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Bose Lifestyle System 38

REVIEW DATE:01.10.05

Bose Lifestyle System 38

REVIEW

By Bill Howard

If you're looking for a single device that simply and effortlessly handles nearly all your home audio-video chores—playing DVDs and CDs, ripping and storing MP3 audio, and cueing up music according to your preferences—then the Bose Lifestyle System 38 should be on your short list. It's elegant and powerful, if you can get past the price. The System 38 would be just about perfect if Bose turned on the enticing Ethernet jack on the back of the system unit to let you access the digital files on your PC. (As of this writing, Bose didn't confirm plans to activate the jack.)

red arrow Read the Bose Lifestyle System 38 full review

Company

Bose Corporation

http://www.bose.com

Spec Data
  • Price as Tested: $2,999.00 Direct
  • Ethernet Interface: No
  • Hard Drive: Yes
  • Supports MP3: Yes
  • Supports WMA: No
  • Shows Photos: No
  • Plays Internet Radio: No
  • Shows Video: No
  • Has On-screen TV Display: Yes
  • Rips CDs: Yes

Bottom Line

The Bose Lifestyle System 38 is one small and elegant box that does it all…almost. It's a CD/DVD player, a 200-hour hard-disk MP3 jukebox, an AM/FM radio, and a surround-sound amplifier. Just add a TV set and the System 38 can be the hub of your music and video life. The bundle includes five small Bose satellites and one honking-big subwoofer. Too bad the rear Ethernet jack hasn't been turned on.

Pros

Easy setup and good looks. Compact. uMusic feature learns and can play back up to nine musical preferences. Expands to play audio in 14 extra rooms. AdaptIQ automatically calibrates speakers for your room and speaker position. RF, not IR, remote. TV-on sensor. Onboard CD lookup.

Cons

No Internet connectivity yet, so no Internet radio. Must rip CDs from scratch (can't transfer off PC). Unsuitable for big CD collections. Only one playlist. No direct component-video output. No photo or video playback. Expensive.

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