Bose Cinemate 15 Review

Bose Cinemate 15 Overview

Score 9 OUT OF 10

Design & Build Quality

The Bose Cinemate 15 sound system is very small, smaller than most sound bars on the market, but that shouldn’t fool you. The soundbar has a high build quality with an overall elegant and classy design. It has a black grille over the transducers and a 12’’ subwoofer which is larger than the soundbar itself and with a big bass port on the front of the subwoofer.

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The Cinemate 15 subwoofer has two rubber feet at the bottom which help to keep it stable at high level bass. There is also a knob in the back which is used to turn up or turn down the actual volume of the subwoofer. The soundbar offers a very small footprint and is perfect if you have one of the smaller TVs or limited space for your soundbar. Great system for people who live in small houses or apartments.

The soundbar is about 3.25 x 12 x 2.75 inches, extremely compact in comparison to the most soundbars on the market. It will take up almost no space at all on your TV stand. The subwoofer it’s bigger than the soundbar, but it can be placed in a corner or behind your furniture.

Features

The Cinemate 15 has a variety of features and audio inputs that you can use to connect the soundbar to your TV. Connectivity options include: digital optical, coaxial and analog. Another great thing is that the Cinemate 15 comes with all the required cables, even the cable for the Acoustimass subwoofer.

The cable which you use to connect the soundbar and subwoofer is a Bose proprietary cable. It’s ten feet long and if you need to place the subwoofer further than ten feet from the soundbar, you can purchase an additional extension. The Cinemate 15 soundbar also comes with a universal IR remote. The remote is slightly large (could’ve made it a bit smaller) but, since it is a universal remote you can program it to work with everything from your cable box to Blu-ray disc players, DVD players and much more.

The subwoofer comes with a bass control button which can only be used manually. This might be inconvenient for some. That’s because if you are switching between music, games or watching movies you might need to constantly adjust the bass level. Also, there is no Bluetooth connection or USB port available on this unit.

Setting It Up

When it comes to setting up the Cinemate 15, you will need to attach the rubber feet to the subwoofer. It’s recommended to place it near a wall or a corner for the best output.

Next thing up is to connect the soundbar to the subwoofer. The cables are already attached on one end originally, you just need to attach the other end to the subwoofer. The screws at the connection terminals need to be tightened. Once you’re done with all the wiring, connect the speakers to the TV. The best option is the optical and the second best option is either coax digital or analog connections. If there are no outputs available, just use the outputs of another device. A cable box is one such example.

If you do that, then the cinemate system will only play audio from that device. So you need to make sure there is only one source of connection. Take the optical cable that came with the Cinemate 15 and remove the protective covers. Once you remove them, plug it into the appropriate port at the back of the soundbar. You will find notches on the side so make sure you align them the right way. Keep sliding them until you hear a click and when you do, plug it into the TV.

The steps are all the same if you use any other type of a cable. So, when you’re done with connecting the cables, you’re going to need to connect power. Use the power cord and plug it into the back of the subwoofer, then grab the other end and plug it into the power outlet. There is a tone you will hear to let you know that power is on.

Place the batteries inside the remote and you can turn on the Cinemate System. If you did it right, you should see the LED light up and then use your own TV remote to turn on the TV. You can use the remote to adjust the volume and there is also the bass control button on the back of the subwoofer. Once you complete all of the steps, you’re good to go and you can enjoy listening to your music or watch a movie.

Sound Quality & Performance

One of the most impressive qualities of CInemate 15 is its bass. It manages to cover the low range with detail and produce it very clearly. Thanks to the Acoustimass subwoofer, the explosions in the movies are very realistic and powerful. As expected from a Bose sound system, this small soundbar delivers exceptional sound.

Cinemate 15 doesn’t have any shortfalls with high frequencies or high tones either. Background sounds and vocals are produced with significant richness and clarity.

Pros

Very durable and compact
Bass control
Universal IR remote
Powerful bass

Cons

No USB ports or Bluetooth connectivity