Product Description
In a concert hall, listeners hear a mix of direct and reflected sound arriving from different directions and at different times. Direct/Reflecting® speaker technology uses the walls and flat surfaces of your room to deliver performance more like that of a concert hall. Bose® 201 speakers create a listening environment composed of reflected and direct sound, much like that of a live performance. From cutting-edge DVDs to vintage records, youll enjoy lifelike spaciousness in practically everything you listen to. Stereo Everywhere® speaker performance lets you enjoy full stereo sound throughout the listening area, no matter where you sit or stand. Instead of concentrating the stereo effects into a single sweet spot, 201 bookshelf speakers deliver realistic performance almost anywhere in the room. Trim, stylish 201 speakers are ideal for your den, dorm room or office. Their sleek design makes them welcome in any décor. Accessory stands and brackets offer a variety of placement options. And they're among our most versatile speaker options. Used with your stereo components, 201 speakers provide a rich balance of stereo sound throughout the room. Or connect them to your home theater system, as either a front or rear channel surround sound speaker solution.
Amazon.com Product Description
The trim, stylish 201-V speakers from Bose are ideal for your den, dorm room, office, or small-scale living room. Their sleek design makes them welcome in any décor. Sold in pairs, the 201-Vs work well with either your stereo components or your home theater, elegantly handling either front- or rear-channel surround sound (use 2 pairs for both).
You'll enjoy lifelike, spacious stereo sound from these compact yet versatile bookshelf speakers. In a concert hall, listeners hear a mix of direct and reflected sound arriving from different directions and at different times. Bose's proprietary Direct/Reflecting speaker technology uses the walls and flat surfaces of your room to more closely approximate the sound in a concert hall. From cutting-edge DVDs to your vintage records, you'll enjoy larger-than-life spaciousness in nearly all you listen to, thanks in part to Bose's precisely angled, 2.5-inch proprietary Stereo Targeting tweeters.
The speakers' broad-dispersion Stereo Everywhere design lets you enjoy full stereo sound throughout the listening area, no matter where you sit or stand. Instead of concentrating the stereo effects into a single "sweet spot," the 201 bookshelf speakers are engineered to deliver realistic performance almost anywhere in the room.
The speakers each use a single 6.5-inch woofer and a flared-slot port--a specially engineered design wherein woofer and port geometry complement each other to reduce air turbulence. The ports ensure clean, deep bass, particularly when you're listening at high volumes.
What's in the Box
Two speakers, self-adhesive rubber feet, a user's manual, and warranty/registration information.
Customer Reviews:
sounds better than all-in-one-solution such as ipod hi-fi.......2007-09-08
this speaker, when combined with my sony AV receiver and my ipod as main music player, brings out the musics/songs alive and it certainly sounds much better than ipod hi-fi hype....the best part is the price! ipod hi-fi costs $350, but this bose 201 speaker costs approx. $200 and my sony AV receiver cost me $200 thus total $400 spent for much better sound! This speaker is very affordable and it will certainly beat other speakers @ it's price range!! If you look for magnet-rumbling sound quality, I'd suggest you look for yamaha's since my mom have them in my living room which certainly is bigger speaker than my bose hence better sound quality....*and hence much bigger price*
overpriced, cheap build, poor sound.......2007-03-08
We just moved into our first house, and in the last couple of months, I've purchased three brands of bookshelf speakers. In order, I've purchased a pair of Infinity Primus 150 speakers, a pair of small ($10 each on super sale) Pioneer S-HF21-LR speakers, and now I just opened a pair of Bose 201's I got with my credit card points.
The first thing I noticed about the bose 201-V speakers was the build quality: almost as good as the $10 pioneers (the pioneers don't have exposed particle board, the bose speakers do). There are no post-style connectors, just the cheap hole-and-lever type. The Infinity 150's are built out of much better materials, have gold post-and screw style contacts, removable fronts, solid wood construction, internal dampening, nice feet, and wall mounting slots.
The Bose 201-V's sound decent for their size, but they certainly don't sound as good as the Infinity 150s, which are almost half the price! Specifically, I notice certain mid-range tones are exaggerated with the bose 201's. It is almost as if the cabinets have some resonance frequency that sets off with a certain midtone. The bass response also seems a little uneven, with certain bass drum notes showing up loudly, but other (higher) bass guitar notes almost absent. The absence of certain bass notes is probably what bothers me the most. I'm running a straight amp without any EQ.
I got these speakers with my credit card points, and I'm thinking of selling them on ebay and buying something else.
Check out stereophile for more speaker information.. they had a good article on the Infiniti Primus speakers.
Fantastic speakers for stereo applications.......2007-01-28
I recently decided to set up a small, but decent quality stereo system in my office so that I can listen to CDs and the radio when I feel like it. I had a Sony STR-DE197 stereo receiver, which worked fine...but the tiny Yamaha speakers I had hooked up to it didn't do my music justice.
I purchased these speakers after looking around a bit. I auditioned them briefly in the store, but knew that the true test would be come when I got them home and hooked them up.
Well, right out of the box,these speakers performed beautifully. I dialed them in a bit by adjusting the bass and treble on my receiver to my preferences. I also opted for the high-end speaker wire (Monster cable) because I wanted to make sure that I was getting the best sound that I could.
The Bose 201 speakers do a great job for small-medium spaces, and have sound that belies their relatively small size. The bass is something you hear more than something you feel. For the type of music I generally listen to (blues, rock, acoustic, pop) they are very good. The highs are clear and the middles and lows are right where they need to be.
These are probably some of the best speakers I've listened to. I'm not an audiophile, but I do know what I like. I have no doubt that there are better speakers out there, but for a couple Benjamins, these may be one of the better values out there.
The only potential negative I can think of is that the speakers are designed to sit horizontally because of the direct-reflect technology. Oh well. They're a little bit different looking, but I am very pleased with them, and would recommend them to anyone looking for great sound.
Bose 201-V speakers.......2007-01-16
The speakers are great, and put out a real niec sound on the TV.
201's are hard to beat !!.......2006-07-09
I replaced my old floor speakers(rear)on my home theater system. The sound is very clear and crisp on DVD movies and have more bass than I expected. The great thing is that fit in my bookcase that covers the back wall of my room. I am very pleased with these speakers.
Product Description
In a live performance, music takes many different paths to reach your ears and touch your emotions, including a blend of direct and reflected sound. Bose® 301® speakers feature Direct/Reflecting® speaker technology to recreate this combination of direct and reflecting sound, delivering music that sounds spacious and more like a live performance. Conventional speaker design focuses sound directly at the listener, somewhat like a flashlight beam. That means stereo effects are most prominent in one sweet spot, delivering unbalanced sound to the rest of the room. 301 speakers produce Stereo Everywhere® speaker performance, so you and your friends and family can sit where you like and enjoy balanced stereo sound from almost anywhere in the room. Our 301 bookshelf speakers provide outstanding sound while fitting beautifully into your living space. Their slender and graceful lines will match your décor and our accessories offer even more placement alternatives. And 301 speakers are a suitable choice when youre ready to experience Bose sound in your movies as well as your music. Connect these versatile speakers to your surround sound receiver and enjoy the benefits of Bose sound in almost everything you watch.
Customer Reviews:
Best speakers I've owned.......2006-12-09
Goes great with LCD tv's.... Makes a great addition to a 5.1 system. Awesome sound, just what you expect from Bose.
THE BEST bookshelf speakers ever made. PERIOD........2005-04-17
The Bose 301 Series V Direct/Reflecting bookshelf speakers are quite simply the BEST bookshelf speakers available for less than $400.00. Before buying them, I checked out and listened to several models from other (more expensive) brands and found them to be exceptional. The bass sounds deep but natural , the midrange is very clear and smooth-sounding while the treble (highs) does not sound shrill or fatiguing. Most of the 20-bit and 24-bit digitally remastered CDs in my music library sound exceptionally realistic and lifelike through these speakers. Believe me, this is the best speaker system currently available at its price.
A speaker for background music.......2005-03-14
Let's be realistic, any Bose ever made speaker was never a true audiophile speaker. But what makes this a great speaker. If you have read other reviews you have already noted the 301's shortcommings. If you are looking for a wide and accurate soundstage look elsewhere. But lets say you are a party person or own a bar. Imaging and tonal response is less important here. You want a speaker that projects a wide soundstage and not be overpowering tonally as to inhibit good conversation but not to have a sound that is ignored. The Bose 301 is a good fit for this need. Though you might notice bass is a social environment higher frequencies will be drowned out by crowd noise. Here is where the 301 shines because they have sweetened up the mid range so you can here the music. The 301's produce a sound that is simular to live performances. In short if you want accuracy 301's are not for you but if you want a good sound in social situations buy the 301's.
They sound good in the showroom.......2004-12-14
I was impressed with these speakers when I heard them in the showroom, but even after a lengthy break-in period I found them fatiguing. Other than that, the bass is weak and the build quality is unimpressive.
Pleasant but over priced.......2004-09-22
Summary: A pleasant sounding speaker for back ground listening but over priced and out classed by the competition. Tonality is distorted to produce pleasant sound rather than accurate sound. Bass is loose and wumpy sounding. The 301's can shake the room but only over a limited range of bass frequencies. Direct-reflecting design hurts imaging. The combination of bad imaging, unrealistic tonality and loose bass make them a poor choice for home theater. Fit and finish are only OK for the price.
Background: My roommate has a pair of 301s set up in our living room. I have a more expensive "audiophile" type system set up in the side room. Often I think it's hard to get good product reviews off the internet. You either have the people who *hate* the company (pick one) and are out to trash the name or you have people who bought the product and are defending their choice. You rarely have someone who has spent considerable time with the product (not just 15 minute store demo) yet doesn't care if the product reviews well or poorly. As I had nothing to do with the purchase of these speakers I don't care if they are good or bad. I have put effort into proper setup since I do listen to them frequently.
Basically, they are not *bad* but you can do better for the same money. I don't expect these to match the various, more expensive speakers in my side room system while my roommate had these in the living room (Meadowlark Kestrel, Vandersteen Model 3, Magnepan MMG, NHT 2.5i, Pioneer HPM 100). However, I have heard similar priced models that I like better (PSB, Paradigm, NHT, Boston Acoustics, B&W). Many high end manufactures extend their lines and expertise into the Bose price range.
The sound:
Imaging: These really do not image well. As Bose says, these are sound everywhere speakers. That means you have a dispersed sound rather than tight imaging. An orchestra sounds wide and tall... so does a single guitar or the drop of a penny in a movie. This allows the speakers to sounds very big but, unlike some of the alternatives, you will never be able to tell the piccolo player is sitting just to the left of the first flute. This is not really a disadvantage if you aren't the type who sits in the sweet spot to listen for a while. But it can be a problem if you want to use these for home theater without a center channel. On the other hand, this is a reasonable trait if you turn on the music while walking around the house they will be fine.
Tonality: They don't have a very clean tone. Bose has tuned this speaker to make everything sound pleasant if not really true to the recording. Again, if you just want something nice to listen to in the background they will serve this function well. These speakers are excessively warm. They boost the mid bass and roll off the highs. Music will never become fatiguing but you traded realism for that tonality.
Bass: Several compromises were made here. Admittedly, the Bose can make the room shake with a moderately powerful receiver. This was great for college parties and OK for movies but it has limits. First, they have very limited bass range. These speakers do not go deep and they can not present all bass evenly. They favor certain notes over others (one-note bass). They excel at turning Watts into mid-bass but they just can't go really deep. I would guess they are done just under 50 htz. This is not shameful given the size of the speaker and /or price but people are often surprised when they learn how much bass is still left untouched whey they hear better speakers. Additionally, the 301's lack controlled bass. A tight thunderclap sounds like a suggestion of thunder. One of the true marks of a good bass speaker is the ability to *stop* producing bass in a heartbeat. That's what makes thunder clap and a kick drum kick (tight Bang! versus a loose wump like that car stereo next you at the light). The 301's wind up their bass then wind it down when they are done. The price competitive speakers from the companies above are far more nimble with the ability to start and stop quickly. Think of bullet train vs sports car. The bullet train Bose may be fast but it takes a long time get going (generate the desired frequency and amplitude) and a long time to stop. The entry level products from the like of NHT, PSB, Paradigms are like sports cars. Their top speed may not be as fast as the train but they can accelerate, turn and brake quickly (dynamics and transients). Which is better? Well if you just want to shake the room at one frequency go for the Bose. If you want to have tight, crisp bass, get something else.
Home Theater: Due to the warm forgiving sound of these speakers I found them OK for music. Two channel home theater is a different story. Without the center channel it's important to have good imaging. That imaging keeps the sounds on the screen rather than all over the room. The 301's poor imagining comes back to haunt. A single voice or clink of keys becomes the size of a full orchestra smeared across the room rather than staying in the TV where they belong. In addition to the poor imaging, the poor bass is also an issue. The loose wumpy bass does little justice to explosions and mechanical sounds. The "pleasant" tonality strips believability from every day sounds.
Overall I can see people saying they like the speakers because they sounds pleasant. They really work well as relatively low cost background speakers. The problem is they can't deliver anything more when asked. I accept that if they were $150 a pair but given the good choices for the $300+ asking price... well Bose is lucky most consumers don't bother to cross shop or that fewer stores sell the other bands I mentioned.
If you are seriously considering these speakers check out Audioreview dot com. They have good reviews of similar priced products. It's OK to buy them, just cross shop first.
Average customer rating:
- Wish I Could Give It A 6
- Worked Perfectly & Wirelessly to Boot
- Not as advertised
- "Works right out of the box"? -- Hardly.
- Cool and unearthly
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Ambient Weather Beacon
Manufacturer: Ambient Devices
ProductGroup: CE
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Product Features:
- As easy to use as a radio, just plug it in! No PC, phone, or backyard sensors required.
- Uses the standard color-temperature spectrum used on weather maps by the NY Times, Weather Channel, and USA Today.
- Includes exciting upgrade capability to map colors to detailed weather reports of over 2,000 U.S. locations, or custom information. Ambient's wireless network broadcasts over 90% of the US population.
- Customize forecasts for your gardening, boating, skiing and more with no monthly service fee.
- The Weather Beacon can also track any dynamic Internet-based information. Most popular Ambient Channels for the Weather Beacon are: Weather Forecast, Pollen Forecast and Stock Portfolio.
ASIN: B0000VLYYK
Release Date: 2003-11-25 |
Product Description
Featured in Discover magazine, The New York Times, and Newsweek!
Shifting colors show when to golf, garden, or grab the umbrella! The Ambient Weather Beacon has a computer inside that receives weather forecasting information from the U.S. National Weather Service and translates it into color coded information for your local area: spring green if it will be in the comfy seventies, deep blue if its in the chilly thirties or bright yellow to red for warmer conditions. If the color is pulsing look for rain or snow.
You can also customize the beacon to display weather-related colors for your favorite activities such as golf, gardening, sailing, skiing, or fishing. The beacon auto configures for your area. No computer is needed. However, if you choose to become a premium user online (for a fee) you can get 5-day forecasts, barometric pressure, wind speed, and even pollen count for over 2,000 world locations! Measures 5"H x 3"D.
Customer Reviews:
Wish I Could Give It A 6.......2005-12-03
Worked right out of the box! I took it to my sister's for Thanksgiving in hopes it would pick up a signal so I could get her one, but she was out of range. I am glad to be in a receivable area. Tonight I finally got registered and played with the channels. Programming is easy. I had the default [Atlanta] forecast for several weeks and we had the right gear from a glance at the color, but I figured we'd get the more accurate Gainesville forecast. I should mention Gainesville is in the NE GA mountains; there IS no accurate forecast for mountains as far as lightning storms or tornadoes, but we won't have many of those until March. Programming the change took less than 10 mins, and most of that was me playing and waiting for about 2 mins for the signal to get down to my beacon. It changed to blue out of a possible 3 colors, I clicked the radio box for mine and a message told me to press the yellow button on the bottom, which I did. Now I have the Gainesville forecast. Talk about easy! By the way, I told them in the registration process that my favorite color was violet, and I swear, the blue was very near violet! The beacon makes a wonderful nightlight, especially with 3 brightness choices. A clear glass half-sphere the size of a quarter holds a card with the chart of what the colors mean, but I hardly look at it, since I am already used to the color scheme of every weather map from papers to TV. The clever glass card-holder reflects the color nicely, and is beautiful in itself. Back to the Beacon, it puts on quite a light show when you first plug it in; alternating white and red for a few mins while it acquires the signal is the first part. My sister complained that would make her migraines worse if it flashed like that, but I explained that it's just when you set it up. Then, you have a slowly fluctuating glow from purple through the rainbow to red and around again, which fascinated me and my 15-year old daughter. After just a few mins of that, the color for whatever you're tracking appears, and you get changes as it does. After several weeks of steady operation, we don't see a lot of changes, but I noticed some changes from blue to green and back through an evening or two. The pulses when rain is in the forecast are slow and from dark to light of the color, and that is beautiful, too. I also have migraines, and the Beacon doesn't bother me as far as that. What amazes me is how it can operate day and night for weeks and it doesn't get warm! The adapter is pink. I wish other electronics had colored adapters. I don't usually make purchases of this type, but I use it more than my year-old weather station with the remote sensor, a birthday present. A glance, and I know whether to wear a sweater or bring out the heavy coat and scarf :)
Worked Perfectly & Wirelessly to Boot.......2004-12-31
I read the negative reviews after getting this for Christmas from my girlfriend and was braced to have problems. But, if you can set up your internet service you'll have no problems with this if it's not defective. I went to their website, registered, and customized the unit and had zero problems. Works flawlessly for my local weather (on Cape Cod, so we're out in the boonies) or for homeland security- the two custom channels I tried. I'd love to complain but I can't- great concept and carried out well.
Not as advertised.......2004-11-19
The weather beacon is advertised as being able to convey "your weather." Well, the truth is that the free service only gives weather in select regions. If you don't live near the originating city for that region how does that do you any good? Is it any value to get the weather for a city possibly hundreds of miles away? Also, my unit was defective in that it would only display one color. Ambient said that they knew there were problems with quite a few units. However in 3 weeks, they never offered a solution. You can pay to get weather in your area but for $179 I feel this should be included with the product. Finally, the temperature that is indicated by color is rather difficult to decipher.
"Works right out of the box"? -- Hardly........2004-06-06
I bought one of these weather beacons. It turned out to be defective. Returned it for another one, which was also defective. Ambient Designs likes to claim that their products "work right out of the box." In my case, nothing could be further from the truth. Just look at the troubleshooting guide on the company's web site -- it's a mile long. (Yes, I followed the guide -- to no avail.) Obviously the company is aware of many bugs involved with the weather beacon. It would seem that they rushed out a product that is great in theory but very unreliable in reality. Don't even think of giving one of these as a gift, unless you want the recipient to face endless hassles.
Cool and unearthly.......2003-12-05
As a pure design object, Ambient has hit a home run with this. The soft glow it gives off in a darkened room is subtle and exquisite. It fascinates visitors, who immediately gravitate toward. Their assessment of "cool!" vaults to "COOL!!!''when they understand its functionality. Every morning on my way to pick up the paper, I immediately know the temperature. Brilliant.
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- HP 14D Tri-Color Ink Cartridge (C5010DN)
- HP 51644C Inkjet Print Cartridge (Cyan)
- HP 99 Photo Inkjet Print Cartridge with Vivera Inks (C9369WN)
- HP C4127X UltraPrecise Black Toner Cartridge
- HP C4846A No. 80 Inkjet Cartridge (Cyan)
- HP LaserJet 9500 C8552A Yellow Print Cartridge
- HP Microfine Toner Cartridge for LaserJet 5L/6L/3100/3150 (C3906A, Black)
Electronics
Electronics
BOSE (R) WB3 Pair of Wall Brackets
Bose FS-1 Bookshelf Speaker Floor Stands (pair) - Black and Silver
Bose VCS-10 Center Channel - Speaker, home theater sound for component systems - Black
Monster Standard® THX-Certified Speaker Cable (100 Feet)
Omnimount Stainless Steel Speaker Mount for Ceiling (Black)
Omnimount 20.0 Stainless Steel Speaker Mount (White)
Omnimount 20.0 Wall Black Stainless Steel Series Wall 20 Lb Speaker Mounts (Black)
Omnimount 20.0 Wall White Stainless Steel Series Wall 20 Lb Speaker Mount (White)
Monster Cable S16-50 Monster Standard Speaker Cable 16 Gauge (50 ft.)
