Klipsch and Bose

Dave2860

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I have had a set of Bose qc15 since Xmas and noticed that on reviews they arnt looked at to have the best sound quality so I though I would treat my self to some new in ears, klipsch image x10i and I was expecting a massive upgrade in sound quality but there's not much in it, I'd anything I prefere the Bose. So why don't the bose get really good sound quality reviews ? I know its a odd comparison but I they both preduce good quality sound so they can be compared... Thanks
 

dalethorn

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Dave2860 said:
I have had a set of Bose qc15 since Xmas and noticed that on reviews they arnt looked at to have the best sound quality so I though I would treat my self to some new in ears, klipsch image x10i and I was expecting a massive upgrade in sound quality but there's not much in it, I'd anything I prefere the Bose. So why don't the bose get really good sound quality reviews ? I know its a odd comparison but I they both preduce good quality sound so they can be compared... Thanks

I have wondered myself, but I think I know the answer partly at least. The people who are reviewing for "high fidelity" expect a "flat" response or nearly so, and the Bose QC-15 has a substantial bass boost. And then those same reviewers are such purists that they refuse to use EQ even for a fair review. So when I tried the Bose QC-15 at several places and used some bass reduction EQ, they sounded very hifi to me, i.e. pretty good. So I'm not saying that's the way anyone should listen - how you listen depends on many factors. All I'm saying is the reviewers are not giving the Bose a fair shake, by making unfair comparisons.
 

dalethorn

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Tonight I had a chance to test the Bose OE2i at the Apple store, and I bought them, for $180 USD. Unlike the Bose QC3 which is similar except for the noise reduction, the OE2i actually sounds pretty good on an iPod Touch or iPhone4 with Treble Booster EQ. The Treble Booster EQ does not make the OE2i bright by any means, but it does help to raise the treble to an acceptable level for mid-fi sound quality listening. I will have to spend more time with them to determine how they hold up long-term, but I played quite a few critical tracks and my results were:

Clarity and resolution: Average for this price range.

Dynamics: Good.

Upper harmonics of Bells, triangles, xylophone etc.: Good.

Bass: Light, but good impact with tracks that have strong impact. Good detail.

Mids: Good.

Treble: Recessed, needs boost.

One small problem with the OE2i, also noted in other reviews, is a buzz or rattle in one or both earcups with very strong bass at 30 hz and below. Bass drum whacks don't seem to produce the problem, and tracks with very strong bass such as Donald Fagen's Morph the Cat or Afro-Celt Sound System's Inion Daughter also don't produce the problem. But a couple of tracks I have do and those are the intro to Also Sprach Zarathustra by the Pasadena Symphony and one Bach organ piece by Virgil Fox. So I would not expect this headphone to buzz on more than one track per one thousand, but still I haven't experienced buzzing with a headphone since the Koss High Velocity series of the late 1970's.
 

Clare Newsome

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Dave2860 said:
I have had a set of Bose qc15 since Xmas and noticed that on reviews they arnt looked at to have the best sound quality so I though I would treat my self to some new in ears, klipsch image x10i and I was expecting a massive upgrade in sound quality but there's not much in it, I'd anything I prefere the Bose. So why don't the bose get really good sound quality reviews ? I know its a odd comparison but I they both preduce good quality sound so they can be compared... Thanks

Well WHF have given the Bose headphones an Award two years running, praising their sound quality....
 

Lee H

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I had QC3s and then bought a pair of Klipsch X10i; I ended up selling the Bose. Fit is critical with the Klipsch. Get the fit right and (IMO) they blow the Bose away. Eventually, I got a set of custom gels and that made things better again.
 
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Anonymous

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Bose do get a lot of criticism for supposedly being over priced for the sound quality, but a lot of hifi is like that. They also do their own thing with their designs and product range and going by the marketing blurb are sure their way is the right way, which maybe irritates some people. They are a classic example of a 'marmite' brand.

I have an original Sounddock, still going strong after 6 years. I don't like their headphones for their fit, but think they sound very good with excellent dynamics.
 

Lee H

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The Walking Dead said:
I have an original Sounddock, still going strong after 6 years.

Indeed, and my PC speakers are a set of Bose and I think they sound good. We've even got a set in the kitchen. I think part of the problem with Bose is that generally you can get better for less; this is especially true of their Lifestyle systems. I had a lifestyle system, sold it on eBay and bought an AVR and set of used Kef 2005s with enough left over for a bag of chips on the way home.
 

dalethorn

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Some of the Bose headphones sound very good, and when you take into account both sound and features, they offer good value. But if the product needs replacing a lot, not so good. My QC2 broke 3 times in one year, used indoors, no abuse or strain on it ever. The headband broke on one side - simply fell apart from disintegration of the plastic. I have small birds in my apartment so I know there were no chemicals in the air at any time. The headband then broke on the other side. Both times I taped it up. Then the third time, just after the warranty expired, the sound quit on one side. Batteries, wiggling cord, nothing helped.

I bought a OE2i yesterday, so maybe this one will last forever.
 

dalethorn

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bigboss said:
Did you speak to Bose for a discount on new phones?

Check this: http://www.whathifi.com/forum/headphones-etc/bose-quietcomfort-15-for-£109-massively-impressed

From what I've heard, their customer service has gotten better in the 7 years since I had the QC2. I don't really know what the failure rate is currently with their products, but my new OE2i should be a good test case. If it turns out that 90 percent of Bose customers are well-to-do and just toss the defective items, then their return rate could be artificially low. I've had zero failures on every headphone I've bought (20-plus) in the past year, except for one specific model, and that model I've had 4 of and all 4 failed. So if this OE2i holds up, it could generate new sales for them. My review of the OE2i was more favorable than most, BTW.
 
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Anonymous

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Klipsch X10/X10i are an overpriced, totally overrated iem. You can do waaaaay better for the money.
 

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