Bose vs Onkyo - Blu-ray Forum

sideeffects · 10-25-2007, 04:25 PM

Hey guys, I currently have a Bose Acustamass 10 series 5.1 and a Harmon Kardon receiver.

I have been lurking in these forums for a while now to get updates on the Blu-ray HD-DUD war.

But anyhow I have been thinking about upgraing my surround to a 7.1 system.. and it seems the majority of people in this forum really like the brand Onkyo. I have not heard to much about them.

I am looking to spend around 1000-1500 on the system. What would you guys suggest?

Cyorg · 10-25-2007, 04:32 PM

Get either a Harmon Kardon or Onkyo receiver, and a Definitive Audio speaker setup.

werewuf · 10-25-2007, 04:33 PM

$1000-$1500 on a system or just a receiver?

mdm1699 · 10-25-2007, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sideeffects

Hey guys, I currently have a Bose Acustamass 10 series 5.1 and a Harmon Kardon receiver.

I have been lurking in these forums for a while now to get updates on the Blu-ray HD-DUD war.

But anyhow I have been thinking about upgraing my surround to a 7.1 system.. and it seems the majority of people in this forum really like the brand Onkyo. I have not heard to much about them.

I am looking to spend around 1000-1500 on the system. What would you guys suggest?

Anything but Bose.

RC-Bruin · 10-25-2007, 04:34 PM

For speakers I'd recommend something that's not in a home theater package. Buy individual speakers. It's more costly, but way better result. I had a set of Bose before my Definitives and the difference was night and day. But to answer your question, my opinion is that Onkyo is better than Bose.

CptGreedle · 10-25-2007, 04:35 PM

Skip Bose... it is low quality, high price. They boost certain things to make it sound big, but you loose HGE ranges of sound.

I am sure our resident audiophiles can help you pick a good set of speakers.

werewuf · 10-25-2007, 04:37 PM

There are numerous receivers to choose from in this price range. Pioneer Elite, Harmon Kardon, Onkyo, Denon, Yamaha and many speaker alternatives. Some offer more features and power for the money, depends on what you are trying to acheive.

Luis_A51 · 10-25-2007, 04:39 PM

Sell off your Bose first and foremost, and use the money to buy new speakers (but seperates). You can easily buy better sounding speakers for a fraction of what bose costs.

all_blu_man · 10-25-2007, 04:42 PM

bose is alright but I think the onkyo or anything really does a better job.

mdm1699 · 10-25-2007, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by all_blu_man

bose is alright but I think the onkyo or anything really does a better job.

"Alright" for $1,000-$1,500 is wasted money.

ericede · 10-25-2007, 04:54 PM

Bose is a very gimmicky product. They use alot of DSP to fool your ears into hearing something. They usually lack the range of other well known brands. Most of the reviews I've read regarding their higher end speakers talk about poor construction.

With speakers it's all about performance and surface area. If you're looking for an expensive speaker that performs extremely well electrostatics are nice. The only draw backs are they are dipole and they radiate sound waves in a straight path which makes them very directional. Becuase they are dipole you need to buffer the sound wave behind the speaker.

As far as receivers you really can't go wrong with Onkyo or Harmon Kardon. They are not as crazy as NAD or Marantz when it comes to price point. Be careful of lower end brands (IE: Sony) that boast 100 watts per channel out of a 15lbs receiver. Most reputable brands only report max output at minimal distortion. So a 70 watt Harmon Kardon sounds better than a 100 watt Insignia.

delavoie · 10-25-2007, 05:08 PM

Bose is crap..
I would get Yamaha or Denon before Onkyo.

LynxFX · 10-25-2007, 06:02 PM

No highs, no lows, buy Bose.

If you have a decent home audio store near you, go check out their different setups, especially speakers. You will find that different brands, and different configurations can sound completely different. I've had the Klipsch reference line for 5 years now and love them, but some people think their horns sound harsh or vice versa a nice set of Polk or B&W can sound too soft or warm. Then depending on how crazy you want to get, you find the right receiver to match the speakers you like. You can usually google some reviews or go to the speaker section of AVS to find a lot of hardcores that really know what receivers tend to go best with which speakers.

Oh and find a good demo disc to take with you to the store. One dvd or blu-ray if they actually have something setup, and a music cd. That way you can always listen to the same source and if there is a difference, you can spot it.

Nicadian · 10-25-2007, 06:39 PM

Well it all depends how much you are willing to spend. If you want an oknyo HTIB there is a new set to bring next gen hi def sound http://www.onkyousa.com/model.cfm?m=...ss=Systems&p=i

If you don't want to buy a HTIB mixing is the way to go.

sideeffects · 10-25-2007, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by werewuf

$1000-$1500 on a system or just a receiver?

I was hoping for the whole system lol.. My Harmon Kardon receiver was like $400 and the Bose speakers were $1000

Can I get a decent 7.1 setup for around the price mentioned above or will they be really cheap speakers?

Moefiz · 10-25-2007, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyorg

Get either a Harmon Kardon or Onkyo receiver, and a Definitive Audio speaker setup.

Hey,Cyorg where can I find a set of Definitive speaker.

sideeffects · 10-25-2007, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nicadian

Well it all depends how much you are willing to spend. If you want an oknyo HTIB there is a new set to bring next gen hi def sound http://www.onkyousa.com/model.cfm?m=...ss=Systems&p=i

If you don't want to buy a HTIB mixing is the way to go.

Whoa thats a really good price. How would these rate against other 7.1 setups?

sideeffects · 10-25-2007, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luis_A51

Sell off your Bose first and foremost, and use the money to buy new speakers (but seperates). You can easily buy better sounding speakers for a fraction of what bose costs.

I dont know too much about buying seperate speakers.. What companies produce great sound at a decent price when buying seperate speakers?

I have never really looked at this alternative lol

LynxFX · 10-25-2007, 06:54 PM

You could get the Onkyo 605 for $500 ($400 if you can find it on sale), then over at frys.com you can get a nice full set of Polk speakers and stay within your budget. Get two nice floor standing polks, like the R-50's, for your two front mains. Get their nice center channel (most important speaker of all so don't skimp), and then finish it off with a two sets of bookshelf polks for your surrounds and surround back. Last but not least, a ~$200 sub.

You would probably end up with a very nice sounding system that will last you for awhile.

delavoie · 10-25-2007, 07:00 PM

check out HSU http://www.hsuresearch.com/packages.html
They make killer subs and i hear their bookshelves are really good also.

10-25-2007, 04:25 PM	#1
sideeffects Junior Member Member since:Oct 2007 Location:SoCal	Bose vs Onkyo Hey guys, I currently have a Bose Acustamass 10 series 5.1 and a Harmon Kardon receiver. I have been lurking in these forums for a while now to get updates on the Blu-ray HD-DUD war. But anyhow I have been thinking about upgraing my surround to a 7.1 system.. and it seems the majority of people in this forum really like the brand Onkyo. I have not heard to much about them. I am looking to spend around 1000-1500 on the system. What would you guys suggest?

10-25-2007, 04:33 PM	#3
werewuf Expert Member Member since:Jun 2007 Blu-ray collection:95 Blu-ray reviews:2	Bose vs Onkyo $1000-$1500 on a system or just a receiver?

10-25-2007, 04:37 PM	#7
werewuf Expert Member Member since:Jun 2007 Blu-ray collection:95 Blu-ray reviews:2	Bose vs Onkyo There are numerous receivers to choose from in this price range. Pioneer Elite, Harmon Kardon, Onkyo, Denon, Yamaha and many speaker alternatives. Some offer more features and power for the money, depends on what you are trying to acheive. Last edited by werewuf; 10-25-2007 at 04:40 PM.

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10-25-2007, 04:32 PM	#2
Cyorg Special Member Member since:Jul 2007 Location:San Antonio, TX. PSN ID: Cyorg Blu-ray collection:62 Blu-ray reviews:1	Get either a Harmon Kardon or Onkyo receiver, and a Definitive Audio speaker setup.

10-25-2007, 04:34 PM	#5
RC-Bruin Member Member since:Oct 2007 Blu-ray collection:18	For speakers I'd recommend something that's not in a home theater package. Buy individual speakers. It's more costly, but way better result. I had a set of Bose before my Definitives and the difference was night and day. But to answer your question, my opinion is that Onkyo is better than Bose.

10-25-2007, 04:35 PM	#6
CptGreedle Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Jul 2007 Location:Sworn super-hero now services Atlanta (and suburbs). Blu-ray collection:128 Blu-ray reviews:5	Skip Bose... it is low quality, high price. They boost certain things to make it sound big, but you loose HGE ranges of sound. I am sure our resident audiophiles can help you pick a good set of speakers.

10-25-2007, 04:39 PM	#8
Luis_A51 Blu-ray Guru Member since:Jun 2007 Location:Calgary, AB Blu-ray reviews:4	Sell off your Bose first and foremost, and use the money to buy new speakers (but seperates). You can easily buy better sounding speakers for a fraction of what bose costs.

10-25-2007, 04:42 PM	#9
all_blu_man Active Member Member since:Oct 2007 Location:Canada	bose is alright but I think the onkyo or anything really does a better job.

10-25-2007, 04:54 PM	#11
ericede Junior Member Member since:Jul 2007	Bose is a very gimmicky product. They use alot of DSP to fool your ears into hearing something. They usually lack the range of other well known brands. Most of the reviews I've read regarding their higher end speakers talk about poor construction. With speakers it's all about performance and surface area. If you're looking for an expensive speaker that performs extremely well electrostatics are nice. The only draw backs are they are dipole and they radiate sound waves in a straight path which makes them very directional. Becuase they are dipole you need to buffer the sound wave behind the speaker. As far as receivers you really can't go wrong with Onkyo or Harmon Kardon. They are not as crazy as NAD or Marantz when it comes to price point. Be careful of lower end brands (IE: Sony) that boast 100 watts per channel out of a 15lbs receiver. Most reputable brands only report max output at minimal distortion. So a 70 watt Harmon Kardon sounds better than a 100 watt Insignia.

10-25-2007, 05:08 PM	#12
delavoie Active Member Member since:Oct 2007 Location:At the Beach! NB, Canada	Bose is crap.. I would get Yamaha or Denon before Onkyo.

10-25-2007, 06:02 PM	#13
LynxFX Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jul 2007	No highs, no lows, buy Bose. If you have a decent home audio store near you, go check out their different setups, especially speakers. You will find that different brands, and different configurations can sound completely different. I've had the Klipsch reference line for 5 years now and love them, but some people think their horns sound harsh or vice versa a nice set of Polk or B&W can sound too soft or warm. Then depending on how crazy you want to get, you find the right receiver to match the speakers you like. You can usually google some reviews or go to the speaker section of AVS to find a lot of hardcores that really know what receivers tend to go best with which speakers. Oh and find a good demo disc to take with you to the store. One dvd or blu-ray if they actually have something setup, and a music cd. That way you can always listen to the same source and if there is a difference, you can spot it.

10-25-2007, 06:39 PM	#14
Nicadian Active Member Member since:Oct 2007 Location:Canada	Well it all depends how much you are willing to spend. If you want an oknyo HTIB there is a new set to bring next gen hi def sound http://www.onkyousa.com/model.cfm?m=...ss=Systems&p=i If you don't want to buy a HTIB mixing is the way to go.

10-25-2007, 06:54 PM	#19
LynxFX Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jul 2007	You could get the Onkyo 605 for $500 ($400 if you can find it on sale), then over at frys.com you can get a nice full set of Polk speakers and stay within your budget. Get two nice floor standing polks, like the R-50's, for your two front mains. Get their nice center channel (most important speaker of all so don't skimp), and then finish it off with a two sets of bookshelf polks for your surrounds and surround back. Last but not least, a ~$200 sub. You would probably end up with a very nice sounding system that will last you for awhile.

10-25-2007, 07:00 PM	#20
delavoie Active Member Member since:Oct 2007 Location:At the Beach! NB, Canada	check out HSU http://www.hsuresearch.com/packages.html They make killer subs and i hear their bookshelves are really good also.

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