Bose Vs Klipsch – Similarities & Differences

In the vast, ever-growing world of technology, manufacturers have made an abundance of earbuds and speaker systems that keep getting better and better with time, effort and innovation. Different people with different needs require different speakers, but many companies today are creating more “one size fits all” speakers than ever before. Two of the best of these speaker brands are Bose and Klipsch. Convenience for the consumer is always at the forefront of a manufacturer’s mind, but which a manufacturer will fulfill all of your professional sound needs? Bose Vs Klipsch: the clash of two honorable brand names. Who takes the #1 spot in ease of use, the range of usage, and most importantly, best sound?

Comparison Table

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Let’s Meet Mr. Bose & Mr. Klipsch

Mr. Amar Gopal Bose was the creator of the unique Bose brand, and the iconic products we know and love today are his legacy. In his childhood in the 1930s, he practiced violin, repaired radios in his mother’s basement, and developed a keen ear for classical music. This love helped him create his speakers, especially so they would properly play all the parts of an orchestra in the listening room. Gopal Bose graduated from MIT with a doctorate in electrical engineering with his truly groundbreaking thesis, “A theory of nonlinear systems.” 

In 1964, he developed his own company, and by 1966 his first commercial product, the 2201 loudspeaker, was available for consumer purchase. In 1968, Bose developed the iconic 901 speaker who was an immediate success due to his extensive research on speaker design and psychoacoustics.

The 901 speaker completely changed the way people listened to music because of its ability to replicate the essence of a live concert. It was the first speaker of its time to accomplish this impressive feat.

The genius of Klipsch belongs to Mr. Paul W. Klipsch, who developed a passion for amateur radio that eventually led to his discovery that the sound quality of horn-shaped speakers was superior to speakers shaped like cones. While he was in school in the 1930s, a classmate mentioned to him that all speakers sound better in a corner. Thus, the corner horn speaker design came into existence, which later came to be known as the Klipschorn.

Klipsch was one of the first loudspeaker companies in America. In 1957, Klipsch patented his experimental Heresy speaker, the world’s first commercial center channel speaker. This speaker was an immense success and is still being manufactured today in Hope, Arkansas. Though not as well known as Bose, Klipsch’s work did not go unnoticed, as he received a nomination for and won the second-highest honor in the Audio Engineering Society. The Society gave him the Silver Medal Award in 1977, due to his impressive contributions to distortion measurement and overall speaker design.

Now that we know the humble origins of both companies, we can delve into the Bose Vs Klipsch argument!

Bose Vs Klipsch

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So, how do you decide which award-winning speaker brand is right for you? Is it the one with the biggest sound, or maybe something more durable?

Bose won the 2013 “Circle of Excellence” award from Bizrate. Bose is rated among the top-tier because of compatibility between their speaker systems and commonly used programs such as Deezer, Spotify, Pandora, and iHeart Radio. Many of their speakers boast robust, durable designs capable of holding their own against inclement outdoor conditions for easy listening wherever you go.

The manufacturers specifically design most of their speakers for playing music in your yard to liven up a party, and waterproof designs so you can take them with you on your boat for stress-free listening out on the water.

The Klipsch brand has also won a few awards, such as the Digital Trends Recommended Product Award in 2014. Klipsch products offer more customization and unique user experiences, as their speakers are available in a wide range of colors, an option few other manufacturers consider. Klipsch also uses innovative technology that is immediately noticeable in the overall sound quality.

The manufacturers install all Klipsch speakers with AptX Text for low latency sound that offers a BIT rate reduction much better than other average speakers. The manufacturers cleverly equalize this technology within the speakers, so it is not too overbearing and does not take away from the sound quality.

Bose Product Specs

The Bose brand offers a significantly wide range of small and portable speakers and home theater systems. Listed as the “Best Overall Music System,” the Bose Wave SoundTouch Music System has an impressively wide range of usability. This all in one music system offers streaming from online music services such as Amazon Prime, Internet radio, and sites like Pandora, Spotify, and iHeart Radio. The system also comes with built-in AM/FM radio capabilities. Internal Waveguide Speaker Technology, an exclusive Bose innovation, offers a deep, rich sound that is often found only in bigger and more expensive professional speaker systems.

The Bose Wave SoundTouch also comes with a free app that can transform your smartphone into an easy-to-use remote that allows you to take control over your favorite music from any range. Don’t have a smartphone, or just don’t want to fiddle with connecting it to Bluetooth? No problem! The SoundTouch comes with a remote of its very own, featuring six presets to allow you to navigate between your stored music, your Pandora or Spotify accounts, and any Internet radio site you can name. This music system is 8.7″ x 14.5″ x 19.3″ and weighs 14.55 lbs.

The consumer-revered Bose brand also boasts a wide range of different options for its portable speakers. At the top of the list, and marked as the best product for bringing it anywhere, the wireless Bose SoundLink Mini Bluetooth Speaker II packs a formidable punch for its small size. Standing at a mere 7.1″ x 2.3″ x 2″ and weighing only 1.47 lbs, consumers have described its sound as full, enriched, and possessing dramatically deeper bass than one would expect. The SoundLink Mini comes with convenient Bluetooth capabilities and a built-in speakerphone useful for taking calls out loud with clear sound. It also makes connecting to Bluetooth easier with voice prompts to guide you through the process.

This small speaker requires lithium-ion batteries to operate (which the manufacturers include in the box), and when fully charged, the SoundLink Mini can play for up to ten hours nonstop. This speaker even comes with a charging cradle that serves as a home base, so it is ready to grab and go any time you are! Accessory covers are available in a wide range of colors for further customization of your speaker. T

Klipsch Product Specs

The Quintet line was developed in the 1990s, and they have continued to innovate and improve on it in the years since. This speaker system is 4.3″ x 5.3″ x 7.5″ inches and weighs 3.75 lbs. Even though its size may seem underwhelming, this system uses Tractrix horn technology along with lightweight, aluminum drivers to ensure crisp, clear, and uncompromising sound quality.

Each speaker from the Quintet line has a built-in 90 by a 90-degree horn to ensure added placement flexibility and added plasticity in the listening room. This is, as always, done carefully and without losing the overall sound quality. The tweeter and its light aluminum build create maximum capacity for efficient drivers with an incomparable transient response and minimal distortion.

The Linear Travel Suspension technology within enhances the dynamics of sound and further reduces any chance of distortion. All-new long-throw injection molded graphite woofers allow for the most powerful output and maximum impact. The manufacturers house the speakers themselves in cabinets with AcoustiComp material.

This material is naturally dense, rigid, and best of all, acoustically inert. One can often find this material in professional cinematic and musical speakers. One will never have to worry about the cabinet muffling the sound because of the immense durability of AcoustiComp. For additional listening room display options, the Klipsch Quintet 5.0 Home Theater Speaker System has keyhole mounts on each speaker for wall mounting capabilities. 

Looking at the on-the-go side of things, the small but serious Klipsch Groove Portable Bluetooth Speaker is a tiny force to be reckoned with. It is only 2.65″ x 5.51″ x 4.56″ and weighs only 1.7 lbs; it can easily fit in the palm of your hand, and you can just throw it into a bag and take it anywhere. The lithium-ion batteries last for eight hours unplugged and charging this speaker is ultra convenient thanks to its universal Micro USB plug.

Packed with a built-in three inch, full range, high excursion driver along with dual side-firing bass radiators and advanced DSP equalization, the Groove Portable presents consumers with the sound full of dynamics more than capable of filling a room with minimal distortion despite its small size.

The Groove also boasts a completely splash-resistant IPX4 rating surface for an even wider range of places one can use it. The manufacturers mount the controls of this speaker at the top of the device for ease of accessibility, and Bluetooth capabilities make listening simple and convenient. 

Comparing the 2 Most Popular Models

To further help one compare and understand the differences between Bose vs Klipsch and how they hold up against one another, we have compared the top home theater systems in the Bose and Klipsch brands. For this comparison, we will look at the Bose Wave SoundTouch Music System and the Klipsch Quintet 5.0 Home Theater Speaker System.

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Pros

• assembly is quick and easy with added remote with six presets
• Offers a wide range of options for listening to music including free iHeart Radio, Pandora, and Amazon Music.
• auxiliary cable provided to plug in iPod or other MP3 players
• CD port and AM/FM radio capabilities offer additional listening options
• front facing display
• compatible with the entirety of SoundTouch products and Amazon’s Alexa

Cons

• Overpriced
• Poor bass controls only allow for two options: regular bass and reduced bass. Users note little difference between the two settings
• Auxiliary Port connected devices and CDs CANNOT play through additional wireless speakers, only the SoundTouch unit itself.

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Pros

• assembly is easy with wires connected through the bottom and push-button functions along with mounts for extra display possibilities
• slightly more affordable price range
• Option to add an affordable subwoofer to increase sound range and listening experience

Cons

• purchasing this product or any Klipsch products online can be tricky as there are many unauthorized resellers who advertise the latest model but deliver an outdated version
• the brand name is lesser known on the Internet, and there are fewer customer feedback reviews to help one make an accurate assumption of the product

Conclusion – Bose vs Klipsch

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Image via Amazon

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Image via Amazon

So when faced head to head, Bose vs Klipsch, which brand is the better bang for your buck? Where Bose is a jack of all trades, boasting versatility in its indoor speaker systems, outdoor systems, portable speakers, and robust, durable models to handle all inclement conditions, Klipsch is the champion of room-filling sound and rich home theater experiences.

Even though the Bose systems offer wider ranges regarding compatibility with Internet radio, Amazon, iHeart, and Spotify accounts, along with a speaker for every personality and significantly more customer awareness and feedback, the poor bass controls, and overpriced products are its downfall.

The Klipsch products, however, have continued to build on models introduced in the 1990s, and one can definitely hear their careful building in the quality and craft of their sound. Users who discover Klipsch products are always pleasantly shocked and surprised by the crisp sound of their mindfully manufactured woofers and tweeters.

Both Bose and Klipsch do an excellent job of adhering to the desires and goals of their founders and still, keep making each model they produce better than the last one. No doubt Mr. Bose and Mr. Klipsch would be proud of their legacies.

In the end, the choice between Bose vs Klipsch is ultimately up to you. Do you desire a brand that produces innovative, versatile products that can keep up with you through any place or event you can think of? Or do you harbor a desire to jump on the bandwagon of countless impressed consumers who are pleased with the results of a manufacturer that will continue to update their reliable systems with the latest and greatest technologies?

Featured Image by Ha Manh from Pixabay