Bose Cubes without Acoustimass connected to a non-Bose Amp

 

New member
Username: The_rug

Post Number: 1
Registered: Jun-10
Hi Everyone,

This is a post to share my research and experience on connecting Bose Cubes to a Yamaha amp without the Acoustimass module. I thought I would make this post as I searched for hours to collect the necessary info, and to share my results.

Please note: this is not a debate over whether Bose are better, this is just information for those that are curious as to whether this is possible and how.

History:
About 15 years ago I purchased a Bose Lifestyle 25 II system. Recently a lightning strike blew up my Acoustimass module. After many hours of cursing and realising that it wasn't salvageable, I decided to embark on replacing the system.

Requirements:
I didn't have a huge budget, so re-using the cube speakers as satellite speakers made sense. I admit the biggest downfall of the lifestyle systems is that if one part of it dies, you pretty much have to replace the whole thing (unless you eBay the specific item), so purchasing separate equipment was also on my agenda.

The specifications of the Bose speakers:
In order for me to research what I could purchase/use, I had to find out what I had first. Here is what I found online:
Frequency Responses:
Bose Cubes: 280Hz to 13,300Hz
Bose Acoustimass: 46Hz to 200Hz
These are the most accurate figures I have found, without testing the speakers myself (as I don't have the equipment to do this).
Bose Cube Ohm Rating:
According to most Internet sources: 4 ohm
According to the shop I bought my new amp from: 2 ohm
According to MY multimeter plugged into MY Bose cubes: 6.6 ohm

Note: My cubes are from a LifeStyle 25 II system - the ohm rating on the newer cubes may be different. I highly recommend investing in a cheap multi-meter with an Ohm setting so you know for sure what you are working with.

Finding the right amp:
From my research, the Ohm rating on the speakers is very important. It specifies how much resistance the speaker has, and therefore how much power it will draw from the amplifier - a lower number means less resistance, meaning more power is being drawn. You *can* connect a 4 Ohm speaker to a 6 Ohm amp, but chances are you will blow the amp as the speaker causes it to overheat.
It is therefore important to ensure that your amp can handle your speaker's Ohm rating. I have found that some amps have a lower amp rating for the main (front stereo) speakers, but a higher rating for the surround speakers - keep an eye on this!
For example, my new Yamaha RX-V595 can do 4 Ohm front speakers, but surround is only 6 Ohm.
As you can see, my Bose Cubes have a 6.6 Ohm rating and my amp can support as low as 6 Ohm (surround speakers), hence I was confident my amp would not blow up if I connected them.

Finding the right speakers & sub:
Now going back to the frequency responses I mentioned earlier - this is the sound that your speakers can reproduce. So as a whole, the LifeStyle 25 II system could reproduce sounds from 46Hz through to 13,300Hz with a gap from 200Hz to 280Hz. My thinking was that my next set of speakers would have to be able to cover more than that as I had noticed at times the LifeStyle lacked some 'oomf'. My research had shown:
The average sub can produce: 20Hz to 150Hz
The average front mains produce: 50hz to 20,000Hz
Meaning the LifeStyle was missing lower bass frequencies, the 'gap' was being missed and there was a higher frequency range being missed as well.
I have had my eye on a pair of Bose 301 series V for a while now, and their specs show they can do 30Hz to 20,000Hz - which I thought their ability to produce a bit more bass than the average front mains would help compensate for the Bose Cubes I was planning on using.

Result:
I now have my Bose Cubes configured for Centre and Left & Right surround and my Yamaha amp has auto-speaker configuration, so it knows how 'weak' they are. The sound level from them is fine and the quality is fine. As expected from such a small speaker, they sound a little tinny, but as I have a decent sub and as my stereo fronts have good bass reproduction, it isn't much of a problem.
I will, however, in the future replace these speakers with 'better' surrounds, but for now I am enjoying a full 5.1 experience without such an initial outlay by re-using my otherwise useless Bose Cubes.

Suggestions:
If you can afford a completely new speaker setup, then don't bother with the cubes - they really only come into their own when attached to an Acoustimass unit. But if you're a cheap bugger like me, then they certainly will do the job.
Also, when hooking them up, just be extra careful. Connect one at a time, play a movie for a while (to ensure you're using that channel), then see how hot your amp is running. If you are happy it is not working too hot, connect another cube and do the same.

I hope that this information helps anyone else who is looking at doing the same.

I also hope that this does not fire up the Bose bashers and spark another debate over which speakers are better - I have noticed that every forum thread that mentions Bose has at least one comment about how rubbish they are. Let's face it, it all comes down to personal choice, so let that person make their choice.

Thanks,
Rug
 

Silver Member
Username: Vm8444

TorontoCanada

Post Number: 222
Registered: Aug-05
hi can you repost request in the subwoofer section?
thanks
« Previous Thread Next Thread »



Main Forums

Today's Posts

Forum Help

Follow Us