Bose Acoustimass 10 Series IV (black)

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.

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Thank for reading!

After owning an Acoustimass 16 Series II for a few years and having the sub's laminate peel off of the cheap pressboard (not even MDF as you would expect from a 'premium' speaker system), or trying to repair a flat sounding cube speaker and discovering that the thin paper cones had deteriorated from, I presume, exposure to sunlight as the stand was next to a window (my couch, phone & lamp all seem to be holding up well under the UV onslaught however)

In contrast, at about half the price my current Infinity TSS-1200 system has MMD (Metal Matrix Diaphragm) speakers, the Mirage MX 5.1 has aluminum mids & titanium tweets and the Mirage Nanosats have poly-titanium mids w/titanium tweets. Even the Energy Take Classic's at 1/3 the price have a poly-titanium mids and aluminum dome tweets!

Would be a decent deal at half the price but at full price you are just paying for the great Bose advertising campaign...

I have integrated this system with a pair of B&W Matrix 3 series 2 speakers and powered by an Onkyo NR-807 for a 7.1 surround sound, using bose for high front right/left, side high right/left, center and bass module of course. The resulting tonality of the system is actually an exceptionally good match. It has surprised even some very "anal" audiophile friends. Funny how a blind test can bring out the unobstructed opinion. I recommend you not pay attention to the naysayers when it comes to Bose. For the money, this system represents superb value.