Best Buy Ratings and Reviews

Best Buy Ratings and Reviews

Customer Reviews for Bose® Companion® 5 Multimedia Speaker System (3-Piece)

Bose® Companion® 5 Multimedia Speaker System (3-Piece)

Model: COMPANION 5
SKU: 7996403
UPC: 017817393249
With TruSpace® digital processing circuitry, this multimedia speaker system delivers 5.1 multichannel audio from just 2 speakers and the compact Acoustimass® module, providing an immersive movie-watching or game-playing experience on your computer. Take a closer look at the Bose Companion® 5 speakers. (Flash demo)
Average Customer Rating:
4.438 out of 5
4.4
 out of 
5
(73 Reviews) 73
Open Ratings Snapshot
Rating Snapshot 73 reviews
5 stars
53
4 stars
11
3 stars
1
2 stars
4
1 star
4
86% of customers would recommend this product to a friend 
(
63 out of 73
)
Customer Questions & Answers:
3 Questions | 5 Answers
Customer Reviews for Bose® Companion® 5 Multimedia Speaker System (3-Piece)
Review 1 for Bose® Companion® 5 Multimedia Speaker System (3-Piece)

best speakers ever

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: almightygod
from pearly gates heaven
on 02/01/2012
  • Top 100 Contributor
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Compatibility
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
wow i have had these for 3 months now and they do not disappoint. i have had zero problems with them and i am using them with a mac running osx lion 10.7.2 the sound is unbelievable. my wife and kids won't get of the laptop because they love watching movies on it because of the sound. i own the bose 321 system and these are just as good.
What's great about it: everything
What's not so great: price
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 2 for Bose® Companion® 5 Multimedia Speaker System (3-Piece)

Another winner from Bose

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: jtbestbuy
from Santa Clara, CA
on 01/30/2012
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Compatibility
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
I bought these speakers after having a pair of Bose headphones for years. Although they are a little pricey, they have outstanding audio quality and superior directional ability for surround sound.
I use them with a 27" iMac, so the connection to my Mac is over USB. I did a little adjusting on the Mac side to how they output, but I find a radical improvement with the directional output when watching a movie with surround sound.
I love the simplicity of the volume knob and the power that you can get by turning it up all the way, without any heavy decrease in quality. Only issue is occasional disconnect from my Mac. To fix this, I power the whole unit off for a few minutes and disconnect every cable. After a restart of my Mac, the unit returns to normal functionality.
What's great about it: Great sound, great asthetic
What's not so great: Occasional need to disconnect and replug in
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 3 for Bose® Companion® 5 Multimedia Speaker System (3-Piece)

These are a tad expensive but superb quality

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: rdwf900
from Baton Rouge, LA
on 01/27/2012
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Compatibility
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
These speakers are expensive in comparison to other computer speakers but deliver truly superb sound for the price. They do not have the cheesy appearance that many computer speakers have. I find that the performance they deliver is well worth the premium price they command. Sadly, many people will look at the price and reject them on that basis and so will pass up what is in reality a good bargain because of the quality they deliver.
What's great about it: Superb sound for a fair price
What's not so great: Price will drive many people to not consider tham
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 4 for Bose® Companion® 5 Multimedia Speaker System (3-Piece)

Bose ROCKS!

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: IBda1
from Chesapeake, VA
on 01/14/2012
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Compatibility
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
I started with the Companions set 17 years ago, and then went to the Companion 3 set 10 years ago and finally the Companion 5 the end of last year. This set gives me the sound quality and almost the volume level of my 901's! I setup music and let it go, it sounds great. I tried other other manufactures speaker sets (stating to be as good as Bose), but none were.
What's great about it: Small 'footprint' on my desktop, excellent sound quallity.
What's not so great: Nothing.
I would recommend this to a friend!
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 5 for Bose® Companion® 5 Multimedia Speaker System (3-Piece)

Just buy it already!

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: iLoveCoffee
from St Petersburg FL
on 01/02/2012
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Compatibility
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
If you can afford it stop comparing and just spend the money. I love music and I DJ. They are more expensive but you get what you pay for. No need to buy the 2 year warrantee. Bose does not break often!
What's great about it: EVERYTHING. Small, compact, powerful and will blow your mind!
What's not so great: Nothing and maybe the price. It could be $50.00 less and it would be happy!
I would recommend this to a friend!
+4points
4out of 4found this review helpful.
Review 6 for Bose® Companion® 5 Multimedia Speaker System (3-Piece)

Gamers Beware!!!

Customer Rating
2.0 out of 5
2.0
Posted by: Ric0191
from South Carolina
on 11/24/2011
Value for Price
1.0 out of 5
1.0
Sound Quality
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Compatibility
1.0 out of 5
1.0
Appearance
4.0 out of 5
4.0
I have a C5 not C3 (Where originally posted review) but ISSUES are most likely identical. This system was great for everyday computing and listening to music (at first), but for gamers it has some serious drawbacks. First, there is no microphone input for online play on the Bose desktop control pod (but you can connect your I-Pod), can do that on the front panel of my PC as well as charge it at the same time. I have to run a seperate cord from the headphones (mic) jack to the PC mic input and the headphone jack to the Bose desktop control pod (Wires everywhere). If you use a key-pad even more wires. Another drawback is the loss of audio during gameplay. I have a modern system with LOTS of ram but still loose audio during serious gameplay (REALLY, REALLY anoying). Had the system for about 2 years now and it is starting to crackle and pop EVEN WHEN TURNED OFF (also anoying). I checked Bose site for any kind of software updates or support but found none. I am going to loose this expensive USB system (at my loss) and get a much more reliable and user friendly standard mini jack set up. I will look at the Corsair system reviews.
What's great about it: Sound (First Year)
What's not so great: No mic input
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
-6points
4out of 14found this review helpful.
Review 7 for Bose® Companion® 5 Multimedia Speaker System (3-Piece)

Truly Beautiful Sound

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: kcm311
from Los Angeles, CA
on 11/18/2011
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Compatibility
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
I never write reviews, ever! Until now that is. This is my first one. After doing weeks of research, youtube videos and reading countless reviews by other customers I finally decided that after my final purchase of choice...I needed to share my feelings and hopefully help someone out in the same way I was looking to be helped out. The Bose Companion 5 is by far the best sounding speaker system for your computer in this particular price range. There are systems out there for $100, and some out there for thousands. In my opinion the Companion 5 sounds like a system that if you were walking by a Bose booth and heard the quality and asked, "How much does that cost?" and somebody replied with "$1,500" you would believe it, and understand it. Whether you could justify parting with that kind of money or not. I have it hooked up to my iMac and it is so incredible. The highs and mids are crisp and clear, and the lows are deep and rich. And believe me, though you couldn't use this system to run a concert...it is plenty loud for an apartment. Or any normal room for that matter. It is truly a remarkable system that I highly recommend to anybody that can spare the $400. Be prepared though, after tax and a possible extended warranty program its much closer to $500. That seems like a lot of money...and really is. But you won't be disappointed in the sound that Bose produces. Not to mention that the system looks great! Very minimal and sleek. A Great design. If you're reading this, then you're at least somewhat interested in this product...GO FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks!
What's great about it: The sound is captivating and the appearance is amazing!!!
What's not so great: If any I would just say price, but as they say...you get what you pay for.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+18points
19out of 20found this review helpful.
Review 8 for Bose® Companion® 5 Multimedia Speaker System (3-Piece)

The Interconnects Are Cheap

Customer Rating
1.0 out of 5
1.0
Posted by: Anonymous
from Houston
on 11/01/2011
Value for Price
1.0 out of 5
1.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Compatibility
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
When I went shopping for computer speakers, I tested just about everything on the market. Hands down, the best sound was with the Companion 5's by Bose. I have enjoyed the sound quality for a few years now. However. When I noticed that I wasn't getting sound out of one of the speakers, I fiddled with the interconnects until I got it to work, but just any kind of movement will cause it to blank out. The Bose interconnects are left and right channel specific and I can't tell if the wiring problem is inside the woofer or the interconnects themselves. These are very expensive speakers. Bose charges more than they should for most of their products. The only way to repair these is to send them to Bose and pay a $75 repair fee. Hence, not a recommended product unless one buys an extended warranty.
What's great about it: Sound
What's not so great: Really cheap interconnect cables
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
+2points
7out of 12found this review helpful.
Review 9 for Bose® Companion® 5 Multimedia Speaker System (3-Piece)

They were nice for almost 2yrs

Customer Rating
2.0 out of 5
2.0
Posted by: Mriverdance
from LB, CA
on 09/10/2011
Value for Price
1.0 out of 5
1.0
Sound Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Compatibility
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Appearance
4.0 out of 5
4.0
I'd suggest buying a warranty, if you decide to get these. I've had mine close to 2 years. There starting to stop working, At this point I've got them un-plugged from my kitchen computer, I plug them in when I want to watch a movie, or listen to music. Trying to game with them on, is an issue that just started to happen. I had BOSE 3 headphones and those stopped working after 4 yrs. I have a cheap set of Logitech's in my bedroom with my old pc. Their over 4yrs old and still run great. Not the same quality in sound as the BOSE, but their still functioning. I've learned my lesson, especially with BOSE. I think BB's longest warranty is 4 yrs. so that wouldn't have helped with the head phones. I didn't think I would need it for speakers since I never turn the volume all the way up nor are their moving parts except for the vol. control. Which I rarely move. I only used the touch pad for mute.
What's great about it: Looks, Sound when working, small in size.
What's not so great: Not functioning well.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
+9points
9out of 9found this review helpful.
Review 10 for Bose® Companion® 5 Multimedia Speaker System (3-Piece)

WOW

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: dudedude
from rochester,ny
on 09/02/2011
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Compatibility
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
first off i bought the Samsung - 5.1-Ch. 3D/Wi-Fi Blu-ray Home Theater System Model: HT-D6500WZA and i thought the sound from that was good i just upgraded my computer speakers to these bad boys and i compared the sound quality listening to the same songs on each unit and these bose speakers are much more crisp and clear that my samsung home theater system after using my computer speakers to listen to music im now selling my samsung unit and purchasing a bose home theater system its deff worth the extra money the sound is amazing i cant imagine how its going to sound coming from all angles. im never buying anything but bose again. bose rocks!
What's great about it: sound sound sound
What's not so great: it would be nice if they made the speakers wall mountable to save desk space
I would recommend this to a friend!
+6points
7out of 8found this review helpful.
Review 11 for Bose® Companion® 5 Multimedia Speaker System (3-Piece)

Over all Good Speakers

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: Firesun
from VA
on 08/21/2011
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Compatibility
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
First let me say these are a good set of speakers and would recommend to anyone.
Now here is what i need to get use to... If you have multi audio out say one connection goes to your Home stereo and the other is your PC audio and you use lets say Winamp or WMP you will need to have a second output set up as these speakers have there own sound card built in so it will show up as USB audio and not your default audio card.
I was able to get the PC to output to 2 different audio sources so i am able to use my PC still to output to my home stereo using Winamp.
Now for the cost you know what you are paying for 'Name" but i must say the sound quality for both Music and movies is superb.
If you can get over the cost "wait for them to go on sale" it is a worthy investment.
What's great about it: Sound Quality / Looks
What's not so great: Price / USB audio
I would recommend this to a friend!
+6points
6out of 6found this review helpful.
Review 12 for Bose® Companion® 5 Multimedia Speaker System (3-Piece)

Best Computer stereo I've ever had

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: BillyJ9019
from San Antonio, TX
on 08/10/2011
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Compatibility
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Easy to install, sounds great, very well made, sturdy. Very impressive sound from such small speakers.
What's great about it: Everything but the price
What's not so great: A little pricey, even for Bose
I would recommend this to a friend!
+9points
9out of 9found this review helpful.
Review 13 for Bose® Companion® 5 Multimedia Speaker System (3-Piece)

Not worth the Money for Bose (disappointed!

Customer Rating
2.0 out of 5
2.0
Posted by: NYCDJ1
from Woodbridge, VA
on 07/18/2011
Value for Price
1.0 out of 5
1.0
Sound Quality
1.0 out of 5
1.0
Compatibility
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
I purchased because I always buy Bose products and figured I would get a quality piece of equipment for the extremely high price they charge for what you get. I opened the box and everything was packaged nicely, (typical Bose), I hooked everything up as instructed. I turned up the volume and heard crisp highs and I thought, ok this is great. I didn't get any low frequency and it sounded like all mids coming from the bass cabinet and my son was listening along and asked me if the sub was on. I checked and it was on. I turned the knob from the center positon and closer towards the far right and then I got "some" low end. I then turned the volume up a little and the bass was distored and the speaker limiter cut most of the bass out. Sad!
What's great about it: Look Good, quality build
What's not so great: High Price, disappointing sound quality (lacks low end), low volume
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
-5points
7out of 19found this review helpful.
Review 14 for Bose® Companion® 5 Multimedia Speaker System (3-Piece)

Great speaker while it works, bit pricey.

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: newjerseydan
from NJ
on 06/18/2011
Value for Price
2.0 out of 5
2.0
Sound Quality
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Compatibility
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
I bought mine in April 2009 and hooked them up to my Mac.
The sound out of them is great for such a small package, and the soundstage processing by the module works rather well overall. You can pump up the volume to quite high levels without distortion and the subs can make the floor rumble a bit.
While the USB connection eliminates worries about if "my sound card is good enough", it does sometimes go crazy and require a "unplug everything and reboot" to fix. Also now, on June 2011, my Companion 5's seem to have quit working. The green light is on, and no sound - from USB or analog input. Bose only has a 1-yr warranty, so into the trash they'll end up going. :( A shame for Bose's brand name and something that costs $350-400.
The pricing is a bit on the high side, I think they'd be better price at around $250.
What's great about it: Great sound for a small package.
What's not so great: Price and reliability.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
3out of 5found this review helpful.
Review 15 for Bose® Companion® 5 Multimedia Speaker System (3-Piece)

pricey but good

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: MiketheD
from Lafayette, LA.
on 06/12/2011
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Compatibility
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Was looking for a good speaker system to put on my wife's computer. She had a set fo small Logitechs but she loves music and I wanted to get the best system I could for her. Had previously gotten the Klipsch system and very good but a little muddy in my opinion. Decided to give the Bose Companion 5's a shot. In short, she is ecstatic. Setup was a breeze (USB). Speakers are very stylish. Good bass punch. Great separation. However, the best feature is the clarity of the upper mid and high range. She has had complaints about not being able to really hear the upper range with some of the systems, but these are crystal clear. Easy controls, great sound - just wish the proce was a little less, but you are paying for the Bose name to an extent. Very pleased with the purchase.
What's great about it: separation and upper range.
What's not so great: price.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+1point
2out of 3found this review helpful.
Review 16 for Bose® Companion® 5 Multimedia Speaker System (3-Piece)

Great Sound

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: RGMG
from Laredo, TX
on 01/29/2011
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Compatibility
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Great sound from a small package. Kind of expensive, but you get what you pay for.
What's great about it: Great sound, without taking up much space.
What's not so great: Expensive
I would recommend this to a friend!
-6points
0out of 6found this review helpful.
Review 17 for Bose® Companion® 5 Multimedia Speaker System (3-Piece)

Great even for a main system

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: contrary
from New Orleans,LA
on 01/20/2011
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Compatibility
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
The sound is crisp and amazing. Far exceeded my expectations for a set of computer speakers.
What's great about it: quality
What's not so great: price
I would recommend this to a friend!
-3points
1out of 5found this review helpful.
Review 18 for Bose® Companion® 5 Multimedia Speaker System (3-Piece)

I'm thoroughly enjoying this speaker system

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: JWS1000
from san jose, ca
on 12/03/2010
Value for Price
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Compatibility
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
I have been listening to my Bose Companion 5 daily for the past week and seriously, I really like it. The sound is amazing. I must have brought a dozen speaker systems home (Logitech, Creative, Bose companion 3) to test and subsequently returned them all before I settled on the Companion 5. I am delighted with my purchase. Many complain of the high price but, the quality of the sound is well worth it. None of the other systems I brought home or listened to in the stores come close.
What's great about it: sounds amazing
What's not so great: Price is too high.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+6points
7out of 8found this review helpful.
Review 19 for Bose® Companion® 5 Multimedia Speaker System (3-Piece)

Companion 5 vs the the Companion 3 series

Customer Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0
Posted by: gmar
from Norwalk, Ct
on 09/17/2010
Value for Price
2.0 out of 5
2.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Compatibility
3.0 out of 5
3.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Last week I purchased the Companion 3 series (smaller version) hooked up via pin jack to my PC and tried them for a week. They sounded tinny, lacked midrange and high end presence. Drum high hats......sounded like garbage cans and vocal midrange were not really crisp. I then played them on my old PC with a great sound card and found quite a difference- just not good enough. FYI- I was a sound recording engineer in my former life.
Back to BB to return the 3's and purchased the Companion 5 series which hook up via USB (using windows 7) bypassing the integrated sound module completely. WOW......yes now they sound great right out of the box. Clear, concise and pleasing to me. The Bose display was not working at the store so home they went.
If you have integrated sound or a cheap sound card stay away from the 3's and go for the companion 5's. Yes, they are expensive but the music really sounds that much better. I can make any sound corrections in itunes and now realize that the old compressed mp3s just don't cut it anymore. They are way overpriced but i'm keeping them. My son can have the old companion 3's that i bought and he loves them with this imac anyway.
What's great about it: USB interface, easy setup, sound, touch dock is great.
What's not so great: Price! Way overpriced IMHO.
I would recommend this to a friend!
+6points
19out of 32found this review helpful.
Review 20 for Bose® Companion® 5 Multimedia Speaker System (3-Piece)

The Best Sound sistem ever

Customer Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Posted by: Hashimi
from Woodbride,Va
on 04/06/2010
Value for Price
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Sound Quality
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Compatibility
5.0 out of 5
5.0
Appearance
5.0 out of 5
5.0
I had all kind speakers non of them give the quality i want finally
I good Bose it's Asome Man !!!!!!
What's great about it: Best of Best BOSE BOSE BOSE
What's not so great: every thing is cool
I would recommend this to a friend!
-9points
9out of 27found this review helpful.
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