Paulsax, Too bad high end audio manufacturers don't know how to market their products. They continue to advertise in the same old magazines with declining subscriptions. Not only are the subscriptions declining, but they have also disappeared from the magazine racks as well. You forgot to mention price. Bose has managed to keep their products affordable, unlike high end audio manufacturers. The Bose 901 is their most expensive product with a retail price of $1400 including speakers, stands and dedicated equalizer. I recall my brother stopping by to hear my Dunlavy speakers with Audio Research electronics. He liked the sound, but he was not willing to take out a second mortgage to buy a high end stereo system.
But what this really boils down to is taste or is it? There are many high end companies and either you like their products or you don't. Nobody likes all high end products. Some are warmer sounding and others are cooler sounding. Some have better bass and others are more open. So, what is it about Bose? It's more than just the sound. It's like some entity has created a hatred for Bose by starting rumors. An entity that feels threatened by a company that can actually produce their product at a reasonable price and sell it for a profit. Maybe it is even deeper than that. Maybe it is national/ethnic or maybe it is religious. This is something we may never know, but from what I have seen this is much deeper than just a matter of taste in an audio product. Why else would Michael Fremer take it upon himself to bash a successful man at the time of his death and make an all out effort to degrade a successful company. Does Michael represent a specific group of people? Who knows?
