Bose AM5

[hopeless]

FWIW, I just missed out on a pair on eBay for significantly less than the numbers you quoted (didn't need another set but figured I'd get them if they sold very cheaply, which they didn't). But I'd suggest that the NHT SuperZero is a good alternative if you can deal with its slightly larger size. They are certainly much more plentiful.

A quasi local guy has a pair for $50. Another has the 1.2s for the same

 

[wmgwizard]

Unilateral pricing agreements. It was done artificially. Dealers agreed not to discount.

Regardless of any agreement, it was still marketed as a premium product and priced accordingly, the agreement was in place to ensure everyone "got their share" of the marketplace.

 

[hopeless]

Regardless of any agreement, it was still marketed as a premium product and priced accordingly, the agreement was in place to ensure everyone "got their share" of the marketplace.

Yes, it was priced and marketed as a premium product to those without any audio background via spousal acceptance factor and the illusion of competing with companies they never actually completed with. Their marketing budgets were massive, as was the cost of their salesman reward programs. It cost a lot of money to make it all happen. I've had friends and work acquaintances who helped launch the AM product and other products of that era. I learned a lot.

 

[TPettenati]

Try the AM5 bass module with some small bookshelf speakers like a minimus 7. The crossover is at about the right point. I had this as an office system and it worked well.

 

[Sgt Shultz]

FWIW, I just missed out on a pair on eBay for significantly less than the numbers you quoted (didn't need another set but figured I'd get them if they sold very cheaply, which they didn't). But I'd suggest that the NHT SuperZero is a good alternative if you can deal with its slightly larger size. They are certainly much more plentiful.

FWIW, those are NIB.

Also, as I stated I already have 3 pair and paid considerably less, and also as I stated the secret is out on these little gems and prices are rising, but they will never be and never have been at Minimus 7 prices and they shouldn't be.

 

[dpdatl]

These might drop right in being 2.5 inch full range drivers. Just wire them in series for an 8 ohm load.

 

[hopeless]

These might drop right in being 2.5 inch full range drivers. Just wire them in series for an 8 ohm load.View attachment 2806407

The crossover is going to be the limiting factor here. A driver swap can throw things out of balance and result in worse performance. Unlike other Bose products, the AM crossovers are more complex needing to shunt lower frequencies from the sats. They were essentially designed not to blow up over ultimate performance.

 

[Gazdatronik]

Yes, don't mess with them. Designing speakers is hard. I've modded what feels like a million pairs, and only about two turned out "good."
I do support adding a couple of supertweeters where the highs peter out. Won't hurt anything.

 

[GordonW]

Try the AM5 bass module with some small bookshelf speakers like a minimus 7. The crossover is at about the right point. I had this as an office system and it worked well.

That's a much better idea, than trying to torture the "twiddler" cubes into trying to make any semblance of midbass/ lower midrange. They just can't, and the subwoofer won't. Driver changes won't really help, as the Bose enclosures are sized and tuned to where they're really not going to produce a usefully different response, regardless of what drivers are slapped into them.


Regards,
Gordon.

 

[swechsler]

I realize there’s not a lack of Bose basher’s.

We actually don't do a lot of Bose bashing here. But the Acoustimass is not a hifi system, and attempts to make it so will almost inevitably fail. Either enjoy it for what it is*, or replace it with something better, as we've already suggested.

* I mean, yeah, it's yours, you can do with it what you want. But I think almost everyone on this thread would agree that your money and time would be better spent on some superior speakers.

 

[BilboBaggins]

We actually don't do a lot of Bose bashing here. But the Acoustimass is not a hifi system, and attempts to make it so will almost inevitably fail. Either enjoy it for what it is*, or replace it with something better, as we've already suggested.

* I mean, yeah, it's yours, you can do with it what you want. But I think almost everyone on this thread would agree that your money and time would be better spent on some superior speakers.

Agreed!

And there are a number of us who have Bose gear and aren't ashamed to say so.

That being said, I agree with what has been expressed here. Bose has some very interesting ideas that work surprisingly well, but you can't make a silk purse out of a pigs ear. Enjoy it for what it brings you, and maybe consider different satellites.

 

[hopeless]

Agreed!

And there are a number of us who have Bose gear and aren't ashamed to say so.

That being said, I agree with what has been expressed here. Bose has some very interesting ideas that work surprisingly well, but you can't make a silk purse out of a pigs ear. Enjoy it for what it brings you, and maybe consider different satellites.

The crossover bandwidth doesn't allow for that

 

[Irocl98]

Thanks for the input guys. I might just keep it the way it is until I can set up the Klipsch’s again

 

[eastbrown]

I have a Bose am-5 a Bose gs-321 and a Bose Model cd-3000 you can have it all for nothing. Got it from my cousin who was moving to S.C.Just dont like it.