The Bose® Acoustimass® 6 Series III and Acoustimass 10 Series III
Home Theater Speaker Systems
Owner’s Guide
Safety Information
WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose the Acoustimass®
module to rain or moisture.
CAUTION: To prevent electric shock, match wide blade of plug to wide slot, insert fully.
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK,
DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK).
NO USER-SERVICABLE PARTS INSIDE.
REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL.
RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE
ATTENTION : AFIN DE REDUIRE LE RISQUE DE CHOC ELECTRIQUE,
NE PAS RETIRER LE CAPOT DE L’APPAREIL (ou son panneau arrière).
IL N’EXISTE A L’INTERIEUR DE CET EQUIPEMENT AUCUN ELEMENT
OU SOUS-ENSEMBLE POUVANT ETRE DEP ANNE PAR L’UTILISATEUR.
LA MAINTENANCE DOIT ETRE REALISEE PAR UN PERSONNEL QUALIFIE.
AVIS
NE PAS OUVRIR
These CAUTION marks may be located on the Acoustimass module:
The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol, within an equilateral triangle, is intended
to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage within the system
enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric sho ck.
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle, as marked on the system, is
intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance
instructions in thi s owner’s guide.
Additional safety information
See the additional safe ty informat ion on the Imp ortant Safety Instructio ns page encl osed with
your speaker system.
Please read this owner’s guide
Please take the time to follow this owner’s guide carefully. It will help you set up and operate
your system properly, and enjoy all of its advanced features. Please save your owner’s guide
for future reference.
CAUTION: No naked flame sources, such as lighted candles, should be placed on the
apparatus.
For your records
The system serial number is located on the bottom of the Acoustimass module.
Serial number: ________________________________________________________
Dealer name: _________________________________________________________
Dealer phone: ____________________Purchase date ____________________
Please keep your sales receipt and warranty card togeth er with this owner’s guide.
We appreciate your choice of the Bose® Acoustimass® 6 Series III or Acoustima ss 10 Series III
home entertainment speaker system.
Bose Virtually Invisible® speaker technology allows you to enjoy lifelike home performances
from the very latest surround-sound encoded movies, CDs, and television shows, without a
room full of speakers. The cube speakers, along with the power ed Acoustimass module,
reproduce the full-spectrum of sound fr om multi-channel digital programming. Integrated
Signal Processin g ass ur es full bass p erformance fr om all chann els, at audible listen ing lev els,
regardless of your receiver sett ings.
Your stereo VCR, st er eo televi sion, or DVD player s ends the en coded pr og ram materi al to the
surround-sound receiver, which interprets and distributes the information to the powered
Acoustimass module. The module delivers the bass for all channels and sends appropriate
sounds to each cube spe aker. Th e sou nd mi x var ies wit h d if fe r e nt p rogram types: dialogue is
usually sent to the center cube speaker, a visual soundsta g e is created by the left and right
front cube speak ers, and you feel as i f you ar e in the center of t he action because sou nds and
special effects are directed to the rear cube speakers. At a given point in a surround-sound
performance, you may hear sound from one, a few, or all of the cube speakers.
To select surround-encoded program material, look for the terms Surround, Dolby Surround,
the double-D symbol
ing a TV broadcast. Your system is compatible with home theater receivers. You can also
enjoy a wide variety of stereo programming that is not surround-encoded.
3, Dolby Digital 1, other digital formats, or the word “surround” preced-
Unpacking the carton
WARNING: The powered Acoustimass® 6 module weighs 27 pounds (12.3 kg). The powered
Acoustimass 10 module weighs 35 pounds (15.9kg). Use good lifting practice to avoid injury.
WARNING: To avoid danger of suffocation, keep the plastic bags that wrap these speakers
out of the reach of children.
Note: This product is not to be powered by any DC-to-AC inverters that may be found in auto-
mobiles, recreational vehicles, boats, ships, or other similar situations.
Carefully unpack the carton contents (Figure 1):
1.Remove the brown inner carton containing the cube speakers.
2.Gently roll the carton over onto its side.
3.Slowly pull the Acoustimass module from the carton.
4.Gently stand the module up.
Note: Now is a good time to record the serial number of these speakers on your warranty
card. Please save all packing materials for possible future use.
4
Figure 1
Carton contents
Setting Up
20-ft (6.1m) system input cable
Three 20-ft (6.1m) front speaker cables
Powered Acoustimass®
module
With Acoustimass 6 System
Five cube speakers
Two 50-ft (15.2m) rear speaker cables
USA/CanadaEuropeUK/SingaporeAustralia
Rubber feet for front
center cube speaker
With Acoustimass 10 System
Five cube speaker arrays
Two 50-ft (15.2m) rear speaker cables
Power cord (1)
Placing your speakers to achieve realistic home th eater sound
A suggested home theater layout is shown in Figure 2. You may want to place the speakers
differently to take advantage of the sound characteristics of different rooms. Here are some
suggested guidelines for placing your speaker system:
• The cube speakers are identical and can be used for any channel.
• Each of the Acoustimass cube speakers is magnetically shielded to prevent interference
with a TV picture.
• In the Acoustimass 10 system, the top and bot tom sect ions of the cube sp eaker arra ys can
be rotated to create room-filling sound patterns (
Figure 3).
•Bose® wall brackets and floo r stands can extend your placement options. See “Accessories” on page 17. Please follow wall bracket instructions carefully. Proper mounting will
ensure optimum performance and safety from your sy stem.
5
Setting Up
Figure 2
A suggested home theater
layout
Figure 3
Room reflection diagram
For Acoustimass® 6 Series III System
2 - 5m
C
R
L
0.6m+
LR
RR
For Acoustimass 10 Series III System
2 - 5m
C
R
L
0.6m+
LR
RR
CAUTION: To prevent interference, keep the Acoustimass module at least 2þfeetþ(.6 m) from
your TV set.
For Acoustimass 6 Series IIIFor Acoustimass 10 Series III
Front center cube speaker
The front center cu be speaker localizes action and dialogue on your screen. Sound should
seem to come from within the picture.
• Place the front center cube speaker above, below, or on top of your television. If below, be
sure that it is not supporting the weight of the television in any way.
• Keep the front cube speaker as c lose to the ve rtical c enter of the s creen as possib le, for the
most accurate dialogue reproduction.
CAUTION: Choose a stable and level surface for your cube speakers. Vibration can cause
them to move, particularly on smooth surfaces like marble, glass, or highly polished wood. If
you are placing the center cube speaker on top of your television, use the set of four rubber
feet provided. You may obtain additional rubber feet (part number 178321-04), free of charge,
by contacting Bose
tem.
®
Customer Service. See the list of phone numbers included with your sys-
6
Setting Up
Front left and right cube speakers
The front left an d right speak er arrays create a s ound image wid er than the scree n that seems
natural to viewers sitting anywhere in the room. You can place the speaker arrays near a TV
screen with no picture interference. Place the front cube arrays on either side of your TV, at
least 6 feet (2 m), or as much as 15 feet (5 m) apart (see
Rear cube speakers
The rear, or su rround , cube spe akers add discr ete soun ds and sp ecial ef fects that expan d the
visual image, bringing the viewer into the center of the action. The rear cube speakers may
carry dialogue as well.
• Position the left and right rear cube speakers to allow the sound to reach the viewer from
both sides, rather than from directly behind (see
• Place the rear cube speakers at ear height or higher, if possible.
• For the Acoustimass® 10 system, rotate the top and bottom sections of the rear cube
speaker arrays to direct the sound to the front and back of the listener (see
• For the Acoustimass 6 system, aim the rear cube speakers slightly behind the listener or
reflect the sound off the rear wall (see
Figure 3).
Powered Acoustimass module
Bose® Acoustimass speaker tech nology takes advantage of the fact that the source of pure
bass sound is difficult to locate, so you can hide the powered Acoustimass module conve
niently out of sight. Place the module at the same end of the room as the television monitor.
Figure 2).
Figure 3).
Figure 3).
-
Figure 4
Powered Acoustimass
module placement
• You may hide the module behind furniture, but do not block the opening. Be sur e there are
at least 2 inches (5 cm) between the opening and any surface.
• If the opening faces the wall it increases the bass; if it faces away it decreases the bass.
CAUTION: To prevent interference, keep the module at least 2þfeetþ(.6 m) from your TV set.
Note: Placing the module horizontally, or on its
side, may reduce ventilation, inhibiting its ability to
play at full output for extended periods of time.
7
Setting Up
Audio Output
Left
Rear
Right
Rear
Left
Front
Center
Front
Right
Front
Audio Input
Connecting the speakers
CAUTION: Never connect the cube speakers directly to a receiver output. Always connect
them to the powered Acoustimass® module, then connect the module to the receiver.
CAUTION: Never use broken or frayed wiring, which can result in electrical shock or damage
to your system. The supplied cables are not intended for in-wall installation. Check local building codes or enlist a qualified installer.
Connecting front cube speakers to the Acoustimass module
Three individual 20-foot (6.1 m) speaker cables connect the center, right, and left front cube
speakers to the Acoustimass module (
corresponding speaker location. Front speaker cables have blue RCA connectors at one end
with L (left), R (right), or C (center) molded into the connectors. The other ends of the cables
have two wires. The red collars on the + wire are labeled LEFT, RIGHT, or CENTER.
Figure 5
Cube speaker connections
to Acoustimass module
Figure 5). Be sure to match the correct cable with the
8
Setting Up
1.Connect the wire p ai r mar ked
nal tab on the back of the cube speaker. Insert the marked (+) wire into the red terminal and
the plain (–) wire into the black terminal. Release the tab to secure the wires.
2.Connect the wire pair marked RIGHT to the right front cube speaker (to the right of the
TV as you face it).
3.Connect the wire pair marked LEFT to the left front cube speaker.
4.Plug the other end of each cable into the
jacks, respectively, on the Acoustimass
CENTER
to the center cube speake r (Figur e 5). Pr ess the termi-
Center Front, Right Front
®
module.
, and
Left Front
blue RCA
Connecting rear cube speakers to the Acoustimass module
Each rear cube speaker is connected to the Acoustimass module with a 50-foot (15 m)
speaker cable (
location. Rear speaker cab les have orange RCA conn ectors at one end wi th LR (left rear) and
RR (right rear) molded in to the con nect ors. Th e othe r ends of the cables hav e two wir es . The
red collars on the + wires are labeled LEFT REAR and RIGHT REAR.
1.Connect the wire pair marked RIGHT REAR to the right rear cube speaker (on your right
as you face the TV). See
Insert the marked (+) wire into the red terminal and the plain (–) wire into the black terminal. Release the tab to secure the wires.
2.Connect the wire pair marked LEFT REAR to the left rear cube speaker.
3.Plug the other end of each cable into the Right Rear and Left Rear orange RCA jacks,
respectively, on the Acoustimass module.
Figure 5). Be sur e to match the correct cable with the corresponding speaker
Figure 5. Pres s the terminal tab on the back of t he cube speake r.
9
Setting Up
Connecting the Acoustimass® module to the receiver
The 20-foot (6.1 m) system input cable connects the module to your surround receiver (see
Figure 6). The sy stem input c able has a mul ti-pin connector on on e end and s everal wir e pairs
on the other. The wire pairs of th e c abl e may b e separ at ed or “u nzip pe d” as much as need ed
to comfortably reach the surround receiver connections. Each wire pair is marked on the
cable jacket with RIGHT, LEFT, CENTER, RIGHT SURROUND or LEFT SURROUND to indi
cate where each wire connects to the receiver.
CAUTION: Before making any connections turn off your receiver and unplug it from the AC
(mains) outlet. Not doing so may result in damage to your system.
CAUTION: Do not connect the powered Acoustimass module directly to your TV unless the
TV provides surround decoding circuitry and amplified outputs for all channels.
1.Insert the multi-pin connector on the system input cable into the input jack on the Acous-
timass module. Tighten the two thumbscrews to assure a secure connection.
2.Connect each wire pair on the other end of the system input cable to your surround
receiver. Carefully match the polarity of the connections (+ to + and – to –).
• Attach each marked wire (+) to the appropriate + terminal.
• Attach each plain wire (–) to the appropriate – terminal.
Note: The RCA plug of the system input cable comes with a cover installed. Remove this
cover for connection to the LFE/SUBWOOFER OUT jack. If your receiver has no LFE/SUBWOOFER OUT jack, leave the plug cover in place.
3.If applicable, connect the RCA plug on the system input cable to the LFE/SUBWOOFER
OUT jack on your surround receiver.
CAUTION: Do not allow exposed wires to brush against each other; this could damage your
receiver.
-
10
Figure 6
FRONT SPEAKERSA
RCENTERL
Acoustimass® module to
receiver connections
Thumbscrews
Rear
Right
Audio Output
Left
Rear
Audio Input
Front
Right
Front
Center
Left
Front
FRONT SPEAKERS A
RCENTERL
SURROUND SPEAKERS
R
L
Setting Up
LFE/SUBWOOFER
OUT
Note: Cables may be
separated or “unzipped”
as much as needed to
comfortably reach th e
surround r eceiver
connections.
11
Setting Up
Checking the connections
Check all connections from the receiver to the powered Acoustimass® module and from the
module to the cube speakers (
nected to the proper terminals according to their position in your room. Check that the wires
are connected to your surround receiver in phase (+ to + and – to –). Correct wiring problems
before you plug your receiver in and turn it on.
Figure 5 and Figure 6). Make sure the cube speakers are con-
Connecting the Acoustimass module to power
Note: Bose® recommends using a quality surge suppressor on all electronics equipment. Volt-
age variations and spikes can damage electronic components in any system. A quality suppressor can eliminate the vast majority of failures attributed to surges and may be purchased
at an electronics store.
After you have checked al l s yst em co nnec tion s, p lug t he po wer cord of the powered Acousti mass module into an AC (mains) receptacle. Your Acoustimass speaker system will turn on
and off automatically as it receives a signal from your surround receiver.
12
For realistic home theater sound
LFE
CAUTION: The Acoustimass® 6 and Acoustimass 10 speaker systems incorporate an auto-
matic protection circuit, which guards against most kinds of damage from electrical stress or
overload. This circuit activates at high volume levels to reduce output, causing a slight
decrease in volume. This is normal operation and indicates that power input may be exceed
ing safe levels. Sustained listening at these levels is not recommended.
Adjusting the LFE level (low frequency effects)
The LFE level control on your powered Acoustimass module increases or decreases the relative level of low frequency effects on movie soundtracks. Use it to regulate the presence of
these underlying deep bass sounds. Use the “test ton e s” feature in your digital surround
LFE
sound receiver to match the volume levels for each of the cube speakers. Then use the LFE
BASS
control on the Acoustimass module to match the volume of the LFE channel to the cube
speaker channels.
Using your system
-
LFE
Adjusting the bass/room compensation level
This feature will allow you to fine-tune your system aft er you have placed the Acoustimass
BASS
module in your sel ect ed l oca ti on. If th e room sounds “thin” or lac ks b ass , t urn the BASS con
trol in a clockwise direction to increase the bass level of the module. If the room sounds
“boomy” or has too much bass, turn the knob in a counter-clockwise rotation to reduce the
bass level of the modu le. The fact ory or deten t setting is appr opriate for a majority of listenin g
situations.
Setting your digital surround sound receive r
Your Acoustimass 6 or Acoustimass 10 speakers are compatible with the output from digital
surround receivers. Integrated Signal Processing assures full bass reproduction for all chan
nels regardless of receiver settings. However, the following table suggests a set of recommended receiver s et tin gs. Th e cube spe ak er ar ray s shou ld be set to LARGE in th e receiver's
digital display men u. The LFE, or subwoofer, is set to ON. If applicable, the crossover value
should be set to the lowest number possible, typically 80 Hz.
SpeakerReceiver setting
Front left and rightLARGE
Front centerLARGE
Rear left and rightLARGE
LFE/SubwooferON
-
-
13
Using your system
Be sure to get the digital aud io si gnal
To be sure that the digital audio signal from your DVD player reaches your surround receiver,
connect the digital audio output from your DVD player to the digital audio input on your
receiver (
Before you play a DVD disc, be sure to select the digital ouput in the setup menu of your DVD
Player. For additional setup and operating information, please refer to the owner’s guide that
came with your surround receiver.
Figure 7).
Figure 7
Digital signal connections
on a surround receiver
Note: Use the OPTICAL or COAXIAL
digital input connections, but not both
DIGITAL
IN
PLAY IN
(OPTICAL)
DIGITAL
IN
.
PLAY IN
(OPTICAL)
FRONT SPEAKERS
R
L
OR
PLAY IN
(COAXIAL)
PLAY IN
(COAXIAL)
SURROUND SPEAKERS
RCENTER
LREAR
Setting your analog surround sound receive r
For analog surround sound (not digital) applications, we recommend that you set the surround-sound ce nter mode of your receiver to WIDE. Instructions for this process vary,
depending on the brand and model of your surround receiver. Follow your receiver owner’s
guide for testing and adjusting the balance of each speaker.
14
Troubleshooting
Reference
If you have a problem with your Acoustimass® speaker system, turn off your sound source
and try the following solutions. If you still have a problem, contact your Bose
arrange for service. To contact Bose directly, refer to the list of service offices and phone
numbers enclosed in the shipping carton.
ProblemWhat to do
System does not function
at all
No sound• Check the speaker connections.
No sound from cube
speakers
Sound is distorted• Make sure speaker wire is not damaged.
• Make sure the r ece iver a nd power ed Ac oust imass modu le ar e plugged into an oper ating
AC wall outlet and that the receiver is turned on.
• Be sure to select a source at the receiver (video, CD, DVD, tuner).
• Make sure that the powered Acoustimass module is plugged in.
• For digital sound, be sure a coaxial or optical cable connects the digital output of the
DVD player with the digital input on your receiver.
• Be sure the audio source selected is correct. For example, select DVD audio on your
receiver and player for DVD sound.
• Disconnect an y h ea d pho n e s .
• Increase the volume.
• Be sure the powered Acoustimass module is plugged in and the recei ver is turned on.
• Reduce the volume of external components connected to the receiver.
®
dealer to
No bass• Be sure the speaker connections at the receiver/amplifier are correct (+ to + and – to –).
Not enough or too much
bass
No surround sound• Be sure your receiver is processing a signal from a Hi-Fi VCR, stereo T V, laserdisc, or
• Move the powered Acoustimass module closer to a wall or corner to increase bass.
Move it farther away from a wall or corner to decrease bass.
• Adjust the LFE Level or Room Compensation control.
DVD player, or other surround-sound source.
• If you are using the Dolby Pro-Logic mode, check that surround-sound is turned ON.
• If you are using digital programming, verify that the settings are correct at the receiver.
• Be sure the s ource materi al (DVD, laser dis c, or br oad cast pr ogra mming) is D olby Digi tal
encoded.
Customer service
For additional help in solving problems, contact Bose customer service. See the list of service
offices and phone numbers enclosed in the shipping carton.
15
Reference
Cleaning the sp ea kers
The cabinets of your Acousti mass® speaker system may be cleaned o nly with a so ft dry cl oth.
Do not use any spr ays n ear the system or allow liquid s t o spill into a ny open ings. Also, d o not
use any solvents, chemicals , or clea ning solu tions cont aining al cohol, a mmonia, or a brasives.
The grille assembl ies on the cube arrays may be car efully vacuumed, if necessary. Please
note that the drivers are located directly behind the grille cloth, and are easily damaged if
reasonable care is not taken.
Technical information
Features
• Direct/Reflecting® speaker technology (Acoustimass 10 Series III System)
• Virtually Invisible® speaker design
• Acoustimass speaker technology combined with Integrated Signal Processing
• Magnetically shielded cube speakers
• Automatic system protection circuitry
•Syncom® computer quality control
Finish
• Cube arrays: Black or Arctic White finish
• Acoustimass module: Scratch-resistant Black or Arctic White textured finish
Acoustimass 6 Series IIIAcoustimass 10 Series III
Acoustimass
module
power rating
Speaker
driver complement
Connectivity
Size
Weight
USA/Canada:
100-127V50/60 Hz 135W
Europe/Australia:
220-240V50/60 Hz 135W
Cube speakers: One 2.5-inch (6.35
cm) TwiddlerTM speaker
Module: one 5.25-inch (13 cm)
woofer
Compatible with A/V receivers and
amplifiers rated from 10 to150 watts
per channel, rated from 4 to 8 ohms
Cube speaker: 3.1"H x 3. 1"W x 4.0"D
(7.9 cm x 7.9 cm x 10.2 cm)
Module: 16.3"H x 8.1"W x 22.3"D
(41.4 cm x 20.6 cm x 56.6 cm)
Cube speaker: 1.1 lb (0.5 kg)
Module: 27 lb (12.2 kg)
USA/Canada:
100-127V50/60 Hz 270W
Europe/Australia:
220-240V50/60 Hz 270W
Cube speaker array: Two 2.5-inch
(6.35 cm) TwiddlerTM speakers
Module: two 5.25-inch (13 cm) woofers
Compatible with A/V receivers and
amplifiers rated from 10 to 200 watts
per channel, rated from 4 to 8 ohms
Cube speaker array: 6.2"H x 3.1"W x
4.0"D (15.7 cm x 7.9 cm x 10.2 cm)
Module: 16.3"H x 8.1"W x 25.3"D
(41.4 cm x 20.6 cm x 64.3 cm)
Cube speaker: 2.4 lb (1.1 kg)
Module: 35 lb (15.8 kg)
16
Warranty period
Accessories
Reference
Your Acoustimass® speaker system is covered by a limited transferable warranty. Details of
the warranty are pr ovided on the warranty car d th at came with your syst em. Please fill out the
information section on the card and mail it to Bose
• Table stands: UTS-20B (black), UTS-20W (white)
• Floor stands: UFS-20B (black), UFS-20W (white)
• Wall brackets: UB-20B (black), UB-20W (white)
• Module input cable adapter for use with existing wiring:
PN 267138-001 (black)
PN 267138-002 (white)
• Module-to-cube speaker cable adapter for use with existing wiring:
PN 267139-001 (black)
PN 267139-002 (white)
• Module 20 ft (6.1 m) input extension cable:
PN198221-001 (black)
PN198221-002 (white)