Onkyo SKS-HT540 vs. Old Bose Accoustimas?

[avaserfi]

They don't, can you read? The Acoustimass module carries the bass.

You said they carry bass for the cubes. Where do they carry it if not to the cubes? To a sub you have to get separately? I guess that makes sense...maybe you should have clarified I just don't get why a receiver and a separate module are needed then.

You really should quit being so defensive, I was joking. I may not like Bose but that doesn't mean I dislike you for liking it, I just don't agree and might think your ears are broken .

 

[sspltd]

First reply

I am still looking for a way to post a message or to contact the administrators of this site. When I use the link to contact them, the site posts a lot of html code back to me. ( I use Firefox)

Anyway I am please to be a newbie here and will find my way around soon, I hope. I apologize for using this reply to this thread, but its the only way in that I could find.

The forum looks great and it is obvious that there is a lot of participation. Great!

David Marshall
I had an email address here, but was advised not to post it. Also got message to say "Hello to all." But no link to the place to do so. Sorry, will do some more homework. I have a small problem I am trying to solve and would like to find some one with the experience to help.

 

[no. 5]

#2. Subjectivity plays a role too: But (question here), budget aside, is there a way to qualitatively say that speaker "A" is better than speaker "B" by XX%? This is regardless of one's budget. I ask this because a cheap speaker likely won't sound as good as the most expensive one - but is there a way to measure that side by side (watts, ohms, etc...)?

Yes there is.

An accurate measurement of on and off axis frequency response, distortion levels, and accelerometer data from the cabinet will give comparable measurements of 'good' or 'bad'. A pair of well trained ears could get you in the ballpark at least.

 

[Nailzaz]

I think I've come to some conclusions.

1) I can't afford anything right now anyway and a couple of responses about saving for a real upgrade makes a lot of sense.

2) *IF* I had a limited $300 budget right now, I think that the speakers I'm looking at (Onkyo SKS-HT540) would be an upgrade for 2 reasons. a) I would be upgrading from 5.1 to 7.1 and b) the subwoofer alone would be much more robust.

That being said, if I got my hands on $300 would I spend it on these? Probably not. I would likely take the advice to save for an even bigger upgrade.

By reading everyone's responses though, I was able to figure out (I think correctly) that this would be an upgrade - but maybe not worth the money and effort.

I've said it before but it bears repeating - "thank you". What a wonderful community. When the time comes to buy, I know I can turn to you guys for help.

A couple of other notes. I think that asking you guys about this is like asking a Ferarri owner about a Corolla You guys know and probably own high-end components and I'm asking about a low-end vs low-end components. These speakers get 5/5 from average users everywhere, but I know that this community isn't "average" - I mean this in a good way. And what one poster said about the wife has merit. For those of us who are married the "wife factor" comes into play no matter if we're talking about the money, aestestics, priorities, etc... so thank you for throwing that into this thread as well, that's real life for husbands to some degree.

 

[j_garcia]

It's not a question of the wife "running the show." It's showing some respect for her desires and wishes. In a family room, the large speakers are ugly and obtrusive.

That is your opinion. My living room was setup specifically to accommodate the audio gear whether she likes it or not. I am willing to compromise on many things, but I'm sorry this is not one of them (and she is perfectly fine with that).

the subwoofer alone would be much more robust.

I don't think it would. I've heard their HTiB subs and they really aren't that impressive. On paper maybe, but reality isn't always what marketing wants you to believe.

 

[rnatalli]

From what I remember from the lab tests, Bose cubes kick in around 250-280 Hz. The bass module goes up to about 200 Hz. It's not only picking up bass, but a bunch more which it shouldn't. By those measurements, you're missing about 50 to 80 Hz worth of information between the bass module and cubes. Dump the Bose and pick up some Orbs or Gallos. They look better, sound better, and wives love those balls of steel

 

[rnatalli]

*IF* I had a limited $300 budget right now, I think that the speakers I'm looking at (Onkyo SKS-HT540) would be an upgrade for 2 reasons. a) I would be upgrading from 5.1 to 7.1 and b) the subwoofer alone would be much more robust.

There are some speakers in this price range believe it or not. Boston Acoustics from Circuit City or onecall.com , Mordaunt-Short Premiere from tsto.com , Mission Cinema m70 from tsto.com , the Ventriloquist VT-12 from hsuresearch.com , Athena Micra 6 from Best Buy. I'm willing to bet any one of these options would sound superior to Bose. Grab a Dayton sub from partexpress.com and away you go (the Athena Micra 6 comes with a sub I think). However, it would be better to save and do a big upgrade. Because of their small profile, Orbs and Gallos have a very high WAF. For a sub, SVS and HSU are tough to beat.

 

[jimfitz]

You said they carry bass for the cubes. Where do they carry it if not to the cubes? To a sub you have to get separately? I guess that makes sense...maybe you should have clarified I just don't get why a receiver and a separate module are needed then.

You really should quit being so defensive, I was joking. I may not like Bose but that doesn't mean I dislike you for liking it, I just don't agree and might think your ears are broken .

The highs and lows go from the receiver to the Acoustimass module. The high frequencies go from the Acoustimass module to the cubes. The low low's (I don't know frequency ranges) go from the receiver to the subwoofer, not the Bose system. The sound waves emit from the cubes (highs), Acoustimass module (lows), and subwoofer (low lows).

 

[rnatalli]

People here understand how Bose systems work. They're just working you up for fun. The real question is where does the information between 200 Hz and 280 Hz go?

 

[jimfitz]

Nailzaz, if you don't already have a subwoofer, that's the next thing I would get. The Bose Acoustimass module is not a subwoofer. It is merely the bass frequences that would normally emit from your other speakers. Since they are small cubes, they cannot produce the low frequencies, so Bose uses the Acoustimass module for that. Your receiver has a subwoofer jack that will send the very low frequencies to a standalone subwoofer. That is the .1 of a 5.1 Dolby digital signal. You won't believer the difference the first time you watch another movie.

 

[rnatalli]

Since they are small cubes, they cannot produce the low frequencies, so Bose uses the Acoustimass module for that.

Just to clarify, the size alone doesn't tell the whole story. I mentioned Orbs and Gallos earlier which are typically crossed at 120 Hz whereas the Bose cubes at around 250-280 Hz. These are similar-sized speakers and one-way designs. Granted, 120 Hz isn't exactly low, but one has to wonder why Bose cubes can't reach below 250 Hz. The reason isn't the size.

As far as a sub goes, it isn't really worth upgrading from you current sub till you can pick up an HSU or SVS. A Dayton or Athena sub would be better than your current sub, but better to save a few bucks more and get the real deal.

 

[jimfitz]

People here understand how Bose systems work. They're just working you up for fun. The real question is where does the information between 200 Hz and 280 Hz go?

Not everyone here does.

 

[jimfitz]

Sorry, but I now see you already have a subwoofer. I go back to my earlier recommendation to wait until you have the money to buy some really nice, high quality speakers.

 

[rnatalli]

True, but originally your statement was directed to avaserfi. I'm fairly certain avaserfi has a clue on how they work

Nailzaz, the common theme you're seeing regardless how people feel about Bose systems is to save some cash and then buy something better.

 

[mazersteven]

It's not a question of the wife "running the show." It's showing some respect for her desires and wishes. In a family room, the large speakers are ugly and obtrusive.

I did show her respect. I purchased her some of the best pots and pans money can buy. Now she can get in the kitchen where she belongs and leave the HT and family room to me.