Trying the last Bose Wave for the first time.
The Bose® Wave® SoundTouch® music system IV
Amongst the things you could always count on were death, taxes and a Bose® Wave® advert in the back of your Sunday magazine.
However if like myself you haven’t leafed through a Sunday supplement for a many a year, you might not be aware of the absence of the Bose Wave. They were discontinued a few years ago.
Now that the Wave has gone I’m wondering if it was actually any good, or was it, as so many claim, an overpriced and mediocre piece of tech sold to people with too much money who didn’t know any better. Seems like it’s time for an overdue and overlong video examination of the final model.
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I wasn't aware Bose even had stores.
It’s so funny to me that Bose would rather make that weird base unit instead of integrating a tiny daughterboard and a couple of new ports to the Wave.
I recently found a pair of Bose Triport AE1 headphones from 2004 at a Value Village thrift store/charity shop. They're without the active noise cancellation of the Quiet Comfort series but considering that I only use them with the computer in my bedroom, I don't really need the noise cancellation anyway. Reviews of these headphones were mixed in 2004, when they had a very hefty pricetag, but, considering I only paid ~$8 Canadian for them, they sound extraordinary.
My Grandmother has such a radio in her living room. It plays everyday from morning to evening for as long as I can remember, I think at least 15 years. Those are nice devices in my opinion and they're definitely no garbage.
And generally Bose is a very good brand. Same Grandmother owns a Bose TV with Hi-Fi System. Its a very early flatscreen and it still works fine and sounds incredible for a TV.
Aand, my father has a Hi-Fi System with 2 large Bose speakers. Both old, but they're one of the best-sounding speakers I've ever heard.
As many other people pointed out, Bose has an Incredibly good customer service.
I never understood the snobbery either. I've had many Bose products though the years – the 301 loudspeakers; The Acoustimass surround sound system; The original Wave radio; the original Wave music centre – all excellent quality and well made.
My only gripe was the AM radio sections weren't good quality – but then I'm an unusual AM fan.
I always classed Bose as decent, but over priced. The kind of device I was happy to find in a Holiday rental, but didn't want myself.
They were impressive for their size, but rarely was I limited on size etc.
We always had are Bose wave in the bed room it was excellent alarm clock. I always liked the sound. I have repaired a few of these they always so quick.
Let me tell you a well known secret: Sony and Bose had a licence agreement… Just google it.
Using a 2.5mm audio jack of unknown impedance as a VHF antenna connector hardly inspires confidence in their engineering department.
I always thought the Bose Wave was just snobby Bose speaker owners doing their own special wave at sporting events.🤔
I always loved these tabletop Wave units. I think the weak point in some of them seems to be the power transformer as I’ve repaired a few over the years. Years ago I was given a dead one which I repaired (bad transformer) and gave to my sister, she immediately fell in love with it and still uses it every day. I have one too that I bought used, love the sound quality and the form factor. I didn’t pay the crazy high price for a new one though, I’m sure the cheapskate in me would never allow that!
The reason for the hatred of Bose is because they were quite overpriced – the wave radios being $700+ for example. Sure they sounded good, but at that price point, you could get a really good system for the same money. A huge issue was spending that kind of money and seeing that you got cheap paper speakers inside the Wave radio (Bose had demos that showed the insides), which again, you're paying how much for them? Of course, the really big issue was the Lifestyle system – the surround system that used those tiny 2" cube speakers they advertised. Those systems were really expensive and in the end, the only reason they worked was overprocessing of the sound through extensive DSP usage. That, and they tuned the demo rooms to make them sound really good – none of the systems once set up at home sounded as impressive. I think the only other stuff like it would be B&O, but at least B&O try to make it sophisticated.
Really nice video about a nice system. But after what he said, the remote control seems to be the predetermined breaking point for this very system to me. Can you also commanded with the app alone or do you have a paperweight without the remote control?
This was interesting. People seem obsessed with low end and high end these days – but most of the joy and detail (not to mention information) is in the mids. I used to use those Bose Acoustimass things (with the separate sub), to save space when I lived on a narrowboat – far from perfect but just as you said, I always found that I enjoyed listening to them. Would like to try a set of 301's if only I had anywhere to put them!
I've enjoyed the Bose Soundlink II (colorful square bluetooth speaker) though it had some software glitches early on. A very reliable speaker otherwise.
Also the Bose Companion II series 3 speakers.
Just a pair of wired, powered computer speakers.. but I have always thought they sound fantastic.
Just beating out my previous favorite computer speakers, the old gray heavy Harmon Kardon ones.
Cheshire oaks is not the same without a bose store to browse whilst thinking I'm not paying those prices
I've had one of these in my bedroom for many many years! 15+ I presume. I've always sold it and upgraded it whenever they came up with the next better model! I currently have the latest one (from 2019) its still kicking. I got it for around $450 on a black Friday deal in 2019! Its absolutely the best given its size and features in my bedroom. I don't really care for what anyone says about Bose, this is a really good system, it sounds great, it feels good, and in my experience the app is flawless. Its too bad they discontinued it. What a shame.
Interesting Video and story about your replacement of the headphones from Bose. I can tell you that Bowers and Wilkins is quite the opposite on terms of customer service. I bought 2 Zeppelin Air (with Lightning connector) from Bowers and Wilkins about 10 years back when they came out and it was a disaster in service and quality. Although I liked the sound very much. For example they lost Wifi connection all the time. As customer you cannot send it to Bowers and Wilkins yourself. Instead I had to bring it back to an official Bowers and Wilkins shop and had too pay them to send it to the factory for "repair". 5 times It came back as "fine, no problem found". The the shop owner told me he stopped selling the Zeppelin completely because of all the issues he has with his customers. Until I did a bit of telephone terror to get someone on the phone from the repair department. He told me that there is a problem with the Wifi if you have a 2.4GHz snd a 5GHz with the same name. The Zeppelin would try to login tot he 5Ghz, but only supports 2.4Ghz and crashes.
The "easy" fix was to rename my 5GHz Wifi, but still they loose all settings every couple of weeks while plugged in to power and used(with phone on the Lightning connector). After a few SW updates that have been released over time that problem still persists. It is so bad that the "control" App does not even find the speakers anymore and you have to go thru the whole setup process every time.
Bowers and Wilkins never fixed any issues or provided an offer for refund. Needless to say I never bought any product from Bowers and Wilkins ever again.
Got 2 of these in boxes someplace. Should get them out!
Closed 4 years ago and people didn't notice…
I have some BOSE 301 series V connected to a mid 90’s SONY component system, I also have some JBL sound 5 connected and switch between the speakers with the buttons on the front of the amp because, the JBL sound better/bass driven for more modern electronic music like Dubstep, trance and modern Rap. Where as the BOSE speakers sound amazing playing something like Dire Straits or Jazz. People do like to poopoo BOSE but I like the ones I have.
I am surprised that TuneIn can still access BBC radio since 2023 when the BBC moved to a different format. TuneIn installed on different devices stopped getting them. FM.DAB radios with internet radio were not updated and can no longer get BBC stations. B&O runs their own B&O Radio along side TuneIn and they did update their service. Other companies with software updates dropped streaming and internet radio leaving it to the mobile phone to get the current app and then cast to the speaker. Most of these devices give nothing if the app no longer runs on your mobile device or the update to the app needs a later version of the operating system to install and it has possible for the latest app to exclude older models making them expensive paper weights.
I have also found that Windows Media player will not work with some of the speakers as DNLA support was removed yet uPnP can be made to work. The DNLA/uPnP media player on the NAS was accessible and the library searched but no track could be played.
When I used to work onstage. we used to use the All highs no lows thing whenever a show would turn up with 802s as the PA. It didn't mean anything as they would always have subs as well. It was more Pavlovian
wait! what's that song with the horns? i remember it from breakdancing as a young one but the name escapes me right now 😀
edit: it came to me. Manu Dibango – The Panther.
Cheers.
My brother bought me the same QC 25s for my birthday around 2014. I had no idea how expensive those headphones were, and would certainly not have spent that amount on headphones for myself.
But before I knew, I went through a period of walking in the bush here in Sydney 3.5 hours a day six or seven days a week. Those QC 25s must be tonka tough, because I used them in all sorts of hideous conditions, like sub-Hadean heatwaves, and thunderstorms where I waded in the flooded fords up to my calves. The headphones never reacted badly; they work perfectly to this day, a decade later.
4:58 ugliest knife I ever seen
When the first Wave unit came out, Bose was trying to get people to be part of their in-home demonstration team. I went to a sales pitch at their store in their small theater. The sound was provided by a Sony Betamax with PWM adapter (about the only way you could do digital audio back then). The advert was impressive sound though their 901 speakers. Only, they weren't 901s. At the end, they opened up the speaker cabinets to show it was really a wave radio. The other thing, their research showed that people appreciate good audio, but a number (particularly women) were turned off by the complexity of stereos and particularly the stereo buying experience. That's why the wave was super simple to operate and why they wanted in-home demonstrators.
Try searching with * at the start and end of the word, that implicates that there can be something before and after the search tag.
F.e. You want to get "Backstreet boys". The search for boys will be unsuccessful. The search for boys will yield results.
When it comes to apps, especially hardware companion apps, your best default is that they will be gone at the most inconvenient moment. A question of "when" and not "if".
Hardware has no costs after it's sold and out of warranty, whereas an app has at least periodic costs into infinity to keep it up with even the minimal API/store/etc. requirements.
My father bought one of these (well, an older model, must've been around 2006 or so? Probably even longer ago the longer I think about it.) from a magazine ad. Even at the time I was pretty sure it was way overpriced for what it was. But I have to admit, it did end up impressing me and got a lot of use over the years, mostly with aux-in in the later years. Sure it's no hifi, but it really was impressive what sound it could produces for it's form-factor.
It was only 2-3 years ago that they got a tv-soundbar + sub combo with bluetooth, that then mostly replaced the Bose for casual listening use.
All I remember about these things was the infomercial that played on loop for a good part of a decade. Glad it's a good buy! 😅
Why no left/right stereo test?
Looks rubbish tho, like a bedside clock.
10:19 Don't you wish that all people listening to YouTube were like that
When my (audiophile) dad passed away, my mum sold all the hifi gear, which she couldn't operate, and bought one of these. She has been really pleased with it, and I think it's great too.
If Bose electronics were so amazing, why did they stop producing them? I see their website has almost nothing. Those PA speakers are no longer around, too.
the real issue with these bose systems is longevity and repairability
basically no official parts exist, the wave systems went through a huge rash of failed power transformers and there's a lot of foam inside them that rots and turns to powder.
at least everything newer than a 901 series IV has cone surrounds that don't degrade
i see a piece of bose kit a couple times a month for repair and 95% or more of the time the only way to get parts is to buy a parts unit and bose loved to make identical units with different parts in them, i've seen 5 different mainboard designs in the same revision of wave radio no external indications
My parents have had a couple of these wave stereos over the years, and for how much space they take up they sound quite good to my ears.
Maybe test some electric shavers on the next episode … 🙄
Not if you value good audio quality.
Wait, this thing isn't even opened to look inside?
The dynamics, not only all cd’s but digital music in general.
You must live close to me – I'm in Chester. I remember the first store that I ever went in when Cheshire Oaks opened (omg a long time ago now) was the Bose store there which was huge! I didn't get round to visiting the one at Liverpool One. I was entranced by the Acoustimass systems especially as the satellite/seperate subwoofer concept was very new back then and now it's the norm. Great video
I wish I got a third one before they stopped making them…I love them.
I am going to buy all Apple, Dyson, Bose and Sonos. Then I'll go online and post about it in every niche space just to drive the contrarians insane.
I'm a millennial and I've always found Bose stuff to be pleasing to the eye, well put together, and with impressive sound. Plus expensive of course. I was also raised by a boomer GM automotive technician, so I associate Bose with Cadillac & Corvettes, etc. I was dumbfounded in the late 2000s to find the internet full of audiophiles saying Bose was trash. Yeah, the stuff is overpriced for what it is and the target market isn't sophisticated audiophiles — it's plug and play general consumers. But I'm glad to see I'm not the only one that likes their stuff. Bose feels sleek and fancy in a way other products don't.
Love seeing so many interesting stories in the commentaries. This video's (and this channel's) value is off the charts