Alternatives to Bose AM series?

andyatkins

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Bose-haters take a couple of beta-blockers before reading this one please!

Am in the process of doing out the living room & want to install a Surround Sound setup. The room is oblong about 25' long & 15' wide with a beamed ceiling & 1 foot thick centre wooden crown-post. I'll be putting a plasma in the middle of one of the narrower walls & sitting about 10-12' from it centrally.

Whilst I want a good surround sound setup & also listen to CDs etc I don't want floor / wall mounted speakers. I want them to be as inobtrusive as possible & really want to mount the satellites on the ceiling on the beams in the corners of the room pointing downwards whilst hiding the sub (I've got the opportunity to hide cabling in the ceiling while the room's being re-done)

Have seen Bose Acoustimass with the jewel speakers setup this way & really like them, but given the almost rabid anti-Bose theme running through the forum my question would be is these a better sounding alternative to the Bose with a similar form-factor that can be ceiling mounted & thus inobtrusive?

Appreciate the help & advice guys.

Thanks
 
While I can appreciate that you may want the speakers (Bose or other make) to be right out of the way up near the ceiling, I can't recommend that high position if you are looking for a realistic soundstage.

Front and centre speakers should be at/around ear level while seated for the best results.

I am one who has heard around a dozen different Bose setups & is not a fan of their kit, but I can see the benefits of the flexibility of their mounting options.

Alternatives would be Gallo, B&W VM1, Kef 5005/9005, or perhaps M&K?
 
Bose :nono: :nono:


had a set my self was pleased until I compared with other sets for the same price\cheaper I had no option but to upgrade......

also consider Canton CD10, Infinity Oreus, JM Labs
 
I would recommend M&K Xenon series.

Use 3 x LCR25 and 2 x surround 25s plus one as big a sub as you can accomodate. (hide it away somewhere or use it as a coffee table).

Personally I don't like the idea of locating the centre channel away from the screen (never works properly) but if you angle the speaker down then M&Ks off axis response is a bit more forgiving.

Oh and this combo will officially annihilate the
B.ox
O.f
S.illy (or alternative)
E.lectronics
 
Even the Kef 2005.2 package would provide a discrete but better performing option. I sold Bose at a dealer for over a year and am glad I don't have to anymore.
 
Can't agree with the KEF as an alternative - when playing music it sounded like small speakers trying to be large
 
BOSE :nono: - whilst their diminutive size are very appealing, the fact they sound (to me) very tinny, was enough to put me off them for life.

Suggested cheaper equivalent:

5 empty SPAM tins
5 sheets of the old loo paper they used to have at school (like tracing paper)
Ball of string
One size 11 empty shoe box

drill hole in center bottom of all 5 SPAM tins
cut string to 5 suitable length to reach from spam tin, to shoebox location
feed string thru hole in SPAM tin (tie not in end) - repeat for each spam tin
feed other end of string into pre-made hole in shoe box

Ta-da DIY BOSE system:devil: :rotfl:

Gary
 
Originally posted by andyatkins
Chill-out guys - they're only speakers.....

yeah but they cost £800 +
 
I would have thought the best alternative would be Gallo Micros, I havent heard them myself but they are apparently very good for their size and improve with use, they seem to be the smallest non bose speakers out there....
 
Originally posted by nealgs
BOSE :nono: - whilst their diminutive size are very appealing, the fact they sound (to me) very tinny, was enough to put me off them for life.

Suggested cheaper equivalent:

5 empty SPAM tins
5 sheets of the old loo paper they used to have at school (like tracing paper)
Ball of string
One size 11 empty shoe box

drill hole in center bottom of all 5 SPAM tins
cut string to 5 suitable length to reach from spam tin, to shoebox location
feed string thru hole in SPAM tin (tie not in end) - repeat for each spam tin
feed other end of string into pre-made hole in shoe box

Ta-da DIY BOSE system:devil: :rotfl:

Gary


Gary when can I come over to arrange a demo? :D

But before you do can I see the frequency response and power handling figures so that I can make a decision if I think I like them first.

As you can see I am devoid of making a sound judgement when chosing speakers but I thought they sounded good (to me).





:p :smashin:
 
You could buy 5 VM1's & ASW675 for under £1300, roughly the price of an AM15 package.
Combining reasonable satleites with an excellent sub I guarantee this setup would blow any Acoustimass setup out the water!
 
can you attach the VM1 to the ceiling like andyatkins wants? I agree that the VM1's would sound much better but they are much bigger.
Do the Gallo micros have a bracket for ceiling mount?
The M&k again much better sounding than bose but arent they much bigger too?
From the original posters question he wants
1 very small speakers
2 ceiling mounted brackets

The Kef speakers can be mounted that way but they are quite a lot bigger and the styling is a matter of taste but again are much better sounding.

life is often about compromises either andyatkins changes his criteria on design and placement or he comprimises on sound.

This is why Bose sell .they made a package that fitted peoples want list in terms of size and placement and market it very ,very well then worried about the sound quality.

Bose are a marketing company that make speakers.For some peoples strict demand criteria they can be the only choice.NOT mine but for some people.
Hey what a boring place this would be if we all liked the same things.
 
I believe it may be possible to ceiling mount the VM1's, but I can't imagine why anyone would want to.
Ideally the tweaters should be as close to ear level as possible and to position the speakers high above a tv for HC sounds like a bad idea to me.
 
What about the Ruark Vita's or the Energy Encores?
Not far off the size of a pair of BOSE double cubes...
I'm also impressed with Mordaunt Short Premiere's. Cheap at £650 for a 6.1 set and includes a fabulous sub.

makes me laugh - people seem 'impressed' with the 'bass' coming from the Bose cubes...at the demos they have at least 2 subs going...
 

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