Audio setup for stereo music listening

[RNoronha]

Hello,

I purchased a Yamaha RN-602 network receiver and currently paired it up to the Bose Acoustimass 5 V stereo system. I do not enjoy the base reproduction from this system and have temporarily deployed an Altec Lansing sub woofer to compensate the bass. Of course the sub woofer is part of a basic 5.1 multimedia speaker system. What would be the right sub woofer to purchase to pair with this system keeping in mind the specs of the receiver and the acoustimass system. If you need spec details of these, let me know.

In general how do I improve my audio experience with the units I already possess.

Many Thanks

 

[Jason72]

Hi,
I'm a bitof a hi-fi novice but have owned three different Bose speaker systems in years gone by.
My first instinct would be to try the Bose system on it's own with the RN-602 and try re-positioning the sub unit to see if you attain a better bass response. There are set methods for positioning sub units that entail crawling around on all fours listening for improved bass response (good luck with that one). Secondly, make sure you have the 'direct' switch employed on the amplifier. This tends to improve the quality of the sound.

 

[BlueWizard]

Ummmm .... that is quit a bit more amp than speaker. The Bose appear to have a Passive Sub since it only has speaker level inputs. But if that's what you have then that is what we work with.

Just for the Photos and Specs -

Bose® Acoustimass® 5 Series V speaker system (Black) at Crutchfield

FREE 2-day Shipping: Fill your room with sound, not speakers Enjoy clear, lifelike stereo sound without cluttering your living space. The Bose

www.crutchfield.com

I don't imagine the Sub has a very large bass driver, and I don't imagine that it goes very deep. In fact, I would suspect there are Bookshelf Speakers that go deeper than that Sub. Bose tends to be very silent on the exact specs of their systems. Even the Bose website is not very informative.

Is the Altec Sub also from a compact Satellite system similar to the Bose? Because I suspect, assuming it is, that it's bass driver and frequency response are no better than a good bookshelf speakers. Though you don't give any specifics on that Sub, so the best I can do is guess.

You ask -

"What would be the right sub woofer to purchase to pair with this system..."

That is going to depend on How Much Money You Have Available to Spend? And to some extend on the Dimension of the room the system is placed in.

Is this system on a Desktop, in a Lounge? Do you have stands for the speakers, or are they wall mounted, or are the placed on a desk or on a cabinet of some type?

Right now, it is simply a matter of money.

What is your working Budget?

Once we have that, we can make recommendations.

Steve/bluewizard

 

[RNoronha]

Hi,
I'm a bitof a hi-fi novice but have owned three different Bose speaker systems in years gone by.
My first instinct would be to try the Bose system on it's own with the RN-602 and try re-positioning the sub unit to see if you attain a better bass response. There are set methods for positioning sub units that entail crawling around on all fours listening for improved bass response (good luck with that one). Secondly, make sure you have the 'direct' switch employed on the amplifier. This tends to improve the quality of the sound.

I have tried placing the sub in corners the base tends to increase but there is a lot of listening fatigue. Normally on any other system with a sub, I do not get a listening fatigue however much I crank up the bass.

The bass on the bose seems very irritating but the bass on a normal sub/sat system gives me pleasure.

I am trying to get a sub that overrides the bass of the bose but the difficult part is I cannot control the bass on the bose because raising the volume raises the bass as all the sound is coming from the cubes!

Do I sell the bose and go in for some standmount/floor stand speakers (HiFi) like Fyne, Elac, Polk, KEF etc ?

 

[RNoronha]

Ummmm .... that is quit a bit more amp than speaker. The Bose appear to have a Passive Sub since it only has speaker level inputs. But if that's what you have then that is what we work with.

Just for the Photos and Specs -

Bose® Acoustimass® 5 Series V speaker system (Black) at Crutchfield

FREE 2-day Shipping: Fill your room with sound, not speakers Enjoy clear, lifelike stereo sound without cluttering your living space. The Bose

www.crutchfield.com

I don't imagine the Sub has a very large bass driver, and I don't imagine that it goes very deep. In fact, I would suspect there are Bookshelf Speakers that go deeper than that Sub. Bose tends to be very silent on the exact specs of their systems. Even the Bose website is not very informative.

Is the Altec Sub also from a compact Satellite system similar to the Bose? Because I suspect, assuming it is, that it's bass driver and frequency response are no better than a good bookshelf speakers. Though you don't give any specifics on that Sub, so the best I can do is guess.

You ask -

"What would be the right sub woofer to purchase to pair with this system..."

That is going to depend on How Much Money You Have Available to Spend? And to some extend on the Dimension of the room the system is placed in.

Is this system on a Desktop, in a Lounge? Do you have stands for the speakers, or are they wall mounted, or are the placed on a desk or on a cabinet of some type?

Right now, it is simply a matter of money.

What is your working Budget?

Once we have that, we can make recommendations.

Steve/bluewizard

Hi Steve,

I have operated the system on a desktop in bedroom (12x15FT) placing the speakers on a table 3-5 ft apart and in a hall (15x30FT) keeping the speakers on stands 8-10 ft apart using sources like Wifi Radio, Bluetooth from a Phone and RCA from a Laptop.

The bass improves when kept in a corner behind a sofa but it causes listening fatigue. I don't get the sound of a typical sub-woofer.

 

[BlueWizard]

You forgot - ££££££££££££££ - how much of it do you have to spend?

These tiny Sub in small Satellite systems are nothing to brag about. They aren't that big, and they don't go that deep, and they are - failing to minces words - cheap at any price.

All bass is boosted when the speaker is place near a wall or in a corner, but more absolutely does not equal better. In fact in many cases, the overall sound is worse.

Best value in a Sub comes from BK Electronics -

Sub Woofers - Sub Bass - Subwoofer

For you likely the BK Gemini would be the best choice at £245 -

Gemini

Again, not knowing how much you have to spend, it is hard to make recommendations.

Also, any size restrictions that we should know about?

Polk Audio PSW10e (Black)

Bring the feel of the cinema to your home, with the Polk Audio PSW 10e. Power to pleaseIf you’re finding that your movies, music and gaming are missing something, a powerful subwoofer from Polk Audio could be just what you’re looking for.

www.richersounds.com

Yamaha NSSW050 (Black)

Bring the 'thunder' of the cinema home, with the Yamaha NS-SW050. Twisted Flare Port for a clearer, tighter bassThe Yamaha NSSW050 uses a revolutionary new design of bass port for a more natural, less distorted sound.

www.richersounds.com

Wharfedale Diamond SW-150 Blackwood Subwoofer - Subwoofers - AV Online - UK Home Cinema and Hifi Specialists

The SW-150 Subwoofer from Wharfedale offers a level of performance previously unheard of in its class, striking the perfect balance between power and sound quality.

www.audiovisualonline.co.uk

Wharfedale Diamond SW-150 Walnut Subwoofer - Subwoofers - AV Online - UK Home Cinema and Hifi Specialists

The SW-150 Subwoofer from Wharfedale offers a level of performance previously unheard of in its class, striking the perfect balance between power and sound quality.

www.audiovisualonline.co.uk

Yamaha NS-SW100 Black Subwoofer - Subwoofers - AV Online - UK Home Cinema and Hifi Specialists

This subwoofer incorporates a number of Yamaha’s advanced and a high performance bass technologies such as Twisted Flare Port and Advanced YST II (Yamaha Active Servo Technology II) with discrete amp circuitry and high quality 25 cm (10”) woofer unit. Thi

www.audiovisualonline.co.uk

In an excellent deal, the Wharfedale SW150 (10", 150w) are a good choice, and they come in some additional finishes.

Steve/bluewizard

 

[dogfonos]

I purchased a Yamaha RN-602 network receiver and currently paired it up to the Bose Acoustimass 5 V stereo system.

As I'm sure you're aware, these products are seriously mismatched in terms of quality. From what I've read (and from what I see) no amount of tinkering with the Bose speaker system will turn it into anything resembling hifi. Ever heard the expression, 'You can't polish a turd'?

In general how do I improve my audio experience with the units I already possess.

Get rid of all the Bose speakers.

Do I sell the bose and go in for some standmount/floor stand speakers (HiFi) like Fyne, Elac, Polk, KEF etc ?

Yes!

You have the basis of a very nice modern setup with the Yamaha R-N602. The Bose speakers are never going to do it justice, no matter how you position the subwoofer. Even a budget pair of standmount speakers, such as the Mission LX-2 will be a vast improvement. As BlueWizard says, you need to state a budget.

Only potential problem for you in assembling a more accurate playback system is that you may have already grown accustomed to the Bose sound. If you wish to duplicate the sound of the Bose speakers (other than the bass, with which you are clearly dissatisfied) then steer clear of all hifi speakers because they will likely sound quite different (i.e. far more accurate) and you may not enjoy an accurate sound - this is something no-one else can predict.

 

[RNoronha]

As I'm sure you're aware, these products are seriously mismatched in terms of quality. From what I've read (and from what I see) no amount of tinkering with the Bose speaker system will turn it into anything resembling hifi. Ever heard the expression, 'You can't polish a turd'?



Get rid of all the Bose speakers.



Yes!

You have the basis of a very nice modern setup with the Yamaha R-N602. The Bose speakers are never going to do it justice, no matter how you position the subwoofer. Even a budget pair of standmount speakers, such as the Mission LX-2 will be a vast improvement. As BlueWizard says, you need to state a budget.

Only potential problem for you in assembling a more accurate playback system is that you may have already grown accustomed to the Bose sound. If you wish to duplicate the sound of the Bose speakers (other than the bass, with which you are clearly dissatisfied) then steer clear of all hifi speakers because they will likely sound quite different (i.e. far more accurate) and you may not enjoy an accurate sound - this is something no-one else can predict.

Thanks for your valuable insights!

I did get rid of the bose, after some some placement the bass was prominent but it was ear-deafening and causing headaches. It looked like very low notes from the bass module without proper mid-bass or the cross over between these frequencies. Similarly the highs lacked brilliance and cut of the excitement of a track. Even more most music, lyrical or beats sounded the same and as some say I was just listening to the bose instruments instead of the actual.

I now own a set of Jamos S 807, which are a far better balanced sound, enjoyable too, Which brings me to the question of adding a little more bass to the music.

Considering the Jamo sub S808 or S810, any suggestions on these ?

 

[RNoronha]

You forgot - ££££££££££££££ - how much of it do you have to spend?

These tiny Sub in small Satellite systems are nothing to brag about. They aren't that big, and they don't go that deep, and they are - failing to minces words - cheap at any price.

All bass is boosted when the speaker is place near a wall or in a corner, but more absolutely does not equal better. In fact in many cases, the overall sound is worse.

Best value in a Sub comes from BK Electronics -

Sub Woofers - Sub Bass - Subwoofer

For you likely the BK Gemini would be the best choice at £245 -

Gemini

Again, not knowing how much you have to spend, it is hard to make recommendations.

Also, any size restrictions that we should know about?

Polk Audio PSW10e (Black)

Bring the feel of the cinema to your home, with the Polk Audio PSW 10e. Power to pleaseIf you’re finding that your movies, music and gaming are missing something, a powerful subwoofer from Polk Audio could be just what you’re looking for.

www.richersounds.com

Yamaha NSSW050 (Black)

Bring the 'thunder' of the cinema home, with the Yamaha NS-SW050. Twisted Flare Port for a clearer, tighter bassThe Yamaha NSSW050 uses a revolutionary new design of bass port for a more natural, less distorted sound.

www.richersounds.com

Wharfedale Diamond SW-150 Blackwood Subwoofer - Subwoofers - AV Online - UK Home Cinema and Hifi Specialists

The SW-150 Subwoofer from Wharfedale offers a level of performance previously unheard of in its class, striking the perfect balance between power and sound quality.

www.audiovisualonline.co.uk

Wharfedale Diamond SW-150 Walnut Subwoofer - Subwoofers - AV Online - UK Home Cinema and Hifi Specialists

The SW-150 Subwoofer from Wharfedale offers a level of performance previously unheard of in its class, striking the perfect balance between power and sound quality.

www.audiovisualonline.co.uk

Yamaha NS-SW100 Black Subwoofer - Subwoofers - AV Online - UK Home Cinema and Hifi Specialists

This subwoofer incorporates a number of Yamaha’s advanced and a high performance bass technologies such as Twisted Flare Port and Advanced YST II (Yamaha Active Servo Technology II) with discrete amp circuitry and high quality 25 cm (10”) woofer unit. Thi

www.audiovisualonline.co.uk

In an excellent deal, the Wharfedale SW150 (10", 150w) are a good choice, and they come in some additional finishes.

Steve/bluewizard

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the tips, I have sold the Bose (details in the above post).

Yamaha RN602
Jamo S 807
Sub? Will it make a difference? Jamo Sub?

Btw the Jamo floorstanders offer a good balanced sound with sufficient bass for acoustic music. For electronic music still figuring out. Speakers are also burning-in. Good thing I like the sound unlike the Bose.