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Bose founder makes big stock donation to MIT

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Re: Bose founder makes big stock donation to MIT

#91

Post by anigbrowl »

klbarry wrote: post #50
horacio wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Amar Bose was a good professor, and in making this donation to his alma mater, he continues to carry on the tradition of MIT graduates doing good things long after they've made a name for themselves. His work today in no way lessens the impact of an audiophile's criticism of his company's products. Not only are they overpriced in consideration of value delivered, they are in many respects poor implements for faithful…

Which companies are better than Bose?

I like Bose stuff, except for the noise canceling headphones. It is not accurate. Most people don't know how to set up their speakers in the first place so a pair of excellent speakers in the wrong configuration will sound awful. Bose products sound pretty good under almost all circumstances, while requiring little or no expertise to set up. They're not for the sort of people who like Emacs.

Speakers (as in, small-mid-size near-field monitors, from very expensive to why-not cheap): Genelec ($3000), Adam ($2000), KRK ($750), Logitech ($100). Tastes in speakers vary a lot, and it makes a difference where you will be using them. These numbers are for the upper-middle end of the range. I like KRKs for their clear but slightly forward sound. I don't need a pair of Genelecs, but they are amazingly good. Some people swear by the Adams, they don't evoke any strong response from me. At the cheapie end the Logitech stuff strikes me as having a surprising level of bang for the buck, but it's been a while since I listened carefully to anything like that.

Buy powered speakers. Don't waste money on passive + amp combinations unless you have strong opinions on the electronics of different amplifier classes, in which case you probably want to build your own at some point.

Headphones: Sony MDR7506. The end.

Re: Bose founder makes big stock donation to MIT

#92

Post by mitjak »

anigbrowl wrote: post #91
klbarry wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which companies are better than Bose?

I like Bose stuff, except for the noise canceling headphones. It is not accurate. Most people don't know how to set up their speakers in the first place so a pair of excellent speakers in the wrong configuration will sound awful. Bose products sound pretty good under almost all circumstances, while requiring little or no expertise to set up. They're not for the sort of people who like Emacs. Speakers (as in, small-mi…

>Headphones: Sony MDR7506. The end.

Definitely. I've recommended them on HN before. They're the best 'pro' headphones at a very fair price that the companies making overpriced 'amateur professional' products don't want you to know about, including Sony themselves.

Re: Bose founder makes big stock donation to MIT

#93

Post by radicaldreamer »

klbarry wrote: post #50
horacio wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Amar Bose was a good professor, and in making this donation to his alma mater, he continues to carry on the tradition of MIT graduates doing good things long after they've made a name for themselves. His work today in no way lessens the impact of an audiophile's criticism of his company's products. Not only are they overpriced in consideration of value delivered, they are in many respects poor implements for faithful…

Which companies are better than Bose?

Shure E500 or SE530/535's are probably the best in ear headphones you can buy that aren't custom fitted.

Re: Bose founder makes big stock donation to MIT

#94

Post by spenrose »

guelo wrote: post #67

What a wasteful donation. MIT has an over $8 billion endowment, and it teaches the most privileged technical students in the world. If MIT was at least trying to expand to teach more students, but of course it can't since it needs to maintain it's high selectivity in order to preserve its reputation. I can think of a thousand better donations than wasting it on rich ivy schools.

More on this theme: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405270230401740457516... http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/2010/09/harvardperetz-cont... http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2005/11/the-best...

Re: Bose founder makes big stock donation to MIT

#95

Post by snikolov »

guelo wrote: post #67

What a wasteful donation. MIT has an over $8 billion endowment, and it teaches the most privileged technical students in the world. If MIT was at least trying to expand to teach more students, but of course it can't since it needs to maintain it's high selectivity in order to preserve its reputation. I can think of a thousand better donations than wasting it on rich ivy schools.

First, as was said already, MIT is actually expanding to teach more students. Second, the OCW initiative at MIT has given thousands of people access to educational material. Finally, it makes sense to me to donate money to an institution that takes "the most privileged technical students in the world" and transforms them from kids that are good at math/science to people that will change the world.

Re: Bose founder makes big stock donation to MIT

#96

Post by astrange »

mitjak wrote: post #92
anigbrowl wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I like Bose stuff, except for the noise canceling headphones. It is not accurate. Most people don't know how to set up their speakers in the first place so a pair of excellent speakers in the wrong configuration will sound awful. Bose products sound pretty good under almost all circumstances, while requiring little or no expertise to set up. They're not for the sort of people who like Emacs. Speakers (as in, small-mi…

>Headphones: Sony MDR7506. The end. Definitely. I've recommended them on HN before. They're the best 'pro' headphones at a very fair price that the companies making overpriced 'amateur professional' products don't want you to know about, including Sony themselves.

> the best

That's a testable statement. It would be difficult to ABX headphones to prove it, but do you have any objective quality comparisons?

Re: Bose founder makes big stock donation to MIT

#97

Post by ars »

VladRussian wrote: post #81
ars wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"increased productivity and efficiency" means less jobs. (But also a higher standard of living since things become cheaper.) What you want is more demand. (Which depletes natural resources.) If you want, you can have "well off poor". That's someone who is poorer than his neighbors, but due to efficiency still has everything necessary for a comfortable life. Due to human nature people don't really like this.

>"increased productivity and efficiency" means less jobs. it means less of mundane and low productive, time wasting jobs. More value produced by less people. That increased amount of value allows for more investment (and spending as well) which creates more jobs. Following your logic, the 20000 years ago was the golden era of employment - everybody was employed full-time gathering edible roots and hunting. >If you wa…

> It means less of mundane and low productive, time wasting jobs.

Unfortunately not everyone can do less mundane jobs, especially when the skills needed change within a generation - there isn't even time to go to school to learn them.

> More value produced by less people. That increased amount of value allows for more investment (and spending as well) which creates more jobs.

Maybe. But only if the investment creates more demand. It doesn't always.

> Following your logic, the 20000 years ago was the golden era of employment

Certainly. But who said employment was the only goal? It's _a_ goal, but not the only one.

> is worse off than the other half.

Yup, which is why people don't like it. But your plan (of higher productivity) won't fix that.

Re: Bose founder makes big stock donation to MIT

#98

Post by jpdoctor »

clistctrl wrote: post #62
tt wrote: post #29

I was fortunate to be a student of Dr. Bose many years ago. No other professor gave unlimited time on exams, plus free Toscanini's ice cream to boot! Beyond those small perks, his stories working with Norbert Wiener and his inspirations have completely transformed and shaped my personality and how I solve problems. Above all, the highest integrity one would have with his/her work, has been my #1 beacon thanks to Dr.…

sorry I have only a little value to add... but Toscanini's is some of the best ice cream you can get in Boston.

3 words for you: Ginger Snap Molasses.

Re: Bose founder makes big stock donation to MIT

#99

Post by anigbrowl »

astrange wrote: post #96
mitjak wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Headphones: Sony MDR7506. The end. Definitely. I've recommended them on HN before. They're the best 'pro' headphones at a very fair price that the companies making overpriced 'amateur professional' products don't want you to know about, including Sony themselves.

> the best That's a testable statement. It would be difficult to ABX headphones to prove it, but do you have any objective quality comparisons?

Offhand, only anecdotal. For much of the last decade, I have done production sound for film and video. I generally use Schoeps microphones, which cost a couple of thousand apiece (just so you know cost isn't a factor here). The reason I prefer MDR7506s is that when I'd set up every day, they're the only headphones that sound the same when I put them on as when I take them off.
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