Bose Lifestyle V20 (black)

• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 7 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars

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• 10 stars

  You get what you pay for

  by cmayerle on March 19, 2009

  Pros: Sound, AdatIQ works well

  Cons: Have to run wires, proprietary wires, poor manual

  Summary: For those folks who complain that Bose is overpriced, I completely disagree. The quality of the equipment and the crispness of the acoustics is on par with other systems that ...

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  Summary: For those folks who complain that Bose is overpriced, I completely disagree. The quality of the equipment and the crispness of the acoustics is on par with other systems that cost more. I think a lot of folks look at the size of the speakers and think that they should be cheaper.
  Check the voltage out of the box. My transformer was set to 230V. I wasted an hour troubleshooting this because the POWER light stays on even though it was the wrong voltage.

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  1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 10 stars

  Dream Sound System!

  by Kirkliu on December 1, 2009

  Pros: Excellent Sound that gives you the dream feeling.

  Cons: Could have more HDMI input.

  Summary: It is fantastic sound system. When I put in a movie to my bluray player, I am shocked with the sound effect. Come on, bose-hater, you should try the dream ...

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  Summary: It is fantastic sound system. When I put in a movie to my bluray player, I am shocked with the sound effect. Come on, bose-hater, you should try the dream feeling.

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• 9 stars

  Bose is the all-around consumer audio champ

  by MarcPBcup on February 22, 2009

  Pros: Easy-to-use Universal Remote, Small Size with Big Sound, AdaptiQ configuration, HDMI Input, Video Processing and Upconversion, Product Quality.

  Cons: Original Price, Some Settings don't save on the first try.

  Summary: As an acoustical engineer (in training), I realize that there are systems out there that will sound better than Bose systems. However, I believe Bose has the best consumer complete ...

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  Summary: As an acoustical engineer (in training), I realize that there are systems out there that will sound better than Bose systems. However, I believe Bose has the best consumer complete package solution with the Lifestyle V20 and V30 systems. The V20 was out of my price range until I got a ridiculous deal on it at Circuit City during their closing sale and I have not regretted it since. The setup was relatively easy, almost all the needed cables were included. I even got a little excited when brand-name batteries were included for the remote. I was a little disappointed with the sound quality...UNTIL I ran the AdaptiQ setup. Being too cheap to purchase stands for the fronts and surrounds, I stashed them on bookshelves and cupboards on either side of the TV. I knew that I didn't have an ideal setup for listening, but it was a great demonstration of engineering-in-action to run the calibration and see how much of a difference your environment actually makes. After calibration, I can hardly "tell" where my speakers are located because the highs are perfectly phase-matched to my listening positions. It's hard to describe, but the system has a great balance and it is a joy to listen to.
  
  Although I bought the system for the sound, What I was most surprised by is the quality of the Remote Control. First, it's IR, so it works in surrounding rooms. Second, It has a sensor that you can attach to the back of your TV (probably won't work with a projector) that detects the status of the TV. So there are no more mistakes when you push "universal on" and only half of your stuff turns on (a problem with a lot of other remotes). Third, the interface to program the remote is slick. Just choose your brand from the on-screen menu. It got the basic functions on my TV, DVD and Ipod dock right away. However, it did not get some of the "special" buttons like DVD zoom and eject the like. I do not have a fancy cable box, but I imagine it might have some trouble with all the features on those, as well. I completely ditched my old URC because the Bose remote is so useful.
  
  Next, the media box. I am very impressed at the video signal processing from the media box. Usually my DVD player composite output is too dark and a little jagged for my TV; however, the Bose automatically adjusted it to a much more reasonable tone and sharpness. I don't think any of these preferences are user adjustable, but I wouldn't want to touch them even if they were. I wish it had a digital TV tuner in it so I could see how real HD looks through it; alas, that would probably be a little too much to ask for. I also noticed that sometimes the media box doesn't save settings after the first try. If you don't shut it down right away after changing settings, It reverts to the original way you had it. Everything's good now though, so no real complaints there. Also, this system is Bose-link compatible, but I don't have it. It's expensive. Really expensive.
  
  In summary, get this system if you can afford it and want fantastic hassle-free sound. If you are a real audiophile with a theater room setup, you probably want more and bigger speakers, a more powerful amplifier and a acoustically-treated room. But then you wouldn't be reading this review because you've already dismissed Bose and your brand of choice. If you are like most people and just want a really great sounding system in your living room or den, this delivers in spades. It's awesome.

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• 9 stars

  Great Theater Sound, Decent Music Sound

  by aldranon1942 on February 9, 2009

  Pros: Hooks up easily, sounds great on playing movies. I've currently got a Wii, Xbox 360, Sony Blu-Ray, and ipod (via RCA jacks) connected up. The surround is fantastic playing CoD World at War, as well as great for movies.

  Cons: So-so on music sound. I've purchased this setup to be a home theater system to go with a nice wide screen. If you're wanting to blast your house apart with rich full range music build your own system.

  Summary: I upgraded from a Yamaha reciever using a 7.1 speaker set up. Front L/R were 5' tower speakers with a matching Center speaker, surrounds used for all others. ...

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  Summary: I upgraded from a Yamaha reciever using a 7.1 speaker set up. Front L/R were 5' tower speakers with a matching Center speaker, surrounds used for all others. It sounded great with music but it would occasionally drown out the voice of characters in movies regardless of settings/EQ. I went to the V20 at $500 off at Circuit and couldn't be happier. It has some of the clearest theater characteristics for a lower end system (I'm not comparing it to Audiophile $10,000+ systems). Movies are crisp and clean, with a good pop for explosions as well. Music is OK, however you lose some quality in lack of ranges. I've purchased a good set of headphones anyway, because my wife hates the music I listen to. I've got an HDMI going from the V20 to my Sony, and all pictures look great (even the composite Wii going into the V20). The Bose remote is great; it works with my bluray & tv seemlessly so I only need 1 remote for my setup. If you're looking for a good home theater system, and I stress the word THEATER, then this is a great purchase. It has small speakers (no more 5' tower speakers doubling as cat perches!) which blend into the living room, plenty long enough cabling to reach the rear speakers, and sounds absolutely great with movies - bluray or dvd. If you want an all purpose set of speakers, I'd say look elsewhere because these are not made for the majority of music genres out there. I gave it 4.5 stars because it fills all my qualifications of what I was looking for. Lets just hope it lasts for 20 years.

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• 7 stars

  A realistic alternative to a full audio/theater system

  by bone64 on December 24, 2008

  Pros: Video upscaling to 1080p
  Media console with a number of inputs/outputs, AM/FM tuner
  Component connections are hidden from view
  ADAPTiQ® audio calibration system makes for a painless sound calibration
  Bose® link to set up audio in other rooms

  Cons: Speaker mounts not included.
  Base and treble adjustments should be more accessible
  IR control of components is questionable

  Summary: Unless you consider yourself to be an audiophile I think you'll be more than impressed with the performance.

  Summary: Unless you consider yourself to be an audiophile I think you'll be more than impressed with the performance.

• 10 stars

  outstanding sound

  by Mike M55 on March 22, 2009

  Pros: The surround sound envelopes the room. Upconverts TV image to 1080P. Even old sitcoms on TV Land look better when played through the Bose v20.

  Cons: pricey, but worth it.

  Summary: I bought the Lifestyle 35 for 3g's. The sound was beyond description, it was that good. But living in a apartment wouldn't allow for me to play it ...

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  Summary: I bought the Lifestyle 35 for 3g's. The sound was beyond description, it was that good. But living in a apartment wouldn't allow for me to play it as loud as I would like. Neighbors would get annoyed so I exchanged it for the v20, saving me $1,000. I have the Blu Ray, so I didn't get the L28 because I had no need for the dvd player that the lifestyle 28 has. The L35 does sound better than the v20 even though the speakers are smaller. But for my limitations the v20 was better for me. Many people go all over the web bashing Bose. So, if you're thinking about getting a Bose go to a Bose store or a reseller and listen for yourself. If you buy it and don't like it you can return it.

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  0 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 1 stars

  An Audio Enthusiast's Review

  by JLAudioisthebest on March 4, 2009

  Pros: The RF remote. That's it.

  Cons: Weak highs, no mid-range, boomy "fake" bass, weak sub-bass. Out of date by today's home theater standards; it lacks 6.1 or 7.1 surround sound, and Dolby Pro-Logic II. Basically, it's EXTREMELY overpriced.

  Summary: Okay, you may be thinking I'm giving this system a poor rating because I'm an audio enthusiast that insists on having big speakers that cost $1000s. Yes, I ...

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  Summary: Okay, you may be thinking I'm giving this system a poor rating because I'm an audio enthusiast that insists on having big speakers that cost $1000s. Yes, I have heard speakers costing $50,000 a pair, but I have also heard speakers as low as an $18 iPod dock. My current system is about $1500, and has bookshelf speakers as fronts, which are still not bad at all given their application right now (even though my dream system would be about $150,000, with towers all around and two giant subwoofers). But, since the other reviewers here seem to have bought the Bose V20 for the speaker's small size, my point will be that you can get MUCH better small speakers for much less.
  
  I'd like to explain what BOSE is about. I'm guessing you've seen their TV advertisements and/or you've heard Paul Harvey, both of which/who proclaim how good their stuff is. You also may have seen their advertising in magazines, too. Maybe you've been to a Bose store. They have their products set up so that they're right in your face, and when you start the demo, the volume is usually turned up really high, and you hear a voice talking about how the speakers work and how great they are. As an aside, in the demo of their "top-of-the-line" Lifestyle 48 in their "theater room," they "demonstrate" how the system is equal to or better than the sound of bigger speakers. Well get this, the dealer I go to sold Bose for years until Bose went into their own stores. When they had Bose, they separated the Bose systems from their other brands, and they sold quite well. But, when they moved them to their main show room with their other brands, the Bose systems barely sold; people bought their other brands instead way more. This explains why Bose has their speakers in their own stores (or in Best Buy's case, they're separated from all the other brands. A place called J&R even has their Bose stuff in a separate room). This is done so you have no other brand to compare them to. The owner of this dealer also showed me a CD case with the Bose logo on it that still contains all of the demo CDs that were used to demonstrate Bose's speakers, all of which are heavily equalized to make the Bose speakers sound REALLY good in the store. This means when you listen to Bose speakers at dealers, that's not how they're going to sound when playing a regular CD. Also, I noted that you might have seen a Bose advertisement in a magazine. Get an actual audio magazine, such as The Absolute Sound, Stereophile, among others, and try to find a review, or even an advertisement, of something Bose. You'll never find one. Bose is known in the world of hi-fi as being a joke. So basically, Bose is a really good advertising company. Their slogan "Better Sound Through Research" should be "Bigger Sales Through Advertising.
  
  To further understand a speaker, speakers are made up of "drivers," which vibrate to make sound. The most common drivers are the tweeter, the smallest driver, which produces the high notes, a mid-bass, which produces the lower notes, and a mid-range, which produces notes that fall in the middle. There's also the subwoofer, the biggest driver, which produces the lowest notes; the notes you "feel" more than "hear." Lets look at the Direct/Reflect cubes and the horizontal center speaker, which the V20 has. The driver they have is called a "twiddler," which is a cross between a tweeter and a mid-range driver. So, these speakers can't reproduce the highest notes, and are widely known as producing almost no mid-rage. The Acoustimass generator is a cross between a mid-base and a subwoofer. Therefore, it can't reproduce accurate mid-bass, and it can't play low accurately enough to be a subwoofer. Basically, the Bose V20 system has a lot of negative compromises to get small. By the way, a Bose dealer even told me this.
  
  You may have heard a Bose system yourself and thought it was good, or you've heard from a a person/read a review who/that was making Bose sound like it was legit. But, the thing you need to ask yourself is: "what else have you heard?" Most of the people I've heard that say Bose is really good haven't heard anything that's not carried at Wal Mart. There are more brands out there. Find a place that specializes in audio (sometimes along with video) only. These are the places that carry brands that audiophiles will spend $1000s on; but, a lot of them still carry very affordable systems, and brands that aren't mass-produced like the ones they have at Best Buy. For example, I heard a small speaker system (like each speaker being 7" tall) that consisted of 4 Paradigm Cinema "70s," a Cinema center speaker, a Velodyne subwoofer, and a Sony STR receiver. The whole system was about $1200. A few weeks before this I heard Bose's top-of-the-line $4000 Lifestyle 48, and this $1200 system blew it away! This means this Paradigm/Velodyne/Sony system would slaughter the V20. The Paradigm Cinemas, although small, have a tweeter and a mid-range, and the Velodyne sub is a REAL subwoofer.
  
  Updated on Mar 4, 2009

  Now, the Paradigm/Velodyne/Sony system I noted in my review would be nearly half the price of the V20, and would do the exact same thing. The equipment it has (not exactly the same I heard; some of it is now out of date), is 4 Paradigm Cinema 70s as fronts and surrounds, a Paradigm CC center speaker, a Velodyne DEQ-10R sub, and a Sony STR-DG720 receiver.
  
  But, if you're set on spending 2 grand on the V20, then you could get something MUCH better for that price. Get 2 Paradigm Cinema 70s as fronts, 2 Cinema ADP surround speakers, a Cinema CC center speaker, a Velodyne DEQ-10R subwoofer, a Sony STR-DG920 receiver, and a Logitec Harmony remote. This system here would be about the same price as the V20, and would greatly outperform it.
  
  Updated on Mar 4, 2009

  I'd like to note some things about the V20s capabilities. It has Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound processing, 5.1 surround sound (2 fronts, 2 surrounds, 1 center, and a "bass module"), and two HDMI cable inputs for your Blu-Ray players, game consoles, etc.
  
  The Sony STR-DG920 receiver has Dolby Pro-Logic IIx (along with the STR-DG520) and DTS-HD (the 2 most common processors), which is latest surround sound processing modes, and is made for handling Blu-Ray DVD's uncompressed soundtracks, something the Bose V20 can't do as well because it only has basic Dolby Digital and DTS. The '920, along with the '720 mentioned before, has 7.1 surround sound, meaning you can have 4 surround speakers. The '920 has 4 (the '720 has 3) HDMI cable inputs; 2 more than the V20. So, it can hold more than the V20 is when connecting all your electronics. And, the '920 and '720 have a room calibration feature just like or better than Bose's AdaptiQ.
  
  This goes to show how out-of-date the V20 is.
  
  Updated on Mar 4, 2009

  A couple arguments I've heard from "Bosephiles" about these component systems are that 1) they're too hard to set up, 2) they have too many components, 3) they're too hard to use.
  
  My responses are 1) setup is something you're most likely going to do only once. And, what's a better trade-off: A system that's easy to set up but has poor performance and is way overpriced, or a system that's harder to setup, but sounds very good and is moderately priced? 2) With a system that has multiple components, if one component breaks, you only have to replace that one component; which would allow you to use your other components in some way. In a system with one unit, you have to replace that whole unit, which means you can't use your system at all. 3) Yes, these Sony receivers are a bit harder to learn to operate than the V20 is, but a lot of the settings on them you won't need to mess with anyway. I own a Yamaha receiver, and even I don't mess with a lot of the settings on it.
  
  Updated on Mar 4, 2009

  By the way, Paradigm, Velodyne, and I believe the Sony STR series is not available at "big box stores" like Best Buy. You'll have to go to a store that specializes in audio (and sometimes video) only to get them. FYI, I would stay away from Best Buy brands period, such as Klipsch, Polk, and JBL (they do sell Sony receivers, but they're oddball models). The dealer I go to used to sell all 3 of those brands. Klipsch and JBL (which is part of Harmon International) are very difficult companies to deal with for the consumer and even the dealer (warranty, service, etc.) Klipsch's speakers also are just "loud" because they have a horn tweeter, which distorts the treble and makes it dominate. As for Polk, I remember some rather high-end Polk speakers on clearance at the store I go to, and they sat there for like 6 months because they just didn't sell in front of the Wharfedale and Paradigm speakers.
  
  Anyway, go to the websites of the brands I've recommended and search for an authorized dealer.
  
  Updated on Mar 4, 2009

  Along with people liking Bose for their small size, I've heard some people say it's "the best." Well, remember what I said about that Bose dealer saying their systems sacrifice performance to get small? They're right. Although Bose systems sacrifice MUCH more than the systems I've given as examples do, all small speaker systems can't produce the mid-bass and power bookshelf speakers can produce. Therefore, if you have room for bookshelf or tower speakers, then GET THEM. And, for the price of a V20, take the $2K small system example, and instead of the Cinema 70s as fronts, get a pair of Paradigm Cinema Micros, which are bookshelf speakers. To keep the price still around $2000, keep everything else. But, spending an extra $200-$500 or so to go up to a pair of Paradigm Atom Monitor bookshelfs (which I own) as fronts (or for a little more a pair of Mini-Monitors or the Cinema Phantom tower), a Monitor CC-190 center, and 2 Monitor ADPs would be WELL worth it.
  
  Updated on Mar 4, 2009

  If there's any replies posted asking me a question, I will reply to them in another update.
  
  Updated on Aug 23, 2009

  This is to further comment on Mike M55's comment.
  
  "The same people who would "key" their neighbor's nice new car because they're jealous they don't own one," and "What I suggest you do is get a real job, save a fee bucks and then you can buy what you always wanted -- BOSE." FYI, my system is already worth about the same as your V20. You sure do assume quite a bit. Maybe you should think before you speak.
  
  Also, you think the fact that just because the Bose Jewel Cubes sound better than the bigger D/R Cubes, that blows my theory about speaker size "right out of the water." Well, you're comparing the Jewel Cubes to speakers that are merely about 1.5 inches taller. How about speakers that are, say, 9 inches tall, (such as my Paradigm Atom Monitors), or 3-4 ft. tall? You claim you blew away my theory based on just 1.5 inches.
  
  You should really think more openly, and again, think before you speak.
  
  Updated on Aug 23, 2009

  Also, you say you originally bought the better Lifestyle 35. Well, if were to of bought a component system of the same price, or even less, you could of began with a $2000 system, and added on better components over time. With your V20, you're stuck with it. Heck, your V20 only has 5.1 surround sound and 2 HDMI inputs, while even the least expensive A/V receivers have 4 HDMI inputs, and 7.1 surround sound. It's actually pretty out-of-date.
  
  You also seem to think you're pretty high and mighty with your V20 because it's "pricey." Well now, do you know that there are many sound systems that cost WAY more than your system? I've heard surround systems costing more than 8x the cost of your V20.
  
  I'll admit I'm obsessed with audio equipment, but I want people to get the best systems for the money, and I think your review is giving the wrong message because I don't think you compared your system to anything else of the same price, and/or you really care more about the Bose "name."
  
  Updated on Nov 5, 2009

  To jmsj72982:
  
  To some people, like me, hi-fi stereo equipment IS a hobby. Yes, I'm obsessed with it, and I want everyone to have the best equipment they can afford. It's sad people fall for Bose's extremely heavy marketing of an inferior product. You think I haven't experienced Bose's products enough? Well now, what other audio brands have YOU experienced? Have you heard any of the brands I've encouraged? I've heard plenty of Bose's products. The day before I went to go hear their $4000 Lifestyle 48, I heard a $2000 or so Paradigm Cinema system. By using this as a reference point, the LS48 was WORSE than I thought it would be.
  Not only are Bose's products overpriced for the SQ, they also lack current technology that even some of the cheapest systems out there have, such as HDMI connectivity without a special adapter, 7.1 surround sound, and Blu-Ray players.
  And, I'm not the only person bashing Bose. Go to any audio forum (even YouTube), and you'll find plenty of "Bose Bashing."

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  0 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

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