Bose LifeStyle 20 Music system
Although Bose is primarily known to audio enthusiasts as a major manufacturer of loudspeakers, the company is probably better known to the general public for its innovative Wave radio and Acoustic Wave music system.
For about a decade, Bose has manufactured three-piece Acoustimass powered speaker systems, typically consisting of two pairs of small cubeshaped satellite speakers and a separate woofer (bass module), with the amplifiers built into it, that can be placed in an inconspicuous location. In 1990 the company extended the concept by combining Acoustimass speakers with a sleek, compact CD/tuner/control "Music Center" and an RF remote control and has marketed these complete systems under the name "Lifestyle."
The newest and most advanced example of this all-in-one system format is the Lifestyle 20, which represents a quantum leap in both performance and convenience over its predecessors.
Probably the most obvious difference between it and any other music system lies in the extraordinarily small size of its satellite speakers.
Typically, the "cube" speakers from Bose and a number of other manufacturers have consisted of two cubes per channel, about 4 inches on a side, which can be rotated relative to each other to obtain the desired dispersion. The Bose Lifestyle 20 follows that pattern, but with the major difference that each "cube" (they are not true geometric cubes) is only 2-1/8 inches square and 3-1/4 inches deep! And each dual-cube satellite speaker weighs a mere 1 pound.
These diminutive speakers, which Bose aptly calls Jewel Cubes, are actually miniature vented systems operating from the bass module's crossover frequency of about 200 Hz out to the upper limits of audibility. Holding a Jewel Cube up to your ear provides convincing evidence that its lower-frequency output is propagated via the port, while the highs emerge from the front of the cubes.
Of course, something more substantial is required for the bass frequencies. The Lifestyle 20 includes essentially the same Acoustimass bass module that is familiar from other Bose systems, though it's a bit larger and heavier than some of the earlier models. A chambered enclosure whose output emerges through an opening at one end, it is a black box that weighs in at a hefty 33 pounds and contains not only the bass speaker but also the amplifiers for the entire system (which switch on automatically when a signal is applied and consume less- than 2 watts in standby mode).
All of the Lifestyle 20 system's cables are fitted with connectors that eliminate the possibility of incorrect wiring or phasing errors. The only external controls on the bass unit are treble and bass level-control knobs, which offer a considerable range of adjustment. Each is center-detented, and after confirming that the center settings provided the best overall sound balance in our room, we used them for our lab and listening tests.
I have saved one of the most impressive parts of the Lifestyle 20 system for last, its Music Center. The level of miniaturization and performance here is as amazing as in the tiny satellite speakers. Previous Lifestyle systems had similar-appearing Music Centers, with tuners, CD players, and control functions, but Bose claims that this one has the world's smallest six-disc CD changer.
The Music Center of the Lifestyle 20 is a sleek, low-profile component, only 2.5 inches high, finished in brushed aluminum with rounded front and rear edges. The right third of its front "panel" is a display window, black when the unit is off, that presents the full operating status of the system (in highly visible green characters) when it is operating.
The Music Center contains an AM/FM stereo tuner that's conventional in its operation, although it can store up to twenty-five AM and twenty-five FM station frequencies for instant recall. The CD changer is accessed by lifting the hinged front panel, revealing the removable six-disc magazine, which is ejected by pressing an adjacent button. Loading or removing discs is simple and foolproof. Additional magazines can be purchased from Bose for $39 each.
Although the CD changer does not have the extensive programming capability offered by some separate component CD players, it does provide a random-play mode affecting all the discs in the magazine. The player can also select or skip any disc (or track) in the magazine, but it lacks the usual fast-forward/reverse scanning mode.
The Lifestyle 20 comes with a comprehensive remote control, using UHF radio signals instead of infrared, that can operate the system without being in the same room as the Music Center (its range is said to be 65 feet). Like the main display, this control is a model of clarity, with crisp black letters and symbols on a white background. Most of the buttons on the remote are duplicated under the hinged front panel of the Music Center, where there are also a couple of buttons not found on the remote that are used to program the tuner presets.
The rear panel of the Music Center contains sockets for its power supply (a small separate unit) the supplied AM and FM antennas (the 6-3/8-inch-square AM antenna is shown in the photo), tape-recording inputs and outputs, inputs for aux and video sources, and sockets for driving speakers in two different areas (zones) of a house. A second powered speaker system can be operated and controlled from the main Music Center, with either the same or separate program sources in the two zones, using special cables. (A separate remote-control unit is available from Bose that can be adjusted to control only the speakers in the secondary zone.) The Lifestyle 20 comes with a comprehensive instruction manual that covers all aspects of its operation, from unpacking and installing it to using each of its many features.
As a matter of policy, Bose does not publish the sort of specifications for sensitivity, power, distortion, and so on that are commonly used in the audio industry. Although the lack of specs may disconcert audiophiles who get involved in the minutiae of their systems, it makes sense when a company's business is weighted toward nontechnical consumers. Our measurements confirmed that the tuner and CD sections of the Lifestyle 20 are well matched to the true needs of the market for which the system was designed. In other words, the figures we obtained reflect a system designed to be heard rather than judged primarily by its specifications or laboratory measurements.
For example, the CD player's response, flat within +/-0.2 dB from 40 Hz to 20 kHz, rolled off to -0.7 dB at 20 Hz. Most stand-alone CD players maintain a flatter response down to well below 20 Hz. In a system such as the Lifestyle 20, whose bass response is defined by its overall design, it is a mark of good engineering to keep the frequency limits of the various program sources within those of the least wide-range component, the speakers.
Similarly, the CD player distortion, between -70 and -80 dB over most of the useful range, rose to -50 dB (still inaudible) at the extremes of 20 Hz and 20 kHz. At 1 kHz the distortion remained between -79 dB and -81 dB (about 0.01 percent) over the full range of audible signal levels.
The tuner section's performance was also in line with the practical requirements of a music system like this one. The stereo channel separation remained close to 35 dB (audibly sufficient for any musical program material) over the full audio range, and the FM frequency response was ruler-flat over the same range. The 50-dB quieting sensitivity was 18 dBf, about average, and the AM section's response, typical of the genre, was down 6 dB at 40 Hz and 2.9 kHz.
Despite the unconventional nature of the Lifestyle 20 and the small size of its speakers and control center, this system held its own in comparison with some excellent conventional speakers in (and above) its price range. The sound never gave a clue to the size of the speakers - in fact, the miniature cubes have a clear advantage over many larger speakers with respect to their imaging properties. Even though they were in plain view, there was no audible indication that they were the source of the sound. The bass module, while a bit on the large side, never gave a hint of where its sound was coming from. Its close-miked frequency response was within +/-5 dB from 200 Hz down to about 42 Hz. The satellite response was within +/-3 dB from about 250 Hz to 10 kHz and remained strong and useful up to at least 15 kHz.
I even tried something that would have been foolhardy with most speaker systems. While playing a CD, I turned up the volume as loud as I dared. At the opposite end of the room, about 15 feet from the Lifestyle satellite speakers, the sound-pressure level regularly hit 100 dB and averaged in the mid-90's. Even at that deafening level, there were no obvious signs of overload, nor were the speakers damaged in any way.
The Lifestyle 20 is possibly the best example I have seen, and heard, of a music system meant for people who want really good sound but are unwilling or unable to accommodate an ordinary audio installation in their homes. It will fit anywhere, it will not clash with any decor, and (in my opinion) it sounds at least as good as almost any conventional system in its price range, and a lot better than many.
