What's up with Bose HT audio?? - Blu-ray Forum

sonyhomenet · 01-29-2009, 12:37 PM

OK....I've been lurking around here for a few weeks,and feel it's time to dive in! It's no big secret that among "afficianados' that Bose speaker systems are considered to be less than adequate! I have an Acoustimass system that my son in law sold to us after only having it about a year. (kid-proofing his house) I got it for less than half of what it retails for,so I felt I didn't do to badly. This required that I upgrade my reciever,from a standard stereo,to something that would do 5.1,so I bought Pioneer's lowest end 7.1 box. (I use the two "leftover" channels to run a set of outdoor speakers on our deck) This past Christmas,we decided to treat ourselves,and move into the HDTV arena. We bought a Samsung 46" LCD (model escapes me) and a Sony BD-350 Blu-ray player,both of which we are very happy with. I have read enough to realize that I cannot take advantage of the new lossless BD codecs,because of the limitations of both the amp and the player (no HDMI on the amp...no analog outs on the BD player) So,a reciver upgrade is coming,down the road! My question is this...what exactly are the limitations of the Bose speaker array,if any. I am running 5.1 and have no realk desire or room to go to 7.1. Other than the fact that these speakers don't really come alive until you kick them up pretty far,volume-wise,I have had no complaints. Would I hear that much difference with a speaker upgrade? Is my ear that untrained...OR...am I really missing that much?? I figured that this would be as good a place as any to get a little feedback on this...(the traffic this forum generates is bloody astounding!)
Sonyhomenet

sptrout · 01-29-2009, 12:46 PM

Read the review at the link below and I think you will understand why Bose and HD audio do not match. Their speakers just will not reproduce HD audio at anywhere near what is needed to be able to appreicate it.

http://www.intellexual.net/bose.html

Beta Man · 01-29-2009, 12:48 PM

Couple of things.....

1) Your son-in-law didn't just "GIVE" it to you? he "SOLD" it to you????? I guess he already won you guys over, and doesn't need to try anymore

2) You should connect via Optical, and "Yes" be at your limitations for 5.1 lossy audio, but still Dolby Digital etc... which is great for most (untrained ear as you say)

3) As far as upgrading, "Yes" you'd benefit from a receiver capable of the new codecs, just as you'd benefit from new speakers, and benefit from MULTIPLE other things you can do/control to improve the audio experience.... the decision becomes yours as to when the enjoyment and improvement you receive exceeds, then meets, and then begins to trail behind the Money spent to arrive at that point..... Diminishing returns

But it's your money, and your ears.... so you have to decide.......

I'm still trying to get better audio, but I have a friend with a $200 (yes, $200) HTIB that he thinks is great, and wishes for no better (although he does recognize other things sound much better)

Good luck, and welcome to the blu-ray forums!

FIDDYPOP · 01-29-2009, 01:35 PM

You are heading down a very expensive path. Home theater can become a very expensive hobby.

Halcro 1 · 01-29-2009, 01:39 PM

I second Fidypop on that one

sonyhomenet · 01-29-2009, 01:39 PM

Fiddy: I am finding that out!! I also am an ardent fly tyer and fly-fisherman,and dabble in gourmet cooking,so expensive "toys" are not new to me!
sonyhomenet

MacDaddyOJack · 01-29-2009, 01:41 PM

Don't listen to those guys, the grass is greener on this end of the path

I wouldn't worry about upgrading the speakers until you can upgrade to HD audio. You will likely not be able to hear that much of a difference using an acoustimass system.

tntkain · 01-29-2009, 01:44 PM

we had bose speakers for a few years, and they did what we wanted for the time. However we ran accross an awesome deal on the Klipsch and the difference is amazing. Do some research and listen to the people on here. They can get you upgraded to something better in no time

sonyhomenet · 01-29-2009, 01:44 PM

Mac Daddy....That was pretty much my plan. Thanks all,for the input! I was getting suspicious that while what I was hearing was OK,that it had the potential to be quite a bit better! Now all I have to do is sell the wife on it.
( at leat it will be easier than selling her on a $500.00 fly rod!!)
sonyhomenet

Beta Man · 01-29-2009, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonyhomenet

Fiddy: I am finding that out!! I also am an ardent fly tyer and fly-fisherman,and dabble in gourmet cooking,so expensive "toys" are not new to me!
sonyhomenet

Although not very high-end for you gourmets...... but I was actually the one who convinced the wife that the creme enameled Bertazoni gas range was a "Necessity" for our kitchen

I don't cook very well though, but have a few dishes I make pretty well

I love to fly fish, but rarely get the opportunity to, especially around here

Beta Man · 01-29-2009, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonyhomenet

Mac Daddy....That was pretty much my plan. Thanks all,for the input! I was getting suspicious that while what I was hearing was OK,that it had the potential to be quite a bit better! Now all I have to do is sell the wife on it.
( at leat it will be easier than selling her on a $500.00 fly rod!!)
sonyhomenet

This is why speakers come in great wood finishes such as Rosenut, Birds Eye Maple, etc etc etc

Bourne1 · 01-29-2009, 02:03 PM

To the OP. I was kind of in the same situation that you are in. I used to work at a Bose store for a few months and was able to pick up a Bose Accoustimass 10 system for real cheap, I mean real cheap when you compare it to the MSRP.

Anyway, I paired with an entry level Sony receiver. It sounded alright, a lot better actually than the Lifestyle systems. Then I bought my PS3 and started to only buy Blu-rays. I started to get this itch that traveled all the way up to my brain. The itch was upgradeitis. I knew I was missing out. So the first thing I did was upgrade my receiver; which has HDMI, can pass audio and video through HDMI, has all the new and latest codecs, etc. That was in Novemeber 2008.

I thought I would be fine for a while, but I knew in the back of my mind the true quality of Bose, which is overpriced junk, so I knew the only way to get rid of the itch was to also upgrade my speakers. Trust me, it does make a difference. I bought a pair of Polk RTi A1's for my mains and the sound just blows away the Bose.

Now I am becoming impatient and will be ordering my Polk CSi A4 for my center this Friday. The A1's are just drowning out the Bose center, the dialog is horrible. After that will come the subwoofer ( a REAL subwoofer) and the surrounds. Then I will channel in my old Bose selling talents and hand my Bose AMS 10 set at a profit to some clown that thinks Bose is the best thing since sliced bread.

sonyhomenet · 01-29-2009, 03:07 PM

Bourne1....This is exactly what I am looking for,with a bonus!! A guy that HAD Bose,and then went to something else,and noticed a huge difference! I don't mind spending money on new speakers,but I would really feel better about it,if when I did,I was blown away when I fired them up!
I was really surprised to find out just what a pile of overpriced crap these (Bose) speakers are (see sptrout's post above) from a technical standpoint!
Fortunately,I am getting the idea that I won't have to spend $1200.00 on speakers in order to get something that will blow the Bose's out of the water!

01-29-2009, 12:37 PM	#1
sonyhomenet Member Member since:Jan 2009	What's up with Bose HT audio?? OK....I've been lurking around here for a few weeks,and feel it's time to dive in! It's no big secret that among "afficianados' that Bose speaker systems are considered to be less than adequate! I have an Acoustimass system that my son in law sold to us after only having it about a year. (kid-proofing his house) I got it for less than half of what it retails for,so I felt I didn't do to badly. This required that I upgrade my reciever,from a standard stereo,to something that would do 5.1,so I bought Pioneer's lowest end 7.1 box. (I use the two "leftover" channels to run a set of outdoor speakers on our deck) This past Christmas,we decided to treat ourselves,and move into the HDTV arena. We bought a Samsung 46" LCD (model escapes me) and a Sony BD-350 Blu-ray player,both of which we are very happy with. I have read enough to realize that I cannot take advantage of the new lossless BD codecs,because of the limitations of both the amp and the player (no HDMI on the amp...no analog outs on the BD player) So,a reciver upgrade is coming,down the road! My question is this...what exactly are the limitations of the Bose speaker array,if any. I am running 5.1 and have no realk desire or room to go to 7.1. Other than the fact that these speakers don't really come alive until you kick them up pretty far,volume-wise,I have had no complaints. Would I hear that much difference with a speaker upgrade? Is my ear that untrained...OR...am I really missing that much?? I figured that this would be as good a place as any to get a little feedback on this...(the traffic this forum generates is bloody astounding!) Sonyhomenet

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01-29-2009, 12:46 PM	#2
sptrout Active Member Member since:Sep 2007 Location:Spring, TX	Read the review at the link below and I think you will understand why Bose and HD audio do not match. Their speakers just will not reproduce HD audio at anywhere near what is needed to be able to appreicate it. http://www.intellexual.net/bose.html

01-29-2009, 12:48 PM	#3
Beta Man Moderator Top contributor Member since:Jan 2008 Location:Juuuuuuuust A Bit Outside.... Home Theater Gallery:4 Blu-ray collection:268 Blu-ray reviews: 18 Trading Score:25	Couple of things..... 1) Your son-in-law didn't just "GIVE" it to you? he "SOLD" it to you????? I guess he already won you guys over, and doesn't need to try anymore 2) You should connect via Optical, and "Yes" be at your limitations for 5.1 lossy audio, but still Dolby Digital etc... which is great for most (untrained ear as you say) 3) As far as upgrading, "Yes" you'd benefit from a receiver capable of the new codecs, just as you'd benefit from new speakers, and benefit from MULTIPLE other things you can do/control to improve the audio experience.... the decision becomes yours as to when the enjoyment and improvement you receive exceeds, then meets, and then begins to trail behind the Money spent to arrive at that point..... Diminishing returns But it's your money, and your ears.... so you have to decide....... I'm still trying to get better audio, but I have a friend with a $200 (yes, $200) HTIB that he thinks is great, and wishes for no better (although he does recognize other things sound much better) Good luck, and welcome to the blu-ray forums!

01-29-2009, 01:35 PM	#4
FIDDYPOP Expert Member Member since:Jan 2008 Location:Chi-Town Home Theater Gallery:8 Blu-ray collection:444 Blu-ray reviews:1	You are heading down a very expensive path. Home theater can become a very expensive hobby.

01-29-2009, 01:39 PM	#5
Halcro 1 Senior Member Member since:Nov 2008 Location:Everywhere Home Theater Gallery:12	I second Fidypop on that one

01-29-2009, 01:41 PM	#7
MacDaddyOJack Blu-ray Guru Member since:Sep 2007 Location:Richmond, VA PSNetwork: MacDaddyOJack Trophy Level: 12(4%) Home Theater Gallery:12 Blu-ray collection:71 Blu-ray reviews:23 Trading Score:4	Don't listen to those guys, the grass is greener on this end of the path I wouldn't worry about upgrading the speakers until you can upgrade to HD audio. You will likely not be able to hear that much of a difference using an acoustimass system.

01-29-2009, 01:44 PM	#8
tntkain Senior Member Member since:Jul 2007 Blu-ray collection:103 Blu-ray reviews: 2	we had bose speakers for a few years, and they did what we wanted for the time. However we ran accross an awesome deal on the Klipsch and the difference is amazing. Do some research and listen to the people on here. They can get you upgraded to something better in no time

01-29-2009, 02:03 PM	#12
Bourne1 Senior Member Member since:Dec 2007	To the OP. I was kind of in the same situation that you are in. I used to work at a Bose store for a few months and was able to pick up a Bose Accoustimass 10 system for real cheap, I mean real cheap when you compare it to the MSRP. Anyway, I paired with an entry level Sony receiver. It sounded alright, a lot better actually than the Lifestyle systems. Then I bought my PS3 and started to only buy Blu-rays. I started to get this itch that traveled all the way up to my brain. The itch was upgradeitis. I knew I was missing out. So the first thing I did was upgrade my receiver; which has HDMI, can pass audio and video through HDMI, has all the new and latest codecs, etc. That was in Novemeber 2008. I thought I would be fine for a while, but I knew in the back of my mind the true quality of Bose, which is overpriced junk, so I knew the only way to get rid of the itch was to also upgrade my speakers. Trust me, it does make a difference. I bought a pair of Polk RTi A1's for my mains and the sound just blows away the Bose. Now I am becoming impatient and will be ordering my Polk CSi A4 for my center this Friday. The A1's are just drowning out the Bose center, the dialog is horrible. After that will come the subwoofer ( a REAL subwoofer) and the surrounds. Then I will channel in my old Bose selling talents and hand my Bose AMS 10 set at a profit to some clown that thinks Bose is the best thing since sliced bread.

01-29-2009, 03:07 PM	#13
sonyhomenet Member Member since:Jan 2009	Bourne1....This is exactly what I am looking for,with a bonus!! A guy that HAD Bose,and then went to something else,and noticed a huge difference! I don't mind spending money on new speakers,but I would really feel better about it,if when I did,I was blown away when I fired them up! I was really surprised to find out just what a pile of overpriced crap these (Bose) speakers are (see sptrout's post above) from a technical standpoint! Fortunately,I am getting the idea that I won't have to spend $1200.00 on speakers in order to get something that will blow the Bose's out of the water!

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