Dr. Bose Passes Away at 83

[DonH50]

Numerous regular news articles, but here is a look at the man many might not have seen:

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/obit-amar-bose-0712.html

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

I owned a pair of 800s for years. Imagine 901s, covered in black tolex with all of the drivers on the beveled sides (the back of the 901) they were small, inert, inefficient -- a cluster of 4" drivers in a cabinet that sat high atop speaker stands, projecting over the audience. If you were going to mic the whole band and run full range through the PA, big folded horns (in the days before sub woofers) were required. For vocals, guitars, midrange, with enough power, they were very, very good.

It is so hip in these circles to dis Bose. I've done plenty of it myself. But He designed some very good things.

Tim

 

[Bill Hart]

He build an empire which had broad commercial reach across what we 'guru's' would consider to be consumer electronics. Good design and marketing sense too- sort of hi-end of mass market consumer goods. Smart guy. Sorry to hear that he passed.
And of course i remember the 901.

 

[amirm]

Sad day. He was the best and perhaps one of only few examples of how with innovation we could stay in consumer electronics against the forces of Asia. Seems like even at the end, he was smart by giving away his company shares to MIT. Otherwise, his survivors would have been hit with huge taxes which would have most likely caused the company to be sold off to pay for them!

 

[taters]

Sad day. He was the best and perhaps one of only few examples of how with innovation we could stay in consumer electronics against the forces of Asia. Seems like even at the end, he was smart buy giving away his company shares to MIT. Otherwise, his survivors would have been hit with huge taxes which would have most likely caused the company to be sold off to pay for them!

What's more sad than Mr. Bose dying is that he had to give everything away so his heirs don't have to worry about paying the taxes. Talk about an antiquated system.

 

[amirm]

What's more sad than Mr. Bose dying is that he had to give everything away so his heirs don't have to worry about paying the taxes. Talk about an antiquated system.

It is a serious problem. If you have a company that is worth a few hundred million dollars and you die, the company may have to be shut down and parts sold out to pay for taxes! THis is why Dolby went public. Ray was worried that there would not be enough cash to pay the taxes.

 

[taters]

It is a serious problem. If you have a company that is worth a few hundred million dollars and you die, the company may have to be shut down and parts sold out to pay for taxes! THis is why Dolby went public. Ray was worried that there would not be enough cash to pay the taxes.

It's like they penalize you for being successful.

 

[FrantzM]

It's like they penalize you for being successful.

Well looking at it from a different perspective : you aren't there to care...

 

[Whatmore]

What's more sad than Mr. Bose dying is that he had to give everything away so his heirs don't have to worry about paying the taxes. Talk about an antiquated system.

It is a serious problem. If you have a company that is worth a few hundred million dollars and you die, the company may have to be shut down and parts sold out to pay for taxes! THis is why Dolby went public. Ray was worried that there would not be enough cash to pay the taxes.

It may be a serious problem but is it really more sad than someone's death ?

 

[Robh3606]

The man who made fullrange speakers common place. A lot of people do snicker at Bose but he has lots of very happy people who own his products. We take a pair on a winter holiday and we beat the hell out of them and they just keep on going. Very smart guy/company especialy with WAF. Shame about his passing.

I remember many years ago going into a bar and wondering what speaker they were using. They had a pair of 901's chained up using an old Dynaco ST400 to power them. Surprised me by how good they sounded.

Rob

 

[NorthStar]

R.I.P. Dr. Bose

 

[MylesBAstor]

It is a serious problem. If you have a company that is worth a few hundred million dollars and you die, the company may have to be shut down and parts sold out to pay for taxes! THis is why Dolby went public. Ray was worried that there would not be enough cash to pay the taxes.

Unless you were George Steinbrenner.

 

[Revel Salon 2]

hope we get to see his new suspension on future cars!!!

check: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8sVDenpPOE

 

[DonH50]

I also had very mixed feelings about his speakers. I too had a pair of C800's for PA use, but never really liked the 901's let alone the cubes, and I thought the Wave radio incredibly overpriced. However, the few times I met him he seemed like a nice guy, and his rep as a teacher and innovator was outstanding. A sad day...

 

[MylesBAstor]

http://www.analogplanet.com/content/dr-amar-bose-dead-83

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

http://www.analogplanet.com/content/dr-amar-bose-dead-83

While I respect the opinion of those who are obviously much more in the know than I, the article is ill-timed and Mikey should have left it for another day.

 

[mep]

I want to say a few things here. First of all, I have never liked the sound of anything that carried the Bose name badge. Every speaker he produced had his sonic thumbprint all over it. No matter what recording you played, it would be colored with the Bose "sound." And that would be the sound of speakers radiating off your rear walls and coloring the sound coming out in front (direct vs. reflected sound). With regards to it being sad that he passed, I have mixed emotions about that as well. When a person is struck down in life as a young child, that is very sad. When someone dies while in the prime of their life, that is very sad. When someone has lived a good life and died of natural causes at an advanced age, it's not quite so sad in my book. We are all going to move onto our next journey at some point. And yes, I don't believe that life 'ends' when we die. I think it takes on another form just as energy can neither be created or destroyed, only changed. Which leads me to my last point: It's not good to speak ill of the dead. And why is that? It's because people do believe they can come back and haunt your ass.

 

[microstrip]

Although Bose speakers are not very popular in my country, I listened to them several times, and have to say that for specific purposes the Bose 901 series 5 was really an enjoyable speaker. I am referring to a local bar where we could have some drinks with friends, while listening to some jazz or ethnic music. Although this system was colored by hifi standards the sound was really enveloping and full of music. I remember that sometime ago I saw a mint pair of 901's series 5 in a dealer who took them in part-exchange and almost felt guilty of not buying them. Much later I told a good friend about it, and he was really angry and upset I have not told him about them in time - they were his dream speakers!

 

[Bill Hart]

I want to say a few things here. First of all, I have never liked the sound of anything that carried the Bose name badge. Every speaker he produced had his sonic thumbprint all over it. No matter what recording you played, it would be colored with the Bose "sound." And that would be the sound of speakers radiating off your rear walls and coloring the sound coming out in front (direct vs. reflected sound). With regards to it being sad that he passed, I have mixed emotions about that as well. When a person is struck down in life as a young child, that is very sad. When someone dies while in the prime of their life, that is very sad. When someone has lived a good life and died of natural causes at an advanced age, it's not quite so sad in my book. We are all going to move onto our next journey at some point. And yes, I don't believe that life 'ends' when we die. I think it takes on another form just as energy can neither be created or destroyed, only changed. Which leads me to my last point: It's not good to speak ill of the dead. And why is that? It's because people do believe they can come back and haunt your ass.

Amen. Tell it, brother.
(sound of gospel singers in background and shaking of tambourine).

 

[Randy Bessinger]

Most of all he was a pioneer and an educator. Be nice to hear from Sean Olive and some other technical experts as to whether his contributions merit scorn or praise.