Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Bose has released API docs and opened the API for its EoL SoundTouch speakers

arstechnica.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

241–250 of 416 posts

Re: Bose has released API docs and opened the API for its EoL SoundTouch speakers

#241

Post by monocasa »

Fiveplus wrote: post #46

The hardware on the soundtouch 10/20/30 series was always surprisingly over engineered with heavy magnets, decent power supplies, and good enclosures but let down by a sluggish app and flaky mDNS implementation. With this, they just became the best value proposition on the used market. Flashing these with a minimal distro running snapclient (for multiroom audio) and shairport-sync (AirPlay 2) makes them infinitely be…

Except they didn't open source anything. They just published a simple API spec to allow play/pause/next button support over http.

Re: Bose has released API docs and opened the API for its EoL SoundTouch speakers

#242

Post by utopiah »

inetknght wrote: post #4

I recently posted a comment [0] critical of Bose for needing an app, and it's nice to see that Bose decided to take a much better approach to end-of-life. [0]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45373200

Does it though? I'm using my QC on my phone without any app, just BT. Sure I can't adjust all settings but enough to be usable.

Also FWIW first step for QC35 support on https://gadgetbridge.org/gadgets/headphones/bose/?h=bose which is IMHO the way to go.

Re: Bose has released API docs and opened the API for its EoL SoundTouch speakers

#243

Post by fainpul »

Wafje wrote: post #225
ktg0215 wrote: post #8

This is how "end of support" should be handled. Instead of turning devices into e-waste, open-source them and let the community extend their life. Kudos to Bose for setting a good example. More companies should follow this approach - especially as right-to-repair becomes a bigger issue.

Bose should not receive praise for this move. Bose only took this action after community backlash. In an older version of their end-of-life announcement, most functionality of the speaker systems would have removed and transformed the devices into dumb-speakers/amps. Good that they changed their statement and took the right action. Even better for the community for stepping up and 'forcing' Bose to do so. Sources: ht…

> transformed the devices into dumb-speakers/amps

Isn't that still gonna happen now?

From [1]:

What will no longer work:

• Presets (preset buttons on the product and in the app)

Of course Bluetooth and AirPlay continues to work, but isn't that what a "dumb speaker" is?

[1] https://www.bose.com/soundtouch-end-of-life

Re: Bose has released API docs and opened the API for its EoL SoundTouch speakers

#244

Post by jacquesm »

filoleg wrote: post #132
bartread wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly this. "Bose blows" is a popular comment amongst the audiophile community but, to me, it seems like they don't blow at all[0]. In fact quite the opposite: this is a fantastic example for other companies to follow. Top marks, Bose! [0] What is actually true is that they are opinionated about sound reproduction in ways that a bunch of people don't agree with but which in the right context are often effective and…

> "Bose blows" is a popular comment amongst the audiophile community but, to me, it seems like they don't blow at all[0] That comment is not wrong, you are imo just not making an important distinction that the criteria on which audiophiles judge Bose as “blowing” (which is almost purely the sound profile + a few other smaller things like physical comfort/connectivity/price/etc.) vs. what you judge it on (which is mor…

The audiophile community usually are people with more money than ears, their opinion on the quality of particular brands is easy to discard, it is usually correlated more with expense than actual measured performance.

Re: Bose has released API docs and opened the API for its EoL SoundTouch speakers

#245

Post by bombcar »

EvanAnderson wrote: post #92
kiney wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know about Bose. But sound quality in general is absolutely objectively measurable.

There's arguably a subjective quality to sound enjoyment, though. The fidelity of reproduction can be measured, but I'd argue there's personal preference in the types of artifacts generated by inaccuracies in reproduction.

There's really two camps - "I like what I hears" and "this is as close to in-studio monitors as you can get".

There's an argument for both, but frankly, if studio monitor setups don't sound "as good" why bother?

Re: Bose has released API docs and opened the API for its EoL SoundTouch speakers

#246

Post by eikenberry »

PaulHoule wrote: post #158
filoleg wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> "Bose blows" is a popular comment amongst the audiophile community but, to me, it seems like they don't blow at all[0] That comment is not wrong, you are imo just not making an important distinction that the criteria on which audiophiles judge Bose as “blowing” (which is almost purely the sound profile + a few other smaller things like physical comfort/connectivity/price/etc.) vs. what you judge it on (which is mor…

Build quality of Bose products is good in my opinion. The headphones are alright but so are Sony, Plantronics and Apple. I love the sound of Airpods Pro in particular even if they don't want to stay in my ears [1] and the pairing experience even with the iPhone isn't what I expect of >$100 headphones in 2016. If you want really good stereo or 5.1 sound there is no substitute for big speakers that can move a lot of ai…

Bose is fine for what it is, but it is overpriced for what it is. IMO the main point the audiophiles make is that you can get a superior product for the same cost.

Re: Bose has released API docs and opened the API for its EoL SoundTouch speakers

#247

Post by pixelready »

filoleg wrote: post #237
Wafje wrote: post #225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bose should not receive praise for this move. Bose only took this action after community backlash. In an older version of their end-of-life announcement, most functionality of the speaker systems would have removed and transformed the devices into dumb-speakers/amps. Good that they changed their statement and took the right action. Even better for the community for stepping up and 'forcing' Bose to do so. Sources: ht…

> Bose should not receive praise for this move. Bose only took this action after community backlash. They received the backlash, they responded to it by properly addressing the criticism and doing the right thing. It should be praised. Especially since it wasn't some PR-centric damage control, but an actual direct address of the specific points their original approach was criticized for. Compare Bose's response to th…

Yeah, it’s good to see a sensible response to community pressure here. While I take the point that they only conceded after pressure, at least they did concede. I’ve upgraded their brand in my mind from “planned obsolescence e-waste villain” to “cares about PR and will do the right thing while being watched”. I think the only truly trustworthy companies regarding end of support handling in consumer tech are those whose brand is explicitly tied to openness / repairablity ala home assistant, framework laptops, etc…

Sadly those tend to be niche companies already focused on power users, but any other firms should be considered guilty until proven innocent of enshittification (forced bricking, closed source, subscription creep, privacy violations and data brokering).

Re: Bose has released API docs and opened the API for its EoL SoundTouch speakers

#248

Post by JonathonW »

fainpul wrote: post #243
Wafje wrote: post #225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bose should not receive praise for this move. Bose only took this action after community backlash. In an older version of their end-of-life announcement, most functionality of the speaker systems would have removed and transformed the devices into dumb-speakers/amps. Good that they changed their statement and took the right action. Even better for the community for stepping up and 'forcing' Bose to do so. Sources: ht…

> transformed the devices into dumb-speakers/amps Isn't that still gonna happen now? From [1]: What will no longer work: • Presets (preset buttons on the product and in the app) Of course Bluetooth and AirPlay continues to work, but isn't that what a "dumb speaker" is? [1] https://www.bose.com/soundtouch-end-of-life

Bose's original plan was to remove all WiFi-dependent functionality (no AirPlay and no Spotify Connect)-- while they wouldn't quite be "dumb speakers" at that point (since Bluetooth would've still worked), it would've turned them into pretty much just overcomplicated Bluetooth speakers.

Re: Bose has released API docs and opened the API for its EoL SoundTouch speakers

#249

Post by sleepybrett »

bartread wrote: post #95
jeffwask wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This def needs to be celebrated and rewarded. I am more likely to purchase Bose now.

Exactly this. "Bose blows" is a popular comment amongst the audiophile community but, to me, it seems like they don't blow at all[0]. In fact quite the opposite: this is a fantastic example for other companies to follow. Top marks, Bose! [0] What is actually true is that they are opinionated about sound reproduction in ways that a bunch of people don't agree with but which in the right context are often effective and…

The audiophile community is so far up it's own ass it doesn't see a distinction between bose and a piezoelectric buzzer.

Re: Bose has released API docs and opened the API for its EoL SoundTouch speakers

#250

Post by com2kid »

bartread wrote: post #95
jeffwask wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This def needs to be celebrated and rewarded. I am more likely to purchase Bose now.

Exactly this. "Bose blows" is a popular comment amongst the audiophile community but, to me, it seems like they don't blow at all[0]. In fact quite the opposite: this is a fantastic example for other companies to follow. Top marks, Bose! [0] What is actually true is that they are opinionated about sound reproduction in ways that a bunch of people don't agree with but which in the right context are often effective and…

"Bose blows" is typically in regards to their price/performance, and especially with how they marketed themselves throughout the 90s and early 2000s.

Bose used to advertise that they were the best sounding speaker out there, while also running advertisements that made claims which violated the laws of physics.

For the same price as a Bose system you could get something much higher quality. Bose was selling at luxury prices w/o luxury quality. They got away with it because compared to the cheap garbage most people listened to, Bose's stuff was nicer. Their quality was mid to upper mid tier, and the build quality was generally good.

But people got irritated by a decade ads saying a tiny speaker is more powerful than a proper speaker setup.

Now days Bose makes good quality noise cancelling headphones (and I suspect they made more revenue selling NC headphones during the open office and then COVID era than they ever did selling speakers in the 90s!) and they brand car stereo systems.

Their noise cancelling headphones are good, even if the ear pads wear our way too fast.

Pretty much no one has a home hi-fi setup anymore, everyone just has a sound bar. I do have a hi-fi music setup, people are rather shocked when they come over that I even bothered. I got it for $2k on Craigslist years ago, the setup cost someone a small fortune when they were brand new. IMHO buying new hi-fi gear is pointless, Speakers made in 2005 sound just as good as speakers made in 2025, the laws of physics haven't changed any!

Post reply on HN