75 of 78 people found the following review helpful:
Great Sound, Small Footprint, Huge Upgrade from Series II
I bought this late August '08 from a Bose store (prices fixed at $1k at all stores right now). First off, it is 2 speakers that fit in the palm of your hand, and a somewhat large woofer that can be put out of sight (e.g., behind TV cabinet). Sound is amazing given it's only 2.1 speakers. System does an okay job at filling the room with sound (I don't think it's fair to...
30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
Good not great
I just bought a Series III Bose 321 system. I have it connected to a Samsung 46 inch 1080P HDTV.
I wanted to run my cable box, Sony PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, and Apple TV through the Bose 321. The only way to do this without having to change wires non-stop is to run the digital optical audio cable from the TV to the Bose system, giving you PCM 2.0, not Dolby 5.1...
I bought this late August '08 from a Bose store (prices fixed at $1k at all stores right now). First off, it is 2 speakers that fit in the palm of your hand, and a somewhat large woofer that can be put out of sight (e.g., behind TV cabinet). Sound is amazing given it's only 2.1 speakers. System does an okay job at filling the room with sound (I don't think it's fair to say it seems like there really are rear speakers, but the sound is for sure big and full), but it does deliver all 5.1 channels of sound through the 2.1 speakers when listening to those sources - awesome. Big + for me is that music sounds really good - not always true on home theater systems. Unit is easy to use and set-up - onscreen menus straight forward, and universal remote really is universal (including my cable box). Upconverting of DVD picture looks great. Sound from TV and DVDs is amazing (especially digital 5.1 sound from HD channels).
Now, for the cons: I wish it served as a video receiver as well - it does not. Example, this means when I watch cable I need to turn the TV on to cable video input and set the Bose to cable audio output - not a big deal but a bit annoying. There is only 1 optical audio input (which you can assign to any available source), but digital coax inputs are there for all sources (sound and signal for optical vs. coax digital audio is the same, differences heard are people playing vodoo). There is a bit of a sound delay when switching sound sources or when changing cable channels (~0.5-1 second) before the sound starts again.
Lots of people knock Bose because they are expensive. Well, Bose really does have superior speaker (always have) and now digital processing technology - look into it yourself, don't just trust reviews online from random people (such as myself). But, you should take a trip down to a Bose store or Best Buy and listen for yourself. And bring a full band audio CD to listen to of your own (the Dave Matthews acoustic demo they always play is stupid - acoustic guitar sounds good even on crappy speakers).
If you have the $$ and don't want to hassle with 5.1 speakers, at least give this some serious consideration.
Another note: I shelled out another $100 for the overpriced speaker stands (floor stands), and did notice a slight increase in quality as the speakers can spread out their sound a little better (as opposed to my previous set-up where they were on the edge of a shelf).
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I just bought a Series III Bose 321 system. I have it connected to a Samsung 46 inch 1080P HDTV.
I wanted to run my cable box, Sony PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, and Apple TV through the Bose 321. The only way to do this without having to change wires non-stop is to run the digital optical audio cable from the TV to the Bose system, giving you PCM 2.0, not Dolby 5.1. There is a noticeable improvement over performance from just the TV speakers alone, but nowhere near as good a a direct 5.1 connection.
I wish Bose had more optical audio inputs.
Also, I wish they had a Blu Ray instead of a regular DVD player in the system.
Like I said, good but not great...
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Being skeptical of such an expensive purchase, I really worked this thing over once I got it to make sure I was going to keep it. It did not take long to find out that it can't be beat. For such a simple system I was amazed at the performance. Let's start with the good: Very stylish, compact, and super easy to set up. The set-up I did was not your standard set-up either. I took advantage of running optical audio from my cable box (good idea) and I use the HDMI output to a 37inch LCD. I did not want all of my sound to always have to go through the unit so I had to use a few more wires. The sound is absolutely unbeatable for the size of system. If you are a sound junkie like myself you will appreciate the clarity and reality of the reproduction. Music is concert-like, DVD's play like you are in a mini-theater. People that do not like the sound of Bose generally like a lot of unnatural bass and Bose refuses to give in to that fake noise. I replaced a high end Sony 5.1 system with this for aesthetics and am kicking myself for not doing it sooner. The sound is now simply way better at all volume levels. Even 2.0 sound sounds better through these tiny speakers than they did with my old system. Now for the not so good: You need a fairly recent and not so cheap universal remote if you want to control this thing. Unless you don't mind the remote it comes with which claims to be universal but I found otherwise. The aqua display of text on the front of the unit can detour your focus when watching the TV screen. There is no equalizer if you wanted to create a different sound other than the Bose standard. Sometimes I want that cheesy bass although it pumps out plenty. Lastly, you almost need to use the optical audio connection to ensure full volume control. Without it you have to turn up the volume for different applications. I use the optical so I have no complaints. Before I go, I just want to let you know that if you want a small system that can fill your room with rich authentic sound then you are on the right track with this system. You can put a pretty nice system together for the price of this thing but what for??? 3 wires and you are done and have the best sound money can buy.
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I just purchased the Bose 3.2.1 GS Series III last week. Looked at several other systems but realize you always "get what you pay for". THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!!! You must cut TV speakers volume up(although you will not need them) and VERY,VERY IMPORTANT you must use either the optical or coaxial connection from Cable Box to the 3.2.1. I was ready to return the unit because of not enough sound volume. In fact, I had it backed up to return the next day. Then I thought, Bose is to good of a product to have this problem, so I unpacked and set up with the OPTICAL digital cable and BINGO!! What a product!! Sounds better than my old true surrond sound unit a(Sony) I purchased eight years ago. I would recommend this unit HIGHLY. Never owned Bose but their reputation out did itself. The small system looks "nifty" and MY what a sound!!! Spend the extra BUCKS and Get ONE!! fkwalter
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This review is from: 3·2·1® GS Series III DVD Home Entertainment System - Silver (Electronics)
I have owned this unit now for approximately 3 months. Set-up was a snap. It probably took me all of 20 minutes, but that is because I didn't want to mess anything up and I read the directions. In the end, I didn't need to read the directions. I am very please. Of course it is not 5.1 system sound, but if you are looking for very good sound and less bulk and wires then I would highly recommend the purchase of this system.
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I been using the the system for about 6 weeks mainly for movie, TV and gaming. The sound is great so far and I am satisfy. The 2 small speakers able to provide the surround sound feel and the bass is good. Thats amazing. This system does what it advertise. Some people say this system is not loud enough, but I would say it does have enough sound with reasonable/good quality.
However, This is my second system because the first one was not working. It shut off randomly. The build quality is very cheap for the main unit. FYI, the inside component just a regular computer DVD rom hook up with a media motherboard.
I got it for a great discount so that I don't complaint at all. But for the regular price $999, I guess I will go for something else.
For a thousand dollar system, it should add some option, like extra optical/HDMI input and "Blu ray".
Overall, The sound is fantastic and i enjoy it. But Just make sure you got the working unit.
Pro
Very easy to setup, just plug and play.
Good surround sound feel (consider this is not the real 5.1)
Enough bass
Good sound for movie and gaming.
Con
Cheap built quality on the speaker and the main unit
The sound of mid and high range is clean but could be better.
It shut off randomly.
Only 1 optical input (big mistake)
No HDMI input
Option for sound adjustment is very limit.
Missing Blu ray.
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This review is from: 3·2·1® GS Series III DVD Home Entertainment System - Silver (Electronics)
I waited for years to replace my old system with what I hoped would be a premium quality system and was lured by the Bose reputation to this piece of junk. The speakers were everything I expected, but the disc player is an abomination. I can hardly play a movie without encountering a disc read error and even new out of the box CD's will skip or fail to read. I read on line about possible software problems and Bose customer service sent me new software to load that did help but did not resolve the issues. Update: Bose has contacted me since my posting offering to service the unit and extend the warranty. It cost me $29 to insure and ship it to them. We'll see if the problems are resolved.
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I recently purchased this system and must admit after reading the reviews I honestly was not sure whether I would be satisfied with the bass sound. Well, let me tell you, I found a way to increase the base to what pleases your ear and WOW, what an impact, especially during movies. It had me jumping to unexpected sounds throughout the movie and kept me in suspense. The music and sound is so crystal clear. Costly system, but worth every penny. I am one happy camper!
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I've been using Bose equipment for about 10 years now and each system that I own seems to satisfy my needs. The 321 GS Series III is no exception. I personally bought the unit for the simplicity and clean setup. I have a medium sized living room and 5 speakers, a huge subwoofer, and lots of speaker wire were not to my liking. I was looking for a system that produced great sound, was sleek, and disappeared into my room and the 321 system fit the bill.
Don't get me wrong, for $1000, you can put together an NHT, Paradigm, etc. system that will sound a better than the Bose but NHT, Paradigm, only have mediocre (if any) home theater systems. You can't compare stereo speakers to home theater speakers as the comparison is not fare. For example my Acoustimass 15 system is a great home theater system but a horrible stereo system. I would rather have a pair of Paradigm atoms and a small sub for stereo music. I however do not like the Paradigm atoms for a surround sound system.
Sound wise, the Bose can get pretty loud when you crank up the volume. I find that the high's could be better, midrange sounds fine to me. I think the high's sound a little "shreeky" because Bose does not employ a true tweeter. The bass module for this system is surprisingly better than the Acoustimass module that I have with my Acoustimass 15 setup. I find the 321 system module to hit a little lower and it just sounds fuller. My Acoustimass 15 module always sounded like there was a gap between the low end and midrange. I called Bose to ask them for specs on the Acoustimass drivers but they wouldn't tell me.
As far as the simulated surround sound, I find it to work best on certain movies only. I was watching Star Wars the other day and the effect didn't feel as good as watching a more modern film. Plus, to feel the surround effect, you really need to crank the volume up....but needless to say, it does work. We were watching I Love Lucy DVD's and the sound reproduction for an older show like that was pretty good. Also the automatic equalization balances the sound out so you don't find yourself constantly changing the volume up and down.
The remote is of very good quality, it controls my TV, cable box, and the 321 unit with ease. It is made strong and it feels good in your hands.
My only gripe with the system is that the 321 media center unit is a little on the cheap side. For $1000, you would think that the construction would be just a tad high end. Also, I find the input time on the system to be a little slower than I expected. For example, when you click on the menu's of your DVD, there seems to be a slight delay. Strangely, I don't have this problem with my $75 Sony DVD player. I bought it on sale from [...] for $899. Personally, judging from what's out on the market, I don't think this unit should sell for more than $700...even with the Bose name. It just will not produce what you would expect from a $1000 system.
All in all, you should judge this system based on what and who it was designed for. It's good for small to medium sized rooms and I think aesthetics take a slight precedence over sound quality in this case. I bought this package because it suited MY needs. This is not a be all end all entertainment system...but it does what it is supposed to do.
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When I bought my 55" plasma, I decided I needed a great sound system. I don't watch much TV, but my wife and I frequently have young Airmen from the base over to watch movies. You know, get them out of them dorm rooms and back into a family environment. So, I wanted a GREAT theater experience. I always heard Bose was the best, so I spent a little extra and got the 3-2-1 system. What a mistake! Ours frequently "freezes" up during the movie. Sometimes we have to wait as long as 5 minutes before continues. Often, we'll be at the END of the movie, it freezes, and then shuts down! I spent nearly 1K for this!!??
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