In this video, I review and demo the Bose Acoustimass 5 speaker system. I also demo this system with a second base module to see if there is a noticeable difference. FaceBook Page: / audioronin
I have a Bose Acoustimass 5 and have had it for several years. Overall it is a good sounding speaker package for the size, however a weekness is bass because the double shot cubes and the bass module are really designed to just replace a full size book shelf speaker, but in a split configuration. I added a Klipsch 8" powered subwoofer to mine with the crossover kicking in just over the frequency where the Acoustimass module rolls off. The results are very good. My stereo receiver has a dedicated sub jack so it all works. Getting it adjusted so it just blended took a bit, but I'm pretty much there. The problem with just adding another Acoustimass module is it would just repeat the same frequencies instead of playing the ones below the what the Bose system can.
I have the same speakers with very good bass I mean thundering bass. Every body complaining about bass me too when I played 1st time and I was very disappointed with the sound.. Then I used..ONKYO power and preamp plus equalizer..But the sound is low so the bass..I have a old pinnacle satelite speakers which I was using with my onkyo POWER and preamp..HOOKED up all of the speakers total 2 subwoofer one is Bose one is pinnacle back of the power amp... A+B. After that I DON'T know what the hell HAPPENED..thundering bass sounds started coming..I mean bass is so high my room FLOOR start vibrating.. Then I disconnected the pinnacle subwoofer channel A. I was thinking thundering bass coming from my pinnacle subwoofer. Its not true actually thundering bass COMING from Bose.. Now I am playing only the Bose speakers with unbelievable sound...unbelievable what HAPPENED how it happened I DON'T know..its like miracles.. My suggestions to all you guys having poor quality bass..PLEASE try power amp + preamp + equalizer...
I had the original AM5 and it was ok for apartment listening levels. In a house the weakness of the AM5 were not immediately apparent but I would grow tired of music listening after about 30-45 min. I accepted that for many years as my interests were elsewhere, but when I started missing music in my life, Bose wasn't cutting it. I bought some large inexpensive speakers that totally blow away the AM5 at all listening levels. Later, adding a powered subwoofer made the difference even greater. The AM5 only has small form factor convenience going for it. With my newer speakers, I can listen to music all day and not tire of it.
I've had a set of AM5's for a number of years but did notice they did lack a mid range punch and I was able to cobble together a system using the 901's for the mid range and the AM'5s to handle the highs and the lows. The Base module has to be place about 6 to 12 inch's from a solid wall to get that low range. It was an impressive system and I utilized an Adcom GFA 555 II Amp which gave the 901's the power it needed and I had a Sony ES series pre Amp to drive the AM'5's. Sure now years latter there are cheap end speakers that have better frequency response and they do have a sweeter sound. If you do manage to find a system on the cheap they work great for small Apt's or dorm rooms, but don't expect earth shattering fidelity. They get the job done. A clean 60 watt power amp will drive them nicely.
If you hook up the Acoustimass 3 or Acoustimass 5 speakers, and give them a beefy power amp, and set them up in a room with the bass module firing across the front wall and the cubes facing forward (with the top cubes swiveled to provide wall reflections) they actually do well. They are not bad. Not as good as bookshelf speakers, but I had a set of Acoustimass 3 speakers with the single cubes mounted on floor stands, and they actually produced imaging and reasonably good detail. There is an erroneous article from the late 1990s that claims there was a frequency response "hole", but that article commits a rookie error: It does not account for summation of the output of the cubes and the bass module in the crossover region. If you put the Acoustimass module on a side wall, or behind you to one side, you will notice that some content comes from the bass module that typically shouldn't - which is why Bose recommends directing the bass module output across the front wall.
Thanks for the comment Acoustic Theory. These speakers are great for background music. I have not done enough critical listening with them, but as I get older, maybe I won't be able to tell the difference. 😬
Also, I found putting the rear of the sub in the right front corner and having the port face the rear left corner of the room and it loads the bass beautifully!!
I have a set of the original AM-5 Series 1. My speakers are over 25 years old and still sound brilliant. The bass unit is different in that it has two small ports instead of one large one.
Thanks for the comment Mark. When I was into car audio back in the late 80's, I knew a get that build band pass subwoofer boxes. Once of his designs had a port at both ends. Basically a free air speaker. 🤷🏻♂️
I have the Bose acoustimass 5 series III, got it cheap on EBAY and am pleased although the bass module is not sufficient, the dual high freq. modules kind of over shadow the bass and could use more sound. I 'm concerned that any modification to the bass module might be in vain because of the small port where all the sound comes out. Any suggestions? I like the minimalist style of the system but could use some punch.
Hi, Thank you for your great video. I also have two sets of Bose Acoustimass series 3, and I want to connect both of them in stereo. Meaning ones cube speaker for each base module on each side (right and left). Can you please let me know how you connected the wires? Thank you very much in advance 🙏
What kind of amplifier did you use? And how did you wire the second base module, e.g., did you run it to the 'B' channel of the amp? Or chain it to the same channel your ran the first base module from? Thanks!
I don’t care what people say about bose. My ears are different than yours. That being said I have a Bose Acoustimass 5 series V powered by a PS Audio Sprout with a added Niles SW8 subwoofer and time me it’s a solid setup. The bose subwoofer is only a mid base sub. Yea my setup won’t shake the house but the detail and clarity will make you feel right in front of the artist. Are there better setups out here that’s better than bose? Sure but for me this works. Best of luck to you all and happy listening.
Most bose equipment has excellent bass and clarity.had a friend of mine come to my dads house for a visit and he was wondering where such low bass was coming from inside the room (keep in mind the subwoofer was behind a sofa against a wall hooked to a pioneer 656) he was even surprised to know bass was coming from a bose woofer module and at such low notes
@@shaunb8048 , A Bose system is Design for people who doesn’t care about a really good sound, only aesthetics and they want to brag to their friends And pretend to be rich because they own a Bose system
@@shaunb8048 Bose bass modules don't do infrasonic bass: they won't hit down to 20 hz or below. I used to be bowled over by Bose sound until I heard a home theater system with infrasonic subs at a friend's house. Bye bye, Bose. Audition a system with bass so low that you can hear and feel it and sometimes feel it in your bones and I can all but guarantee that you will ditch Bose and move on, just as I did.
Of course, two is better than one acoustimass! Bose is designed with at least a 2.1 system. Currently, Bose goes up to a 5.1 system with no Dolby Atmos feature. I'll be very excited if Bose ever transitions to a 7.1 system.
Great video. I was wondering if you would be able to help me. I have the Acoustimass 5 Serise 3 and am trying to set it up again as we haven’t used it in a few months. Do you have to use a Bose receiver with them as I am struggling to get it working. I could send you a picture if that helps? It’s hard to find information on the internet about them these days. Thank you
Having two bass modules makes you think it’s better than 1 but unless you position them both perfectly your going to get bass cancellation. I use a 5.2 setup sometime and if the subs are not positioned right, parts of the room has no bass at all. To be honest with you it’s a lot less hassle running 1 sub
Tenia de este modelo desgraciadamente tuve que venderlos por la maldita pandemia por la nesesidad que tuve que pena de mis speaker bose tenian un sonido nitido increible los tenia conectados a un microseries c03 technics que hasta ahora le tengo dificil de comprar son caros pero suenan muy bien.
Says the person who hears BOSE every night from the neighbors but can't afford them himself. They are expensive yes. But what a sound!!! BOSE are the best and make for very jealous neighbors.
I only recently discovered Bose and for this setup paid £80 ($104.71) - the cubes by themselves strangely sell in excess of £100 ($130.89) each, not a pair. People moan about sound - not realising the crossover is in the Acoustimass module and I drive them very hard with a beefy power amp and have no complaints. Bose new prices are a rip-off and will they replace my normal setup, NO - as you say something is missing
I put them at frequency 160 hz, let my bass do the work and they sound good for what it is. I have towers but sometimes I like using them for certain movies. They're fun little speakers.
Not really. Old school system. Place the acoustimass in a corner. Boost the 60hz portion of the EQ in your system. Bass is deep, just not foundation shaking.
So what's that sets this most popular speaker system ever apart from others? Well it's the size. Most speakers are extremely ugly and way too big. The companies like bows and banging Allison have worked on different form factors of speakers. I really like having a smaller speaker in a smaller space. As far as the sound you guys like to say no highs because there's no Tweeter oh my God don't tweet it. Well if you go to a concert and I am a musician you're not going to hear a tweet it there's no Tweeter at a concert hall on an amplified band. You might hear horns being used for voice and these speakers are much more like a horn much more like a realistic show or live music you would hear. That's exactly why boasted research and created these speakers when he was a student at mit. As far as the lows there's all kinds of subwoofers out there and they're all very different from each other they are not all the same. So they're just blankly say we'll just subwoofer doesn't go as low as anyone else's subwoofer is bologna because some of them don't go low at all or even sound good at all with music or movies. so there really isn't anything else available that will sound this good and fit in the small space. Nothing. Maybe y'all should go to life performances to compare your speakers with what music really sounds like. That's what the developers at boasted and they do a thing at allison.
