question about BOSE reputation

Bose and B&O have a similar nitch market. Small, good looking, easy to use = very high WAF factor. Both at one time were approaching high fi (not necessarily high end), but both decided on this market. There's nothing wrong with that, but if you are looking for best sound for your $$, that's not what either of these companies are about. While I won't mention names I have spoken with one of the higher ups at Bose who is very upfront that this is the market they want. They are not looking to sound the best, or be the best value (based on sound quality). They are looking to capture the market that has the disposable $$ to spend on easy to use, easy to set up, and good looking equipment. Sounds very profitable to me.

A friend lent me his Bose lifestyle 25 system.It sucked huge.This was 2 years ago and at the time i had a 20 year old kenwood integrated with 20 year old Klipcsh hersey speakers.It killed the bose so bad it was not even close.

All excellent posts. Bose has capitalized on the fact that while most people like music, the vast majority of them don't care about serious listening and prefer something that blends in or is virtually invisible in their living space and delivers something that resembles their tunes. As a system for background music it works; if you are a serious listener it will disappoint, and can easily be bettered for far less money.

If your main concern is tiny speakers, you may want to take a look at the Gallo Micro system. The speakers are round balls the size of an orange and the powered subwoofer is also quite small. Much better sound than the Bose systems that I have heard and a lot less money. They offer different mounting options (floor stands, wall brackets and/or simple rings that the balls can be placed on) and color options as well.

Jair, as you've noticed from the thread above, you've not gotten many specific recommendations other than avoid BOSE like the plague. This is good advice.

Regarding your specific questions, most here are probably not that familiar with specific models that you are interested in as there is definitely an anti-home-theatre bias in this forum. I'm afraid that I am guilty of this bias as well.

While I cannot give specific guidance on individual models, I can identigy some other reputable, high-value brands that you'll want to take a look at. Denon makes good gear and you should also consider HT receivers made by Onkyo and Yamaha, brands I would consider relatively comparable. With respect to receivers, you probably are not going to be able to discern much if any difference between these three brands. Ultimately, your choice should boil down to power (buy all you can afford), features, and price.

Regarding speaker packages, KEF and Mission make some very reasonable, both in terms of cost and musicality, HT speaker packages. Remember that the choice of speakers will influence the final sound of your system more than any other component, so listen to as many competing brands as you possibly can.

Finally, be very skeptical about expensive cables and interconnects. I guarantee that you'll be pressured to buy such novelties. The plain ugly truth is that in a HT setup at the price point you are considering, these trinkets will make no sonic difference whatever, but they'll make a hell of a difference in the profit margin for the retailer that cons you in to buying them. Good luck and caveat emptor.