Bose CineMate 520 Home Theater Sound System

I purchased the Bose CineMate 520 Home Theater System because I wanted: - a 5.1 system - a complete system designed to work together - a slick/small design - a Bose system that wasn't $2499; I trust Bose, and couldn't find another brand I wanted to purchase - I wanted a system for both music and movies I've very much enjoyed the system since i got it about a month ago. It was easy to set up, its small/sleek, it sounds great/powerful, the receiver is nice/sleek and small After I purchased on Amazon, I went to the Bose store in the Galleria here in St. Louis, MO, and found this was their only 5.1 system shown; the super-expensive lifestyle systems were gone. Hopefully they are moving away from the high end systems which are super-expensive to focusing on this one reasonably priced unit ($1499). I think that would be a brilliant move. I currently have my cable, Apple TV, and record player hooked up to the receiver. You only take one output from the receiver to the TV. Because of this you just need to turn your TV on HDMI 1, then the Bose receiver handles the switching between your devices.

This is my first Amazon review. I thought it would help people understand the major differences between the Cinemate 520 and my current system, Bose Lifestyle V35. I'm a happy owner of the Bose V35 and was looking to replace it with the 520, as I desperately need the 4th HDMI input. I'm happy with the sound of the V35. Well, this is not the system for me and it is going back today. The 2 main reasons are: 1 - The sound quality compared to the V35 is just not in the same league. I hated it and this is the main reason I’m returning it. 2 - The system menu or volume doesn’t come on your TV to show you what you are doing. You need to look at the 520 minimalistic display to see what is going on. Major disappointment! I love the volume bar on my V35 that comes up on the TV. Now, i understand why this system is so much cheaper than the Lifestyle systems... the control unit is the problem. I connected the 520's speakers to my V35 (same speaker connections on the back of the speaker) and the sound was really good. I might just look and buy the speakers separately. I really like the sound from these new speakers, more detail, better voices, and better clarity with all the sounds. Hope this helps. If you are looking to replace your lifestyle system and same some $$$, i don't think this system is for you :)

This system is pretty good But, the one I bought didn't have everything required: The headphones for setting the Bose for this room size.

I love Bose. The physical setup was easy. I just unpacked everything and set it in place. The sound is awesome as I'd expect from Bose. The Adaptiq was cool and easy. My only issue is the menu. I wish it could be accessed via the tv screen as it would make it much easier to see and navigate. That's my main issue. I've played dvd's television with concerts blew me away. Action movies are like being in the theatre. The second issue was related to the first, the SoundTouch took some time to connect. If I wasn't tech savy I'd have taken it back. With the little window on the front the only visual it was really annoying how much time it took to connect. Not very user friendly *****I have to lower my rating. After a year and a half the sound is choppy and irregular. The rear speakers barely whisper even in action movies. Sorry I bought it. Bose isn't what it used to be.

I would give Bose a 5 star rating if only they did not use their own connectors for speaker wire, making it extremely difficult for those of us who want to use this system for in-wall speaker wiring. I had to do some internet searches for how to install the speakers using wiring already in walls, turns out BOSE makes an adapter kit for just this very thing (for a pretty penny) but one also has to seek out the adapters which you need to attach to speaker wire in order to hook up their speakers. Have had some occasional issues with the sound completely going off and an error message displays on the receiver, remedied that by unplugging for a few seconds and powering back up. Overall performance of this system is quite good and we are happy with the sound it provides for our TV and music.

* BOSE CINEMATE 520 REVIEW * Although I am (was?) a fan of Bose, this system truly disappoints. For the record, Bose customer service is very courteous and professional, but the problems with this product are beyond their control, unfortunately. I went through two CineMate 520 systems - original purchase + replacement unit - but the problems and shortfalls were the same. In the end, I've returned it. Here are its major flaws: 1. NO support for the high-resolution lossless audio formats - such as Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD, FLAC, Apple Lossless, etc. Yes, mind boggling, but true. Yes, other sub-$200 surround systems support it, but not this $1,500 Bose. Yes, pretty much any $200-$300 surround and/or A/V Receiver support it nowadays, but not this $1,500 Bose system. Yes, such high-resolution audio formats have become very popular after being around for years. Yes, this is a brand new Bose system. No, you can't even enjoy high-resolution audio produced by a simple $70 Blu-ray DVD player, Apple lossless music, or upcoming 4K content with high-res audio. 2. 4K video passthrough only supports 30Hz, not 60Hz. Again, this is provided by other very simple and inexpensive systems... but not this $1,500 Bose system. No 4K video upscalling either. 3. CEC feature (communication between devices connected by HDMI cable) is extremely buggy... before and after the latest firmware update (v 1.1.4 - up until December 2014). This could be fixed in the future, but until then, lots of frustration with communication issues between TV, cable box, DVD player, etc. Upgrading the firmware was painful too, both times I went through the process. 4. When playing multiple YouTube 5.1 surround audio/video tests, it seems that this surround system simply doesn't work as it should. For instance, sound coming out of multiple speakers (i.e. 2 rights, or 2 lefts) when the test indicates that only one should be playing at a time. 5. Smart TV set to "Bistream Audio" (recommended for 5.1 home theater systems) doesn't work properly... the audio gets chopped off. The solution is to turn TV audio output to "PCM", and not enjoy true surround sound - although this was already an issue, as noted above. In other words, your smart TV apps will suffer even more... Netflix, AmazonVideo, YouTube, etc. 6. There is no "back" button on the remote control. No, it's not the same as the "last channel" button. Again, a major and simple flaw! That means navigating on AmazonVideo, YouTube, etc., will be painful, if only using the Bose remote control, since you can't go back a single menu item. Therefore, adding this issue with the CEC issues, the idea of replacing all remote controls is not going to happen. Indeed, very disappointing system overall. Certainly not the Bose standards, in my opinion. And by the way, as of 02/04/2015, Bose does not allow any reviews for this system in their website - hence is has ZERO reviews, after several months in the market.

I am probably not classified as an audiophile (whatever that means) but I work in the tech industry and my house is full of the latest and greatest gadgets. When it comes to my media room, I wanted to get the best (within reason). I originally purchased the Bose CineMate GS II which was OK, but ultimately returned it in hopes for something a little next level. The Bose CineMate 520 did not disappoint. It sounds incredible. Everyone that comes over comments and asks what it is. Set up was also a breeze! Seriously, if you not only want to watch your movies and NFL but FEEL your movies and NFL, look no further.

I tried 4 different Bose Home Theater Systems before keeping this model. My living room is 16 X 16 feet with a high ceiling. This system fills the room with sound. The Remote Control is a little cumbersom and I still haven't been able to match it to the cable box so I use a "universal" remote that can handle 3 devices. The wireless base speaker is a great feature. You can place it anywhere in the room and it's still affective. Keep in mind the audio to this speaker is wireless, but it does need to be plugged into an electrical outlet.