Take Your Audio Experience To The Next Level With Bose

There is audio and then there is Bose audio. For the non audiophiles who are not familiar with the brand, Bose is an American company that specialises in audio equipment. Best known for its home audio systems and noice-cancelling headphones, they also produce professional audio products and automobile sound systems.

This iconic company was founded way back in 1964 by Amar Bose and it has come a long way since then to say the least. Did you know that its first product was the Bose 2201 launched in 1966. The product consisted of 22 speakers, mostly facing away from the listener, and was designed to be situated in a corner of the room. The product uses reflection of the walls to increase the size of the room. Sounds impressive? Wrong. This first Bose product was a failure and was discontinued after a few years. Amar Bose did get it right subsequently and the rest, as they say, was history.

There are many considerations when it comes to selecting and purchasing audio equipment and products. Here are some important ones that you should take note of the next time you go shopping for audio products.

Sound Quality

This may sound pretty obvious because we are talking about audio products so sound quality should be right there at the top of the considerations right? Imagine buying a pair of headphones or speakers and finding out that your favourite song now sounds like an angry person singing it in a scratchy voice with no high or low frequencies. We appreciate sound quality more than we realise it and if an audio product does not measure up to what it is supposed to deliver, the end product is often very obvious. According to wikipedia, sound quality is an assessment of the accuracy, fidelity, or intelligibility of audio output from an electronic device.

Using speakers as an example, a good speaker with good high-frequency response will give you a silky, sparkling sheen to its sound. On the flip side, you will hear sounds that are too "hissy" or edgy from the not so good ones. Good speakers are supposed to deliver sparkle and detail without sounding shrill or tough to listen to. A simple tip when purchasing any audio equipment is to listen to a variety of music or songs that you are familiar with and watch out for natural and balanced tonal presentation. In layman terms, you should be able to hear the clear vocals, strong bass, instruments, as well as the treble.

Design and comfort

When it comes to design, it is always something very subjective because beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. Some folks prefer their speaks to look as simplistic as possible to achieve that minimalist look for their home while others prefer a futuristic pair of headphones or ear buds that make them look like they are in a hollywood movie. Regardless of their tastes, consumers nowadays have huge spectrum of designs to choose from when it comes to audio equipment and there is no reason you cannot find something that suits your style and preference when it comes to audio equipment that are available in the market.

Comfort on the other hand is less divisive and subjective. Most, if not all consumers, are looking for a comfortable pair of headphones or ear buds that they can use for prolonged hours, something that does not leave them with aching ears after a few hours of listening to their favourite tunes. Several factors come into play when we are talking about comfortable headphones and ear buds. Firstly, the headphones or ear buds have to be lightweight to reduce the burden on our heads and ears.

Customisation is also critical because it allows us to adjust the headphone band or choose the size of the ear tips that fit our ears the best. Last but not least, the material used for the ear pads also play a part when it comes to comfort. Always be sure to try out your new headphones or earphones where possible before purchase to ensure that it is a good and snug fit to avoid subsequent discomfort and disappointment.

Unique Selling Proposition(USP)

A unique selling propostion is basically a factor that differentiates a product from other competitors or similar products. Examples of USP may include low cost, best quality or first-in-market. Here are some common examples of USPs for audio equipment that you may be familiar with:

Speakers: dynamic range, superior sound quality, high fidelity, wide frequency response

Headphones/Ear buds: superior comfort, best sound quality, eargonomic design, personalised fit

At the end of the day though, USPs are marketing speak that companies and marketers use to sell their products. It will be wise for consumers to see through these fancy marketing speak and purchase something that truly meets their needs and wants.

Value for money

As with all purchases that we make, we want to make sure that we get the "bang for our buck". Was it money well spent? Depending on the product and the function that it serves, we always want to believe that our investment was well worth it. So in the case of audio equipment, how do we decide if the money was well spent? When we are talking about audio equipment, it really helps to differentiate the budget range from the premium ones because the more you spend, the higher the expectations. Again using speakers as an example, if you purchase a pair of speakers on a tight budget, you cannot expect top notch sound quality and dynamic range that fills a large house. Similarly, if you splash the cash on a high end speaker, you will expect superior sound quality and nothing but the best in terms of treble, bass and fidelity. In summary, this factor is all about managing our own expectations accordingly based on our budget.

With all that being said, here is a list of Bose products that we feel will elevate your audio experince to the next level. Please sit back and enjoy.