all parts are small, facilitating flushing them down toliet in disgust.

The Frequency response of my clock radio. Approxiamate resale value of a kidney-stone.

The decision to buy the Bose Acoustimas 10 could possibly be the worst A/V decision you'll ever make. The sound quality is awful: weak, imprecise bass, tinny highs and neglected midranges all harmonize to give the sound the timbre of a drunken banshee. I assumed I was getting a good deal at 280 dollars, however I would have done myself a favor by reading the information on these pages first and spending the money on internal computer speakers wired in series. I have the system set up to a fairly new marantz 7000, and it is configured correctly, but the system still sounds wretchedly, disgustingly bad. I have heard the same receiver on Boston Acoustics and B&W, with both DVD movies and music auditioned, and the improvement is blissfully, patently evident. Someone on this page suggested re-wiring the bose system: That would be a ludicrous waste of time, because there's simply no hope for the internal componentry of these speakers, a problem re-wiring the speakers could not fix. For a definitive critique of Bose, see:

http://www.geocities.com/trustnoho/bose.htm

I have cast my opinion, and hope that everyone is spared the agony of this Bose system. (Except the sucker I'm about to sell it to.)

Similar Products Used:

None, fortunately.

Fair for Home Theater

Not Good For Music
Overpriced
Not Efficent at All- Have to really turn the volume up

I have had my bose for almost 2 years now. If I didnt spend so much time installing the wires when I first got them, I would have took them back right away. I have found several sites where there are specifications posted on the AM10 system. And yes, they do sound like they are rated from about 60hz - 14khz. And they are about 85% efficient. I noticed that right away when i turned them on and had to really turn up the volume on the receiver to get them to play at normal volume. Bose always sounds nice when you go into a sound room that is about 25x40 in size. But in a house the sound aint there. And for music forget it. Think about it, there are 3-5.25" woofers in the module, as anybody knows, no matter how much you "tune" a box with small woofers,you will never get deep bass.The size of a small speaker limits there lower bass limits.And for the "cubes". There are 2 2.5" speakers in each cube.These are not true "tweeters" either. They are 2 "midranges" in each cube. I think people really just love the name "bose",they are not what they should be for the money. A friend of mine has the Bose Lifestyle 20 system. I "burned" him a CD. The thing cant even read the disc.He is arguing with me its the disc. Nobdy else ever had trouble with my "Sony" CD-R's. The problem is his bose cant read a CD-R cause of the old technoligy they use, and inferior components. I just bought a $99 Jenson car CD-player and that thing reads CD-R's and CD-RW's. It dont say it supports it, but I tried it and it has no problem playing the discs.Im sellig my Bose speakers now, and gonna look into them JBL ND 310's, I love music and Bose can't play it with the lows and highs I need.

Similar Products Used:

Pioneer 15" 3-ways
Advent Towers

The fact that they were at his house and not mine

Deaf people should be glad in this case.

Anyone considering this purchase should ask:

1. "Why are the Bose products located AWAY from all the other speakers (sometimes even in thier own room)at every store they are sold in?"
2."How come I can't listen to brand X speakers and Bose at the same time?"
3. "May I see the specifications, such as distortion level and frequency range, for these speakers?"
The answers are- 1. Because the Bose Co. insists on it.
2. Any comparisions to other speakers would reveal how poor-sounding Bose really are. This explains the answer to Ques.#1.
3. No you may not.Why? Because Bose hides those figures in the name of "trade secrets". No other manufacturer does this. The facts are that the distortion levels approach TEN percent,(10,not .10!)with huge gaps in the freq. range. Ask these questions for yourself, then buy from an honest speaker company.

Similar Products Used:

nothing else on the market is this dishonest and fake.

A little exercise toting it back to the dealer

Too few to mention

These speakers by their very nature are extremely poor. The satellites are actually midrange speakers (no tweeters), and the bass module is a sorry excuse for a subwoofer (again, the design inherently limits its ability to produce low frequencies). I decided to give them an at-home test after a brief listen at the dealer (since the dealer said I could take them for a 30 day trial). Before I even hooked them up I read through the literature and was quite surprised to see no technical specs anywhere--not a good sign. When I listened to them it was clear that there was a reason why no specs were given--there were obvious voids in the frequency response, especially at the low end (again, this makes perfect sense given the design). It was clear to me that the only reason anyone would buy these would be the Bose name. I promptly returned them, spent several more days shopping, listening, and reading reviews, then decided on the Polks--I got the RM6600s because of their performance vs. size. They sound 1000 times better than the Acoustimass speakers. I would bet that anyone who thinks that the Bose speakers sound good bought them without listening to other quality brands (like Polk).

As an MIT alum it embarrasses me that anyone from MIT would be responsible for such poorly engineered speakers--especially at the price Bose wants you to pay for them.

Similar Products Used:

Polk Audio RM6600/PSW350

Natural and easy adjustable sound field. Size and look.

Average music playback.

The original speaker cables cannot show you the true ability of the AM10 II. You need to choose better cables for it - it's true for all speakers!

I replaced the original cables with sliver speaker cable $1/feet. After run in for a week, the sound is much clear, solid and powerful! And the bass enhanced a lot, even on my Yamaha 595a AMP. And it is still getting better. Bass is deep when located at the right place.

However, music playback performance is average. It is designed for movie anyway.

5 star overall rating for the sound it can produce after cable upgrade, the stylish look and space saving.

Not cheap but not "take a mortage out" Mcintosh prices!http://www.mcintoshlabs.com/

People who are way too critical on Bose and think the moon is square.

To the last post from an "audio idiot".."JVC, Denon and Sony"..well this "mass market crap" is within the price range $1K or less that is truly a "comparison" that's all..."a REAL audio store"...hmmm you mean the ones where the sales people where suits and you can't touch anything?? People always knocking Bose saying their products are "crap"..well to each is their own...anyways everybody has different acoustics....in otherwords what sounds good to one person might sound like crap to the next....there are alot of good speakers out there...the AM 10 isn't a BOOM BOOM shake the walls down P Diddy Bass machine..you want that...add a subwoofer from what I've read..the acoustimass module if placed correctly adds a nice balance of Bass that isn't overbearing....using a good receiver is a bonus too..but it seems that people in this review are comparing systems that cost as much if not more then a Bose AM 10.

No bull that Bose isn't "cheap"....I read on this one webpage that bashes Bose..guy claims that the components to build the typical Bose system cost $150...well then I say to this "Audio Idiot"...then do it..go in business and make something for $150 that sounds as good as a Bose..I will be the first in line!

Hmmm I guess Dr.Bose doesn't know what he's talking about...hmmm???...funny how most luxury automakers choose Bose for their factory upgraded stereos...hmmmm????

Similar Products Used:

The usual "Mass Market Crap"

Size.

Value. I wish people would visit a REAL audio store(not BB or CC) and see what's available today in this category...the Energy Take5 II,Aerial Acoustics,the lower-priced B&W,Paradigm,etc.,etc.

I had to laugh when I saw the other brands listed in the previous review...JVC,Sony,Denon. Denon's makes some good gear but speakers aren't their forte and the JVC and Sony systems in this category are mass market junk. All it takes is a visit to a TRUE audio store and sample some of the great gear available right now.They're a quite a few systems in this category(some cost a little more...some a little less) and I don't understand why people waste their money on this crap from Bose. I wholeheartedly recommend that you soundcheck several systems at your local audio store and then stop back at BB to hear the shortcomings of this system...there's a big hole in the mids,no deep bass to speak of,brittle highs,etc. It's no contest. You're paying through the nose for an inferior product. Someone's got to pay for the vast array of Bose ads in the mags...don't be one of them.

Similar Products Used:

Aura LSW-828M,Aura LSC-537M CC,Aura LSB-527M,dbx Soundfield 3x2 sub/sat system,BIC DV1210 Powered sub.

Compact, clean design (not gawdy), nice quality, nice stands/swivel wall mounts. Decent sound from a compact system.

Price for unit and accessories salty, ground shaking bass not evident. Thick multi-lingual manual, doesn't really get in detail too well.

First off, I don't know why most of these reviews are so negative against Bose? IF you buy direct from a Bose Factory Outlet, you get 90 day's to return the product for a full refund or exchange, I don't know if that's true anywhere else but I doubt it maybe 10 days...not a bad deal if you don't mind going through the hassle IF your not satisfied, for the $$ involved it's nice that Bose offers such a Customer Satisfaction Policy...of course it get's you to buy it, but knowing you can return it with no strings attached is a bonus if you are fortunate enough to have this option...

I've listened and looked at a number of reasonably priced systems priced under $1,500.00. Most were mediocre at best..the quality wasn't there or the design was cumbersome/gawdy with no or little means of wall mounting. These included Sony, Denon, JVC and a number of others. I found on that if you spend $500 or less on a Surround sound system..you will get what you pay for...that's the bottom line, even some $500+ systems leave alot to be desired. I've only had the Bose AM10 for a few days..so I don't want to say "yay" or "nay" right now...I need to dabble with it a little more but I think for starters it's lacking "low-end"..I've only sampled it for a short time so far...tried Sleepy Hollow on DVD with 5.1 surround and some DVD concert audio on Pro Logic..I found the bass lacking..it seemed that it had more "low-end" at the store but the room was smaller then the room I have it in, which makes sense. I dread the fact that I need to go out and buy an additional subwoofer to get the "low-end" I desire, but it seems that this is evident among other reviews? When cranked up I did seem to get a little more punch out of the Acoustimass Module..decent but the low-end wasn't pounding me in the chest. Too much low-end can be a problem..finding a happy medium is where it counts..that all wait's to be seen? I would have stepped up to the AM15 but for $1200 it was more then I wanted to spend.

In all I'm glad to know I can return everything I bought in 90 days hassle free IF I'm not satisfied...reason why I took a chance on it, I am impressed with the quality of the Cubes, stands and wall mounts..they are pricey but you get what you pay for. The Acoustimass Module is made out of your typical compressed wood/particle board material..lacks any inputs or adjustments but is solid and free of rattles or vibrations.

IF you have the option to try this system for 90 days, then you have nothing to lose other then time, IF I can't get what I want out of it..I will return it...just keep all the boxes and packaging material.

Similar Products Used:

None yet

Great Looks, Compact and good for Home Theater

Base is weak with acoustamass base module. Need a Sub

This product has got some heat from lot of users on this site. I think it is not fair. Comparing satellite speakers with floor speakers is like comparing apples and oranges. The speakers sound great and are very good for home theater. Since bass is mono, Bose has done a good job to direct it to the acoustamass base module( which acts like a super woofer rather than a sub). But it is weak. so you HAVE to add a subwoofer to get the bass. I evaluated other satellite systems and this sounded the best. If you have a good woofer keep it in phase and see how the bass keeps up with the music. In looks department there is nothing that comes close to this. I would not recommend buying the Acoustamass 15 model which has a sub wcoofer built in( coz the bass still sounds weak). I would rather attach a nice sub to Acou 10.

My setup:

Yamaha RV1 Reciever
Yamaha CDC 775 CD player (A must if you play a lot of music CDs)
Bose Aco 10 cube speakers
Klipsch ksw12 sub woofer.

Auido output is Optical(monster) and sub cable is Monster Sub 400.

Similar Products Used:

Evaluated: Polk, Boston

Sound Quality, Small Size, Good Looks

Lack of Bass -- Doesn't have a true subwoofer

I am very pleased with these speakers overall. I decided to purchase them AFTER reading all the reviews here, in other media and listening to systems in retail stores. Contrary to many of the reviews here, I went to two places where the systems were set in the same locations as other speakers. The sound quality was comparable or better than small speakers from other manufacturers. We tested them with the same and different receivers, subwoofers etc. Bottom line is that these speakers sound very good for the price.

I was in the market for a home theater system that could also play CDs, music, etc. After doing extensive research, including listening and operating the Bose Lifestyle systems and separte systems, and using cost as a factor, I decided to forego the other "all in one" Bose systems for lack of quality as a receiver, a DVD player etc. vs. the high cost. However, the Bose Accoustimass Speaker systems are actually a great deal when compared to the cost/quality of similar systems.

First of all, I wanted an "non-intrusive" system. Bose (in white) worked well. It looked good in my house, and was well hidden. I first was looking at the Polk RM6600 system with an added subwoofer. In the stores, it sounded better than the accoustimass 15 and much better than the accoustimass 10 (with a passive sub). However, the sub for the Polk system was an added cost -- so the entire system was about $1100. I then listened to all available "small speakers" with the sub turned off. The accoustimass 10 was hands down the best sounding. Also the price of 799 was pretty much in the middle of the price range. I added a Yamaha YST-SW320 Sub to the Accoustimass 10 and now it rocks. The entire system cost $1040, a slightly higher than average cost, but with Excellent looks and sound quality.

I added these speakers to a JVC RX-9010VBK A/V (receiver can have a sub-room in addition to the main room). I found a new one for $310. So for a total cost of $1350, using my old speakers in the family room, I now have a complete home theater system and a family room stereo system -- a great deal. The Bose Accoustimass 10 Series II speakers are nearly invisible, and great looking, and kick out a great sound for home theater when adding a sub to it. It is also "above average" in listening to music from CDs.

Overall, I recommend these speakers if:
1. You need a small speaker unintrusive stereo/HT system
2. You add a subwoofer
3. You have a good receiver
4. You pay less than $900 for the Bose Speakers.

These are the best sounding small speakers I've heard. They are also average priced -- when actually searching for other systems, you will find that the Bose speakers are NOT overly expensive (however, their "complete" systems (e.g. Lifestyle XX, etc) ARE expensive).

Similar Products Used:

Polk, Energy, Boston Accoustics, Infinity