Bose Acoustimass 5 Series 2 Speaker Review, Specs and Price

A close shot of two Bose Acoustimass 5 speakers

Bose and the Acoustimass Line
Bose is continuing its Acoustimass product line since more than 2 decades and many elements of its speakers have remained very similar. The Acoustimass 5 series 2, in this case it is the Redline edition, was produced in 1990 and consists of 2 pairs of 2 speakers and the typical acoustimass subwoofer. But are they worth their money?

The Acoustimass 5
The Acoustimass 5 has several pros and cons, most of which remained over the decades, as the changes in newer series are rather minimal.A clear Pro for the Acoustimass 5 is its design. The speakers are visible, but their clear cut and the small BOSE logo do not scream for attention, which is something you might want for your home theater system. The form of the subwoofer does also allow you to hide it flat on the ground or vertically next to a TV-table. Another remarkable strength of the Acoustimass 5 is the clarity of its sound. In particular for movies I can strongly recommend this system. It´s qualities shine during action movies!

Neither clear Pro nor Con is the Acoustimass 5´s reflecting sound technology. The speakers should not all point directly towards the listener, but the “twist-function” should be used to point one speaker on the listener, the other on wall. According to Bose, this will cause the sound to be reflected from the wall and create an even better sound-experience. The disadvantage of such a system is apparent, as it requires two walls next to the speakers and thus shines in smaller rooms, but loses its qualities in larger rooms.

Besides the arguable weakness of its technology, the Acoustimass 5 lacks deep basses and sufficient midrange efficiency. In particular when listening to music, the Bose system is rather disappointing. The lack of bass is caused by the fact that the subwoofer does not have an amplifier. It is connected to a receiver like the other speakers and does not need external power.

Bose Acoustimass 5 subwoofer

A last point to mention is its price. The Acoustimass system hasn´t been changed significantly over the years. A new Acoustimass series costs usually $399, but you can get used ones of older series that are 20 years old, i.e. series 2 and 3 for around 100$ and they have the same quality as the new one from 2010. I do thus not recommend to buy a new Acoustimass 5, as its price is too high for the quality of the product. And don´t forget that speaker stands are not included, but pretty expensive, if you are looking for the original BOSE speaker stands.

Bose Acoustimass 5 Price: $80-150
(Depending on overall condition)

Dimensions (WxDxH):

Satellite speaker : 3.1 in x 4 in x 6.2 in

Subwoofer : 18.9 in x 7.5 in x 14 in

Enclosure Color Black

Speaker Type Passive Input

Recommended Amplifier Power 10 – 200 Watt and 4-8 ohms output

MSRP $749.00 in 1990.

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