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T2 Unregistered guest | I'm looking to upgrade my rears and possibly the center and would like some advice. I have a pioneer VSX-9700S receiver and original bose 601's as mains. Currently have cheap kenwood for rears, and a good older infinity for the center. (not that it matters, but also have original bose AM-5's as the "B's" in my rec room.) I know my equipment doesn't impress you high end audiophiles, but they've served me well for about 14 years. All suggestions other than "get another receiver and mains" is greatly appreciated! As "matching" is an issue, I'd especially appreciate input from those that know bose. Thanks in advance for your input. |
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T2 Unregistered guest | A little more receiver info for ya... I believe the main output is 125, and the center and rears are 40. |
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Silver Member Username: KanoPost Number: 749 Registered: Oct-04 | Bose was made with better quality components and design 14 years ago, the present speakers are all marketing and substandard construction. Read this review of the Acoustimass speakers for insight into Bose's present business practices. http://www.intellexual.net/bose.html If you're dead set on keeping the 601s the current Bose offerings may not match up any better than another speaker. |
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Anonymous | What kind of money are you looking to spend? |
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Silver Member Username: GavincummPost Number: 362 Registered: Feb-05 | the original 601 are actually decent speakers. I am not too keen on current bose speakers, but don't actually mind the 601's with the 4 tweeters per speaker. They actually sounded great, provided they were set up properly. You might be better off having them re-coned if they need it then spending money on a lesser pair of speakers. very rarely do I say this, but think about keeping those bose. |
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Silver Member Username: KanoPost Number: 752 Registered: Oct-04 | He wants to keep the Bose, he's looking for matching centre and surrounds. |
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Silver Member Username: GavincummPost Number: 364 Registered: Feb-05 | I would say try to find a pair of Bose 141's on ebay. They are inexpensive, and decent speakers for the price. Very often, you can find them new in the box. The only problem is that they arent easily wall mountable. You will have to find DIY brackets from www.partsexpress.com |
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New member Username: Mike_butlerPost Number: 1 Registered: Nov-05 | "Matching" is not nearly the issue that you may suspect (after all, you are currently using non-Bose rears) because the rear speakers serve a different purpose. That is why the rear channels of many receivers are lower power...it's just a much less critical application. In fact, upgrading the rears may not yield that big an improvement. I worked in the industry (managed a stereo store) back in the 1970s when the Bose 901 first came out, and have been acquainted with their products over the years. I agree that the current crop are disappointing in terms of quality and performance for the dollar. For the record, I too have an Acoustimass system in my other house, not that I'm fond of three 5-1/4" woofers in a plastic cabinet, but it does work in the room space unobtrusively where "normal" speakers would be more difficult. I also have a Wave radio in the bedroom and Bose speakers in my Corvette. Have you thought about moving the 601s to the back, as long as they are working well, and getting some upgrade speakers for the front? You didn't say anything about how much money you wanted to pay, but with that Pio's 125 wpc, a pair of JBLs would rock the hizzouse! |
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New member Username: Mike_butlerPost Number: 2 Registered: Nov-05 | "Matching" is not nearly the issue that you may suspect (after all, you are currently using non-Bose rears) because the rear speakers serve a different purpose. That is why the rear channels of many receivers are lower power...it's just a much less critical application. In fact, upgrading the rears may not yield that big an improvement. I worked in the industry (managed a stereo store) back in the 1970s when the Bose 901 first came out, and have been acquainted with their products over the years. I agree that the current crop are disappointing in terms of quality and performance for the dollar. For the record, I too have an Acoustimass system in my other house, not that I'm fond of three 5-1/4" woofers in a plastic cabinet, but it does work in the room space unobtrusively where "normal" speakers would be more difficult. I also have a Wave radio in the bedroom and Bose speakers in my Corvette. Have you thought about moving the 601s to the back, as long as they are working well, and getting some upgrade speakers for the front? You didn't say anything about how much money you wanted to pay, but with that Pio's 125 wpc, a pair of JBLs would rock the hizzouse! |
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T2 Unregistered guest | So far there's been good input folks, and good points to be considered... bottom line though, is I want to upgrade my rears and center. (Mike Butler made mention of my AM-%'s having a plastic case for the subwoofer.... my cabinet is wood. compressed fiberboard as it is, it's still wood. The original bose AM-5's have the wood sub, w/ 2 2by square sattelites.) By the way Mike, putting the 601's at the rears w/ only 40 watts to drive them is a serious injustice to the speakers. |
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T2 Unregistered guest | Has anyone experience w/ the 191's bose has? With the room I'm looking at, mounting speakers in the wall has a certain amount of appeal at this point. Any input? |
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T2 Unregistered guest | Gavin, I have my 601's 3 1/2" off the floor on a solid oak selfmade stand. On the floor seems to isolate some of the response response from them. Take my word for it folks, If you have the original 601's, find something (or make it like I did) that'll get 'em off the floor and allow the sound to come "under" the speaker. I don't know why, but space under the speaker seems to allow more of a true "relection" these speakers were made for. Anywho, I notice a difference of clarity that truly makes me appreciate the sound I get from these things! The stand is kind of an open "X" configuration, with 1/2" tall x 1/4" wide "fingers" holding the speakers centered on all 4 sides keeping the whole speaker / stand assembly rock solid. Stands lined w/ fine brown felt to keep the wood look of the 601's and the oak stand. It also isolates all reverb or wood to wood chatter. All I notice is pure crisp clean music! |
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T2 Unregistered guest | In response to Anonymous... If I can get the rears and center for $800 or so, I'd be happy. |
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T2 Unregistered guest | Can anyone explain to me why the bose web page gives really nothing on the specs now? Only dimensions, tweeter / woofer size, impedience and power ratings. Even then, the impedience and power are variable! What ever happened to freq. range? THD? Has bose dropped that far down the quality chain? |
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New member Username: Mike_butlerPost Number: 3 Registered: Nov-05 | T2, I agree that 40w is on the skimpy side for those speaks...didn't know that about your receiver. As for obtaining specs, don't hold your breath...Bose runs on pure marketing power nowadays, and gets away with it. Their clientele has become the plug-and-play crowd to whom specs are just a meaningless jumble of numerals. Ever try to get the wattage, freq. response, THD, damping factor, etc. for their SA-2 "Lifestyle" amplifier? Yeah, right. MDF (medium density fiberboard) is a totally legitimate material for loudspeaker enclosures if the right thickness is used...it is near impossible to find consumer speaker systems made of actual plywood (although the Altec Voice of the Theatre is 13-ply Baltic birch, and would knock you into next week with a mere 40 watts). I think I have an AM-7 system, but I'm not at the house to verify that; in any case it's so tucked away I never even look at it, and maybe it's the rolled edge of the bass port that makes me think it's plastic. I just remember that it's all-black. I am using 3.5-inch "X"-type stands like you under my JBL 4311B Control Monitors, I also turned them upside down so the HF and mid drivers are on top (they were designed to be mounted in the studio above eye level over the mixing console, where the woofer would be closest to the ceiling in the normal application). I also made a pair of rectangular stands (same height) for the B-I-C Venturi Formula 4 speakers in my home office. Both have stick-on felt on the top and bottom to prevent wood chafing. Have you thought about the Klipsch Synergy series? Their products have been known to do well with modest amounts of amplifier power. Regardless of whether anyone loves or hates Bose (or any other brand), it is a sad day when sheer marketing hype and glitz have taken the place of A/B comparison demos and published verifiable specs. |
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Silver Member Username: NuckParkhill, Ontario Canada Post Number: 438 Registered: Dec-04 | Yes, T2, Bose has fallen off the food chain of audio so far as to be considered an overpriced joke. I could lead you toa hundred links, but in trust, here in this audiophile forum, Bose is the 'go to' joke for horrid, awful overpriced kief, so bad as to be called names like Bose lover. Sorry, It's true(here) |
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T2 Unregistered guest | Ok... out of this thread I've had one suggestion to my original question... Any or you folks out there have another?? |
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Silver Member Username: Rysa4Post Number: 140 Registered: Jul-05 | Since power is an issue, we are talking about a high efficiency center channel for clear dialog. My vote goes to Paradigm CC series for a Center. There are several models in the line from 99 on up. We cant match the drivers of the 601s so thats out. Stands decouple the speakers from the floor, a time honored and logical move for optimal speaker performance. Might get some inexpensive Paradigm surrounds as well. Hope that helps. |
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Gold Member Username: Edster922Abubala, Ababala The Occupation Post Number: 3087 Registered: Mar-05 | My vote for the "high efficiency center channel for clear dialogue" would be this: http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages/products/speakers/cmt340c/cmt340c.html Clear as bell! |