# best speakers for music? M-Audio vs. Bose



## parksung (Feb 9, 2006)

i've got a Macbook and am using the JBL Duet 2.0 speakers for my living room (500sq ft), but they're not big enough. they're great for a bedroom, but not the full sound i want for a larger space.

i'm used to having GOOD stereo systems but have downsized for space-saving sake to computer speakers.

between the M-Audio AV 40, M-Audio DX 4, Bose Companion 3 and Bose Companion 5 speakers, which one would be the best for music (not games, sometimes movies)? i want the fullest sound without bass that is too clouded and without treble that's too thin.

i've heard the Bose Companion 3 & 5s, but not the M-Audios. based on reviews, i'm leaning towards the M-Audio AV 40s...

advice, opinions?


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## zarquon (May 24, 2005)

I'm kinda partial to my Genelecs. 

But then that's just me.

Z.


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## parksung (Feb 9, 2006)

iUpgrade said:


> For music you can't beat a good 2.0 speaker set. My vote is for the M-Audio's. If you can afford it look at the M-Audio BX5's they offer a cleaner low end (bass). If you don't need that much power then the AV40's should be fine.


thanks..even though the BX5 doesn't have direct input for iPod, i can get cable adapter, and for 70W vs. 20W, it may be worth the $100 extra..though i still need to hear them!


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## Guest (May 14, 2008)

zarquon said:


> I'm kinda partial to my Genelecs.
> 
> But then that's just me.
> 
> Z.


hehe I love my Genelecs too, but I think they are beyond the budget that most people are looking for when they say "computer speakers"


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## Andrew Pratt (Feb 16, 2007)

Bose is first and foremost a marketing company...better sound though marketing is pretty much sums up Bose. That's not to say they don't make good products...its just consumers typically don't seem them and the consumer Bose gear is over priced for the performance. There's quite a few good options for sound but to help narrow the field what's your budget?


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## parksung (Feb 9, 2006)

Andrew Pratt said:


> Bose is first and foremost a marketing company...better sound though marketing is pretty much sums up Bose. That's not to say they don't make good products...its just consumers typically don't seem them and the consumer Bose gear is over priced for the performance. There's quite a few good options for sound but to help narrow the field what's your budget?


under $300 is my budget, but now i'm actually looking at MONITORS more than systems with subwoofers for spacesake, such as the Yamaha HM-50 along with the M-Audio BX5s...


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## Silv (Mar 28, 2008)

I checked out the B&W Zeppelin and fell in love with it.


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## Sualocin (Nov 7, 2007)

I have the Bose Companion 3 speakers for my computer. I'm no audiophile and this is a pretty small bedroom but at full volume it still pumps out clean sound that can be heard through the whole house. I really like the little control pod that comes with it too. Not sure if other speaker sets come with that or if that's a big selling point for you.


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## Guest (May 15, 2008)

parksung said:


> under $300 is my budget, but now i'm actually looking at MONITORS more than systems with subwoofers for spacesake, such as the Yamaha HM-50 along with the M-Audio BX5s...


I owned (for a very brief time) a pair of HS80M's (the HS50M's big brothers). I hated them -- they sounded very harsh which led to audio fatigue very quickly. They were also surprisingly very lacking in low mids. I also listened to the BX5's, they were smoother, but still not great .. they lacked a lot of upper midrange. That's a very tough price point for buying monitors.

That said I don't have a good suggestion aside from going to a pro-audio shop and listening to whatever you can find in your budget and make your own call if you're serious about getting decent monitors.

Also, Bose are not in the same caliber. As a previous poster stated they are better at advertising than building good sounding speakers.


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## Bighead (May 3, 2005)

Check out the Edirol (Roland) as well.

MA-15D

I like the SPDIF direct input...

My $0.02.


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## hhk (May 31, 2006)

I bought the M-Audio $99 amplified speakers at Long & McQuade for my daughter's book shelf. She plugs them into her iBook and the sound is great. Very clean, unadulterated sound. I personally avoid all Bose products. Goes back to the days when they were producing ****e speakers and foisting them on the unsuspecting public with clever marketing.


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## 850 (Apr 24, 2008)

Andrew Pratt said:


> Bose is first and foremost a marketing company...better sound though marketing is pretty much sums up Bose.


Thats a rather dramatic statement. I would say that statement is debatable because Bose has fabricated some VERY innovative technology that makes their products unique. I am not here to start an argument with anyone or cause any problems but I am just saying that statement is rather false.

Now to answer your question as to what speakers I would recommend the list goes as follows, in no particular order:

1) Bose Companion 3 Series II (Companion 5 Series II if you prefer surround sound)

2) Bang and Olufsen Beolab series

3) Harmon Kardon Sound sticks

4) Klipsch ProMedia GMX A-2.1

5) If you prefer not to have a sub, but want excellent performance you have to check these out!

Computer MusicMonitor - Computer Speaker Systems

These things envelop you with beautiful stereo sound thats crisp, and clean. And the bass has very respectable authority!


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## PierreB (Mar 5, 2007)

*another option to consider: audioengine A2*

One great speaker but a little bit on the expensive side (approx. $200), is the Audioengine A2. They are quite small have a built-in amplifier in one of the speakers and reproduce very clear sound. You can get an idea of them on Audioengine - Powered stereo speakers for your home and office. Custom built for iPod and other MP3 audio players.. You will have to look around to find them as their distribution in Canada is not that great and you cannot back from the US online store.


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## Andrew Pratt (Feb 16, 2007)

> Thats a rather dramatic statement. I would say that statement is debatable because Bose has fabricated some VERY innovative technology that makes their products unique.


Bose has indeed patented several idea's...though many weren't necessarily their idea's and honestly innovative doesn't always mean better sound. They do make some good equipment but most of that is sold in their pro line which is much different then the consumer stuff sold at Best Buy etc.


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## ZRXer (Jan 18, 2007)

850 said:


> Thats a rather dramatic statement. I would say that statement is debatable because Bose has fabricated some VERY innovative technology that makes their products unique. I am not here to start an argument with anyone or cause any problems but I am just saying that statement is rather false.


I know there is a contingent of Bose fans everywhere, but I'm not one of them and tend to agree with the fact that Bose markets the hell out of crappy products and typically any innovations they've come up with end up in the professional line, or on the cutting room floor because they're too expensive to put into THEIR production plans. I've always liked this guy's writeup on Bose products - it's a bit slanted but there is a lot of fact in it too. It's an eye-opener if you think they are the best thing out there. Check it out.

cookiefactory: BOSE: Buy Other Sound Equipment

I love my Genelecs too - funny that others have mentioned them too. Fantastic active monitors, but substantially higher than the budget price. I would definitely suggest a 2.0 system as mentioned earlier, and if built and engineered well - it can exist without a sub. Of course, most of them will benefit from a good quality sub under the desk as well. Good luck in your search - let us know which way you end up going.


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## spitfire1945 (May 17, 2008)

I am sorry if anyone mentioned this above but don't get the M-Audio speakers

...because they are not speakers, they are studio monitors. They are meant to dull down music to the least bit of frequency possible. So you get a flat and not so rich sound out of them. Hence, they are mainly designed for audio production.

Speakers from Bose and such are designed to enhance the frequencies like the higher 1200s for that nice high hat action and all the way down to the 45s for that rich bass sound.

With that being said I would recommend the Logitech Z-5500s because they have a built in decoder for DTS and Dolby Digital input. Plus they are one of the few speakers that have an optical in. You can also get a mini to toslink optical cable and you will be able to achieve full 7.1 surround sound in digital out of them. The z-5500s have an RMS of 505 watts and they peak out at 1000w. Absolutely brilliant speakers and highly recommended. 










Good luck mate!

EDIT: OH ONE LAST THING.... BOSE is overrated. Don't believe the Hype.


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## 850 (Apr 24, 2008)

ZRXer said:


> I know there is a contingent of Bose fans everywhere, but I'm not one of them and tend to agree with the fact that Bose markets the hell out of crappy products and typically any innovations they've come up with end up in the professional line, or on the cutting room floor because they're too expensive to put into THEIR production plans. I've always liked this guy's writeup on Bose products - it's a bit slanted but there is a lot of fact in it too. It's an eye-opener if you think they are the best thing out there. Check it out.
> 
> cookiefactory: BOSE: Buy Other Sound Equipment





Again not here to cause a problem but.... You CANT take everything you read on the internet as 100% accurate. This article does NOT provide 110% solid evidence that the Bose brand is inferior as you and the article have suggested. There is one MOST important rule of all!

1) Numbers don't determine sound quality!!!!!!!!!!! YOUR ears DO!!!!! 

No need to explain my self further.


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## spitfire1945 (May 17, 2008)

850 said:


> 1) Numbers don't determine sound quality!!!!!!!!!!! YOUR ears DO!!!!!


What if your ears aren't well trained to do so


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## 850 (Apr 24, 2008)

spitfire1945 said:


> What if your ears aren't well trained to do so


lol well, my ears seem to like the models that I have specified in the list that I have fabricated in my previous post. Everyones ears are different. Now if you want to get into a debate with regards to home audio, I like these brands:

1) Paradigm

2) Bowers & Wilkins

3) Klipsch

4) Bose (901 Series)

5) Dynaudio

This list of course is in no particular order


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## Guest (May 19, 2008)

> ...because they are not speakers, they are studio monitors. They are meant to dull down music to the least bit of frequency possible. So you get a flat and not so rich sound out of them. Hence, they are mainly designed for audio production.


That post makes no sense at all, studio speakers "dull down music to the least bit of frequency possible" ???? Studio monitors usually tend to represent _accurate_ sound, not "pleasing" sound. BIG difference there. No dulling down and certainly not to the least bit of frequency possible.


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## spitfire1945 (May 17, 2008)

I am sorry but did I hurt your feelings?

all I meant to say was this:

They maintain the level of your sound so it sounds as flat as possible (call it whatever you want but I call it that) hence, they are not meant for entertainment purposes so don't get them. 

Honestly do you want me to get into the whole sound spectrum and equalizations here or what?

I am sorry you couldn't understand me and had a fit about it


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## Guest (May 19, 2008)

spitfire1945 said:


> I am sorry but did I hurt your feelings?
> 
> all I meant to say was this:
> 
> ...


Breathe buddy, just trying to present correct information, no one is having a fit. Your statement just didn't make any sense at all. After your first statement I definately don't want you to get into the whole sound spectrum and equalizations or I will be even more confused :yikes: 

As for as flat as possible, yes they present a flat _response_ ... they do not make your music flat.

P.S. I love listening to music on reference monitors, it's the best way of listening to it. If I could afford it I'd have a set of Genelecs on my surround system for watching movies too :clap: 

P.S.S. I'm a pro sound guy and have been for 20 years, you'll have to trust me that I'm giving you proper information here ...


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## spitfire1945 (May 17, 2008)

mguertin said:


> Your statement just didn't make any sense at all.


oooh.. whoops sorry my bad

Hey did the OP decide on something yet? We told him to get anything but the M-Audio Dx series or the Bose speakers. I love how useless we are sometimes haha!


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## feggymango (Oct 14, 2004)

Dynaudio

Dynaudio Acoustics Home


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## gggfff (Dec 18, 2006)

feggymango said:


> Dynaudio
> 
> Dynaudio Acoustics Home


Those may be a little out of his budget :greedy: 

M-audio -> DYN


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## JKD (Jan 20, 2003)

*Depends on what you want*

Hi,

Without re-stating the obvious, it really depends on what you expect, and there are many avenues.

Most decent plug n' play monitors sound OK and the best advice is to tote your pod along to a store and try them.

BUT, if you want to take it to another level, there are some really good options.

Without going the DAC route into your sound system, the hands down best little rig I've ever heard is this one (and it's Canadian!)...

Audiobyte Computer Speakers - AxiomAudio

That little rig with the sub will rival any consumer level stereo system you can find for double the price.

If it is in your budget, try them out. 30 day Money back.

z


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## Macaholic (Jan 7, 2003)

Genelics are an absolute pleasure to work on (mix music). They are awesome studio monitors. They in now way "flatten" sound, and in fact most consumer speakers colour or exaggerate particular frequencies. The result is that there's a common misperception as to what makes a good sound "good".

If one wants to hear what was originally INTENDED by the artist, then a flat _frequency response_, where no band of frequency is coloured by the speakers, is most desirable. That being said, Genelics and other studio reference monitors don't come cheap... and I'd suspect that regular folk using them in their living rooms would be rare (although I'm sure mguertin was just kidding about suggesting them as an option).

We have a Logitech set in the living room (less sophisticated than the set suggested earlier), and I'm surprised at the bang for the buck they give!

And while we're at it, the best bang for the buck for UNBELIEVABLY great sounding personal audio would have to be the Etymotic ER6i in-ear buds. Again, different people will have different palettes when it comes to sound, but these earbuds are excellent in my opinion: balanced sound, precise reproduction -- and the "BASS" is there when it was mixed that way. They're my desert island earbuds.


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## rb42 (Jan 21, 2005)

*Cheap but Good Speakers*



parksung said:


> i've got a Macbook and am using the JBL Duet 2.0 speakers for my living room (500sq ft), but they're not big enough. they're great for a bedroom, but not the full sound i want for a larger space.
> 
> i'm used to having GOOD stereo systems but have downsized for space-saving sake to computer speakers.
> 
> ...


When I used to work in a retail music audio store I preferred the KRK speakers in the lower price range.

Check otu KRK here:Rokit

Stay away from BOSE, overpriced garbage in my opinion , we had a saying in the store "No Highs, No Lows gotta be Bose!!"


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## RunTheWorldOnMac (Apr 23, 2006)

I checked out the M-Audio Audiophiles (BX5) and was very impressed. I want to use them as studio monitors, I am currently using an RCF 200A which is to deep a sound for where I live now. I intend to pick up the BX5 or 8s, not sure but the BX5s will certainly do.


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## PoliceDog (May 1, 2008)

As a radio commercial "producer", not "engineer", I always love reading these kinds of threads. Here are a few unsolicited observations.

1. I get a kick out of the "Bose Bashing". It's a consumer product. And any kind of direct product "bashing" (remarks, diatribes, witty "Bose sayings") from an "expert", self-styled or otherwise, tells me immdiately the level of "expertise" I am receiving.

2. At the end of a session, I often ask the engineer to mix down a commercial for me and play it through a set of good car speakers or something similar in a set of bookshelves. I want to hear the client's commercial approximately how he/she hears it through their car stereo - not how it sounds through their "Cable Guy" six-foot-three media room reference speakers.

3. Agree 100% on anything from EtyMotic. But...for me. YMMV!

4. For "computer speakers" - look into Monsoon. You might be surprised.

Sorry for the tangent.

Good thread.


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## Guest (May 25, 2008)

I agree, anything by Etymotic is great. I used to own a set of ER4's when I did a lot of in-ear monitor mixing for artists and almost bought a set of ER6 (not 6i) but it fell through and I ended up with sennheiser's. Of course they are not speakers so we're a bit OT here, but thought I'd put in a good word for them since other's mentioned them


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