Archive for August, 2012

Bose CineMate 1 Speaker Bar

Monday, August 27th, 2012

We confess, we like soundbars, nice shiny soundbars. Of course they may not pump out the greatest quality sound in the world but if you’re looking for a compact alternative to multiple speakers and trailing cables then a soundbar is what you are after. And today we are looking at the CineMate 1 soundbar from quality speaker manufacturer Bose. Unfortunately with that ‘quality’ tag comes a high price and US$1,499 is not cheap by anyone’s standard. But let’s first look at the numbers and then the reviews before closing our wallet on the CineMate.

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Bose CineMate 1 features and specifications

* Wall-mounted option for soundbar
* ADAPTiQ audio calibration system – funky system that sets up the CineMate to suit your room
* PhaseGuide sound radiators work with TrueSpace technology to ensure the sound gets to where it’s supposed to be!
* SmartSource input selection system to ensure the best quality sound source is selected
* Wireless Acoustimass module – no nasty cables!
* The remote control is programmable to enable use with other gear
* Soundbar – 4.9 x 36.8 x 2.4 inches ; 7.8 pounds
* Acoustimass module – 11.1 x 14.7 x 7.6 inches ; 13.8 pounds

Bose Cinematic Video Review from B&H

Bose Cinematic 1 SR reviews

Amazon – 4 out of 5
BestBuy – 4.4. out of 5
Crutchfield – 5 out of 5

Pros – Design, wireless subwoofer, easy calibration
Cons – Cost, no HDMI inputs

An average score of 4.47 out of 5 based on these 3 reviews.

Despite the glowing customer reviews, we’re going to give the Bose CineMate 1 SR speaker system a thumbs down. There are too many negatives that just grate for our liking, no HDMI, no iPod dock and there are a number of ‘satisfied’ customers who readily admit that for movies and games they’d rather have a 5.1 system. Whilst we realise that a soundbar is never meant to fully replace a surround sound system in terms of audio experience, asking someone to pay $1500 for an inferior product is a touch cheeky if you ask us.

If you disagree and/or have the Bose Cinemate 1 SR then please comment on your experience below