Didn't see any threads specifically about this question, so bear with me...

Started with an Onkyo receiver & bose acoustimass system with subwoofer. (ok - it's 10 years old!)

We are enlarging the room & will be installing new speakers in 3 months after rebuilding walls, etc.

Just bought the Onkyo SR605 & it has a powered subwoofer port. When I run Audessey, no subwoofer shows up in the config and I cannot find any settings to include a non-powered sub.

So, can I temporarily keep the acoustimass speakers & add a powered sub? I'm looking at the Dayton 100, but not sure if I can connect the bose speakers to the subwoofer. I can't find any manuals on the Parts Express site.

Can anyone help?

Thanks!

99% of the people on this forum would tell you to trash the Bose. The accoustimass, for example, is really not a subwoofer as it contains three five inch speakers. Subs start at 8".

Check out some of the Bose threads.

I realize that they aren't in the realm of HT today, but 10 years ago, it was about the only packaged 5.1 system around.

and.... budget-wise..... 10 years ago, all I could afford!

I am planning on ditching them in the near future, but wanted an in-between solution until the re-modeling is done.

That was my question - how to bridge the gap by buying a powered sub to go with them now, temporarily.

Don't the Accoustimass speaker wires go from the receiver to the bass module and then from the module out to the cubes? If so, you can connect a true sub (the Dayton, for instance) to the subwoofer out connection on the Onkyo. Then say 'yes' to subwoofer in the Onkyo setup. In essence, you'd be using the Accoustimass bass module (fairly worthless anyhow, except to run the cubes) and a real sub.

Don't the Accoustimass speaker wires go from the receiver to the bass module and then from the module out to the cubes? If so, you can connect a true sub (the Dayton, for instance) to the subwoofer out connection on the Onkyo. Then say 'yes' to subwoofer in the Onkyo setup. In essence, you'd be using the Accoustimass bass module (fairly worthless anyhow, except to run the cubes) and a real sub.
Yes they do.

You want to connect the AM system up like normal (wires from the AVR to the bass module then to the satellites). Then, you can add a powered sub using the subwoofer out. Change the X-over to 80-100 Hz, calibrate, and you're set.

I realize that they aren't in the realm of HT today, but 10 years ago, it was about the only packaged 5.1 system around.

and.... budget-wise..... 10 years ago, all I could afford!

I am planning on ditching them in the near future, but wanted an in-between solution until the re-modeling is done.

That was my question - how to bridge the gap by buying a powered sub to go with them now, temporarily.

packaged 5.1 systems are still crap to this day..and even 10 years ago there were actual real speakers sold from different brands

Jeez Guys -

Doesn't everyone START somewhere???

Thanks Patdeisa & troublefan - I appreciate your respectful responses!

I studied audio setups & determined that I could remove the Accoustimass sub & wire in the Dayton.

I'm going to toddle off and not post again - I thought the idea of a forum was to ask & learn........

Yes they do.

You want to connect the AM system up like normal (wires from the AVR to the bass module then to the satellites). Then, you can add a powered sub using the subwoofer out. Change the X-over to 80-100 Hz, calibrate, and you're set.

Does the AM system allow you to adjust the bass output? If it does then I would set it to the least amount of output. That way the bass that you hear will be from the better sub.

I studied audio setups & determined that I could remove the Accoustimass sub & wire in the Dayton. Don't remove the Bose bass module. The tiny Blose cubes only play down to around 200hz (if that low). Without the bass module you will have a huge gap in the response. It will also be much easier to blow up the satellite speakers. Take Patdeisa's advice and use both the bass module and the sub.

-Robert

I was about to say the same thing as rlj5242. The AM system doesn't divide up frequency response the same way a traditional system would. Instead of putting 80-100Hz+ to the mains and lower freqs to the sub, it passes the whole signal to everything, separates the lows and highs, gives the lowish mids to the Bass Module and passes the highish mids+ to the cubes. One of the big problems is that it really doesn't get into the "sub" domain of freq response.

You want to keep everything the way it is and just add a subwoofer to your powered output. That will fill out your frequency response by filling up the lower Hz you aren't getting now.

Don't let the Bose haters prevent you from using the forum. People get pissed because they had some neighbor who refused to acknowledge their non-Bose system superiority, and the fact that Bose charges you double for a system that really isn't as good. Most Bose stuff probably isn't as good as Bose says it is, but it also probably isn't as bad as the Bose Haters say it is either.

I'm sorry if my comment seemed offensive, I was just pointing out that packaged 5.1 systems are not the best choice, before or today, and that Bose was never the best option either. Bose speakers look just like my computer multimedia speakers, only smaller. And probably don't sound as good, though I haven't heard. About the gap in the frequency, it's there in the first place - the satellites go down to 280hz and the "bass module" picks up at 200 - 80 hz slice of sound is dropped.

...I'm going to toddle off and not post again - I thought the idea of a forum was to ask & learn........

I was about to say the same thing as rlj5242. The AM system doesn't divide up frequency response the same way a traditional system would. Instead of putting 80-100Hz+ to the mains and lower freqs to the sub, it passes the whole signal to everything, separates the lows and highs, gives the lowish mids to the Bass Module and passes the highish mids+ to the cubes. One of the big problems is that it really doesn't get into the "sub" domain of freq response.

You want to keep everything the way it is and just add a subwoofer to your powered output. That will fill out your frequency response by filling up the lower Hz you aren't getting now.

Don't let the Bose haters prevent you from using the forum. People get pissed because they had some neighbor who refused to acknowledge their non-Bose system superiority, and the fact that Bose charges you double for a system that really isn't as good. Most Bose stuff probably isn't as good as Bose says it is, but it also probably isn't as bad as the Bose Haters say it is either.

Yeah, don't give up on the forum. You will learn a lot here; just filter out the auto-anti-Bose responses from the help. But when/if you ever want to upgrade, many of those passionate anti-Bosers can point to many other options. I know; I once had the Accoustimass system, with 2 bass modules.

Oh, probably shouldn't ask any Monster Cable-related questions either :D

Oh man Monster is 10000000% more of a ripoff than any Bose system ever is. 50x more for something which is exactly the same (I've heard often made in the same factory).

You are being given correct advice.

Connect your speakers through the acoustamass module.

Set your speakers to small in your reciever.

Set the cross over to 80 or 100hz.

Set your subwoofer to on in your reciever.

Plug your sub into the sub-out on the back of your reciever.

Enjoy!

They are correct. I did not realize that the speakers only went down to 200 hz. Since the speakers stop at 200 hz you need the AM bass module to fill in the gap between the speakers the added powered sub.

The speakers go down to 280 not 200
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