Hey all, am looking to purchase a music system for my home. I have looked at the Bose V35 which I hope to couple with two accoustimass 5 systems. I plan to place the V35 in the entertainment room and have one set of the AM 5 speakers in the living room and another in my bedroom. It's key that I have all the speakers attached to one system and to be able to control them all individually from their perspective rooms! I've read a lot of discomforting reviews about Bose in general but was wondering if anyone could recommend a system with meets my needs. Oh yeah I don't currently own a system, speakers or any components and so it's a white canvas folks. Thanks
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Do you stream hi-res music or download hi-res tracks? We want your opinions!
To Bose or not to Bose
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At the risk of stating the obvious, the best advice is to have a listen; if you like the sound, buy the Bose; if you don't, explore some other options.
Welcome to the Forums, chammasab - sure we can steer you towards a shortlist of suitable systems for your home.
Can you please tell us a little more about your budget - how much money you'd like to spend (and how much you could stretch to if needed) - and system requirements?
For example, i'm assuming small, discreet speakers are required, which is why the Bose appeals?
Do you want CD playback? Music streaming (from the internet or your own digital music collection, eg iTunes)? Radio?
How big are the rooms you mention?
Any more detail you can give us will help us draw up that shortlist of potential solutions.
EDIT - Or if that's all too much hassle, follow Andrew's simple but sage advice above 🙂
Can you please tell us a little more about your budget - how much money you'd like to spend (and how much you could stretch to if needed) - and system requirements?
For example, i'm assuming small, discreet speakers are required, which is why the Bose appeals?
Do you want CD playback? Music streaming (from the internet or your own digital music collection, eg iTunes)? Radio?
How big are the rooms you mention?
Any more detail you can give us will help us draw up that shortlist of potential solutions.
EDIT - Or if that's all too much hassle, follow Andrew's simple but sage advice above 🙂
I have a Bose AM10 system that i had used for Home Theater, in this role i thought it did a good job. (just good, for what it was it did exactly what i expected)
However for music, well i am looking right now to go back to something different (in my case NAD 356bee & MA RX2's) as i felt the Bose really lacked a lot of detail for music.
Plus of course is its very small and when you mount the speakers on walls etc its really a neat system.
Evan
However for music, well i am looking right now to go back to something different (in my case NAD 356bee & MA RX2's) as i felt the Bose really lacked a lot of detail for music.
Plus of course is its very small and when you mount the speakers on walls etc its really a neat system.
Evan
There is a reason very few people on audiophile forums own Bose equipment. And more generally, with "lifestyle" products, you are paying a premium for marketing, branding, and looks over performance. Sometimes they perform very well, like with the new Minis or B&O, but you pay extra. B&W do lifestyle products better than Bose. All in my own opinion of course 
Good job I suggested to the OP that he listened to the systems, rather than all the old knee-jerk clichés, wasnt't it? :doh: (and indeed :wall: )
We had Bose in our living room (still do in the dining room and kitchen) and I found that you can get more for your money. If you like the sound, then great, but it does come at a premium.
The kit tends to only work with itself. Don't expect to be able to simply replace the speakers in a Lifestyle set up. Each piece relies on the other to function. They don't always support the latest standards either. Check for HDMI connections and modern HD Audio codec support - you may not find it.
On the plus side, the cubes are small. It's why we've kept it in the dining room. Wall mounted speakers with the sub under a sideboard and it works fine. The dining room isn't for critcal listening in our house anyway. Also, residual values tend to be good. My 10 year old lifestyle 8 got nearly £400 on a eBay. This let me buy an up to date AVR and have change.
It's really up to you though. Liten to lots of things. These days, other people make small, cube like speakers too, so give them a shot.
Edit: Just looked up what you're looking at on Google and it adds up to about £4,000. I can't recommend anything at that price point as I've no experience, but you could get some really impressive kit and do the mutil-room set up you want for that. Over to everyone else on the recommendations front.
The kit tends to only work with itself. Don't expect to be able to simply replace the speakers in a Lifestyle set up. Each piece relies on the other to function. They don't always support the latest standards either. Check for HDMI connections and modern HD Audio codec support - you may not find it.
On the plus side, the cubes are small. It's why we've kept it in the dining room. Wall mounted speakers with the sub under a sideboard and it works fine. The dining room isn't for critcal listening in our house anyway. Also, residual values tend to be good. My 10 year old lifestyle 8 got nearly £400 on a eBay. This let me buy an up to date AVR and have change.
It's really up to you though. Liten to lots of things. These days, other people make small, cube like speakers too, so give them a shot.
Edit: Just looked up what you're looking at on Google and it adds up to about £4,000. I can't recommend anything at that price point as I've no experience, but you could get some really impressive kit and do the mutil-room set up you want for that. Over to everyone else on the recommendations front.
Has everyone seen this video about Bose? Heehee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCBe7-6rw4M
"All my friends say that Bose is the best, Oprah says Bose is the best"!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCBe7-6rw4M
"All my friends say that Bose is the best, Oprah says Bose is the best"!
chebby
Well-known member
- Jun 2, 2008
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peteAllen said:
I think almost everyone who has ever joined a hifi forum has seen that video 🙂 But yes, it is quite amusing and I always end up having more sympathy for the 'customer' than the patronising salesman character.
In reality he should have had something already on demo with which she could plug in her iPod and be impressed (hopefully) whilst he writes down the directions to the nearest Bose outlet. Offering her a coffee and validating her parking - whilst she listens - might just result in her returning to his store after hearing the Bose.
Whatever he personally thinks of Bose, insulting the object of the customer's request is inevitably going to be felt as an insult to the customer.
If the local Bose shop's staff know you treat their potential customers with respect and guide them politely to their premises, then they may reciprocate and send people they can't satisfy to you.
Sorry to the OP for going so off-topic.
You guys r gr8. To come back to some of Clare's questions. I would like discrete speakers and have put a budget of about 8,000 dollars. Most of the music I plan to play will come off my Mac which I plan to hook up to the system. The rooms are not that big about 250 sqft. I would be grateful if u guys could suggest some component names. Thanks once again.
In which case I'd be looking at something like a Sonos multiroom system, assuming you have a home network to which it, and a NAS device storing all your music, could be attached.
You could then have a ZonePlayer in each room, connected to a conventional hi-fi amp and speakers in each room, or active speakers (and here's where you can check out the Acoustimass 5 and compare it with some rival designs) and the whole thing can be controlled by the Sonos controller - you could have one in each room if you wanted for convenience, or just carry it from room to room - or the Sonos app on an iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad or Android device.
You could even have different music playing in each room!
You could then have a ZonePlayer in each room, connected to a conventional hi-fi amp and speakers in each room, or active speakers (and here's where you can check out the Acoustimass 5 and compare it with some rival designs) and the whole thing can be controlled by the Sonos controller - you could have one in each room if you wanted for convenience, or just carry it from room to room - or the Sonos app on an iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad or Android device.
You could even have different music playing in each room!
An alternative approach is to use apple airplay - your mac can stream across the wifi to airplay adapters that output digital signal. Then you can pass that digital signal to either a home theatre surround amp to power all the speakers (however it may be a problem to pass cabling across rooms), or have airplay receivers in each room.
Airplay could even go directly into wall mounted AVI active monitors (http://www.whathifi.com/review/avi-adm91) which has a digital input, and they come discreet colours like white.
It is important to get proper good stands or wall mounted brackets because poorly implemented, this will kill your sound.
I have the Anthony Gallo ADiva Ti speakers and they are pretty amazing I have to say (although a subwoofer is needed). They are very small, light and discreet, and can easily be wall-mounted.
You could augment the sound with a subwoofer (if you use an external amp). If it has to look good, then maybe the b&w pv1. There's also the Velodyne microvee which is incredibly small and comes in white. Or if it can be hidden away, go for a bigger sub.
Airplay could even go directly into wall mounted AVI active monitors (http://www.whathifi.com/review/avi-adm91) which has a digital input, and they come discreet colours like white.
It is important to get proper good stands or wall mounted brackets because poorly implemented, this will kill your sound.
I have the Anthony Gallo ADiva Ti speakers and they are pretty amazing I have to say (although a subwoofer is needed). They are very small, light and discreet, and can easily be wall-mounted.
You could augment the sound with a subwoofer (if you use an external amp). If it has to look good, then maybe the b&w pv1. There's also the Velodyne microvee which is incredibly small and comes in white. Or if it can be hidden away, go for a bigger sub.
You guys have been a great help 🙂
Ive ditched the bose and have decided on the following setup...
Media Room; Denon Marantz 1911 Receiver, Anthony Gallo Micro Ti 5.1 Surround system, Sonos Bridge and AG TR-3 Woffer.
Living Room; Anthony Gallo A'Diva Ti Speakers, Sonos 120 and Definitive Tech Super Cube III
The bedroom will have the same setup as the living room.
Please do send in your suggestions on the above as soon as you can as I'm planning to make the purchase on the 10th of Aug 🙂
Thanks once again for all your help
Ive ditched the bose and have decided on the following setup...
Media Room; Denon Marantz 1911 Receiver, Anthony Gallo Micro Ti 5.1 Surround system, Sonos Bridge and AG TR-3 Woffer.
Living Room; Anthony Gallo A'Diva Ti Speakers, Sonos 120 and Definitive Tech Super Cube III
The bedroom will have the same setup as the living room.
Please do send in your suggestions on the above as soon as you can as I'm planning to make the purchase on the 10th of Aug 🙂
Thanks once again for all your help
bigboss
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- Mar 25, 2009
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Are you going for a Denon or a Marantz receiver? I've never heard the speakers you're buying before, so can't comment on system matching. I would strongly recommend to demo your system before making a purchase. AV receivers sound very different to one another.
The speakers look very good! 🙂
Good luck!
The speakers look very good! 🙂
Good luck!
I can't comment on the receiver as I don't know anything about them. The ADiva's need reasonable power (at least 50W) and since they excel at midrange, they would pair well with an amp that has good open mids and smooth highs. The TR-3 is designed to match, but I would be cautious with any alternatives, because the sub will have to crossover at a higher frequency than usual, probably up to 100hz to overlap nicely with the adivas that go down to 70hz (? not sure - pls read the reviews out there carefully). It is probably worth phoning Gallo or Gallo's distributor to discuss your plans, they will be the most informed to give you advise. Oh, and the ADivas take only very slim cables - I used the Monster adapters but even then I had to squeeze them with pliers so they would fit in. Certainly these speakers are beautiful and vy discreet. Good luck!
bigboss
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There's a good discount on eBay on Anthony Gallo speakers, direct from distributor: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Anthony-Gallo-Micro-5-1-Home-Cinema-Surround-Sound-TR1-/260826302680?pt=UK_AudioVideoElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_HiFiSpeakers&hash=item3cba7588d8#ht_2865wt_922
I really am lucky to be apart of this forum
Guys keep in mind the A'Diva Ti speakers in the living and bed room are going to be linked to the Sonos 120, with no additional amplifier. The guy at the store said the Sonos 120, built in 50W amplifier would be more than enough to run the A'Diva Ti's and that the sound would be great. Is he telling the truth?!?!?!?!
The speakers aren't hooked up to the Sonos 120 at the store, so I could not hear them, but they sounded very good on the Denon AR-911 receiver.
Guys keep in mind the A'Diva Ti speakers in the living and bed room are going to be linked to the Sonos 120, with no additional amplifier. The guy at the store said the Sonos 120, built in 50W amplifier would be more than enough to run the A'Diva Ti's and that the sound would be great. Is he telling the truth?!?!?!?!
The speakers aren't hooked up to the Sonos 120 at the store, so I could not hear them, but they sounded very good on the Denon AR-911 receiver.
I'm not familiar with Sonos products except from reading about them, and I'm not clear about how you are intending to use them. Would you not bridge them between rooms so that the same music is playing simultaneously? That would require 1 sonos product per room if i'm not mistaken
Also bear in mind how you will feed the signal to the subwoofer - some of them can run off speaker outputs but others use a line (either sub out from a receiver or a rca pair)
If you don't need the same music playing simultaneously in all rooms, you can just use airplay (using apple's £79 Airport express or apple tv) which is much cheaper, and then get a better amp.
Presumably you are getting one of the airplay compatible Denons? http://www.whathifi.com/news/denon-launches-2011-av-receivers-complete-with-apple-airplay
Also bear in mind how you will feed the signal to the subwoofer - some of them can run off speaker outputs but others use a line (either sub out from a receiver or a rca pair)
If you don't need the same music playing simultaneously in all rooms, you can just use airplay (using apple's £79 Airport express or apple tv) which is much cheaper, and then get a better amp.
Presumably you are getting one of the airplay compatible Denons? http://www.whathifi.com/news/denon-launches-2011-av-receivers-complete-with-apple-airplay
bigboss
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peteAllen said:
1) Yes, you will require a Sonos product to play music in a given room, like any music source really.
2) Sonos ZP120 & S5 (Play:5) both have subwoofer outs. The ZP90 connects to your existing receiver which will have it's own subwoofer out.
3) Sonos has its own mesh network, so it does not rely on wifi. We all know that wifi is prone to interference from other equipments using the same network or channel.
4) You can even have different music in different rooms & can control individual volume with the Sonos controller.
5) Sonos is AirPlay enabled, giving you the best of both worlds.
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