Acoustimass 7 (1 Viewer)

[KW7A]

First off, please don't laugh.
I am on a low fixed income (SS Retired). I'm 66 years old and I can no longer hear the high sounds but would like to enjoy (what I can hear) the 7.1 surrond experiance. My living room is only 10' by 15'. The TV is on the 15' wall.
I have an old set of Bose Acoustimass 7s and 4 Bose 100 speakets.
Although not the greatest, I have used them with my old (20 year old Yamaha DSP-A970) surrond system.
I now have a new 47" HDTV (Toshiba 47L6200U) and I would like to reuse them (Lack of money is the driving factor).
Walmart has a Sony STR-DH520 (7.1 surrond) on sale for $199.00. I an thinking of getting it.
Question(s):
I would like to use an HDMI cable to connect the HDTV to the new amp, any problems there?
How should I hookup the Acoustimass 7 speakers to the receiver? Just as L/R/C and turn off the sub???
I would like to use the 4 Bose 100 speakers for the surrond and back speakers.
Or should I just live with the old Yamaha amp? (It doesn't have any HDMI connections, just RCA).
Any kind help would be welcome.
John

 

[Number1AVdork]

In your situation I'd consider one of the home theater in a box systems that comes with the receiver and speakers. Amazon has the onkyo speaker package for 250$ and free shipping. Can't beat that. Another option would be to spend 200$ on a used pair of speakers and just run a nice stereo setup hooked to the TV and Yahmaha.
The Bose speakers have no midrange or midbass...any good pair of speakers is going to fill the room with sound like you have never heard before, regardless of hearing loss. Even though your Yahmaha is 20 years old, it's a well built amp with pretty good sound.

 

[schan1269]

In your situation I'd consider one of the home theater in a box systems that comes with the receiver and speakers. Amazon has the onkyo speaker package for 250$ and free shipping. Can't beat that. Another option would be to spend 200$ on a used pair of speakers and just run a nice stereo setup hooked to the TV and Yahmaha.
The Bose speakers have no midrange or midbass...any good pair of speakers is going to fill the room with sound like you have never heard before, regardless of hearing loss. Even though your Yahmaha is 20 years old, it's a well built amp with pretty good sound.

Mr Bad Advice all around...worst here.
Seriously.
That Sony is fine. Yes you use the bass module on the front left and right...as the Bose AM series "pre-dates" .1.

 

[KW7A]

Good news,
My local Furniture / electronics store is willing to meet the Wal-Mart price AND I also get $50.00 off. So it looks like I can get the Sony STR-DH520 for $150.00
If I am reading the other threads correctly, then adding a separate (real) sub-woofer would help. I can put the money I just saved towards a sub-woofer someday.
Since it will be an inexpensive sub-woofer, should I be on the lookout for an active or passive sub-woofer?
Or is there something else I should be saving for instead?????
Thanks for the sound advice.
John

 

[schan1269]

Well, you can't use Bose cubes without the bass module...
It is up to you if you want to add a powered subwoofer or not(in this day and age, pretty much must be powered).
Even these would be a marked improvement over the bass the Bose module will come up with...
http://www.amazon.com/Dayton-Audio-SUB-800-Powered-Subwoofer/dp/B0063NU30K/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1355450380&sr=1-1&keywords=dayton+subwoofer
http://www.amazon.com/BIC-AMERICA-V-80-Powered-Subwoofer/dp/B00009WBYK/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1355450415&sr=1-1&keywords=bic+v80
The prices on those two fluctuate where I've seen the Dayton as inexpensive as $70 and the BIC as low as $85.
Don't know where you are, but you might be able to find a craigslist or Ebay(you can search on Ebay by distance...) deal on an 8" or 10" sub for $75 and under. Just make sure it actually works before buying it. And, if you find something(if you don't mind the used market) you can link it here and say...
"I found this thing, is it worth it?"

 

[Number1AVdork]

Mr Bad Advice? I think not. The bose system doesn't have any dynamic range. The midrange is stuffed into a box and the tweeters are not integrated. The sound is awful. A pair of bookshelf speakers like the B&W 601 or 602 from the english made era of B&W would easily outclass any 5 channel garbage system.
Sometimes it's better to have good two channel audio than a multi speaker bonanza. Calling the Bose module a subwoofer is like calling a Yugo a Bugatti.

 

[schan1269]

And what about all the parts you missed?
Fixed income?
He owns it already?
Making the best of what he has?
Is this good enough?
How did you miss those 4?
Well?
And I never called it (apparently you don't read full threads) a subwoofer. I've NEVER called it anything more than a bass module. You want to know why?
Bose doesn't even call it a subwoofer...

 

[Steve_Pannell]

I used to have a set of Bose Acoustimass 5 speakers in a 10 x 13 bedroom. I had a couple of small Radio Shack speakers as surrounds. I even added a passive subwoofer later. Didn't sound too bad and I used them for a long time until I could get something better. (Bose is fairly expensive but that doesn't necessarily mean "better".)
I had them hooked up like the OP said...L/R/C and rears, of course. I just connected the passive subwoofer to the L/R terminals along with the Bose speakers. And yes I used the bass module and the passive sub.
I still have the passive sub and would offer to sell it to the OP if it weren't such a beast to ship.

 

[KW7A]

Thank you all for your advice.
A point of clearification if I may.
I am on a low fixed income so a new system is out of the question. At one time I had extra money to burn and all your suggestions would have been helpful, but alas, I am stuck with what I have from 20 years ago.
Spending $200.00 is pushing it a bunch for me now so replacing the complete system is not doable.
OBTH I went down to get the Sony 520 receiver and walked away with a Sony 720 system for $217.00 (new).
I believe everybody here agrees that the base module for the AM7 is just that and not a true subwoofer.
If I do a good job of saving my money I may have a little bit of money to put towards a new subwoofer someday.
OH, one last note! Even if I did upgrade, with my hearing I probely wouldn't be able to tell the difference.........
One step at a time.
John H. Long Jr.
KW7A
East Carbon, Utah 84520
USA

 

[Type A]

Calling the Bose module a subwoofer is like calling a Yugo a Bugatti.

LMAO, thats a great one.

 

[KW7A]

I ran acrost some surplus Polk subwoofers. They have about 20 of them.
DXi124 in a DXi112 enclosure for $85.00.
I can use my Yamaha Amp to drive it.
What do you think?
John

 

[schan1269]

Yes that will work. You'd run the sub pre-out into one of the analog input(any but phono) and then run the appropriate speaker...
So, say you run the sub pre-out into the a left CD...you'd pick the cd input and connect the left speaker to the Polk box.

 

[schan1269]

However, next time you have some spare cash...pick up a mono amp. You could sell the Yammy, there is still a market for those older AVR because of the phono input.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Slightly-Used-Audiophile-Quality-Dayton-Audio-APA150-Power-Amplifier-/230894373140?pt=US_Home_Audio_Amplifiers_Preamps&hash=item35c2608914