trying to pick a Surround Sound system

Illum

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After sticking strictly to budget speakers dad thought its time to buy a surround sound system so we can listen to music "the way its meant to sound like." :twothumbs

Alright, so heres the deal, dad's been eying Bose sound systems ever since its first appearance as a CD player in Popular Science. Great, but theres a great deal worth of different models out there. :ohgeez:

Any audiophiles here that has owned a particular system and likes it or have advice on buying sound systems please post them here :thanks:

Price is not a limit at the moment, but if you really must have an upper limit then leave it below $1,500;)

so far I've picked out the Bose Acoustimass 10 Series IV (black)
based on reviews from CNet and CircuitCity
but I wanted to make sure I've covered all the available options
 
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LEDninja

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Re: trying to pick a Bose Surround Sound system

"Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder." Same with sound. Let your ears do the selecting, not someone else's. You are the one who have to live with the choice. Reviews are good for getting rid of the junk giving you a short list to go listen to.

I bought my speakers over 30 years ago so am unfamiliar with the new models. However 2 comments on Bose.

1) Bose use tuned port systems. (Those folded up organ tubes they use on the smaller systems are just sophisticated tuned systems) Tuned port systems deliver more base/deeper base but the base is not as tight as acoustic suspension systems. (More boomy)

2a) The speaker systems you are looking at are direct/reflecting. In classical concert halls only 10% of the sound goes from the orchestra directly to your ears. The other 90% bounces off the walls of the hall to your ears. In stereo systems playing classical music Bose speakers will direct 10% of the sound to your ears and bounce 90% off your walls. Great for direct miked classical but can muddy up other kinds of music.
2b) Direct/reflecting speakers rely on your walls to reflect the sound properly. I listened to the top of the line 901 speaker system way back when in an audio store. They sounded great (other than the lack of tightness of base). I came across them in a department store and they sounded terrible. The salesman said this pair was set up by Bose factory engineers. They were on stands with a reflector panel behind clearly labeled BOSE. I finally realized why the difference. The audio store had concrete walls, all frequencies were reflected. The department store had walls of ticky-tacky on a wood frame. Absorbed some, reflected other parts of the audio spectrum, made a total mess of the sound. So unless you want to throw money away you need a home demonstration of the system before you buy.
 

Illum

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Re: trying to pick a Bose Surround Sound system

I think that might be just the advice I was hoping for. I have a little understanding in acoustics...but only to the extent of a basic stage design class. I'm not sure whether or not Bose has home demonstrations but I'll address them with an inquiry about it. ;)

On a personal note, dad's hoping for a good CD player of sorts, most home theater systems have this DVR capability no one in the house really have a clue about. Just a CD player and good speakers...3 hours and about 200 reviews on ~15 products covering everything Bose, Sony, and Panasonic I decided to post a thread but because I am at a total loss for any sort of research conclusion on systems.:shakehead

:thanks: for the speedy reply:)
 

dadriva

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Caution brutal opinionation ahead IMO, BOSE = Buy Other Speaker Equipment

I am a firm beleiver that Bose Speakers are just an excercise in excellent marketing. I've never been overly impressed with them when compared to other comaparably priced speakers. IMO of course.

That being said, I can understand your dilemma with brand loyalty and the daunting task of sorting throught the mix of equipment that is out there today.

I just went through all of the home theater research myself and have ended up VERY happy. I ended up at a more "botiquish" audio visual store as I am a very discriminating consumer (heck, we buy Surefire flashlights right!!)

For speakers I ended up with Paradigm Studio 100's, CC-690, and ADP-590's in the back. My receiver is an Arcam and the TV is an LCD LG. For cd, dvd, blu-ray, and gaming I cover all those bases with a Playstation 3. That about covers it. It is truly an amazing setup and I will NEVER go to a movie theater ever again.

Check with some of the higher end shops in your area. I know I put "higher end" but many of those shops are still more than happy to work with a budget and with the economy in the shape it is in are also happy to wheel and deal.

Also, maybe think about building a system one piece at a time over the course of a couple years. I was advised to spend money on speakers and power as that technology changes very slowly as compared to electronics. I followed that same principle.

Good luck and report back with your selections. Home theater is a blast! Almost as cool as flashlights!!!!!:eek:oo::crackup:
 

9volt

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Don't buy Bose. More to come.

Here is a lot of info worth reading on Bose: http://www2.zhome.com:81/ZCMnL/PICS/stereo/bosefaq.htm

Is this for music or movies? If it's for music do you want more than 2 channels + a sub and why?

I have Paradigm 100s like the previous poster. Paradigms are/were great bang for the buck. 100s are towers and if I could do it again for surround sound I'd get bookshelves.
 
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Illum

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based on what I've seen [or rather, heard] from the Bose Wave CD player...I was exceptionally impressed...but I guess that was the one mistake I made:ohgeez:
I'd prefer the opinions to be brutal than passive, it generally speaks more than those 5 star reviews with little content
 

ambientmind

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I agree with the others here to stay away from bose. Its just marketing hype and nothing more. I guess if they were priced at about half of what they are they would be worth it. As stated before, the best recommendation is your ears. Go listen to what is out there, and really listen. You'll hear the difference and then realize the sky is the limit on price for good sound. If you are just looking for a stereo setup, $1500 is a good price range. For surround sound, thats basically the beginning for something nice.
That being said, check out the recievers before you buy them. My personal favorite is Denon, they have nice clean amplifiers, simple UIs and aren't too expensive. From there, speakers are a matter of choice but I loooove the Vienna Acoustics. To me, they are very well balanced and produce accuracy I havent heard from any other speakers but you do pay for it.
I've been working as a home theater installer for over 2 years now, and have been employed by the largest electronics retailer in the country for 8 years now, so I've had some experience with this stuff. But again, the most important part is what sounds good to you, and what will sound good in your room. Good luck!
 

ICUDoc

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I disagree about Bose- they are not terrible, but IMHO they ARE expensive for what you get. I_t_n are you SURE you want surround? I am an audiophile of the less-is-more school, and I wonder if the money spent on the system might not bring greater pleasure if all invested into high-quality front speakers. Music (as opposed to DVD) is generally NOT recorded for surround, and you can get immersive realism outta two speakers. $1500 will buy a lot of speaker- I agree with Vienna Acoustics, and there are plenty more:B&W, Audio Physic, Sonus Faber, Coincident (I think cheaper in USA??), ATC, NHT (also cheaper there)....on and on. BUT remember: take your own discs, use a similar amp to your own, and don't be fooled when they turn up the volume to make the lesser speaker sound better. Believe only your own ears. Read HiFiPlus- it has a budget section that is pretty good. Good luck. If I have to pick one, on price-to-performance I would start with NHT. Their old SuperZeroes are unbelievable.
 

NA8

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+1 Bose is a swing and a miss.

I live in awe of their marketing dept though.
 

9volt

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I agree with the comment that Bose isn't garbage, it's just overpriced for what you get.

Can you tell us if you want 2 channel or 5.1/7.1 surround? For just music you want 2 channel. $1500 will get you a great 2 channel setup or an average 5.1 setup.
 

Lasernerd

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OK,
I bought the Bose 3·2·1 GSX Series III DVD home entertainment system for our bedroom setup.
WOW,I am impressed very loud with great quality,
not as powerfull as my Bozak and Klipsch 6 speaker system,
It is very easy to use and setup.
Bose is spendy for sure.
maybe it is the simplicity of operation with good results is what I like about the Bose system
my .02
 

meuge

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OK,
I bought the Bose 3·2·1 GSX Series III DVD home entertainment system for our bedroom setup.
WOW,I am impressed very loud with great quality,
not as powerfull as my Bozak and Klipsch 6 speaker system,
2
LOUD is the only thing that Bose does. Specifically loud treble and LOUD upper bass (no lower bass, and virtually no midbass exists in Bose systems).

The hierarchy of the speakers you own goes something like this.

- Klipsch
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
anything else
...
...
...
...
...
...
...

Bose
 

gswitter

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I worked for one of Bose's competitors for a number of years. My standard response when anyone asked me about Bose or how our products compared to Bose was to ask the person if they noticed that Bose almost always pays for their own in-store displays, separate from similar products. Wonder why? We never worried about customers comparing out products side-by-side with our competitors.

I've got a pretty decent surround system, but I rarely make use of it. If I had to replace it, I'd go with a simple 2.1 channel system, and spend extra on better primary speakers and a receiver that can simulate the other channels. My receiver does the latter well enough for me, and we rarely enable the surrounds or rears (or the subs, for that matter). For the speakers, I'd go with studio monitors with integrated amps. To this day, the best-sounding system I've ever heard was just a pair or KRK monitors attached to a PC.
 

monkeyboy

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I have to agree with what the others say about BOSE. It's generally accepted that BOSE is good for the size but for the same money you can get full size hi-fi equipment that will blow away the BOSE system in terms of sound quality. For example for $1500 you could get a Denon or Marantz surround sound receiver, set of 5 Celestion speakers and a small sub.

If portability is a priority for you e.g. you're a student with a small room and are likely to be moving between different accommodation then the BOSE is a fraction of the size and weight and is definitely worth considering. If it's just going to remain in your dad's house; I'm assuming a reasonably sized living room, then you're better off with the full size system.

BTW, don't listen to the consumer reviews as the people who buy BOSE have no basis for comparison against proper hi-fi equipment.
 

brighterisbetter

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$1500 will get you a great 2 channel setup or an average 5.1 setup.
+1

Nice stuff from Hope Arkansas right there. They've recently been more mass-marketed but still the quality rocks. If you get some free time and want to learn a bit, read up on the technology behind and the birth of the Klipschorn.

I could honestly go on and on and on about what to look for in a quality sound system as it's one of my passions, but it would likely be boring to the readers, and many others have already contributed a great deal so I'll gracefully back out.
 

tiktok 22

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Although it can be found a little cheaper elsewhere(as well as other models), This is a pretty good product with little muss or fuss. I have heard one and it's pretty good. Needs a subwoofer though.
 

meuge

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Nice stuff from Hope Arkansas right there. They've recently been more mass-marketed but still the quality rocks. If you get some free time and want to learn a bit, read up on the technology behind and the birth of the Klipschorn.
I run a pair of Klipsch RF3II Floorstanding speakers with an MSB DAC-> Aragon Preamp -> B&K amp. I am very satisfied with the setup. Klipsch makes some of the best bang-for-buck speakers out there.

One day I hope to own a Cherry or White Maple (depending on my house decor) Klipschorn, running off a McIntosh tube setup.

To get back to the original question, there is unfortunately a cost barrier for a decent speaker system, that people are often intimidated by. But because good speakers can offer decades of enjoyment, parting with a little more money to get significantly higher quality may be a decent option.

Normally, I recommend that people purchase a nice processor/receiver from the likes of Harman-Kardon or Denon (Yamaha is a good budget option) and a pair of high quality floorstanding speakers. Then, as funds become available, add a center speaker, followed by the subwoofer, followed by rear speakers. This way the cost is not overwhelming initially, but you don't compromise on quality.
 

brighterisbetter

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Normally, I recommend that people purchase a nice processor/receiver from the likes of Harman-Kardon or Denon (Yamaha is a good budget option) and a pair of high quality floorstanding speakers. Then, as funds become available, add a center speaker, followed by the subwoofer, followed by rear speakers. This way the cost is not overwhelming initially, but you don't compromise on quality.
I agree with you for the most part, but I would have to say that it all depends on the OP's intended use. If it's for music, that's the way I'd go too. But if it's more for home theater, you can't skimp on the center channel as that's truly the 'mouth' of the system, whereas the amplifier is the 'heart' and the processor/pre-amp is the 'brain'. I'd rather have one bad-@$$ Martin Logan center and some average Polk bookshelf fronts than the other way around. Budget permitting, I always say go for a separate preamp/amplifier setup rather than an integrated amplifier. The two main reasons being less total harmonic distortion and less heat buildup near the DSP's.
 

Illum

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Is this for music or movies? If it's for music do you want more than 2 channels + a sub and why?

Mainly for music, we have mostly orchestra music and classics. the family isn't into rock, so for those speakers that are tuned for deep bass..chances are we'll only strike the surface of it.

I disagree about Bose- they are not terrible, but IMHO they ARE expensive for what you get. I_t_n are you SURE you want surround?

well, I'm not sure where I learned of this, but I am under the impression that music sounds better with surround...I guess if that isn't true that I might be able to save a heck of alot of money on this, but then again..our habits of buying $20 speakers year after year has racked up quiet a lot already:ohgeez:

http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/productDetail.do?oid=210009&om_keycode=3#availability
Panasonic seems to offer pretty good reviews, but yeah..provided theres a demo setup in circuit city I won't know for sure
 
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1wrx7

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Most music is recorded for 2 channel (stereo) playback. The audiophile will say thats how it should be listened to. When I listen to 2 channel music in surround it doesn't sound natural. I know other people who love it:thinking: It's really a matter of opinion. I do have a DVD of the Eagles Hell freezes over concert which is recorded in DTS 5.1. OMG it sounds incredible... but not natural. I hear bongo's from behind me like the musician is positioned 15 rows back at the concert:laughing:

My best recomendation is to take some CD's you are very familliar with to a "high-end" home theater store. See what you like the best for the price. At a specialty store they will usually set up any configuration of speakers you want to hear. I ended up buying B&W speakers for my front stage. At the time B&W's flagship line was around $30,000 for the front left and right speakers:green:..... I'm serious. Mine were $250 for the L/R and an extra $180 for the center channel. High-end doesn't always mean high priced. Good luck on your decision... you have a lot of options:D
 
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