Home > Consumer Reviews > Bose VCS-10 Center Channel - Speaker, home theater sound for component systems - Black

I almost didn't order this based on the poor reviews and Consumers Reports findings. I needed a thin center speaker to go with the acoustimass cubes - this was the logical choice. After researching it at length there were mixed reviews with many negative comments. I called Cruthfield and the Bose Outlet to get their opinions. They were surprised to hear that there were negative comments. The Bose outlet advised theirs sounded great and noted it must be hooked directly to the receiver - not the module like the cubes. I have had the speaker for a couple weeks and it sounds great. I have two other surround systems, one high end and a lower end system and the Bose performs admirably for such a compact system. The articulation of words coming from the center speaker sounds like a real person. I don't understand the bad reviews - unless it's not being connected properly. Worked for me - and as most retailers note you can always send it back.

I have no axe to grind with Bose. I originally bought this speaker for a custom cabinet with almost no room for a center channel set up. This speaker has an incredibly small footprint. If space is limited, this is not a bad option.

However, being honest, this is not a great center channel speaker. Choosing speakers is like the addage "certain horses for certain courses." Your budget, your room, your components - all play a part.

I have two home theater setups. One is a daily gathering area with basic in wall treatments from Polk Audio. The other is a dedicated theater utilizing Definitive Technologies with B&K Reference 7.1 Processing. Clearly the Bose VCS-10 can not hold its own with my larger setup. However, I have run it with my Polk Audio's and it was workable. The timbre match was slightly off and the vocals were not as sharp as they are with my Polk CSi3 but it was not awful.

My bottom line - you can certainly buy a better center channel speaker. Can you buy a better one in this price range. I think so - if you are only focused on the quality of this one speaker and not the blended sound of your system. You should always buy the best components within your budget - but remember you are building a system - it's not just about one speaker. If this speaker fits your space and (more importantly) matches your other speakers, then it may be the right speaker for you.

I would have to say that I'm a bit surprised by the number of negative reviews for this exceptional product. I purchased a Bose VCS-10 Center Channel Speaker as soon as Bose started selling them. Given the overwhelming quality that is always associated with Bose speakers and my past experience with their speakers in the 401's and 301's; this choice, for me, was an easy one.

If you're like myself and the years has done a bit of a job on your hearing, the Bose VCS-10 Center Channel Speaker and the proper settings on your receiver will make a world of difference in your home theater system and ultimately your movie watching experience. With those proper settings on your receiver, this speaker will beautifully bring the dialogue out in your favorite movies that has previously been somewhat drowned out by the other speakers in your system and you will soon find yourself rarely asking what it was that they said!

Along with the exceptional quality in speakers that Bose is known for, this speaker will sit right there on top of your television set and as it is magnetically shielded, it will not have an effect on your television set at all.

I highly recommend the Bose VCS-10 Center Channel Speaker to any and all that are in the market for a center channel speaker and are of a mood to get the highest quality product available without spending way too much money. I've used one for years and have been thoroughly happy with it, only recently replacing it on one system with a Bose Acoustimass system but that VCS-10 is right there, leading the way on another system! For years of quality output, you'd be hard pressed to do better for the meager price! {ssintrepid}

I purchased this speaker about four years ago to complement my Bose main speakers for my surround sound set up. At that time, I felt the sound quality was pretty good but over the years as I listened to other center channels that other people had in their home theater set ups I came to realize that the Bose center speaker sound quality was not up to par. So last year, I purchased a Polk center speaker and the improvement in sound quality is absolutely insane. The Polk speaker which costs the same as the Bose ($199) was far and away the better product. The sound is cleaner, crisper, sharper...it made watching movies much more enjoyable. I couldn't believe what I had been missing out on all these years. The only reason I purchased the Bose was to match my speakers but that was a mistake because the sound I have now with Polk center and Bose main is excellent. Depending on who you ask, the center speaker is the most important speaker in a home entertainment audio system. If that's true then I wouldn't recommend Bose because all you're doing is buying the name and not the sound quality and to me that's a waste of money. I know because I made that mistake.

I've had the Bose Acoustimass system for 6 years and have been using a 5th cube for the center channel. I purchased a new home theater cabinet for Christmas and decided that the center cube wasn't visually appealing so I purchased the center channel speaker strictly for its appearance. I wasn't expecting the speaker to make much difference in the sound of my system but, when I turned the system on WOW what a difference it made. The surround separation is 50% better and the center channel is much more clear. Well worth the money.

I ordered through Amazon and received the speaker from 6Ave in two days.