Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I bought these and the Bose Companion 2 Series III Speakers. I have had the same Sony SRS-D21 2.1 Speaker system for almost 5 years now, and I was quite content with that. I never realized how much in music I was missing out when I had those. I first received the Companion III Speakers in the mail, and tested them for about 5 days before these NX-50s arrived. What I liked about the Bose: 1. Does not distort even at max volume for any type of music 2. No feedback noise when volume dial is turned to the max and you are not listening to music 3. No "Sharp" or "High" sounding when listening to songs that can bother some people 4. Very balanced sound with slight bass emphasis 5. The small indent on the volume knob is easily felt in the dark to know where you turned your dial to. I like this because I like keeping this symmetric. 6. The volume knob also turns very solidly, and has a satisfying feel to it. What I disliked about the Bose: 1. Sounds a little more muffled or "flat" when compared to the NX-50s. The Bose sounds very dull and has no liveliness to it (Keep in mind this is my opinion AFTER listening to the NX-50s. Before, I thought the Bose were great). 2. I was not expecting the speakers to be able to hit deep lows when listening to bass heavy songs (If you want to get that earthshaking bass, get a 2.1 speaker system or install a 8" or bigger sub woofer in your car). However, the bass is really thumpy and sounds unnatural to the song in most hiphop songs. For things likes Jazz and Blues, it was great. Now for the Yamaha NX-50s! What I like about the NX-50s: 1. Amazing, "colorful" and lively sounding. Expecially when playing things like jazz, classical, or any songs that don't have ridiculously low bass notes. 2. Much louder and voices are MUCH crisper. 3. Things like snaps, bells, and chimes all sound as if they are really in the room with you. 4. Small white LED indicator light to let you know its on. What I disliked about the NX-50s: 1. Feedback noise at max volume is really annoying. So keep your volume at around 70% or lower and adjust your master volume on your computer to your looking. 2. Distorts at higher volumes for most songs I listened to. 3. Volume dial feels like it is much poorer quality compared to the Bose dial. 4. Bass rattles when it the notes are super low, and can make the voices in the songs feel like they are vibrating. Play some hip hop / rap and you will know what I mean. CONCLUSION: While both speakers are great, they both have their pros and cons. If you really don't want to spend well over $100 for desktop speakers, go for the Bose. Just know you are sacrificing some sound quality in my opinion. The Bose are noticeably more flat sounding than the Yamaha's. However, if you don't listen to them side by side, I'm sure it won't matter to you. The Yamaha Speakers sound amazing, but for more money. If you really enjoy listening to all the detail in a song, I would recommend going for the NX-50s. They are much louder, crisper, and more "surround sound" like. Just remember the pros and cons I found for both. Good luck choosing!