What Bose is good at is making products that appeal to non-audiophiles--which, if you think about it, is very smart business. Yes, their speakers are small (to appeal to people who have other priorities besides sound), and that Bose sound does jump out at you--very impressive unless you realize how unrealistic it is.
There's an undercurrent of snobbery here that doesn't speak well for audiophiles in general. And I wonder if sometimes it's a substitute for actual experience. How many audiophiles who believe that the mass-market companies cannot compete with the high-end "names" on sound quality have ever done side-by-side comparisons of, say, Denon and Rotel? Or are we just repeating a received wisdom that happens to confirm our own brand loyalties?
There's an undercurrent of snobbery here that doesn't speak well for audiophiles in general. And I wonder if sometimes it's a substitute for actual experience. How many audiophiles who believe that the mass-market companies cannot compete with the high-end "names" on sound quality have ever done side-by-side comparisons of, say, Denon and Rotel? Or are we just repeating a received wisdom that happens to confirm our own brand loyalties?