Home > Consumer Reviews > Acoustimass 3 Series IV speaker system - Black

I am always amazing at the amount of flaming that Bose products seem to instigate on message boards. Clearly, people buy the stuff and so perhaps it is just that web noise.

I have had a set of AM-3s for 11 years. I originally bought them for a rehearsal area where space was tight and I wanted something I could put on the wall, but I got more than I bargained for. As you might guess, I am a musician.

I have been using these in my main parlor/music room area now for 6 years and I am always pleased. They produce a remarkably full sound that is clear and emotional, and they occupy virtually no space. Instruments and voices are rendered with admirable neutrality, and music of all types and time periods sounds just plain good. They can play at surprisingly high volumes without complaint connected to my 150 watt Pioneer receiver.

My only beefs: The single cubes are a bit directional at high frequencies, but not overly so (the bigger double-cube AM-5s solve that). Bass is full down to about 60hz and falls off sharply below that. However, I cannot think of another $200 set of speakers that is so musically satisfying overall. I recommended them to my friends who almost always turn their heads and say, "That sounds great. Where are the speakers?"

11 years and no problems. That speaks for itself. For $200 the AM-3 just can't be beat.

Let me start this review by saying that I'm not an "audiophile" and won't be including any gibberish about audible ranges or anything like that. I just can tell when I hear good sound that I like. And these speakers produce that. Plenty of bass (almost too much, I had to turn down the base on my receiver) and beautifully clear mid-range and high notes.

Connected these Bose speakers to my 25 year old Yamaha 500 RX receiver and an old Toshiba DVD player. The system sounds great. In addition to CD and Tuner, I bought a cable that allows me to connect the receiver to my laptop computer, and now I get the best sound I've ever heard from all my Internet radio stations, CD's, ITunes, and games.

And best of all, these speakers are small enough that they don't take up hardly any room in my home office. Little cubes are on the side of the room and are not obtrusive. Acoustimass module shoved in the corner.

Only really down side I can see is the cost of Bose products. These are pretty expensive and you can probably find speakers that sound just as good for less money. But, I guarantee you they will not be as small and fit as well in your room.

I origianlly thought this was an excellent offer. Two rear Bose speakers with a sub woofer. The setup was simple and the sound from the cubes was unmistakable. What was lacking was coming from the subwoofer. This is not a true subwoofer since it's power is derived from the the two rear speakers. When you are trying to get enough bass you can hardly hear a rumble. This caused me to go out and spend a bit more on a good subwoofer. The cube speakers are well worth it and give more than average sound. I just wasn't happy with the complete package.

Great sound for the money. I know you can get better speakers but not for $200.00. I got these at Circuit City and am very pleased with the sound. If you think Bose does not sound good it is usually your speaker placement or the acoustics of your room. They sound very good in my living room and I would recommend to anyone.

For decently recorded solo instruments, chamber music and choral music this rig is fine once you get over Bose's pricing. As for more modern "pop" stuff on which more recording care is initially lavished, Bose setup is damn near perfect. Generally nice separation of frequencies affords hours of listening without the unconscious strain that results from trying to compensate for system's inadequacies. Considering space-saving size and audio quality: a worthwhile investment for the not-overly-finicky audiophile.