Configuration for a Bose Acoustimass 10 series II with a Harman/kardonAvr135 receiver

[lomaxxf3]

I have a dilemna with configuring these two systems together in order to get great performance. I have my dvd player and cable box connected to the avr135 by red/white/yellow cables(analog?) and with s-video cables. The five bose speakers are connected through the big bose module(is this the sub-woofer? where the bass come from?) which is connected to the harman/kardon.
I have nothing connected to the sub woofer and back surround ports because the bose system doesn't have wires for those. It makes me wonder how i can get the bass to work if there is no sub-woofer wire to connect to the avr 135. With all this setup i can't get the bass to work. I can't adjust the bass, treble, and balance with the dials on the avr 135. In addition to that the surround left and right speakers don't seem to work or at least are not loud enough.
I am not familiar with this stuff and all the surround sound settings. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

[markw]

How do it's instructions recommend you connect it to a "real" HT receiver?

No offense, but you will not be able to avail yourself of many of the features of your receiver using this system. It's part of it's design that limits it.

I suggest you check out the Bose instructions and live with what it says.

You can most likely forget the LFE output on your receiver, BTW. The bose doesn't have a subwoofer, just a bass box. You'll need to purchase a subwoofer if you want to use the LFE output.

[N. Abstentia]

First thing I would do is get rid of the Bose system. It's not designed for what you're trying to do. It's a proprietary system, and you will get much better performace from a 'real' set of speakers.

[davidb]

While I agree strongly with what N. Abstentia says, there is actually an even more compelling reason for it than the fact that the Bose system is no good. I have had a Bose system cause malfunctions in TWO AVR135's, as I described in another thread before. Basically, feedback (I figure) from the Bose system caused the recievers' volume controls to malfunction, which incidentally is a problem that doesn't usually occur on the latest series of HK's. When I took them off and hooked them to another system, they both worked flawlessly. The combination (AVR135 / AM15II) worked fine (didn't sound good, mind you, but it functioned) for a few days, and then started going all wonky on me. I'll grant that it was likely an isolated incident, but it wouldn't surprise me a bit to find out that Bose systems send out enough feedback to harm your other equipment. :rolleyes:

If for some inane reason you decide not to take our advice and replace the speakers ;), you'll want to first set both of your front speakers to "large", then center and surrounds to "small", and then subwoofer to "none". This will allow full-range information to be sent through the front left and right outputs into the bass module, where it will then be hacked and mangled (Brave Sir Robin), retaining all information below 200 Hz for itself to belch out, whilst anything over 280 Hz or so will then be reproduced by the satellites with a startling fidelity reminiscent of William J. Clinton himself. If ever you decided to add a subwoofer to your system using the LFE output, you would then change the subwoofer setting to LFE+L/R.

Seriously though, return the Bose system, buy yourself some better speakers, and then buy all those movies you've never found time to watch with the money you have left over.

[swgiust]

Your first problem is the way your DVD player is hooked up. If you don't use a digital
connection, you don't get true surround sound.

Second, the Bose "sub" has it's own cross over built in. So, you need to set all
your speakers to large, and subwoofer to off. The Bose sub then "splits" the signal.
Sending the high freq to the speakers and keeping the bass in the sub.

My advice for the best possible sound would be to remove the sub completely.
Use your small Bose speakers direct to you receiver (set to small) and purchase
a new powered sub.

[markw]

My advice for the best possible sound would be to remove the sub completely. Use your small Bose speakers direct to you receiver (set to small) and purchase a new powered sub.I could be wrong but I don't think the satellites will stand up too long to being used (at any appreciable level) without the Bose bass box to filter out the lows and lower mids. I think setting the speakers to "small" only affects the bass range below 100 hz or so.

[lomaxxf3]

The previous owners of the house left the speakers intact so I have no need to return them and buying a new sound system is not so feasible. I have a lifestyle system that I wanted to put in place of the acoustimass but later i found out that the prewired wires that connect the speakers to the subwoofer/bass module won't fit in the output jacks of my lifestyle subwoofer/bass. It's not like a thin cord that you plug in (like when you plug in a red/white/yellow cable between a TV and VCR or like this (http://www.petecornish.co.uk/Some%20Wires.JPG) ). It's hard for me to describe what it looks like and I can't find a picture of it online. I'm sure some one of you guys know what I am talking about.

About the DVD connections: how should i connect my dvd player to the avr135 to make it digital? Do I use the cables that are called component cables as in this? (http://www.goldenshop.com.hk/AI-trad/xbox/hard/component.jpg) Should this enable me to experience surround sound?

About the subwoofer problem: what do you guys recommend I get that would work with my acoustimass 10 series 2 system and how much is it?

Thank you for all the help so far and in advance.

[swgiust]

Your DVD player will have a couple of audio outputs:

#1 Left and Right analog. This you can us with a component cable, but it
only gives you stereo sound. Your reciever may be able to decode stereo
into pro-logic. This will give you surround (sort of).

#2 Optical. Most all players have an optical output. You need an
optical cable. This will plug into the back of the DVD player and into
your receiver. This allows you to get true 5.1 surround sound.

#3 Coax digital. Many players offer this option. Some feel it is
better than optical. It uses a standard component cable (just one)
and carries a digital signal the same as option 2. You must connect
the non DVD end to a Digital input on your reciever (and it may not have
one).

Good luck