eskimo101's Full Review: Bose Lifestyle 30 Theater System
The Bose Lifestyle 30 is a very solid home theater system that sounds every bit as good as it looks. Sleek in design and tiny by comparison, the Lifestyle 30 offers a sound quality that far surpasses many of its contemporaries. The speakers are tiny and offer superior sound quality with highs and lows and strong mid-range which fill any room with total sound. The CD changer has a magazine loader and is responsive. The only major drawback is the price, and Bose doesn't approve discounted sales as a rule. I enjoy my system and strongly recommend it for those who want to experience high quality sound in their home...
The system itself includes five very small jewel speakers that offer an amazing sound. They are small enough to put anywhere, but Bose actually charges extra for either wall-mounts or floor stands. Speaker placement has everything to do with the sound quality of this system, so make sure you take the time to place them strategically. Higher is generally better, and wider spread is usually the best bet. The unit comes with a CD that runs a test to ensure that you have the right / left channels hooked to the appropriate speaker. On that CD they also include some classical music to demonstrate the highs and lows that the system can deliver. (Note: I don't understand it, but the people at Bose assured me that the speakers break down any sound driven through them and redistribute it as digital sound.)
The receiver has an AM/FM tuner and six CD changer, along with ports for additional video inputs and auxillary additions. A DVD player seems to be a given if you want to experience films with the full potential of this system, so you'll have to pick one of those up. There is also space for additional speakers. These speakers are not needed for the surround sound experience, instead they are optional for additions placed in other rooms. The unit enables one party to listen to either the radio or a CD in another room, while another party simultaniously listens to something else, such as the video surround sound. That's a pretty interesting feature, but it does require that you purchase additional speakers and run the wiring to the woofer base. The speaker wire is specific to this type of Bose system, so you won't have to (or be able to) purchase Monster Cable or other good quality cable wire.
Speaking of the woofer base... It's the largest part of the system and it connects to the rear of your receiver. This part is where the speaker wires connect. It is important to place this piece in an unobstructed area also. It delivers your bass.
The remote control has virtually every command and can work without being pointed at the system. It even works through walls. It allows you to access just the front three speakers, or just the rear two, or change the distribution of sound by adding to one or subtracting from the other.
The system is very easy to use and sounds as good as anything I've ever heard. I can't imagine how much more one would have to spend to get better quality sound.
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