Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsDetailed Impressions and Comparison with Companion 20's
Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2014
UPDATE 7/19/2015 - After over a year with the speakers they are still going strong! Yet, I found myself in a Bose store the other day and purchased the more expensive Companion 20 speakers. Look below for my comparison of the two.
ORIGINAL REVIEW
I own a pair of bose QC 15 headphones which have spoiled me and made me discontent with the mediocre sound systems around my house. So, I wanted some bose speakers to connect to my wireless network at home via my airport express and airplay. Well, I am happy to say that these $100 Bose speakers sound GREAT! The sound is spacious, deep and CRISP. The high notes sing and one can feel the base.
ARE THEY LOUD ENOUGH?
Some reviewers complain that they do not get loud enough. I thought the same at first and then realized that my music was turned down at the source. Now, I have the volume all the way up on my iPad and then adjust the volume on the speakers themselves. I have to tell that they get extremely loud with no distortion. The volume only needs to be up half-way on the speakers for the volume to shake the room and tickle my eardrums.
ARE THE MIDS DECENT?
Just to clear-up another misconception - the highs and lows are reproduced extremely well. Both the high notes and the bass are VERY pleasing. Ragtime Piano, for example, sounds excellent on the speakers. The weakness is indeed with the mids. Nothing bad, but the speakers do seem to equalize (True Space technology) in such a way where the mids do suffer. For example, Josh Groban's incredible voice looses some of its magic on these Bose. The same is true on my QC 15 headphones, by the way. For me, this is a minor thing that I immediately tolerate because the other sound strengths more than compensate.
SHOULD YOU PURCHASE THESE?
Indeed, buy these now. You will not regret your purchase and will feel that they are well worth $100. Especially if you are new to Bose, then you will love this entry level product.
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BOSE COMPANION 20 vs COMPANION 2 Serries III
The wonderful Bose Companion 2 Series 3 computer speakers have graced our home ever since they first came out. We have really enjoyed them. Not at the computer but instead for inconspicuous bookshelf speakers in a small room. the Speakers were souced wirelessly via an Apple Airport Express router and AirPlay. Though they were great for this function, recently I have been itching for an upgrade. So, the other day I visited a Bose store and came home with the larger and more expensive Companion 20 speakers. So, how do they compare? Here are some detailed impressions...
SOUND QUALITY OVERVIEW
The less expensive Companion 2 held up pretty well when first compared side-by-side with the 20s. In fact, at lower volumes the two speakers sounded nearly identical. After a while, the supiorority of the Companion 20's became clearly evident. They are much more rich and crisp than the 2s. After hours of listening to the new speakers I switched back to the 2's and they sounded tinny and shril. Especially at moderate and higher listening volumes.
HIGHS and LOWS
First about the lows. Again initial impression led me to think the base sounded nearly identical on both speakers. It wasn't until I played bass heavy music that I noticed the difference. The 20s bass is much tighter and gives a cleaner thump. In their promotional material Bose states that when one walks into a room where 20's are playing they will look around for a base module. This is true. Especial when the rear of the speakers are placed near a wall or a corner. My Companion 2s are spread nearly three feet apart on a bookshelf. Each speaker is slightly angled towards eachother with the backs up against the corners of the shelf. This is the sweet spot for the room. As to the high, the 20s are also the clear leader. Female voices SHINE on these silver speakers. High notes on the 2s by comparison sound like they are distant as though the singer is behind a closed door. In general every musical detail (highs, lows and mids) are better detailed and distinct. Play a song with complex instrumentation, for example, and you will distinctly hear most every nuance of each instrument. On the Companion 2 speakers similarly complex tracs sounded blended together where the details were muted or lost.
BUILD QUALITY
I thought the 2s were well built but, oh my goodness, they look like toys next to the aluminum 20 speakers! The quality becomes especially apparent when you feel the weight and heartiness of the build. This is best showcased by just the control module on the 20. The knob feels substantial and turns smoother than any dial I have ever used. Really, you must try it!. This buttery smoothness is balanced absolutely perfectly with proper resistance and responsiveness. The module further boasts a touch sensitive on/off "button" which is also amazingly responsive and instant. In short, looking at the Companion 20s and controlling them are just as pleasant as listening to them! The 2s are solidly built but their look and feel is only average.
FURTHER COMPARISONS
I own several othe Bose products including he Bose sound link mini, the QC20 in-ear headphones, and the Bose QC15 over-the-ear headphones. So, how does the sound of the Companion 20s compare to these other products?
Soundlink Color - The 20s win easily. This is remarkable because I think the Color sounded better than the Companion 2's eventhough the it is a small Bluetooth speaker compared to a wired 2 speaker system. The color has better clarity than the 2s and overall boast a higher fidelity. The 2s did have better stereo separation (obviously) and can play at a higher volume. On the other hand, my new Companion 20s just sound better than the Soundlink Color in every single aspect.
Quiet Comfort 20 - The similarity between the Quiet Comort 20 headphones and the Companion 20 computer speakers comes in warmth of sound. Both boast a warmth that is very pleasing and Senheiser like. This is where the comparisons end. The QC headphones win in the area that they sound a little more natural and balanced. Though, the Companion 20s beat the QC20s in crispness and detail. When I have a choice between the two, I enjoy listening to the speakers over the QC20 in-ear headphones.
Quiet Comfort 15 - Now, here is where the Companion 20s begin to fall short. The best sound I have ever heard comes from my QC15 headphones. They are astonishingly impressive. These companion 20's get me much closer to that great sound quality. In fact, the Companion 20s sound warmer and a tad richer than the QC15! Unfortunately, the music is not as detailed nor crisp. I do find myself debateing whether or not to enjoy music via the QC15 headphones or via the Companion 20 computer speakers. By comparison the Companion 2's always sounded decent but I never purposely chose to go listen to them over any of the other Bose products that I own.
CONCLUSION
Though Companion 2s have seen series of re-iterations through the years, the Companion 20s are still the original speakers first introduced in 2011. To me, the fact that a Companion 20 series 2 does not yet exist hints that there is not much to improve with the current speaker. Give these speakers a serious try and I think you will agree.
PS - A note about source volume. The manual for the 20s instructs to place the source volume at a maximum of 80 percent. This is key! Use the control pod to crank up the volume. There will be no distortion not even when turning the dial all the way up. With the 2s the sound the sound improved with the source volume at 100 percent and the knob on the speakers at slightly over half. All this to say that the more expensive 20's do a better job of signal processing and improving the source signal into that distinctive rich and Bose sound. By the way, the 20s top volume is about twice that of the 2s.
