Bose is often a leader. It’s just that sometimes there are no followers. The QuietComfort ANR headphones were for years the best and entirely dominated the field. The Soundcollar was the first of it’s type of setup, and is still the best if you like it. I tried it in the store, and it’s decidedly wierd, but might be great for mowing the lawn with my electric mower.
The 901’s were the first to try that direct/reflecting, bouncing treble off the wall, and trying it in what was purported to be an audiophile speaker. (Not counting Leslie, and it’s awesome organ speakers).
Being first means you’ll get a lot of criticism for being different. It also means making mistakes. The waveradio was really groundbreaking sound, putting a transmission like in a small desktop box.