NEW YORK, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 03/23/07 -- Wealthy consumers rated Bose Corp. the most prestigious luxury audio brand in the 2007 Luxury Brand Status Index (LBSI) survey by the independent New York-based Luxury Institute (www.LuxuryInstitute.com). Bang and Olufsen was a close second; Nakamichi placed a distant third.

"Wealthy consumers tell us Bose is a leading luxury brand that differentiates itself beyond product and is surgical about creating an optimal customer experience," said Milton Pedraza, CEO, the Luxury Institute. "It is no accident that Bose is also the leader in the 2007 Luxury Website Effectiveness Index (LWEI), released in January, for audio brands. Wealthy consumers want excellent product quality, exclusivity and optimized customer experience across all channels. Bose is a luxury brand for all luxury marketers to emulate."

Brands rated (alphabetically) included: Acoustic Research, Advent, Bang and Olufsen, Bose Corp., Boston Acoustics, Cambridge SoundWorks, Cerwin Vega, Clarion, Denon, Harmon Kardon, JBL, JVC, Kenwood, Klipsch, LG, Logitech, Marantz, McIntosh, Nakamichi, NEC, Onkyo, Panasonic, Philips, Pioneer, Polk Audio, RCA, Samsung, Sanyo Fisher, Sharp, Sherwood, Sony, and Yamaha.

The summary results of this survey are available to members of the Luxury Board (www.luxuryboard.com), the world's first online community for luxury professionals, executives, and entrepreneurs.

The proprietary Luxury Brand Status Index (LBSI) survey is the only measure of the reputation of leading brands among wealthy Americans. A national sample of over 1,600 wealthy American consumers, with an average income of $313K, and average net worth of $3.3 million, was surveyed online. Survey results are weighted to match demographic and net worth profiles of the same audience according to the latest Survey of Consumer Finances from The Federal Reserve.

About the Luxury Institute

The Luxury Institute is the uniquely independent and impartial ratings and research institution that is the trusted and respected voice of the high net-worth consumer. The Institute provides a portfolio of proprietary publications and research that guides and educates high net-worth individuals and the companies that cater to them on leading edge trends, high net-worth consumer rankings and ratings of luxury brands, and best practices. The Luxury Institute also operates the Luxury Board (www.luxuryboard.com), the world's first global, membership-based online community for luxury goods and services executives, professionals and entrepreneurs. To reach the Luxury Institute, please call 646-792-2669 or go to www.luxuryinstitute.com.

Contact:
Martin Swanson
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The Luxury Institute
(office) 914-909-6350
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