Passive Bose system and subwoofer

[gailbob]

New member, new system. I'm setting up a new HDTV surround sound system and the only thing in place currently is a 52" Samsung 750 + cable box. Next purchases are a receiver, probably a Yamaha 863 and a Sony BluRay either the 350 or 550.

I had a good analog surround sound system using Bose Series 7 Accoustimass with a passive bass unit in front and a Bose Series 3 Accoustimass also with a passive bass unit in back. I would like to use the Bose speakers with the new system until I decide if I want to upgrade the speakers. But, I also want a powered subwoofer so I can get that rumble that I can't get with the Bose bass units. That will give me two passive bass units and a subwoofer.

Although the Bose tech folks say it should work fine, I'd like to hear from some of you experts out there if you agree with Bose or believe I could be stepping into a bear trap. If you agree with Bose, I've been looking at the Polk 110, 111, & 125 subwoofers and I would appreciate your input and other recommendations. I'm trying to stay in the upper middle price range on the system. The room is carpeted, 24 x 24, but is open to the entry way.

Thanks for your help.


Gailbob::

 

[jamie2112]

If you are going mid to upper price range get rid of the bose and get some decent speakers to start with. Bose are not a favorite recommendation around these parts....

 

[Adam]

Welcome to the forum, Gailbob!

What sort of price range are you looking at for a sub? 24 x 24 is a pretty big room, and a more capable sub would serve you well. There are a lot of choices out there for subs. I have an SVS (svsound.com) and absolutely love it. I have one of their cylinder subs, the PC13-Ultra. SVS has a wide selection of choices in different price ranges, and they are just one of several good options.

I don't think that you'd run into trouble using the two passive subs and one active sub, provided that you take the time to set them up properly. I suggest that you read some of the articles on this site that discuss setting up subs and getting good bass. If you get a good active sub, you may find that you won't have any need for the passive ones.

Adam

 

[Midcow2]

ideas

New member, new system. I'm setting up a new HDTV surround sound system and the only thing in place currently is a 52" Samsung 750 + cable box. Next purchases are a receiver, probably a Yamaha 863 and a Sony BluRay either the 350 or 550. ideas

I had a good analog surround sound system using Bose Series 7 Accoustimass with a passive bass unit in front and a Bose Series 3 Accoustimass also with a passive bass unit in back. I would like to use the Bose speakers with the new system until I decide if I want to upgrade the speakers. But, I also want a powered subwoofer so I can get that rumble that I can't get with the Bose bass units. That will give me two passive bass units and a subwoofer.

Although the Bose tech folks say it should work fine, I'd like to hear from some of you experts out there if you agree with Bose or believe I could be stepping into a bear trap. If you agree with Bose, I've been looking at the Polk 110, 111, & 125 subwoofers and I would appreciate your input and other recommendations. I'm trying to stay in the upper middle price range on the system. The room is carpeted, 24 x 24, but is open to the entry way.

Thanks for your help.


Gailbob::

I would look at SVS PB10-NSD or Hsu STF1 subs; both are very good subs. Polkare okay but htese are better. Bose speakers are marketed very well ,but they are very poor speakers. Replace them as fast as you can!

Replcaec them ,you can get very good speakers fro as little as $219 or you can spend a lot more. The Cambridge Audio S30 are great speakers:

http://spearitsound.amazonwebstore.com/Cambridge-Audio-S30-Speakers-Black/M/B00198LYMU.htm?utm_campaign=froogle&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=froogle

If you can set a bigger budget for speakers there are a lot more options. Give us a budget amount and we can specify more options

 

[gailbob]

If you are going mid to upper price range get rid of the bose and get some decent speakers to start with. Bose are not a favorite recommendation around these parts....

I have heard before that Bose speakers are not what they are advertized to be. Nevertheless, until I can do more research on speaker systems, we can use the Bose to give us some semblance of a surround sound system. But, I would like to get the powered subwoofer if you think it will work and if you have recommendations for subwoofers for this room.

 

[gailbob]

Thanks for the input Adam and the reference to the articles. I haven't digested the articles as yet, but I thought the Bose speakers had to be routed through the base units because of their design. If true, I not sure how they could be replaced by the subwoofer.

I'm always stumped when someone asks what my budget is. My first criteria is I want to avoid any weak links in the system. So if I start with a $900 Yamaha 863, what would I have to pay to maximize the capability of the receiver. (I will have the same criteria when I replace the Bose speakers. On the other hand, as old Industrial Engineer, if there is less than a 15% improvement its not worth it.

SVS and HSU have been recommended by most responders, but I need to find one that will fit under an end table which has available space of 16 x 16 x14. I'll check their sites for what is available.

Thanks again,
Gailbob

 

[Adam]

I'd say make sure that the Yamaha 863 is worth the extra coin to you as compared to the Yamaha 663. Audioholics did a quick comparison between the two units at this link. You might be able to save yourself some money.

 

[no. 5]

...but I thought the Bose speakers had to be routed through the base units because of their design. If true, I not sure how they could be replaced by the subwoofer.

The Acoustimass module wouldn't be completely replaced, it will still be delivering upper bass and lower midrange for the satellites, by setting all speakers to 'small' the receiver will take the low bass that would otherwise be sent to the Acoustimass system and send it to the subwoofer. You will still need to connect the Bose system as intended for this to work.

By the way, I recommend putting the Bose bass module at the front of the room, even next to the TV if possible.

 

[jamie2112]

I'd say make sure that the Yamaha 863 is worth the extra coin to you as compared to the Yamaha 663. Audioholics did a quick comparison between the two units at this link. You might be able to save yourself some money.

I would go for that as well unless you need the 1 more bell on the 863 you can save a bunch of cash.....

 

[Adam]

...I need to find one that will fit under an end table which has available space of 16 x 16 x14.

The only SVS that would fit in there is the SB12-Plus. If your depth is really limited to 14", though, it might not work because it's about 15" deep with the grill on. I've found SVS customer service to be top-notch, and they can answer any questions that you might have (regarding size, performance, whatever).

As for the Polks that you mentioned, I don't experience with those models, but I have a friend with a lower-end Polk that he's happy with. I've watched movies at his place, and I think that the Polk does a very good job. His front speakers have 12" or 15" woofers, though, so it's different than your set-up. My point is just that Polk subs can fit the bill - it's really up to you to decide if they give you the bass that you want.

You may find it difficult to get the bass that you want in a room that big from a sub that fits into a space that small. However, a good powered sub will definitely be better than nothing!

 

[Thaedium]

I'm surprised no one mentioned that you might want to make a trip to a local hifi store and see what they have. Before you settle on a purchase though you will likely want to take it back home with you and try it out in that room, because what you will hear at the store and what you will hear in your own environment can be quite different.

As for the SVS subs and HSU, I've never seen an unhappy customer from either of those two companies on this site, so I doubt you will have any issues if you go with either.

The weakest link in your setup will be the Bose system. Unfortunately, its been well documented that they fall short in many ways, including many gaps in the audible frequency range.

You seem set on going with a sub for now to offset your current setup, so I too would recommend something from SVS. Just remember not to rush yourself, take the time to read up on as much as you can on this site and other sites. You'll be able to accurately create a budget once you've done some more research and then decide if you really want to replace the Bose system.

So welcome and goodluck!

 

[markw]

I'm not intimately familiar with all the variations of the Bose acoustamass systems, but I assume the first is a comprehensive system with speakers for at least five channels and the second, a simple stereo configuration.

Both feed ALL their speakers through a common bass box. This is done to prevent low frequencies from being sent to the satellites and ripping them apart.

If you really, really want to use both systems on a new HT setup, I would suggest you hook up the larger of the two to the front right, center and left speakers, all through the bass box.

You would connect the rears to the smaller system, also through the bass box.

Connect the subwoofer to the receiver's LFE (or subwoofer) output. Set the speakers to "large" and the subwoofer to "on".

Good luck and I hope you can live with this.

 

[jcPanny]

HT Upgrade.

If you plan to keep the Bose speakers, consider getting a basic $2-300 receiver. The Bose speakers cannot take advantge of a higher end model.

Alternately, get a Yamaha RX-V663 or similar ($400) and use the remaining $500 towards a speaker upgrade. If asthetics are a big factor, check out the RBH/EMP on-wall speakers for $100 each. They would be a huge upgrade from the Bose cubes.

I also wouldn't recommend the polk sub. It sounds like you have some better leads in the above posts.

 

[bilgirami]

Not sure whey no one has brought these two subs up but sunfire true sub and definitive technology ultracubes are amazing subs which will probably easily fit in the space you are looking at.
Try a website like audiogon.com, I have been able to find really good stuff on this website. Def techs can be found here: http://www.definitivetech.com/loudspeakers/subwoofers/subwoofers.html

I use Yammh RX-V663 with Axiom M60s as mains and QS8s as surround. I am very happy with my RX-V663. Granted 863 has 1080p upscaling but 663 has 1080p pass through with its HDMI1.3a deep color, so if you are buying a blu ray, you dont need to upconvert, a passthrough should do, no?

 

[jcPanny]

Yamaha receiver

FYI,
The Yamaha RX-V663 does HDMI 1.3 audio processing and decoding. The lower end models have the simple pass through/switch without audio processing.