Companion 2 Series III Multimedia Speakers - for PC (with 3.5mm AUX & PC Input) Black

UPDATE 7/19/2015 - After over a year with the speakers they are still going strong! Yet, I found myself in a Bose store the other day and purchased the more expensive Companion 20 speakers. Look below for my comparison of the two. ORIGINAL REVIEW I own a pair of bose QC 15 headphones which have spoiled me and made me discontent with the mediocre sound systems around my house. So, I wanted some bose speakers to connect to my wireless network at home via my airport express and airplay. Well, I am happy to say that these $100 Bose speakers sound GREAT! The sound is spacious, deep and CRISP. The high notes sing and one can feel the base. ARE THEY LOUD ENOUGH? Some reviewers complain that they do not get loud enough. I thought the same at first and then realized that my music was turned down at the source. Now, I have the volume all the way up on my iPad and then adjust the volume on the speakers themselves. I have to tell that they get extremely loud with no distortion. The volume only needs to be up half-way on the speakers for the volume to shake the room and tickle my eardrums. ARE THE MIDS DECENT? Just to clear-up another misconception - the highs and lows are reproduced extremely well. Both the high notes and the bass are VERY pleasing. Ragtime Piano, for example, sounds excellent on the speakers. The weakness is indeed with the mids. Nothing bad, but the speakers do seem to equalize (True Space technology) in such a way where the mids do suffer. For example, Josh Groban's incredible voice looses some of its magic on these Bose. The same is true on my QC 15 headphones, by the way. For me, this is a minor thing that I immediately tolerate because the other sound strengths more than compensate. SHOULD YOU PURCHASE THESE? Indeed, buy these now. You will not regret your purchase and will feel that they are well worth $100. Especially if you are new to Bose, then you will love this entry level product. _________ BOSE COMPANION 20 vs COMPANION 2 Serries III The wonderful Bose Companion 2 Series 3 computer speakers have graced our home ever since they first came out. We have really enjoyed them. Not at the computer but instead for inconspicuous bookshelf speakers in a small room. the Speakers were souced wirelessly via an Apple Airport Express router and AirPlay. Though they were great for this function, recently I have been itching for an upgrade. So, the other day I visited a Bose store and came home with the larger and more expensive Companion 20 speakers. So, how do they compare? Here are some detailed impressions... SOUND QUALITY OVERVIEW The less expensive Companion 2 held up pretty well when first compared side-by-side with the 20s. In fact, at lower volumes the two speakers sounded nearly identical. After a while, the supiorority of the Companion 20's became clearly evident. They are much more rich and crisp than the 2s. After hours of listening to the new speakers I switched back to the 2's and they sounded tinny and shril. Especially at moderate and higher listening volumes. HIGHS and LOWS First about the lows. Again initial impression led me to think the base sounded nearly identical on both speakers. It wasn't until I played bass heavy music that I noticed the difference. The 20s bass is much tighter and gives a cleaner thump. In their promotional material Bose states that when one walks into a room where 20's are playing they will look around for a base module. This is true. Especial when the rear of the speakers are placed near a wall or a corner. My Companion 2s are spread nearly three feet apart on a bookshelf. Each speaker is slightly angled towards eachother with the backs up against the corners of the shelf. This is the sweet spot for the room. As to the high, the 20s are also the clear leader. Female voices SHINE on these silver speakers. High notes on the 2s by comparison sound like they are distant as though the singer is behind a closed door. In general every musical detail (highs, lows and mids) are better detailed and distinct. Play a song with complex instrumentation, for example, and you will distinctly hear most every nuance of each instrument. On the Companion 2 speakers similarly complex tracs sounded blended together where the details were muted or lost. BUILD QUALITY I thought the 2s were well built but, oh my goodness, they look like toys next to the aluminum 20 speakers! The quality becomes especially apparent when you feel the weight and heartiness of the build. This is best showcased by just the control module on the 20. The knob feels substantial and turns smoother than any dial I have ever used. Really, you must try it!. This buttery smoothness is balanced absolutely perfectly with proper resistance and responsiveness. The module further boasts a touch sensitive on/off "button" which is also amazingly responsive and instant. In short, looking at the Companion 20s and controlling them are just as pleasant as listening to them! The 2s are solidly built but their look and feel is only average. FURTHER COMPARISONS I own several othe Bose products including he Bose sound link mini, the QC20 in-ear headphones, and the Bose QC15 over-the-ear headphones. So, how does the sound of the Companion 20s compare to these other products? Soundlink Color - The 20s win easily. This is remarkable because I think the Color sounded better than the Companion 2's eventhough the it is a small Bluetooth speaker compared to a wired 2 speaker system. The color has better clarity than the 2s and overall boast a higher fidelity. The 2s did have better stereo separation (obviously) and can play at a higher volume. On the other hand, my new Companion 20s just sound better than the Soundlink Color in every single aspect. Quiet Comfort 20 - The similarity between the Quiet Comort 20 headphones and the Companion 20 computer speakers comes in warmth of sound. Both boast a warmth that is very pleasing and Senheiser like. This is where the comparisons end. The QC headphones win in the area that they sound a little more natural and balanced. Though, the Companion 20s beat the QC20s in crispness and detail. When I have a choice between the two, I enjoy listening to the speakers over the QC20 in-ear headphones. Quiet Comfort 15 - Now, here is where the Companion 20s begin to fall short. The best sound I have ever heard comes from my QC15 headphones. They are astonishingly impressive. These companion 20's get me much closer to that great sound quality. In fact, the Companion 20s sound warmer and a tad richer than the QC15! Unfortunately, the music is not as detailed nor crisp. I do find myself debateing whether or not to enjoy music via the QC15 headphones or via the Companion 20 computer speakers. By comparison the Companion 2's always sounded decent but I never purposely chose to go listen to them over any of the other Bose products that I own. CONCLUSION Though Companion 2s have seen series of re-iterations through the years, the Companion 20s are still the original speakers first introduced in 2011. To me, the fact that a Companion 20 series 2 does not yet exist hints that there is not much to improve with the current speaker. Give these speakers a serious try and I think you will agree. PS - A note about source volume. The manual for the 20s instructs to place the source volume at a maximum of 80 percent. This is key! Use the control pod to crank up the volume. There will be no distortion not even when turning the dial all the way up. With the 2s the sound the sound improved with the source volume at 100 percent and the knob on the speakers at slightly over half. All this to say that the more expensive 20's do a better job of signal processing and improving the source signal into that distinctive rich and Bose sound. By the way, the 20s top volume is about twice that of the 2s.

Really nice pair of speakers. Super simple and sound quality is good. I got tired of using head phones and used my monitor speakers for a bit, but these are a nice upgrade.

These are exceptional speakers for their size! I use them with my laptop and they truly make my laptop experience much better. The sound from any internal laptop speakers is just not acceptable in any way for me. I have tried a couple of different inexpensive external speakers with so-so sound quality at best. Today I get these Bose speakers hooked up (took all of 2 minutes) and I'm immediately going down a YouTube rabbit hole, playing a bunch of my favorite songs and enjoying them like I never have been able to do before! I was concerned about not having any other adjustments except volume, but that concern was unfounded. I'm not an audiophile but the mix is about perfect in my opinion and they sound great at any volume setting you desire, no distortion or crackling. Minimalist design is great and materials are high end. Yup, you are gonna pay a little more for the Bose name. But in this case, it's money well spent IMHO. Highly recommend these speakers!! EDIT on 4/30/22 after using them for a few months.......I still love these speakers but I will pass along one recommendation. There is no bass/treble adjustment for these speakers. All adjustments need to be made on the device you are using them with. In my case, it's a Dell Inspiron laptop with very little for system sound adjustments. Speaker sound was just a little bit to "hollow" for me as I spent more time with them. So to more finely tune the Bose Companion sound to my liking, I downloaded and installed one of the free equalizer apps available to my laptop. Be careful, check reviews as malware is always floating around. With the equalizer, I was able to select one of the many "presets" which adjust the sound to different levels so you don't have to make many small adjustments, that is unless you want to! Now I'm even happier with these speakers!

I got tired of reading endless forums about the "best budget desktop speakers" so I decided to purchase the following and compare them in real life against each other: Neumi BS5P | Micca PB42X | Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX | Edifier R1280T | Bose Companion 2 Series III | Edifier G2000. I am not an audiophile, I am not technical. I have played instruments my whole life and run sound in some amateur settings, so I'm guessing I have a slightly more critical ear than the average listener, but definitely not of those truly dedicated to hi fidelity listening. I don't know proper terms. I took these notes kind of haphazardly, but they are listed in order of best to worst after personal testing. I intend to play games and listen to music with a slight preference towards gaming as I have another speaker system for music that I can use for music. High level takeaway: the true battle is between the Neumi BS5P and the Micca PB42X. Between those 2 speakers, either would be the right choice of all these options depending on your intended use. I ended up choosing the Neumi because I am going to be playing games quite a bit, and they provided much better low end to fill out a lot of the sound effects. If I were choosing a speaker just for music listening, I would have gone with the Miccas as they have superior mid/high/vocal clarity. The Miccas have a good enough sub that I wouldn't be missing the low end on most music, but if I wanted to, I could just add a sub to fill out the lows on the Miccas (for edm type music). _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Neumi BS5P 75-Watt $139.99 - My personal winner Pro: - Sounds full and satisfying right away - Great bass (almost as good as the dedicated sub on the Klipsch, definitely better than all other options without a dedicated sub. I've got adjacent neighbors so I won't ever go sub heavy anyways, so don't need a dedicated sub with the power these pull) - Decently clear mids/highs, though this is less defined than the Miccas. These get better after doing the firmware update, and get it much closer to the Micca's clarity, but still not quite as good - Bluetooth pairing quality stays really high (doesn't make a difference for me) Cons - Mids/highs/vocals still just not as good/clear/crisp as the Micca - Much larger than the other options (might be a pro if you're looking to fill a room with more volume - I'm not looking for that) - Need to update the firmware to get better mids/highs than out of the box (minor inconvenience but might scare some away) Micca PB42X $109.99 Pro: - Really nice, crisp/clean mid/highs (better than everything else) The vocals are bright and shiny, unrivaled by any other of these options - Doesn't seem to add much coloration (but this also leads to it feeling slightly emptier than the 1280T, could be good or bad) - Pretty good bass for what it is (far better than the G2000 and Bose, worse than the others) - It comes with a 2 part dc cable that's longer than others, and a longer mp3 cable than others (doesn't really matter, but it's nice) - Fairly flat (might be a good or bad thing for usage) Con: - Getting really nit picky just to find differences, but the connection cable on the back is a twisty, rather than a poke as the Edifiers have. Twistys just seem less stable/more exposed - Mids/lows start to sound more tinny in comparison to the mids/lows of the neumi, leaving a somewhat less satisfying feeling - Ultimately this feels a bit emptier than others with better subs, but is also definitely crisper/clearer Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX Certified $144.99 Pro: - Great sound out of the box - Great bass (only one with a dedicated sub, so that should be obvious) Con: - Decent mid/highs, but still not as crisp/clear as the Miccas Edifier R1280T $129.32 Pro: - Beautiful aesthetic - Good sound out of the box , there's not the obvious tinny sound of budget speaker - Volume, bass, and treble knobs - I'm satisfied with the sound immediately (I grew less satisfied with the sound the more I A/B compared to the Bose due to the coloration. I then adjusted the tilt of the speakers and it seemed to fix this coloration issue and bring more clarity to the mids/highs) - It's really minor, but the power plug is a plug and not a brick like all the others Con: - No sub out option - Definitely colors the sound to fill in the space more (which could be a pro for some people too). Ends up adding a layer of mud to the overall sound - The mids/highs are really just muddy due to the coloration Bose Companion 2 Series III $149.00 Pro: - The mids/highs are nice and bright and clear - Really compact if you don't have a lot of desk space00 - I'm satisfied with this sound out of the box - Seems not to color the sound (certainly not nearly like the R1280T), feels more accurate - Has an upward tilt so it seems to naturally position for the sweet spot Con: - Only a volume knob so no automatic control over bass/treble (I assume there's eq software that would fix this?) - Bass is a bit lacking (probably would be satisfied with the amount of bass if I weren't comparing against the others) - Something feels emptier about these speakers against the 1280T and Micca Edifier G2000 $109.99 Pro: - Decent bass and presence - The LED light is kind of nice Con: - Stupid startup car sound is absolutely childish and obnoxious - The LED light stays on (I think you can turn it off but who's going to go through the hassle of turning it off and on if you have to hear the stupid car sound at every startup) - Still clearly sounds like a budget speaker with a constant of tin/noise - Bass can wash out pretty easily at medium volumes - It crackles at other certain sounds like my incoming email ping - Not satisfied with this sound out of the box

My wife ordered these for me two days ago. You gotta love Amazon Prime! I have them set up on my desk at work. I've always worked better with some decent music in the background. The space I occupy does not pull in a radio station other than a today's Top 40 broadcast, which just isn't my cup of coffee, and built in computer speakers just plain do not cut it. Tinny sounding is being generous. I'm no audiophile, but I can still hear when the music sounds good or bad. My previous setup was a Sony AM/FM/iPod docking unit playing music from the computer through the AUX IN connection. Not a bad sound, but I knew it could be better. I hooked the speakers up in very short order (I think it took me longer to unpack them than it did to set them up) through my laptop's docking station headphone jack. Everything was plug-and-play; no need to purchase, cut or otherwise mess with any speaker wires. As everything sets on top of my desk, I had no problem with cord lengths as others have reported. Using Windows Media Player, I picked a variety of tunes to listen to (Adele, Boston, Spyro Gyra, AC/DC). While I won't use over the top hype, such as "I was blown away!", I can honestly say these are the best computer speakers I've ever heard, bar none. Those I've had in the past have always had problems handling bass. With the volume down, the bass would not come through; with the volume up the speakers would rattle. Not these. Being near 60 I'm not inclined to thump the bass, which is good for a corporate office setting. But the bass was there at the lowest of volume. Of course, I have not (and unless I bring them home, probably will not) cranked them up to level 10, but I have no doubt they can handle it. I'll report further if I ever conduct this test. The music, both instrumental and vocal, was crisp and clear throughout. I was able to hear subtleties in Boston tunes I had been listening to for years that I had not heard before. And it also beat the previous Sony set-up I mentioned. I can see where the connection cord might be a bit short if you're using a computer standing on the floor. Easy work around is a headphone extension cord which might set you back an additional $10. If you spent $100 on the speakers, the additional $10 will be worth it. My opinion is these are worth the price. Bose makes some great products, most of which I'll never be able to afford. These speakers are a great way to treat yourself to the fabulous Bose sound without boosting the balance on your credit card. I'll be getting plenty of use from these. Thanks, honey.

"Bose Companion 2, Series III" : Overall Rating: 4.8 Treble Tones: Clear, bell like, sweet, not sibilant, no hiss or cracking. Excellent. Mid Tones: Phenomenal. Stellar mid range. My favorite aspect of the speakers. Bass Tones: Upper bass tones are rich, full, and plenty adequate. Very litte lower bass tones. Remember the speakers inside these are just about 2.0" diameter. You cannot expect substantial low bass tones from a speaker that size. (The laws of physics). If you must have that, you'll need bigger speakers on your desktop. The bass tones that these produce with such small speakers is pretty incredible. Volume: Fantastic for computer speakers. I use 50% sitting at the keyboard, and if I want to listen from a comfortable chair 16 feet away, then perhaps 70%. If used as computer speakers, you'll never want more than 70% of what these are capable of producing. Build Quality: Fantastic. Solid. Heavy. Stable. Well built. Ergonomics / Dimensions: IF you want desktop computer speakers, and your desktop space is even somewhat at a premium, then these are perfect. Their "footprint" is barely bigger than the smallest $5 cheap computer speakers one could buy (but a bit taller). And very narrow, so they require very little desktop space side-to-side. Designed perfectly for a desktop use case. Packaging: Phenomenal. Packaging is designed to protect them extremely well, until they get onto your desktop. Why 4.8 Stars? I deducted 0.2 stars, because I'd love even better bass. But with a speaker diameter of 2.0", I am being unreasonable to want better bass. Keeping them? Heck yes. One of my best purchases in years. Recommended? Absolutely, if you want desktop computer speakers and your desktop space is at somewhat of a premium for you. They are fantastic for that use case. If instead you want the very best sound, with great bass, AND you have room for significantly larger "bookshelf" speakers, then you may be able to do better elsewhere - but be prepared to pay more. I hope this review helps you in making a decision.

As an avid gamer and someone who spends significant time at their workstation, finding the right audio setup has always been crucial to me. Recently, I made the leap to the Bose Companion 2 Series III Multimedia Speakers, and I can confidently say they've transformed my gaming and work experience for the better. Let's talk about what matters most: the sound quality. While I wouldn't consider myself an audiophile, I do appreciate clear, immersive audio, and these speakers deliver just that. Whether I'm engrossed in the latest AAA title or listening to my favorite tunes while working, the sound quality from the Bose Companion 2 Series III is simply outstanding. The bass is punchy, the highs are crisp, and the overall clarity is impressive, making every gaming session or work task a more enjoyable experience. One thing that's particularly notable about these speakers is their reliability. Unlike cheaper alternatives I've tried in the past, the Bose Companion 2 Series III doesn't suffer from annoying crackling or hissing noises, even at higher volumes. This consistency ensures that my gaming and music sessions remain uninterrupted and immersive, without any distractions. In terms of build quality, these speakers are rock solid. The sturdy construction instills confidence, and the sleek black design adds a touch of sophistication to my workstation setup. They may not have flashy RGB lighting or extravagant designs, but the understated elegance of the Bose Companion 2 Series III fits perfectly with my aesthetic preferences. Now, onto the one downside I've encountered: the absence of an LED light for power on/off. As someone who occasionally forgets to turn off their speakers, a visual indicator would be a welcome addition. I imagine this might not pose an issue if your setup resides in a well-lit space, but for those in dimly lit environments, I'm certain you can empathize. However, it's a minor inconvenience that doesn't overshadow the overall excellence of these speakers. In conclusion, if you're like me—an avid gamer and music enthusiast who values quality audio without needing audiophile-level precision—the Bose Companion 2 Series III Multimedia Speakers are a fantastic choice. They deliver exceptional sound quality, reliability, and durability, enhancing both gaming sessions and workstation productivity. They're a definite upgrade over my previous $25 Logitech speakers and I would recommend them to anyone seeking an immersive audio experience for gaming and work alike.

I really needed some new desktop speakers to replace my ancient little Altec Lansing + cheap subwoofer pair. I was only interested in quality sound sitting at my computer and to fill my office space with music. As I started researching, these kept coming up near the top of every list for overall sound & value. As soon as I plugged these in and flipped them on all the reviews turned true: really good sound, amazing for the price. All necessary frequencies seem well represented - naturally, other than low sub-bass tones. Certainly wayyy better than my old AL set and as good if not better than most computer sets I've heard. However.... When I hooked up a freeware DSP simulator plugin (Jammix Enhancer) in Media Monkey these POPPED hard! Some bass compression and enhancement, push the highs a bit + a touch of stereo wideness and surround and these sound *amazing* for the price. Set the system volume at ~60-75% (as recommended) and slowly turn the volume knob up to about %75 or so: nothing cracks along the way, the sound stays clean and full without mudding up the bass. No, these are not audiophile speakers for $100. I'm not looking for a perfectly flat response, ridiculously advanced audio specs, super low on paper signal to noise ratio floor rumbling sub-bass and pitch perfect 'live performance' level sound quality that fills the room from every angle with every instrument placed on a perfect soundstage. It's a $100 computer speaker pair for while I'm sitting at my desk ;) But, as a musician that played many clubs back in the day, a music producer that at one time spent thousands of hours doing sound design, recording and mixing tracks in Ableton Live through studio reference monitors, and a DJ that has tons of experience live and studio mixing ... I have a pretty good ear and without a doubt, these speakers are a killer steal for the price and - if you enjoy playing music back with a bit of 'color' and enhancement to the sound - prepare to be impressed and thoroughly stoked with your purchase.

AppleTV connection to speaker OK But because Spotify not available on Apple, need to connect to Mac Book. this necessitates unplugging one cable and installing another. A switch would be a good idea. Then A socket for newer iPhones would help because an additional small converter before usable. (The other type was discontinues a few phone models ago. Also Your SoundLink sound is inferior to lots of less expensive units, and your speakers sound is underwhelming in sound.

Som limpo, puro e combinado com dolby atmos no laptop fica incrível.

Al principio no estaba convencido de la calidad del sonido, pero quitando los efectos de sonido y reproducir música desde iTunes, realmente me agrado el sonido que dan estas bocinas. Las bocinas tienen potencia suficiente para ambientar una recamara con su sonido. En los juegos, videos, etc. se escucha bien el sonido, así que puedo concluir que las bocinas realmente son multimedia y no se limitan a la música. En cuanto a la música se escucha más nítida que una bocina normal, lo cual me permite escuchar instrumentos o sonidos que con otras bocinas no podría distinguir, por lo contrario, la calidad de los graves podría haber sido mejor. Las bocinas en su parte trasera cuentan con una entrada para PC y un Auxiliar por si quieres utilizarlas con otros dispositivos. Conclusión Son buenas bocinas diseñadas para PC, pero el sonido podría haber sido un poco mejor para decir que son excelentes. Recomendadas para todo tipo de usuario. Pros: Sonido nítido. Precio bajo considerando la marca. Volumen decente para una habitación de tamaño medio. Doble entrada de audio. Contras: Falta un poco de potencia en los bajos. No cuentan con Bluetooth o algún tipo de emparejamiento inalámbrico.

販売終了からかなり経ちましたが、低音が美しく響くBOSEサウンドは健在でした。 私はBOSEの中古で外れを引いた苦い過去があり、業者選びが肝心だと痛感しました。難しいところではありますが。

These are made by Bose so I hoped but I wasn't expecting too much. This is one of those cases where the product exceeded my expectations. It's not a $250 system with a sub and surround speakers but for the money they are well built, plain / unobtrusive in a good way, and sound great. Turning them up to 3/4 give a fairly loud room filling sound. Past 3/4 the sound quality starts to suffer a bit. 1/4 is great for most PC tasks. They have good bass and really clear mids and highs. One of the coolest things I noticed is their ability to make the sound feel like it is coming from all directions. Sitting close (at the desk) with the speakers placed as far apart as the cord lets you, it gives the listener (playing music) the illusion that there is a center speaker coming right out of the monitor. I was impressed enough to write this. Cheers!