Bose® Acoustimass® 10 Series IV home entertainment speaker system - Black

by Bose

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 26 x 13 x 30 inches ; 59.9 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 64 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000GFPTQY
• Item model number: 350664-1110
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,399 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
  • #57 in Electronics > Home Audio & Theater > Stereo Components > Speakers > Speaker Systems

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Bose Acoustimass 10 Series IV home entertainment speaker system brings 5.1-channel sound to your movies and music. Connect it to your home theater receiver and enjoy Bose quality sound. his system includes an Acoustimass bass module, four Direct/Reflecting Cube speakers, and a center channel speaker.

See larger image.

 

The Acoustimass 10 Series IV speaker system is engineered to fill the room with beautiful sound... not bulky speakers. You can hide the Acoustimass module virtually anywhere in the room, and you experience dramatic sound that all seems to come from the small speaker arrays.

Two downward-firing drivers in the Acoustimass module give you powerful performance for the lowest audible notes and effects. The module features technology that minimizes audible distortion. The horizontal center-channel speaker complements flat-panel TVs and blends nicely into your decor.

Key Features

• Powered Acoustimass module adds drama to music and movies. Downward-firing drivers and proprietary technology deliver the lowest audible notes and effects with clarity and balance.
• Direct/Reflecting cube speaker arraysblend reflected and direct sound to re-create much of a live concert's natural spaciousness. Experience stereo sound almost anywhere in the room, not just in one small "sweet spot."
• Horizontal center-channel speaker array visually complements flat-panel TV screens while delivering natural-sounding dialogue and vocals.
• Acoustimass speaker technology enables powerful low-frequency effects. Place the module almost anywhere in your room and all the sound appears to come from the cube speakers.
• Automatic protection circuitry prevents drivers from being overdriven and provides increased reliability while minimizing interference with the listening experience.

Dimensions and Weights

Cube Speakers

6.25 x 3 x 4 inches (HxWxD); 2.4 pounds

Center Channel Speaker

3.13 x 6.25 x 4.13 inches (HxWxD); 2.36 pounds

Acoustimass Module

16.33 x 8.13 x 25.33 inches (HxWxD); 35 pounds

Product Description

The Bose Acoustimass 10 Series IV home entertainment speaker system brings 5.1-channel sound to your movies and music. Connect it to your home theater receiver and enjoy Bose quality sound. his system includes an Acoustimass bass module, four Direct/Reflecting Cube speakers, and a center channel speaker. The Acoustimass 10 Series IV speaker system is engineered to fill the room with beautiful sound, not bulky speakers. You can hide the Acoustimass module virtually anywhere in the room, and you experience dramatic sound that all seems to come from the small speaker arrays. Two downward-firing drivers in the Acoustimass module give you powerful performance for the lowest audible notes and effects. The module features technology that minimizes audible distortion. The horizontal center-channel speaker complements flat-panel TVs and blends nicely into your decor.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent 5.1 Sound System from Bose, October 16, 2007

By 

Benjamin Chu "milkmandan" (Walnut, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bose® Acoustimass® 10 Series IV home entertainment speaker system - Black (Electronics)

I had bought this to be used with my new entertainment system comprising of Samsung HLT6187S 61" Slim LED Engine 1080p DLP HDTV, Sony STR-DG910 7.1 Channel Home Theater Receiver, Bose® Acoustimass® 10 Series IV home entertainment speaker system, Pioneer DV-400V HDMI Multi Region DVD Player, Rocketfish Universal Wireless Rear Speaker Kit and a custom HTPC.

The speakers are Bose satellite speakers. So they are very small, but they deliver excellent sound quality. You can swivel the top speaker to bounce the sound off walls to customize the feel you want for surround sound.

All connections are made from the massive sub woofer which then connects to your A/V Receiver. Too quite a bit of work to get this all working, but it was worth it in the end.

The speaker cable lengths are incredible. A little too long for what I needed. I ended up shortening and binding up more than 70% of the cable just so that I wouldn't have a crazy mess behind and around my HDTV.
If you plan on getting this system, save your self the trouble of dealing with cable mess and buy some Velcro straps for cable management.

This system works perfect with the Rocketfish Wireless speaker set.

The sub woofer is so powerful, at highest volume it shakes the entire house. You can feel the vibrations in the ground at the other end of the house.

Not much else to say. Setup was painless, just took some time, lots of cables going around.

Remember that the speakers are satellite speakers, if you get speaker stands, be sure they work with and fit with the satellite speakers.

Before buying this sound system, do your research and make sure you buy the right equipment!

86 of 104 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Besides BOSE, who says BOSE is the best?, January 10, 2010

By 

Twain Mark "gc" (Toronto ON) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bose® Acoustimass® 10 Series IV home entertainment speaker system - Black (Electronics)

I hooked up the acoustimass speakers to Harman Kardon AVR 154 receiver. If you are into audio, you will know that although this receiver is not very powerful, the sound quality it delivers is excellent.

Purpose: My purpose in purchasing this system was two folds: Music and movies.

Setup: Setting up this system is a breeze. All cables are color coded and there's plenty of it (20 ft for the front speakers and 50 ft for the rear or surround speakers). All you have to remember is that all the cables first go into the module, and then one single cable (actually a set of 5 joined together) are connected to the receiver. I think this system was up and running within 20 minutes of me unpacking it.

What's included: You will get 4 cube array (vertical) speakers, one center speaker (identical to the cube arrays, just horizontal) and one BOSE module which houses all the connections and the sub woofer.

Sound Test: I own an IPOD touch and a PS3. I do own a cable box, but that is not ideal to check a $60 AIWA system, let alone a BOSE 5.1 speaker set. I connected my IPOD using an RCA cable and my PS3 using an optical cable.

IPOD: This was an analogue audio test, and I knew that this system will not perform its best with this setup, but since this is how I listen to music, I had to perform this test. The bass was great. It sounded balanced and did not over power the other aspects of the song. The instruments sounded nice, if not great, and the initial impression was one of utter satisfaction with the sound quality. However, once I started playing a song where vocals were the focal point, the system really disappointed me. The voice of the artist was just not crisp or clear. When the bass module was allowed to contribute, the sound quality was decent, but a song where the bass module had very little to do, the system sounded almost like a boombox, which was really disappointing.

PS3: I tested this system with Dark Knight's Blu Ray disc. I wanted Matrix, but Blockbuster didn't have it at time. I am sure a DVD would have done the trick, but since I own a Blu-Ray player, I thought it would be a great test. In the beginning when the Joker started killing all his compatriots during the Bank Heist, the system astounded me. Not only could you hear the sound, but feel it. Every gunshot, every bang was distinct, crisp and clear. It was like being in a theatre and I almost forgave BOSE for not giving me my vocals during the IPOD test. But then I heard the dialogue, and I ran into the same exact problem. You had to turn the volume up to hear the dialogue, but then it was too loud during the action sequences. I even tried turning the bass way down, but then for some unknown reason whatever clarity the dialogues had, disappeared. Then I tried playing an MP4 file from my PS3, which had the exact same problem. For some reason, this system has trouble with treble or highs. I know nothing about audio, but I know what sounds good, and for the amount of money I paid, this was not good.

Troubleshooting: The room where I had placed the BOSE system is not very big. It is around 12x20 feet and I had placed three speakers on the tv stand and 2 right on the wall behind my sofa. I played for hours with changing the direction of the cube speakers individually and together. I also tried different sound settings (DOLBY, DTS, NEO etc) but the vocals and dialogues were just not there. In the end I just packed up the system and returned it.

Conclusion: The system is barely ok for the movies, and horrible for music. I actually went to some independently owned audio stores and heard some other speakers. Before I bought BOSE, I hadn't even heard of companies like Mirage, Paradigm and KEF. I always assumed that BOSE was the best, but after buying the system realized that BOSE is the only one saying it. Even CNET doesn't have an expert review of this "excellent" system. I ended up buying KEF 2005.3 5.1 speaker system and couldn't be happier with it. The vocals are crystal clear, sound is crisp, and dialogues are powerful. The bass is great and does not interfere.

IMHO, please go and listen for yourself to other systems before you buy BOSE. Ask the dealer if its at all possible to play BOSE and another comparable system next to each other. Try listening to the speakers without the bass module or the subwoofer. Take your favourite CD, IPOD or a DVD with you and listen to the system at low, medium and high volumes. Don't let the salesperson blast the manufacturer's CD or DVD in your face while you are standing 2 feet away from the speakers. It's just like singing in the shower, everyone sounds good.

In the end, BOSE was really disappointing for a system that claims to be the best. I did some research and found out that BOSE sued Consumer Reports and eventually lost because Consumer Reports criticized one of its systems. Also the lack of expert reviews on the BOSE systems should be a clue that there is something fishy. To me BOSE is all marketing and not a good bang for your buck.

Also go the AVS forums or any other audio video forums and read about BOSE and other speaker systems. You will be shocked as I was. And if you are a BOSE owner, and in love with the sound quality, I am very happy for you. I just couldn't spend that much money and not be happy with my system. I work very hard for my money.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There's more to stereos than frequency response, June 28, 2011

By 

Jay Thornock - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bose® Acoustimass® 10 Series IV home entertainment speaker system - Black (Electronics)

Bose are like the Toyota of speakers. If you ask the most elite professionals if they are the best, the answer is no. There are much better speakers to be had, just like there are better cars than Corollas, but there are tradeoffs. Size, price, appearance, and personal tastes should all be considered. Just because a Mercedes is largely considered to be better than an inexpensive Toyota does not mean someone should not consider buying a Toyota. It may be the perfect car for them. Also, just because you can get a less expensive Kia, that is similar in many ways, does not mean you should buy the Kia. Bose speakers are extremely compact, setup is quite simple, and while they do not have a perfectly linear response curve, they are quite loud and distortion free at high volumes. Very few speakers of this size can be used at such high volumes without causing damage, and the others that can cost as much or more. Of course with unlimited money and unlimited speaker sizes you can make something that sounds better or has a more linear response curve. However, if someone wants a very compact speaker system to mount on the wall away from children, has a relatively modest budget of $1,000, and isn't worried that a clarinet may sound eight to ten decibels quieter than a flute in an orchestra, by all means they may want to consider this Bose system. Don't believe all the haters. Bose speakers sound very very good for their size and price. In response to the statement, "They're not the best." I say, of course they are not the best! In a world with million dollar home theaters, who would think that $1,000 is going to get them the best system in the world?! If you bought this system only to later rant that it is not the best, you are clueless. Compare apples to apples. Don't compare large $10,000 systems to tiny $1,000 cube systems. They do not serve the same market segment. For people who just want to have a nice out of the way system, this is for you. For those who want to sit in a sound booth and spend hours comparing response curves and tonality, obviously you should get something else. These are the Toyota Corolla of the speaker world. Not the cheapest, not the best, but very nice for the money and they will work just fine.