Is the Bose Acoustimass xover as delicate as they say it is?

The Paulinator · 28th October 2003, 03:49 AM

I have a customer that has a set of 5 Bose double cubes (the original size, not the smaller ones), but no Bose sub to use for the internal crossovers. Can I set the receiver's high pass at like 100 or 120hz and be safe, or is there more to it than that? I have talked to Bose "techs" who say that the crossover is some super special thing and if you don't use it you WILL blow the drivers...

(Of course I would prefer that he use the cubes as door stops, but sometimes it isn't that easy....)

What's the TRUE doctrine?

BAM · 28th October 2003, 03:59 AM

make computer speakers out of 'em, usng the JBL 12-watt amplifier on ApexJR. Only needs a 12v transformer, it has its volume and tone knobs on the board.

The Paulinator · 28th October 2003, 04:23 PM

That's not quite the answer I was looking for. Basically I need to know if it is safe to cross them over using the built-in x-over in a receiver, and if so, what frequency?

theChris · 28th October 2003, 04:59 PM

are you operating the speakers near maximum rated power?

it'd be more informative if you had more info on why the crossove is so super-special.

cowanrg · 28th October 2003, 05:03 PM

i know from experience that if you unplug the cubes, you can hear voices through the bass module. so the cubes are crossed over pretty high. might not be able to just use the cubes.

The Paulinator · 28th October 2003, 06:15 PM

Yes, I have also noticed the voices out of the bass module, and I wasn't sure if that's because it's crossed over so high, or because the module is only on a 6db/octave slope or something.

They are going to be in the guy's home theater, so I am sure they will be running at pretty high volume levels.

daatkins · 28th October 2003, 07:34 PM

I know this is short of specifics but I read that the crossover is high but with a very steep slope: 180Hz or 200Hz and 6th order (36dB/oct) seems to ring a bell. The cubes produce very little bass so the XO needs to be high and the sharp slope is to mitigate localisation of the sub.

I wouldn't run the cubes at more than 10W or so if you only had a 80Hz XO on them. Try it - carefully - and see when distortion becomes evident.

Nice one,
David.

BAM · 28th October 2003, 08:19 PM

Yeah, I don't think your friend will have any luck with the cubes. He might as well hang some cone tweeters from some coathangers for that matter.

catapult · 28th October 2003, 09:06 PM

The XO is somewhere up around 250 Hz. You'll probably blow the cubes with a conventional sub XO. As well, the stock XO probably contains some EQ to get the cubes to play that low so they would sound even worse than normal without it (if that's possible.)

http://www.intellexual.net/bose.html

The Paulinator · 29th October 2003, 06:45 AM

Now THAT'S the stuff I needed to hear! Yeah, I am not a fan of Bose, at least not anything made in the last decade or so. Looks like I'll have to help this guy let go of the cubes and move on to something better (and probably much cheaper).

Thanks for the insights!

28th October 2003, 03:49 AM	#1
The Paulinator diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Spfld, OR	Is the Bose Acoustimass xover as delicate as they say it is? I have a customer that has a set of 5 Bose double cubes (the original size, not the smaller ones), but no Bose sub to use for the internal crossovers. Can I set the receiver's high pass at like 100 or 120hz and be safe, or is there more to it than that? I have talked to Bose "techs" who say that the crossover is some super special thing and if you don't use it you WILL blow the drivers... (Of course I would prefer that he use the cubes as door stops, but sometimes it isn't that easy....) What's the TRUE doctrine?

28th October 2003, 04:59 PM	#4
theChris diyAudio Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: SIUE, Illinois, USA	are you operating the speakers near maximum rated power? it'd be more informative if you had more info on why the crossove is so super-special. __________________ if only it could be used for good, not evil...

28th October 2003, 08:19 PM	#8
BAM diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Carmel, IN; West Lafayette, IN	Don't expect any miracles Yeah, I don't think your friend will have any luck with the cubes. He might as well hang some cone tweeters from some coathangers for that matter.

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28th October 2003, 03:59 AM	#2
BAM diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Carmel, IN; West Lafayette, IN	make computer speakers out of 'em, usng the JBL 12-watt amplifier on ApexJR. Only needs a 12v transformer, it has its volume and tone knobs on the board.

28th October 2003, 04:23 PM	#3
The Paulinator diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Spfld, OR	That's not quite the answer I was looking for. Basically I need to know if it is safe to cross them over using the built-in x-over in a receiver, and if so, what frequency?

28th October 2003, 05:03 PM	#5
cowanrg diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Lafayette, CO	i know from experience that if you unplug the cubes, you can hear voices through the bass module. so the cubes are crossed over pretty high. might not be able to just use the cubes.

28th October 2003, 06:15 PM	#6
The Paulinator diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Spfld, OR	Yes, I have also noticed the voices out of the bass module, and I wasn't sure if that's because it's crossed over so high, or because the module is only on a 6db/octave slope or something. They are going to be in the guy's home theater, so I am sure they will be running at pretty high volume levels.

28th October 2003, 07:34 PM	#7
daatkins diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Bath, UK	I know this is short of specifics but I read that the crossover is high but with a very steep slope: 180Hz or 200Hz and 6th order (36dB/oct) seems to ring a bell. The cubes produce very little bass so the XO needs to be high and the sharp slope is to mitigate localisation of the sub. I wouldn't run the cubes at more than 10W or so if you only had a 80Hz XO on them. Try it - carefully - and see when distortion becomes evident. Nice one, David.

28th October 2003, 09:06 PM	#9
catapult diyAudio Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Planet Earth	The XO is somewhere up around 250 Hz. You'll probably blow the cubes with a conventional sub XO. As well, the stock XO probably contains some EQ to get the cubes to play that low so they would sound even worse than normal without it (if that's possible.) http://www.intellexual.net/bose.html

29th October 2003, 06:45 AM	#10
The Paulinator diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Spfld, OR	Now THAT'S the stuff I needed to hear! Yeah, I am not a fan of Bose, at least not anything made in the last decade or so. Looks like I'll have to help this guy let go of the cubes and move on to something better (and probably much cheaper). Thanks for the insights!

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