BOSE

1940s: From the very first company to the city’s largest radio repair shop
As a teenager, Amar Bose repaired broken radios in the basement of the family home to help his family after his father’s import business went bankrupt during World War II.

1947: Admission to MIT, a father’s dream comes true
Amar Bose makes his father’s dream come true: that of one day seeing his son attend the most prestigious institute of technology. He also makes his own wish come true by having the opportunity to continue learning to design electronic components rather than just fixing them.

1948: difficult beginnings at MIT
During the first few months, Amar Bose encounters much more difficulty than his fellow students at MIT. To devote himself fully to his studies, he reduced his free time to a few hours a week, also giving up music a little. At the end of the year, he won a scholarship and a few years later obtained a bachelor’s and master’s degree in electrical engineering.

1953: participation in the work of the legendary Research Laboratory of Electronics [RLE] at MIT
Amar Bose worked on statistical communications theory at RLE alongside three professors, who would later become his lifelong mentors: Jerome Wiesner, Yuk Wing Lee and Norbert Wiener.

1956: Amar becomes a doctor
Amar Bose obtained his doctorate in electrical engineering by presenting a ground-breaking thesis in mathematics, “The theory of nonlinear systems”, from resources partially created originally by the famous mathematician Dr. Norbert Wiener.

1956: the birth of a passion for better sound
To celebrate his doctorate, Dr. Bose buys a new hi-fi system. While he had studied the technical characteristics of the product before making his decision, he is disappointed with the audio quality of it. Curious to understand why, he decided to study acoustics and do some research in this area at MIT in his spare time.

1957: teacher in spite of himself
Dr Bose is recruited by MIT University to teach a course called “Introduction to Network Theory”. Although having a preference for research, he accepts the position determined to give the best of himself. In doing so, it revolutionizes what is today the most important undergraduate course in the institution.

1964: founding of Bose Corporation
Rather than looking for a company that could license the patents he filed for his speakers, Dr. Bose decides to start his own business. By day, he and his two employees design power regulation systems for the military and other government agencies. At night, they pierce the mysteries of acoustics and speakers.

1966: first commercialization: the 2201
enclosure The company launches its very first speaker. Although the product surpasses conventional speakers from a technological standpoint, it does not meet with the expected success with consumers due to its high price tag and the company’s lack of marketing and sales experience. The sales are indeed catastrophic. Never mind ! The company understands that products should be both practical and innovative.

1968: the 901 speaker revolutionizes the way you listen to music
Thanks to in-depth research in the fields of design and psychoacoustics, this revolutionary loudspeaker, which allows to reproduce a little more faithfully the essence and the emotions of a live concert, immediately receives a very positive reception. In-store presentation and demonstration sessions boosted sales of the 901 speaker, which ended up being a hit.

1972: the beginnings of international expansion
For the first time, Bose products are marketed outside the United States, thanks to an agreement signed with an audio product reseller in Bad Homburg, Germany.

1972: the dream becomes reality
Shortly after setting up his business in the town of Natick, Dr Bose had one obsession in mind: relocating his headquarters to the famous “The Mountain” site in Framingham, Massachusetts. Despite the significant financial investment that this project represented for a company of this size at the time, its perseverance and efforts to achieve its goal ended up paying off.

1972: birth of the professional products division
After noticing that professional musicians were using the Bose 901 speakers as front speakers and stage monitors, the company began to develop the Bose 800 product, which optimizes audio quality through the use of an equalizer and eight speakers 4.5. A new division is born and will be the source of major technological developments in the following years.

1975: launch of the world’s best-selling loudspeaker
Bose succeeds in designing speakers the size of a bookshelf that can deliver authentic sound. Thanks to its quality and affordability, the Bose 301 Direct / Reflecting speaker became the best-selling speaker in the world for many years.

1978: the first research in the field of noise reduction
During a transatlantic flight aboard Swiss Air, Dr Bose noticed that the sound played by the electronic headset he had been given, a product never before seen at the time, was disturbed by the noise of the aircraft. Before the plane even landed a few hours later, he performed the mathematical calculations needed to design noise-canceling headphones.

1982: first appearance of a high-end audio system in a Cadillac Seville Bose launches a whole new audio line and becomes the first company to offer factory-installed audio systems whose technical characteristics have been adapted to the acoustics of a specific vehicle.

1984: a compact table radio with innovative high-fidelity sound, remarkably enveloping
Bose’s work over the past decade has resulted in the development of patented waveguide acoustic technology capable of delivering the performance of a massive, multi-component system in a compact all-in-one form factor. Barely launched, the Acoustic Wave Music System product received a very favorable reception.

1986: the prototype of a noise reduction helmet on board a historic flight
Although active noise canceling headsets are still under development, the company is preparing two prototypes to protect the hearing of pilots Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, during their record-breaking non-stop round-the-world flight on Voyager.

1987: the Acoustimass 5 module reinvents home stereo
Using newly patented Bose technologies, small cube-shaped speakers deliver concert hall sound. They are accompanied by a bass module supporting low frequencies, which can be placed out of the field of vision. In just a few years, Acoustimass systems have established themselves as the new standard in home high-fidelity solutions and will dominate the home theater market, which is only in its infancy.

1987: inventors of the year
Dr Bose and Dr William R. Short receive the “Inventor of the Year” award from the Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation for their work on the waveguide enclosure.

1988: the very first official supplier of audio systems for the Olympic Games
Bose becomes the first company to officially equip all events at the Olympic Winter Games in Calgary, Canada with audio systems.

1989: first commercial Acoustic Noise Canceling headphones
By bringing to the market a headset that can effectively reduce noise, improve communications and ensure absolute comfort, Bose is revolutionizing the flight experience for pilots.

1990: a new standard in home audio system
Bose Lifestyle systems optimize the home audio experience in terms of performance and simplicity by eliminating the need for large speakers and different rows of components.

1991: exploration of cold fusion
After forming a team of physicists, chemists and materials scientists, Bose conducted research for several years to prove or disprove the theory of cold fusion. Their efforts can detect an error in the original research and precisely explain the excess energy, incorrectly presented in cold fusion theory.

1993: Bose Wave reinvents the radio
Bose’s patented waveguide speaker technology is reintroduced into a small tabletop audio system. It reinvents the very concept of radio by delivering rich yet deep sound that a unit of this size was previously unable to deliver. Sold at a price of $ 349, nearly ten times the price of a conventional clock radio, the Wave radio will nonetheless become a highly acclaimed product and meet with great commercial success.

1993: opening of the first Bose store
Bose opens its very first store in Kittery, Maine.

1994: a breakthrough in the field of acoustic prediction
Bose announces a new technological tool that allows acoustic engineers and their customers to perceive the sound a viewer will hear, regardless of their position in the room, even before the building is constructed or equipment is installed audio. Over the following years, Auditioner Audio Demonstrator software will be used in thousands of projects around the world, including the installation of audio systems in the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome, the Great Mosque in Mecca, as well as at the sites of the Olympic Games and the World Cup.

1997: first use of the Bose Nd bass module in the automotive industry
This revolutionary Bose technology, which delivers powerful sound in a more compact size than a conventional bass module, is introduced in the Chevrolet Corvette.

1998: Smaller, lighter and better performing aviation helmets
The new X headphones, equipped with innovative TriPort technology, improve riders’ comfort while providing them with a level of noise reduction that is comparable to the very first Bose models in this category, bigger and heavier. The success of the X headset in this segment will be so great that Bose will be voted “number 1 among headphone manufacturers” for nine consecutive years by Professional Pilot magazine.

1998: opening of the first Bose store abroad
Bose opens its first overseas store, in New Delhi. A few years later, Bose will be at the head of a network of several hundred stores on four continents.

1998: AudioPilot technology moves up a gear and optimizes on-board systems
Integrated into the Cadillac Seville STS, this revolutionary technology, which relies on a noise compensation circuit, monitors and adapts the music signal according to vehicle speed and exterior noise.

2000: New Ways to Fly Using Advanced Bose Technology
Building on the success of Bose Acoustic Noise Canceling technology, QuietComfort headphones revolutionize air travel by dramatically reducing noise and providing passengers with unmatched in-flight listening quality.

2001: the retirement of an illustrious professor, loved by all
Along with his role as CEO of the company he founded, Dr. Bose served as a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for 45 years. Repeatedly recognized by students and the university for the quality of his teaching, Dr. Bose has taught courses considered to be the most difficult and popular at the institute.

2003: a completely new amplification of live music
Replacing traditional front speakers, monitors and stage amplifiers, the Bose L1 system revolutionizes the way live music is amplified. It exploits the novel properties of a loudspeaker with a singular profile, 2 meters high and only 12 cm wide, placed behind each of the musicians.

2004: a new Bose division in charge of ElectroForce linear displacement systems
Bose takes its linear actuator technology to another field and embarks on a new adventure by founding the ElectroForce Systems group, one of the largest suppliers of materials testing and durability simulation machines to research institutes, universities , medical device and engineering companies around the world.

2004: revelation of a secret research project carried out for several decades
Bose reveals the conclusions of a project, hitherto kept secret, with the press and the automotive industry: the development of a revolutionary automotive suspension technology, which makes it possible to offer a smoother ride than a vehicle luxury and greater maneuverability than a sports car by replacing the springs or hydraulic components with electromagnetic actuators.

2004: Sound for iPod
The SoundDock digital audio system is quickly setting the standard for sound in the iPod-compatible speaker segment, so users can listen to and share their music without the hassle of headphones.

2008: admission to the very closed circle of inventors
Dr. Bose is inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Akron, Ohio for his achievements in audio technology, which “have a tremendous impact on the quality of our daily lives.”

2008: “International Design Team of the Year”, a great honor
Bose receives the prestigious “International Design Team of the Year” award from Red Dot for its design innovations and achievements.

2009: a new benchmark for noise reduction headphones
Already the market leader in noise reduction headphones, Bose introduces the QuietComfort 15 headphones, which represents another major step forward in this field. The product quickly established itself as the ultimate benchmark for frequent travelers and achieved great commercial success.

2009: the very first energy efficient audio system
The Chevrolet Volt is the first vehicle to be equipped with this technology, which offers high-quality acoustic performance while consuming 50% less energy than traditional systems.

2010: new technology protects long-haul truck drivers against unpleasant road vibrations
Based on Bose seat suspension technology, the Bose Ride system replaces traditional air-suspended truck seats to provide drivers with an unprecedented level of protection against the damaging effects of vibration throughout their journeys.

2010: a better flight experience for pilots thanks to the A20 aviation headset
Bose presents its most advanced aviation headset, featuring better noise reduction, greater comfort and Bluetooth® connectivity for GPS and cell phones.

2010: simplification and improvement of home cinema products
Bose introduces the VideoWave entertainment system, a high-definition television that delivers home theater sound from a fully integrated 16-speaker audio module behind the screen, and combines it with an all-new model of remote control that dramatically simplifies operation.

2010: vehicle noise control using Active Sound Management (ASM) technology
After more than 30 years of research in acoustics and noise reduction, Bose is equipping the Cadillac Escalade and the Infiniti M with this new technology. This allows automakers to more effectively control interior noise in vehicles, without compromising the audio performance that appeals to consumers.

2011: a new benchmark for mobile sound
The SoundLink wireless mobile speaker connects to a smartphone or other Bluetooth-enabled device so you can stream music almost anywhere. It offers an unprecedented level of performance, mobility and robustness.

2011: a generous donation to MIT
Dr. Bose donates non-voting shares of Bose Corporation to MIT, which becomes the majority shareholder. The dividends received on these actions are used to support and develop the research and training missions of the institute. The company will remain private and independent while continuing to operate in accordance with its values ​​and guiding principles.

2013: death of Dr Amar Gopal Bose at the age of 83
“Dr. Bose founded Bose Corporation almost 50 years ago on a set of guiding principles, emphasizing research and innovation. These priorities have never changed, and will never change. Bob Maresca, President and New CEO, Bose Corporation.

2013: a new breakthrough in noise canceling headphones
The QuietComfort 20 headphones are the very first noise-canceling in-ear models from Bose to deliver such impressive advancements in noise reduction, audio performance and comfort. They also offer two listening modes: one to cut yourself off from the world and the other to stay connected. The company has obtained more patents for this single product than for any other invention in its history.

2013: Sales of the SoundLink Mini speaker take off

The ultra-compact SoundLink Mini Bluetooth® speaker fits in the palm of your hand, connects wirelessly to a smart device or tablet, and delivers a new level of performance for streaming music privately at full volume. Its success is such that it becomes the fastest selling product in the history of the Bose company

2013: Wi-Fi® music at home makes its revolution
SoundTouch Wi-Fi music systems fill every room of the house with authentic sound. Users can now wirelessly stream music from the Internet, music libraries and other music services, with just one touch.

2013: adopted today by 15 car brands around the world
30 years after the first collaboration between Bose and General Motors, which enabled innovation in the audio segment of the luxury automobile industry, Bose systems are now fitted to more than a hundred vehicle models of more than 15 manufacturers.

2014: Bose is among the “5 most innovative brands” for the 7th consecutive year
Bose has won its seventh “Plus X Award” since 2007. This distinction recognizes the winners of the world’s largest competition for technology, sports and lifestyle brands.

2014: the official headsets and headphones of the National American Football League
Bose noise reduction technology is entering the National American Football League, improving communication for coaches on the pitch and optimizing the experience of fans during games, both at the stadium and at home.

2014: the most respected brand in terms of sound
Bose is known around the world as the most respected brand when it comes to sound. From a two-person team in a small office in Natick, Massachusetts, to a company spanning multiple continents and industries …

Always private and independent, the company continues today to apply its guiding principles to the letter and continues to listen to its customers, as it already did in 1964. Today, Bose humbly pays tribute to the millions of people around the world who have trusted him for half a century.

2015: The Panaray system moves passengers and critics alike
No matter what music you listen to in the Cadillac CT6, you actually hear Bose’s greatest hits. To create a truly premium experience worthy of Cadillac’s flagship vehicle, we have taken and adapted some of our most successful innovations in all of our areas of business. We have used noise canceling technology in our headphones to isolate road noise. To create sound where there are no speakers, we relied on revolutionary compact speakers, first designed for home theater systems. We’ve even included reverberation reduction technologies from our own automotive research. The system is so precise that our engineers spent three years perfecting it.

2016: Halfway between innovative performance and modern art
We have built a reputation for creating more powerful, yet smaller, products with each new generation by learning from our previous successes. But with the Lifestyle 650 home entertainment system, sound isn’t the only thing that catches your eye. The glass surface of the Acoustimass bass module was custom made by the same company, which is known for manufacturing windshields for exceptional Italian cars. Made from a single piece of extruded aluminum, the satellite speakers feature 4,000 holes with high precision drilling.

In 2017, at the presentation of the prestigious Red Dot “Best of the Best” award, the jury said: “All the elements of this system have been perfectly matched in terms of aesthetics and performance. Its compact and minimalist character allows users to take full advantage of the quality of the broadcast sound. “

2017: Our software engineers start working with new code
After launch, our first wireless headphones with active noise canceling technology quickly became our best-selling product. Just over a year later, we present the QC35 Series II headset that gives the public immediate access to the Google Assistant. But in order to insert voice control, we first need to build a team at Google. Working hand in hand with their coders, we’ve gone beyond creating the first headsets with a built-in Google Assistant button – we’ve launched a whole new collaborative design process.

2017: Improve conversations by listening to our customers
In 1997, an envelope arrived in Mr. Bose’s office. It contains a handwritten letter from a customer who wants to know if there is a possibility the company is developing a headset that allows users to hear their conversations as clearly as their music.

At the same time, at the other end of the site, a few of our research and development engineers have already asked themselves the same question and started to make a prototype. The customer’s question is very simple, the answer infinitely more complex. It will take several teams and almost 20 years of discontinuous experimentation to develop and employ the various new technologies needed, including noise-canceling headphones and user-changeable settings, before Hearphones are finally ready to be shared with the rest of the world. But judging from the letters we’ve received since the Hearphones launched, the wait was well worth it.

The future
We are impatient. Because everything has only just begun.