Need speakers like the Bose Acoustimass 5

[ngd]

Folks,

I have a small kid and cannot have floor standing speakers... you can imagine why. I would prefer something like the Bose Acoustimass 5 series III I have read that they are highly overpriced and there are a lot of better speakers like them with the same form factor and price. I was wondering if you guys can recommend something like that.

Budget: ~30K

Thanks!

 

[doors666]

Folks,

I have a small kid and cannot have floor standing speakers... you can imagine why. I would prefer something like the Bose Acoustimass 5 series III I have read that they are highly overpriced and there are a lot of better speakers like them with the same form factor and price. I was wondering if you guys can recommend something like that.

Thanks!

budget?

you can take a look at B&W M5 speakers.

 

[ngd]

Thanks for your recommendation but I need something that I can mount on the wall.

 

[zoey]

Why don't you try - energy take-classic-5-1. Its rated highly in this forum and fits very well within your budget ~ 28K

Take Classic 5.1 Home Theater System - Overview

Energy Take Classic Surround Speaker System reviews - CNET Reviews

 

[doors666]

Thanks for your recommendation but I need something that I can mount on the wall.

these are satellites that can be wall mounted. and compared to bose, will sound a hell of a lot better. expensive though.

 

[gobble]

This one looks good: Role Audio: Sampan-FTL Small Full Range High Performance Point Source Micro Loudspeaker

HTH

Cheers

 

[ngd]

Thanks for the recommendations. Does anybody know of any place in Pune where I get to test these? especially the Energy ones?

Thanks.

 

[grubyhalo]

How 'bout these?

 

[doors666]

here's the link for the B&Ws, a pair costs about 26k

View the M-1 at Bowers & Wilkins - The World's leading Hi Fi and Home Theatre Brand
I believe AV Excellence sells these.

You can also consider small bookshelves e.g. MS mezzo 2 can be probably mounted on a platform or something like that which a carpenter can build. these are not wall mounting but are small enough to be kept on a platform, though acoustically it might not be a good idea, still a hell of a lot better than a bose.

 

[argho]

Inexpensive, and worth an audition :

Profx - Advanced Audio Solutions

Polk Audio RM 705
5.1 Satellite Speaker Package

Power : 100W/channel
Frequency : 40Hz to 22kHz
Sensitivity : 89dB
Impedence : 8 Ohms
Rs.25,000/-

Amazon reviews :
Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: Polk Audio RM705 5.1 Home Theater System (Set of Six, Black)

 

[king]

If you raise your budget a little more, you can get your hands on Nanoset or Mirage MX, they are tiny but sounds way way better than any of their competitors.

BTW all of them are owned by Energy guys.

 

[zoey]

Both Nanoset or Mirage MX and Energy 5.1 are available in Relaince Digital. But this is in bangalore..... you may want to check with reliance digital in your city.

 

[zoey]

One more thing.... all these speakers do not come with speaker wire. So will have to invest on good speaker cable and subwoofer cable.

 

[ashishkesarwani]

Add to this list the Jamo A102 series package avaliable around 25K from Cinebels (Decibels India Private Ltd.)

 

[sandeepmohan]

I don't understand why the Acoustimass 5 is considered a over priced speaker system. Its pricing is well within the range of a good book shelf speaker system & it sounds just as good, in some cases better. I don't care what the critics have to say about it; to me they sound fantastic & for Rs. 21000 (on their India website) its hard to find something that sounds so good.

I love book shelf speakers (I own a very good pair too) but the problem with them is placement to get the desired sound. Few book shelves can do good bass. Bass is something book shelves don't deliver & they need a treated (in some basic way) room for them to really shine.

With the Bose Acoustimass 5 you have no such worries. Mid's & Highs are handled beautifully by the cubes, bass is fantastic from the passive sub woofer unit, superb separation (because of the design) & are not as finicky as book shelves when it comes to placement. You don't need to spend a bomb on wiring for them to sound good & they work well with even a budget Yamaha stereo amplifier. So your saving money on wiring & not having to buy an expensive stereo amplifier.

I have listened to this speakers system extensively & I have to hand it to Bose for quality sound from such small speakers.

 

[Dushie]

Sandeep

In the forum there are very few owners and users of Bose, i am one of them , also here most members want the bang for their buck and the best of equipment that can be bought in that price range.

Hence the views will be different and so will be the suggestions, that's the beauty of being a part of this place.

Personally, you should buy what you like which you feel sounds good to you and meets your requirement.

What you can get from the forum here is knowledge, experiences and other options in the same price range which you can listen to and consider.

If you like Bose go ahead and buy it and enjoy your experience.

 

[doors666]

I don't understand why the Acoustimass 5 is considered a over priced speaker system. Its pricing is well within the range of a good book shelf speaker system & it sounds just as good, in some cases better. I don't care what the critics have to say about it; to me they sound fantastic & for Rs. 21000 (on their India website) its hard to find something that sounds so good.

I love book shelf speakers (I own a very good pair too) but the problem with them is placement to get the desired sound. Few book shelves can do good bass. Bass is something book shelves don't deliver & they need a treated (in some basic way) room for them to really shine.

With the Bose Acoustimass 5 you have no such worries. Mid's & Highs are handled beautifully by the cubes, bass is fantastic from the passive sub woofer unit, superb separation (because of the design) & are not as finicky as book shelves when it comes to placement. You don't need to spend a bomb on wiring for them to sound good & they work well with even a budget Yamaha stereo amplifier. So your saving money on wiring & not having to buy an expensive stereo amplifier.

I have listened to this speakers system extensively & I have to hand it to Bose for quality sound from such small speakers.

I think bose ac5 will loose to my logitech ATP3 system in A/B tesing, I paid 2800/- for it. :lol:

And no, I am not kidding.

 

[sandeepmohan]

Dushie

I will never rule out the capabilities of a better quality book shelf at a cheaper price but the problem is setting them up. Its a real pain. Most of us don't have the luxury of a dedicated entertainment room with treated interiors. In most homes it is next to impossible to have the perfect placement for book shelves (most critical). Its in environments like these I would prefer Bose Acoustimass 5. I have heard this speaker system with a Yamaha stereo amplifier. Things can only improve with a better amplfier.

doors666

You mean Altec Lansing ATP3. I own one too & it is the best PC speaker system to buy but lets not compare it to something a lot bigger like the Bose in discussion. The Bose has a lot more power handling, can go way deeper with bass, does wonderful mids & highs & you can pair it with components of your choice starting with the amplifier itself. The ATP works best in something no bigger than a study.

 

[ngd]

Dushie and Sandeepmohan:

I thank you both for providing your opinions. I had planned to test out AM5 anyway but wanted to know other speakers that I should test out so that time at the music shops is well spent. I am sure I will have my own opinion too!

One thing I like about this forums is that everybody is quite tolerant of other people's opinions and debates are held in a very civil manner. Kudos!

 

[doors666]

Dushie

I will never rule out the capabilities of a better quality book shelf at a cheaper price but the problem is setting them up. Its a real pain. Most of us don't have the luxury of a dedicated entertainment room with treated interiors. In most homes it is next to impossible to have the perfect placement for book shelves (most critical). Its in environments like these I would prefer Bose Acoustimass 5. I have heard this speaker system with a Yamaha stereo amplifier. Things can only improve with a better amplfier.

doors666

You mean Altec Lansing ATP3. I own one too & it is the best PC speaker system to buy but lets not compare it to something a lot bigger like the Bose in discussion. The Bose has a lot more power handling, can go way deeper with bass, does wonderful mids & highs & you can pair it with components of your choice starting with the amplifier itself. The ATP works best in something no bigger than a study.

you cant compare these two in terms of power etc, but clarity, yes. Bose has more volume and bass, but mids and highs is where it sucks big time. I have purchased bose a long time ago (mid 90s) and returned within a week. I am no audiophile, and didnt have access to such forums or even internet to check the reviews, just didnt like the sound et al. Before the bose, the only system I had owned was a mono philips tape recorder. And I have also auditioned quite a few bose systems, including their top of the line with some 10-12 cubes, the sound signature doesnt change. The only decent bose was supposed to be their 901s (model might have changed, its been a while).

Forget the music, try a good english movie with bose, you will have trouble understanding the dialogues without subtitles. The only way to describe the sound is muddy, you cant distinguish one guitar from another

oh, and setting up a system is not that complicated. you need an amp and source, which is the same case with bose too. and you do get dirt cheap speaker cables too. MX has a decent one for about 50/- a meter. maybe for the first time, you can take someones help, and once u see how its done, it becomes easy.