[Russell Dawkins]

An entertaining analysis by Tyll Hertsens on the Bose SoundWear Companion Speaker:
https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/bose-soundwear-companion-speaker

Some original thinking here by Bose—credit where credit is due!

[Doublej]

Original thinking? when the article quotes products from 1979. 

[Russell Dawkins]

Original thinking? when the article quotes products from 1979. 

I take it either you think Bose in incapable of original thought or you didn't watch the video right through.

[DSkip]

What is the target audience of this product?  I think it will end up being a dud like the previous products mentioned because it serves no real purpose.  Perhaps I'm just not seeing it?

[JohnR]

Technology has advanced "just a little" in the last 20-30 years. There's a whole section called "Use Cases" in the linked article (3rd page). To those written there I would add late night listening when the headphones get too heavy, or if you need to move around a bit. Might work really well as a hands-free in the car as well.

[Russell Dawkins]

What is the target audience of this product?  I think it will end up being a dud like the previous products mentioned because it serves no real purpose.  Perhaps I'm just not seeing it?

I don't know who the target market might be, but I think one of Bose's strengths always has been knowing the market, which is why they are so successful. I think they put a disproportionate amount of their profits into very effective advertising and self promotion, such that often otherwise well informed people I have met over the years associate the name with quality—and seem to take it as a benchmark.

If forced to guess the target market, I think it could be gamers, especially used with a sub, based on the immersive aspect of the sound.

I think it's also worth mentioning that Bose occasionally does make some very effective products, albeit on the expensive side, always. Two categories that come to mind are:
1. clever line array PA systems for small (rooms of 100-500) applications that take advantage of the characteritics of line arrays in an innovative way by eliminating the need for stage monitors by allowing the line array to be near the performer due to inherent feedback immunity. This also places the sound source at the musician, where it really belongs, and
2. omnidirectional bluetooth speakers that perform very well—they sound good, even compared to the world's best, they look good and they have a very convenient form factor.

And...no, I am not on Bose's payroll. I just like to give credit where due and object to reflexive broadband dissing—even of Bose, the company that every real audiophile loves to hate.






Here's a good European comparison of the Bose Soundlink Revolve to a couple of other bluetooth speakers, the Revolve+ is better still. This series of videos by "clavinetjunkie" was what made me realize that Bose had now improved to the point that they were comparable to the current best—at least in this specialized field of speaker. They were actually directly comparable to the one I had liked best of this portable bluetooth type: the Vifa Oslo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvXVeqwo8Jc

[Doublej]

I take it either you think Bose in incapable of original thought or you didn't watch the video right through.

Wrong on both counts. I don't consider taking something from the 1970s and updating it with current technology(bluetooth, rechargeable battery, dsp) to be original.

Original is what Bose did with the Wave radio. I don't remember all of the details but it went something like this:

Take a clock radio. Add a bunch of new 'features'. Offer it with a free trial period. Market direct to consumer at super high price point. Have consumers call an 800 number and use heavily commissioned sales representatives to close the sale. Then if the customer called to return the unit offer them a significant discount to keep it.

Perhaps this too was not original but prior to the Bose Wave Radio I had not heard of anyone using similar techniques.

[JohnR]

I don't consider taking something from the 1970s and updating it with current technology(bluetooth, rechargeable battery, dsp) to be original.

You should probably read the article. The waveguide configuration and audio processing is original enough that Bose applied for a patent on it.

[JohnR]

Not to sidetrak the thread, but Dale the QC35II does have a purely passive mode. A 3.5 to 2.5mm cable is supplied.

[Doublej]

You should probably read the article. The waveguide configuration and audio processing is original enough that Bose applied for a patent on it.

I would expect nothing less from a company that threatened to sue (or did they sue) Thiel for putting a decimal point in their model numbers. IMHO just because has received a patent doesn't mean it is original or innovative. It just means a few people in a patent office have deemed it a new combination of things.

But I don't expect to change anyone's opinion on this thread. Bose is like Apple. They are brilliant companies but often not original.

To Dale's point super bass from a small speaker. It's is quite possible that Bose is doing what Philips did a number of years ago. Low bass generates higher order harmonics. Small drivers can't move enough air to generate low bass and thus cannot generate higher order harmonics. But you can inject the higher order harmonics that the driver can produce into the driver electronically and viola better perception of bass! Or they could just be boosting the mid bass.

Every Bose product I have heard in recent years has a warm prominent mid bass. Bose's acoustic signature. It's not bad, it just is what they do. Their target market loves it so they keep doing it and keep making boatloads of profit from it. That is very smart business.

Ironically if another company tried to do it they might fail miserably. It's all in the brand.

[JohnR]

It doesn't have a patent, they've applied for one. It's even linked from the innerfidelity article. Did you read the article?

[JohnR]

Don't know what the H4 does but with the power switch turned on and the cable plugged in, it takes the signal over the wire but has ANC on. I believe plugging the cable in turns off the bluetooth - the battery spec is twice as long in wired mode. With the power switch turned off, it's purely passive.

[Russell Dawkins]

I would expect nothing less from a company that threatened to sue (or did they sue) Thiel for putting a decimal point in their model numbers. IMHO just because has received a patent doesn't mean it is original or innovative. It just means a few people in a patent office have deemed it a new combination of things.

But I don't expect to change anyone's opinion on this thread. Bose is like Apple. They are brilliant companies but often not original.

To Dale's point super bass from a small speaker. It's is quite possible that Bose is doing what Philips did a number of years ago. Low bass generates higher order harmonics. Small drivers can't move enough air to generate low bass and thus cannot generate higher order harmonics. But you can inject the higher order harmonics that the driver can produce into the driver electronically and viola better perception of bass! Or they could just be boosting the mid bass.

Every Bose product I have heard in recent years has a warm prominent mid bass. Bose's acoustic signature. It's not bad, it just is what they do. Their target market loves it so they keep doing it and keep making boatloads of profit from it. That is very smart business.

I don't love Bose, either, and agree with your description of the general sonic signature of most of their product line—elevated bass levels and deep midrange suckout. I also lumped them into Monster Cable territory as regards apparent avarice in business tactics. One positive apparently is that they pay their employees well.

However, I've got to admit those bluetooth units are surprisingly good and don't seem to have the Bose sonic signature through the bass range. The bass actually sounds excellent. Did you llisten to the comparisons on the video I linked to? The sound is well recorded in binaural and should be heard through decent headphones, and the reviewer who seems to be intelligent and has methodically reviewed most of the best contenders in bluetooth speakers from around the world in the last two years has bought the Bose units for himself (and also the very good sounding Vifa Oslo which he compares to the Revolve here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi1x6UuIkI4)

[JLM]

Not many truly ground breaking innovations in audio in the past 35 years, so always good to find something "new" to talk about.

Thanks Russell.