Bose cinemate 520 review

[ardesarchitects]

Hi ,everyone
I know Bose is big "no no" in audiophile world. Let me put my version, though i am not a pro audiophile but have a detail ear for quality sounds .
I would like to write my review on BOSE 520 that is not available anywhere in forums.

I purchased cinemate 520 for the very reason of flexibility to connect any player / setup box /gaming console up to 4 units HDMI on the bose console .
I decided on bose because i need a home theater set up in my mid size living room and then i cannot afford for large size speakers on floor or on walls.
Some how as an architect i feel filling room with huge speakers for best audio quality sounds crazy unless its a dedicated home theater room.

Pros
1. Unlike previous bose version this comes with a simple console ( it self is amp and audio conditioner) to connect our own players ( DVD,AUX,GAME console,TV,digital aux)
2. It is like a plug and play system
3. Speaker output is very clean and clear with zero noise .
4. No buzz sounds or electrical inferences though my audio wires were running in parallel to some electrical wires in ceiling
5. Universal remote literally makes your living room free from all kind of remotes
6. Wireless woofer that need power source ,so you can hide the woofer any where in the room with raw power access
7. Best suitable for converting any room in to home theater with out any acoustic panels ,false ceilings etc.
8. ADAPTiQ helps to automatically calibrate the speakers based on the location ,yes it works like gem .
9. Console automatically converts the audio to stereo and srs irrespective of source you are playing .

Cons
1. I wonder how BOSE missed the basics of speakers ,you cannot play HDMI music with out TV on ,yes you heard it correct .
Irrespective of HDMI source ( except RCA or AUX )you are playing ,the console goes mute the minute you switch off the TV .Bose version is that its a home theater first and then music system.
2. I find woofer is little compromised ,so for the people looking for high BASS would be disappointing.
3. HDMI CEC option is little confusing , BOSE starts dominating in controlling TV.You switch off TV automatically BOSE switches off.
4. As usual BOSE wall mount stands are very expensive and in this system you end up wasting the hanging bracket if you are fixing the speaker directly to wall .
Even only the wall bracket is same price as full kit
5. Wireless is optional to play music from your phone even after paying so much.
6. The console amplify & condition the audio digitally, there by adding some chilling effects to audio output that many amateur audiophiles like me may not like it.You can counter it by adjusting in equalizers.

Regards
Ar.Praveen.N
Ardes Architects & Interior Designers
https://www.facebook.com/ardes.architects

 

[ardesarchitects]

Adding to my previous review

Don't buy expensive bose wifi adapter for 8k approx rather i bought pioneer BDP 170 (10k grey market) with wifi DLNA player option .So now its just a click away to play music from my cd or pc or smart phone.
Bose cinemate 520 works fine with digital co axial (with zero quality lose) to play music from my pioneer BDP with out switching TV on .

Will write pioneer blue ray dvd player review soon

 

[accord]

Congrats dear, nice review, enjoy your Bose setup.

Amit

 

[koushik]

Thanks for the write up. It is interesting review! Nothing about sound quality there. Please mention how it is sounding?

Points in pros section is also pretty interesting. AFAIK, any basic system will have those features. I mean, what is your expectation from a 1.6L system?!!

Plug and Play

All the HTiB are.

Zero Noise

You have to measure it to say, Bose will never going to publish it. I am sure the THD is not 0%.

No buzz sounds or electrical inferences

com'n it is not 20 years old Santosh, which system buzzes? You don't expect Buzz from a 1.6L system with satellite speakers!

Universal remote

Even Rs. 2000 Tata Sky kit contains a kind of universal remote.

Best suitable for converting any room in to home theater with out any acoustic panels ,false ceilings etc.

May be 90 out of 100 of us in this forum don't have acoustic panels, false celling in our room where we have HT setup. How is "Bose cinematic 520" best suitable and different from other available options in the market?

Having said that, thanks for the review as it is very rare to get Bose's review and it will be an asset on Internet.

 

[ardesarchitects]

Hi, Koushik
My answers to clarify your questions (no offence plz)

1.Plug and play

Every HMIB is a plug & play system ,after all BOSE is also a HMIB .HMIB starts from 15k in the various brands . Many of us would have inserted blue wire in to red slot and thinking speaker is not working.In bose it is literally plug and socket model that no one can go wrong with installation .This options makes a lot of difference for amature audiophiles like us .

2.Zero noise

As i said in the beginning " i am not a pro audiophile but have a detail ear for quality sounds"
Zero noise is not equal to zero THD and there is no system in this world that can give zero THD. My comment means that while amplification there are no unnecessary noise ( as observed with bare ear) added to the music. I believe most of us write hear what ever they observe with bare ear than measuring with THD analyzer

3.No Buzz or electrical inferences

I have used Sony 30k HMIB earlier with the same set up and i observed lots of buzz sounds ,so my review meant to say cables are well insulated with extra reinforcement to pull then through conduits and stand intact even in extreme conditions.

4.Universal remote

A tata sky remote can hardly on/off and change source of TV and nothing more .
This is a universal remote than can literally do everything that your systems remotes can do.I have seen many HIFI setups with 5-6 remotes ,it looks too bad to see so many remotes after spending hell lot of money.

5. Best suitable for converting any room in to home theater with out any acoustic panels ,false ceilings etc
As an architect & amateur audiophile i want a balance between best quality sound and aesthetics in my living room .
To my limited knowledge about HIFI brand showrooms 99% of them display there equipment's only in dedicated acoustic rooms except BOSE. As an amateur audiophile I believe what ever i hear with my bare ears and see with my eyes than all that measuring instrument reading says .

BTW thanks for appreciating my review , i wrote this after i felt why people buy BOSE even if it not at par with other PRO HIFI brands.

Disclaimer - I am not pro BOSE for a dedicated home theater set up ,but for sure in a living room to get respectful HT effect .


Regards
Ar.Praveen.N
Ardes Architects & Interior Designers
https://www.facebook.com/ardes.architects

 

[koushik]

All the best. Enjoy!!



PS - History repeats itself

 

[Amitkg]

@ardesarchitects
Thank you, for putting up a review for a Bose product. We don't usually get reviews for Bose products, but you did it nicely. Bose has a long history of suing forums, forum members, reviewer and even other multinational companies. Those who think, it all started with and, is limited only between Apple and Sumsung, are utterly wrong. Just follow this and later you can use google for more such info.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bose_Corp._v._Consumers_Union_of_United_States,_Inc.

I can write a lot about Bose and about their hyped-up products but I am scared, scared of being sued by Bose:sad:

Regarding Bose products' quality? You said it all "Bose is big 'no no' in audiophile world"

 

[pradeepkamat]

@ardesarchitects
Thank you, for putting up a review for a Bose product. We don't usually get reviews for Bose products, but you did it nicely. Bose has a long history of suing forums, forum members, reviewer and even other multinational companies. Those who think, it all started with and, is limited only between Apple and Sumsung, are utterly wrong. Just follow this and later you can use google for more such info.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bose_Corp._v._Consumers_Union_of_United_States,_Inc.

I can write a lot about Bose and about their hyped-up products but I am scared, scared of being sued by Bose:sad:

Regarding Bose products' quality? You said it all "Bose is big 'no no' in audiophile world"

"Bose is big 'no no' in self claimed audiophile world"

 

[ardesarchitects]

Hi ,All
Further to my review on my Bose cine-mate 520, i will add more about audio quality in future posts for sure, since it took some time for me to set up the system due a peculiar situation i have in placing rare speakers.
Since i cannot run wires in the walls of my existing living room ,i made provision to run them in the ceiling wooden panel.I had tough time to get a solution from Bose to get speakers ceiling mount with a drop lengths more than 6". Finally i got one customized done from one of the fabricators ,I need to paint them yet .
It costed me 900/- for one set of 40" length each .
After i positioned rear speakers at 5'ht from ground the surround effects are amazing even at the low volumes.
I am trying to compare Bose cine-mate( in living room ) vs Definitive + Denon amp ( in living room ) playing both from pioneer BDP 170 .Will write the review soon .

Hi AmitKG, not just bose any other brand will sue if we write review with out facts .I really find it funny, people just compare Bose to all those huge size speakers and give zero value addition for the compact systems Bose does .
Its simple - you get best configuration in desktops for 60% cheaper than laptops. Does it mean laptops are waste of money ?
My personal opinion is to review any product on a holistic approach ,understand to which segment it is designed for .


Regards
Ar.Praveen.N
Ardes Architects & Interior Designers
https://www.facebook.com/ardes.architects

 

[ardesarchitects]

Hi Guys,
Finally my Bose cinemate 520 set up is completed with drop rods being spray painted in metallic black .Attaching the same pics .Now i shall start exploring and comparing the product simultaneously.


Regards
Ar.Praveen.N
Ardes Architects & Interior Designers
https://www.facebook.com/ardes.architects

 

[koushik]

Hi AmitKG, not just bose any other brand will sue if we write review with out facts .I really find it funny, people just compare Bose to all those huge size speakers and give zero value addition for the compact systems Bose does .
Its simple - you get best configuration in desktops for 60% cheaper than laptops. Does it mean laptops are waste of money ?
My personal opinion is to review any product on a holistic approach ,understand to which segment it is designed for .

You are just making few steps forward in this field and people writing reviews on a International Magazine page supposed to be lots more experienced than you. Why do you think that you can make out the difference between the segment of the products and those widely experience personal can't?

Laptop can do exactly the same thing as of desktop in a miniature case, hence the premium price. It is not taking premium price, doing bulls**t and wants not to be compared with Desktop.

People don't compare Onkyo S3500 performance, that's come for around 28-30K, with "all those huge size speakers". If the price is same it will get compared with the similarly price products.

 

[Flash]

Hi ,All
I am trying to compare Bose cine-mate( in living room ) vs Definitive + Denon amp ( in living room ) playing both from pioneer BDP 170 .Will write the review soon .

Sounds Interesting ... Do post your review

 

[mikehcm]

ardesarchitects, enjoy with your new setup. How do you like the sound? how does it sound for movies?

 

[Ragingfighter]

It is really nice set up and very stylish thumbs up. Let me ask you this from a scale of 1 to 10 in your opinion what would you rate the sound of the cinemate 520?

 

[Ragingfighter]

I also agree with the experience of music by ear. Not just by charts. I think it gets to a point when you hear every sound every string pluck in a seance it becomes unrealistic. Most people at live shows will never hear that even in front row. I can appreciate detail but if music becomes too clinical in many ways it can lose something as well. I definitely believe in concept of Psychoacoustics.

 

[Ragingfighter]

I have a Bose Cineamate gs 2 model myself. I think it has great sound. My ideal sound signature at this point I would say is having details of the track present, Smooth vocals not too falsely pushed forward or to artificially pushed back in the foreground just to make it sound more surround. I like a pretty tight bass for lower frequencies. Not one that is so tight that it lacks authority. One that seems to have a little resonance such as live performances. Say if you were sitting in 4th row or back further.

One thing to say reading forums to the term HTIB, all systems are HTIB in a sense. Be it a Tower speakers, centers, or rears. Its assumed by companies that you will buy a pair be it your left right speakers or rears. So I always find the term silly myself.

Another thing before I continue speaking about my system, There is no right or wrong when it comes to sound. Many people follow tech specs and science. There are some that follow the latter and use their ears to be the judge. I think the term Psyoacoustics has its merits for sure. Remember as its said perception is your reality.

Now onto my thoughts on Bose Cinemate Gs 2

rating criteria based on personal experience and from scale of 1- 10. Ten being best and 1 the worst.


1. Sound:

For my impression of the sound, I has clear vocals and instrumental presentation. I very does well in allowing me to listen to a lot of details in the music. Things from guitars strings slightly plucked and page turns of an orchestra as they have silent pauses during the pieces being played. I think many genres are done very well with this system. Kind of an all around system type of description.

The Bass module is adjustable but not to an anemic level. It can be toned down though. I think it is a pretty tight signature. It leans more towards a presentation say from the 4th row where in live performance you get start getting more reflected sound in a presentation. To me a very natural sound. Have I heard tighter presentations in bass sure but in some cases it loses its natural feel and thus loses that live presentation feel to me. If exaggerated bass is your forte then this system may not suit you.

Sound: 9


Placement.

Well this an easy one small speakers equal small space and makes placement easier than towers. It also is more of no brainer in small to medium rooms where towers should have the room to breathe. These speakers are excellent for that purpose. The acoutimass module is not too small and not overbearing and can fit in just any room.

Placement 10


Ease of use

Its a plug and play system. 2 ports analog and optical. Pretty straight forward. Optical overrides analog if 2 systems are on and hooked up to the system. Some find this an issue. For me not so much. IF you want a more full on system with more port options this model isn't for you. The universal remote is really good self explanatory and is easy to program sources into. Good stuff.
Has a built in off timer that if no sources are using the system it turns itself off. I have no problem with this and it does not negatively impact me.


Ease of use 8



Comparison of other systems

People love to compare brands and systems. Its an opinionated topic be it price and sound. I think it holds its own well when compared to other systems. It can get loud and stay clear at high volumes. Bigger speakers will be able to go higher in volume. Bigger speakers move more air that cant be debated easily. Bose has its own signature just like other companies. Cost seems a lot but at the same time other companies also have high cost ratio with their offerings as well.


Comparison 8



Final thoughts. I enjoy my system that's what matters to me. Id recommend it for sure.

 

[spirovious]

Is it that Bose systems cannot decode DTSMA? I read that it can only decode the DTS-core.Post 2 says it-
http://www.avsforum.com/forum/109-h...bose-cinemate-520-vs-lifestyle-525-535-a.html

 

[mikehcm]

I also agree with the experience of music by ear. Not just by charts. I think it gets to a point when you hear every sound every string pluck in a seance it becomes unrealistic. Most people at live shows will never hear that even in front row. I can appreciate detail but if music becomes too clinical in many ways it can lose something as well. I definitely believe in concept of Psychoacoustics.

Well said, sound is subjective and it purely depends on individual preference. I like bose sound signature, at times i would compare sound from my FS vs companion 5 (i know its not a fair comparison but at least i don't have to do any special setup to do that), yes FS sound great, open sound, clear reproduction of instruments and it's a bliss to ears, where as in companion 5 i get the same sound minus small sound stage, few instruments cant be heard and still pleasure to my ears. I personally feel their home theater system is not VFM, for the price bracket of more than a lakh there are several alternatives in the market.

 

[Ragingfighter]

I think it decodes dts core probably not ma. Just like Dolby Amos is new I believe that Bose sees how widely accepted the standard is by the public and Hollywood before jumping in. Think he dvd vs bluray. People who jumped in early got burned when bluray became the standard and he dvd was all but abandoned. So in a sense I wait a bit of time before I center my tech around a digital sound format

 

[Ragingfighter]

I enjoy headphones myself. In a lot of ways headphones have a great deal of challenge when trying to reproduce a spacious sound stage. Especially since to drivers are so close to a person's ears. I use my Bowers and Wilkins P7 as my main headphone for late night listening. Really a great built very good sounding set. Most people would think I'm crazy to like Bose an B&W but for my tastes I appreciate both companies.