Bose LIFESTYLE V20 home entertainment system

[Zod]

Eeek, you absolutely must have a centre speaker. Watching a movie, the proportion of the soundtrack that comes from the centre channel is 80%+.

[beanbag]

derestrictor said:

What a system, btw (the Pioneer/KEF one.)

I know....I heard the new iQ90's and they sound absolutely stunning......

[derestrictor]

Yes, truly mesmerising delivery: jaw dropping prescence and (iirc in conjunction with a Denon AVR-4308,) astonishing three dimensionality.

I know it's cheating a bit but on WALL-E, unbelievable.

[headcase]

The Bose V system has a really annoying incompatibility with Sky Hd boxes also, sky hd outputs PCM2.0 via the HDMI connector and Dolby Digital from the optical connector, but the bose system in its infinate wisdom uses the HDMI audio in preference to the optical so you dont get 5.1! Bose's wonderfull solution was to not connect the sky box with HDMI but to use the component instead but........ the latest Sky HD boxes no longer have component so what to do?

[Mr_Yogi]

Zod said:

Eeek, you absolutely must have a centre speaker. Watching a movie, the proportion of the soundtrack that comes from the centre channel is 80%+.

Depends on your room layout and where you sit, if it's just one or two of you sitting in the sweet spot there is no need for a centre if your front two have good imaging.

I was very impressed when I tried using a phantom centre with my XQ30s.

[Plotloss]

Mr_Yogi said:

Zod said:

Eeek, you absolutely must have a centre speaker. Watching a movie, the proportion of the soundtrack that comes from the centre channel is 80%+.

Depends on your room layout and where you sit, if it's just one or two of you sitting in the sweet spot there is no need for a centre if your front two have good imaging.

I was very impressed when I tried using a phantom centre with my XQ30s.

Owning a cinema setup without a centre is like owning a Mclaren F1 without a steering wheel.

They are essential, absolutely essential.

[beanbag]

Well, I think from all this I've been put off the BOSE system and I think I'll continue saving and go with the iQ90's and Pioneer HE amp.

I'm not quite sure which one I'll go for since I'm questioning if that THX certification is really necessary....

I'm also looking at other brands but frankly, I've no idea where to start for a good HE amp.

[Roop]

beanbag] said:

The BOSE system includes everything I need, including the amp. The KEF while cheaper, does not include the amp.

st, Tom. I thought it included the amp.

It doesn't. I'll throw in one of these telephones, but it does not include the amp.

I hope it includes the speakers.

It doesn't include the speakers or the amp and it's not supposed to include me getting the hump with your questions. You want it, you buy it...

[Roop]

I was thinking about something like this.

http://www.sony.co.uk/product/hcs-cinema-surround-...

Provided you can stash the sub, the satellites are tiny. OK, I'll get "all highs and lows - must be BOSE" style sound, but it's a start. Haven't got room for a rack full of kit...

[beanbag]

Roop said:

I was thinking about something like this.

http://www.sony.co.uk/product/hcs-cinema-surround-...

Provided you can stash the sub, the satellites are tiny. OK, I'll get "all highs and lows - must be BOSE" style sound, but it's a start. Haven't got room for a rack full of kit...

That doesn't look effective at all. The BOSE speakers are small but those are minuscule. Not a chance I'd spend £489 on that. It'll sound crap!

[Plotloss]

beanbag said:

Not a chance I'd spend £489 on that. It'll sound crap!

Actually it doesn't, its all in the crossover see.

Obviously there aint no replacement for displacement but those tiny Sony things produce far more sound than they 'should'

In the final analysis those and Bose are Mickey Mouse in the grand scheme of things but they fill a need in the market.

[derestrictor]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c8/Fres...

Client Exhibit (A)

[Steve748]

I have a Bose Accoustimass 10 5.1 for watching tv/dvd through a Pioneer AV amp etc and the sound is great for that and I bought it because they are small enclosures and I have a smallish room. Bose is not good for music but quite acceptable for AV. If your after a system and you are going to play both music and AV through then go for bigger speakers.
I use Quad speakers and Cyrus amps for the music.

[Sara Smith]

I was considering KFF speakers before but never liked them which is has something to do with their shape. also I had many bad experiences with Bose that made rarely deal with them!

beanbag said:

I was thinking changing my HES with some KEF speakers and a decent amplifier, but then I saw the Bose Lifestyle V20 for a pretty decent sum and I was wondering if anyone had any experiences with it....



It looks like a pretty decent set-up with 5.1 surround and a good amp with multiple inputs and 2x HDMI so it's perfect for my needs.

However, there is also a V30 for another €500 and I can't really tell what the difference is.

Any info on this and experiences with the Lifestyle systems? Good? Bad?

Sara Smith (Client Electronics Reviews) - Fabius, New York
bose acoustic wave| bose wave music system| bose acoustic wave| bose acoustimass 10| bose acoustic| barcode scanner| reverse phone lookup| bose acoustic| bose sounddock portable

Edited by Sara Smith on Thursday 16th December 22:37