Nice little speaker...for the money
Written: Aug 24 '02
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Pros: Good looks, small, very lifelike sound at higher listening volumes, price.
Cons: Poor-quality build materials, very lacking lower-end, shy mids, no good for low-level listening.
The Bottom Line: Save up and buy better speakers, whether they are bookshelf or floorstanding. There are better speakers out there for a small amount of added cash.
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| odor007's Full Review: Bose 201 IV Main / Stereo Speaker |
This review will be on the Bose 201's as stereo sound goes, not home theater. As most of us know, home theater sound with speakers, players, and receivers is hugely different to stereo sound, so one product that's a fantastic home theater product may be horrible solely for music.
The Bose 201 is a nice little package for the $250 (new) price tag--it's a fair deal, an equal quality to price ratio. But for the prices on the internet, these speakers are actually quite nice for $100 or $150. What does the average person want in a speaker? Well, to start, good sound. But for many people size, looks, and price matter just as much. I bought these speakers when I was only about 16, after buying some higher-end Harman Kardon equipment, and I simply ran out of money to buy higher-quality speakers to compliment and bring out the full potential of my other components. So, because I only had about $250 to spend left, and because I had heard good things about Bose, I bought these speakers. But don't get me wrong...I didn't just buy them because of the name or the marketing...I listened to many speakers in this general price range at a private listening area at Good Guys, and thought these were the best. Since that experience, I have learned a lot about audio, and have been elevated from your everyday casual listener to a more-knowledgeable (especially for my meager age) audio enthusiast. So here's the deal:
Bass: As one would expect, these speakers are severally lacking in the lower-end, and the worst part is that there's no way around it. I usually have the bass at about a six out of twelve on my receiver, which produces almost no bass with these speakers, but turn that knob up any further and the mids and highs begin to drown in a boomy blob of sound. Of course there is the option of adding a subwoofer, but I am one of those audio purists, so adding an artificial outside source like a subwoofer to my set-up would, in my opinion, do more harm than good. I do however take advantage of placement, which is a key with all Bose speakers, considering the "stereo everywhere," multi-directional design. So my advice is to keep these in corners or close to walls, which will result in much more presence in bass. Yes, it will be inaccurate and boomy, not deep, natural or tight, but the alternative is having them away from all walls, which results in TINY little punches of bass. I don't recommend keeping most speakers near walls or corners though, because usually that's a bad idea--it can ruin bass, and add an unwanted boom. But in a speaker with no bass to begin with, there's not really an alternative.
Mids and Highs: These speakers have average mids and highs, although both tend to sound sweet, which makes them a fantastic speaker (considering size, looks, and price), especially for classical fans. No, they?re not flat and balanced, but most people can?t tell the difference in this area anyway. Horns also sound good, but try these speakers with a complex jazz recording, and you probably won't be too impressed. Vocals sound very lifelike with these speakers, and rock has a good soundstage, but again, the drums, bass, guitar and other instruments just don't exist as they should?as separate instruments. If an instrument is solo?for example so tracks on Eric Clapton Unplugged, the guitar sounds lifelike. If the vocals are what really stand out on a recording, then these will make the vocals sound great. If there is a drum solo, you will enjoy hearing the sound of each drum and the clash of a symbol (which is more metallic than brassy), but when you get into more complex recordings with multiple instruments, only the highs stand out, because there is no bass.
Build: Well here's the part that makes Bose an infamous brand, hated by many audiophiles. Bose has very believable marketing techniques, but when you actually inspect these speakers they aren't built well at all--a cheap plastic exterior houses the speaker, which is made of paper cones complimented by a crappy woofer. While other companies, such as JBL, are using much more advanced materials in their cones, such as titanium, Bose uses paper with the 201's--which doesn't help out that problem with the bass. A strong suggestion I have is to buy nice stands for these speakers, which will do a number of things. It will firstly raise the speakers off the floor or shelf for ear-level listening, which hugely increases the soundstaging. Secondly, it can make the speakers look nice in a room with any type of furniture. And lastly, it can reduce the tangle of cables and wiring.
In summary, Bose is a reputable brand that everyone has heard of, and for a reason--they are making very competitive products with a very reasonable price tag (in some departments). Of course the bass is lacking on the 201?s, of course the mids and highs aren't fantastic, but what do you expect for $200? For that price, especially with classical music, you get a good soundstage and balanced, lifelike music re-production. I would recommend holding off and saving enough money to buy better speakers if you enjoy rock, jazz, rap, blues, pop, or most other types of music--basically classical is the only chance these speakers have to shine. There are definitely better bookshelf speakers for more money if you need to save space and are therefore insistent on bookshelf, but if you have a bigger room, definitely look into floorstanding speakers. They look great, and tend to solve most of the problems bookshelf speakers tend to have. Since I bought the Bose I have bought a few speakers, including Klipsch bookshelf and Wharfedale floorstanding, and although the last two mentioned are much better than the Bose, I still don?t regret purchasing the 201?s. Bottom Line? Buy more expensive speakers. These won't dissappoint the average listener, but you can do better if you research. I should also point out something that many people tend to either forget or want to ignore--the better the components, the better the speakers will sound. If you have a cheap Sony receiver and player you bought at Best Buy and RCA cables, don't expect these to be anything special. I have Harman Kardon components and high-end Monster cables, and I was at first impressed with these considering the price they were.
Bose is a solid brand that probably shouldn't be hated nor elevated to worship status--good prices, good looks, good price, but at best average sound to the more discerning listener--but for someone looking to upgrade from their radio, or is just getting started in the audio world, these are a nice little package for the money.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 260
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Epinions.com ID:
odor007
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Reviews written: 7
Trusted by: 0 members
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