Let's see, they're a terrible value, are completely innacurate, and have gaping holes in their frequency response.
Typical mass-market sound, backed by slick marketing--"Better sound through research." Yeah, whatever.

Spend the same money on much better gear.

-Mike

Not musical. Compare to other speakers at the same price level before you buy BOSE.

I have these speakers in my home theater system. They perform very well andI am satisfied with them. I've never been sorry I purchased Bose. I have no
idea why these speakers are so poorly reviewed by others. (I did however catch
my set on a scratch and dent sale at the local CC-and got a very good price).

I recently purchased the Bose AM7 and I'm now getting the AM5's. I've dealt with Bose speakers for 25 yrs. They are very diferent then conventional speakers and the one thing you have to realize is that speakers are a of matter of personal taste- everyone does not hear the same. To get the best sound from any speaker though, you need some good equipment driving them and in my opinion this is especially true of any Bose speakers. When you are tired of your old speakers, try upgrading your amp-all of a sudden what your speakers were lacking is suddenly alive. One thing I've learned over the years is that everyone (myself included) becomes dissatisfied with their speakers first - forget it there are so many out there these days you'll go nuts. UPGRADE YOUR EQUIPMENT

Wide stereo listening aperature, accurate sound, unobtrusive, and fit variety of floor plans.

A bit pricey, and lack of thunderous base - particularly hard drumming.

The reviews that rate Bose AM-5's poorly are simply exagerated and WRONG! I had a complex problem because I wanted true stereo sound in my kitchen and family room which are "connected" in an "open concept" style of home. There is hardly any speaker on the market that offers a wider stereo aperature than AM-5's. What this means is that IF you move around in a room, you can STILL hear true stereo separation without a "muddling" sound. People who rate Bose speaker systems poorly truly do NOT understand the listening philosophy of this company, and may have incorrectly positioned the cubes. Bose sound is REFLECTED sound - you do not position the cubes in front of you like an ordinary stereo speaker. In my home, I have the bottom cubes (they reflect more) pointing to the back of the family room, with the top cubes 90 degrees pointing into the kitchen. Therefore while standing in the kitchen, I hear reflected sound from the family room, plus direct stereo imaging from the top cubes. The same occurs in the family room - although there is less reflected sound from the kitchen (it is larger). I placed the module as far away from the kitchen and deep into the family room. Why? Because while I'm in the kitchen, I don't WANT to hear deep bass! In the family room it is exactly opposite - I want to hear deep bass because in that room I want to hear the full spectrum of music. Here's another common mistake that many reviewers here make of the AM-5's - they state that the bass module in fact CAN be located! Again, improper placement is to blame. Put those little rubber "feet" that Bose supplies onto the bass module (it will resonate horribly when directly placed onto the floor) and fire the bass AWAY from the corner of the room. If that is done, you simply cannot localize where the bass comes from. Each room requires experimentation BEFORE you install your in-wall wiring. My living room system consists of Boston A150's with Accoustic Research Rock Partners pointing UP from the Boston's (for imaging purposes only) - all run through a Carver Sonic Hologram generator. While the BA's are more "spacial" and clearly reproduce hard drumming, the Bose AM-5's are much more easier to listen to, offer TRUE stereo separation and sound more "real-life" than practically any other speaker I have owned or listen to. The true audiophile who measures their seating position relative to their speakers may find the AM-5's disappointing - you can actually move around the room and still enjoy terrific stereo separation. That's a "real-life" review people - not all people have the luxury of a listening room. They only want good quality sound within the home. With that regard the AM-5's truly impress and deliver the goods. I would recommend them fully, however only the Series III - Series I (which I owned) were disappointing. Also, Bose speaker systems work MUCH better in rooms with hard surfaces - carpeting, drapery, and heavy furniture diminish the reflecting properties of the speaker.

Similar Products Used:

Boston Accoustics, Bose AM-5 Series 1, Accoustic Research, and Advent.

I bought the original Accoutimas speakers on sale about four years ago.After listening to other speakers in the same price range my opinion is that they are garbage. What little bass there is, is mushy and undefined. No soundstage. No upper bass/lower midrange where the cubes cross over to subwoofer module. No detail, just a fake sounding ambience when the cubes are used for direct/reflected sound.
I can't believe how stupid I was when I bought them!!! These speakers are no bargain no matter how low the discount.
I can't believe this company stays in business selloing such crap.

When I first encountered the Bose AM5 system in a Best Buy Several years ago, my instant impression was that these could possibly be good speakers-- if you lived in a refridgerator. My impression has not changed, though I've never actually tried living in a fridge. :)Overall score: undefined.

I heard this from a salesman (in response to a blindfold test) at an audio shop that didn't sell Bose:"No highs, no lows.......Must be Bose....." I can't agree more.
The Bose system's inadequacies and crappy low end by far outweigh their compact dimensions and marginal looks. These should be given away by tobacco companies, as part of a frequent buyer program. Stupid rewards for stupid people.
Score: Minus 2

My family bought the AM5 system back in 1991. Back then we did not know better and did all our shopping at Best Buy. Boy were we stupid!!! Never Ever buy these speakers. Since that time I have become a major audiophile and have discovered the affordable high end. There are $200 bookshelf speakers that can eat the AM5's for lunch. Although you might lose some bass from the bookshelf speakers, its not much considering there is no clarity from that ugly black box that dares call itself a subwoofer. The bose have no highs, terrible and fake midrange, and boomy, one noted bass. The problem is not Bose though, it is Best Buy and other retail stores telling the uninformed public that these are great speakers. Bose has an excellent marketing department that targets the masses that don't know any better. Please, before you make a speaker decision, do some research first!!! Shop at independent high end stores, they will appreciate your business, deal on price, and know what they are talking about! Again, Happy Listening! (I would give zero stars, but cannot)

Much of the sound spectrum is missing or is fake. If I was offered a pair for free, I would only take them if I had a garage stereo to plug them into. I would certainly not recommend the Acoustimass speakers.