Bose Lifestyle SoundTouch 535 / Wave - By Atlas

Music is life! 

They often depict angels playing harps making heavenly music, so God created music and all around the world, every country makes music. In the movies, you would not have seen a movie where there are no movie theme song or other music and songs in it so that throughout your years, whenever they play a certain song or a piece of music, you get easily transported to the era when you first watched that movie. Even each TV series has its own signature tune.

A few friends and I were so hooked on music and songs in our youth, we religiously follow the Billboard Top 100 or the American Top 40. In another group, we even wanted to form our own band! But they just don't make songs like they used to any more. Sigh.

I was brought up on songs and music because my dad loved to fiddle with his hi-fi systems and I got to enjoy it. B and W speakers that later evolved and switched to Bose. He would in a few years changed or upgraded a turntable, a tuner, a cassette deck, a CD player, speakers or added an amplifier. Some friends on their first few pay day would buy some music system from Technics, Sansui, Kenwood, others may have more dough to cough up a Nakamachi, Marantz, etc.

Being in the school band, added a wide range and repertoire to my taste and discernment in all the types of songs and music I like. The invention of CD allowed me to finally give up on all my cassettes that could get mouldy or hooked into the cassette tape head but they were expensive. I gave up on the turntable as well as vinyl records were hard to maintain. Years ago, my first CD cost me more than $30 each. I began collecting all albums from all my favourite rock bands and singers. Then I added, audiophile recordings on vocals, drums, guitars, saxophones, flute, jazz music, orchestra, new age and man others. Today we can access music purchases online paying per song but I am old school.

Bose And Atlas Hi-Fi

Dad's first Bose system were a pair of 501 speakers. A pair of solid wooden box speakers that made great sound. He later upgraded them to the professional 901 series. Wow! It is hard not to fall in love with songs and music. Then one day he brought me to Atlas Hi-Fi at the old UIC Building. He must have frequented the place during lunch time as he used to work at Denmark House which is no longer around. This was where I first met the late Mr. Alex Tien. Later Mrs. Jeannie Tien and now the company is known as Atlas Sound and Vision headed by the son Mr. Michael Tien. This must have been their 53rd year in the business.

There  is something special about the Tiens and at Atlas. Not only do they have swanky and impressive showrooms to distribute and sell quality audio and video equipment, they have consistently provided great customer service quality to their customers with very well trained staff. So I continued with Bose when I set up home and got myself a Lifestyle 5 Acoustimass that could handle stereo audio and many years later when I relocated once more, I bought a set of Lifestyle 12 system that could handle both audio and video sound with amazingly equal aplomb. 

The Sound Space

Of course there are many other brands and quality audio/video systems but ohm for the noise, it is hard to find any better. The other major consideration is - space. So many years back, I walked in for a demo  and they played lots of music, a movie and a demo disc that included music and all kinds of sound including for surround effects and playing with the lowest beat to the highest note and the system handled each sound magnificently. That included a theme from The Magnificent Seven.

(The Magnificent Seven):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iteRKvRKFA

When the demo was over, they opened up the five big black boxes which were supposedly the speakers giving the big jaw-dropping sound and lo and behold there were only five pairs of tiny cube speakers. I have heard demo of good speakers but when they played one of the drum tunes in Dadawa's Sister Drum album at its lowest beat, the speakers trembled.

(Dadawa - Sister Drum):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbILvtOBFrE

My Lifestyle 12 in its old age was failing bit by bit over time. 5 pairs of speakers became three then two. The the head units did not light up (and that was a couple of years back). So the movies slowed down and stopped. I love story-telling in any form, be it as a story-teller or watching a movie. Of course reading a book would be the finest choice. A good book reaches down to you no movie would ever be able to but a movie is a great escape and with a good sound system, you get immersed. Gradually the music died on me as I use it sporadically. In a stressful life, music is an anti-oxidant to our souls.

Then suddenly one day, a friend, he being a most unlikely source sent me text on Bose sales. I went down on the last day just to look-see not having any intention to purchase. I mean I saw friends who installed Samsung or LG tube speakers (as in a long tube) and placed just below their TV and they make a loud noise. I thought never mind that would be good enough. 

Wave

While I was looking all over studying each system, one of the staff came over and say sir, you must buy this at such a special price of $399. Wow! I got interested as this is the popular ''Wave'' that some of my friends swear by. Years back, it would have cost $899. The decision was instantaneous. A no-brainer. I love playing songs and music before and during sleep. It brings back a lot of memories. I will be totally at bliss. This shall be my constant companion going to bed. I do not sleep so easily but I could sleep very easily, at the drop of a hat. 

I like among many other songs those haunting tunes from the past such as:

(Yesterday Once More):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTaWayUE5XA

(Only Yesterday):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evETS8_WFGE

(For All We Know):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIuro2HEVTA

(Something Gotten Hold Of My Heart - Marc Almond and Gene Pitney): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZTX0RBlqnM

(Time In A Bottle - Jim Groce):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyTfbtZeGeU

(She - Elvis Costello):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRxVkt9Eg9o

(Overjoyed - Stevie Wonder):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_a1LogyX9Uw

(The Prisoner - England Dan and John Ford Coley):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pSEdPc1pGU

(Lately - Stevie Wonder):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEiO4J1xkyk

(How Deep Is Your Love - Bee Gees):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpqqjU7u5Yc

(The Sound Of Silence - Simon and Garfunkel):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zLfCnGVeL4

(The Sound Of Silence - Disturbed) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk7RVw3I8eg

Even my favourite featherless chicken agreed. Fwah!

Then I have time now to listen to the tube speakers. There were two versions from $1,000 plus to $2,000 plus. I could see the price is different how good is the sound? Well, the costlier one is much better. So I thought alright why don't I just get the system that replaces my Lifestyle 12 and I asked for a demo and I knew about the 'Jewel' speakers which cost more but it has been a long time ago, I could not afford them and ended with the normal ones previously. Can the jewel speakers which is now called the Bose Lifestyle SoundTouch 535 be worth so much more? 

Well, the sound was crystal clear and even better if played on Blu ray disc. The new system is just like a CPU that controls everything, no more built-in tuner or CD player. 

They say curiosity kills the cat and I was that cat. I was sold - line, hook and sinker. Resistance is futile. I wanted the jewels. I needed to bring the movie magic back and I needed to bring the music back into my life. The crisp sound was many times better than the normal ones which are already very good. Unwrapping the speakers as a gift  unto myself was exiting.

The intelligent remote control once synced, replaces all your other controls such as those of Starhub Cable or Singtel Mio, even your TV and CD players.

The central speaker brings clarity to voices and dialogues in a movie. That is the beauty of home theatre system. The sound are all in proportion and at the right places. 

And the surround sound speakers were a blast! Recently, I began watching movies but of course my favourites are Al Pacino and Clint Eastwood. Pacino has such presence I could watch any of his movies. Eastwood is a prolific and intelligent director. Others like Mel Gibson is intense and of course there is Sean Connery. I caught a movie called ''The Debt" and was  impressed with actress Jessica Chastain. 

More recently, I watched a few movies like Lawless, Legend and the Revenant and have been very impressed with Tom Hardy whom I think could be as good as Al Pacino.

For the pair in front I mounted them on stands.

Fwah! The featherless chicken is totally impressed. I must try to catch a movie every week. I must have music back in my life and have it all day long. I must regain my soul. 

Perhaps add a new mattress and new air conditioner. This is priceless. This is bringing sexy back. Let me give you a few more songs before I go:

The Way We Were - Barbra Streisand):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Yrd6caXygw

(Killing Me Softly - Roberta Flack)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgl-VRdXr7I

(In My Life - Better Midler):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8GoKTRMMko

(From A Distance - Bette Midler):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLPj2h0N3bU

(We're All Alone - Rita Coolidge):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv3IyfMvZIc

(You Were There - Southern Sons):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YqJ3fWSu80

(Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon and Garfunkel):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjNgn4r6SOA

(Casablanca - Bertie Higgins):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Blx9lHMivQs

(Key Largo - Bertie Higgins):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3PQ5tGyNwc

(Times Of Your Life - Paul Anka):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtxanSrNdN8

(Feelings - Morris Albert):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRaI7ZOmTr4

(Sailing - Rod Stewart):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOt3oQ_k008

(I don't Want To Talk About It - Rod Stewart):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Azcy9_F0DCE

Today, when the radio plays the songs from my childhood era or songs from my youth, I could name the song, the artist/band and sing along with it. I would not say 100% of all songs but let's just say 85-90% of it within the first five beats of the music intro. If you need more let me know. Brings back so much of my fondest  memories. 

(Yesterday Once More - Carpenters):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTaWayUE5XA

Next time, I shall introduce some really nice audiophile recordings and music to you. Time for dreamland. A movie a week and music everyday keeps the doctor away! Thanks dad for the intro!

I love hi-fi which is short for high fidelity where fidelity means faithfulness to a person, cause or belief demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support. It is also the degree of exactness with which something is copied or reproduced. Let's get high!