audioguy12010

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
2.33 of 5, 3.00 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I got these recently. I hooked them up to my LCD TV and they sound great. I haven't mounted them on my wall yet, just have not gotten around to it yet. They sound great, but are distorted at high volumes. I like how I can turn them either vertically or horizontally for my own listening enjoyment. I have many other Bose products, but these were one of the cheapest-priced and smallest Bose products I've ever owned. I love Bose!!!!!!

Price Paid:  $150.00 from BestBuy

Summary:
having these speakers for a good 4 months, i've used them in many situations and have put them through somewhat of a stress test. The first thing you realize about these speakers are that they're very attractive. But they have dedicated right/left pairs which in my opinion is a negative thing. at first touch, its smooth and made of somewhat thin plastic material(ABS to be exact). The entire speaker is very sleek and contoured. there are no very rough edges and has a very new, modern look/feel. the Bose logo on each speaker is the right size and is aligned to the center, right next to the unique looking port. The port looks similar to the one on the Bose 201. The speaker grille, it seems is permanent. I've tried to remove it but it was very difficult and i didn't want to break it. Inspecting the Grille material, its either very thick or is double layered for higher wear/tear resistance.

Using a high powered LED flashlight, i saw two small 2.5 inch drivers of paper cone and foam surrounds each sitting on a plastic structure the length and width of the grille size.

The purchase includes six small pea sized rubber feet for the speakers. three for each. so it may be set horizontally on the table, bookshelf or whatever you wish.
as you play around with it more, you notice that you can also place it vertically with the curved side facing down and the Bose logo on top. It may also be inverted with the curve on top, bose logo on bottom but it is very unstable.

I use these speakers as my portable pair powered by the Sonic Impact T amp. mounted on an L shaped base, it has a base and a vertical wall. The speakers are positioned, facing one notch away from center. -this is with the stock wall mounts.

If you know, the T-Amp is cheap but the sound is serious quality for 30 dollars. and with Mods, it'll even sound better. but the main thing i power it with is a Pioneer SX-535 22 WPC vintage stereo receiver. with bass boost and treble turned nearing 70%, the 161's sound best there. I'm most surprised every time i listen to FM radio. It comes through well and the sound stage is fairly wide and i could just keep turning my head left and right all day. Running with the T-Amp, Bass is minimal. It's just enough to satisfy me. hitting somewhere around 60-80hz and then it cuts off rapidly. -this is during battery powered operation.

with the Pioneer receiver, the bass is very full. the treble is sweet and soft. never yet have i experienced brightness with this speaker.

i listen to many concert recordings... Hillsong United if you recognize, their cd's are mainly concert recordings, not many are studio produced. The audience are loud and clear on the Bose 161's, it seems that what needs to be heard most, is heard most, loud and clear. what i like most about this speaker is its spaciousness. As Bose produces, "Concert like Performance", it sets you in the music, you're not listening to music, you're in the music.

its unbelievable to me as im sure it will be for you, that these little 161's has more depth than my Polk Rti4's. Im sure the Rti4's are wonderful speakers, but with my room set-up and all that i've tried, i cannot attain its highest sound. the Rti4's seem more layed back than the Bose's.

These are advertised as multiple use speakers as well as surround channel speakers and they work well there too...

for the size and performance, the Bose 161 stereo pair was worth my 150 dollars.

Strengths:
highly versatile, tough material, thicker/layered grille clothe.

Weaknesses:
Heavy for its size, surface may not be as resilient as expected, naturally weak bass and treble.

Similar Products Used:
Polk Audio Rti4
Sonic Impact T-Amp
Pioneer SX-535
Onkyo TX-SR304s

Price Paid:  $159.00 from Circuit City

Summary:
I bought two pair of these speakers for two systems I have as there were matched with two pair of Boston Acoustic speakers. Needless to say, I was very pleased with the sound of these speakers when matched with my Boston's. The high end was very clear and the base was acceptable as I was using a sub-woofer for both systems. It is important to note that these speakers should not be used as mains ass they were designed for rear sound only. Yes, they say you can use them for mains for a small system but please don't....you will do yourself a
huge injustice.

They only function is for rear sound period....Nothing else. Remember, rear sound is only for sound effects and this is what these speakers do....they deliver those sound effects that you want in movies as well as that unique sound of an instrument when listening to audo. I think these speakers deliver on all fronts and you won't be un-happy when used as described above.

Strengths:
The real strength of these speaker are their overall full sound and good looks. They also mount very easily using the provided brackets....I must say however that I used Omni-mount brackets as I like the way they attached the speaker to the wall with more space between the speaker and the wall itself.....They look very nice and can be adjusted several different ways....Oh, by the way the Omni-Mount universal brackets do fit very well with these speakers.....A hidden secret for most buyers who don't want to use the provided brackets.

Weaknesses:
I must say that I have not come across a true weakness on this product.

Similar Products Used:
Boston Acoustics, Pioneer and Velodyne.

Rojo6048

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
4.29 of 5, 7.00 votes

Price Paid:  $90.00 from e-bay

Summary:
I recently added the Bose 161 speakers as surrounds for my home theater. The rest of my system is comprised of Bose 301 mains, a Bose VCS 10 center and a Yamaha SW 305 sub. The whole thing is powered by Onkyo. I have tried several different speakers for rear surround including Bose 201's. I was never really satisfied with the sound until I hooked up the Bose 161's. These are very strong but almost go unnoticed since they seem to disperse the sound seamlessly around my listening area. I love what they add to my system. These speakers are here to stay. I have no need to look any further.

Strengths:
Strong seamless sound.
Price was right

Weaknesses:
None

mconn

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
2.00 of 5, 6.00 votes

Price Paid:  $135.00 from best buy

Summary:
Pretty good limited range speaker. Used for a while with home made 8" sub crossed over at 150 hz. Did not do as well with a 12" sub; to big a "hole" to fill. Decent sound and played louder than you would expect. They now serve time as the side speakers in 7.1 Onkyo set up. One mounted vertically, one horizontally because of space retrictions. Look good and sound good in both. Versitility is a strong point. Have dropped them several times...can't imagine a wooden box holding up as well.
Overall, not a great speaker, but can fill a lot needs with good solid sound

Strengths:
Versatility, design, compact, smooth unabtrusive sound with enough detail. Sturdy containers, Play loud enough. Could sub as a Center channel in a pinch. Excellent dispersion. Did I say they were versatile ?

Weaknesses:
Need lots of help on the low end if run as mains. Sealed grill, though maybe good thing for butter fingers.

Similar Products Used:
Bose 141, AR, Boston Acoustics, MCM drivers cross overs, Velodyne