Bose Corporation

Bose Corporation

Company type	Private
Industry	Consumer electronics
Founded	1964
Founder	Amar Bose
Headquarters	Framingham, Massachusetts, U.S.
Key people	Amar Bose, Founder and Chairman Bob Maresca, President
Products	Loudspeakers, headphones, audio equipment, car audio
Revenue	US$2 billion
Website	bose.com

The Bose Corporation (/ˈboʊz/) is an American privately held organization, based in Framingham, Massachusetts, that specializes in audio equipment. Founded in 1964 by Amar G. Bose, the company operates 5 plants, 151 retail stores (as of October 20, 2006) and an automotive subsidiary in Stow, Massachusetts.

Bose is best known for its loudspeakers, noise-cancelling headsets, and automotive sound systems Other products manufactured by Bose include amplifiers and headphones. Bose has also conducted research into automotive suspension technologies and cold fusion Opinions vary regarding the quality of Bose products.

History

Formation of the Bose Incorporated

The company was founded in 1964 by Amar G. Bose. Eight years prior to this, Amar Bose (then a graduate student at MIT) purchased a stereo system and was disappointed with its performance. This led to Amar Bose to research the effect of reverberation (indirect sound) on perceived audio quality.

Early years

In 1956, while a graduate student at MIT, Amar Bose purchased a high end stereo system and was disappointed when it failed to meet his expectations. He later began extensive research aimed at clarifying factors that he saw as fundamental weaknesses plaguing high-end audio systems. The principal weaknesses, in Bose's view, were that the overall design of the electronics and speaker failed to account for the spatial properties of the radiated sound in typical listening spaces (homes and apartments) and the implications of spatiality for psychoacoustics, i.e. the listener's head as a sonic diffraction object as part of the system. Eight years later, he started the company, charging it with a mission to achieve "Better Sound Through Research", now the company slogan.

In an interview in 2007 Dr. Amar Bose talked about an early review that kept the company alive.

"One magazine in the United States, a really credible magazine, had one reviewer named Norman Eisenburg who really knew his music. In those days I used to take the loudspeaker to the reviewer. I packed my son and loudspeaker in the car and went off. I put this little thing on top of the big speakers he had, turned it on, and within five minutes he said: 'I don't care if this is made of green cheese, it's the best sound, most accurate sound, I've ever heard.' He came out with a review titled 'Surround and Conquer'. He was not known to do things like that. Everybody in the press knew he knew music, and it resulted in rave reviews one after another, and we were able to survive."

Research history

Bose's first loudspeaker product, the model 2201, dispersed 22 small mid-range speakers over an eighth of a sphere. It was designed to be located in the corner of a room, using reflections off the walls to attempt to increase the apparent size of the room. Electronic equalizer was used to flatten the frequency spectrum of this system. The results of listening tests were disappointing (a later Bose publication presents theories regarding these results).

This led Bose to conduct further research into psychoacoustics that eventually clarified the importance of a dominance of reflected sound arriving at the head of the listener, a listening condition that is characteristic of live performances. This led to a speaker design in which eight identical mid-range drivers (with electronic equalization) were aimed at the wall behind the speaker while the ninth driver was aimed towards the listener. The purpose of this design was to achieve a dominance of reflected over direct sound in home listening spaces. The pentagonal design used in the Model 901 was, and remains, unconventional compared with most systems where the mid-range and high-frequency speakers directly face the listener.

The Model 901 premiered in 1968 and was an immediate commercial success, and the Bose Corporation grew rapidly during the 1970s.

Not publishing technical data

After his research Amar Bose came to the conclusion that imperfect knowledge of psychoacoustics limits the ability to adequately characterize quantitatively any two arbitrary sounds that are perceived differently, and to adequately characterize and quantify all aspects of perceived quality. He believes, for example, that distortion is much over-rated as a factor in perceived quality in the complex sounds that comprise music. Similarly, he does not find measurable relevance to perceived quality in other easily measured parameters of loudspeakers and electronics, and therefore does not publish those specifications for Bose products. The ultimate test, Bose insists, is the listener's perception of audible quality (or lack of it) and his or her own preferences. This reluctance to publish information is due to Bose's rejection of these measurements in favour of "more meaningful measurement and evaluation procedures".

Cold fusion research

In 1991 Bose Corporation began research into cold fusion. Company engineers built a precision calorimeter, began replicating prior experiments, and concluded that there was no net energy gain.

History of Bose Corporation presidents

1. William (Bill) Zackowitz (1964–66)
2. Charles "Chuck" Hieken (1966–69)
3. Frank E. Ferguson (1969–76)
4. Amar G. Bose (1976–80)
5. Sherwin Greenblatt (1980–2000)
6. John Coleman (2000–2005)
7. Bob Maresca (Since 2005)

Amar Bose is currently the chairman and was the primary stockholder until he donated the majority of the firm's share to Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2011.

Bose stores

Bose retail store in Century City

In 1993 Bose opened its first store in Kittery, Maine. Since then Bose has opened 160 stores in the U.S. and numerous locations worldwide. In Britain there are eight Bose stores, including one on Regent Street. Bose stores feature a 15- to 25-seat theater which has a short film that demonstrates a Lifestyle Home Entertainment System. Stores located in factory outlets discount prices on some products and sell both new and factory renewed (retested open-box) products.

Facilities

The company runs facilities in Framingham and Stow, Massachusetts.

Lines of specialized products

Car audio

Bose Car Audio

Bose produces a range of speakers and audio products for automotive use. Different Bose audio systems are available in vehicles from brands such as Buick, Holden, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Acura, Hummer, Pontiac, Saab, Alfa Romeo, Audi, Ferrari, Lancia, Maserati, Maybach, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Renault, Nissan, Infiniti and Mazda. Bose currently does not offer its car audio products on an aftermarket basis in order to ensure proper integration and appropriate in-cabin acoustic adaptation.

At the 2007 auto show in Geneva, Switzerland Bose launched a new media system—incorporating stereo, navigation, and hands free calling—with the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti. In 2007 the Bose media system won the International Telematics Award for the "Best Storage Solution for In-Car Environment".

Automotive suspension system

Bose conducts research into using electromagnetic motors in place of conventional (hydraulic or air) automotive suspension systems. The system was due for release in 2009, however as yet there are no vehicles in production using the system.

This research is based on two-state, non-linear power processing and conditioning. In 2004, Bose unveiled a prototype application of the technology after more than 20 years of research. The system uses electromagnetic linear motors to raise or lower the wheels of an automobile in response to uneven bumps or potholes on the road. The wheels are raised when approaching a bump, or extended into a pothole, within milliseconds, thus keeping the vehicle level. This technology uses similar principles to noise cancelling technology for speakers and earphones. The unevenness of the road is sensed, and processed much like a sound wave. A canceling wave is generated, which is applied to the wheels through the linear motors. In a French interview Bose even shows off the car jumping over an obstacle. Bose says that the system is "high cost" and heavy, even after many years and $100 million of development.

Noise cancelling headphones

Bose makes noise-cancelling headphones that have been lauded for their performance, though they have been criticized by Anthony Kershaw of Audiophilia as costing "at least 50% too much for the musical value of the experience ... however, if you're a frequent flyer, these are a no brainer". Bose makes noise-canceling aviation headsets which have been used in the Space Shuttle, where the noise cancellation feature helps prevent astronaut hearing damage. The headsets are also connected to a special communications system on the International Space Station so that astronauts can make phone calls to their families at home.

Commercial Systems

Bose's Professional Systems Division designs and provides audio systems for use in commercial settings such as auditoriums, retail spaces, hotels, offices, restaurants, and stadiums. The division accounts for about 60% of Bose's annual revenue. Bose commercial audio equipment has not been certified with THX certification. In 1988, Bose became the first company to be named official Olympics sound system supplier, providing audio equipment for the Winter Olympics in Calgary, and again four years later in Albertville, France, the latter installed and maintained by company subsidiary Bose France. Bose sound systems have been installed at various places around the world including the Sistine Chapel in Rome and the Masjid al-Haram mosque in Mecca. A large Bose system at the Staples Center sports arena in Los Angeles performed unsatisfactorily and was replaced by a JBL sound system. For each of these reverberant spaces, proposed sound designs were tested using the Bose Auditioner program to predict the results before installation.

Personalized Amplification System

Sound amplification for performing musicians has been an area of research and product development at Bose Corporation since the early 1970s. The most recent Bose system for musicians is an individualized amplification product in the form of a vertical pole mounted atop a bass module. This system, designated the L1, is a portable, inline speaker array with broad forward-dispersion of the sound.

On October 15, 2003, Bose Corporation began selling the L1 family of products through its internal sales division and selected dealers. Bose maintains an active Musicians Community Message Board for support, and there is an owner maintained Unofficial Wiki and FAQ.

Electroforce

In 2004 Bose acquired company assets related to the development, manufacture and sales of materials testing equipment, founding the ElectroForce Systems Group, which provides materials testing and durability simulation instruments to research institutions, universities, medical device companies and engineering organizations worldwide.

Military applications

Bose has contracts with the U.S. military and NASA.

Lines of home audio & video products

With respect to sales in the U.S. for home audio retail and portable audio retail sales, Bose was ranked third for the period of November 2008 to April 2009.

Multimedia systems

• Digital music systems
  • SoundDock
  • Computer speakers
• Headphones

Speaker systems

• Wave systems
• Stereo speakers

Home entertainment systems

• TV systems
• 5.1 systems
• 2.1 systems
• Surround sound speakers

Opinions about Bose

A 2005 market study published by Forrester Research reported that Bose's brand name was among several computer and consumer electronics brands most trusted by US consumers including Dell and Hewlett-Packard.

Discussion of the quality of Bose products can sometimes elicit strong and polarized opinions. There are two major camps: those who see Bose as a maker of high-end equipment, and others who see Bose as a company that uses marketing to make extravagant claims for otherwise ordinary products.

In some non-audio related publications, Bose has been cited as a producer of "high-end audio" products. Commenting on Bose's "high-end" market positioning among audiophiles (people concerned with the best possible sound), a PC Magazine product reviewer stated "not only is Bose equipment's sound quality not up to audiophile standards, but one could buy something that does meet these stringent requirements for the same price or, often, for less." Bose audio equipment has not been certified with THX certification.

Bose's flagship 901 speaker system was criticized by Stereophile magazine in 1979. In a review of the 901 system, stating that in the magazine's opinion, the system was unexceptional and unlikely to appeal to perfectionists with a developed taste in precise imaging, detail, and timbre; and that these shortcomings were an excessive price to pay for the improvement in impact and ambiance generated by the large proportion of reflected sound [to on-axis sound]. However, the author also stated that the system produced a more realistic resemblance of natural ambiance than any other speaker system.

According to Dr. Amar Bose in an interview in 2007, during the 1970s shortly after Bose released the 901 speaker system, they discovered to their shock that five of their competitors had a meeting to figure out how to confront the Bose 901. Bose said in this interview that "as a result of the meeting, they come out with a white paper on the Bose 901 and what was wrong with it. Out of the five companies, in the first year we got four of the papers. The fifth one was so liable that the rep held onto the paper while reading it to dealers. We never got it, but got the content from dealers." He continued to say "These are all things that, for an academic person, were shocking. I thought: 'I brought top notch engineers into the company and I brought them into a sewer'... If I hadn’t been so naïve about what goes on in business, I would have expected this."

A 2007 review in Audioholics online magazine reiterated that Bose was very expensive for its performance. Of the Bose Lifestyle V20 Home Theater System the reviewer wrote, "The Bose system is very expensive at nearly $2,000 and the sound quality isn't really any better than many other surround systems costing a third of the price." The review includes an interview with a Best Buy sales manager who suggests from his experience some customers still insist on Bose regardless of the sound quality.

Legal action

In 1981 Bose unsuccessfully sued the magazine Consumer Reports for libel. The Consumer Reports review of the 901 speaker system was called devastating by Dr Bose. Consumer Reports reported that the sound from the system that they reviewed "tended to wander about the room." In an interview decades later Dr Bose said

"We had 37 people at the time. I gathered them in one room and said: “If we don’t do anything, it will probably kill us. But if we do something, we have no credibility since we’re just a small company and we can’t do anything against this.” I said I think we oughtta do something. I wanted a vote. It was unanimous in favor of taking action. Little did we know it would take 14 years to go through the legal process."

Initially, the Federal District Court found that Consumer Reports "had published the false statement with knowledge that it was false or with reckless disregard of its truth or falsity" when it changed what the original reviewer wrote about the speakers in his pre-publication draft, that the sound tended to wander "along the wall." The Court of Appeals then reversed the trial court's ruling on liability, and the United States Supreme Court affirmed in a 5–4 vote in the case Bose Corp. v. Consumers Union of United States, Inc., finding that the statement was made without actual malice, and therefore there was no libel. Dr Bose said

"[The Supreme Court said] that everything stated in the magazine about the product was false. However, freedom of speech protects that. However, in that process of 14 years, as troublesome and many headaches as it generated, we made it known to the public that this thing was going on. That they should come hear the product and see the sound ‘wander’ through the room. A judge asked “Where did the violins wander to?” Said: “Right over the wall and over the ceilling?” The judge was an Italian judge and he really knew music. That might have contributed to winning the first level of the case."

Bose sued Thiel Audio in the early 1990s to stop the audiophile loudspeaker maker from using ".2" (point two) at the end of its product model "CS2.2". To comply with Bose's trademark of ".2" associated with the Bose Model 2.2 product, Thiel changed their model name to "CS2 2", substituting a space for the decimal point. Bose did not trademark ".3" so in 1997 when Thiel introduced the next model in the series, they named it the "Thiel 2.3", advertising "the return of the decimal point."

In 1996, Bose sued two subsidiaries of Harman International Industries—JBL and Infinity Systems—for violating a Bose patent on elliptical tuning ports on some loudspeaker products. In 2000, the court determined that Harman was to cease using elliptical ports in its products, and Harman was to pay Bose $5.7 million in court costs. Harman stopped using the disputed port design but appealed the financial decision. At the end of 2002 the earlier judgment was upheld but by this time Bose's court expenses had risen to $8 million, all to be paid by Harman.

Bose was successful in blocking QSC Audio Products from trademarking the term "PowerWave" in connection with a certain QSC amplifier technology. In 2002, a court decided that the "Wave" trademark was worthy of greater protection because it was well-known on its own, even beyond its assocation [sic] with Bose.

In 2003, Bose sued the non-profit electronics trade organization CEDIA for use of the "Electronic Lifestyles" trademark which CEDIA had been using since 1997. Bose argued that the trademark interfered with its own "Lifestyle" trademark. Bose had previously sued to protect its "Lifestyle" trademark beginning in 1996 with a success against Motorola and continuing with settlements against New England Stereo, Lifestyle Technologies, Optoma and AMX. In May 2007, CEDIA won the lawsuit after the court determined Bose to be guilty of laches (unreasonable delays), and that Bose's assertions of fraud and likelihood of confusion were without merit. CEDIA was criticized for spending nearly $1 million of its member's money on the lawsuit, and Bose was criticized for "unsportsmanlike action against its own trade association", according to Julie Jacobson of CE Pro magazine.

In 2008, Bose sued Eforcity Corp regarding patent and trade dress infringement against the SoundDock product line. In 2010, Bose sued 51 people in the U.S. and Canada who sold counterfeit Bose headphones on eBay. Bose sought $2 million in damages per trademark infringement, and Bose asked for the recall and destruction of the counterfeits.

External links

• The official Bose website with links to various international sites.
• History of Bose Corporation
• Former audio professional's article about Bose