Hello all,
Can anyone tell me if BOSE Acoustimass (let's say for the sake of argument, Bose AM-15) are truly to the hype or just some nice, small, sexy and expensive speakers?
Thanks,
Cornel

I ordered AM10 but then cancelled:
Check these sites...

[Link: audioreview.com]

[Link: geocities.com]

I don't want to start a new "for" or "against" BOSE war again; I just want to share my experience
I own a set of BOSE Acoustimass AM-15; and I have to say that I'm quite satisfied with the result. I needed shelf speakers that could blend with the decor and deliver a decent sound. The speakers are very discrete (my wife is happy) and the sound is punchy enough for my NY apartment...


[Link: home.earthlink.net]

I have Bose 10 system with Onkyo DX-DS939 amp.
For Cinema sound they are great.
I have also heard stereo music through dedicated speakers such as B&W. There is a marked difference to my ears. But given the Bose performance in Cinema and the lack of aggro from my wife when you remember the aesthetic advantages of the Bose speakers (not forgetting you need a hell of a big room to take advantage of larger speakers [oh yes you do!!..I have a friend who has such a room/setup] I have no complaints whatsoever.

I just have to say I disagree with absolutely every word Don and Mourad said. Except for the concept of pleasing the wife and the fact that B&W sound different than Bose.

I would crawl for a mile on broken glass in shorts to stop someone from buying Bose if there was ever a chance I might go to their house and hear the system. (I think I stole that comment, acknowledgment to the originator)

What do you do with your Bose speakers when you want to add Surround Back speakers? The "Subwoofer" only allows connection of 5 channels.
A whole chunk of 203hz-279hz missing:

SATELLITES 280 Hz to 13.3k Hz at ±10.5 dB
BASS MODULE 46Hz to 202Hz at ±2.3 dB

What do you do when you want to add a real sub? One that is capable of 20hz.

Sorry I liked the sound they produced, but when I heard equivalent priced Audiophile equipment, I cancelled my order no question.

If you want small satellites try listening to Mission 780's, mate 2 pairs to a Rel Subwoofer, then compare with Bose.

Cornel,
There will always be more cons than pros in this argument; however, it's ultimately what sounds best to you and what fits your situation. I have the Bose AM-10 system. My sitting area is about 16' square, but the room is approximately 18 x 38 with my setup at one end. Frankly, it sounds great to me. I'm not sitting there comparing one system to another, I'm just listening. I ended up adding an additional sub, because I wasn't getting the base I expected from the AM-10. I always thought that the AM-15 might be better, but once I had the system installed, adding the additonal sub was the easiest answer. I have had numerous guests comment on how good the setup sounds, so it must not be too bad.
Good luck on your decision.
Bill

I new to this forum so it sounds like I missed out on some bose fights in the past. Anyway, what I really dislike is the remotes for their system being only RF. It forces you to have at least a 2 remote control setup, unless you go into all the extras of getting a RF to IR converter, blah, blah.

I was wondering what experience ya'll have had with the Bose Invisible series distributed audio setup with the 102 extension amp, or the 3 room distributed amp?
We are installing one right now and have not turned it on yet. What do you all think about it?

Anyone considering the BOSE Acoustimass speakers might want to look at the Gallo Nucleus Micro speakers at http://www.roundsound.com

I think the cost is about the same and they look pretty cool although I have no idea what they sound like.

Cheers, Jim.

Hello,
I want to thank everybody who took the time to answer my question.
Wishing you all the best,
Cornel

In reply to Jeff on the subject of Bose BUILT-Invisible systems. I'm a dealer for Bose and we've put in several systems in homes, and for house music the Bose custom systems sound great and are simple for everyone to use. And the RF remote that is so hard to integrate in a theater is useful when you are walking around the house.
Enjoy your system.

Hey Seth,
Just finished the 102 Install today and it worked great. You are right, the RF remote for it is quite handy compared to the IR receivers we typically place in selected rooms to control conventional dist audio systems. I am just so focused on making home theaters work with one simple remote and don't like having to use multiple remotes, but if the customer does not have a problem with it then neither do I. But other than that, I think it is a good system overall. This topic probably should have been on a new thread.
Jeff

Being in the mid to high end home theater business, I would tell you that Bose is not the way to go. Pop the grill off on of their cubes and see for yourself. There are not any tweeters in them. This will limit your high frequency response. The mid range quality is poor and the subs are weak with poor bottom end. I strongly suggest putting together even an inexpensive Proton Atom and Sub combo or something of that nature and you will be far happier. Bose is great at marketing not high fidelity.

I'm sorry about the typo! It's Paradigm Atom not Proton, MY BAD!

One more thought:
I've only heard Bose Acoustimass systems in stores, but I don't believe they deserve the extreme bashing they get (some of the reviews on audioreview.com are hilarious though). On the other hand, I think for the money you can easily find equal satalite systems, and without much effort, you can find better. I have been wow'd by these systems, but listening critically, one can destinguish real clarity with many other quality brands over and above what the Bose can deliver. If you demo and can't hear a difference with other brands, and you like the sexy looks, then by all means buy 'em.