Bose vs. CSW vs. others (1 Viewer)

[Brian Elwood]

My father-in-law has a Bose system (he's 78 LOL) that sounds awesome. I wanted to get one also but was told that for MUCH MUCH less a CSW system would sound as good.

1. Is that true?
2. I've heard some bad things about CSW - is there better bang for the buck then CSW?
3. I'm not asking for recommendations - just an overall answer - CAN I get a Bose sound for as little as $800?

I have an average living room - a Yamaha digital reciever - I'm afraid that if I go into a show room I will get what sounds great "in a showroom".

 

[brentl]

There are many MANY other choices out there that offer much better sound for your dollar.

Just look around here, already a few posts about this around.

B

 

[Charlie C]

"CAN I get a Bose sound for as little as $800"

yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes!

So if you HAVE the Yamaha, you are only looking for speakers right? I wont make suggestions but Ill say this. go listen to many many different speakers.

 

[SethH]

As others have said, Yes, you can get much better for that price. I wouldn't necessarily look at CSW, but there are lots of speaker manufacturers out there.

 

[Brian Elwood]

Thanks - when I compared my Stereo turned into Surround (addition of 3 new front speakers) to his Bose I was amazed and THOUGHT (as many newbies do) that Bose was something special.

YES $800 (or more if I get bang for buck better) for ONLY new speakers (5.1).

Go ahead - give suggestions I just did not want to start flame war about using the Search button.

American TV has Infinity, Polk and Klipsch as they main 5.1 systems. I heard a lot of good things about Klipsch

PKG-QUINTET/RW8

 

[gregD]

By all means audition, compare...

And do include CSW... they make genuinely good speakers at bang-for-buck prices.

Furthermore, consider being creative by looking at discounted B-stock satellites (AR HC6) such as can be found at AC4L http://makeashorterlink.com/?W58965E39 , and getting a $4-500 sub from SVS, Hsu, Adire.

 

[Charlie C]

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...hreadid=198304

read up on how ppl spent $ per speaker

I suggest paradigm totems and atoms.

 

[Rory Buszka]

Cambridge Sound Works surround setups will give you sound that is quite a bit better than Bose but for a good deal less money. If you must have small cube satellites for one reason or another I recommend Cambridge Sound Works, not Bose. CSW has some newer-design cubes that have a neodymium-powered 3" driver that should sound a lot nicer than their older ones, which I own. Also, most of their systems nowadays have a powered subwoofer. Only their smallest system has a passive sub but it is much improved, using a 6.5" driver and an 8" passive radiator (works like a bass reflex port but gets lower tunings from smaller air-spaces). If you can still get your hands on Henry Kloss-designed products, you should. Henry Kloss co-founded Cambridge Sound Works and is best known for being the founder of Advent and the designer of the Advent Loudspeakers which are still classics to this day.

 

[Charlie C]

http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=2831864

 

[Rory Buszka]

http://www.cambridgesoundworks.com/s...9zz&type=store

These should do you quite well. They have two-way Newton-series satellites with a 3.5" midbass and a 3/4" silk dome tweeter, for smooth (silk-y?) highs. My aunt owns one of the new-series Cambridge Soundworks MicroWorks PC speaker systems that uses that subwoofer and based on reports from my grandparents and from my aunt, it really shakes the house. My aunt's boyfriend supposedly hung around for hours listening to his CDs on the speakers. You should find this system to be far nicer than a Bose Acoustimass system, but for $450 for the entire set including the 40-watt subwoofer. That's about the size of amplifier that Bose uses in their Acoustimass modules.

For about twice the price, there's this one:

http://www.cambridgesoundworks.com/s...10e&type=store

The subwoofer was reviewed by Sound and Vision magazine a while back, and the review was relatively favorable. The only complaint was one that is common to high-excursion drivers with their greater moving mass, that the sound was mildly tubby. It was, of course, outperformed by the 1000w 12" JBL sub in the review, but it still outdid two of the other three subs in the review including an M&K sub, as I remember. They said it did have very high output. This sub really is tiny, though, compared to the size of its woofer. S&V showed a picture of the woofer. It had a thick 1.5" roll surround and a beefy looking cone with a big dust cap. Its mains use 5.25" drivers along with the same silk dome tweeter, and the surrounds are MultiPole design, with a 3.5" woofer and tweeter firing out the front, and a switchable 2.5" driver on each side, firing out of the side. You can use monopole or multipole for a directive sound field (best for SACD and multichannel music) or a diffuse sound field (best for DVD movies). I'm sure you'd enjoy this system., and for $1000 this is pretty good. Certainly a lot better than an Acoustimass 10, which costs the same.

 

[Brian Elwood]

For CSW I was looking at the MovieWorks 208. (sorry - can't post link)

problem with CSW is that there is no place around Wisconsin to hear them.

 

[Rory Buszka]

The Movieworks 208 is basically the same thing as the Newton Theater MC200.2 system (the second one I described) but with the smaller, less-powerful subwoofer. The price difference is $200. For a compromise, there is the Newton Theater MC100.2 for $900, which amounts to a price difference of just $100, which I would recommend that you take, because extra bass is very important to home theater. That's why you see everyone running off to get a bigger subwoofer these days, usually one supplied by SVS. The only functional difference between the Newton Theater MC200.2 and the MC100.2 is that the MC100.2 has smaller satellites. There might be some trouble getting the satellites to match up to the sub just right.

As with any product offered by an online direct-sales brand, you generally have to rely on reviews in order to get an idea of how well this system will satisfy you. In some places, there are Cambridge Soundworks outlet stores, kind of like how Bose has outlet stores. However, if you can't locate one somewhere in Wisconsin, look on a website called AudioReview.com which has owners' reviews of audio products from many, many manufacturers including Cambridge Soundworks. But be sure to look around and try to figure out who knows what they're talkiing about and who doesn't. Because there are some people on those sites who just like to cause trouble or just don't know what they're talking about. Look for a fairly objective qualitative analysis of the sound, without a lot of foul language or ranting and raving. That's how you spot the ones who know what they're talking about.

Some comments from Audioreview include that the Newton series subs have very clean-sounding amplifiers, and the drivers are high-quality.

 

[Rory Buszka]

In fact, I'd go with a less nice reciever in order to have the beefier Newton P200 sub and bigger satellites that come with the Newton Theater MC200.2.

 

[Brian Elwood]

I have the reciever already - your sounding like my wife "WHY STOP THERE" - that's how I got my big screen TV!! LOL

But what is the difference betweem

Cambridge SoundWorks Newton Theater™ MC200.2 Home Theater Speaker System

and

Cambridge SoundWorks MovieWorks 310 Home Theater Speaker System

 

[Charlie C]

if the wife says "WHY STOP THERE?" dont stop!!!!

 

[Rory Buszka]

The MovieWorks 310 has nicer main speakers but it has a less capable sub, the BassCube 10S. The BassCube is more like what you'd find as part of a nicer HTiB system. It will do the job, probably, if you're filling a bedroom. The Newton sub has 125 more watts than the BassCube 10S (which has 75), and will produce a more thrilling ride, with deeper, more powerful bass. I can attest to the awesomeness of having more watts. When I went from a 150w sub to a 500w sub, though I played it at the same levels, the sound was cleaner because the amplifier was not clipping at louder levels. If you push the MovieWorks sub too far you will probably get the "Wubba-Wubbas", which is the sound the amplifier makes when it is distorting.

Get the Newton theater, when choosing between those two.

I would still say the MC200.2 system is what you want. With what you get with that package, you're doing VERY well for $1000. Especially since the P200 sub by itself is $600. Those packages are a great way to get lots of gear at a big discount.

Cambridge Soundworks on the Newton P200 Sub (featured in MC200.2):

"Don’t deprive yourself of first-rate bass response just because you have cramped quarters or a small pocketbook. Our new Newton Series P200 powered subwoofer is one of the greatest products we have ever introduced.

The P200 delivers the incredibly accurate, incredibly dynamic bass of our other Newton series subwoofers--but at a new low price. It contains a 10" ultra-long-throw polymer laminate woofer identical to that used in our P1000 (the P1000 uses two woofers, the P200 uses one.)

The P200's woofer is driven by a new 200-watt B.A.S.H digital amplifier. The P200 delivers accurate, clean bass at high volumes down to 25 Hz!

The P200 will help your stereo system, stereo television or home theater system deliver the kind of gut-wrendhing bass that’s missing. We challenge you to find a better, more musical subwoofer under $600!"



10" polymer laminate cone with high excursion suspension
Slate finish with knit cloth grilles on removable frame
200 watt B.A.S.H. amplifier with discrete MOSFET output stage
Phase Control switch
Level Control
Low frequency -3dB point-25Hz / 35Hz. Switchable
Frequency Response-25 - 200Hz. (Dependent on Cutoff and crossover settings.)
Incl. floor spikes (4), rubber feet (4)
Dimensions: 13 3/4" H x 12" W x 13 1/2" D
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY...

"...the P200 sub works its magic on movie soundtracks and music with equal enthusiasm, delivering deep bass that's felt as well as heard." - CNet.com 4/18/02

 

[Rory Buszka]

Also - if "Why Stop There" is your attitude toward this, you can get the bigger main speakers of the Movieworks 310 and the P200 sub if you buy the Newton Theater MC300.2, which is $1300. Keep in mind - that's what you'd pay for a Bose Acoustimass 15 system. If you want 6.1, just buy another MC200 satellite. They're listed under Bookshelf Speakers.

 

[Brian Elwood]

Let's keep inside the envelope Rory LOL. I'm demo-ing some systems tomorrow NOT at the local chains (Best Buy, American TV) but at a local HT shop that advertise Denon, Paradigm, Harmon/Kardon,Anthem, CWS, B&K, Infocun, Martin Logan, Theil, Musical Fidelity, Arcam, Rega, Grado

I honestly have never heard of most of those. But at least they sould like Geeks (like you guys) amd we all know if you want something good, talk to a Audio geek

 

[Rory Buszka]

Paradigm makes some good speakers. They're made in Canada. I don't know how much you're wanting to spend, but you won't find any Thiel for less than $2000 or so. And that's just for one speaker, probably. Paradigm are probably lots more to your price point. You could probably do a decent (comparable to the CSW) Paradigm system for $1500-2000.

 

[Brian Elwood]

My floating budget is $800 but up to $1000 if I HAVE TO!!

Over that and I start to feel guilty about not spending more on the bathroom (boring but a wife bribe).

This is all poker money so I'm already bribing the wife with a trip to St. John USVI in Febuary.

online poker RULES!