Background information

My retro 2.1 Bose set-up and how great the 90s speaker system sounds

10/3/2022

Could voluntarily switching from 5.1 surround sound to 2.1 be a good option? It’s something I did, and I have no regrets. My home cinema sounds amazing with its 1990s Bose speaker system and Yamaha receiver.

In 2002, an English DJ gave me an «eargasm» I’ll never forget. Imagine the scene. It was the electro night in a pub in Southbourne. I’d already had a Smirnoff alcopop as well as a Strongbow cider and was about to mess up an eight-ball billiard game. Then all of a sudden, this fresh trance beat I’d never heard before was in my ears:

ResuRection by PPK (ППК) ticked all the boxes of the kind of music I liked to listen to around that time. The sound pulled my attention away from the game to a stereo system I didn’t initially recognise. When I looked more closely, I discovered small, discreet double cube speakers in every corner of the pub. And there was a subwoofer on the wall behind the billiard table. Despite only being 16 cm tall, the cubes produced a crystal clear, room-filling sound, which was accompanied by a deep, tingling bass. Sheer goosebumps.

Blown away, I went up to the DJ, complimented him and asked the name of the song, the artist and the sound system. The DJ smiled and not long afterwards gave me a note with all the information I’d requested. My billiard friend, who was watching the whole thing unfold, looked surprised and chuckled.

Bose Acoustimass 5 Series II (1990–1998)
Source: Bose-Prospekt

In terms of set-up, you’re looking at a Bose Acoustimass 5 series II, which consists of a subwoofer and usually two double cube satellites. But in the pub use case, there were four speakers. What really wowed me was Bose’s multi-stereo sound.

From that moment on, I knew that one day I’d turn my back on Teufel and, come hell or high water, be the owner of a Bose Acoustimass Speaker System from the 90s.

In fact, I now have two...

Why I’ve switched to 2.1

Twenty years later, the Russian trance music sounds just as good. However, when I listen to my sound database(linked article in German), I realise there’s much better music that would showcase the sound of the Bose system that I wax lyrical about to rapturous guests. The system also does a good job with classical music, rap, pop, rock and industrial to name just a few. The only thing it doesn’t get on well with is folk music – but that’s not to say it wouldn’t also sound cool. Unlike the pub, I don’t just use the speakers for music. That goes without saying. In Swiss living rooms, they also make the perfect film or console game companion.

I couldn’t stop thinking about my dream retro speaker system, which enthralled me so much while I was in England. That's why I bought my first Acoustimass 5 Series II six years ago – a second-hand one in good condition. But up until two years ago, I only used it with the second TV in the bedroom.

The small double cube speaker sits discretely in the corner.

Then I moved house and decided to part with the previous 5.1 living room set-up. Partly because I wanted to hear the Bose sound, and partly because the new living room has very few plug sockets. If I want to be able to control the rear speakers of a 5.1 system directly via a cable, that’s also possible but the cable will be on show rather than discretely stowed away.

The right double cube speaker is five and a half metres away from the left one.

That's what pushed me to give away my previous Sony 5.1 surround sound system that had served me well for years. Then I bought a second Acoustimass. Now I have one in the living room and a second in a large room I use as a studio and craft room. I also have a Samsung 2.1 soundbar with active subwoofer in the bedroom.

What the retro speaker system offers

At the core of the Acoustimass 5 series II is the Acoustimass module, in other words the 19.1 × 35.5 × 48 cm subwoofer.

Bose Acoustimass 5 series II module (subwoofer)

The subwoofer doesn’t feature the kind of power connection we know from present day models. Similarly, there’s no input for receiving bass signal. Instead, it uses classic T56/24D pole terminals.

The bass module is in charge of distributing frequencies.

The woofer receives a pure stereo signal. Then it prepares the sound on the inside in analogue and sends the corresponding signals on to both of the satellite speakers. The lowest frequencies are transported from the subwoofer into the room via two 5-¼-inch drivers (13.3 cm), while the rest travels via the two double cube satellites.

Bose Acoustimass 5 series II double cube speaker

What’s practical about these small 7.9 × 16.2 × 12.1 cm speakers is that they each house two cubes with 2-½-inch drivers (6.4 cm). That way I can direct one cube to the right side of the sofa, and the other to the left. This balances the stereo sound across the whole seating area. In my place, I’ve positioned the speakers in the corners, two metres off the ground and pointing slightly downwards.

The whole system comes in at 13.6 kg and, according to the manual, is compatible with receivers that offer 4 to 8 Ω and 10 to 200 W per channel. The module is also designed to have a scratch-resistant satin finish. A glance at my barely aged system would make you think this isn’t just a marketing ploy. The cubes boast a polymer finish. In terms of colour, Bose has launched a white and a black version of the Acoustimass. The black one usually looks quite good when it’s second-hand, whereas the white one can often appear yellowed.

Bose Acoustimass 5 series III module (subwoofer)

Bose Acoustimass 5 series I double cube speaker

I had a spot of luck and found a woofer that wasn’t yellowed. Mein zweites Acoustimass, das zum Musikhören im Atelier genutzt wird, besteht aus einem weissen Acoustimass 5 Serie III Subwoofer und zwei Serie I Doppel-Cubes. Up until two years ago, the subwoofer was still in its original packaging. It set me back 155 Swiss francs, including the shipping, while the cubes cost 130 francs. Unfortunately, I can’t recall what I paid for the first Bose set-up six years ago.

Amplifiers and co. – what the sound is like on the home cinema speakers

Years ago, I tested the Bose system with different amplifiers and realised there’s no way it can be used or described in the same way as outlined by the manufacturers. So much for 10 to 200 W. For a decent sound with enough bass, you need a minimum of 80 W per channel.

In my set-up, I rely on a Yamaha receiver R-S202DAB, which provides 100 W per channel. What’s more, I can also listen to music via Bluetooth or DAB+ if I need to. When it comes to pulling the sound from the TV into the system, I use Toslink and a stereo converter.

Stereo amplifiers

EUR252,22

Yamaha R-S202dab

Receiver

Audio adapters

Digitus Digital to Analog Audio Conv.

Digital -> Analog

What bothers me about the digital-to-analogue audio converter is that the LED lights up brightly. But this can be easily fixed with a bit of sticky tape.

And what’s the retro Bose sound like now?

The active subwoofer on my Samsung soundbar in the bedroom has 160 W. That’s powerful enough that I could blast the music out so loud you’d even hear it in the underground car park – if I wanted to annoy my neighbours. In comparison, the passive Bose subwoofer has less power, and the music could probably only reach one or two flats if the sound was turned up all the way. But that’s also more than loud enough and, in fact, like all woofers it’s disproportionate to the performance you’d need for a living room.

To get a balanced sound experience, I turn the trebles and bass up a bit on the Yamaha receiver. I’m one of those people who likes the bass full but not to the extent that it overpowers the other frequencies. It’s meant to be deafening when an aeroplane flies overhead in films or a huge monster runs towards me in a game. That being said, there’s not meant to be more of an extreme difference between the trebles and mids when listening to music at home compared with at a live concert.

The bass somehow seems more authentic than on my Samsung soundbar. It complements the unadulterated and detailed mids and trebles of the double cubes while providing a crystal clear, precise and energetic sound. It’s the same whether I’m listening to gentle background music or have on music as a party soundtrack.

What’s more, the stereo effect is hard to fault thanks to the perfect double cube formation. That’s why I don’t miss my 5.1 system even when playing a sandbox game. Besides, I can also use stereo to determine pretty accurately if the rascal is sneaking up from the back right or back left. That being said, I have to admit it’s not the same as with surround sound. But I find I only miss it if I want to listen to a concert that’s been mixed with this sound in mind. Or in specific film scenes with excellent surround sound, such as the diva dance scene in The Fifth Element. Nevertheless, all of that also sounds blooming good with 2.1 Bose. And anyway, I don’t have the right kind of living room for a surround sound system.

Verdict: the old ways stand the test of time

I’m infinitely grateful to Bose for ensuring I now get an «eargasm» every day thanks to their system from the 90s. Bose, play «Let’s get it on».

The speakers slot discreetly into the craft chaos in the studio.

As a parting word, I’d be interested to know if anyone else is sticking with retro and warding devilish new gadgets away from their home. If so, which systems are you still using?

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Martin Jud

Senior Editor

martin.jud@digitecgalaxus.ch

I find my muse in everything. When I don’t, I draw inspiration from daydreaming. After all, if you dream, you don’t sleep through life.

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