Bose & Definitive Technology Speakers (1 Viewer)

[Maximln]

I am on my 3rd Bose Acoustimass setup & I have loved these systems tremendously. I currently have the Bose Acoustimass 16 which I have had for probably about 6 years now. On certain low frequencies, the Acoustimass module will make a strange noise, almost like it is blown or something. It doesn't do it on everything but it does happen occasionally. I have been thinking about buying a new system but apparently Bose no longer sells the Acoustimass 16. I can order it from Best Buy but it is now only available in silver (all my equipment is black) but I could probably live with that. I wanted to hurry & get it while it is still available but it did concern that Bose no longer made it. I went into Best Buy today to see about ordering them & they showed me some Definitive speakers. They told be that Bose was a good brand that the "DefTech" speakers were so much better! Well, I did it. I ended up getting the DefTech speakers! I got the BP-8040's for the front, I got the Mythos Gems for the surrounds, & I got the ProCenter 1000 for the center. I spent a little more than I had intended but I must say, they sound incredible! I am blown away at the bass & the sound coming from the center & rear channels. The sound is so much fuller I still want to get 2 additional channels for the rear but I already had a Bose cube speaker installed in the back for the 6.1 surround back channel. I left it hooked it up to the receiver & it seems to sound pretty good for the 6th channel. What do you guys think about the setup? Thanks, Max

 

[David Willow]

Careful plugging the BO$E cubes directly into your receiver. They are made to work with the "bass module" and could damage your receiver. Funny that your bass module made noise with lower frequencies. I didn't know they could do that ("no highs, no lows, it must be BO$E).

 

[Jason Charlton]

Originally Posted by Maximln

...I must say, they sound incredible! I am blown away at the bass & the sound coming from the center & rear channels. The sound is so much fuller...

I think you've answered your own question. You marvel at how much better the DefTechs are than the Bose you previously had. Why would you think it would be any different with the back surrounds?


Ditch the Bose speakers. You don't need really nice speakers for back surrounds on a 7.1 system, but since you've begun the Bose purge, there's no sense in stopping now.


Good luck, and enjoy your system!

 

[Maximln]

Careful plugging the BO$E cubes directly into your receiver. They are made to work with the "bass module" and could damage your receiver. Funny that your bass module made noise with lower frequencies. I didn't know they could do that ("no highs, no lows, it must be BO$E).

Thank you for your reply David. I had heard that it wasn't good to plug a BOSE speaker directly in but since it was already there, I figured I might as well give it a try. I figured it would put out muffled sound or something but it actually sounds really good. I do plan to buy 2 more rear back speakers but I had already spent enough on the other speakers. Now the salesman is trying to get me to upgrade the center speaker to one that also has a powered sub. I'm not even sure how to plug that in! He is also trying to pawn off a new $2,000 a/v receiver for only around a grand (it is a floor model)! I'm starting to break out in a sweat!! ha ha

 

I think you've answered your own question.  You marvel at how much better the DefTechs are than the Bose you previously had.  Why would you think it would be any different with the back surrounds?

 

Ditch the Bose speakers.  You don't need really nice speakers for  back surrounds on a 7.1 system, but since you've begun the Bose purge, there's no sense in stopping now.

 

Good luck, and enjoy your system!

Thank you for your reply as well Jason. I did answer my own question. They do sound incredible!! I am definitely going to get a few more back surrounds. Since they are not super important, I want to see where I end up with the upgraded center channel & or the new receiver before I take the plunge on the surround backs! AND, I have to take the BOSE purge slowly...I don't want to relapse!! ha ha Max

 

[Jason Charlton]

Originally Posted by Maximln

Now the salesman is trying to get me to upgrade the center speaker to one that also has a powered sub. He is also trying to pawn off a new $2,000 a/v receiver for only around a grand (it is a floor model)! I'm starting to break out in a sweat!! ha ha

There is absolutely no reason that I can think of for having a powered center channel speaker. Really, I'm not even crazy about powered left/right mains unless you are really into stereo music listening and have a particular pair that you want to use just for that purpose alone (using speaker B connections which generally don't have a separate subwoofer output). IMO, you're better off spending a bit more on a quality subwoofer (or two) than powered mains, but that's just me.


The center channel is a very important speaker, yes. But its importance is in producing mostly dialog and complementing the left/right main speakers.


The most important thing is that the center channel speaker properly MATCH the left/right mains so that sounds that pan across the front soundstage are consistent (this is called timbre-matching). The match for the BP-8040s is the CS-8040. If the "salesman" is pushing anything other than this speaker, I would advise you to purchase elsewhere - he clearly is not driven by a desire to provide the best overall system performance.


As for the receiver, I'm of the school that views the receiver as the most likely component to get replaced over time, so I believe in not over-spending on the AVR. Speakers will last a lifetime - put your money there. Receivers should be chosen based on connectivity first and foremost. Get one that will support the sources you have. The "salesman" has asked you for a list of all the devices you want hooked up to the system, right? The inclusion of features like Audyssey or some auto-setup and calibration tools is important. If you intend to utilize networking features, then you'll have to step up a model or two, but if that's not on your priority list, then don't pay for the feature.


Wattage numbers on receivers are next to meaningless - especially with mains like the 8040s. They have a 92dB sensitivity, so they can be ear bleeding loud with modest power. Beware labels like "THX" that add more cost than features.


There are "audiophiles" who will argue otherwise, but I've never experienced a receiver that altered the sound of my speakers to any noticeable degree. To say that one manufacturer of receiver "sounds" much better than another is, IMO, a very esoteric claim.


Most of the mainstream brands build quality receivers: Denon, Onkyo, Yamaha, Pioneer, Marantz. Sony is not known for good receivers until you get to their higher-end models, at which point, other manufacturers have better alternatives for better prices.


Let us know which receiver your salesman is pushing and what your system will ultimately consist of, sourcewise, and we might be able to help you decide if it's really what you need.

 

[David Willow]

Bose and speakers with powered woofers are both marketing gimmicks that should be avoided, IMO. Bose presents a sales pitch that makes you forget to ask the important questions (like can the speaker actually produce the sound without big holes) and powered woofers play on the "its bigger so it must be better" angle. The best place to put your subwoofer is almost always different from the best place for your mains. This is even more true for the center.

 

[Maximln]

There is absolutely no reason that I can think of for having a powered center channel speaker.  Really, I'm not even crazy about powered left/right mains unless you are really into stereo music listening and have a particular pair that you want to use just for that purpose alone (using speaker B connections which generally don't have a separate subwoofer output).  IMO, you're better off spending a bit more on a quality subwoofer (or two) than powered mains, but that's just me.

 

The center channel is a very important speaker, yes.  But its importance is in producing mostly dialog and complementing the left/right main speakers.

 

The most important thing is that the center channel speaker properly MATCH the left/right mains so that sounds that pan across the front soundstage are consistent (this is called timbre-matching).  The match for the BP-8040s is the CS-8040.  If the "salesman" is pushing anything other than this speaker, I would advise you to purchase elsewhere - he clearly is not driven by a desire to provide the best overall system performance.

 

As for the receiver, I'm of the school that views the receiver as the most likely component to get replaced over time, so I believe in not over-spending on the AVR.  Speakers will last a lifetime - put your money there.  Receivers should be chosen based on connectivity first and foremost.  Get one that will support the sources you have.  The "salesman" has asked you for a list of all the devices you want hooked up to the system, right?  The inclusion of features like Audyssey or some auto-setup and calibration tools is important.  If you intend to utilize networking features, then you'll have to step up a model or two, but if that's not on your priority list, then don't pay for the feature.

 

Wattage numbers on receivers are next to meaningless - especially with mains like the 8040s.  They have a 92dB sensitivity, so they can be ear bleeding loud with modest power.  Beware labels like "THX" that add more cost than features.

 

There are "audiophiles" who will argue otherwise, but I've never experienced a receiver that altered the sound of my speakers to any noticeable degree.  To say that one manufacturer of receiver "sounds" much better than another is, IMO, a very esoteric claim.

 

Most of the mainstream brands build quality receivers: Denon, Onkyo, Yamaha, Pioneer, Marantz.  Sony is not known for good receivers until you get to their higher-end models, at which point, other manufacturers have better alternatives for better prices.

 

Let us know which receiver your salesman is pushing and what your system will ultimately consist of, sourcewise, and we might be able to help you decide if it's really what you need.

The center that he was actually showing me was the CS-8040 & also the CS-8060. The CS-8060 is actually the one that has the powered subwoofer. I guess that one is the one for the BP-8060's. Which brings me to another question. The BP-8040’s sound incredible when you are watching a movie but I was listening to a CD last night and I don’t think they sounded quite as full, or maybe not quite as “bassy.” Is there a big difference in sound between the BP-8040’s & the BP-8060’s? If I ended up upgrading to the BP-8060’s, would I then need the powered sub CS-8060 center channel or would the non-powered CS-8040 center work ok with BP-8060’s? I really do not listen to music that much, mainly movies & the BP-8040’s do sound incredible when watching a movie so is upgrading to the BP-8060’s even necessary? I think they do have a separate powered sub, the SuperCube 2000. Would it be worth getting that as a separate sub or are the subs in the 8040’s/8060’s good enough? I currently have a Denon 987 which I really like. It does have auto-setup with Audyssey. I love how it can upgrade all analog signals (composite, S-VHS, & component) and output through HDMI so I only have 1 HDMI cable going to the monitor. It cannot decode HD audio but it does accept decoded HD audio via HDMI. I guess that’s really the only reason that I want to upgrade it. It currently does a great job & I have no problems with it. I definitely would like to get another Denon. The one that I am looking at is the Denon 3312. It is a 7.2 receiver & has 7 HDMI inputs (including one in the front which I really like!) The one that they are trying to sell me is the Denon 4311. It is a 9.2 receiver & also has & HDMI inputs. They are both very similar with the 4311 having more power but the 3312 would be just fine for me but they are saying that they could sell me the floor model 4311 for the same price as the new 3312 ($1099). I do have a lot of equipment hooked up to it including an Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Wii, Apple TV, DirecTV HD DVR, Comcast HD receiver (Comcast sort of forced me to take this. They lowered my bundle bill by taking it), Sony 5 disc DVD player, Sony Bluray player, Toshiba HD-DVD player, JVC S-VHS, Sony VHS/DVD recorder, Phillips DVD player (I use that one because it is region free & you can also play PAL DVD’s on it), a Denon CD player & also a JVC dual tape deck (why I still have this hooked up…). I do also have a 4 HDMI switcher & also a 5 component switcher hooked up to it. The receiver does a great job switching from source to source. I really do not need to upgrade the receiver other that I would like to have one with more HDMI switching power & all the current audio codecs so maybe I should invest a little more in the speakers than in a new receiver? Thanks for all your input! Max

 

[Maximln]

Well I ended up taking back the ProCenter 1000 & got the CS-8040 center channel. What a difference!! So much fuller! I am very happy with it. I also ended up getting the Denon 4311ci & if you can be in love with an electronic component, I am in love!! I guess I should've done a little research before I bought everything. I didn’t realize that all of these speakers come in “series” & not really just buy whatever you want & make it work! The speakers that go with BP-8040 fronts & the CS-8040 center are the SR-8040 rears! The rear speakers that I got were the Mythos Gems. They seem like great speakers & I like the way the look! The Mythos Gems are actually a little more expensive than the SR-8040’s but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are better. Do you think they will work ok with the other 8040’s or should I get the SR-8040’s? Thanks, Max

 

[Al.Anderson]

It doesn't matter nearly as much if the surrounds and/or rears are different, so you'll be fine. The reason for matching the fronts is so get a consistent sound from the primary speakers (called timbre matching). Most of the audio comes from the front speakers, so you want a consistent sound from music, and you don't want to hear a difference when any audio pans from side to side. The surrounds are primarily fill effects and difference in speakers aren't noticeable.