The biggest contributor to my anti-Bose sentiment was their marketing strategy. The audio retailer I was with the longest, 17 years, carried Bose on and off mayby six times during that period.
For retailers, the deal was, manditory segregation of Bose speakers from other brands and display area had to comply to their stipulated size and be visibly prominent. Under no circumstances were Bose speakers to be displayed with or nearby non-Bose speakers.
The reason for this was plainly obvious.
It was my experience that the OP is correct about Asians being most accepting of the brand. My locale has a large Chinese population and those of that origin were the only purchasers of Bose that I was aware of. My one and only Bose sale during my tenure with that company was a pair of 901's to a Chinese (coincidental I think) fellow who just bought an "open concept" condo. No real spot for conventional speakers so they had to be hung from the ceiling.
One of my co-workers, himself Chinese, won a pair of 901's via a sales contest. He never bothered opening the boxes, just gave them to his brother.
Devoting display area to Bose speakers was a waste of space considering how poorly they sold. One location actually had a "Bose Room" which was turned into an office for me when I transferred there to handle insurance claims.
The fact that Bose opened their own store(s) was proof positive that they realized the only way to not invite comparison was for there to be nothing nearby to compare them to.
I don't think Bose Stores lasted long because they were in "high rent" districts and profit from sales could not justify their presence.
I strongly suspect that The Shopping Channel then internet sales of The Wave Radio saved their bacon.
Funny enough, I have a Bose Wave in my bedroom. Love the sound out of that little thing. Perfect for some mellow tunes before bed.