I currently have put together a sound system consisting of axioms M2i's for my fronts, there Qs4's for my surrounds, and there vp100 for my center channel. I already have a subwoofer made by acoustic research which is 120W down firing 10. Running all of this will be a Harmon Kardon AVR230 which pushes out 50 rms to each channel and provides dts digital sound. I have not had a chance to hook it all up yet cause I am redoing a room for it. So, my question is, will I be really impressed by the sound in comparison to a bose system? That is really the best I've heard but then again i have never really heard a higher end set of speakers then what best buy has. So, any input to prepare me for the experience would be much appreciated!

It should sound really great compared to bose. Be sure to check back in and let us know what you think when you get it all hooked up!

Your system will put anything Bose ever made to shame. There is no doubt of that. How big is the room going to be?

Does Bose even have one set of ok speakers? I am not familiar w/ Bose speakers. However, I have been to BOSE demostration room, they should me a sound script and then show us how small the speakers really are. They turned it really loud thinking that I would think those are good sound. That's about it, it sound bad, however, that's the only set of bose speakers I've listened to. Do they really have no okay decent speakers?

Their car audio systems are usually a step above the standard car audio. I'm pretty happy with the sound system in my Audi. (Though it could stand to go a bit lower.)

The room is 13 feet wide and 15 feet long. Since i am going to set up the room so that the width is my viewing area and not the length, i will only be 9 foot 5 inches from the front m2i's. Also i will have my couch directly against the wall so the qs4's will be directly above my head but will be 8.5 feet apart and about 30 inches above the listening level. Oh yeah, the fronts will only be able to be about 6 feet apart on 2ft stands and the center will be on top of the entertainment center which is about 4 feet high. Last but not least I am running 14gage wire that i got at home depot. Now do you still think everything will interact well and sound great? Thanks again!

the 301 bookshelf speakers they have seem pretty good,they definetly fill a room with sound due to the way the work off of walls---and spiff--maybe a vtf-2 for the trunk?????

Sounds good. Is there no way to put the QS4's to your sides though? That's my only thought. They'll work on the wall right behind you, but the sides would be better.

i could put one of them on the side wall level with me but the other side has a opening that leads into another room, which kinda forces me to want to mount them the same way. What do you think, should i mount the one on the side wall and the other on the back wall?

Hmmm...not sure about that. If you can set the sound levels for each channel, as well as the distance it may work alright. Though it would look kind of funny.

Ya i think i can do some adjusting with the reciever and with the speakers and see what sounds the best, either way i can't wait. I heard the movie drumline sounds great for dts sound. What other movies have fantastic sound that i should check out?

I'd mount both of them on the back wall. I've got my QS8's that way for exactly the reason you cite. The Axiom surrounds disperse very, very well. I think you'll be happier both aesthetically and sonically with a symmetrical placement.

The Axiom setup you describe is going to be noticably superior to any Bose system, IMO.

Enjoy your new stuff!

Welcome, Caddy. Since you'll be sitting so close to the back wall, the QS4s should be mounted on the back wall, but to get as much "side" effect as possible separate them about 12' on that 15' wall, just about 1' from the side wall.

For some (somewhat) unbiased info on Bose, click here. More info than I wanted to know, but somewhat interesting.

Ken, that article is indeed unbiased, considering that the other notable one is titled "Why Bose Sucks".

Well, I try. Or something.

Hi

Back before I knew anything about sound systems, I almost bought a pair of Bose 301s, from Circuit City, because I thought they looked great, and after all, they were Bose.

Happily, before I plunked my plastic I asked to hear them, and then compared them to the little Polk RT-25s. The inexpensive Polks just blew away the really good looking and much more expensive Bose 301s. I recall the 301s sounded flat, lifeless and dull.

May I ask what's the difference betweend sound flat, lifeless and dull?

"May I ask what's the difference betweend sound flat, lifeless and dull?"

I think I understand your question. The Bose cubes, for instance, are dull in the midrange, but not lifeless. I suppose it would have been better to say that the 301s have muddy, slow bass, dull mids and are lifeless in the higher frequencies. They are fairly large, very good looking, poor performing loudspeakers, IMO.

I've got a pair of Polk RT-25i speakers pulling B-channel duty in my kitchen. They sound great in the very "live" environment.

I kind of get the idea now. I know what bad sound is, but I have never known the proper description for each of them. Then what does a speaker sound flat mean? I thought when you are looking for a perfect speaker, the frequency response is supposed to be flat through out, then what does a speaker sound flat mean?

Actually, I hate Bose as much as the next person but have any of you ever heard the discontinued 10.2's from Bose? In my mind they are the only "Real" speaker they ever made. And yes they walk on the 901's!

Cadillac--

Glad to see you're making a switch from Bose, one that will really open your ears. I do not have a set of Axioms yet as I still need to sell my Infinity speakers. But I look forward to bringing the Axiom product into my home.

For those who still hold Bose in high regard, please visit the following page: http://www.intellexual.net/bose.html

It's even good bedtime reading for Bose doubters and haters.

Caddy, (may I call you Caddy?) I have only one suggestion concerning the tweaking of your receiver--get your Axioms placed properly for your room then listen to them through a FLAT receiver. Leave the bass and treble or any EQ alone for now. I've owned some HK stuff in the past, most recently the AVR7000 that was soon replaced with a much more reliable Sony STR-DA777ES. I left the HK alone as I have the Sony--no EQ, no extra "boosting" of the bass or treble in any way. I have been very happy with the results, although it took my ears a few hours to get used to. I will not go back to my old "V"-pattern EQ on any of my equipment. Enough about my stuff.

Movies and concert DVDs that will blow you away on your newly set up system:

Apollo 13 (DTS)
Billy Idol, Storytellers (DTS)
Joe Satriani, Live in San Francisco
Paul McCartney, Back in the U.S. (DTS)
Journey, 2001
Galaxy Quest (DTS)
Toy Story 1 & 2
Both Star Wars prequels
Gladiator (DTS)
A Bug's Life
Eagles, Hell Freezes Over (DTS)--the Seven Bridges Road DTS-only bonus track will blow you away!!!!!
Rush, Rush In Rio
Terminator 2--Judgement Day (DTS-ES)
Peter Frampton, Live in Detroit
Charlotte Church, Enchantment
Super Speedway (DTS) and The Magic of Flight (DTS), both IMAX features
Shrek (DTS)
U-571 (DTS)

I'm sure there are many I have not mentioned. Most of the ones I have said contain good effects for your surrounds and explosive sounds for your mains, but the dialogue in most of these is excellent too, a good test for your "real" center channel. An even better test for you may be to listen the DTS-mentioned movies in plain Dolby Digital first just to experience the "straight" difference between the Bose and the Axiom.

Lots of luck with your room and system. Set your receiver up as you wish, I only provide some suggestions based on my personal experiences.

Thanks

Todd--still waiting for my M60s, VP100 and QS4s--oh yeah, I haven't paid for them yet...