BOSE(R) Companion 3 Multimedia Speaker System - Graphite / Silver

Other products by Bose

Product Details

Product Manual [222kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 16 x 20 x 12 inches ; 31 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 20 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00011CNWG
• Item model number: 3
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #19,076 in Electronics (See Bestsellers in Electronics)

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  Electronics > Home Audio & Theater > Speakers > Home Theater Speaker Systems

• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: November 16, 2003

Product Description

From the Manufacturer
Experience a new level of audio performance from your computer. Our premium multimedia speakers provide exceptionally clean, high-quality audio while freeing up valuable desktop space. Satellite speakers can attach to your flat panel monitor or right on your desk. A compact Acoustimass module fits neatly under your desk and delivers impressive lower tones that make movies and games come to life. And an all-in-one control pod houses a headphone jack, adjusts the volume and includes an auxiliary input.

Power up to Bose quality sound for your computer

Companion 3 speakers represent a premium choice for all your computer audio sources. From MP3s, CDs and Internet radio to DVDs, streaming video and games. Hear full, rich sound from tiny satellite speakers designed to complement—and conveniently attach to—flat panel monitors. It’s a unique combination of elegance and convenience, whether you place them on your desk or opt for a speaker-free desktop.

A compact Acoustimass module adds impressive, resonant lows for intense movie and gaming effects. Bose proprietary TrueSpace signal processing adds enhanced spaciousness for lifelike sound that most conventional computer speakers simply cannot match.

More functionality. More convenience

Companion 3 speakers also feature an easy-to-use, multi-function control pod, no bigger than a computer mouse. Speaker volume control, headphone jack and an auxiliary input for an additional audio source are all within reach.

Available in Graphite with Silver trim, Companion 3 speakers let you hear music, movies and sound effects on your computer the way they were meant to be heard.

What's in the box

Acoustimass module, Two satellite speakers, Control pod, Mounting brackets

Product Description
Experience a new level of audio performance from your computer. These premium multimedia speakers provide exceptionally clean, high-quality audio while freeing up valuable desktop space. Satellite speakers can attach to your flat panel monitor or right on your desk. A compact Acoustimass module fits neatly under your desk and delivers impressive lower tones that make movies and games come to life. And an all-in-one control pod houses a headphone jack, adjusts the volume and includes an auxiliary input.Companion 3 speakers represent a premium choice for all your computer audio sources. From MP3s, CDs and Internet radio to DVDs, streaming video and games. Hear full, rich sound from tiny satellite speakers designed to complement - and conveniently attach to - flat panel monitors. It's a unique combination of elegance and convenience, whether you place them on your desk or opt for a speaker-free desktop.A compact Acoustimass module adds impressive, resonant lows for intense movie and gaming effects. Bose proprietary TrueSpace stereo signal processing circuitry adds enhanced spaciousness for lifelike sound that most conventional computer speakers simply cannot match.Companion 3 speakers also feature an easy-to-use, multi-function control pod, no bigger than a computer mouse. Speaker volume control, headphone jack and an auxiliary input for an additional audio source are all within reach.Available in Graphite with Silver trim, Companion 3 speakers let you hear music, movies and sound effects on your computer the way they meant to be heard.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good speaker, TERRIBLE price/performance ratio, January 4, 2006

By	William E. Irving (Madison, WI United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Whenever I read something like the following oft-repeated mantra from Dallas Electronics Fan:

"No highs, no lows (must be Bose!)"

I am reminded that there is a cadre of Bose haters out there possessed with as fervent a religious fanaticism as the Bose lovers.

Part of the problem is that speaker manufacturers are clearly targeting their products at the gaming market. They assume that everyone wants to be immersed from all 7.1 sides in explosions accompanied by heavy metal thrash music. Small 2.1 systems are treated as cheap throw-away afterthoughts - "shovelware" tossed in the box with every low-ball Dell and eMachines.

To Bose's credit, it appears that Bose actually considers the Companion 3 to be a serious product aimed at a different target than juvenile gamers. These speakers sound more pleasing with music (especially classical music or jazz) at low-to-medium volume than most of the future landfill being sold (or given away in computer bundles) in the compact 2.1 computer speaker system market. And the volume control/connector pod is really slick and smooth in its operation, more intuitive, simpler and just better than anything else out there, with a satisfying sense of heft and precisely the right tactile feel.

This level of product refinement and design forethought arguably costs money and to many people this makes a product worth shelling out some extra. For a more familiar example, why do people knowingly and willingly pay a significant premium for McIntosh computers when nearly everyone with any objectivity now agrees that a Windows PC can do anything a Mac can do and do it cheaper? Many "macaholics" say it is because Macs are just more sophisticated, slicker, smoother, "cooler" and more pleasant to use than the average generic Windoze beige box, and this makes Macs worth their premium cost. That argument either is compelling to you or it isn't; it's YOUR money. In any case, there isn't much sense getting worked up about it. We claim to have religious freedom in this country after all.

While I said that the sound of the Bose Companion 3 is "more pleasing" than most, I didn't say "more accurate." Bose uses much electronic and psycho-acoustic flim-flammery to make these speakers sound fuller and more spacious in close quarters and at low volume than any tiny 2.1 speaker system has any right to. And what do most people who are not stick-in-the-butt audiophiles or blood, entrails and explosion-addicted gamers really do with their computer audio? What do these non-enthusiasts really want from their speakers while working at their computers? Most of them are listening to MP3s or Internet radio while checking their email, balancing their bank accounts and/or budgets, surfing the web, etc. They are NOT editing a video or mixing a digital master, nor are they wreaking mayhem and destruction in Palookistan. Though they may be sophisticated enough to appreciate clarity, low distortion and a reasonable sense of bass extension and heft, they want it in a small, tidy, simple-to-set-up, simple-to-use package that is satisfying at less than lease-breaking volume, even at low, 2:00AM kind of volume.

Considering sound quality and sonic accuracy alone though, I personally find the Cambridge Soundworks - selling for a ridiculously paltry $79.95 - to be a better choice. In my opinion, nothing else in a small 2.1 system is even close. And at the $79.95 price point, everything else sounds like two tin cans hung on strings, with subwoofers like somebody beating on an empty Cheerios box. The Cambridge Soundworks are the cheapest speakers BY FAR that I can stand to listen to for any length of time. And for me, that is saying a lot, since I am a classically trained musician who spends much more on audio gear than I can rationally afford.

But the Cambridge Soundworks' user-friendliness and execution is rustic compared to the Bose Companion 3. The Cambridge product lacks a headphone jack, an auxiliary input, or even a volume control, except for a rinky-dink inline thumbwheel afterthought wired into the input cable. And to cap it all off, the bass level control is located awkwardly on the back panel of the subwoofer.

All this considered, I went ahead and purchased the Cambridge Soundworks despite its usability shortcomings because its octave-to-octave balance was more even and accurate than the Bose (or anything else for the Bose's price or less), though I found I need to manually goose the subwoofer a tad at low volume to approximate what Bose's circuitry automatically does to compensate for the human ear's natural loss of sensitivity to bass as volume decreases. As for Bose's clear superiority in features, ergonomics and general product sophistication, it wasn't enough for me, in the end, to justify my paying more than TRIPLE the cost ($249.95).

I think the Bose product would be a fair value at $149.95, a bargain at $99.95, and an out-of-the-park home run at the same price as the Cambridge Soundworks. While I praise this product's unique virtues, I cannot say I recommend it given Bose's notorious "bigger idiot theory" of product pricing (i.e. "with enough info-mercials and slick ad campaigns, and pricing through the nose to increase 'perceived value,' there will be enough 'bigger idiots' to make us rich!").

If you listen to this speaker at Best Buy or Circuit City and like it, look for a low-miles used one on ebay. DON'T pay retail unless you LIKE the idea of raiding your children's college fund to send the good Doctor Bose's grandchildren to Harvard!

I give the Bose Companion 3 "4 stars" for its slick execution and better than average performance in a small 2.1 system. But I give it only "1 star" for its low value for money. Consider it on balance a "3 star" product.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bangin'... after you wait a while!, April 11, 2004

By	Chris "christer849" (OH) - See all my reviews

When i first opened my $200 (i bought them early when they were only 200 then they uped it to 250) speakers i thought the sound would be amazing. WEll the bass was great but the satelites weren't "heavenly". Then i went online and found out that you need to break in new speakers for 20 hours to get best performance. So everyday when i left for work i started leaving them on until i hit 20 hours. I put on a good song and it was awesome. The sattelites were unbelieveable and the bass was even more great. So this really woke the lion. One little thing that annoys me, The sattelite speakers hiss a little when no music is on but nothing nerve racking. All i do Is just hit the snazzy mute (touch sensitive) and its the hissing is gone, nothing to not buy them over. So i absolutely love mine and bose surely held up its name. Great for music and works ok for games but go for 5.1 if you're into hard gaming and movies. One more thing these speakers aren't the best on hard rock or something where there's guitars and drums banging alot. But it's awesome on pop techno hiphop classical etc. Also be sure you got a good sound card i have an audigy LS and it's great for the price. TWo thumbs up!!

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Speaker System, February 6, 2004

By	Douglas R. DeMarco (Stamford, CT United States) - See all my reviews

I bought these speakers a few weeks ago and like them more and more every day. The first thing I noticed when I hooked them up was that they are very loud. After that initial reaction I felt as if there was a lack of good mid-range, shrill highs and overly heavy bass. I have since managed to tweak things to my liking and I have to say these speakers are awesome. The following is a list of things that worked for me to help get things sounding right:

* Point the speakers away from you, like they suggest in the manual. I have mine about pointed about 30-45 degrees outward. This will keep your sound stage wide and cut down on the tin-like sounding highs

* Don't be afraid to turn down the bass. I have my acoustimass module under my desk and against the wall so it has a lot of surfaces to bounce off of. This increases the bass response. I have the bass dial up only about 1/4 of the way and I find that to be about the right level. The bass still thumps when you listen to 50 Cent but it doesn't become all you hear.

* Play around with the output levels on your computer. I have my master volume and mp3 player set to only about 50%. For some reason this seemed to bring back my midrange a bit and cut down on how loud the sound is when the volume knob is all the way down. I also have the treble output on my sound card set a little lower than normal to further reduce the over-emphasized highs.

* Break in your speakers. I've read that new speakers need to be broken in and I think I'm buying that suggestion now. I think this is also why I feel a lot better about the system after a few weeks than I did the first day I installed them.

So, they take a little finessing but once you have played around with them for a while, you'll be happy you have them. It's also worth it to mention they are easily the most sylish speakers out there and one of the few brands of comupter speakers that also make other top-notch audio products. The volume/headphone jack/second audio source/mute control disc is a really nice touch too. Everything about the system is well designed.

One of these reviews mentions the heavy weight of the subwoofer being a con. I see that as a pro. Lets you know there's a lot of high quality, durable components inside it.