Bose Acoustimass 6 Series III home entertainment speaker system Sold from 2002 User Manual

							Acoustimass
®
 10 Series IV
HOME ENTERTAINMENT SPEAKER SYSTEMS
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Acoustimass
®
 6 Series III 
						

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English Français Español
SAFETY INFORMATION
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.
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.
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 magni-
tude to constitute a risk of electric shock.
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 this owner’s guide. 
Additional safety information
See the additional safety information on the Important Safety Instructions page enclosed with your speaker system.
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 together with this owner’s guide.
©2006 Bose Corporation. No part of this work may be reproduced, modified, distributed, or otherwise used without prior written permission.
Manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories. “Dolby” and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. Confidential 
Unpublished Works. ©1992-1997 Dolby Laboratories. All rights reserved. 
						

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CONTENTS
English FrançaisEspañol
SETTING UP4
Before you begin   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  4
Unpacking the carton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  4
Placing your speakers to achieve realistic home theater sound  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  5
Front left and right speakers   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  6
Center speaker  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  6
Rear speakers   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  6
Powered Acoustimass
® module  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  7
Making the connections  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  7
Connecting speakers to the Acoustimass module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  7
Connecting the Acoustimass module to the receiver   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  9
Checking the connections  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
USING YOUR SYSTEM 11
Getting the most from your home theater speakers   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  11
Adjusting the bass/room compensation   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  11
Adjusting the LFE level  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  11
Setting your digital surround sound receiver  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  12
Receiving a digital audio signal   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  12
Setting your analog surround sound receiver   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  12
REFERENCE13
Troubleshooting  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  13
Customer service  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  14
Cleaning the speakers  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  14
Limited warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  14
Accessories   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  14
Technical information  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  15 
						

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English
Français Español
SETTING UP
Before you begin
We appreciate your choice of the Bose® Acoustimass® 6 Series III or Acoustimass 10 
Series IV home entertainment speaker system. 
The Acoustimass 6 features five small cube  speakers, while the Acoustimass 10 system 
features four cube speaker arrays and a center front speaker. These speakers, together with 
the Acoustimass module, reproduce the full spec trum of multi-channel digital programming 
for a powerful and realistic home theater experience.
Unpacking the carton 
Carefully unpack the carton contents (Figure 1):
1. Remove the brown inner carton containing the small speakers.
2. Gently roll the carton  onto its side and pull out the Acoustimass module.
WARNING:  To avoid injury, use care in lifting the module, which weighs roughly 30 lb (14 kg).
Figure 1
Carton contents
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.
WARNING: To avoid danger of suffocation, keep the plastic bags that wrap these speakers out 
of the reach of children.
Powered Acoustimass  module Three 20-ft (6.1 m) 
front speaker cables
With Acoustimass 10 system
Rubber feet for front 
center cube speaker
Four cube speaker arraysTwo 50-ft (15.2 m)
rear speaker cables
Power cord (1)
U.S./Canada Europe U.K./Singapore Australia
With Acoustimass 6 system
20-ft (6.1 m) 
system input cable
Five cube speakers Two 50-ft (15.2 m) 
rear speaker cables Center 
front speaker 
03_Setup.fm  Page 4  Tues day, March 21, 2006  4:05 PM 
						

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SETTING UP
English FrançaisEspañol
Placing your speakers to achi eve realistic home theater sound
Keep these guidelines in mind when choosing a location for each speaker:
 The Acoustimass
® module should be at least 2 feet (.6 m) from your TV set to prevent 
interference.
 All of the small speakers are magnetically shielded to prevent interference with a TV picture.
 Select a stable and level surface for each of the small speakers.  Vibration can cause them to move, particularly on smooth surfaces like marble, glass, or 
highly polished wood. To prevent this problem, rubber feet are provided for attachment to 
the bottom of the center front speaker. 
Note:  You may order additional rubber feet, free of charge, by contacting Bose. Refer to the 
address list included in the carton.
 In an Acoustimass 10 system, the center front speaker is for use at the front of the room 
and near the center of your TV. The other cube array speakers are identical and can be 
placed interchangeably around the room (Figure 2a and 2b).
 The top and bottom cube on each cube array speaker can be rotated to create  room-filling sound patterns. 
 In the Acoustimass 6 system, all five single cube speakers are identical and can be placed  interchangeably around the room (Figure 2c and 2d).
The shape and size of your room  and location of the furniture in it will affect your choice of 
speaker locations. Use the examples below as the basis, but not the rule, for your home 
theater setup.
Figure 2
Sample speaker placement 
(a and c) and performance 
results (b and d)
Acoustimass 10 Series IV system
Acoustimass 6 Series III system
a. b.
c. d.
03_Setup.fm  Page 5  Tuesday, March 21, 2006  4:05 PM 
						

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SETTING UP
English Français Español
Front left and right speakers
The goal for these is to create a sound image wider than the screen that seems natural to 
viewers sitting anywhere in the room. 
• Place these two front speakers on either side of your TV.
• Keep them from 6 feet (2 m) to 15 feet (5 m) apart (as shown in Figure 2 on page 5). 
Center speaker
Sound from the center speaker should seem to come from within the picture to give the most 
realistic performance of on-screen action and dialogue. 
• Place the center speaker above, on top of, or below your TV. Do NOT rest the weight of the 
TV on the speaker. 
• Keep the speaker in line with the vertical center of the screen, if possible, for the most 
accurate reproduction of dialogue (as shown in Figure 2 on page 5).
CAUTION: 
Before placing the center speaker on top of your television, attach the four supplied 
rubber feet to the bottom of the speaker. Position two of the feet near the front edge and close 
together on the bottom surface. Place the other two feet at the rear outer edges on the bottom.
Rear speakers
While the rear (surround) speakers may deliver some dialogue, they serve primarily to !
deliver discrete sounds and special effects that expand the visual image. They help bring the 
viewer into the center of the action. 
Choose locations that are practical and convenient, while considering these recommended 
guidelines:
• Position the left and right rear speakers so they can deliver sound on both sides of the 
viewer, rather than from directly behind (as shown in Figure 2 on page 5).
• Place these speakers at the same height as the ears of a seated viewer or higher.
•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 Figure 3 on 
page 7).
•For the Acoustimass 6 system, aim the rear cube speakers slightly behind the listener or 
reflect the sound off the rear wall (see Figure 2 on page 5). 
						

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SETTING UP
English FrançaisEspañol
Powered Acoustimass® module
Acoustimass® speaker technology makes it difficult to locate the source of low-frequency 
sound from this module. So feel free to hide it from view, and:
• Locate the module at the same end of the room as the TV screen. 
• Keep the module at least 2 feet (.6 m) from your TV set to prevent interference.
• To increase bass effects, turn the front opening toward a wall; turn it away from the wall to 
decrease bass effects.
• Keep both the front opening and the ventilation grille on the bottom of the module at least 2 
inches (5 cm) from any other surface. 
• Do not block the ventilation grilles located on the bottom of the module.!
Impeding ventilation can cause a reduction in the bass-frequency output from the module.
Figure 3
Position options for your 
Acoustimass module
PreferredAlternate
Front opening Preferred Preferred
Ventilation grille
Making the connections 
Onlythe Acoustimass module connects to your receiver. The small speakers all connect 
directly to the Acoustimass module. 
WARNING: 
Connecting the small speakers to a receiver can result in damage to your system 
and possible electric shock.
Connecting speakers to the Acoustimass module
Insert the connector on each speaker cable into the jack on the module. Refer to the label on 
each connector to match it to the proper jack.
Figure 4
Speaker cable connection 
to an output jack on the 
module and to the speaker
Red collar
to red speaker terminal
Matched markings Supplied
speaker cableRight front 
speaker 
1. Use the supplied 20-ft (6.1 m) speaker cables for the three front speakers. 
Insert the connectors, as labeled, into jacks on the module as follows!
(Figure 5 on page 8).
• R goes into the jack labeled Right Front. 
• C goes into the jack labeled Center Front.
• L goes into the jack labeled Left Front. 
						

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SETTING UP
English Français Español
2. Use the supplied 50-ft (15.2 m) speaker cables for the speakers at the rear of your room 
(Figure 5).
Insert them into the jacks on the module as follows:
• RR goes into the jack labeled Right Rear.
• LR goes into the jack labeled Left Rear.
3. At the other end of each cable, insert the red-collared (+) wire into the red (+) terminal on 
one speaker. Insert the other wire into the other terminal (Figure 5).
Notice a label on each red-collared wire that matches it to the proper speaker: 
• L for the speaker at the left front • LR for the speaker at the left rear
• R for the speaker at the right front • RR for the speaker at the right rear
• C for the speaker at the center front 
Figure 5
Completing connections of 
the small speakers to your
Acoustimass
® module 
Red-collared wire
labeled LR
Red terminal Right
front speakerLeft 
front speaker Center
front speaker
RR 
label
Acoustimass® 10 system module 
						

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SETTING UP
English FrançaisEspañol
Connecting the Acoustimass® module to the receiver 
The system input cable is 20 feet (6.1 m) long and connects to your surround receiver. Unlike 
the speaker cables, this input cable has a multi-pin connector that inserts into the Audio Input 
jack on the module (Figure 6).
Figure 6
System input cable 
connectionModule input jack
System input 
cable connector
At the other end of the system input cable, multiple wire pairs “unzip” for easy reach and 
insertion into terminals on your receiver. A red collar marks a wire as positive (+) wire.
CAUTION: 
Do NOT connect your module to the TV, which lacks the required amplification.
The single RCA connector at that end is for use ONLY with a receiver that handles !
low-frequency effects and provides an LFE/SUBWOOFER jack (Figure 7). 
Figure 7
Unzipping the paired wires
Wire pair
RCA
connector
for LFE 
only
CAUTION: Before making these connections, turn off your receiver to prevent unwanted noises 
when you plug the Acoustimass® module into it.
To make the connections (Figure 8 on page 10): 
1. Insert the multi-pin connector on the system input cable into the input jack on the !
Acoustimass module. Tighten the two thumbscrews to secure the connection.
2. Connect each wire pair on the other end of the system input cable to your surround 
receiver, which should have audio output terminals labeled:
• Right, Left, and Center for the front audio channels.
• Right Surround and Left Surround for the rear channels. !
The specific labels on your receiver may differ slightly.
CAUTION: 
Do not allow exposed wires to brush against each other; this could damage your 
receiver. 
3. Carefully match the polarity of the connections (+ to + and – to –).
• Attach each red-collared wire (+) to the appropriate + terminal.
• Attach each plain wire (–) to the appropriate – terminal. 
4. If applicable to your receiver, insert the RCA plug marked LFE on the system input cable 
into the LFE/SUBWOOFER OUT jack on your surround receiver. Remove the cover first. 
						

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SETTING UP
English Français Español
Figure 8
Acoustimass® module to 
receiver connections
Thumbscrews
Home theater 
receivers Acoustimass
®
module
LFE connector with 
cover removed
Checking the connections
Before plugging in the Acoustimass module, check all connections from the receiver to the 
the module and the module to the small speakers (Figure 8).
• Make sure all cube speaker arrays are connected to the proper terminals according to their 
position in your room. 
• Check to be sure all wires are connected to your surround receiver with the proper polarity 
(+ to + and – to – wires). Incorrect wiring can result in a total loss of module output. 
• Correct any wiring problems before you plug in your receiver and turn it on. 
When all the connections check out, plug the power cord from the Acoustimass module into 
an AC (mains) outlet. Plug in the receiver also.
Note:
Bose recommends using a quality surge suppressor on all electronics equipment. 
Voltage variations and spikes can damage electronic components in any system. Using a high- 
quality suppressor (available at electronics stores) can eliminate the vast majority of failures 
caused by a power surge.