MartinLogan DYNBLD Dynamo 10-Inch Subwoofer (Single, Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a very well built subwoofer with many of the same parts and most of the technology taken from the upper line (Grotto, Depth, Descent) of ML subs. It has the same solid 10" aluminum driver found in all high-end subs. It was designed and engineered in the US by ML and built in China to keep costs down, however, I did not notice any build-quality issue. I compared the Dynamo head to head with the ML Grotto (twice the price) and found that they both sounded great. The Grotto adds a servo circuit, a tad better cabinet and a little more power (250 vs. 200) but in the long run, I could not justify the price difference.
The Dynamo has deep, tight bass with no boom. It blends seamlessly with all speakers that I have tried. If set up correctly and this is easy to do, you cannot tell where the sub is located in your room. I am using it for 2 channel audio but it can work well for home theater as well, just don't expect ground-shaking boom. Although I think you would be wasting its potential. It also has the option of front firing and down firing by just rotating it on its platform/stand, I set it up as front firing since I found it provide tighter bass/more musical/accurate then down-firing on my carpet. I also did not miss the servo circuit on the more expensive ML sub. The servo would have been more important if the Dynamo had a larger driver (12" plus) due to the inherent distortion issues with large drivers. An 8" - 10" driver does not have as many of these issues, hence the servo circuit not missed much.
You cannot go wrong with the Dynamo for some of the best quality bass at the best price available today.
Strengths:
Build quality. Deep, tight bass...no boom here. Blends seamlessly with every speaker I tried. Easy to set up. Great set up instructions furnished by ML. Price. And a product designed and supported by one of the best speaker builders in the world. Call ML anytime and they will answer any question and make suggestions on proper set up, etc.
Weaknesses:
I would have preferred that whether you choose front firing or down firing, the amp controls would be easily accessible. When in front firing position, the controls are on the bottom. However, once set up, this should not be a problem.

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The Dynamo is a versatile subwoofer with a 10" aluminum woofer and a 200 watt internal amplifier.It features a user-configurable design which can be used in either the forward or downward firing position.The advanced control system of the Abyss allows simultaneous connection of 2-channel stereo music and multi-channel home theater.The base response for the Abyss ranges from 25 to 120 Hz.

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Bowers & Wilkins MM-1 Multimedia/computer speaker pair Review

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(More customer reviews)Oooh my Goodness are these speakers are spectacular. Once upon a time I wrote the longest review on Amazon ever comparing the Bose Companion 5's with Klipsch THX and a set of Logitechs - all 2.1 speaker sets. The Bose Companion 5's won out for their bright clarity, surround effect, rich bass etc. They pleased me immensely... for about a year. What I started noticing, across every set that I have since then tried, was that I just got tired of listening. Silence prevailed. Music that doesn't sound amazing can only be tolerated for so long, especially if you're not nuts about the song and I found that I could only take it in small bursts. I have now listened to probably 20 different ipod docks and self powered speaker solutions, have taken home 10, (and returned 7) and truly there is no sound quite as clear and perfect as these speakers.
I wanted to step it up from those first three units I tried and brought home three of what I thought would be the next top of the line contenders: AudioEngine's A5bookshelf speakers, Focal's 2.1 system with subwoofer, and the B&W MM-1s. I had them all connected for a week at the same time to my iMac via USB and stereo mini plug. Song by song, hour by hour I listened, and felt the music sitting, standing, dancing, working out. Sometimes I changed between the speakers several times within one song, back and forth, listening, feeling the following: Jazz like Diana Krall and Ray Charles, Rap like Fabolous and Missy Elliot, Oldies like Four Seasons and Elvis, R&B like Chris Brown and Christina Aguilera, tribal, dub, lounge like Thievery Corporation, Fiona Apple, Tori Amos, soundtracks, musicals, classical, rock, Spanish Guitar like Ottmar Liebert, Spa music, a tiny tiny hint of country or Ozzy Osborn and even Disney soundtracks. I covered the spectrum I'd say. Nothing came close to the sound of the B&Ws.
Here's what I found:
The AudioEngine A5's are powerful. They deliver hard hitting bass and seem to be very clear - until you hear something better. Their application is more for a party if you ask me. Zero tolerance for low volumes and very boomy sounding compared to the rest... but I'd keep them if I had a different application- like maybe a pool party. The Focal's - a $600 speaker system on the Apple site (much less on amazon) were also powerful and had a really really clean amazing sound... until you play the MM-1s and it sounds like someone is holding their hand up to the mouth of the artist as they try to push their voice through the other sounds. That and I realized I had other systems to do what this does.
Adjectives for the MM-1s: Brilliant, clear, perfection, balanced, desirable, delicious, pleasurable, shocking, powerful, harmonious...
I simply cannot get enough of these speakers.
A few fun facts:
- If you live in an apartment they have the added bonus of not disturbing your neighbors at loud volumes because there is no subwoofer yet the bass still cranks. You can listen louder and longer.
- I thought I had rediscovered music a year ago but this is not the case. Every other system to date, while it may have been able to go a little louder, or handle deeper bass, or give me that up-in-the-club-feeling, simply cannot give the detail, clarity of sound, spaciousness and all out deliciousness to listen to as these speakers do.

- I wanted to clear even more clutter from my desk and floor and lose the subwoofer from the Bose. This setup allows you to have 2 s m a l l, elegant, sexy speakers on your desk without any other clutter or unnecessary wires.
- They're tuned specifically for up close listening and do sound best as such, but quality is not lost when filling the room with sound or standing 20 feet away
- The remote is a nice bonus and the volume control interacts with your full system volume so you're not constantly adjusting speaker volume against computer volume- there is just one.
- This system has a built in DAC to make your sound soar
- Love that the remote is wireless! Why are wired remotes even made anymore.
- They do not distort at full volume- unless you have a poorly recorded piece of music
Bowers and Wilkins.
It's important to remember who these people are (something I didn't know when I bought the MM-1s) B&W are one of THE definitive heavy hitters. $2000 bookshelf speakers, $15,000 (and up) for floor standing speakers. Most of what we listen to is recorded on B&W equipment and so forth. This company knows sound and they deliver it masterfully - their goal being to deliver exactly what the artist intended without any adjustments.
They decimate the competition.
If you looooove rap and hip-hop, R&B and pop as I do you will *think* you want the other set that pumps more deep bass and maybe goes a little louder. You will convince yourself that you need a subwoofer. Trust me you do not. It will win out for your two minute eargasm but it will not win out in the long run. You'll just wind up turning it down and then off because it will start to sound like white noise. These MM-1s are about falling in love with music, and smiling often. Did you hear that! Whoa! What was that sound! WOW! They go plenty loud, and don't distort. These speakers are suitable across every single genre of music I have heard to date.
There is one things these speakers cannot do on *some songs,* and that is heavy hard hitting Deep Subwoofer Bass. But I kid you not I am listening to some of the deepest bass right now on them and it's just melting over my ears. It's really only on side by side comparisons you'll notice it.Subwoofer bass is just a different animal... it forces itself to resonate in your chest- which I love. But remember these speakers application - right in front of you sitting down. You want this sounding good across super low volumes as well as high and very few speakers can do that. Plus many of us have other systems for different applications. I've got a SoundDock in my bedroom because at low volumes it's amazing to wake up to. In my living room I've got my surround system with subwoofer and such for bigger parties and movies when I'm 15 feet away.
I'll close with a little trick: I happen to have a Bose Sounddock 10 (the really large one), hooked up to an AirPort express in my hallway. Guess what that thing shines at giving? Heavy hard hitting bass. So if you really want that boomy undercurrent, play it at the same time as another bass driven item you have in your house and that 808 boom will round out perfectly with the MM-1s when you just have to get up and dance.
That said these speakers are not lacking in any way. They're the size of two Starbucks cups and the sound that comes out of them, minute by minute, song after song, day after day is without a doubt MIND BENDING. I thought I had a low tolerance to my music and the truth is my ears just can't stand mediocre sound anymore. I even purchased a year subscription on Pandora One because I have rediscovered music and want to take it all in all over again. I walk into the room and every time my eyes widen at the sound that pours out of these mythic pieces of art. Such is my faith in this company I am selling the Bose and getting the Zeppelin for the hallway so that I can have true hi-fi everywhere. I've heard it's a bit 'bassier' than the MM-1s which is what I want anyhow. Give these things a chance... really listen to your music you will see what a breathtaking delight these things are. As always if you have any questions you can email me and I'll answer what I can. My name is Tari and you can reach me at buy@epica.com

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Westone UM3X / 3X - True Triple Armature Drivers In-ear Monitor Professional ... Review

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(More customer reviews)Yeah, I'm an audiophile, and if you're not crazy into audio a lot of this is probably going to sound weird. Still...
Earphones really are getting better very quickly, and if you look at all of audio, that fact is pretty remarkable.
In speakers, things have peaked a long time ago, no matter what those Bose ads tell you. The Quad ESL-57 speaker was first shown in the mid 50's, and it is STILL considered to be one of the very best speakers ever made. In traditional headphones things haven't moved very quickly either, and Stax SR-Lambda headphones from 1979 sound as good as pretty much any headsets you can find today. The Sennheiser HD800 is touted as the latest and greatest, but the Stax SR-007 Omega 2 from 11 years ago is still better, and so is the 15-year-old SR-Omega, and the 18-year-old Sennheiser HE90 "Orpheus."
Which means that if you have an audio technology that's genuinely getting better, it's an exception to the rule. And the UM3x is a clear improvement on what has been released only a year or so ago.
These earphones have a very clear, detailed sound that's also very fluid. The bass is detailed and well controlled. The midrange is slightly emphasized and very tonally accurate - instruments sound very realistic and vocals sound almost live, if they're recorded well. The highs are slightly recessed (soft) but are also quite extended. Soundstage is smallish, though pretty large for an IEM, and imaging is razor sharp. The drivers are pretty fast, too, and keep up with complex music well. But the best feature of these IEMs is their ability to do texture - strings sound gravelly, brass instruments are, well, brassy and metallic, woodwinds are seductive and ethereal, and vocals are very realistic. It's the first universal-fit IEM that can do texture properly in my experience. The Shure SE530, Westone 3, UE Triple.fi 10, Etymotic ER-4S, all fail at rendering texture realistically.
Compared to the Westone 3, the UM3x has noticeably more midrange emphasis. Its bass doesn't go quite as deep but it's also much better controlled. Its highs are not as pronounced as the W3 but are also far more refined and less harsh. It's more detailed than the W3 and doesn't have the W3's plasticky, too-glossy sonic texture.
Compared to the SE530, the UM3x doesn't have the midrange warmth - its midrange favors realism over euphony. It also has noticeably more detail than the SE530 and better treble extension, as well as more refinement in the upper mids and highs. However I do prefer the SE530's bass - it goes deeper than the UM3x and seems to have better tone.
But most importantly, the UM3x, compared to the SE530, W3, and pretty much most of the competition, is very easy to use, and very easy to get a good seal with.
Seal, and fit, is very important in canalphones. The headphones themselves are only a part of the equation, and if the fit isn't right, then all sorts of sonic abnormalities can result. A very good symptom of a poor fit is insufficient bass, or very sharp, metallic, sibilant highs. And generally speaking, the more accurate a canalphone is, the more sensitive it is to correct fit. The very best canalphones are all custom-molded and require a great degree of fitting accuracy - if something is even slightly out of order, you will hear it.
The UM3x though is more forgiving - it doesn't come with a wide array of eartips but it doesn't need them. The long Comply foam tips get a good seal pretty much right away, and the UM3x sounds good out of the box with no tweaking necessary. And if you have gone through the frustration of trying to get a canalphone to fit right, sound right, and be comfortable at the same time, you know how important that is.
Sum it all up, and the UM3x is the only, and first, high-end IEM that I will whole-heartedly recommend. No, it's not perfect, and the Stax SR-001 system is still better as a portable. Custom-molded canalphones like the JH Audio JH13 or Westone's own ES3x are better still. But the UM3x has finally crossed the border from problematic compromise - with potential - to a competent product that offers good sound quality for the money, and it is the FIRST earphone to actually do so. The W3 could sound really good but its fit is extremely problematic, and when the fit is wrong you had to deal with boomy bass and piercing highs. The SE530 is also very picky in terms of fit, and even at its best the UM3x is still better.
Oh, and never mind that this is sold as a stage monitor for musicians. It is this, too, but it sounds brilliant out of an iPod, and better still from an actual quality source. The only sign of stage-monitor-dom is the slight midrange emphasis and treble recession (which is probably intentional to make the sound less fatiguing in the long term), but plenty of full-size headphones have far more severe sonic abnormalities - like most of Grado's lineup.
This is a balanced, good-sounding, comfortable, easy to use, easy to drive, and not too expensive canalphone. And no other canalphone has been able to boast all of that before, at least no canalphone that didn't require a visit to the doctor.

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Polk Audio TSi500 Floorstanding Speaker (Single, Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)Exterior Finish - Got the speakers and unpacked them to an amazing sight of cherry finish with the high gloss back top. My wife absolutely loved it. They are one of the bigger towers and will dwarf even a 40inch TV.
Sound - Listened to a lot of speakers..Paradigm studios, klipsch Icons, reference series, Polk Rtis, PSB image towers and Infinity towers....to me the paradigm studios were the best in sound but they were astronomical in terms of price. Finally it was between these and the PSBs, the klipsh Icons and the polks RTis sounded bright to me. Did a lot of listening with my own cd at Frys, my friends place, bestbuy and a whole list of places. The psbs seemed to have the best mid range but lacked the clarity at the highs these provided. The klipsch Icons were ruled out as even the TSI400s sounded better than those. Since i was looking for beefier mids I went with these and have not looked back since. Running them using an Emotiva amp. I have pushed them to a true 100 watts and they were wanting more. I could not go past this point as I dint want cops at my door...:) needless to say these performed like champs.
For HT these are beasts...provides an in theater experience once the lights go out. Pair them with a CS20 and you will have an extreme front sound stage.
Value - Must buy for the sheer value provided at this price range. An absolute yes to an audiophile who knows the law of diminshing returns or a practical person who wants most from his purchase.


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Polk Audio I-Sonic Entertainment System 2 Review

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(More customer reviews)I got the I-Sonic 2 just about a month ago and I am still amazed at how good this thing sounds. I got a Bose and a Cambridge at the same time, niether come close and are going back. It was great to do a comparision in my own home.
I read a lot of reviews on the first I-Sonic; best I can tell Polk has fixed all of the issues. It doesn't get hot, the display is easy to read, and the controls are so simple I have yet to open the manual.
The iPod dock works with my iPhone and my video iPod and my iPod has never sounded better. Really, you will be blown away by how good this system sounds. I have the unit in my bedroom and it is a perfect place to store my iPod when I get home; keeps it charged all the time.
The HD Radio works well with the single wire antenna provided with the system. I have tagged a bunch of sounds and bought a few from iTunes; very very cool feature even if you just use it to remeber a song.
I am very satisfied with the system and would highly recommend it to any iPod owner, its a perfect match.


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The I-Sonic ES2 includes a second generation HD Radio tuner with full multicasting. With its advanced acoustical system, Digital Signal Processing, and new HD Radio tuner technology, the I-Sonic ES2 is one of the highest performing self-contained HD Radio products on the market. The I-Sonic ES2 accepts all iPod models with dock connectors in its top-mounted iPod dock, craftily hidden beneath a sliding door. S-Video and composite video outputs allow the user to connect a television or video monitor to the IES2 for viewing video content stored on a video iPod.

Four-Speaker I-Sonic Technology Polk's engineering breakthrough changes the rules for small system performance. Conventional table-top systems "beam" the sound straight towards the listener, even those with two speakers. At best, these designs can create a stereo soundfield for someone seated directly facing the unit. It's not at all satisfying for any other listeners in the room. Polk's exclusive, patent-pending I-Sonic design lets everyone in the room enjoy the rich sound. The I-Sonic stereo soundfield is projected all around. No matter where you are in the room, you'll get the full I-Sonic experience.
Deep Bass from Patented PowerPort Technology PowerPort venting technology belts out the kind of rich, powerful bass you'd expect from much larger stereo speakers. Bass ports redirect the sound created by the back of the speaker cone into the room. But conventional bass ports lose efficiency and create distortion because of air turbulence at the mouth of the port.
PowerPort vastly reduces air turbulence at the port mouth thereby reducing distortion and increasing bass output. This is the same technology used in Polk's legendary $10,000 Signature Reference Theater system. In the I-Sonic ES2 PowerPort delivers sound that is rich and warm, making all of your music and movies sound life-like and satisfying.
Advanced Digital Signal Processing Built into every I-Sonic ES2 is a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) with the processing power of a small computer. Polk engineers have programmed the DSP to ensure that you hear incredible sound at every volume level in every spot in the room. First, a Dynamic Loudness Contour automatically adjusts bass and treble response to account for your ears' frequency sensitivity at low volume. You'll hear rich, well-balanced sound even at late-night listening levels. The DSP also prevents distortion at high volume with its Dynamic Compression. Go ahead, crank up the volume and play air guitar to your heart's content. With I-Sonic the sound will always be crisp, clear and clean. Finally, the powerful DSP controls the time delay and frequency shaping that is behind Polk's exclusive and patented I-Sonic four-speaker technology. You'll hear full-bodied, huge stereo sound in every spot in your room.
HD Radio Technology Radio stations all over the country are converting to digital HD radio broadcasting. The chances are very good that your favorite radio station is or will shortly be broadcasting in HD. HD Radio brings you a host of sound quality, convenience and programming choice benefits. Your HD radio listening will be free of the static and multipath distortion of old fashioned analog radio. You'll enjoy CD-quality sound from FM HD stations and FM quality stereo sound from AM HD stations. You will never want to go back to analog once you've heard the HD radio difference.
The I-Sonic ES2 also allows broadcasters to show information on the display screen--information like artist/program name, song title, sports scores, traffic information and stock ticker.
Conventional AM/FM Radio The I-Sonic ES2 picks up all of the broadcast radio stations in your area. If your favorite radio stations are not yet broadcasting in HD you will receive standard analog AM and FM just like ay other AM/FM radio (only better sounding of course).
Sirius Satellite Radio (Optional) Add Sirius satellite radio with an optional add-on plus monthly subscription from the provider. Sirius boasts over 130 channels of digital radio, including 69 channels of 100% commercial-free music, live performances, artist interviews, and talk shows. Sirius is home to the NFL and over 40 NBA and NHL games a week, plus college sports.
Big names on Sirius include Howard Stern, Tony Hawk, and Martha Stewart. The Sirius bundle has a separate screen to display channel, artist, and song names, and plugs into the auxiliary port of the I-Sonic for high quality sound.
Built-In iPod Dock The I-Sonic ES2 has an integrated iPod dock on the top with a universal adapter for any size iPod, including the iPhone and iPod Touch. Listen to music or videos (Check Compatibility) through the dynamic sound of the I-Sonic ES2 speakers.
iPod Video with S-Video & Composite Outputs Use the integrated iPod dock to connect your iPod to the I-Sonic ES2 and you can stream videos directly to your TV via S-video or composite connection. Now you can watch and listen to your saved iPod videos easily, let the I-Sonic ES2 handle the hard stuff, you just sit back and relax.
Hear it. Tag it. Download it. Never forget it. Now it's easy to purchase songs you hear on HD Radio with the I-Sonic ES2 tagging feature and your iPod. Whenever you're listening to HD Radio and hear a song you love, simply hit the "TAG" button on the front of the I-Sonic ES2 to capture the song's information on your iPod. Then the next time you sync your iPod with your computer you will be able to download tagged songs via the Apple iTunes music store. It's that simple!
Tune into any HD Radio station with the I-Sonic ES2. When song information can be tagged, the tag button will light up. When you hear a song you like, press the tag button on the front panel or the remote (shown right). The TAG (song data) is stored in the I-Sonic ES2 and will store up to 50 TAGs.
Dock your iPod in the I-Sonic ES2 and TAGs will be automatically transfered to your iPod.
Sync your iPod with iTunes and your TAGs will appear in a playlist called "Tagged" in iTunes, ready for you to purchase directly from the Apple iTunes Music Store.

What's in the Box I-Sonic ES2, Remote Control (batteries included), Power Supply, AM External Antenna, FM External Antennas (dipole and wire), Owner's Guide, Online Registration Card

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Bose 901 Direct/Reflecting Speaker System - Walnut Review

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(More customer reviews)I owned a pair of 901s in the early 80s, they are excellent speakers in term of dynamics and their ability to fill a room with sound. Back then I used Phase Linear equipment to drive them. Phase Linear was designed by Bob Carver and were considered entry level high end at the time. Paired up with the 901s they produce some of my best memories of music. As I grew older and purchased a home with an open floor plan their limitations started to become more apparent. These speakers use reflected sound waves to produce a wide sound stage and excellent imaging, in an open area this effect is loss and you experience what others have called no highs or lows. The equalizer can compensate for some of this but not entirely. My advice is to carefully consider where you will use these speakers and if they fit the environment they can sound spectacular. They are not everyones cup of tea but they just may be yours.

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Bose LS12IIBLK Lifestyle 12 Series II Home Theater System (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)When I walked into the Bose store and heard this system playing, I was overwhelmed. The crispness of the sound, frequency range, sound distribution, powerful bass... I immediately asked for a personal demo, and I was even more perplexed when they gave me the regular Bose designed demo where they show you the wonders that this system can do. The surround sound is magnificent, and even if you have a mono or stereo recording it will simulate the surround sound in the greatest way I could have imagined. I couldn't believe that I was listening to a 50's mono record in full surround sound at one point, and it sounded excellent! The demo of how the bass seems to come from the little speakers instead of the subwoofer is also very impressive. You hear the powerful and rich bass coming from this tiny speakers, but when they cover the woofer on the subwoofer you notice the bass is gone, even though it seemed to be coming from the little speakers! Pretty cool stuff. Not to mention these tiny speakers produce a sound that's better than regular speakers that are 10 times the size. Bose really hit a home run with this technology, and if you are considering it you definitely should go for it. I had never listened to music like I do now. It's a totally new experience.
As for the new systems with 6 CD Changer or DVD player, it's your choice. I bought this unit because I just wanted the speakers and a receiver to connect my DVD player/mp3 player/computer to (although it does have a CD player), and this system was great for that, at the best price for a Lifetime system. If you don't have your own DVD player and you want to use it for that you may want to consider the others.
Also, there are newer models of the Lifestyle system that come with some new speakers (jewel) that are even smaller (and more expensive). I tried these new systems and I noticed the small speakers could not produce a sound as crisp and rich as the lifestyle 12 speakers. The sound was much more metallic, like a cymbal, instead of being rich and velvety. If you're trying to decide, don't let this factor influence you in your decision. Just go for the one that's right for your price range and needs. And above all, go visit a Bose store and ask for a demo and listen for yourself!

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Bose Lifestyle RoomMate Powered Speaker System - Speaker - graphite gray Review

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(More customer reviews)
as an extention, the price, the quality of sound, everything is perfect.

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Bose Lifestyle 38 - Home theater system - 5.1 channel - white Review

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(More customer reviews)While the sound quality is good, this $3k system is definitely not up to the hype due to poor UI and Usability designs by Bose. I would not have bothered if I was buying even $1500 system but for 3k it is not really worth. While everyone talks about how great this system is, let me talk about some major drawbacks of this system that no one talks about:
1) It does not display Track/album info for custom CDs (for e.g. the ones you ripped off from online music stores) and MP3 CDs! Yes, thats true! How can anyone browse through 100+ songs from an MP3 CD and select the song that they want without seeing any track/album display on the TV Screen? I am extreamly upset with Bose lacking "common sense" here! Come on Bose, even my old $100 cheap DVD system can display this info on the screen! If you let the users play mp3 CDs didn't it occur to you that they would perhaps would like to choose the song they want to listen to?
2) It does not let you store MP3 CDs.
3) It does not let you transfer music from your PC.
4) It does not import the Title/Album info for the custom CDs that you burn with music that you have downloaded. It just names all the tracks and album info for the this type of CD with '-No Label-' title! You have to spend days to Edit (BTW editing is horrible too) all this info to make it right (if you have patience at all). If you end up storing more then one custom CDs, they all look the same when you browse through music library! So, there is no way to distinguish between them and hence you are really screwed! If you were to edit the title of a song/album, there is no way to listen to the song (to make sure it is the right song) while editing it! While listening, you can't edit the title! How stupid!
5) Browsing through music library is a pain. If you have 200 CDs, there is no way to skip to a particular CD in a second. for e.g if you want to go to 100th CD, you have to cick 100 times to get to it in the list! Same thing goes for Artist, Album and track selection.
6) The playlist feature is not really good. You are stuck with UMusic and a very basic playlist option.
7) Editing feature is not really intutive. There is no way you can key in letters using the Remote controls number pad (such as the ones you have with Cellphones. Each number will have 3 letters assigned to it etc...) There is no way to play and doublecheck the song while editing the title for a song/album. So, imagine yourself editing a bunch of songs with no preview!
Well the bottomline is that this pricy system is lacking so many basic features showing how Bose did not do a good job of focussing on usability. It is not just about the sound, the system should be functional too! I hope Bose realizes this soon! In any case Bose just lost their image as far as I am concerned!


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Designed to change the way you think about movies, music, and even your CD collection, the Bose Lifestyle 38 DVD home entertainment system digitally stores and organizes up to 200 hours of music (around 200 to 300 CDs, depending on the timing of the discs). The system also lets you enjoy your movies on standard or high-definition-ready televisions in scintillating progressive-scan video. Meanwhile, the system's Jewel Cube speaker arrays and low-frequency-producing Acoustimass module fill your room with rich, full-bodied sound.The stylish, 2-tone silver/black media center features an integrated DVD/CD player and AM/FM tuner. You get Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 surround processing for lifelike surround effects from your favorite movies, as well as Bose Videostage 5 processing for turning mono and stereo sources into surround programs. The DVD/CD player plays your DVD-Video movies (NTSC or PAL, depending on your TV), DVD-R/RW homemade discs, and CD-based music, including MP3 files written to recordable CD-R or CD-RW.Among the Lifestyle 38's innovative features is its ADAPTiQ audio calibration system, which analyzes your room and adjusts the system's sound for optimal performance in the spots you like to listen from, and the uMusic intelligent playback system.The uMusic system uses proprietary Bose technology to turn the media center into a virtual DJ capable of playing a continuous stream of the music you most enjoy and--even cooler--adapting to your preferences, even as they change. You can instruct system to play what you want, when you want it. Giving instructions requires only that you react to your stored music as it plays. Pressing "Encore" tells the system to search for music with characteristics that closely match what's playing, narrowing its field of choices in response to your command.Pressing the - (negative) rating tells the system to move on because this particular track is not right for this time of day, this activity, or for the person listening. Submitting a + (positive) rating has the opposite effect: the system learns that you particularly like the track playing. Not every track you like requires a + rating, but you can always give special songs this nudge. Over time the system adjusts the type of music it plays when your preset is selected. And you don't need to worry that any response you make now will be etched in concrete: you may easily override your established preferences at any time.When you load your collection into the media center (copying takes about 5 minutes per disc), the system searches an internal and regularly updatable database to assign artist and track names, genre, and other details, which you can edit or update as you wish.The Lifestyle 38 features award-winning Jewel Cube speaker arrays, which measure just 4.5 inches high, for dramatically lifelike sound. These are the smallest and most powerful speaker arrays Bose makes, producing sound you'd expect from speakers much larger. The Acoustimass module (essentially a subwoofer) produces resounding low notes that bring action sequences to life and add fullness to music. Place the Acoustimass module out of sight, so all sound seems to come from the Jewel Cube speaker arrays.Other features include AM/FM tuning with 40 preset stations (20 FM, 20 AM), a sleep timer (10 to 90 minutes), and console input jacks for connecting other source components (such as a VCR, DSS, CD changer, or tape deck).Connections include digital and analog audio inputs and outputs for a range of ancillary components, with a choice of composite-video, S-video, or--with an optional-use cable that connects to both the composite- and S-video outputs--480i/480p component-video outputs, depending on your television.A feature called Bose link allows connections for compatible Bose products in as many as 14 additional rooms using optional hookup gear.What's in the Box Media center, 5 speakers, 1 Acoustimass module, FM/AM antennas, all requisite cabling, a remote control with batteries, a user's manual, a quick-setup guide, AC power cords, 2 system discs, an optional-use IR emitter cable, an ADAPTiQ audio calibration system headset, and warranty information.Note: This system is designed to store the audio tracks of regular CDs only. It will not store MP3 tracks or the contents of DVDs.

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Paradigm Cinema 110 CT 5.1 Home Theater Surround Sound System (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)To start off by no means am I a Sound geru. I just wanted a better sounding system in my living room for movies I had a bose lifesyle system prior to this and it was just a waste of money. So I shopped a round at the local stores. With price as a consideration I decided to go the the ct110 theather speakers they are small yet put out termendous sound. The subwoofer works good and trys to make up for having smaller speakers for the most part it does it's job quit well. This speakers work well in a mid to small rooms. I would deff buy them agian IM running a marantz sr5004 reciver and am getting rich warm sound. Over all they look nice, just the right size. and for being one of paradigms budget lower line products they produce amazing sound. Probley can easly compair this to higher end jvc,polk,dennon,etc. I have less invested in this system with reciever and blueray player then I have in my lifestyle system wich is my bedroom now. The sound diff is incredible. Dont be fooled by what you hear in the stores with bose. I swear to you it will not sound that good in your home. The paradigm speakers make watching movies at home fun agian. I hope this helps. But please dont take my word for it. please research your speaker choice before buying them. I did and found nothing but good reviews for this speakers all over the internet. AAA++++ product thanks Paradigm.

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6-Pc. Paradigm Cinema 110 CT 5.1 Compact Theater Surround Sound System. From the #1 Brand in Loudspeakers comes Cinema 110 CT 5.1 Compact Theater Surround Sound System for music, home theater and computer gaming. 3 Cinema LCR speakers, 2 Cinema ADP surrounds boasting Paradigm's ADP (Adapted Dipole) technology for extraordinary surround performance (visit www.paradigm.com for more info on ADP technology) and a powerful subwoofer with 10˝ driver. Wall brackets for mounting speakers included. Paradigm CT systems deliver Performance and Value like no conventional Home Theater in a Box (HTiB) system can! Buyer beware: Typical HTiB systems are all about price, not sound. Or even worse, expensive marketing hype and still not sound. When it comes to sound quality, those other systems simply cannot deliver. Paradigm Cinema CT's are all about performance. They deliver 5.1 audiophile-quality sound without sacrificing lifestyle size, good looks or a great price. They're every bit affordable as those other HTiB systems, but when it comes to performance, they leave conventional HTiB stuck in the box! Cinema CT systems integrate beautifully, delivering a seamless soundstage that brings movies and gaming to life and makes music sound 'live." Price/Value in Inside Track Annual Dealer Survey, an annual independent nationwide survey of consumer electronics specialist retailers and custom installers. About Paradigm The Ultimate in Sound for Music and Home Theater. For over twenty-five years, Paradigm has set the standard for sonic excellence in every product category we offer. Our focus on providing the best in performance and value pushes the boundaries in speaker design. Stunning accuracy, a spacious soundstage with pinpoint localization, powerful, well-defined bass and thrilling dynamics are hallmarks of our advanced speaker designs. For more info on Paradigm products visit www.paradigm.com or contact us: +1 905 696 2842.

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Bose Lifestyle V30 Home Theater System - Black Review

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(More customer reviews)I am amazed at the ease of installation. I had the whole system up and running in less than 1/2 an hour- granted that I used the speaker wires and wall/ceiling mounts from my old BOSE AM 15's. The only added step was installing an adapter on the speaker wires from my Bose AM 15 so I could connect the Jewel cube arrays. (I had to use the old speaker wires because they where already installed in the walls.) The Adapt IQ is really what sets this system apart. We have a really wide living room in which the TV is off center. Balancing my old Bose AM 15 Direct Reflective speaker arrays with the old receiver was a nightmare. AdaptIQ did all the work in minutes. Every speaker is now perfectly balanced. We where a little concerned about spending an extra $1,000 for the V30 opposed to the V20, but the Jewel Cube Speakers are so crisp and clear. Music never sounded better. The surround sound fill the room evenly at all volumes. It's powerful when it's suppose to be, yet the dialogue is clear and coherent. The only adjustment I made was to increase the bass to +2 and Treble to +4. I left everything else on automatic. My old receiver was overbearingly powerful in which the details would get lost. The minimalist design of the Lifestyle systems is superb. The system blends in the room's decor perfectly. One note of caution, IF YOU SEE "PCM 2.0" ON YOUR BOSE DISPLAY-MAKE SURE YOUR DVD SOURCE IS ON THE RIGHT SETTING. Contrary to what the Bose saleman said to me, PCM 2.0 is not the same as Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1. I was getting PCM 2.0 on movies and Dolby Digital 5.1 on cable tv and video games. I have a PS3 in which I had to change the HDMI setting from 'linear' 2.0 to 'bitstream'- Problem solved - I now get 5.1 on all forms of media. In conclusion- If you have the means, I highly recommend this top end Lifestyle system. You will save in the long run. I spent $2,300 in 1999 when I mixed Bose speakers with a Yamaha receiver and was never 100 percent satisfied. I would have been much better off shelling out a few hundred more and getting a Lifestyle system back then.

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Built around a host of exclusive technologies, the Bose Lifestyle V30 Home Theater System delivers room-filling surround sound, and boasts a unique design that lets it virtually disappear into any room. The V30 system includes an intelligent Media Console, Display Panel, four Jewel Cube speakers, a center channel speaker, and Acoustimass Bass Module.
See all items included in the Bose Lifestyle V30 Home Theater System.

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BOSE 301-V Stereo Loudspeakers (Pair) - Black Review

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(More customer reviews)Summary: A pleasant sounding speaker for back ground listening but over priced and out classed by the competition. Tonality is distorted to produce pleasant sound rather than accurate sound. Bass is loose and wumpy sounding. The 301's can shake the room but only over a limited range of bass frequencies. Direct-reflecting design hurts imaging. The combination of bad imaging, unrealistic tonality and loose bass make them a poor choice for home theater. Fit and finish are only OK for the price.
Background: My roommate has a pair of 301s set up in our living room. I have a more expensive "audiophile" type system set up in the side room. Often I think it's hard to get good product reviews off the internet. You either have the people who *hate* the company (pick one) and are out to trash the name or you have people who bought the product and are defending their choice. You rarely have someone who has spent considerable time with the product (not just 15 minute store demo) yet doesn't care if the product reviews well or poorly. As I had nothing to do with the purchase of these speakers I don't care if they are good or bad. I have put effort into proper setup since I do listen to them frequently.
Basically, they are not *bad* but you can do better for the same money. I don't expect these to match the various, more expensive speakers in my side room system while my roommate had these in the living room (Meadowlark Kestrel, Vandersteen Model 3, Magnepan MMG, NHT 2.5i, Pioneer HPM 100). However, I have heard similar priced models that I like better (PSB, Paradigm, NHT, Boston Acoustics, B&W). Many high end manufactures extend their lines and expertise into the Bose price range. The sound:
Imaging: These really do not image well. As Bose says, these are sound everywhere speakers. That means you have a dispersed sound rather than tight imaging. An orchestra sounds wide and tall... so does a single guitar or the drop of a penny in a movie. This allows the speakers to sounds very big but, unlike some of the alternatives, you will never be able to tell the piccolo player is sitting just to the left of the first flute. This is not really a disadvantage if you aren't the type who sits in the sweet spot to listen for a while. But it can be a problem if you want to use these for home theater without a center channel. On the other hand, this is a reasonable trait if you turn on the music while walking around the house they will be fine.
Tonality: They don't have a very clean tone. Bose has tuned this speaker to make everything sound pleasant if not really true to the recording. Again, if you just want something nice to listen to in the background they will serve this function well. These speakers are excessively warm. They boost the mid bass and roll off the highs. Music will never become fatiguing but you traded realism for that tonality.
Bass: Several compromises were made here. Admittedly, the Bose can make the room shake with a moderately powerful receiver. This was great for college parties and OK for movies but it has limits. First, they have very limited bass range. These speakers do not go deep and they can not present all bass evenly. They favor certain notes over others (one-note bass). They excel at turning Watts into mid-bass but they just can't go really deep. I would guess they are done just under 50 htz. This is not shameful given the size of the speaker and /or price but people are often surprised when they learn how much bass is still left untouched whey they hear better speakers. Additionally, the 301's lack controlled bass. A tight thunderclap sounds like a suggestion of thunder. One of the true marks of a good bass speaker is the ability to *stop* producing bass in a heartbeat. That's what makes thunder clap and a kick drum kick (tight Bang! versus a loose wump like that car stereo next you at the light). The 301's wind up their bass then wind it down when they are done. The price competitive speakers from the companies above are far more nimble with the ability to start and stop quickly. Think of bullet train vs sports car. The bullet train Bose may be fast but it takes a long time get going (generate the desired frequency and amplitude) and a long time to stop. The entry level products from the like of NHT, PSB, Paradigms are like sports cars. Their top speed may not be as fast as the train but they can accelerate, turn and brake quickly (dynamics and transients). Which is better? Well if you just want to shake the room at one frequency go for the Bose. If you want to have tight, crisp bass, get something else.
Home Theater: Due to the warm forgiving sound of these speakers I found them OK for music. Two channel home theater is a different story. Without the center channel it's important to have good imaging. That imaging keeps the sounds on the screen rather than all over the room. The 301's poor imagining comes back to haunt. A single voice or clink of keys becomes the size of a full orchestra smeared across the room rather than staying in the TV where they belong. In addition to the poor imaging, the poor bass is also an issue. The loose wumpy bass does little justice to explosions and mechanical sounds. The "pleasant" tonality strips believability from every day sounds.
Overall I can see people saying they like the speakers because they sounds pleasant. They really work well as relatively low cost background speakers. The problem is they can't deliver anything more when asked. I accept that if they were $150 a pair but given the good choices for the $300+ asking price... well Bose is lucky most consumers don't bother to cross shop or that fewer stores sell the other bands I mentioned.
If you are seriously considering these speakers check out Audioreview dot com. They have good reviews of similar priced products. It's OK to buy them, just cross shop first.


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Bose 3򈭽 GSX Series III DVD Home Entertainment System - Graphite Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Here's my background in music and home theater. At one point I had a home with a 'music room' (isolated front room - no TV) which contained some nice furniture and was spacious - about 20x17. Had KEF 105.7 speakers, a tube amp, a good preamp - and it was great to just sit an listen to all types of music. It was a powerful system, pushing 300W (as I recall) into the KEF's. Then I moved and lost my 'music room' - but got a nice Sony DLP TV and added a Sony Home Theater, not a great one, maybe $500 total. This system was OK, but never really listened to it for music, it was just not the same as the KEF's. (Oh, these KEF's are floor standing, large speakers). They would totally dominate the room I have now, which is about 17x15. The Sony 5.1 system did OK as mentioned, but nothing to write home about. The other day I decided to do some research on the web on a new HTIB (Home Theater in a Box) system. Went to the Forums - all of them, and most had recommendations covering all sorts of pricing, and of course, it's what they purchased. Surprising to me, BOSE was not well thought of, and price always entered the equation. I had heard BOSE before in the BOSE store, and decided to check it out again. I went there, and they made it easy, a 60 day return policy, no questions ask. I took home a 321 series III GS (no music storage). I also got the small bookshelf speaker stands. Took me about 10 minutes to set it up in my bedroom and connect to the Flat Panel TV on the wall. I did not even open the manual to set up instructions, the cables only plugged in one place - can't get it wrong. Powered it up, and had music and TV via optical to Direct TV PVR. Wow, the sound was 'open' - and clear. So what does 'open' mean? The highs were powerful, the lows were the same - the voices were as if they were right in front of you. However, it was a bit to 'sharp' for me, so I cut down the Treble a bit and it was better. I lived with this for 3 days, and my wife loved it. Then I took the system to my 17x15 front room where the DLP is. Set the system up and I was immediately converted back to my KEF days - it was great. I sat and listened to all types of music - and I'm more of a Beatles guy leaning toward harder Rock, but Mozart even sounded great - the Juds - wonderful.. CCR was a new experience. A few days more and I decided I wanted the GSX, so I could store music - I called the BOSE store, told them want I wanted to do, they had a system ready for me, came to my car, got the old GS system, put the new one in my car, and I was off - after paying the difference of course. Brought it home, set it up and started burning my CD's - which takes about 5 minutes per CD - and you can only do 10 at a time as the system buffers these before writing to the hard drive. A few days more and I went back and bought my son one for Christmas - he's a great guy doing well in his new job (just graduated from College). Anyway, I now sit and listen to music a fair amount and enjoy it again.
As you have perhaps read, this system is not for everyone. The speakers are small - which was a plus for me - I've had the large ones, not what I wanted this time around. The two speakers sit almost hidden on a shelf, either side of the TV. The bass speaker is over against the wall, hardly know it's there. It's not 5.1 surround sound, but I rarely heard the Sony rear speakers before when playing music. Don't miss this - except for maybe on DVD's - but this is OK for me. Now, having said this, I am considering spending another $1300 and getting the Lifestyle 38 - but am waiting to see if I can talk my self out of this - it's a better system I think, but will I really notice? I don't know. I can use the $1300 elsewhere, but I have the money to spend so I may do it. I would recommend the 321 for a try, in your own home. I think you will see what I mean when you get it home and turn it on.
Merry Christmas '08
Scott
-----------------
12/20/08 So, I had to find out.. I went to BOSE and purchased a Lifestyle 38 - the next to the top of the line, with recording ability. I wanted to see the 5.1 system perform - and I did a comparison test, the LS38 speakers right on top of the 3-2-1 speakers. I set the LS38 to only play 2 speakers + bass, and did an A/B comparison - the same recorded song, switching back and forth. The same volume #, so it was close - and it sounded the same volume. Listening to the LS38 - it sounded good.. as you would expect.. then switched over to the 3-2-1 and it was better! This becomes a bit hard to define - if you were to put your hand in front of your mouth, maybe 1" away, and talk to someone, they could still hear you, and understand you. Now remove your hand and they perhaps hear you with more clarity. This is how I would explain the difference, the 3-2-1 with more clarity. I wrote BOSE about this and here is their response "If you purchased the new 3-2-1(R) GSX Series III system you have the latest Bose system." - this says little, perhaps they know the 3-2-1 sounds better? / different. You read into it what you want. This is not slamming the SL38 by any means, its a great system too - but I, my personal choice, is the 3-2-1 ; others I'm sure will take the LS38 - but for $1300 more than the 3-2-1 GSX, it's not worth it to me. (I would also say the 3-2-1 had more center 'presents' than the LS38, even running 4 speakers (3+1) on the 38
sc


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BOSE 301-V Stereo Loudspeakers (Pair) - Cherry Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The reviewer below identifying himself as "An Electronics Fan" obviously has a deep bias against Bose. His multiple reviews about Bose products--here and elsewhere--are transparently motivated by some animus against Bose. Was he fired by Bose? Did a member of the Bose family reject his romantic advances? Did a Bose executive accidentally run over his cat? Did he drop a Bose speaker on his foot and hurt his toe? The true motivation for this guy's negative reviews would be fun to know. In the meantime, what we do know is that he has no credibility, and his reviews (two here, others elsewhere for other Bose products; he's made maligning Bose his life's work, apparently)) should disregarded.
I bought a set of black 301's several years ago to go with my Onkyo receiver. We have it hooked up to a television and DVD player for movies. These speakers are in constant use both for the DVD and for music of all types. The room in which they are placed is huge, with an 18 foot-high flat ceiling. The speakers saturate the room with exquisite sound day after day. The speakers work fine for spoken audio for DVD's; we can hear dialogue perfectly; I feel no particular need for a surround-sound system. Several times my young daughters have turned on the 100 watt amp with the volume turned all the way up or close thereto. I feared a ruptured speaker cone, but the 301's are very forgiving, no damage has been done. The cats sleep on the speakers; they clean right up and still look new after five years. These speakers keep on giving total satisfaction, and I quite simply love them.
About three years ago I decided to go all out in another room and bought the highest quality stereo stuff on the market, or at least what I determined to be best after a lot of research. This included a set of the gold-series tower speakers from Monitor Audio. (The speaker cones are metallic, with some amount of gold, and gold connections, etc., etc.) These Monitor Audios have to be the best looking speakers ever made (real wood veneer cabinetry, with the gold cones and the black covers, etc.). These speakers cost well over a thousand dollars each. Well, I must confess, as awesome as the Monitor Audios sound, I can't really say they sound any better than the Bose 301's!!! They can maybe handle more power, but I assure you the Bose 301's will play loud enough to bring the cops to your doorstep in five minutes or less.
So, when I recently set up my third stereo in a bedroom, I looked forward to buying a third type of speakers. I ran around and listened to what I could find on display. Well, after much contemplation, I went for a second set of the Bose 301's!!! They just couldn't be beat, and I would have gladly spent more if I had found something I liked better. But I'm not going to spend more just so I can say I spent a lot...there has to be increased performance. And, in my opinion, the 301's couldn't be out-performed by any other bookshelf speaker of any price range.
My first set of 301's were black. This time I went for the cherry. Folks, these are absolutely beautiful speakers: almost as cool looking as my Monitor Audios. The black cover and the black housing fixture in the back really accentuate the cherry colored wood. No, it is not real wood, but it looks very nice. These things are simply gorgeous. The kind of "mod" or futuristic shape which Bose has designed really stands out in this lighter-colored version. And, yes, they sound just as good as my original pair. I listen to soft music (jazz, typically, or ambient) in the morning and these speakers deliver all the nuances at very low volume; I listen to hard rock at high volume on other occasions, and the 301's don't scare away or distort at all: these things would tear the house apart before they'd lose sound quality.
So, yes, I recommend these highly. They'd still be the speaker of choice for me at three or four times the price.

Click Here to see more reviews about: BOSE 301-V Stereo Loudspeakers (Pair) - Cherry

The 301-V series speakers employ the renowned Bose magic, in the form of Direct/Reflecting speaker technology. These versatile bookshelf speakers bring a lifelike spaciousness to movies and music. The combination of direct and reflective sound mimic a live performance, whether it's cinema or concert.
The speakers stand alone, mightily, but they also work well with a center channel speaker (the Bose VCS-10) to recreate a true cinema experience. Stereo targeting tweeters, a rear-firing tweeter, spatial dispersion lens and an 8" woofer fill a room with sound without filling it with cabinetry.
Automatic protection circuitry prevents drivers from being overdriven and provides increased reliability.
For its class, the 301 Direct/Reflecting system sounds much bigger than its price suggests.

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3򈭽? GSX Series III DVD Home Entertainment System - Silver Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Here's my background in music and home theater. At one point I had a home with a 'music room' (isolated front room - no TV) which contained some nice furniture and was spacious - about 20x17. Had KEF 105.7 speakers, a tube amp, a good preamp - and it was great to just sit an listen to all types of music. It was a powerful system, pushing 300W (as I recall) into the KEF's. Then I moved and lost my 'music room' - but got a nice Sony DLP TV and added a Sony Home Theater, not a great one, maybe $500 total. This system was OK, but never really listened to it for music, it was just not the same as the KEF's. (Oh, these KEF's are floor standing, large speakers). They would totally dominate the room I have now, which is about 17x15. The Sony 5.1 system did OK as mentioned, but nothing to write home about. The other day I decided to do some research on the web on a new HTIB (Home Theater in a Box) system. Went to the Forums - all of them, and most had recommendations covering all sorts of pricing, and of course, it's what they purchased. Surprising to me, BOSE was not well thought of, and price always entered the equation. I had heard BOSE before in the BOSE store, and decided to check it out again. I went there, and they made it easy, a 60 day return policy, no questions ask. I took home a 321 series III GS (no music storage). I also got the small bookshelf speaker stands. Took me about 10 minutes to set it up in my bedroom and connect to the Flat Panel TV on the wall. I did not even open the manual to set up instructions, the cables only plugged in one place - can't get it wrong. Powered it up, and had music and TV via optical to Direct TV PVR. Wow, the sound was 'open' - and clear. So what does 'open' mean? The highs were powerful, the lows were the same - the voices were as if they were right in front of you. However, it was a bit to 'sharp' for me, so I cut down the Treble a bit and it was better. I lived with this for 3 days, and my wife loved it. Then I took the system to my 17x15 front room where the DLP is. Set the system up and I was immediately converted back to my KEF days - it was great. I sat and listened to all types of music - and I'm more of a Beatles guy leaning toward harder Rock, but Mozart even sounded great - the Juds - wonderful.. CCR was a new experience. A few days more and I decided I wanted the GSX, so I could store music - I called the BOSE store, told them want I wanted to do, they had a system ready for me, came to my car, got the old GS system, put the new one in my car, and I was off - after paying the difference of course. Brought it home, set it up and started burning my CD's - which takes about 5 minutes per CD - and you can only do 10 at a time as the system buffers these before writing to the hard drive. A few days more and I went back and bought my son one for Christmas - he's a great guy doing well in his new job (just graduated from College). Anyway, I now sit and listen to music a fair amount and enjoy it again.
As you have perhaps read, this system is not for everyone. The speakers are small - which was a plus for me - I've had the large ones, not what I wanted this time around. The two speakers sit almost hidden on a shelf, either side of the TV. The bass speaker is over against the wall, hardly know it's there. It's not 5.1 surround sound, but I rarely heard the Sony rear speakers before when playing music. Don't miss this - except for maybe on DVD's - but this is OK for me. Now, having said this, I am considering spending another $1300 and getting the Lifestyle 38 - but am waiting to see if I can talk my self out of this - it's a better system I think, but will I really notice? I don't know. I can use the $1300 elsewhere, but I have the money to spend so I may do it. I would recommend the 321 for a try, in your own home. I think you will see what I mean when you get it home and turn it on.
Merry Christmas '08
Scott
-----------------
12/20/08 So, I had to find out.. I went to BOSE and purchased a Lifestyle 38 - the next to the top of the line, with recording ability. I wanted to see the 5.1 system perform - and I did a comparison test, the LS38 speakers right on top of the 3-2-1 speakers. I set the LS38 to only play 2 speakers + bass, and did an A/B comparison - the same recorded song, switching back and forth. The same volume #, so it was close - and it sounded the same volume. Listening to the LS38 - it sounded good.. as you would expect.. then switched over to the 3-2-1 and it was better! This becomes a bit hard to define - if you were to put your hand in front of your mouth, maybe 1" away, and talk to someone, they could still hear you, and understand you. Now remove your hand and they perhaps hear you with more clarity. This is how I would explain the difference, the 3-2-1 with more clarity. I wrote BOSE about this and here is their response "If you purchased the new 3-2-1(R) GSX Series III system you have the latest Bose system." - this says little, perhaps they know the 3-2-1 sounds better? / different. You read into it what you want. This is not slamming the SL38 by any means, its a great system too - but I, my personal choice, is the 3-2-1 ; others I'm sure will take the LS38 - but for $1300 more than the 3-2-1 GSX, it's not worth it to me. (I would also say the 3-2-1 had more center 'presents' than the LS38, even running 4 speakers (3+1) on the 38
sc


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Bose Lifestyle 48 Series IV - Home theater system - 5.1 channel - white Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Bose Lifestyle 48 system outperforms all previous Bose Lifestyle and Receiver Acoustimass combos. You cannot find a better sounding Bose speaker - bass model - media center combination on the market. The expansion, frills, design, power, sound and easy of use of this system is geared towards the customer branded public. This system is slightly expensive at all Bose stores. The system was bought by myself for multi-room reasons and space requirements. I have not experienced a more friendly on-screen setup and display and sheer volume of recordable songs onto the system from any other system. Overall this system is a dream for somebody which like home theater and stereo sound and wants to be able to not have to change disc every hour. The total specs are available at www.bose.com and if your in the market for this type of stereo/home theater system go to the nearest showroom to hear and expereince the Bose Lifestyle 48 system.
Strengths:
-360 hours downloadable music to the systems and instant replay and music slect which allows the system to understand you playing habits and play those automatically
-expandable to over 10 rooms and play in multiple places at the same time.
-great sound, (bass and treble)
-amazing jaw dropping design
-smaller then ever cube speakers
-easy to learn system
Weaknesses:
MRSP price is high

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Bose Lifestyle V20 Home Theater System - Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)OK, so all I wanted was a great surround system that would accept an optical cable to throw out surround, and did NOT want to have a large receiver sitting under my TV for just that only purpose. The Display being separated from the Media Unit is awesome. I have an Xbox 360, Comcast Tivo (yes, Tivo from Camcast), and an Apple Mac Mini hooked up to a 52" Samsung LCD (1080p) TV, and just wanted surround sound. I was not evening looking for a remote...no remote shipped with any system actually works, right? I was still looking for a 1 remote control solution. (more on the remote later)
Forget the fact that I paid $1700 for this...I know would still pay the $2,000 for it. I know Bose can be pricey.... If you are looking at this, you're considering it too. I would do it again, even without the sale price.
It sounds damn good. It blows away any of those all in one's you see out there for $1,000 or less. I'm sure that at some price point, an all in one will sound better, but I'm sure it will cost a pretty penny. There is even good bass. Can I get more rumble with at 'proper' 8" or 10" subwoofer? Yes, if I want to, but LIstening to Rush, Moving Pictures sounds PERFECT! (had to up the Bass to a +8 to make this sound like that).
Surround is good, bass is good, TV pass thru (for video) is good...even the remote is more than I expected.
Points:
Ships with (just about) everything you need: HDMI, components, composites, & speaker cables, remote, IR transmitters, batteries.
Speaker wires: 3 x 20', and 2 x 50'
Wishes:
it came with speaker stands/mounts. But, most high-end systems don't, and look what it DOES come with. OK, I can give some slack here, but the stands/mounts were $30 (MSRP) each. Found them online for less than 1/2 of that.
REMOTE
Now, I was ready to go buy a true universal remote (Logitech, or old Harmony remotes), but was going to try the Bose remote first.
Waited until I had a few hours, because I had to re-run my HDMI cables. Took the Xbox360 and Comcast Tivo, removed them from the TV, and hooked them up tot he HDMI in on the Bose. Bose is now connected to the TV over HDMI. Played with the remote settings, and was surprised as anything when it worked EXACTLY like I wanted it to. Thought I would have to run the IR Emitters....nope. PLEASE...take your time with the remote settings. There are a LOT OF CODES for your to search through. Don't stop at the first one just because the power on/off feature worked. Write down what worked, and keep moving down the list. Took me 7 working TV codes to find the one where the menu button actually brought up a working menu. Took me 3 tries to find the right Comcast Tivo code. I figure this is why people have problems with the remote's universal feature (that they stop on the 1st working code). The remote is Radio Frequeny for the Bose controls, and will do IR for the other components without requiring the IR Transmitters.
Enjoy

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