I was in Memphis today and went by Guitar Center to audition the Bose PAS.
I expected to be totally blown away by it, but I wasn't. It had good high end, good mids, but the low end just wasn't right. It had one sub cabinet, by the way.
I experimented by playing a digital recording of myself, recorded live on the job, made and played with the Creative Labs Nomad Jukebox 3. I know that the recordings had good, balanced sound, as I had listened to them through several different sound systems, including my Logitechs, Barbettas car stereo and headphones. My recordings were stereo WAV files, so I used a splitter and ran into two channels on the Bose.
I tried different e.q. settings and different presets. The best I found was 55. At least you could HEAR the bass with this one, but it just didn't have that deep punch (can we say "balls" on here?).
Unless it can be made to sound better, I wouldn't trade ONE of my Barbettas for the whole system. What did I do wrong?
DonM

Don did you set the [2] Gains pods properly on the base unit at about #10 each & on the remote at 12 o'clock and then boost the bass from the Remote control to about 3 oclock...I use EQ#5.
Up close is NOT the way to listen to the PAS you gotta go way out in front to appreciate the room filling sound.....
Don its a very "Different Animal" & hard to explain till you get used to it....
took me a while also but now I enjoy it alot.

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 10-17-2005).]

Don...
It doesn't sound like you did anything wrong. But, I don't think it was an honest test either.

I believe you should try the Bose by playing LIVE...either direct or thru a mixer. And, even then, to get the optimum sound you will probably want to do a little tweaking within your kb in addition to using the PAS preset of your choice.

On the PAS itself, my preferred preset is #57. (I believe Donny and Gary are also using #57.)

I'd be the last guy in the world to say it is the only system anyone should use...but I am loving how clean and definitive everything sounds, the minimum drop-off rate of volume and wide dispersion of sound, especially helpful in odd shaped rooms.

You already know about the other bennies...the small footprint, lightweight, etc.

The bottom line is: its gotta sound good to you or you're not gonna be happy with it.

Eddie

One quick addendum. I also used preset #5, until I downloaded the Version 2 presets. Chances are any units you find at GC are not going to have Version 2 loaded.
Eddie

Whoops, I see GC did have V2 loaded. Sorry.
Eddie

When I got my pas I didn't twist the plug for the subwoofer so it wasn't hooked up. I played for 2 days like that it sounded good but no b-lls. ( GC gets alot of traffic and anything could have happened.)
I used it with my jbl eon sub and it sounded real good, but when I twisted the connector the Bose sounded better on its own than with the JBL. I'm tempted to say almost too much bottom punch.

[This message has been edited by mikeathome1 (edited 10-18-2005).]

I can only assume it can be made to sound better then. I had to kneal down and put my ear against the sub to hear anything when I first tested it. I didn't check the inputs on it though. The 12-year-old salesman didn't know anything about the presets. I had to do that myself. I tried 55 and 56, but not 57. Couldn't remember what you guys had said you used. It was on zero when I got there.
If it were closer, I'd go back and try again, but it's 350 miles to Memphis from here.
Maybe HankB and I will slip off to Dallas one day and check one out there.
Thanks,
DonM

Don, the one thing that I also did not think the Bose measured up...was the bottom.
I am not sure the Bose sub woofer is on par with the rest of the system..
Maybe it's because I am used to the Yorkville system including the 700 watt sub woofer I use[with 2 550 watt 12's with horns.
Personally I wouldn't trade the Yorkville system for the Bose..[Especially since the Yorkville cost more]..
Once you get use to a big bottom, it's hard to compromise[I am talking about the sound system ..Don]..

I just looked at another photo of the Bose. Would it work if only two pieces of the tower were connected? I really believe they only had two pieces of the tower connected, but I could be wrong.
DonM

"Once you get use to a big bottom, it's hard to compromise[I am talking about the sound system".]

That TOO!
DonM