Bose speaker compatability

I've been drooling over the 1050 for about a year and I just got Employee of the Month at work, so I did the only thing I could think of. I called and ordered one this afternoon.
I have read most of the lit and a lot of comments and one question I have is if anyone has had direct experience with using the Bose Acoustimass 10 Series II speaker system with the 1050? Any tips, warnings and advice would be greatly appreciated.

I'm sorry I can't really tell you anything, except that almost no one here likes Bose much. The first Bose discussion had a very low opinion of the Acoustimass and Lifestyle, the second one I started has not really gone anywhere.

Your best bet would probably be to talk to an electronics dealer, most likely a Bose Outlet store if there is one. Try to find a sales rep who likes Bose too. One guy at a Circuit City gave me the nastiest look I've ever seen when I wanted some information (In defense of Circuit City, another sales rep who helped my parents was one of the best they had ever seen).

Hope you have good luck setting them up, I have heard that it can be tough to do but sound good when done right.

OK,
My flame-suit is on!! :-)
I've used the AM5 for years. I like it. There. I said it.
I use it with a Yamaha center speaker,Atlantic technology surrounds, a couple of generic rear center speakers and a Polk 650 powered sub. The passive sub of the AM5 picks up the midrange sub signals quite well and the cubes direct the L/R signals just where I want them. I know that there is a lot of bashing towards Bose and I do understand it. One of these days I'm sure that I will upgrade but, there is no reason to dump something you already own AND appreciate just because the general concensus goes against them. If it sounds good, keep 'em. You can always demo other systems and change up later.
Trace

I used an AM7 with my 1050 for close to six months. It works -- I set it up with no sub, set the mains to "large", and I don't remember where I set the crossover for the others (I used Bose Model 100's for my surrounds and surround back, with no powered sub).

Here are my thoughts on my old AM7 -- do with them what you will. My old Yamaha RX-V690 pro-logic receiver sounded pretty decent, but the 1050 that I replaced it with was a definite and immediate improvement. What does that have to do with the AM7's? Well, the 1050's improvements helped identify the AM7's inherent weaknesses (frequency response problems and what-not) while oddly enough making them sound better than they had previously. I ended up replacing my Bose speakers. Your mileage may vary. Either way, I'd wager that the 1050 will make your AM10 do the best job it's capable of. Depending on your ear and your speaker preferences, you may or may not find yourself looking at them and wondering if you could toss them on eBay to help fund a speaker upgrade, though...

------------------
gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

baristaman,

I, too, used to think that the Bose speakers sounded good. I agree that if you already own them, and you like them, then don't listen to other people telling you they suck. I never owned them, but an uncle of mine does, and I used to think that they were the greatest things. Then, I got a good system. Now that I am used to the way that they sound, whenever I visit my uncle, I hear the system's shortcomings. Even my wife hears the difference.

This is not meant to be a Bose bashing, but I have to honestly believe that there is much better out there for the money. I think the Energy Take 5 or other similar system (Mirage, Atlantic Tech, NHT, DefTech) can cost the same or less and deliver more.

I think that someday, you will get some good, if not great speakers in your house, and after about a week of listening, you will wonder how you ever did it.

CBWills,

I would strongly recomend that you take your own demo material and insist that the Bose salesperson plays it. Listen very carefully for an extended period of time. Then find an Energy Take 5 or something and repeat the tests. Go home, do it again the following weekend. I would be surprised if you don't hear a difference.

Good luck, and let us know how it turns out!

------------------
Benjamin King
benjaminking@yahoo.com

Benjamin's comments raised a question in my mind. Are you asking because you already own an AM10 or because you are looking into one?

If you are still looking, I'd recommend gathering some demo material that you are familiar with and start listening to some speakers. The Energy Take 5 and some of the Boston Acoustics speakers both offer similarly priced (or cheaper) speaker packages that have superior build quality and performance. Others like DefTech, Paradigm, and a number of others also offer speakers that can be used together as "packages" as well.

If you already have the AM10, hook it up and enjoy! If you start considering an upgrade later, let the folks here know and you'll get a number of suggestions on what to demo.

------------------
gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

Sold my 6 mo. old AM-10 II's a few years back, I got lucky, lost 400.oo on the AM-10's and got a set of Boston Acoustic VR-970's for 600.oo saved 1000.oo, guess I came out 500.oo ahead and have much better sound.
I was using a SONY DD receiver initially then switched to a NAK AV-10, I wanted to add DTS. The NAK certainly made the AM-10's sound much better than the SONY ever did. (very clean and detailed, much better low end from the AM-10's) To bad the NAK was damaged in shipping, Might still be using it now. Only played in stereo the surround never worked at all, only paid about 1/2 price when I bought it. (could only get a refund) Same power rating 100w x5 but the NAK always got high marks for it's "true" power ratings. It gave me the impression that he AM-10's need some serious power to drive them decently. Can not give any input on the 1050's ability to drive the AM-10's. I would probably connect an external powered sub of some type to the LFE output of the 1050 (or any brand DD-DTS receiver) in addition to using the AM-10's. You might try using the front ch pr-outs on the 1050 (FR speakers set to large) and run them through an external amp (even your old receiver) if the 1050 does not drive the AM-10's as well as you like.

Thanks for all your comments. I didn't realize the level of controversy over Bose.
The consensus I get is that Bose is good if you have the whole system (I bought the speakers without the head unit a couple of years ago which I should have mentioned earlier). The whole wire harness from the sub seems to me to limit the size of room in which you can use the system, but I think I'll ignore the harness with the 1050.
I'm just starting out with home theater, as is my wife , so I think upgrading will be a slow process. There is hope however as she made the comment she noticed the difference between a VHS signal and the DVD player I got recently. The 1050 should help immensely with the audio portion of an upgrade. There's always hope.
I definitely will let you know how everything turns out. Thanks again for the help.
I also had another question. How does one become a Gunslinger?

I agree with Gonk and BenjaminKing completely. The 1050 improved the performance of the AM5 to the best of their abilities. I'm just saying that there is no need to immediately replace them just because other people think they're crap.
I will eventually upgrade, in fact I have avoided checking out my UPS drivers new Klipsch towers because I will then want to change up right away, which would mean not paying a bill or two.
I'll let you guys know when a mint condition AM5 goes on the market, I'm sure that I will get top dollar for them! (ha-ha)
Trace

Bose do work, but they are very overpriced. The Internet is absolutely littered with Bose-generated flame wars, and there is a lot of information about the Acoustimass line available online (here are two: the Bose FAQ and Better Profit Margins Through Shortcuts ). On the bright side, they also retain their value well (wave "hello" to the Bose marketing team, we have them to thank for that ) so if/when you are overcome by the desire to step up a level you'll be able to recover a good bit of your original investment by putting them up on eBay.

If you've got a DVD player already and your wife noticed a difference, wait until you play a DVD in Dolby Digital or DTS -- that really opened my eyes!

As for the "gunslinger" thing -- after you've made 15 posts, you will become a gunslinger.

------------------
gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

I think the Bose speaker systems sound alright. I visited an outlet store the other day where they had everything set up nicely. They did sound ok, but I felt a bit underwhelmed.

Bose seems to be trying to fill in a niche in the market by making their speakers so small and touting that so much. The problem is that none of us (us being the people in this forum) care if our speakers are hidden. In fact, I'll bet pretty much all of us want people to notice our systems. We just don't really want to pay extra so that our systems are invisible.

The heavier flame seems to come from some people who don't realize this, expecting that every speaker system created is supposed to fit "their" needs. Not really a big deal though, as everyone has their own tastes. To each his own.

I have now tried several configurations of the Bose AM10 speakers and after not being too happy with the results from the surrounds, I've decided to get what I can for it and get a system a friend from work has suggested, the Acoustic Research HC6
(I believe BenjaminRigby is correct about Bose and its marketing to those who want "hidden" speakers. Too bad that means acoustics are sacrificed for appearance,IMHO).
There are only two reviews on Audioreview.com, but one of them is by Flashman who has a 1050, so I think that may be good enough for me.
My friend from work has a mad home theatre (Transducers that the army uses for tank simulations and a pc to play dvds), and in another room, an insane stereo set-up that browns-out the neighborhood (600-pound turntable stand with 50-pound platter riding on a cushion of air and seven foot speakers with 2-inch thick cables laid on ceramic insulators to avoid signal loss to the carpeted concrete floor. I feel like I'm in the Deathstar weapons station).
He says he has seen reviews in his ultra-high-end magazines that heap praise on the HC6.
I've got three questions for any one who would care to respond;
1) How much would I be likely to get for my Bose AM10 speaker system? It has never been used to it's fullest extent and like the good little audio-nut I am I have everything that came with it, including the rubber feet for the speakers(never put them on). I bought it about two years ago.

2) Does anyone else have any thoughts on the AR HC6?

3) I went to the SVS website and fell in love with the powered 25-31pci. Any ideas with marrying this sub with the AR HC6? (Dual subs may a bit much, especially with the wife, but I should be able to sell the AR sub. I should stay with a $1000 budget if I want to live.)

Thanks for all your comments and suggestions. For this novice, all the info I can get is much appreciated.

I sold my Acoustimass 7 (~4 years old) last fall for $350 on eBay -- no original box, but original manual and cables. The AM10 is selling for a fair bit more than that. Try these two links: active eBay auctions and completed eBay auctions . It may give you some idea of what the "market rate" is currently.

------------------
gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

2) Does anyone else have any thoughts on the AR HC6?

I have heard nothing but, good things about the HC6. The Perfect Vision raved about it and how it will suprize the listener on music. I acually heard the system at Wal-Mart of all places so, I really can't give you much help on the sound because of how the store had it set up. However they look like they cost 300 dollars each. what a good finish on the cabinets. beware of the HC6B sytem out there. It is much different. I hope this helps a little anyway.

CBWills:

Before you jump on to AR HC6, try to audition some other speakers. I am a big Paradigm fan, start with thier Micro or Atom speakers, they are approx. $150.00 ( MSRP ) a pair. Good Luck.

KE

KE - You speak wisely, sir. I'm also a Paradigm fan, but even more so the advise to listen to different speakers before you buy is very good. Gather some material that you are familiar with (I had a little pouch of CD's and a list of good tracks that I used when I was speaker shopping last year) and listen away!

------------------
gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

Gonk : Thanks for the kind words. As you know, I have Ref 60, Studio CC and Studio ADP ( same as your set-up ). I was looking for a pair of speakers to set-up 7.1, that is when I auditioned Atoms and Micros they are incredible for the price.

Any more addition to your 950 review. I got my 950 on Sat and it is going through burn-in and testing ( right out of the box it sounds far better than my B&K ref. 20 ). I will post an extended review after a week or so. Keep-up the good work/service on this forum.

KE



[This message has been edited by KE (edited May 16, 2002).]

This is an update on my system. All your comments were very helpful.
This is a quote from a reply I posted in the speaker forum to someone who bought an AR HC6.
If anyone has any comments, they would be most appreciated.

"I purchased the AR HC6 speaker system too and am also impressed. It is a definite improvement, to my ears, over the Bose system I replaced.
I do have a concern with the sub's auto-off feature, which I wish was defeatable. Have you had your sub cut out repeatedly, like it was receiving signal and then not receiving signal? I tuned the system which seemed to help, but at times the sub will turn off with an audible 'thunk' (the auto-off feature in action. By the way, how long is the delay supposed to be?).
It appears the only way I can keep the sub on during an entire movie is to switch the crossover to 200, push the sub trim to nearly to 10, and raise the overall volume to around 45. Anything else and the sub turns off, and then sometimes on and off in rapid succession.
Do you think I should increase the sub signal in the calibration mode? Maybe this will get more signal to the sub and allow me to turn the crossover down to 150 or lower.
I hope it isn't a problem with the sub itself. That would definitely be disappointing given the excellent quality of the rest of the system.

IP: Logged"