Bose Lifestyle 12 Theater System
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- Included Components: Receiver Radio Tuner
- Number Of Speakers: 5 Speakers and Subwoofer
- Subwoofer Power Output: 350 Watts
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Bose Background Info
Pros
Good customer service
Cons
Horribly high priced for the sonic quality
Recommended it?
No
Naval's review on this Bose product really applies to almost all their products.
Bose hit the scene back in the mid-70's as I recall. At the time, I was selling stereo in an audiophile store when their first product, the Bose 901 came out. It was said to be revolutionary because of the build-in active equalizer circuitry and the reflecting sound idea. Yes, they were small in size and they were capable for playing very loud sound. They did have a fairly good bass response but I was never impressed with them when comparing them to other quality conventional speaker systems. The stereo image was a mess. They were sensitive to placement since they depended upon the rear wall or surface to bounce the rear-facing drivers. And, the frequency range was full of peaks and dips in the typical room. It was truly amazing what we found inside when we took one apart - cheap drivers, acoustic suspension stuffed with fibreglas and a clever equalizer that boosted the bass to make up for the lack of real bass. But, it was great for outdoor marching band music (try to localize each instrument from a bandshell in the park - I dare you!), if you like that type of program material.
I will say this, they had a slick marketing program and they aimed at the folks with a high disposable income level that didn't know a lot about audio. That was pretty smart. And that has been their forte ever since - produce clever, good looking, diminutive-sized audio products aimed at the well-heeled folks that don't know much about audio or don't have the time to do their research and trust the slick brochures and the brand name. The Bose Lifestyle 12, the Bose Radio, their small sub/satellite systems - all are capable of playing a loud sound, cost way too much and are not very accurate, sonically.
If you think you like the small sub/sat systems, look at Boston Acoustics, Cambridge SoundWorks and Infinity. If you like the Bose Radio (w/remote) look at the Cambridge SoundWorks. If the Bose 301 (conventional bookshelf speaker system) appeals to you, look at the Cambridge SoundWorks Model 17! As for the car stereos, again, the other respected car audio folks will provide you with a better sound at lower cost.
Yes, the products seem to be well put together and the customer service is topnotch. It's the lack of value and sonic quality that perturbs me!
Dr. Amar Bose has made a large fortune with his gimmicky approach to audio and his slick marketing programs. Save your money and get a better system from other manufacturers unless you just have to have his styling.
Jim Q
Bose hit the scene back in the mid-70's as I recall. At the time, I was selling stereo in an audiophile store when their first product, the Bose 901 came out. It was said to be revolutionary because of the build-in active equalizer circuitry and the reflecting sound idea. Yes, they were small in size and they were capable for playing very loud sound. They did have a fairly good bass response but I was never impressed with them when comparing them to other quality conventional speaker systems. The stereo image was a mess. They were sensitive to placement since they depended upon the rear wall or surface to bounce the rear-facing drivers. And, the frequency range was full of peaks and dips in the typical room. It was truly amazing what we found inside when we took one apart - cheap drivers, acoustic suspension stuffed with fibreglas and a clever equalizer that boosted the bass to make up for the lack of real bass. But, it was great for outdoor marching band music (try to localize each instrument from a bandshell in the park - I dare you!), if you like that type of program material.
I will say this, they had a slick marketing program and they aimed at the folks with a high disposable income level that didn't know a lot about audio. That was pretty smart. And that has been their forte ever since - produce clever, good looking, diminutive-sized audio products aimed at the well-heeled folks that don't know much about audio or don't have the time to do their research and trust the slick brochures and the brand name. The Bose Lifestyle 12, the Bose Radio, their small sub/satellite systems - all are capable of playing a loud sound, cost way too much and are not very accurate, sonically.
If you think you like the small sub/sat systems, look at Boston Acoustics, Cambridge SoundWorks and Infinity. If you like the Bose Radio (w/remote) look at the Cambridge SoundWorks. If the Bose 301 (conventional bookshelf speaker system) appeals to you, look at the Cambridge SoundWorks Model 17! As for the car stereos, again, the other respected car audio folks will provide you with a better sound at lower cost.
Yes, the products seem to be well put together and the customer service is topnotch. It's the lack of value and sonic quality that perturbs me!
Dr. Amar Bose has made a large fortune with his gimmicky approach to audio and his slick marketing programs. Save your money and get a better system from other manufacturers unless you just have to have his styling.
Jim Q
