Has anyone tried those Bose Soundwave systems?

https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/50-greatest-bargains-in-high-end-audio-3

So these,

https://www.whathifi.com/au/best-buys/all-in-one-systems/best-hi-fi-systems




I understand

Who is John Galt?

The Heartless Felon wrote on Jan 25^th, 2021 at 2:25pm:

Nearly all high-fi snobs (I’m one of them) hate everything Bose produces.
However, if what you expect from music is just something you can sing along with or listen to in the background while whipping up a Pav or whatever they can be just what you need.
Be careful though not to buy one of their models where the satellite speakers are supposed to be mounted high up on the wall (out of site?) with the bass speaker ( you can’t call them woofers, they don’t go low enough) hidden under your sofa. You could be in for a nasty suprise with instruments being poured down from above your head totally disconected from the bass going phoomph, phoomph, phoomph from underneath your couch. Some people find that’s OK, to me it’s just crazy.
The other Bose model to stay well away from is the small single speaker radio/CD player at the bottom of their range. Audio snob or not I suggest most people are going to hate these gutless little things.
Another thing to remember. Don’t buy anything off the web sound unheard. If you want to know what your hard earned is being spent on find a respected audio dealer and ask for a demonstration. Don’t however waste their time after they’ve demonstrated gear and then expect them to provide after sales service for stuff you’ve purchased off the web. Most dealers will tell you to go jump.

You haven’t told us though what you expect from a system. Do you want background music and radio/cd etc or do you expect to get something that goes loud enough for dancing at your next party?Do you need Bluetooth connectivity with your mobile? How big is the room you’ll be using this in? It’s almost impossible for anyone to make an informed recommendation without that minimum of information.
Hope that isn’t all too complicated. 

Ayn Marx wrote on Jan 25^th, 2021 at 4:46pm:


Thank you Ayn. I am by no means a hi-fi snob. all I want is a quality sound system that plays digital radio and cd's (mostly classical).
Dancing at Chez Felon these days is more minuet than hip-hop so that's not a factor.
I appreciate your suggestions and will keep them in mind as I search...

Ayn Marx wrote on Jan 25^th, 2021 at 7:24pm:


Are you a hi-fi snob? You dissed my Thiels 

Alas, “severe to profound” hearing loss in my left ear means stereo=mono to me. And I LOVE classical music!

Need to have a test of a hearing aid: hearing aid in left ear, another one in right ear, not a solid mould but one with holes: it will hear sound naturally with my right ear and the hearing aids send sound from the left hearing aid to the one in my right ear.

Sounds like a formula for lunacy to me: have to try it to become eligible for a cochlear implant. Once that is working/tuned to me I might be able to appreciate stereo sound again.

Weird having one ear deaf: you cannot tell the direction sounds come from! If I an standing in a busy shop and have my right ear turned away from the counter I cannot properly hear the shop assistant but can hear in hifi a conversation between people metres away!

Deafness has NOTHING to commend it! Look after your ears!

Ayn Marx wrote on Jan 25^th, 2021 at 4:46pm:


I feel german goods are overrated.

Japanese are much better.

Sprintcyclist wrote on Jan 25^th, 2021 at 2:08pm:


I have Bose sound link mini 2 it's really good.

I loaded over 100 Cds onto hard drive then loaded them on a portable hard drive as back up so can put them on any computer.

I connect speaker to laptop with Bluetooth it also has cable connection to use headphone jack on laptop.

I can connect Bose speaker to phone for radio with Bluetooth.

Speaker can recharge with conventional power points or USB connection with laptop.

Great for cruising yachts lighter and uses less power compared to other sound systems also great for camping etc and going to cabin in bush.

Baronvonrort wrote on Jan 25^th, 2021 at 8:27pm:


thanks

Sprintcyclist wrote on Jan 25^th, 2021 at 8:35pm:


https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/epping/speakers/richter-hn193-floor-stand-speake...

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/newtown/stereo-systems/marantz-pm593-digital-a-v...

Gordon wrote on Jan 25^th, 2021 at 8:37pm:

The Australian speaker industry has produced some world class components selling them for far less than imported gear. As with any technology it helps to find out if parts are going to be available.
I’ve been lucky in having an ex-boyfriend working as an audio/video repair technician for a leading Australian retailer. His advice on reliability, parts availability etc have saved me a fortune and a lot of angst over the decades. However, if you go sniffing around any retailers asking to speak to their technician about a prospective purchase the staff usually go to great lengths to keep them hidden behind the scenes. These guys know too much ! Which brings me to one of my great annoyances, the total lack of anything like evaluation of component reliability in the audio/video press. As one audio reviewer (now retired) told me "Don’t want to damage our advertising revenue, do we"

As to Onkyo and Denon not being in the big league, that’s not true of Denon’s high end range. Ultra expensive, well put together and  sonically superior to many other Japanese brands.

Oh, and here’s another trap for the unwary. It pays if you’re buying new gear to ask about warrantee conditions. For instance, some audio gear manufacturers (Pioneer comes to mind) don’t keep a full stock of parts in Australia. You can wait up to three months for a part to arrive from Japan (or Indonesia or wherever they are sourced) only to learn you gain no extension of your warrantee period. In other words you’ve just lost 3 months off your warrantee period. This is yet another trick audio video retailers don’t want you to know about. Strangely, under Australian consumer protection law they somehow manage to get away with it.

But hey, this is all getting a bit too esoteric for our original poster who just wanted a few recommendations.

The Heartless Felon wrote on Jan 26^th, 2021 at 11:56am:

https://www.productreview.com.au/listings/bose-wave-music-system

Onkyo CS-265 CD Hi-Fi Mini System

Quote:


Nah

oh - this

Quote:


https://www.digitalcinema.com.au/harman-kardon-hk-3700-and-wharfedale-diamond-12...

Does not come with CD player

Sprintcyclist wrote on Jan 26^th, 2021 at 4:01pm:




'  ........  Power per channel85 watts per channel, two channels driven @ 6/8 ohms, 20Hz – 20kHz, <0.07% THD

Input Sensitivity/Impedance250mV/27k ohms

Signal-to-Noise Ratio (IHF-A)100dB

Frequency Response (@ 1W)10Hz – 130kHz (+0dB/–3dB)  .......... '


https://eu.harmankardon.com/HK+3700.html

That is a real stereo.

Sprintcyclist wrote on Jan 26^th, 2021 at 4:28pm:

Many manufacturer’s specs are ften inaccurate &/or expressed in ways that make them meaningless. You are right about most people’s hearing. These days it’s either damaged by the time they reach their early teenage years of they’re so used to distortion they think that’s how all music should sound all the time.
As to Harmon Kardon’s reliability record I’ll let you discover that for yourself.

Ayn Marx wrote on Jan 26^th, 2021 at 7:10pm:


right. I do not have that stereo. AM considering a new one.
Use a price range of $2000 --> $2500.
Plays blu-rays discs.

Many years ago (25 maybe) we bought a 2nd hand onkyo.
A great party stereo. With the volume up a bit it .... came alive.

The Heartless Felon wrote on Jan 27^th, 2021 at 6:13am:

I don’t recall you telling us how big  the room is you’ll use your gear in, how loud you want to play it - at party levels or maybe indulge in a little  Wagnarian hysteria at high levels? What sources (blue ray?) you expect it to handle and how much you want to spend. It would even help if we knew you were a closet pipe organ fan for obvious reasons. I’m only trying to help but my hands are tied by simply not knowing what you expect.
You may find if you visit an audio retailer they’ll hit you with exactly the same questions.

The Heartless Felon wrote on Jan 26^th, 2021 at 11:56am:


Never tied it, but I tell from looking at it that it's designed to be convenient. Nice to have sitting on your kitchen bench where it can do streaming, radio etc.

It won't sound awful, but it's not meant to be even close to a high end device.

For $1000, you could get much better sound by buying bookshelf speakers and an amp.

I do not recall how long ago it was when I bought my recent speaker system for my blu ray player. But, it has been quite good sound for some time. I had a 3.1 ch speaker system with subwoofer for about a few months. That was what replaced my headphones and extension cord set up that I had to use when my old system died on me.

I did notice that I had to try and keep the bass and treble at about 60% at most. During a watching of Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, when the explosion scene took place, it seemed like my speaker system was about to explode. I had the same problem duing the nuclear scene in Terminator 2. The speaker system could not handle it.

I bought a $555 5.1 ch system with a subwoofer. Three peripheral soundbars and a subwoofer to play a more in-depth sound without the distortion I got with the 3.1. Definitely an improvement. Even the whiney, nasal banality of Adam Devine's 'acting' in last night's viewing of "Mike and Dave need wedding dates" seemed to be mitigated by the new sound system.

Sprintcyclist wrote on Jan 27^th, 2021 at 8:44pm:


Bought the $900 one.

Pretty good, took me a while to get it set up.
I think a good stereo must have good speakers, suited to the area they will be in.

It comes with no speaker cables !!!
I had some good ones on an old stereo downstairs, scavanged those.
Comes with little self adhesive rubber feet for under the speakers.
I do that with my stereos. Gives audio isolation from the speaker to the table.

'Game of Thrones' last night was markedly better.
Gave a fuller richer sound, still picked up quieter separate noises such as horses hooves.
More emotional and captivating.

This morning tweaked the treble and bass, only +2DB for treble, -2db for bass, most likely due to the speaker locations.
Bought a longer HDMI lead and new Optical audio lead for the TV to the Receiver, $50 in all.


Have a CD of Baroque classics on there. Well balanced. Really, quite nice.
Yes, 'quiet' music with whole notes allows me to hear a stereo.
Did a test someone told me. Walk away from it, see how the music sounds as you get further away.
On stereos not so good it goes muddy, loses clarity rapidly. This is very good, passes with flying colours.

Put the volume up to 55 out of 100. Was at the stage where you can feel the music.
Yeap, AC/DC or Rage Against The Machine would work on here well

Overall, would give it a 9/10

Been fine tuning the 'Harman Kardon BDS 280 Receiver & Wharfedale Diamond 121 Speakers Hi-Fi Stereo System'


Speaker placement was the big improvement.
Put them on wall brackets.
The wall brackets are RAXX Bookshelf Speaker Wall Mount Brackets 25kg WBSM201.

Bi-wired the speakers.
It's good now. Really good.