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Soundbar for lack of Bose low to mid-range

post #1 of 16
9/9/10 at 5:45am
Thread Starter 
I need input/recommendation for the best type of speaker system to compliment my BOSE 5.1 Speaker system. I'm thinking to get sound bar with sub-woofer. I'm not sure if this is the right thing to do. I'm not an audiophile.
My receiver is entry level Denon AVR-487.

Here is my situation.

I have BOSE 5.1 Speaker System pre-setup at my living room. all wires hidden behind the wall. The bass module was setup inside the room behind sofa. This is my control room where I put all my receiver, dvd player, etc. So there is a wall in between subwoofer/bass module and living room. TV hang on the top above fireplace. All I can see in the living room are TV and 5 bose satelites speaker. From the control room there is 1 HDMI wire setup going to the TV wall above the fireplace.

I played DVD movies and music last night and seems lacking lots of basses. I can hear humming sound from behind the wall but it was very underpowered/uncleaned.
I have an extra active subwoofer (DENON DSW-76 / 100 watt) that I tried to add to my receiver to compliment the bass module. But it wasn't work well either.

I read about the crossover setting on bose system is pretty high around 220 hz. Everything else under that will go to bass module. Since the bass module now pretty much useless to me. I need to find out the alternative solution to replace the bass module function.

Here is my idea:
1. Put the extra subwoofer outside the control room and change the crossover setting to 220 hz. I set my receiver to large for all speakers and subwoofer setting set to sub + main. I believe this is not the best option, but at least it will take care some of the loss low to mid-range frequencies.

2. Buy sound bar with or without subwoofer. I can run digital audio cable from tv output to the sound bar. I don't know which brand/model has the best performance for my budget. If I have to buy, my budget will be under $400.

I appreciate for any help on this. thanks.
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post #2 of 16
9/9/10 at 6:39am
I would put the bass module in the same room with the satellites.
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post #3 of 16
9/9/10 at 7:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by fe1ixs View Post

there is a wall in between subwoofer/bass module and living room. TV hang on the top above fireplace. All I can see in the living room are TV and 5 bose satelites speaker.

Huh? You have the bass module in the other room with the wall between? Yes, as the prior poster said....put it in the same room.

If you want to have even better sound, investigate putting something together over time. Meaning... perhaps sell your Bose system and buy something like Klipsch Heresy's and set those up. Other brands would certainly work and you can get smaller than Heresy's.

You might find that this Bose system isn't "big" enough to fill your room with sound. Well, let me correct that....it's probably big enough for "room filling sound" however, you might be after some dynamics. I wonder if your Bose system is capable of "room filling dynamics"

Putting the woofer in the same room will certainly help though.
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post #4 of 16
9/9/10 at 7:29am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by guammer View Post

I would put the bass module in the same room with the satellites.

I'll try that if I can. I would probably need to extend the speaker wires if I want to take the bass module out.

btw, Do you think by adding sound bar w/ subwoofer will help?
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post #5 of 16
9/9/10 at 7:37am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by coytee View Post

Huh? You have the bass module in the other room with the wall between? Yes, as the prior poster said....put it in the same room.
.

Yes. It is hidden behind the wall. It is a small room under the stair if you can imagine it. He did not like cable clutter in his living room. I loved the clean look of the room though.

If I can sell the bose, I'll do it. But when I purchased the house, this system already pre-setup and all the wiring hidden behind the wall. so right now I'm thinking about adding extra AV equipment to subtitute those missing freq range.

do you think by adding soundbar will help? I can put the soundbar above the fireplace and probably added an extra wireless sub to it. Missing of the low-mid frequencies that's what I feel right now.
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post #6 of 16
9/9/10 at 7:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by fe1ixs View Post

Yes. It is hidden behind the wall. It is a small room under the stair if you can imagine it. He did not like cable clutter in his living room. I loved the clean look of the room though.

If I can sell the bose, I'll do it. But when I purchased the house, this system already pre-setup and all the wiring hidden behind the wall. so right now I'm thinking about adding extra AV equipment to subtitute those missing freq range.

do you think by adding soundbar will help? I can put the soundbar above the fireplace and probably added an extra wireless sub to it. Missing of the low-mid frequencies that's what I feel right now.

Interestingly, there was recently another thread where someone put an old pair of Sony speakers up agasint his Bose.... he didn't fully understand why the Sony's sounded better....

Perhaps they simply sounded better!

You don't want to know my brutally honest thoughts so I'd say this....before you buy ANYTHING, go out and audition speakers that are the size you like and sound good. I'm personally a fan of much larger speakers so I'm not a good person to talk to.

Also....try this.... well, instead, let me tell you what I once did. Realize that my wife detests my large speakers. She wanted the Bose since they were so small and unobtusive... and "all speakers sound the same" (hahahahaha)

We went into the local Best Buy and walked up to the little Bose setup they had where you are away from other speakers. (hard to do an honest side by side if they are seperated)

We listened there and she said pretty self righteously "see....these sound fine!"

I just stood there.... I then said.... ok dear, we are currently standing within 3 feet of these speakers. At home we will be sitting about 10' away from them, sooooooooooooooooooooo, let's back up about 10' away and see how they sound over THERE.

Long story short, they fell short. WAY short. As you are in their 'cone of sound' they might sound unoffending. I urge you instead, to listen to something and move further away from them and then see what you think.

Might be interesting. It was for my wife although she still detests my large speakers
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post #7 of 16
9/9/10 at 8:39am
Thread Starter 
Yeah. I read all the negative feedback about bose system. I should opt out the bose when I bought the house so I can get better deal

the placement of the bass module is the one that create problem with my setup. You can barely hear the bass. I still can hear some of the conversation humming lightly behind the wall. My wife will be mad if I take out the bass module out as it will make the room clutter.

I think I'm gonna try amplified/active sound bar solution and see if it will solve the issue. I would expect the extra speaker will covered 80hz-220hz frequency that were missing from front & center cubes. Above 220hz pretty much covered by the bose cubes.

thanks for your input on this.
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post #8 of 16
9/9/10 at 9:00am
If you are going to try a soundbar sub solution, look at JVC's BA1. All reviews say this is an excellent system with both video sources and music. The fact that a unit sounds good with music is always a plus in the small speaker, soundbar category.

Way under $300 from either Amazon or BB online.
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post #9 of 16
9/9/10 at 9:48am
Quote:
Originally Posted by fe1ixs View Post

Yeah. I read all the negative feedback about bose system. I should opt out the bose when I bought the house so I can get better deal

the placement of the bass module is the one that create problem with my setup. You can barely hear the bass. I still can hear some of the conversation humming lightly behind the wall. My wife will be mad if I take out the bass module out as it will make the room clutter.

I think I'm gonna try amplified/active sound bar solution and see if it will solve the issue. I would expect the extra speaker will covered 80hz-220hz frequency that were missing from front & center cubes. Above 220hz pretty much covered by the bose cubes.

thanks for your input on this.

Buy a second Bose sub! The one Bose sub is not going too be powerful too push pass a wall! The best thing is too sell the Bose and buy a better system like Denon DHT-591BA which comes with a Cal mic so you can set it up for any room and this system will all mount where the Bose use too be! If you want too keep the Bose give us a Pic of your setup it will help everyone too help you better!
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post #10 of 16
9/9/10 at 10:07am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jamespblues View Post

Buy a second Bose sub! The one Bose sub is not going too be powerful too push pass a wall! The best thing is too sell the Bose and buy a better system like Denon DHT-591BA which comes with a Cal mic so you can set it up for any room and this system will all mount where the Bose use too be! If you want too keep the Bose give us a Pic of your setup it will help everyone too help you better!

I attached the layout map.

I don't want to move the bass module out if I can. I have 2nd sub (Denon/SYS) that I put next to bass module. I can move this out to the front of the wall if it helps. the receiver also sit behind the wall.

btw, what is Calmic? Denon DHT-591BA sounds good to me if I can use the same bose mounting wall and wiring.

thanks.
LL
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post #11 of 16
9/9/10 at 10:35am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by drfreeman60 View Post

If you are going to try a soundbar sub solution, look at JVC's BA1. All reviews say this is an excellent system with both video sources and music. The fact that a unit sounds good with music is always a plus in the small speaker, soundbar category.

Way under $300 from either Amazon or BB online.

I will check on that. Thank you.
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post #12 of 16
9/9/10 at 10:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by fe1ixs View Post

I attached the layout map.

I don't want to move the bass module out if I can. I have 2nd sub (Denon/SYS) that I put next to bass module. I can move this out to the front of the wall if it helps. the receiver also sit behind the wall.

btw, what is Calmic? Denon DHT-591BA sounds good to me if I can use the same bose mounting wall and wiring.

thanks.

You really need too put the Bose sub in the front of the room because Bose even wants it there but there is a reason for that, Bose sub is not really a Subwoofer that is why it is called a Module and not a Subwoofer. The Module is like if you cut a floorstanding/Tower speaker in half and moved the bottom of the cabinet too the back of the room with the mid-woofer and woofer in it and the top of the Flooringstanding/Tower speaker piece of the cabinet in front of the room there would be sound missing between the top and bottom of the front speakers and the same with the back of the room. So pretty much Bose made a flooring speaker in pieces too save you room! So you need too Keep the cabinet together. Bose 5.1 is really a 5.0 system there is no real sub the low end sound gets mixed in with the front speakers. To give you a subwoofer FX they place the module in a front corner of a room too make it sound Boomy! The Bose module and cubes are really only front speakers of a 5.1 system that is why voices bleed in too the module and not just bass. I added a pic from Bose for the right setup for your system. If you want a real 5.1 system and NOT a 5.0 system buy a different Brand.
LL
LL
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post #13 of 16
9/9/10 at 10:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by fe1ixs View Post

I will check on that. Thank you.

If you are thinking you are missing some frequency's with the Bose a Sound bar would be just as bad! If you want too work with the Bose system and not change it then move the sub too the front or just buy a new system. Bose speakers do not work well with a different Brand other then Bose!
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post #14 of 16
9/9/10 at 11:53am
If you go the soundbar with woofer route, you will still need to locate the low end in the same room as the soundbar, otherwise you will have the same result.
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post #15 of 16
9/10/10 at 2:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jamespblues View Post

Bose speakers do not work well with a different Brand other then Bose!

Soooooooooo, we could therefore postulate that other brands don't work as well with Bose as Bose does? They must be inferior.

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post #16 of 16
9/10/10 at 3:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by coytee View Post

Soooooooooo, we could therefore postulate that other brands don't work as well with Bose as Bose does? They must be inferior.


Bose just is setup too work good with Bose and all there connection Bose has. Bose runs on like 2ohm's or 6ohm's for the cubes which most AVR's don't play well with that setup because mostly speaker company's play 4ohm or 8ohm there are a few that do 6ohm like NHT but 2ohm is really rare! Bose is like a rack system in the late 80's and early 90's if you remember them they came with a EQ and cool lights! If you played different speakers on a rack system it would sound bad because the rack system was paired together as a set so all the spec matched too the T! Bose is made like a rack system you can't add to it or remove anything from it. Bose makes a HTIB rack system real.
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