Sound system compatible with an iMac

[Dobson73]

Hi guys,

Am interested to hear comments or suggestions in regards to setting up a wireless sound system with my Mac. I'm looking at the Bose Acoustimass® 15 Series III Home Entertainment System. Bose seem pretty good systems?

Any comments or suggestions from Mac users who've got a good sound system set up would be appreciated.

Thanks,

 

[JayboyCDA]

you can't go wrong with Bose....

 

[Dobson73]

yes.

yes you CAN go wrong with bose...


is the OP looking for something that "sounds nice" or accurately portrays the acoustical spectrum in an analytic sense?

Umm, yeah, the latter, I guess. Whatever that means?

 

[andysayshi]

If you are a sound engineer, and/or you want clean, undistorted harmonic and channel separation, with pure, uncolored tonal representation - forget Bose and save a few extra thousand for some nice Genelec monitors, or B&W reference speakers.

If you don't know what the latter paragraph means, and you want a nice-sounding system that produces very rich sound with very small speakers, buy the Bose.

I'm not clear about your wireless requirements - the Bose system mentioned has no wireless capabilities.

 

[Dobson73]

If you are a sound engineer, and/or you want clean, undistorted harmonic and channel separation, with pure, uncolored tonal representation - forget Bose and save a few extra thousand for some nice Genelec monitors, or B&W reference speakers.

If you don't know what the latter paragraph means, and you want a nice-sounding system that produces very rich sound with very small speakers, buy the Bose.

I'm not clear about your wireless requirements - the Bose system mentioned has no wireless capabilities.

I knew you'd come good, Andy!! Sorry, when I said wireless it was probably a bit misleading. The lounge will be wired (in the wall for once rather than draped around the skirting boards) but I've been told that I can then have wireless speakers in the bedroom? Am getting a local dealer to come out and give me some quotes and ideas.

And no, I didn't know what that last paragraph meant!! LOL

 

[hotatlboi]

BOSE = Better Sound Through Marketing

 

[sheep]

tend to agree that Bose is *smoke and mirrors*. You won't find them in *The Absolute Sound* magazine but then again they tend to love equipment made of unobtainium. My Mac network talks to an Apple Express wirelessly in the other room where the big home theater system is. It is interconnected from the Airport Express with a optical cable available from Apple.
AirPort Express Stereo Connection Kit with Monster Cables
Part Number: M9573LL/A
which is $49.00CDN. The other end is plugged into an optical input on the 7 channel Denon A/V receiver.
That part saved me drilling holes and stringing stereo cable across the width of the house. When it is set up you will see in the lower right corner of your iTunes screen a drop down menu to select a) computer b) airport express or c) both.
This is quite useful for me while listening to pipe organ with its 16 Hz pedal notes which are way beyond the range of my Altec Lansing system on the computer.

As far as wirelessly connecting your music system to speakers in other rooms I understand it can be done. I've tried some several years back with underwhelming results.
Many receivers have an extra stereo channel which can output to another amp and speakers elsewhere.

 

[andysayshi]

My Mac mini is connected via optical output to my home cinema setup. I have a second living room with a small hifi system, and an Apple airport express provides wireless music output from the network.

I use Rogue Amoeba's "AirFoil" plugin to send music throughout the network. It provides greater control and allows audio from ANY application to be sent to any other computer (or the Airport Express). For example, if I have a movie or TV running on the Mac mini, I can listen to it from the stereo in the other living room while I do the housework.

I love the Bose Acoustimass series stuff - I think they sound great for their size.

 

[scott-o]

I'm gonna second sheep on recommending the AirPort express. Check it out on Apple's website, it's just a little white brick, and it has a dual optical audio / analogue mini jack output. This means it should plug into any sound system made in the last 20 years, so then you can get whatever sound system you like.

PS. Don't go with BOSE. As everyone else said, you're just paying for the name.