Bose 8.2 "Stereo Everywhere" floor-standers.

[transmaster]

The carping about Bose, in my opinion, comes from the
Way they where, and are sold. How well
I remember the roll out of the 901 in the show
Room they sounded fantastic. The problem
came from "A"hole salesman only interested
in a commission who did not explain the
Exacting placement the 901 needed to.
Sound it's best. There was a lack of education
about what the active equalizer could do.
Bring this forward and Bose spends 10's of millions on
Advertising. Familiarity breeds contempt.

 

[BilboBaggins]

I had a pair of Bose 8.2 new from 1987 until November 2012. They were pretty good speakers, but have their limitations. The bass was very good, and controlled. For a while I used them in a home theatre system as the mains with no subwoofer required. Jurassic Park was awesome! Scared the crap out of my son.

They are very room and placement dependant, and like a good high current amp. If you get them right, the stereo field is quite large. If you can't place them right, then it isn't anything that impressive. Their big brother, the 10.2 sounded much better, but I couldn't justify the extra $200 or $300 for them. I was very happy with them for 25 years, until I got a MAC1900 receiver last year. Then I could hear the lack in detail.

They were never a really successful line, but I think that was timing too. Late 80's, the economy was going to crap, interest rates were going up like crazy, and people were just starting to move to 2.1 systems with small satelites. Klipsch was getting rave reviews for theirs. I think my mortgage rate was in the teens!

They would bottom out on Genesis Carpet Crawler, and top out on Sarah Brightman's Ave Maria. It became a goal of mine to eventually be able to play both of these songs loud with no distortion. I made it!

 

[TimF]

Brett, just curious how much you might have played around with positioning? I have no idea what the "recommended" placement of these are, but squaring them up in the room with absolutely no toe-in, and maybe a bit wider apart might be interesting. Just thinking more of being inline with the inward firing tweeters and allowing more of the outward ones to bounce off the side walls. You look like you may already be there now or close to it. Just thoughts.

I find the whole imaging aspect of speakers an interesting one, and I have pondered whether or not too much is made of this precise, locked on target imaging that doesn't so much happen in real life/live musical events(in my own opinion, depending on circumstances). But this has been done to death. I guess I only bring it up as I tend to enjoy speakers like Ohms, my current Larsen and Shahinian Obelisk that don't do that pin-point dart like imaging, but are more music everywhere, stage left to stage right. I guess I tend to agree with Richard Shahinian's thoughts on the matter, right or wrong.

And regardless, if you are having fun and enjoying the Bose, that is all that matters indeed! I think they are a fun looking speaker and I wouldn't mind having a listen to them myself! It is nice when we can set aside notions and just enjoy something regardless. And your comment about diminishing returns, indeed. Different for all of us of course, yet there. Have fun! Tim

 

[beans]

The only thing not covered here, all bashing aside, is the Viennas. I know that's a little off-topic but why were you dissatisfied with the Viennas? I've thought about getting some myself.

 

[mitchalee]

Dear nieces and nephews,

Bose are . . . different. They can do lots of things most other brands can't and often don't want to. But there are some ways in which they fall flat.

For instance, my 901 Series IV can accurately reproduce a gothic cathedral, a concert hall, etc. They can make a 20 foot room sound like a 200 foot room. They can make it so instruments sound like they are outside of the front wall of the house coming from somewhere in the front yard. And they can reproduce a pipe organ with convincing size. And do an intimate concert with Nora Jones.

But they have real problems with a Dixieland Jazz band just arrayed left to right on a stage. It's almost like their sound stage is a combination of left to right and back to front, so the left to right sound imprecise. But the whole aural experience is more 3-D.

Like them. Hate them. It really says more about the listener than the loudspeaker.

Also my Bose 501s really cook with Cream, Hendrix, and classic rock even though it has NO front facing tweeters. And it has OK staging. Go figure?

The 901 Series One have a completely different sound. Almost Klipsch-like in a Heresy PA Auditorium Clean sort of way. Very stark and a bit brutal but also detailed and with an utter lack of certain sorts of phasing distortion that is so common to all box speakers that no one even hears it anymore until they audition a Theil or Apogee.

Look! I understand why they do all the Bose bashing! I mean my doubled Acoustimass Series One monsters have 12 drivers and over 24 cable connections. Get any one wrong and it sounds like a steaming turd. But get them all correct and give the thing room to breathe a big living room with a few weeks of experimenting with the position and, well, you've died and gone to Heaven for about $40 from a thrift shop. But I think this:

First, most user never get Bose even hooked up right.
Second, they put the speakers in the wrong position for visual concerns.
Third, they f***ing do not use the right active EQ or hook that up all wrong or . . .
Fourth, they underpower them because Bose active EQ take LOTS of watts!
Fifth, they are so used to boxy loudspeakers that they can't hear better quality that sounds unfamiliar.
Sixth, they play nothing but rock and jazz which are not Bose strong suits; and
Seventh, because all good things come in 7s or 3s, they are fashionable-audiophile sheep that all bleat together.

Sorry, just saying . . .

Uncle Mitchell