Bose Cubes - can they be used with other components?

[apslavin]

First! I've read so many intelligent and passionate arguments about why BOSE speakers and systems suck -- including a great one at intellexual.net/bose from some years ago -- and I get it!

But the awful fact remains: I have inherited a complete Bose Lifestyle 50 system with five reflecting cube speakers and the "acoustimass" bass module (prewired into a home media room), and I would like to press the speakers into service until I can afford to get a decent or even great surround system for this room. I just bought a great 50" plasma but just cannot afford to buy new audio components right now.

So my question is this: are these speakers at all compatible/drivable with other receiver/amplifiers, or can they be modified or configured to work in any way at all? (I have a decent Sony 5.1 DTS/Dolby receiver -- it was fairly high end about five or six years ago).

The cubes are all mounted and hard-wired (in wall) to RCA terminators inside a component closet, and the bass module stands in the room connected to the Bose interface, which has only analog RCA input pairs for components (except for one single coax digital audio input on the proprietary Bose-interface-to-Bass-module audio connector).

Ideally I would like to drive the five cubes with the receiver and I suppose purchase a reasonably priced sub -- unless the bass module can somehow be made to work.

Thanks to anyone who's willing to tackle this and give me the straight dope.

 

[Haoleb]

the last bose system i worked with you would be able to use with a seperate reciever if you cut the rca ends off of the speaker cables that go to the satellites and just plug it in like you would a regular speaker. I dont remember if the wire had any specific markings that would differ from one side to the next so if not you'll most likely have to play around with them being in or out of phase. The "subwoofer" though you wouldnt be able to use.

 

[Phil Taylor]

Ok - I've tried but I just can't resist ...

I've heard they go well with paper -- like to hold them in place on your desk ...

"Lord, I apologize.." -- Larry the Cable Guy

 

[Seth=L]

Ok - I've tried but I just can't resist ...

I've heard they go well with paper -- like to hold them in place on your desk ...

"Lord, I apologize.." -- Larry the Cable Guy

They aren't heavy enough...


The satelite speakers can work, the subwoofer, not so much.

What model is the Sony?

 

[Audioholics]

The problem people have is that there is a proprietary connector that goes from the Lifestyle head-unit to the bass module. At that point, the bass module performs crossover functionality and sends signal to the satellites.

So, you can snip the cables and use the satellites (I'd cross over around 160Hz) but I don't know anyone who has detailed the use of the bass module as a dedicated subwoofer and decoded the pinouts. It may be possible, or it may be some kind of digital signal at that point - I've no idea how they do it.

 

[TLS Guy]

I would be very careful what you wish for. Although we all laugh at BOSE, the fact remains he is trying to do the impossible and easily fools the untrained ear. Now that is an achievement in itself. If you use another bass module with those satellites you, you will certainly get worse results unless you really know what you are doing. For the good Dr Amar Bose to achieve what he did, you have to tip the hat just a little. I bet those satellites were a bear to splice to, and achieve anything at all.

Bottom line live with them the way they are or sell them.