Bose Companion 5 Multimedia Speaker

Bose is a master at marketing, and maybe that's why true audiophiles hate them so much. Not because they make inferior product, but because for the same amount of money you splash on any Bose speakers (for which they charge a premium) you could theoretically get so much more sonic value from other makes.

So it's no surprise that the computing world looked upon Bose's latest entry into the multimedia speaker system arena - the Bose Companion 5 - with some skepticism. The biggest selling point for this system that is trumpeted by Bose is its pseudo-surround effect originating from what is effectively a set of 2.1 speakers, chiefly targeting at those who lacks the space to accommodate a 5.1 surround speaker setup.

So has Bose actually achieved the seemingly impossible, generating a surround field from only 2 front satellites? Put simply, the answer is a resounding no - there's no defying the law of physics despite recent advancements in psychoacoustic models. What it does is to widen the soundstage to some effect and therefore mimic a more enveloping sound environment... still no substitute for having speakers firing the sound behind you for pinpoint directional imaging.

Once you get that out of the way, the overall sound coming out from the Bose Companion 5 multimedia speaker system is actually of a reasonably high quality. The solidly-built subwoofer lends sufficient bass support to provide a more visceral listening experience. As is expected from Bose, the satellites are tweaked to accentuate highs with some slight dampening in midrange, but in spite of this the effect is one of clarity and precision... those Bose engineers in the R&D department really know how to mess with your ears.

At £299, I fear that the same advice pertaining to all Bose products applies: it sounds good, but for the money you can get a whole lot better. While bass extension is rich and soundstage is broad with precise stereo imaging, this is no replacement for a dedicated surround sound system.

Brand:	Bose
Price:	£299 RRP
Type:	2.1
RMS:	Unspecified
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