I want to purchase a great surrond system , but I am confused with all the features , like DTS , 5.1 or 7.1 .I wanted the Bose Lifestyle 30 or 50 system , but I do not know if they are up to date or will they be out of date in a few years.I read the Bose doesn't have DTS and I do not know what that is.The reviews say the Bose 30 & 50 systens are good , but do you think the Bose 30 or 50 systems would be a good choice? Thanks
Bose is simply for people who want a quick solution to their sound system needs. It does sound good, however the sound quality does not justify the $2700 price tag.
I am not going to recommend an all in one box, I recommend that you get separate components, and that way tailor a system for your needs/wants. To better equip you for this task, here are the meanings to some of the more popular technologies out right now:
1) Dolby Digital- Dolby digital was originally created for VHS; it's a superior stereo sound. It is also Referred to as Dolby digital 2.0 /2.1
2) Dolby Digital 5.1 -- This is the current surround sound standard. The 5 (in 5.1) stands for 5 full range Speakers Left Front, right front, left rear, right rear, and center. The .1 stands for a Subwoofer, or a speaker for low lever frequencies (1hz -- 220hz)
3) DTS -- This is a rival format to Dolby digital 5.1; the main difference is that DTS has a higher Bit rate, and therefore takes up more space on a disc (physically). Because of the Higher bit rate, it sounds a little better. The good part is that most audio video Receivers can do both DD 5.1 and DTS.
4) THX -- If you are going to drop some money, then get a THX certified receiver. All THX means is that after your signal (sound) has been converted from digital to analog (so we can hear it) there is some further processing. This certification provides a high standard, and I have yet to hear a THX receiver that does not sound amazing. THX is brought to you by our friends at Lucas film (the people who made star wars)
5) DTS 6.1 / Dolby Digital 6.1 matrix -- There is now a 6th channel (which is becoming the new standard ?) this is a rear center channel. This gives a more accurate 3-D sound. A 6.1 matrix is when instead of having a 6th channel hook up on the back of a receiver, its encoded into the two back channels. I have never seen this hooked up
6) DTS Discrete 6.1- Same as #5 but this time the 6th channel has its own speaker jack in the receiver, this provides a much cleaner sound.
7) DTS, Dolby 7.1 - Now you have seven speakers, center, two in the front, two in the rear, and two on the side. It is only matrix right now, I have not seen a discrete.
Anonymous
Posted on
I just bought a Lifestyle 30, after having gone through the high end audio cycle one more time and deciding to take a hiatus from it. Bose will not offer you the latest 6.1 or whatever and it won't give you a large stack of impressive looking boxes. But IMO, if you have the money and want an unobtrusive and good sounding system that is very easy to setup it is not a bad choice. On Ebay you can get them for 20-25% or so off retail. That's where I got mine.
You can get better sound for the money, and impressive specs. But, for good sound and ease of installation/use are hard to beat. And I love having 3 1/2 inch tall speakers. They rock.
I go along with the first person who replied. Everything about Bose that i hear leads me to beleive that they are not a good value for the money. I've heard that they delets some of the sound so that you don't hear the complete spectrum. They are small and fit into decor easily, but I don't think you should have to sacrifice qulaity. Do some research into Axiom, Mirage, Paradigm, Klipsch, Polk and others.I'm sure you can put together a much better sounding system for less.
Anonymous
Posted on
Go with the HT-S650. Bose is over rated and way over priced.
po
Posted on
With a little research, and I mean very little, you can get a system comparable to Bose for less than half the price. And you can still get the cute little satellites. Check out Cambridge Soundworks for systems that are virtually identical to Bose but 1/3 to 1/4 of the price. Very similar cube speakers and all-in-one "media" center. With the money you save, you can buy an HDTV to go with it. hehe.
If you don't care about cute little satellites you can get a system for about half the price of the Bose that utterly stomps the Bose system to the floor in terms of audio quality. Doesn't have the wife appeal factor but hey, sounds better.
-po
po
Posted on
Reviews of the Cambridge Soundworks 505 system that is *very* similar to Bose but only costs $699. Gosh I'd hate to have paid $2500 for a Bose system and find out about this one.
"... more satisfying to listen to over a period of time than a larger, more complicated system. I am amazed at how loud this system will play and still be fairly clean." - Pro Audio Review magazine describing the speakers used in MegaTheater 505.
"The MegaTheater 505 is a true high-performance, midpriced system.The adorable, 4.5-inch-tall sats grew in stature even more when we sampled Radiohead's Amnesiac CD; the music sounded huge, and the sub's extranimble bass added to the allure. That powered sub's abilities far outstrip those of most of the kit subs that we've heard...All in all, we were knocked out by the $699 MegaTheater 505, but assessing sound quality is mostly a matter of personal taste. That's why we like Cambridge's 45-day, in-home trial policy; you'll have plenty of time to make sure that the 505 is right for you." -CNET
"This gets my vote for the best product of the year. Cambridge SoundWorks MegaTheater is an all-in-one home theater in a box system that has the speakers, powered subwoofer, DVD player built into the receiver. The speakers alone are worth $699. The whole system is $699. This is the biggest bang for the buck. This is the best sounding home theater in a box I have ever heard. In fact, it sounds better than most $10,000 systems I've heard. This is truly a miracle. If you're looking for a home theater in a box system that's very easy, this is the one to have -- Cambridge SoundWorks." - Corey Greenberg, reviewing MegaTheater 505, NBC Today