Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I PURCHASED THE ACOUSTIMASS 5 BACK IN 2003 IN LONDON AND I HAVE NEVER REGRETED. SOME ONE WAS COMPLAINING THAT SOUND ENGINEERS DONT LIKE IT. PLEASE LISTEN BEFORE YOU COMPLAIN ABOUT SOMETHING YOU DONT KNOW. LET ME TELL YOU THIS STORY, WE WERE WACHING A MOVIE AND IN THE MOVIE IT WAS RAINING THIS FRIEND OF MINE WANTED TO GO HOME HE SAID BUT ITS STILL RAINING SO I DECIDE TO TURN THE VOLUME DOWN AND YOU CANT BELIEVE IT IT WASNT RAINING, IT WAS THE SOUND EFFECT FROM THESE SMALL THINGS. FORGET ABOUT SO CALLED SPECIALIST, WE ARE ORDINARY PEOPLE WHO LOVE NICE AND GOOD SOUND.

Blueskin

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 2 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I bought a set of AM5's a few years ago brand new for €400 from a local store that was closing down. They normally sold for €650. Theres no way I'd pay that for them, even €400 is pricey. The reason I bought them was for there versatile size, and they give a decent scale of sound.
Floor standers would be too big, book shelf speakers dont give you the low frequencies. I wanted a tidy system for my wifes salon with good low bass so it would give that surround spacious effect. I didn't want a chest punching mid range, so the AM5's fitted in nicely. Now, I have heard these speakers on budget amps and they were crap. You do need something with a bit of drive. Mine are hooked up to a Denon PMA201SA style system, dont laugh, the little Denon is only about 50 watt a channel but they are lively little systems and they look very sexy (which is just a bonus).
The result is a very pleasing
open sound stage, with a decent level of detail, really nice bass. The sub must be placed behind a sofa for best results, the cubes are mounted at thirds across back the wall at head height, room size is about 16x12 feet. Upgraded wiring to oxygen free cable. Personally, I do think they are over priced, they lack mid range but they fitted a certain criteria for me.

Strengths:
Easy placement. Sub sat intergration is good. Ooh they look lovely.

Weakness:
Too expensive, mid range is lame. Not for real hifi heads.

Similar products used:
My €30 Yamaha pc sub sat speakers nearly sound as good.

1Inventor

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Value Rating
 1 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.64 of 5, 14.00 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00 from CC

Summary:
As an audio engineer and an avid speaker builder, they are definitely mass market, consumer speakers. The drivers on the satellites are roughly 25 cents worth, and the woofer, around $5.00. And you're paying how much? Most of that cost is advertising expenses.

This is not bashing by any means but fact.
You can't have quality with inferior parts. The knowledge of the parts cost should infuriate any level headed, sane consumer.

You can't put a Yugo engine into a Corvette body and expect it to perform. S&*t in, S*&t Out.

Bose will not perform frequency plots or divulge other information besides power handling because it would make an informed/knowledgeable customers that their drivers can only go as high as 10 khz (shy of another 10 khz) and only as low as 40 hz. It would also show frequency anomalies that would deter costumers. Instead of educating their consumers, they program them to think ( in this case, not consider specifications ). Specifications are not the entire picture but they tend to represent good engineering.
I would not buy a car just because it looked good, not know what engine is in it and what its capabilities are, to justify its price.

Most consumers have never listened to a good system, and would not know any better. " Better Sales through Advertising." So most would buy what the masses(as ill informed) would buy.

If you truly want to know what sounds good, try listening to speakers from companies like Pradigm, Magnepan, PSB, Thiel and the likes...not necessarily to buy, but to have an idea as to what good is. then go back to your bose units and see how you've overpayed for them.

Better yet, due to your extreme loyalty to Bose, call to confirm how much the drivers cost, if they will even divulge that info.

They are average speakers that will amaze or satisfy or amaze the average joe.

25 cents each for the satellite speakers, $5.00 per woofer = $12.00 + particle board with laminate, wires and connectors, $18 manufacturing cost being sold for over $380? WOW!

Seriously folks - either you are so brainwahed by Bose, are you are just too cheap to buy a real system.

Strengths:
" Better Sales Through Advertising"

Weaknesses:
" No highs, No Lows, must be Bose."

Similar Products Used:
I don't buy cheaply manufactured gear.

Luis Ramos

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.29 of 5, 7.00 votes

Price Paid:  $600.00 from FNAC

Summary:
I have these speakers for about 10 years and they still work as they should.
We must understand one very important thing. To analize this product we have to go for what we expect from it.
Getting 2 floorstanding speakers is diferent from getting 2 satelites and a sub.
BOSE knows what to do with sound!
With this you can get reactions that you don't get with something else.
I have them being drived by a wonderful Nakamish RE-10
and have them compared with my other speaker set JBL E80
On the AC5 the high tones are crystal and defined and the sub is strong enough.
The sound spreads perfectly but you need to choose a very good place for the sub or else you'll have too much, too less or a very pronouced place where it's comming. For me, that's the funny part. You can mold your sound. Even turning the satelites for a diferent space distribution.
In other hand, everytime that I turn the system on, I need to ear it loud cause that's what it was made for. At low volume u loose too much base and in general you don't have good mediums (lowd or qt low volumes)
Maybe not the best for Norah Jones and voice dedicated songs.
With my JBL E80 the sound is more compact, the puch has more attack and the mediums are much better, but I miss the space factor on this ones.

Acoustimass is great! You just need to know what you want from it.
I'm taking the JBs as my maestro for music cause they can accept be-wiring and let the accoustimass being driven by an YAMAHA for a complete home cinema set.
That was my choice and I'm very happy with it.

Strengths:
Space factor, construction

Weaknesses:
mediums.
Be carefull with the sub. At very high volumes you can hear the net inside shaking. Not good. But to ear that you need to abuse from it.

Similar Products Used:
JBL E80. Same sound philosofy but better for music.

View Comments (2)

Would you like to Comment?
Join audioReview for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.

nish01

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.86 of 5, 21.00 votes

Price Paid:  $450.00 from the bose store

Summary:
The bose am 5 series 3 are exceptional speakers considering their size and value.They are quite different from conventional sub/sat combinations.The sound reproduction of the cubes is accurate and the module (as bose calls it )produces low frequiencies flawlessly.But the module is placement sensitive and so you have to be very carefull while placing it as the overall sound depends largely on the module placement.Another problem is that the low frequency drops at about 40 hz and it could have easily been at 30hz.The highs are well balanced and you never feel that irritation while playing it at high volumes.Midrange sound is quite stong but still falls short at times.
I think that the module is placement sensitive because it lanches the sound on a vibrating air coloumn.If placed rightly then it can put many so called subwoofers to bed.

Strengths:
Accurate and balanced sound reproduction.Rotating cubes look cool.The module when placed right produces heart throbbing bass.User guide usefull for quick setup and module placemant.Good value for money and worth the purchase.Can play very loud despite their nimble size.

Weaknesses:
Once again be carefull while placing the module and play around a few times till you find an appropriate location.Automatic protection circuit is quite useless as the speakers can still get damaged.The net placed in the module vibrates and this becomes audible at high volumes ruining the non localizable effect of the accoustimass technology.

Similar Products Used:
B&W sub/sat systems,polk audio,jbl,infinity,jamo and paradigm.