Has Bose ever made a sub? (1 Viewer)

[Keir H]

I know of their "bass modules" but have they ever made a subwoofer? Seems like a company which does and great job marketing would have one out their to mate with non AM speaker models. I have a cousic who insists that he stay the same with his gear...all Sony front electronics, Bose AM-15 with a bad driver in the module. THe damaged happened after too much LOTR (cooked vers) and other bass heavy dvd's. I warned him not to raise the level to MAX. Any ideas?

 

[Lew Crippen]

I’m not aware that Bose has ever made any subs. But even if they did, one would not be a good substitute for their Acoustimass module. This is because the AM in large part compensates for the small jewel cube speakers by reproducing frequencies in the lower mid-range (maybe up to 250 Hx or so).

As the typical subwoofer tops out at around 150 Hz, if your friend were to substitute a sub for his AM, his already deficient mid-range performance would be even worse.

 

[ChrisLazarko]

Agreed, and true.

 

[GrahamT]

Maybe an 8" polk or Yammy sub can reach up into 250 hz territory. Even if they dont, I dont think your cousin will notice (no offense) because there is a gap in freq response between the cubes and BM anyways.

 

[KostaVan]

Even if they did, I wouldn't buy it. Bose sucks

 

[Robert_Gaither]

Only one I know of is for their pro-audio gear they make a bandpass sub that their reps think is really great (heard it once and man did it suck).

 

[Paul M.Kuziel]

If Bose did make a sub it would be about the size of a lunch box, silver, cost about $5000.00, and capable of only going down to 45Hz. I always get a kick over that little radio Bose sells with it bass "waveguide" technology, Jesus that was pioneered years ago and perfected by Paul Klipsch.

 

[Wayne Ernst]

If Bose did make a sub it would be about the size of a lunch box, silver, cost about $5000.00, and capable of only going down to 45Hz.

And, be powered by 50 watts of amplifier power.

 

[Keir H]

I told him about the freq gap, but when you are talking to a true fan thats been brainwashed by marketing, he feels they could do no wrong. PLus , he hasnt a clue about freq response lingo when i try to explain to him. I think he is looking at a JBL PB10. SO he needs something that has the highest xover setting possible correct? thanks guys.

 

[John Garcia]

Keep the BM to handle the midrange, and add the sub in for low support.

 

[Rory Buszka]

The bass module has gone bad. If you can, you might be able to send it back to Bose for a repair. Be warned, though: The $5.00 Bose 901 driver costs $100 from them.

I would tell you to tell him to get a new AM-15 "because nothing will be quite the same" but I don't think that would be very ethical of me. Just on a side trip, take him out to an Ovation or a Tweeter (or some high-end store) or even a Best Buy (the Athenas are quite decent) and have him take a listen to what REAL sound sounds like. If you want him to hear some really excellent speakers, you will have to get him to a store that doesn't also sell washers and dryers. But if he does wind up getting a new Bose AM-15, they have three drivers instead of the two, and the bass module is powered so he can't blow it by turning the thing up too much.

The 701s feature a bass section (8" woofer in a tapered enclosure), and they (Bose) also made a "Stereo-Everywhere" speaker (the 10.2) that had an 8" woofer in a 6th-order Bandpass enclosure as well as the 8" firing out of the front at an angle. Those two speakers with bass sections might almost qualify as subwoofers.

 

[John_MackieBass]

if bose made a sub I wouldnt buy it.

 

[Scott_N]

I'm still waiting on Bose to make a proper tweeter much less a sub.

 

[Danny Tse]

Bose makes all sorts of speakers and powered subs for its Japanese market that are not available in North America.

Here's the Bose 464 Westborough (with a dome tweeter)



the Bose AM-033, standalone sub (a consumer product in Japan)



and the 33W4 (with the 33W4S powered sub)

 

[Scott_N]

So why don't they market them in the US? The home products they sell here are a joke.

 

[BrianWoerndle]

Even if you get a new sub that can reach above 200hz, you absolutly can not eliminate the Acoustimass module. The cubes have to go through the sub for the crossover and power management. A new sub will at most let you pass 2 speakers through its crossover. If you hook the cubes directly to a receiver they will be blown in seconds. The cubes can't handle much power at all, and the AM module regulates power to them.

Sorry, but this guy is screwed. The Bose AM series are an integrated set, so if a part of it goes bad you have to fix it or get all new speakers (

 

[Keir H]

Thanks guys and also appreciate you Brian for clarifying, I'll be sure to bringup this post to him and maybe that'll convice him...then again... I thought there was an outside chance of these little cubes being able to be powered by a receiver or through the sub he choses. Guess not since I did not even realize they had such a low power handling capability. That sux. I wonder how much they charge for a replacement module. Hey cool pics Danny! Now it goes to show you what Boses bread n butter is here in the states....AM series.

 

[Danny Tse]

I really don't know why Bose don't market those speakers I posted here in the States. It seems like they've found a specialized niche here and they are willing to give up on other segments of the speaker market. On the other hand, Bose's Japanese website doesn't even mention anything about the 501 or 701 floorstanding speakers we have here in the States. Probably due to the size of the typical Japanese living room.

BTW, years ago, Bose actually manufactured a MUCH bigger version of that Acoustimass Cannon subwoofer with an amp. The version above looks tobe a passive version.

 

[John_MackieBass]

Bose's idea of a "subwoofer is a 6.5" paper cone "subwoofer" in a TL box crossed over at ~500hz. Hopefully you place the "sub" inbetween your front L/Rs cause its gonna play midbass!

 

[Jaime B]

Rory:

Stop joking! A Bose 901 driver can't cost $5.00, it's impossible!!!

Bose won't pay more than $3.00 for a driver, period!