Bose and Yamaha are two renowned and well respected brands in the audio industry that produces high quality speakers, headphones, soundbars, and subwoofers
In this article, we will cover a general overview of both brands, looking specifically at sound quality, durability, price and so on. Of course, each brand has different devices at different price points, however, we will compare them as closely as we can.
Bose vs Yamaha: Bose products are known for their fair sound quality but audiophiles complain about the lack of separation between lows, mids and highs and in addition, they may be more expensive than some other brands, while Yamaha products are known for their excellent sound quality and wide range of products.
Pros and Cons of Bose:
- Pros: Known for producing high-quality audio products with excellent sound quality and build quality. Many of their products, including headphones and home theater systems, are well-regarded by consumers.
- Cons: Audiophiles have expressed issues with the audio profile of Bose’s in terms of highs and lows.
Pros and Cons of Yamaha:
- Pros: Known for producing a wide range of audio and video products, including speakers, headphones, and home theater systems. Many of their products are well-regarded for their sound quality and value for money.
- Cons: Some users have reported issues with durability and reliability of some of their products.
Quick History
Bose Quick History
Bose is an American audio equipment company established by Amar Bose in early 1964. It is well-known for making high-end speakers, headphones, car sound systems, and other professional audio equipment.
Amar Bose started Bose because he was unhappy with the sound quality of a stereo he had bought. He did this to try to make sound systems better than they were at the time. Amar had taken the time to find out how important sound reverberation was to the sound system.
As a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Amar Bose knew how important research was to making excellent products. Therefore, he had made this the driving force for the company’s growth over the past few decades.
Yamaha Quick History
Yamaha is a Japanese brand that was established by Torakusu Yamaha in the year 1887. It produced the first Yamaha piano in the 1900s, which eventually laid a solid foundation for the many products that followed.
Yamaha is one of the largest audio product manufacturers with a reputation that sees their products used in international competitions and by renowned musical maestros. The Yamaha brand has a wide range of products that cut across professional audio equipment, digital and acoustic musical instruments, home audio products, and many others.
Sound Quality
Bose Sound Quality
There is a lot of criticism about Bose speakers as it relates to sound quality. Many people believe Bose is an overhyped company that focuses too much on marketing and not enough on R&D to improve the quality of their speakers.
Many audiophiles for example lament the fact that Bose speakers tend to not have clearly defined highs and lows (bass). This is where the phrase – no highs, no lows, must be Bose came from.
While the above may be true, to Bose’s credit, some psychoacoustics has been a primary focus in the development of Bose audio equipment. This focuses on the effect of the reflected sound arriving at the listener’s head and thus tries to mimic a live performance with all their speakers.
This psychoacoustic design began with the Bose model 901, which was manufactured in 1968, and as a result of its success, it is still in production to this day.
But because Bose’s psychoacoustic approach is unusual and most audiophiles criticize it, but that doesn’t make it sound any less impressive. The sound fills the room, making it seem like a live performance without losing any of the high, mid, or low frequencies.
Yamaha Sound Quality
Yamaha audio equipment is known for producing clear and rich bass delivery and overall exceptional quality sound.
Yamaha TSR-700
Yamaha speakers have multiple sound modes with an incredible ability to deliver soft but loud sound delivery. This is because of their high dynamic range, which includes a great deep bass and an extended high.
Features
Bose Features
Bose has features for expressive audio, intuitive controls, and modern components for better use. It is pretty easy to identify a Bose product when you see one. Some of the most common features of Bose devices are patented and device-specific.
Most Bose speakers support all audio formats, like Flac and Wav. They also have voice support, like Amazon Alexa, built-in music streaming platforms, like Deezer and Spotify, and seamless wireless connectivity for listening to music in multiple rooms through the Sonos set up and SoundTouch.
You can also expect to find a micro USB port and a 3.5mm headphone jack/aux cable on a typical Bose device.
Most Bose headphones also have a background noise canceling feature that blocks out all the surrounding noise and allows you to focus on the sound from the headset. Because of this feature, Bose headsets are a great choice for professional uses like conference calls.
Yamaha Features
Yamaha has one of the most diverse selections of audio products with diverse features, which might make the feature hard to generalize. However, here are some across their audio devices.
- Wireless connectivity including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Music Cast (for multi-room connection).
- Voice command features such as Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa
- HDR10+, HDMI, 8K/60Hz, and 4K120Hz
- Online streaming support for Spotify, Apple AirPlay, etc
- Virtual surround
Build Quality
Bose Build Quality
Bose products are not something you can rely entirely on when it comes to build quality. The build quality can be divided into the internal build and the external structure.
However, for a brand that has been a big player in the audio equipment industry, Bose seems to focus more on the internal build quality at the expense of the structural delivery. Therefore, this leads to a great-sounding device that has a poor structure.
Although, another factor that might be worthy of note is the fact that the build quality varies from device to device. While some Bose products fall short of expectations, others are extremely durable.
For example, while most Bose speakers are usually reviewed to be of below-standard build quality, the headphones have enjoyed excellent reviews. An example of this is the Bose QuietComfort 35 II headphones, which most users have reported to have one of the best build quality.
Yamaha Build Quality
Yamaha products use modern groundbreaking technology to deliver high-end audio products. Their products are known for delivering premium performance and last a pretty long time.
Yamaha products come with an impressive aesthetic delivery and long-lasting function. This is because they pay attention to the use of high-quality material in the production of their devices.
Ease of Use
Bose Ease Of Use
A great number of Bose products are easy to use. This means that even without technical know-how, you can operate them without stress.
For example, the QuietComfort 35 II headphone has a design that can be turned 360 degrees, adjusted to an angle, and can be folded easily.
The Soundlink Micro is another Bose portable Bluetooth speaker that is designed with a freestanding mount which makes it ideal for use anywhere including the bedside, bookshelf and other places. This includes poolside too since the Bose Soundlink Micro is waterproof and can stand easily.
Yamaha Ease Of Use
Yamaha offers an array of easy-to-use audio equipment. This includes wireless-enabled streaming speakers such as the Yamaha MusicCast WX-030. Yamaha products include devices with buttons that are easy to operate and remote control for use across the room.
Cost
Bose Cost
One of the most important pieces of information you need to understand before choosing a Bose product is the fact that they are quite expensive. However, most people will unconsciously prefer to buy Bose products. This is basically for two reasons:
- Bose has a brilliant marketing strategy which makes them one of the most popular brands in the world.
- Bose speakers have a sound that makes your brain mimic the feeling of being in a live show. This is because of the tremendous investment by Bose in research and development.
Unfortunately, there are so many brands in the audio equipment industry with less prestige than Bose but which offer similar quality products at a lower price.
Check out the price tags for their most common products:
- Bose earbuds: $180 – $450
- Bose headphones: $100 – $550
- Bose bass module speakers: $400 – $850
- Bose Soundbar: $300 – $850
Yamaha Cost
Yamaha has an array of products that are more affordable than most other brands. For example, the Yamaha R-S202BL Stereo receiver is a high-quality receiver that costs around $200 to $300 but offers more features than other products in the price range.
The price tag you will get for most Yamaha products is listed below.
- High-quality receivers from $200 to $1500
Speakers:
- Centre channel speakers – $70 and upwards
- Indoor/outdoor speaker – $100 and upwards
- Ceiling speakers start at $130, and
- Bookshelf speakers from $120
Space Requirements
Bose Space Requirements
Most Bose products, including the home theater, AV receiver, and speakers, do not require too much space as they aren’t normally large and bulk. They include shelf speakers, minimal home theaters, and AV receivers with pretty sleek designs.
Bose speakers such as SoundLink Color Bluetooth speakers can be used on the bookshelf without disturbing the arrangement of books.
Yamaha Space Requirements
Most Yamaha products, particularly the soundbars and Bluetooth speakers, are a great fit for any room. The portable size and sleek design of most of these devices make them fit easily into small spaces without demanding too much space.
Remote Controls
Bose Remote Controls
entertainment without stress. They add this remote to almost all Bose products except for the headphones.
A pretty interesting factor to admire about the Bose remote control is the fewer buttons. The remote control adds usability to its delicate design. It allows you to perform all the desired tasks with a few clicks of the buttons.
Yamaha Remote Controls
Most Yamaha audio devices come with a handheld remote control for simple control of the device. But, beyond the physical remotes, Yamaha designed a virtual remote for almost all the audio products from the brand. This includes headphone control, multimedia music control, MusicCast Controller, and AV Controller.
This virtual remote can be downloaded from the app store for Android, iPhone/iPad, and PC use.
Connectivity Options
Bose Connectivity Options
Here are the main connectivity options compatible with most Bose speakers:
- Bluetooth
- Wi-Fi
- RCA
- HDMI
Yamaha Connectivity Options
Here are the main connectivity options compatible with most Yamaha speakers:
- Bluetooth
- Wi-Fi
- USB
- RCA
- HDMI
Power Range
Bose Power Range
The power rating of Bose devices is not shown on most of their devices. But, according to different reviews from their users, the power range depends on the kind of device.
For example, the power range of an average mini home speaker like the Bose SoundLink Mini 2 is around 30 to 50 watts. The wattage of a larger speaker, such as the Bose Soundbar 300, is around 65 watts.
Yamaha Power Range
The power range for an average floor-standing Yamaha speaker is around 100 watts to 200 watts. However, a Yamaha bookshelf speaker has a power range of 200-600 watts.
Frequency Response
Bose Frequency Response
Most Bose speakers have a frequency response of around 25Hz to 20kHz. However, for most Bose headphones, the frequency range is between 100 Hz and 10 kHz.
Yamaha Frequency Response
Yamaha audio equipment have a general frequency range of about 28 Hz-25kHz.
Conclusion
For those looking for a sound system that can simulate a live performance, Bose products are the best option. However, most audiophiles feel this is not a natural sound and it is hence heavily criticized amongst audiophiles. Yamaha is one of the oldest audio companies in the world today, but they have only grown better over the years. They have a range of diversified products, including musical instruments, and professional and personal audio products.
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