orbs vs bose?

[pekopeeus]

I have an old marantz SR-18 amplifier. I currently have Orb speakers 5.1 with MOD2. I am not using the super 8" subwoofer instead I am using an old Velodyne 10" sub.

Anyway, Will acoustimass sound better than my current setup?
I have a few home theater installer came by my apartment and they said the bose sound more " precise "
is it possible that I set my amp incorrectly?

[02audionoob]

Did these guys say the Bose sound more precise only after hearing your Orb speakers, or were they just talking reputation? I don't know all the details and of the two systems and I haven't read the reviews, but maybe the variables going on in your apartment would make the Bose sound no better than whatever you're hearing now.

[pekopeeus]

Yes, the guy said bose is better after they listened to my ORB. Well, there's two stereo shop installers came to install my TV mount and my speakers. They are not affiliated with my ORB speakers. I just asked them randomly and they said from their own previous experience. The bose sounded more " accurate. " than my orb speakers.

[bobsticks]

Anyway, Will acoustimass sound better than my current setup?

Simply put, no. At some point physics in re: driver size take hold and you're pretty much at that point. Orb makes agood little speaker and for a small room/apartment application you're not gonna get alot better until you start looking at a someting with larger drivers, i.e. actual bookshelf units...but then again, the size constraint issue comes up.

Just taking a guess, but I would bet money that the area most ripe for improvement would be the mid bass and real midrange parts of the spectrum. The Acoustimass won't address this. All you'd be doing would be spending a fair amount of money to trade problems.

I would take a little time listening to and enjoying what you've got, both movies and music. When looking at upgrading I prefer to have specific priorities in mind, as in: "what faults are in my system and how does the proposed piece of gear address them".

[kexodusc]

Bobsticks has it right. In all honesty, I would expect the Orbs to be equal or better than the Acoustimass in terms of sound quality.
The last thing I would recommend is replacing one for the other.

If you were to visit 100 audio websites and ask for words that describe Bose, you would find very, very few people that use the term "accurate". I laughed when I read what the "home theater installer" said...enjoy what you have, or upgrade to larger speakers...

[02audionoob]

I think with Bose it has come down to masterful marketing and finding their niche, not sound quality. The noise-canceling headphones, the Wave radio...genius.

[RoadRunner6]

Please, stay away from Bose. Way, way over priced for mediocre performance. The Bose bass module is not a subwoofer, it simply supplies the bass which the small cubes are not able to reproduce. The two subs you have are both far superior in low bass performance to any Bose system.

l'd highly recommend you check out how you have the Orb's set up in your room. Room accoustics and the placement of your speakers within the room is the most important of all factors in the sound you will attain in your room besides the actual speakers themselves.

The Marantz SR-18 is an AVR receiver (not just an amp) and was quite high priced when it was new. It is possible you have not set it up correctly, the owners manuals translated from Japanese can be very confusing. Those Orb's probably should cross over from the sub to the main speakers at about 110-140hz or so. 120hz is probably ideal (this is essential for a good blend between the sub and the Orb balls). I'm not sure if that older Marantz (a THX model, I think) is flexible enough to have that high of a crossover (it might actually have only a single sub crossover setting at 80hz, the THX setting....it might not be apparent from the owners manual in which case it is most likely 80hz...call Marantz to confirm). If that is the case then the Marantz is not a good match for your speakers, sorry.

If the Marantz does have a flexible sub crossover setting then make sure it is up to at least 100hz or 120hz. All the Orb speakers should be set to "small" in the receiver speaker set up. The crossover (xover) setting on the Orb or Velodyne sub should be at disabled or bypass, the volume at about 10 o'clock, the sub crossover knob to max and the sub volume then controlled by the sub volume on the receiver. In other words, you use the sub crossover on the receiver and not on the sub, which is effectively bypassed. Hope this is not too confusing.

Do some google work on the web on how to place your speakers. The sub in your system should be at the front of the room, on the floor and several inches from the wall and not snug in the the corners for the cleanest bass. Rear speakers up high (5' or higher), on the side walls slightly behind the listening area. Front three speakers not hidden behind or on the side of furniture or TV. If they are on the wall then they should be up high so the sound is not blocked and pointed directly towards the listening area. Speakers stands for all five are OK. I presume with the Orb's you have a small to medium room and don't expect very loud output.

If you keep the Orb's, it is possible that you might need to get a newer more flexible (in the sub crossover) receiver. Most new avr receivers have crossover settings from about 40hz-150hz or 200hz every 10 or 20 hz. Good models that are plenty good for the Orb's are available street price in the $500-$750 range (Onkyo's are great values).

If you still are not happy with the sound and want to change brands, there are many excellent 5.1 systems in the $1200 range or considerably less. Some might not be as cute as the Orb's but with superior prefomance in reasonably small enclosures. If you keep the Marantz and it does have only a 80hz crossover, then at least medium sized bookshelf speakers or larger for the front three speakers would be best.

RR6

[Florian]

Get the BOSE speakers, they are simply put the finest speakers money can buy. Girls like it, they are cute and can be hidden! The bass module can serve as a vibrating chair for your girlfriend and warm her up for ya ;-) Only real man like BOSE, big Trucks and Tires------ Yeehaaw!

[pekopeeus]

thanks RR6

here are pictures of my current setup.

[pekopeeus]

[Ajani]

I can't comment on whether Bose is better than Orb, as I've only heard Bose... Like others in this thread, I don't suggest running out and buying Bose... If you can, then try auditioning the Bose speakers in your home... otherwise, I'd probably stick with the Orb or upgrade to larger speakers....

[GMichael]

Get the BOSE speakers, they are simply put the finest speakers money can buy.
Girls like it, they are cute and can be hidden! The bass module can serve as a vibrating chair for your girlfriend and warm her up for ya ;-)
Only real man like BOSE, big Trucks and Tires------ Yeehaaw!

Everyone here who knows Flo, knows that he is joking.
To everyone else, Flo is joking! Don't spend your hard earned money (or even if you won the lotto) on Bose. It's not an upgrade.

Keep what you have if you need small speakers. Look at some bookshelf speakers if you want a true upgrade.
Don't be in a hurry either. There's so much available that it will take a while to hear enough of them yourself to make an educated decision.
Bring a favorite CD & DVD with you when you go to hear new speakers. Something that you've played 100's of times and you know
what it should sound like.

[Florian]

Cool, i get my own personal moderator :-)