Bose 321 GS System

[jimmyV8]

I currently have a moderate separates system comprising of:

Marantz CD5400 CD Player
Marantz PM7200 Amp
B&W DM602 Speakers

I have always been happy with the sound and while its far from a top end system ive always been pleased with it. However times have changed and ive recently bought my first house with my mrs and its had little use recently. I have been thinking about changing the lot to combine my HI-Fi and TV set up in one.

I have always been a fan of Bose headphones and iPod dock but never owned anything beyond that. The 321 GS system caught my eye as it is compact has all the features I require and seems to be fairly good value. I am concerned the sound quality will suffer as a result of switching to a system like this or could I expect similar results to my current set up?

Any other similar systems I should consider? Or other options?

Thanks in advance.

[phil_cardiff]

I was in your situation and just decided to connect my sky box and PS3 to my amp with RCA cables. The PS3 stores and plays MP3s too which is handy.

[AB]

Prepare for some Bose bashing...

[jimmyV8]

From what I had read I expected that to be the case, which was why I was hoping for alternative suggestions that may be a better option?

[JamPal]

jimmyV8 said:

I currently have a moderate separates system comprising of:

Marantz CD5400 CD Player
Marantz PM7200 Amp
B&W DM602 Speakers

I have always been happy with the sound and while its far from a top end system ive always been pleased with it. However times have changed and ive recently bought my first house with my mrs and its had little use recently. I have been thinking about changing the lot to combine my HI-Fi and TV set up in one.

I have always been a fan of Bose headphones and iPod dock but never owned anything beyond that. The 321 GS system caught my eye as it is compact has all the features I require and seems to be fairly good value. I am concerned the sound quality will suffer as a result of switching to a system like this or could I expect similar results to my current set up?

Any other similar systems I should consider? Or other options?

Thanks in advance.

Hi Jimmy,

I think you'll miss your proper hifi if you go for a Bose system to be honest.

The separate Sub Woofer rarely integrates properly with the tiny little speakers, my personal view is that these Bose systems are style over substance.

I would be more tempted to recommend something like an Arcam Solo Movie and a nice pair of proper B&W stand mounts (or similar), that will shrink your box count nicely and retain a lot of the sound quality you have now.

I run a hifi forum and would be happy to assist further if you want more advice.

BTW: Are the DM602's you have the stand mount or floor standing "s2" versions? The latter were not as sweet as the smaller ones and that would be a simple improvement in both reducing size and upping sound quality you could make.

Cheers,

James.

[jshell]

There are a lot of very happy Bose users out there, me included. I don't care so much about true Hi-Fi sound, I wanted a slick, easy to set-up, easy to use system that worked well. I could have fecked around with seperates, but really didn't need the hassle. My V-30 has been perfect for my needs and sounds just great for movies etc.

[JamPal]

jshell said:

There are a lot of very happy Bose users out there, me included. I don't care so much about true Hi-Fi sound, I wanted a slick, easy to set-up, easy to use system that worked well. I could have fecked around with seperates, but really didn't need the hassle. My V-30 has been perfect for my needs and sounds just great for movies etc.

The point is, you can have true HiFi sound without having separates.

If you don't care about sound quality then why not buy an Alba system and save your money?

[jshell]

JamPal said:

jshell said:

There are a lot of very happy Bose users out there, me included. I don't care so much about true Hi-Fi sound, I wanted a slick, easy to set-up, easy to use system that worked well. I could have fecked around with seperates, but really didn't need the hassle. My V-30 has been perfect for my needs and sounds just great for movies etc.

The point is, you can have true HiFi sound without having separates.

If you don't care about sound quality then why not buy an Alba system and save your money?

I didn't say it was bad, but for me an 80/20 solution. Bose has a better sound than it's given credit for, but the true audiophiles
don't rate it. That's fine if you want the absolute best sound, I'm happy with very good sound.

It looks alot better tha an Alba system too which is true pish.

[Hub]

I've seen a few reviews for the Cambridge Audio Minx systems which seem to imply they are doing what Bose does but better. Been considering them myself, but didn't have a satisfactory listen in the busy Richer Sounds store I went to (they are set up on stands and wouldn't give me a proper audition)... I'm now considering going back to bookshelf speakers instead to reduce the compromise for music listening.

[jimmyV8]

JamPal said:

Hi Jimmy,

I think you'll miss your proper hifi if you go for a Bose system to be honest.

The separate Sub Woofer rarely integrates properly with the tiny little speakers, my personal view is that these Bose systems are style over substance.

I would be more tempted to recommend something like an Arcam Solo Movie and a nice pair of proper B&W stand mounts (or similar), that will shrink your box count nicely and retain a lot of the sound quality you have now.

I run a hifi forum and would be happy to assist further if you want more advice.

BTW: Are the DM602's you have the stand mount or floor standing "s2" versions? The latter were not as sweet as the smaller ones and that would be a simple improvement in both reducing size and upping sound quality you could make.

Cheers,

James.

Thanks for your post, I have the stand mounted version which I have to say I have been impressed with. I would like to retain as much as the quality of sound as I can but I think I must accept that I am going to loose some of the clarity by switching to a predominantly cinema based system.

Really what I want is something that will reduce my box count, not run cables everywhere, retain good sound quality and not cost the earth! I dont want to spend more than £1k really.

Am I wanting something that doesnt exist?

[JamPal]

[quote]
Thanks for your post, I have the stand mounted version which I have to say I have been impressed with. I would like to retain as much as the quality of sound as I can but I think I must accept that I am going to loose some of the clarity by switching to a predominantly cinema based system.

[/quote]

They are very good speakers, for not silly money. You'll miss them if you downsize them. No two ways about it.

[quote]

Really what I want is something that will reduce my box count, not run cables everywhere, retain good sound quality and not cost the earth! I dont want to spend more than £1k really.

[/quote]

ADM9's Active speakers, http://www.avihifi.co.uk/adm9.html They are about a grand and will reduce box count totally as they are active. So all your sources, CD, Blu Ray etc, plug straight into the back of one of the speakers.

Mr AVI (Ashley) is a somewhat controversial figure in the hifi world, but there's no doubting his kit sounds good and is very practical.

[quote]
Am I wanting something that doesnt exist?
[/quote]

No. :-)

If you have a £100k rig like Mr JazzMad on the hifi thread, then Yes, but from where you are (and where I am) no, it is possible to retain most of the sound you have while reducing boxes.

There are other options too, the AVI's are a little over priced in my personal opinion, but you can't whack em for connectivity and sound. Remote control too I am told.

For massive VFM but less WAF the Tannoy studio monitors are amazing.

http://www.tannoy.com/StudioSummary.aspx#&&amp...

[JamPal]

Sorry about the mess, multiple quotes don't seem to work.

Hope it was useful none the less.

:-)

James.