Topic: Bose Speakers

[audio_tyro]

I still don't know kung anong bass yung kukunin ko. I've looked around different threads, iba-iba yung personal recommendation ng tao. A lot of them would go for velodyne VLFs, Audio_tyro is for REL Stratas (Ikaw ba yung gumawa ng review sa website nila?), and yung iba naman DQ 120, DQ12, or Ganz Klar. People I know  recommend cheaper Aiwa or Bittone subs naman. Don't even know which specs to look for, except that it has to be compatible with my receiver and not too boomy, tama lang para sa ht, precise enough for music.

Since you've read so many brands, now is the time to go and hear each of them. Don't be tempted to buy one right away... not until you heard most of them, if not all (from dealers, friends, acquiantances). Only then can you make an intelligent decision as to what brand/model "pulls your heart string". If you buy one right away, you will end up just like what happened to most of us => Upgrading and upgrading and upgrading and upgrading! (You should see the looks of my wife on this subject matter)... daming perang nasa-sayang, dun din naman punta sa pinakamaganda kasi eh. I started with Daichi ASW10DR (improved copy of Bose Acoustimas or Jamo), then I tried Dynaquest, then M&K V125, then jumped to Velodyne VA1012. Finally, after much hesitation, I went for REL Strata, and wham!- This is the bass I've always heard live in any jazz concert, in any classical concert, or in any musical event. So the road for my quest for the best bass ends with REL. Now I can focus on enjoying my music (or movies) or other parts of my audio chain. The REL bass also sharpens my bass playing skills since listening to my system, I can quickly follow the scale of the bass notes played by the bass guitarist. In this aspect, when I listen to study the bass lines, I set my sub in such a way that i "hear" my subwoofer perform, unlike others who go to great lengths of effort of tweaking so that they won't "hear" their subwoofer working. Preposterous! Bass players like John Clayton (sa Diana Krall live in Paris), Leland Sklar, Nathan East, Stanley Clarke, Paul McCartney,etc. would not want to be your friend! Kasi ayaw mo marinig ang tunog ng instrument na love-na-love nila! hehe.

My REL is a keeper (unless we move to a bigger house - like winning a lotto or if not in a senatorial election!). But if that's the case, I'm getting a REL Stentor 3 or yong top-of-the-line Studio 3 ! (REL pa rin) hehe.

So in your case Pare, go and hear them all. Then you choose which one is for you. Para din pala ito naghahanap ka ng mapapangasawa. hehe. Iba-iba ang mapapangasawa. Only question is, will you go for the best, so-so, or the cheap/mediocre na asawa!!! hehe.

As regards to the REL review, guilty as you have charged ! But sometimes, I would not aptly treat it as a review... it's more like a testament, really.

[dogears]

audiotyro, i really hope that your quest for the best bass ends with REL   Have you heard other well reviewed [commercial and consumer reviews, that is] subs like HSU, SVS, ACI or TITAN? Just wondering...  

i will get to hear the well reviewed and award winning HSU VTF-2(?) when I visit my brother next month in PA, USA. This is the first sub that I wanted to buy before 'ending' with the REL Quake  

[audio_tyro]

In my own experience, the only musical I've heard so far is REL [audiotyro is smiling now]. You really have to listen to it and decide for yourself - that goes to whichever sub you have in mind.

Never underestimate Dibidibidi's (hirap itype ah!) experience! This humble fellow lived in Singapore for nine years! A constant visitor and customer at Adelphi, the audiophile heaven in Singapore. With his tremendous circle of rich audiophile friends there, he's heard sooooo many highend systems. He's got great ears, great musical taste!

[dogears]

here's a good read on subwoofers - by doug blackburn/soundstage  

http://www.soundstage.com/maxdb/maxdb200101.htm

[dogears]

Never underestimate Dibidibidi's (hirap itype ah!) experience! This humble fellow lived in Singapore for nine years! A constant visitor and customer at Adelphi, the audiophile heaven in Singapore. With his tremendous circle of rich audiophile friends there, he's heard sooooo many highend systems. He's got great ears, great musical taste!

ok ok ok... tara, treat na kita sa starbuko  

[audio_tyro]

audiotyro, i really hope that your quest for the best bass ends with REL   Have you heard other well reviewed [commercial and consumer reviews, that is] subs like HSU, SVS, ACI or TITAN? Just wondering...  
i will get to hear the well reviewed and award winning HSU VTF-2(?) when I visit my brother next month in PA, USA. This is the first sub that I wanted to buy before 'ending' with the REL Quake  

I hope so too, or I will have to resort to kidnap-for-ransom to raise funds! hehe. Seriously... well, as time passes by, many will try and copy the remarkable performance of REL. Pero iba pa rin ang Orig!  

Darth Hyperion's cousin in the US, also tried the Hsu, yong pinakasikat, HRSW10. REL Strata pa rin ang bagsak eh.

Good luck on your trip to PA! Galing ah!

[dogears]

that leaves me with the ACI Titan and SVS subs then    I am very happy with my REL Quake, it's just that I want to know how many well known subs it actually 'beats' in the price/performance arena  

[arnoldc]

wrong forum, but nevertheless REL beats Velodyne in my short experience of the two.

[audio_tyro]

Hehe, well if most audiophiles prefer the "sound" of European speakers (British, Italian, Danish, French) over most US-made speakers, I find it very difficult to imagine how we could like US subwoofers. For now, the only consolation I could give US subwoofers, is that they're very good for home theater applications. Hsu Research HRSW12V for instance is a reputed M&K killer (and M&K is not a slouch either!). But if subwoofer musicality is your primary criterion, the REL is very hard to beat at its price point.

Kudos to your REL Quake! When I heard it, I thought your Tannoys are really floorstanders, and that your 'cute' sub is not working... it's just pure aesthetics. hehe. But when you turned the sub OFF (then ON again), that made me admit the REL Quake is the source of all that non-directional suave deep bass.

[audio_tyro]

wrong forum, but nevertheless REL beats Velodyne in my short experience of the two.

Tama ka ArnoldC. wrong forum nga. hehe. Paki-umpisahan mo dun sa isa, at hindi kita lulubayan. hehe.

Appetizer pa lang yong narinig mo 'pre. Go visit La Casa Darth Hyperion's. Sama ako! There you will see how the Strata can be optimally located to deliver its best disappearing act! Iba talaga kapag single ka pa, you can do anything with the setup of your room.

Yong REL niya, wala pang patayan ng power! That's good for its solid state amp right?

[audio_tyro]

here's a good read on subwoofers - by doug blackburn/soundstage  
http://www.soundstage.com/maxdb/maxdb200101.htm

Galing nito Pare ah! Okay ka talaga! Medyo mahaba lang, so for those tamad magbasa, I've quoted some interesting points from the writer...hehe:

"I have to tell you that after decades of futzing with audio systems, I have come to realize that I will never again be satisfied with any system that does not include full-range bass performance -- flat to 20Hz or very close to it. Too much is lost when the deep bass is absent. Deep bass imparts a feeling of space, size, solidity and reality that no amount of midrange bloom or high-end air can ever hope to capture. "

"The companies that I know of that make music subwoofers this way are: Vandersteen, Bag End, and REL. If you have watched subwoofer-for-music reviews over the years, you may have noticed that these three companies consistently get high marks for musical performance."

"Home theater is driving today's subwoofer market. Unfortunately, home-theater subwoofers sound distinctly inferior when placed in music duty -- and vice versa."

"If you are looking for subwoofers for music, be very cautious. Your real choices are limited to just a handful of different products these days."

Pero dito siya medyo sumimplang, when he said...  "Never trust a sales person who says a given subwoofer is equally good for music and movies. Either the person is clueless or the subwoofer is so compromised that it won't be that good for either one. Most subwoofers being made today are made with an eye to home theater"

Why? He should have tried a REL Studio. Upon purchasng  this particular model, you will be asked by REL to sign a waver stating that they won't have any liabilities if you turn its volume high resulting to your house getting damaged!  I heard the REL Studio 2 at Kingsley (Adelphi, Singapore). At more than median power output, it really threatened the building's structural integrity; and my ear drums' too! Nahilo ako sa lakas! Hehe. Nagpasikat kasi si Mikhail Lee (the sales rep there) nun eh. hehe.

[sgc_wdi]

yep 5t a pair pa rin! Mahal, though, kailangan na talaga e!

Saan nakukuha yung AVIA disc na yan? Mukhang useful talaga e. Clarity habol ko, pero kung walang bass or masyadong mahina, I find that it makes everything else seem noisy.

I still don't know kung anong bass yung kukunin ko. I've looked around different threads, iba-iba yung personal recommendation ng tao. A lot of them would go for velodyne VLFs, Audio_tyro is for REL Stratas (Ikaw ba yung gumawa ng review sa website nila?), and yung iba naman DQ 120, DQ12, or Ganz Klar. People I know  recommend cheaper Aiwa or Bittone subs naman.

Don't even know which specs to look for, except that it has to be compatible with my receiver and not too boomy, tama lang para sa ht, precise enough for music.

yup mahal talaga 5t a pair, kaya nagpapagawa nalang ako sa friend ko right now, sinusubukan namin kopyahin yung bose stands, tapos medyo i re-remodel ng konti... shouldn't come out more than 1t siguro...

as for the Avia, not sure where you can get it here, although medyo mahal yung disc... so buy it only if you really need it...

nag iisip din ako ng subs na medyo mura, people suggested DQ120, USAudio 512, PSB SubZeroi, Sony WM40 (ito daw ok talaga from international reviews, great performer for its price, pero wala pa ata dito eh), and maybe even nirvblakr's customized subs...

[dr_dohh]

went to image sa hp kanina, looked at their stuff. I auditioned a b&w sub, i found it to be a little weak. though hindi pa niya nilalakasan. yet, it's tempting for me.

Nakakita rin ako ng polk audio na subs, from 8" to 12" drivers. but i didn't get to audition them. mga ganon yung nasa price range ko e. how about its reputation? ANd will it mix with my am10? how do i answer that without actually bringing my rig to the shop?

[johndoe]

 :)hi,the 8" sub of polk audio  is just ight for ur bose AM10... ;Dbut the 12 inch cguro would be an overkill of bass in ur current system...

[dr_dohh]

:)hi,the 8" sub of polk audio  is just ight for ur bose AM10... ;Dbut the 12 inch cguro would be an overkill of bass in ur current system...

malakas na ba yung 8"? I listened to Acoustic Research 150 watts e, I don't know if it's too boomy or just right. but sounds just right to me! The thing is, I listened to the b&w asw300, parang masyadong mahina or hindi na-adjust.

I listened to some yamahas kanina, sobrang hina rin! Even if boomy na yung scene, parang kulang yung 100w nila. Any good subs in 5th ave and upscale audio guys?

[johndoe]

B&W subs!!try the ASW500 or ASW600...closed enclosure ata lhat  ng B&W subs kya d mxadong boomy...but thier SPL's(sound pressure levels) are way of the charts!!!B&W can go down up to 18hz... ;Dor maybe paradigm subs!!but i have not seen anybody selling or distributing it here...

[tuff_u_gong]

:)hi,the 8" sub of polk audio  is just ight for ur bose AM10... ;Dbut the 12 inch cguro would be an overkill of bass in ur current system...

malakas na ba yung 8"? I listened to Acoustic Research 150 watts e, I don't know if it's too boomy or just right. but sounds just right to me! The thing is, I listened to the b&w asw300, parang masyadong mahina or hindi na-adjust.

I listened to some yamahas kanina, sobrang hina rin! Even if boomy na yung scene, parang kulang yung 100w nila. Any good subs in 5th ave and upscale audio guys?

an 8" sub regardless of what brand is likely to be inadequate for some serious thuds and booms. i suggest you bring discs like UB-571 or even jurassic park 1 (DTS decoded) to audition a sub. there's an entire thread on auditioning material here in pinoydvd that you may want to check out too.

happy watching!

[dr_dohh]

ok, i've limited my choices to a couple of good subs. i have no idea if they're good brands, but they sound pretty good to me.

Acoustic Research PR108 (i think) - when they played it on music it had a tendency to be boomy. but still, i'm using it for HT, so that's a plus. it's about 150w, definitely strong enough to be used with my receiver. (80w)

Mordaunt Short - didn't get the model, but it was ok. it was strong enough, but what I really liked about this sub was that it had a delay control. it helps when i'm switching to music and ht. I didn't get to see if the AR had one. It's about 100w, but boy, it's more powerful than it seems.

Since people here had violent reactions when I mentioned I had bose speakers, I didn't even look at their selection.

The YAMAHAs in D-Cinema were a little too short on sound. I don't know why, but my full range ones sound much stronger and forceful than that one when they played Gladiator.

The B&W asw300 was a little too soft. I was expecting something more powerful, since it's a big brand. But the really bad thing about the place I auditioned it is that they were selling it for about P19K. "it was on sale", they said, and they dropped it to about P15,400. Someone told me that B&W's regular price is around P15,500! So, I got a little pissed off about it.

I'm kind of leaning towards the Mordaunt Short one, since It's the cheapest (next to the Yamaha one). But if you have any other suggestions, please let me know guys!

[sgc_wdi]

dr_dohh,

let me know what you ultimately chose... para ma audition ko rin...

[dr_dohh]

surely. kung ako sa 'yo, start auditioning em right now. i recommend you to try Acoustic Research sa electronics depot, mordaunt short sa 5th ave. di ko pa na-try mag audition sa upscale audio, since people there are snooty raw e. someone told me that.

aside from this subwoofer thing, gusto ko rin palitan yung center speaker ko e. it's easy, just take out the center speaker wiring, right? or will it mess up the entire acoustimass setup? What if I suddenly decide to upgrade to 6.1 or 7.1? di na ba puwede yung speakers ko?

[Qman]

Any one is having this speakers?  How is it?  Planning to buy one.  Any reviews?
I can see the advantage is it so small and it comes on 10 cubes and one subwoofer, only thing is the price DHS 3,220 around USD 880....

[v0elker]

not worth it. unless u want nice-looking speakers as opposed to nice-sounding speakers. they're also more expensive than they have any right to be.

[greatbop]

err.. please listen to them first before you go and decide that you want one. btw.. there are speakers out there that are JUST SLIGHTLY bigger than the jewel speakers. yet way outperforms the jewel speakers

here're a few examples..

cheap:

Energy take 5.2 system (700 usd)  
moderate:

Energy Encore System.
Mirage OMNIsats...

I wanted a bose system my self din. tapos i posted on a messageboard about it. and they asked me to go and listen to REAL speakers.

Where is your location? what is DHS?

[v0elker]

agree with greatbop, the energy take 5.2 sound nice and look neat. the encore sound even better but more expensive. i cant remember exactly, but i think the omnis are the most expensive of the bunch?

--------------------

i take it back, i dont think the bose are that nice-looking. some of the HTIB from sony, philips, et al are much better looking! hehe

[greatbop]

^ yes. a tad more expensive that the encores. by a few hundred dollars.

[Qman]

tenx guys,

Ive read a lot of reviews about it but mostly are biased review from US.

Ill try to surf that (Energy Encore System.
Mirage OMNIsats) and review.

greatbop - tenx,

Im in the Mid east and DHS is dirhams (United Arab Emirates Currency).  EID Holiday kasi DITO AND MOST este ALL OF THE SHOPS HERE ARE ON SALE.

[greatbop]

go check out audioreview.com rin and see what owners think of the products.

website:

www.energy-speakers.com
www.miragespeakers.com

both Energy and Mirage are under the same parent company - Audio Products International along with Athena Technologies.

[levi]

I merged your thread with the Bose speaker thread. PLEASE read the whole thread before deciding.



Levi

[Uchie]

peepz help naman, we have an AM 5, i wonder ano maganda idagdag sa kanya to create a 5.1 setup? would i go for a new front and center and a new sub then use my am5 as my suround? or bili nalang ng ibang suround, then use my am5 as the front???

[levi]

I suggest you sell your Bose then get 5.1/6.1/7.1 complete setup. If your budget is tight, you can get new speakers for the front and center then use your Bose for the rear. Just my 2 cent advise

levi