination changed a couple times over 29 years BUT.... I did not start the journey thinking I'd ever change from the LaScalas.

No wife? That means you are a package deal when you finally meet the One and pop the question. Much easier to keep what you got than to bring more stuff in. Heck... I'd get some big speakers and keep them stored if need be... lol (ok, maybe not) [:D]

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To add onto what Coytee said....you're not going to get your
investment back when you turn around and sell your intermediate step
speakers. That's why I often suggest putting the funds towards a single
pair of stereo mains instead of a full fledged surround system with
lessor speakers. If it's a hobby you enjoy, then you know you're gonna
spend more in the future and then you can add pieces as new funds
arrive - in the meantime, always enjoying a quality setup until the
final system is achieved.

If you're not in it for the hobby, then just get whatever it is you can afford now and then hopefully never rethink the choice.

And
then one other thing I've picked up along the way....be patient. There
will always be another awesome deal, so passing up on something right
now is not going to be the end of the world.

As far as Bose....I
read earlier that someone claimed that they don't do much R&D,
which is actually quite the opposite. Their engineering staff is among
the best in the world actually...it's just that they limit their home
audio product line to devices that are small...and then their marketing
is all about selling an image - rather than just a speaker system. If
you want to buy into that image and the comrpomises associated with
tiny speakers, then by all means go the Bose route. But if absolute
sound quality is your biggest interest, then there are all sorts of
other speakers you should be looking into...basically, as the speaker
gets bigger, the better it is going to sound. And this is a matter of
physics, not a manly testosterone thing...

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I was going to buy the WF-35 and WC-24 from BB, but came upon a pretty good deal, I think. I stumbled upon a comm. compay who normally installs phones, networking ect. for businesses and home stereo is only 15% of their work. They had a set of RF-83's and a RC-63 center as a demo and sold it for half the price of MSRP including warranty. THey said the speakers were almost never used and they don't normally get customers like myself walking in there to buy speakers, usually rich guys with 500k plus homes who own the business' they work on. I got pretty lucky, but you never know where a deal might be, so may as well look around for a while. Best Buy has a pretty high mark-up and is hard to get a good deal unless you buy an "open box" item or employee discount, which still isn't that great of a deal (employee depends on the markup of that particular item). This particlular dealer I bought from said they would knock 10% off of any brand new purchase I made, which is better than BB most of the time. Bose is ok, and not a bad deal if you can get a set used (highly discounted of course). Good luck!

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I must apologize for my bose blasting...with football season here and everything...well with me being a Raider fan I guess I just associated bose with Denver, or Kansas City or something. On a serious note the following is a True Story...I was stationed in Cheyenne WY from 2003-2006; so my wife and I would frequent outdoor shopping centers in the Fort Collins, CO area. Well there happened to be a bose store there and naturally, being an audio enthusiast, I decided to stop in too take a serious listen at their 301 speakers. Before I could get a word out, and immediatly following the salesman's "how can I help you" statement, my wife blurts out "Bose Sucks". With my jaw dropped, along with the salesman's stuttering of "W-W-why? " My wife exclaims further "because those tiny speakers don't have tweeters; my husband has Klipsch with horns just like the movie theaters and If the movie theaters have horns why wouln't you have horns in your home? Its the same thing just on a smaller scale." Well the salesman was a real sport, but I don't know what was more oddly compelling; what my wife said or that I still stayed to listen to the 301.

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  • 1 year later...

Honestly, I like Bose but don't dislike anyother brand! I have heard many Klipsch speakers over last 1 month. I liked them, but then, If I am forced to avoid Bose, then I would prefer Mirage. Klipsch, Definitive sounded very inferior in front of Mirage and Bose.

Bose bashers target this brand through following arguments:

a) Bose thrives only on Marketing
B) Bose uses cheap material (Paper) for making spearkers
c) Bose speakers doesn't give you highs and Lows
d) Its over-priced

Let's take it one by one.


a) Marketing gimmick:

Well.. if Bose can do great marketing too, why it can become or must be treated it as its 'weakness'? If other 'great' brands can't do even average marketing then it speaks volume about their capability to 'attract' good Marketing Talent!

The so called audiophiles 'hired' by competitors to throw mud at Bose seem to be the only 'talent' these companies can acquire!

Second, if a company can reach pinaccle in Brand recognitions and loyalty surveys charts only through Marketing, then General Motors would have been best brand too! :-) Please check this: http://bink.nu/Article6625.bink

B) Cheap Material:

That make me laugh even more!

Wow.. if Bose has such a tremendous design and engineering prowess to make sound paper as good as speakers with "space age" materials from other makers, then again it speaks volumes about other companies and their 'Engineers' and Products! :-)

Other 'giants' must close their shop in shame. However, I must say, there are some brands I mentioned above of which I am aware of, they are wonderful too!

c) No High No Lows?

If true, then there must NOT be any presence of highs and lows in the source sound. The sound has to be produced as such without 'tinkering' with it! That's the philosophy of good sound quality in my view. If one want and are habitual of hearing accentuated Bass, Treble etc., then I won't debate!


However there is NO proof with facts that Bose speakers don't produce range of frequencies that are produced by other. In my view, it may be othreway round.

d) Over Priced?

Possibly. I am ready to concede. However, the other "Much Greater Brands" which can produce far greater sound and quality pact are priced at a level of Ghetto speakers sold at Wal-mart then it speaks confidence level of those "Greater Brands".

Its like arguing BMW and Benz are 'overpriced' against price offered by GM! :-)

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Its too bad that Paul Harvey died. Now we'll never hear the rest of the story about Bose.

Search online, you'll find plenty of lab tests of Bose speakers and the horrific frequency response range of them along with huge gaps between where their magical woofer cube crosses over to their magical mini-cube.

I still own a pair of Bose 401s that I bought brand new almost 20 years ago. I enjoyed the speakers for a very long time. I've been enjoying my Klipsch even more so for the past few years.

I don't hate Bose, I just hate when people think that Bose are the best speakers money can buy. Bose has done a terrific job of getting their name out there. There's a thing called "top of mind" that relates to naming the first brand that comes to mind when asked to name a brand of speaker, TV, automobile, etc. Its generally the company that advertises the most that gets the most responses. More money spent advertising does not always equate to a better product.

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Honestly, I like Bose but don't dislike anyother brand! I have heard many Klipsch speakers over last 1 month. I liked them, but then, If I am forced to avoid Bose, then I would prefer Mirage. Klipsch, Definitive sounded very inferior in front of Mirage and Bose.

Bose bashers target this brand through following arguments:

a) Bose thrives only on Marketing
B) Bose uses cheap material (Paper) for making spearkers
c) Bose speakers doesn't give you highs and Lows
d) Its over-priced

Let's take it one by one.


a) Marketing gimmick:

Well.. if Bose can do great marketing too, why it can become or must be treated it as its 'weakness'? If other 'great' brands can't do even average marketing then it speaks volume about their capability to 'attract' good Marketing Talent!

The so called audiophiles 'hired' by competitors to throw mud at Bose seem to be the only 'talent' these companies can acquire!

Second, if a company can reach pinaccle in Brand recognitions and loyalty surveys charts only through Marketing, then General Motors would have been best brand too! :-) Please check this: http://bink.nu/Article6625.bink

B) Cheap Material:

That make me laugh even more!

Wow.. if Bose has such a tremendous design and engineering prowess to make sound paper as good as speakers with "space age" materials from other makers, then again it speaks volumes about other companies and their 'Engineers' and Products! :-)

Other 'giants' must close their shop in shame. However, I must say, there are some brands I mentioned above of which I am aware of, they are wonderful too!

c) No High No Lows?

If true, then there must NOT be any presence of highs and lows in the source sound. The sound has to be produced as such without 'tinkering' with it! That's the philosophy of good sound quality in my view. If one want and are habitual of hearing accentuated Bass, Treble etc., then I won't debate!


However there is NO proof with facts that Bose speakers don't produce range of frequencies that are produced by other. In my view, it may be othreway round.

d) Over Priced?

Possibly. I am ready to concede. However, the other "Much Greater Brands" which can produce far greater sound and quality pact are priced at a level of Ghetto speakers sold at Wal-mart then it speaks confidence level of those "Greater Brands".

Its like arguing BMW and Benz are 'overpriced' against price offered by GM! :-)

Ramsha,

You truely are completely uninformed of that wich you pretend to know.

I don't care about marketing gimic, or cheap materials, what IS important is the sound!!

Let's address letter "C") "No highs, no lows, they must be Bose" Where did this saying come from?? Well check your facts guy, because the Bose flagship speaker is the 901. If you check into it, you will find that the 901 is sold with it's own special equalizer that boosts the highs and boosts the lows, in order to try to achieve a flatter response, which it still does not accomplish well.

Let's address letter "D" Over Priced?? Your anowlogy of compairing the prices of GM to BMW and Benz would suggest that the Bose are the BMW or the Benz and that the Klipsch are the GM. EDUCATE yourself!! Klipsh didn't start marketing cheap speakers for the masses until after it was bought out by Fred Klipsch. Klipsch started producing the longest continually produced speaker system in the 1940s and still does to this day. That longevity speaks volumes. That orriginal design, the Klipschorn sell new for arround $8000 a pair, compaired to the Bose 901 flagship at what, $1,400 to $1,600 brand new. Klipsch produces more cheaply priced speakers then Bose, products in the same price range, and products considerably more expensive. Price for Price comparison the Klipsch are vastly better sounding, and hold a better resale value (kinda like Mercedes Benz) then Bose speakers do. Have you priced a used set of Bose 901s?? They practicaly give them away!

I live in Ohio, if that is in your driving range, I would beg you to bring your Bose speakers over and Come getya some of these worn out Klipsch of mine. I am sure there are others here in just about any location that would enjoy you bringing your Bose speakers over, and better yet, bring your friends as well...... Nothing like embarassing someone in front of their buddies!!

So what ya think, you up to the listening comparison?? I'm your huckleberry!!

Roger

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