Bose Alternative

[gamberkm]

My in-laws are about to purchase one of these Bose systems with the tiny satelites. Lurking on this board I have realized that the majority opinion is that much better systems can be had for the same price. I am trying to convince my in-laws that they should consider something else, but they have their hearts set on the tiny little satelites. I think I could convince them to go with something that has satelites that are a bit larger, but not much (prob. 7" tall max). They have a smallish carpeted room. The satelites must be wall mountable and small. Their budget is probably ~$1500 max, and that should include everything (receiver, 5 speakers w/ sub). I have a Kenwood htib (HTB504) which they have heard and liked, except for the too large speakers. I was thinking of trying to get them to pair an entry level Yamaha or Onkyo receiver with a 5.1 speaker package. Which of the following do you think would be the best alternative to these little Bose speakers?

Mirage Omnisat Micro
Canton Movie 6 CX
Definitive Technology Pro Cinema 60
PSB Alpha Intro LR
Tannoy FX 5.1
Energy Take 5+1
Onix Rocket Tyke 5.1

or something else?

[markw]

http://www.audioadvisor.com/store/pr...eater%20System

Oops.. these are justspeakers but if you can sell 'em on these. the rest of the system will be cake. That's about a grand for everything else.

But, remember that Bose does excel in making pretty jewelery that women and interior designers love. ... oh, and it also makes noise that many mistake for muisic. Emotions are hard to counter.

Likewise, their human interface doesn't suck either. Obscenely overpriced, yes, but quite nice.

[prash]

try thes, they are as big as the bose cubes and much cheaper.

http://www.hsuresearch.com/

u will get much better performance it

-prashanth

My in-laws are about to purchase one of these Bose systems with the tiny satelites. Lurking on this board I have realized that the majority opinion is that much better systems can be had for the same price. I am trying to convince my in-laws that they should consider something else, but they have their hearts set on the tiny little satelites. I think I could convince them to go with something that has satelites that are a bit larger, but not much (prob. 7" tall max). They have a smallish carpeted room. The satelites must be wall mountable and small. Their budget is probably ~$1500 max, and that should include everything (receiver, 5 speakers w/ sub). I have a Kenwood htib (HTB504) which they have heard and liked, except for the too large speakers. I was thinking of trying to get them to pair an entry level Yamaha or Onkyo receiver with a 5.1 speaker package. Which of the following do you think would be the best alternative to these little Bose speakers?

Mirage Omnisat Micro
Canton Movie 6 CX
Definitive Technology Pro Cinema 60
PSB Alpha Intro LR
Tannoy FX 5.1
Energy Take 5+1
Onix Rocket Tyke 5.1

or something else?

[gamberkm]

So I've got one vote for the HSU Ventriloquist system and one vote for the Athena Micra 6. Both are $500 with subwoofer. How do these compare to each other? If they are equal, I would go with Athena since I can get them at Best Buy, rather than the internet.

Also, what do you think of the Kenwood VRS-7100 as a receiver? It's got a slim form factor that they would prefer.

http://www.kenwoodusa.com/product/re...oductId%3D2607

I'm guessing it's not as good as a full size receiver, but this paired with the speakers you recommended would bring the total system cost to $900, far cheaper than the Bose system, aesthetically similar, but better sound quality. Is this accurate?

[N. Abstentia]

Definitely give the nod to the HSU system. They sell factory direct, so when you buy a $500 speaker system, you get $500 worth of speakers. When you get a $500 system from Best Buy, you get $300 worth of speakers and $200 worth of markup.

That's still better than Bose, though. With Bose you pay $1500 for $30 worth of speakers. The other $1470 goes towards magazine ads and lawyer fees so they can keep suing anyone who gives their speakers a bad review.

[topspeed]

If they are willing to pay for Bose, definitely have them take a look at these from JM Lab:
http://www.focal-fr.com/gb/home/sib-...load/index.htm

and these from KEF
http://www.kef.com/KHT/KHT1005/gallery.htm

[gamberkm]

Okay, thank you guys very much, you're helping a lot. So far, sounds like the HSU is the way to go. How does it compare to the Onix Rocket Tyke 5.1? These are $100 less, also available factory direct. I'd like to save them as much money as possible, so if the difference is negligible, that's how I'll lean.

http://www.av123.com/products_produc...s&product=36.1

And what about the Kenwood I mentioned above?

Thanks again for all of the help, you guys rock.

[markw]

Getting various opinions on speakers is all well and good, but ultimately the choice is how it sounds. And this, my friend, is where the rubber meets the road and it boils down to personal preferences. I'm sure that there are proponents of each and every one mentioned.

You might want to check the consumer reviews at this site, Audioholics, Etronics (for professional reviews) and where ever else you can find. Not that this will assure the perfect decision, but at least you'll see what others think.

FWIW, I'm not overly impressed with Kenwood, but that might just be me.

[gamberkm]

I haven't done any listening yet, there are so many possibilities that I wanted to focus down on some recommended systems. You guys have been a great help. I saw this on Bestbuy's website, and it looks like a great deal. What do you think?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....roduct&count=2

It's the Athena Micra 6 system somebody mentioned above paired with a Pioneer VSXD514K receiver for $550 total.

I'm going to go down there and take a listen.

[markw]

I'm a Denon or Yammie man myself, but for this price I'd coitenly (in my best Curley accent) give it a listen.

No doubt it'll sound better than the Bose at 3X the price. Don't forget, you'll need a DVD player with this. No biggie...

[eisforelectronic]

For small systems, I personally really like the Mirage Omnisats. I have yet to hear the micros.

[chimera128]

Don't know about the quality of best buy products but going "cheap" isn't exactly the same as going inexpensive. I would at least get the receiver from a different store. You can pick up a Denon or Yamaha receiver for less than MSRP especially if models are changing soon (or if the store has demo models). Unfortunately too many people think of cost in the short term instead of thinking about a system that will bring them joy for many years. If they have a budget of $1500 max why would you only consider trying to get them a system for $500 or so (even if you do want to save them money it is their choice to spend the $1500). I'm sure they would be much happier getting a great system for $1500 than a mediocre system for $500. If I was helping a friend get a system I would try to allocate at least $500 for the receiver and $1000 for the speakers. You can pick up a great sub (svs, hsu, etc) starting at $400 and up and there are some great satellites out there. This would be a system that will give them many years of joy and make them proud to know that they spent their money wisely.

[chimera128]

RE: your first post. I like the DefTech Satellites. For speakers I would recommend:

2 Procinema 100s (approx $280)
1 Procenter 100 (approx $150)
2 Procinema 80s (approx $200)
hsu stf-2 ($400)
Denon avr-1804 (~$400)
total $1430 before tax
This is not quoted MSRP but what you should be able to get the speakers and receiver for. You will have to do some negotiating but you should be able to get the speakers and receiver for that amount. The Hsu is msrp, I don't think you can negotiate on that. All the speakers are wall mountable.

[Bryan]

Just tossing my $0.02 into the ring. I'd strongly consider having them go with the Rocket Tyke. In addition to the 5.1 system (would upgrade the sub to the UFW-10) you should be able to get a Kenwood 7100 digital receiver for $99, making that system almost a no-brainer. FYI you do not need to upgrade the sub for the deal though I would call them. $498 for a speaker/receiver combo isn't bad at all. Even if they upgrade the sub they should be under $1,100. Just something for your consideration.

[bboy1234]

I would consider the POINT 5 MK II System from athena TECHNOLOGIES they can be had for 184.00 plus shipping here http://www.thetwistergroup.com/produ...520D19792.html. Dont let the price scare you away they retail for 500.00 or so. Just add a sub woofer like the Athena P400 and a receiver like say the Yamaha 5760 which can be ordered online all day for 350.00 delivered. They can go to say Bestbuy and audition this set-up. I just purchased a Athena set-up afet reading the reviews and feed back from this forum. Read the reviews of these speakers. Athena web site here http://www.athenaspeakers.com/point5SeriesSpeakers.htm. Good luck and remember ALL HIGHS NO LOWS MUST BE BOSE.

[gamberkm]

Just tossing my $0.02 into the ring. I'd strongly consider having them go with the Rocket Tyke. In addition to the 5.1 system (would upgrade the sub to the UFW-10) you should be able to get a Kenwood 7100 digital receiver for $99, making that system almost a no-brainer. FYI you do not need to upgrade the sub for the deal though I would call them. $498 for a speaker/receiver combo isn't bad at all. Even if they upgrade the sub they should be under $1,100. Just something for your consideration.

Bryan,
How do I get that receiver for $99? Do I have to call them? I didn't see this special online.
How do the Tykes compare to some of the other systems mentioned here? Do you know if they have an audition period? Sorry for the barrage, but this seems like a great deal.

FYI, I did take them to Best Buy to listen to the Pioneer/Athena combo they were selling for $550. This was a sale they were running last week, but they were willing to extend it to us. They snubbed their noses at the large receiver, so I think if I'm going to be able to convince them to stay away from the Bose I'm going to have to find something with a small receiver (Kenwood 7100 fits the bill) and considerably cheaper than the Bose (this system fits that bill, too).
Thanks.

[woodygg]

I'd install in-walls long before that junk.... they want minimal, they got it!

[Willow]

have you thought of Polk audio they do have some good Sat/sub systems

[TinHere]

Okay, thank you guys very much, you're helping a lot. So far, sounds like the HSU is the way to go. How does it compare to the Onix Rocket Tyke 5.1? These are $100 less, also available factory direct. I'd like to save them as much money as possible, so if the difference is negligible, that's how I'll lean.

http://www.av123.com/products_produc...s&product=36.1

And what about the Kenwood I mentioned above?

Thanks again for all of the help, you guys rock.

I haven't heard the HSU system, but I have heard the Tykes and they put out a lot of sound for their size. You can get the Kenwood 7100 with the Tykes for an additional $99 while AV123 is running the special. This is a great buy and can save you some bucks.

Enjoy your choice!

[Bryan]

You may need to call them. However, look at their loudspeaker forum. You should see a sticky on the top that reads 'Kenwood 7100'.

[Torech Ungol]

The MK K5 is an excellent speaker for the price and I believe it will fit the need to be small. If you haven't heard them I suggest you take a listen.

[H2okie]

Yamaha has a set up similar to the lifestyle series complete for about $800.00. I didn't catch the model number. I was at a place yesterday where they used to have a ls3500 set up directly across from the yammie system. People would rave about the bose system, then turn around, listen to the yammie... after they picked up their jaws, they'd say bose $3000 - Yamaha $800.

Try to find this set-up, it may be just what you are looking for.

[46minaudio]

One thing to rember when buying these small 5.1 HTIB systems is to look at how high the Xover in your receiver can be set..I cant see how these small speakers put out much below 150Hz.With the typical Xover ( 80 Hz ) you would have a hole.I know the HSU system adresses this by sending this information to the center.I would email the other manufactures and see how they deal with this..

[Mathew J]

the only negative I have heard of with re. the HSU unit is that they are very very sensitive to position, so unless you have them exactly right you will not get the best sound from them....

The Energy 5.1 Take system is supposedly good but when all is said and done it is pretty expensive...

the only real deals in this market that I have found were the Rocket tykes and the Athena speakers from the twister group but personally I liked neither....

the micras seem cool but people complained about the sub...

sucks cause I am in the same boat yet everyone says all small speakers are pretty weak.

I am still considering a JBL set for low $$, the Polks even though they are not that recommended, and a BA set.

[stuartlittle]

www.orbaudio.com