Big Bad? Bose
Added 2024-11-23 22:35:53 +0000 UTCThis is the last of an unplanned three part series looking at relatively recently discontinued Bose Products.
I liked the Bose Wave Sound Touch IV, so surely its big brother will be even better…
I’d just like to give advance warning that there will be no video on Patreon next week. I’ve got quite a few off screen tasks to attend to so I won’t be able to get a new video made. I aim to get things back on track the week after.
Have a good couple of weeks, we’ll speak again in December, take care.
P.S. Apologies if you got an early version of this post in your feed. I double clicked 'Next' instead of single clicking...however the video hadn't finished processing to 4K.
Comments
Yeah I heard about Ozlo, but yeah I prob won't be able to drop $100+ on another pair of sleep buds. I got a pair of soundcore A20s they wouldn't block the sound of my partners snoring also the right piece battery would die before the left piece and wake me up. I sent them back to Amazon and the exact samething happened with the new pair which happened weirdly enough was the same problem with the Bose, maybe they used the same battery cells?. I use a pair of 10$ wired sleep buds from Amazon they block 100% of the sound and have a device that plays mp3s. I downloaded white noise video from YouTube as an mp3 and Bobs your uncle works all the time and covers all sounds. The wires take awhile to get use to but it works and that's all I care about.
Erik
2025-02-03 22:50:21 +0000 UTCThe engineers behind the sleepbuds started a new company called Ozlo, where they make a new version of those buds. If you're budget conscious, get the Anker Soundcore A20. I got a pair and I really love them! They play Bluetooth audio, as well as play any white noise you like while you sleep. And they can switch between modes automatically.
Asaf Sagi
2025-02-03 21:19:22 +0000 UTCOh, one more thing. I was (in general) very excited about Internet radio (I.e., stand alone radios that you could hook to WiFi and stream stations). I bought the Bose SoundTouch (4, I believe) with the internet radio add on. It worked like a charm, but I guess I didn’t realize that you can’t simply go to any URL but it had to be from a service (TuneIn, Spotify, etc.). However, you can stream from devices on the network to the Bose. That was cool! Thanks again, Mat. Love the video.
Dan Barrett
2024-11-30 15:23:29 +0000 UTCWow! You summed up my thoughts about this machine perfectly. I got my system in 2009, I think, and was so excited, but it just never lived up to what I thought it would be. Ironically, it nonetheless holds a place of pride on a shelf in the dining room for many reasons that have nothing to do with sound. I do sometimes feel I’m in a futuristic penal colony!!!!! Thanks for the video!!!
Dan Barrett
2024-11-30 15:18:50 +0000 UTCAfter seeing this video on patreon on showed up on my Facebook marketplace for £20.... A few days later it was £150... Wonder if they are oatreons also lol.
GraphicsMonkey
2024-11-30 10:29:28 +0000 UTCI had exactly the same feeling... Some office equipment 😂 Looks a bit plastic to me...
MrHammond
2024-11-26 19:27:39 +0000 UTCVery interesting, thank you!
Chris Horry
2024-11-26 17:05:48 +0000 UTCAnd that's the sticker. New bose are way overpriced. But used, far more appealing.
Andrew Peterson
2024-11-26 13:17:45 +0000 UTCHere is mine. Take it fully to bits. https://youtu.be/9UUcWpFhlKQ?si=oM78FVM6pOnZTDp-
Andrew Peterson
2024-11-26 13:16:25 +0000 UTCI've had two. When I first got it. I was impressed with the sound quality. It does the big room filling sound well. To the casual listener it sounds good enough. Bit like sonos today. But compare it to a bang and olufsen century it starts to sound muffled. https://youtu.be/fYyvKPimKyA?si=v3uuS9Vrlv3Z0HTn
Andrew Peterson
2024-11-26 13:15:33 +0000 UTCThe fun of it is when you find a receipt in a bag you can see what they purchased. 😉
Grace Robbins
2024-11-26 07:28:35 +0000 UTCHa ha would have been better
AzoriusMage
2024-11-25 21:23:33 +0000 UTCIt seems like it was designed to impress people when they walk up to it in a shop or at a trade show, and are going to be standing in front of it. How convenient it is to use once you're sitting halfway across the room is a consideration most people would only make once they already purchased it and brought it home.
VWestlife
2024-11-25 21:00:47 +0000 UTCIt was starting to look like a Sega Mega CD 32X with all of those add-ons!
VWestlife
2024-11-25 18:39:23 +0000 UTCYeah there are some Bose products that just suck. I think the bosses quiet comfort and wave radio are stables of good Bose. I have had so much crap by them... The sound sun glasses... Battery died.... Sleep buds barely worked and they discontinued them. It sucks I want to like the company.
Erik
2024-11-25 16:31:33 +0000 UTCInteresting that so many bad design decisions got through. I am not going to do the Bose is rubbish thing but I was never that taken with the way they sound, but probably not heard one in many years so not going to judge anyone how has one. Seemed like style over substance choice to make. A nice little Denon with some passive speakers always seemed a better choice for something compact. Interesting video, thanks as always.
AzoriusMage
2024-11-25 15:42:16 +0000 UTCI don’t plan to open it because it’s still working fine. I’m sure if you do a search on YouTube there will be dozens of tear down or repair videos on broken ones.
Techmoan
2024-11-25 15:01:05 +0000 UTCI never really got the hype behind these Bose systems, I'm sure the science is cool and interesting but whenever I heard them they just sound pretty meh to me. For the insane asking price I definitely never wanted to buy one. Could you do a follow up video where you open one up, or is that not possible to do without damaging the unit?
Chris Horry
2024-11-25 13:01:05 +0000 UTCThey aren’t a matching set so they wouldn’t fit on top of one another. The Wave IV is convex while the Acoustic Wave II is concave.
Techmoan
2024-11-25 11:04:37 +0000 UTCFor £70 you can’t complain…or at least I wouldn’t, but for £1000ish in 2017…
Techmoan
2024-11-24 22:05:37 +0000 UTCGood video. I bought one very much like this about two months ago. I really like it. I think I put a photo in the chat. It came with a stand and I have put it in the corner on my landing. I listen to it when I'm working in an adjacent room. I mostly bought it as a means to play CD's. The first time I used it I was sat on a chair in front of it and the stereo separation was very good, probably due to the angle of the speakers and me sitting centrally. The infra red remote receiver is sensitive enough to receive the signal bounced off a door and a wall. Really appreciated watching the video. My experience hasn't been as disappointing but I don't listen to as many systems 😊 Speaker technology and sound processing has really moved on as you said. Ultimately I am happy with my £70 purchase and will keep it in use 👍
Simon Arnold
2024-11-24 21:17:38 +0000 UTCGreat video. Part of me was hoping you had the early version with cassette! Sadly I have found that Bose has more than once on their products spoilt them with just a touch too much bass (for my personal taste).
Gideon Jones-Davies
2024-11-24 20:58:04 +0000 UTCWhat a weird system.. Looks like a big laser printer to me.. Especially those displays..I still kind of like the other one you demonstrated before.. I'd like to try one of those later.. But I got a B&O Overture.. I really like that thing! My house is really filling up with great stuff you review 😂
Bas van Schooten
2024-11-24 19:54:16 +0000 UTCI have a stacked one and a carousel. The carousel is faster but it holds 5 CDs and the stacked 7. The carousel is faster but both are old components so who knows when new.
Raul Ramos
2024-11-24 19:20:18 +0000 UTCI thought the same! I also got once a hifi compnent delivered like that.maybe the same chap I am all in for recycling though but...
Raul Ramos
2024-11-24 19:16:36 +0000 UTCI have designed a bunch of resonators on noise reduction applications... And it is a bit of a thing. you need a good pure signal. I believe the dynamic response and the electronic processing helped them a lot on the wave ii
Raul Ramos
2024-11-24 19:15:26 +0000 UTCMine came with a prism/lens through which the display became visible from afar. (This is a joke)
Vincenzo Zocca
2024-11-24 16:05:24 +0000 UTCFor a moment I thought that image of building was real. I should get some new glasses....hold on.
Techmoan
2024-11-24 15:38:10 +0000 UTCWith this one it just appears to be plastic slats on the front. I don't know if there's anything softer inside.
Techmoan
2024-11-24 15:36:43 +0000 UTCJust wanted to add: In DAB, station labels are sent through a dedicated data channel (called FIC), and the way this works hasn’t changed with DAB+. That's why the Bose can still show the full list of stations, even though it can’t play all of them.
Tunix
2024-11-24 14:15:26 +0000 UTCSeems to be the point where Bose started pushing style over substance, expecting existing customers to just buy, no matter what.
Phil Collins
2024-11-24 12:43:43 +0000 UTCYou'll never be wanting for small plastic bags any more.
Alan Lee
2024-11-24 12:37:38 +0000 UTCBear with me but I wonder about laying the bare unit on its front. I wonder how it'd affect the sound. You'd also have to add a 45 degree reflective *something* to make the remote continue to work.
evilution
2024-11-24 10:28:45 +0000 UTCThe one thing that always impressed me about Bose, is that they used to go bat-shit-bonkers with their designs, but in a sleek way, not like B&O which used to take bat-shit-bonkers to the next level 😂 Thanks Matt Lee
Lee Coles
2024-11-24 09:51:53 +0000 UTCLoving the snazzy new bins Mat
Jo Blobs
2024-11-24 09:51:25 +0000 UTCI bought a replacement DAB board for one of these (from the USA !) as the Sony S-XDR100CD uses the same DAB module board. The actual board isn't much bigger than a credit card so why the DAB unit has to be that big I don't know. It was also a waste of money as the radio wouldn't even boot with it fitted. I guess Sony load different software onto the board to Bose.
Duncan
2024-11-24 09:01:30 +0000 UTCEven cheap Personal Stereos were adding a three band equaliser by this point. Meanwhile Panasonic and Sony were moving over to the idea of a number of preset eqs with names like Rock, Jazz, and Classical.
Duncan
2024-11-24 08:52:44 +0000 UTCBrougt to mind a pair of old "jet stream" speakers my dad had from I think the 70's where they got more bass out of small drivers. They did work and sounded richer than or at least as rich as speakers twive their size. Tho again, speaker technology has moved forward so no real need for tricks like that. Or maybe they use some tricks still but they are not worth advertising.
J Ruonti
2024-11-24 07:28:34 +0000 UTCI've got to say: even if Bose spent those claimed millions of dollars for waveguide technology, you can't change physics. The waveguide might have added some more boomy-ness from really small drivers, but it's not going to be able to get as low (and controlled) as a dedicated subwoofer. Growing up, I had a nice pair of DCM bookshelf speakers my dad bought me. They were two way coaxial speakers with 6.5" woofers and nice tweeters. My dad had previously gotten in hot water with my mom when they had saved enough money for a dinning room table, but he came back with Bose 901 speakers. They were popular in the 70s for having reflective sound (mainly all arrays of 4" speakers in the back). With enough playing around of the locations of the speakers, heavily amping them, and applying EQ, the fans of the speakers really liked them. But when my parents would go out during a night, I'd try demoing the same songs on the Bose 901s vs my DCMs. The Bose just sounded compressed because there was no highs or lows. Nowadays also, people are just used to having real surround speakers with dedicated subwoofer. Not really sure how Bose can compete with speakers-they do have a segment with single BT portable speakers now. But now they seem most popular for headphone/earphones. When it comes to all the convoluted wiring of all modules with your video....this also reminds me of Bose's surround Acoustimass system. It's all proprietary cords for connecting the small sound drivers and bass module. They all become useless if you want to upgrade. I like with my conventional speaker system, I had a 7.1 system for blu-rays. I could have kept all the speakers I invested in, and upgraded my amplifier and added 4 height speakers for adding Atmos/DTS:X.
David Rosenberg
2024-11-24 04:52:23 +0000 UTCGiven its steep price, the device feels surprisingly basic. Aside from its touted "waveguide speaker technology," there’s little that makes it stand out, at least in terms of features or usability. In this price range, I would have expected more than a run-of-the-mill alphanumeric LCD module. On the plus side, it does retain physical buttons. However, the add-ons lend it a somewhat haphazard, "Frankenstein-esque" quality, especially the DAB module, which awkwardly repurposes the existing controls. The re-routed IR signal for the CD changer is a clever touch, but it still contributes to an overall clunky impression. It reminds me a little of Sega’s ill-fated attempts to rejuvenate the Mega Drive with the Mega CD and, later, the 32X - both of which came with a tangle of cumbersome cables. All of this might be forgiven if the Bose delivered truly impressive sound, but you don’t seem particularly wowed by it. I realise I’m dealing with multiple layers of inaccuracies on my end of the screen, but what came out of my speakers sounded rather muffled and unpleasant. The fixed EQ is undoubtedly a hard sell - it might improve the listening experience by chance, but it’s just as likely to make it worse. The recommendation to move the device around the room to adjust the bass response genuinely made me chuckle. You’d probably have better luck rearranging a smartphone in a cereal bowl. I think your video provided a fair review of the device. It’s also a good reminder that even products from major brands can be hit or miss.
Tunix
2024-11-24 01:42:49 +0000 UTCI've never owned a CD player with slots. Is there some felt out of sight to prevent scratching?
Brad Jones
2024-11-24 00:30:14 +0000 UTCI used to be a private investigator and I didn't even notice the glasses. I need to hand in my (non-existent) badge.
Andrew Torrance
2024-11-24 00:25:57 +0000 UTCNO HIGHS, NO LOWS, MUST BE BOSE, am I right.
c
2024-11-24 00:18:51 +0000 UTCIt can do Bluetooth via an external BT adapter plugged into the RCA inputs. It doesn't have to be the Bose accessory.
Gadgetman
2024-11-24 00:12:03 +0000 UTCCould you use the 5 disc CD changer with the Bose Wave Sound Touch 4 system, and can they be stacked together?
Gadgetman
2024-11-24 00:07:41 +0000 UTCAnd here I was thinking I would be the only one to notice. ☺️
Grace Robbins
2024-11-23 23:49:30 +0000 UTCAnother charity shop tester anecdote here - I always wince now when I see videos of discs or tapes being inserted into vintage devices. This is the major failure point of donated audio systems. I've lost many CDs, cassettes and VHS tapes this way. I keep a big stack of "sacrificial" media now. Live and learn.
Matthew Lawrenson
2024-11-23 23:48:02 +0000 UTC• Phew, I'm glad to see a new post from you today. • 13:58 - the song - how appropriate for both myself and the Bose. • I was hoping this had both CD and cassette - I can't always have everything. • Feeding the discs into the changer seems akin to force-feeding a spoon into a baby's mouth. Resistance to mushy peas is futile. • I'm in complete agreement regarding the lack of a display on the face of the item. It's like they were making the user experience harder than it deserved to be. • Tonight's viewing was on my phone. I may have different thoughts after watching it on TV tomorrow. • New eyeglasses? Quite nice. • This Bose reminds me of the style of 80's corporate high-rise buildings - cold and intimidating: https://ibb.co/XVThS4B Thanks for showing us this one. Nice video. Take care 🤍.
Grace Robbins
2024-11-23 23:46:48 +0000 UTCThat would look cool hanging on the wall in my garage. I think I'll stick with my $5 PC speakers though. It doesn't do Bluetooth!
David E. Blankenship
2024-11-23 23:45:11 +0000 UTCWithin five seconds... "Hmmm. Has he got new glasses?" 😀
Brad Jones
2024-11-23 23:42:56 +0000 UTCI've used a rotating 5 disc changer before and it was quick. Is this how the stacked cd changers work? Like for instance the old car ones, or was it quick in a car changer?
BlueChainsawMan
2024-11-23 23:30:03 +0000 UTCI liked the shot near the end, moving up from the bottom and over the top, it looked like a drone shot of a 70s 'futuristic' building.
David Peaker
2024-11-23 23:22:14 +0000 UTCI always wondered about buying the Bose Acoustimass 3 or 5 in the 80s/90s and wondered if I was missing out compared to the speakers I ended up getting from Richer Sounds.
Big Car
2024-11-23 23:19:17 +0000 UTCGood video, but it immediately made me think of my Ear, Nose and Throat doctor, because he had one of the first versions of this in his office playing easy listening radio. And blimey! I didn't even notice your glasses.
CrimsonPig808
2024-11-23 23:15:02 +0000 UTCIn order to adjust the bass, you may have to revert to methods used in the old Victrola days: "Put a sock in it!"😉 BTW, very retro-cool glasses. I think I'll have to get some like that--they look like my very first pair from 1974.👍
Mark Hesse
2024-11-23 23:11:57 +0000 UTCThey’re my new prescription glasses, so I’ll be wearing them for as long as I can.
Techmoan
2024-11-23 23:04:15 +0000 UTCI love those glasses! Keep wearing them in the videos. They are retro 70s looking.
Christopher Grandlienard
2024-11-23 22:46:44 +0000 UTC
