THE NEXT DAY
I have updated my review from 2 to 4 stars because after rebooting my PC this morning the sound improved dramatically. A stark difference. Clarity and range was now really excellent. I listened again the the "Beatles 1" album on Spotify Premium (320 kbps) that I complained about below and heard high notes that I hadn't heard before, even on my high end Harmon Kardon home audio receiver and Bose acoustimass 7.1 speakers.
I would have updated the rating to 5 stars (the sound deserves it!) but all of my non-sound related complaints below still exist. Bose really needs to address them.
BTW, I still have to call Bose when they come back to work as I do not have the software based sound adjustment capabilities discussed in other reviews as well as in those lame instructions. Not that I will ever use them however. I prefer a flat, sharp, unaltered sound and what I'm hearing. Really excellent!
ORIGINAL REVIEW
As usual, Amazon Prime was awesome as I received my Bose Companion 5 computer speakers at 11 today,12/31/15 after ordering late on 12/29.
Because they arrived early I thought I had plenty to time to install and setup before quitting for the day. It only took a few minutes actually as there wasn’t much too it. The found the various connections quite sturdy and well-marked. The cables were also plenty long enough. I like he desktop remote which is heavy enough to do double duty as a paperweight.
I’m running Windows 10 on Dell and the instructions were written for Windows XP and Vista so they were essentially worthless for setup, but Windows 10 found the one necessary USB driver silently without any issues. The instructions talked about a setup process with lots of screen displays and ~10 separate USB driver installs that would run at several minutes. (My driver install took a couple seconds.) I finally realized this may have been true with XP (circa 2001) but untrue with an O/S 15 years newer and 4 generations later.
However, big trouble was ahead. The speakers didn’t work, and amazing but true, the only “help” offered by Microsoft was a link pointing to a Bose consumer sales website in India. (I live in Southern California.) I need to add that I had already gone to the Bose website listed in the instructions in the box with the speakers. But after pawing thru all the presale adds I learned that the website offered only the same XP setup crap I already had. Nothing more except a phone number.
I did try to call the Bose tech support at 2 PM Pacific time but they had shut down for the New Years Holiday already and did not provide the means to leave a voice mail.
Well, at this point I realized I had made a big “buyer beware” error: I thought I ‘d bought the best quality product available. Maybe this is in fact true, but if so it’s a sad statement
However, there was some “joy” eventually. (I exaggerate.) I did get those Bose speakers working, some 3+ hours later, by Googling with search terms like “Bose Companion 5 speakers no sound”. What I learned was that the Bose driver setup app is incompatible with my previously installed high end Logitech web camera. Here’s a link to the blog post that tipped me off:
http://www.cnet.com/forums/discussions/no-audio-with-usb-2-0-bose-companion-5-windows-xp-227549/
Scroll down the page to the post dated February 4, 2007, “No Audio” by Conductor_Grey. (I've attached a screen scrap to save others time. Yup, that post is almost 9 years old!)
Anyway, I did these 4 steps to get the Bose speakers to finally work:
1. I disabled the webcam driver in Windows (Control Panel > System > Device Manager > Audio).
2. I plugged in my headphones into the Bose desktop remote port. They worked immediately!
3. I unplugged the headphones and then the speakers started working.
4. I re-enabled the webcam driver and the speakers are still working. (knock on wood! I haven’t rebooted yet.)
So it appears the latest Windows driver install app (written by Bose of course and distributed by Microsoft) is just buggy. Same bug apparently as 7 years ago.
I noted in the instructions that these speakers have been selling since 2006 which explains (but does not excuse) the Windows XP instructions and the date of that post blog post.
All in all, I am far from a happy camper. But I’m going to use these speakers for a couple days with different types of music to see if they just need breaking in. They sounded like crap when I listened to the Beatles but I’m listening to classical piano and violin now (Debussy) and they sound much better. One plus, I used for a phone call and the voice was very clear. Best I've heard from systems like this.
Sadly, Cambridge Soundworks is out of business. IMO, they made better speakers for half the cost.
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Compare with similar items
 | Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX Certified Computer Speaker System (Black) | Bose Companion 3 Series II multimedia speaker system (Graphite/Silver) | Logitech Z313 2.1 Multimedia Speaker System with Subwoofer, Full Range Audio, 50 Watts Peak Power, Strong Bass, 3.5mm Inputs, PC/PS4/Xbox/TV/Smartphone/Tablet/Music Player - Black | Computer Speakers, HiFi Sound Quality Computer Sound Bar, USB Powered PC Speakers, Bluetooth 5.0 and 3.5mm Aux-in Computer Speakers for Desktop, Laptops, PCs, Phones, Tablets, Xbox, Gaming Speakers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Rating | (627) | (9623) | (321) | (14120) | (1439) |
| Price | $355.00 | $109.99 | $235.00 | $59.73 | $50.95 |
| Sold By | Sunrise2030 | Rack-IT Solutions | Sunrise2030 | Amazon.com | NylaveeDirect |
| Are batteries required? | No | No | No | No | No |
| Color | Silver | black | Graphite, silver | Black | — |
| Item Dimensions | 19.7 x 10.5 x 15.5 inches | 5.67 x 4.2 x 8.5 inches | 10.5 x 15.8 x 16.5 inches | 13 x 6.25 x 1 inches | — |
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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 1, 2016
I have updated my review from 2 to 4 stars because after rebooting my PC this morning the sound improved dramatically. A stark difference. Clarity and range was now really excellent. I listened again the the "Beatles 1" album on Spotify Premium (320 kbps) that I complained about below and heard high notes that I hadn't heard before, even on my high end Harmon Kardon home audio receiver and Bose acoustimass 7.1 speakers.
I would have updated the rating to 5 stars (the sound deserves it!) but all of my non-sound related complaints below still exist. Bose really needs to address them.
BTW, I still have to call Bose when they come back to work as I do not have the software based sound adjustment capabilities discussed in other reviews as well as in those lame instructions. Not that I will ever use them however. I prefer a flat, sharp, unaltered sound and what I'm hearing. Really excellent!
ORIGINAL REVIEW
As usual, Amazon Prime was awesome as I received my Bose Companion 5 computer speakers at 11 today,12/31/15 after ordering late on 12/29.
Because they arrived early I thought I had plenty to time to install and setup before quitting for the day. It only took a few minutes actually as there wasn’t much too it. The found the various connections quite sturdy and well-marked. The cables were also plenty long enough. I like he desktop remote which is heavy enough to do double duty as a paperweight.
I’m running Windows 10 on Dell and the instructions were written for Windows XP and Vista so they were essentially worthless for setup, but Windows 10 found the one necessary USB driver silently without any issues. The instructions talked about a setup process with lots of screen displays and ~10 separate USB driver installs that would run at several minutes. (My driver install took a couple seconds.) I finally realized this may have been true with XP (circa 2001) but untrue with an O/S 15 years newer and 4 generations later.
However, big trouble was ahead. The speakers didn’t work, and amazing but true, the only “help” offered by Microsoft was a link pointing to a Bose consumer sales website in India. (I live in Southern California.) I need to add that I had already gone to the Bose website listed in the instructions in the box with the speakers. But after pawing thru all the presale adds I learned that the website offered only the same XP setup crap I already had. Nothing more except a phone number.
I did try to call the Bose tech support at 2 PM Pacific time but they had shut down for the New Years Holiday already and did not provide the means to leave a voice mail.
Well, at this point I realized I had made a big “buyer beware” error: I thought I ‘d bought the best quality product available. Maybe this is in fact true, but if so it’s a sad statement
However, there was some “joy” eventually. (I exaggerate.) I did get those Bose speakers working, some 3+ hours later, by Googling with search terms like “Bose Companion 5 speakers no sound”. What I learned was that the Bose driver setup app is incompatible with my previously installed high end Logitech web camera. Here’s a link to the blog post that tipped me off:
http://www.cnet.com/forums/discussions/no-audio-with-usb-2-0-bose-companion-5-windows-xp-227549/
Scroll down the page to the post dated February 4, 2007, “No Audio” by Conductor_Grey. (I've attached a screen scrap to save others time. Yup, that post is almost 9 years old!)
Anyway, I did these 4 steps to get the Bose speakers to finally work:
1. I disabled the webcam driver in Windows (Control Panel > System > Device Manager > Audio).
2. I plugged in my headphones into the Bose desktop remote port. They worked immediately!
3. I unplugged the headphones and then the speakers started working.
4. I re-enabled the webcam driver and the speakers are still working. (knock on wood! I haven’t rebooted yet.)
So it appears the latest Windows driver install app (written by Bose of course and distributed by Microsoft) is just buggy. Same bug apparently as 7 years ago.
I noted in the instructions that these speakers have been selling since 2006 which explains (but does not excuse) the Windows XP instructions and the date of that post blog post.
All in all, I am far from a happy camper. But I’m going to use these speakers for a couple days with different types of music to see if they just need breaking in. They sounded like crap when I listened to the Beatles but I’m listening to classical piano and violin now (Debussy) and they sound much better. One plus, I used for a phone call and the voice was very clear. Best I've heard from systems like this.
Sadly, Cambridge Soundworks is out of business. IMO, they made better speakers for half the cost.
Really Disappointed! (ORIGINALLY BUT NOT NOW)
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 1, 2016
THE NEXT DAYReviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 1, 2016
I have updated my review from 2 to 4 stars because after rebooting my PC this morning the sound improved dramatically. A stark difference. Clarity and range was now really excellent. I listened again the the "Beatles 1" album on Spotify Premium (320 kbps) that I complained about below and heard high notes that I hadn't heard before, even on my high end Harmon Kardon home audio receiver and Bose acoustimass 7.1 speakers.
I would have updated the rating to 5 stars (the sound deserves it!) but all of my non-sound related complaints below still exist. Bose really needs to address them.
BTW, I still have to call Bose when they come back to work as I do not have the software based sound adjustment capabilities discussed in other reviews as well as in those lame instructions. Not that I will ever use them however. I prefer a flat, sharp, unaltered sound and what I'm hearing. Really excellent!
ORIGINAL REVIEW
As usual, Amazon Prime was awesome as I received my Bose Companion 5 computer speakers at 11 today,12/31/15 after ordering late on 12/29.
Because they arrived early I thought I had plenty to time to install and setup before quitting for the day. It only took a few minutes actually as there wasn’t much too it. The found the various connections quite sturdy and well-marked. The cables were also plenty long enough. I like he desktop remote which is heavy enough to do double duty as a paperweight.
I’m running Windows 10 on Dell and the instructions were written for Windows XP and Vista so they were essentially worthless for setup, but Windows 10 found the one necessary USB driver silently without any issues. The instructions talked about a setup process with lots of screen displays and ~10 separate USB driver installs that would run at several minutes. (My driver install took a couple seconds.) I finally realized this may have been true with XP (circa 2001) but untrue with an O/S 15 years newer and 4 generations later.
However, big trouble was ahead. The speakers didn’t work, and amazing but true, the only “help” offered by Microsoft was a link pointing to a Bose consumer sales website in India. (I live in Southern California.) I need to add that I had already gone to the Bose website listed in the instructions in the box with the speakers. But after pawing thru all the presale adds I learned that the website offered only the same XP setup crap I already had. Nothing more except a phone number.
I did try to call the Bose tech support at 2 PM Pacific time but they had shut down for the New Years Holiday already and did not provide the means to leave a voice mail.
Well, at this point I realized I had made a big “buyer beware” error: I thought I ‘d bought the best quality product available. Maybe this is in fact true, but if so it’s a sad statement
However, there was some “joy” eventually. (I exaggerate.) I did get those Bose speakers working, some 3+ hours later, by Googling with search terms like “Bose Companion 5 speakers no sound”. What I learned was that the Bose driver setup app is incompatible with my previously installed high end Logitech web camera. Here’s a link to the blog post that tipped me off:
http://www.cnet.com/forums/discussions/no-audio-with-usb-2-0-bose-companion-5-windows-xp-227549/
Scroll down the page to the post dated February 4, 2007, “No Audio” by Conductor_Grey. (I've attached a screen scrap to save others time. Yup, that post is almost 9 years old!)
Anyway, I did these 4 steps to get the Bose speakers to finally work:
1. I disabled the webcam driver in Windows (Control Panel > System > Device Manager > Audio).
2. I plugged in my headphones into the Bose desktop remote port. They worked immediately!
3. I unplugged the headphones and then the speakers started working.
4. I re-enabled the webcam driver and the speakers are still working. (knock on wood! I haven’t rebooted yet.)
So it appears the latest Windows driver install app (written by Bose of course and distributed by Microsoft) is just buggy. Same bug apparently as 7 years ago.
I noted in the instructions that these speakers have been selling since 2006 which explains (but does not excuse) the Windows XP instructions and the date of that post blog post.
All in all, I am far from a happy camper. But I’m going to use these speakers for a couple days with different types of music to see if they just need breaking in. They sounded like crap when I listened to the Beatles but I’m listening to classical piano and violin now (Debussy) and they sound much better. One plus, I used for a phone call and the voice was very clear. Best I've heard from systems like this.
Sadly, Cambridge Soundworks is out of business. IMO, they made better speakers for half the cost.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 22, 2013
Top reviews from other countries
Kevin
I love how this speaker system saves space
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Expensive but very premium
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on October 24, 2017
Riley
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on October 24, 2017
The sound quality these speakers produce is phenomenal for the size, and almost everybody who's ever heard them has asked me questions about it. If you're planning on having a house party, these won't disappoint. I've had these playing all night with some bass heavy songs from Lil Uzi, Kendrick Lamar, Dr. Dre, etc... Zero distortion at nearly any volume level. I'll have more problems with items shaking off my desk before I experience any sound issues at high levels, and I don't think I've ever had them past 75%. These are also great for other genres with more mids and highs, such as Rock. Listening to Dream On - Aerosmith, the vocals sound great and clear, all of the instruments are present and the bass isn't too heavy.
I use them with a Macbook Pro, the USB connection is pretty straight forward and quick to use (no drivers to install). I've also hooked up an AUX cord to the Control Pod, that works well too. If there is anything I'd complain about these speakers, it would be the lack of bluetooth connectivity. Otherwise this is probably the most solid set of computer speakers on the market, in terms of sound quality, bass, small size and durability. I know people who've purchased these speakers almost 10 years ago, and they still work. Surprisingly they don't look outdated like you'd expect, they just lack some more modern features like bluetooth or USB-C.
If you're looking for something loud, sleek and that'll last forever, skip all of the other options out there and save up for these. This system will hold it's value very well just like an Apple product.
Images in this review
