September 11th 05, 08:56 PM
Looking to get a set of Bose Companion 3's. I'd like to get others
thoughts on this 2.1 PC speaker system. I have listened to them at
Circuit City, CompUSA, Best Buys, and other stores but oddly enough, in
every single store demo they had setup, one of the speakers put out
normal volume level whereas the opposite speaker only put out about
half. It's hard to entirely trust the store display because you don't
know who (or how it is setup), nor do you know how badly the last
customer(s) have abused the system (punched in woofer cones, pushed it
past 100db, tugged on the wires, etc.).
*Offnote here - In comparing these head to head with some of the other
comparably priced systems, I must say the Logitech z-5500 are some
system ($265 on Slickdeals.com)! The powerful sound flows effortlessly
out of the woofer and the mids. I didn't bother to look much further
because I don't have room for a 5.1 system but it sounds quite
impressive.
Getting back to the topic: When comparing the Companion 3's with other
2.1 systems such as the Logitech Z-2300 THX certified, and Klipsch
2.1's I thought the biggest difference was in the highs. The Logitechs
sounded flat. Stereo separation was non-existent. The Klipsch's sounded
better. Their response was livelier and brighter than the Logitechs.
When the cymbals in "My Goodies" by Ciara rang from left to right (and
then right to left) in my test CD it was apparent that stereo
separation and clarity was vastly superior in the Companion 3's. This
is the biggest reason I plan on making this system my next purchase. I
love listening to clear spacial highs and stereo separation ranks very
high on my "priority list".
The bass in all 3 systems was tight, controlled, and had the potential
to get very loud! The Bose system seemed a little weaker in this
category however. The Logitech and Klipsch both seemed to have the edge
here with a lower end. Not a big deal for me. I do not need window
shattering bass.
Cons: the biggest problem I have with the Companion 3's is there seems
to be something missing in the midrange. It is blatantly obvious from
the moment you turn it on. I made effort to listen for any drop off in
voice reproduction or mid bass sounds but couldn't find any. Perhaps if
I had more time to listen to these speakers rather than testing them
inside a store I would be able to assess this weakness more in depth.
The highs are a bit bright. Bose may have "boosted" the higher
frequencies in some areas but this detraction is not significant.
Reviews on Amazon and other sites don't reveal any other glaring
weakness other than the lack of midrange. I hope someone else can give
their opinion here.
thoughts on this 2.1 PC speaker system. I have listened to them at
Circuit City, CompUSA, Best Buys, and other stores but oddly enough, in
every single store demo they had setup, one of the speakers put out
normal volume level whereas the opposite speaker only put out about
half. It's hard to entirely trust the store display because you don't
know who (or how it is setup), nor do you know how badly the last
customer(s) have abused the system (punched in woofer cones, pushed it
past 100db, tugged on the wires, etc.).
*Offnote here - In comparing these head to head with some of the other
comparably priced systems, I must say the Logitech z-5500 are some
system ($265 on Slickdeals.com)! The powerful sound flows effortlessly
out of the woofer and the mids. I didn't bother to look much further
because I don't have room for a 5.1 system but it sounds quite
impressive.
Getting back to the topic: When comparing the Companion 3's with other
2.1 systems such as the Logitech Z-2300 THX certified, and Klipsch
2.1's I thought the biggest difference was in the highs. The Logitechs
sounded flat. Stereo separation was non-existent. The Klipsch's sounded
better. Their response was livelier and brighter than the Logitechs.
When the cymbals in "My Goodies" by Ciara rang from left to right (and
then right to left) in my test CD it was apparent that stereo
separation and clarity was vastly superior in the Companion 3's. This
is the biggest reason I plan on making this system my next purchase. I
love listening to clear spacial highs and stereo separation ranks very
high on my "priority list".
The bass in all 3 systems was tight, controlled, and had the potential
to get very loud! The Bose system seemed a little weaker in this
category however. The Logitech and Klipsch both seemed to have the edge
here with a lower end. Not a big deal for me. I do not need window
shattering bass.
Cons: the biggest problem I have with the Companion 3's is there seems
to be something missing in the midrange. It is blatantly obvious from
the moment you turn it on. I made effort to listen for any drop off in
voice reproduction or mid bass sounds but couldn't find any. Perhaps if
I had more time to listen to these speakers rather than testing them
inside a store I would be able to assess this weakness more in depth.
The highs are a bit bright. Bose may have "boosted" the higher
frequencies in some areas but this detraction is not significant.
Reviews on Amazon and other sites don't reveal any other glaring
weakness other than the lack of midrange. I hope someone else can give
their opinion here.