Bose Lifestyle 38 User manual

LIFESTYLE®38 DVD HOME ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
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&
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1
The Lifestyle®38 system is positioned as our most popular home entertainment system
featuring the uMusic™intelligent playback system.The Lifestyle®38 system is intended for
the customer who has a sizeable music collection and enjoys both watching video and listening
to music. The Bose®Lifestyle®38 home entertainment system includes:
• Five Direct/Reflecting®cube speaker arrays –These small, elegant speakers can
be positioned to deliver Bose Direct/Reflecting®speaker performance, a natural
blend of reflected and direct sound that approximates the sound you hear inside a
concert hall.
• Powered Acoustimass®module –Lifelike low-note reproduction, results in a
more realistic and gripping listening experience. It can be hidden out of view
behind furniture.
• Elegant media center –Includes DVD/CD player, AM/FM tuner and a suite of tech-
nologies designed to make the home entertainment experience simple. It also fea-
tures Bose®link multi-room/multi-source expansion capability, advanced design, and
an aluminum finish.
• uMusic intelligent playback system –Allows you to store, organize and manage
up to 200 hours of music on your Lifestyle®system. By “learning” your musical prefer-
ences as you listen, it automatically selects songs you most likely want to hear. Enjoy
nine different uMusic system presets, each tailored to individual moods. Listen to the
music you want, when you want, simply and effortlessly.
• Control integration –Radio frequency remote control enables easy-to-use, one-button
operation of Lifestyle®system functions (DVD/CD,AM/FM tuner) plus components
attached to your system.Works through walls, floors –anywhere around the house –
to access the most frequently used commands for TV, VCR, cable box, satellite
receiver, PVR and even CD jukeboxes.
• Bose®link technology –Bose®link is our proprietary technology that allows a
Lifestyle®system to integrate with other Bose products to provide sound in secondary
rooms. With Bose®link, the user can easily connect up to 14 additional rooms of sound,
each with independent volume and mute control, to provide two different audio
streams from the same Lifestyle®system.
How is the Lifestyle®38
home entertainment system
positioned relative to
the other products in the
Lifestyle®system line,
and what does it include?
PRODUCT POSITIONING
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LIFESTYLE®38 DVD HOME ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
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• ADAPTiQ®audio calibration system –This proprietary technology customizes the
Lifestyle®system to your particular room. After a simple setup process, it automatically
adjusts for many of the variables that can affect sound performance, including: a room’s
size and shape, the placement of speakers and where someone sits to listen. It enables
the system to deliver a quality Bose®performance, based on the room’s unique acoustics.
• DTS®and Dolby®Digital 5.1 decoding –DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 decoding
enables the Lifestyle®38 system to deliver a discrete five-channel home theater
experience from 5.1-encoded DVDs, satellite broadcasts and HDTV programming.
• Videostage®5 decoding circuitry –Automatically delivers five different channels
of audio to five speakers from non 5.1-encoded programs. So you can enjoy an experi-
ence rivaling that of a 5.1-encoded DVD from practically any source: surround-encoded
VHS tapes, stereo CDs –even older mono TV broadcasts can now be enjoyed in full,
discrete five-speaker surround sound.
• Bose patented signal processing circuitry –Automatically adjusts tonal balance at
different volume levels. Music sounds lifelike with full, rich lows at almost any listening
level, while speech consistently sounds natural.
• Simplified setup –Everything arrives in a single box with a quick setup guide,
a setup disc and a music sampler DVD. Simple, color-coded connections help make
installation easy.
Lifestyle®systems are complete, digital home entertainment audio/video solutions that strive
to deliver an unsurpassed combination of performance, elegance, simplicity and expandability.
They’re an attractive alternative to the size and complexity of most conventional home theater
systems. These integrated systems include speakers, amplification, patented signal processing,
surround sound decoding, audio/video sources (both DVD/CD player and AM/FM tuner),
additional inputs and a remote control.
Unique benefits of Lifestyle®systems:
• An elegant media center takes the place of the typical bulky rack of electronics.
• Tiny cube speakers and a hideaway Acoustimass®module replace big, bulky speakers.
• Intelligent software ensures a quality performance regardless of input signal type
(from digital 5.1 to mono) or volume level.
• ADAPTiQ®audio calibration system automatically ensures a quality Bose performance
regardless of the room’s acoustics.
• Bose®link enables up to 14 additional rooms of sound, all from one Lifestyle®system.
•The remote is easy to read and understand, and works through most walls and floors.
• Systems are engineered from the ground up so all elements work in concert with
each other. Amplification, speakers, signal processing and decoding are matched to
create the exceptional performance you would expect from advanced Lifestyle®
system design.
• Systems are convenient to purchase and set up. Everything arrives in one box. And
with the quick setup guide and color-coded connections, your customers can enjoy a
movie or music in minutes.
How are Bose Lifestyle®
systems different from
other home theater systems
available today?
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LIFESTYLE®38 DVD HOME ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
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• Systems are engineered to provide the correct output from all channels in most home
environments.The customer doesn’t have to make the usual painstaking (and often
incorrect) adjustments to the output level of each channel to ensure the sound from
all speakers is balanced.The output from the center and surround speakers can be
easily adjusted for special environments.
The Lifestyle®48, 38, 28 and 18 systems provide four wonderful choices designed to meet dif-
ferent budget and performance requirements.They all share common features, such as: an ele-
gant media center, hideaway Acoustimass®module, radio frequency remote control, Bose®link
and the ADAPTiQ®audio calibration system.
The difference in system performance is defined by the availability of the uMusic intelligent
playback system (with Lifestyle®38 and 48 systems), music storage capability, and by the type of
speakers included with the system.
The Lifestyle®38 system is very similar to the Lifestyle®28 system in acoustic performance,
with one important enhancement: it features the uMusic intelligent playback system and
the capacity to store 200 hours of music.
The uMusic intelligent playback system is a “smart” music storage system available only from
Bose. It stores the content of hundreds of CDs on your Lifestyle®system, then “learns” your
musical preferences as you listen,and automatically selects songs you most likely want to hear.
Though playlists can be created and customized by the listener, they have limitations. Building
them takes considerable time and effort. And even a highly customized playlist mixing different
artists and genres still consists of a fixed collection of songs whose novelty tends to wear off
over time. Creating new playlists, or adding/deleting songs to existing ones, takes even more
time. Consequently,playlists demand regular maintenance on the part of the listener just to keep
the material somewhat fresh. Still, a certain degree of predictability simply cannot be avoided,
even if the listener chooses a “random” playing mode.
The uMusic intelligent playback system transcends playlists in many ways. Initially, it draws
from a much larger universe of songs -- quite possibly the listener’s entire music collection. It
demands no manual organization of songs by the user other than the initial download of CD
material. Its pool of material is fluid,created from a knowledge of the listeners’s overall musical
tastes rather than from a fixed playlist. Its song selections are full of pleasant surprises. The result
is a much deeper listening experience, based on the shifting moods and tastes of the listener --
almost like listening to a radio station programmed to suit that listener’s unique tastes.
Consider a uMusic system preset a virtual“bin”in which the Lifestyle®system stores knowledge
of your musical preferences as it learns what they are. The next time you select that particular
preset, the system will play music based on what it has learned from previous interactions. The
more music you listen to,the more it learns what you like.
How is the Lifestyle®38
system different from
other Lifestyle®systems?
What is the uMusic
intelligent playback
system breakthrough?
How is the uMusic intelli-
gent playback system
different from a playlist?
What is a uMusic
system “preset”?
How are the four Lifestyle®
DVD-based systems differ-
ent from each other?

LIFESTYLE®38 DVD HOME ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
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The Lifestyle®38 system is capable of storing nine different presets,so the system can learn a
variety of distinct musical preferences based on individuals, situations or moods.For example, a
family could have a preset dedicated to“Mom’s music,”“Dad’s music,”“Junior’s music,”“cleaning
music,”“grilling music,”“dining music,”“workout music,”etc.
The uMusic intelligent playback system learns from every song it plays, discovering rich infor-
mation about your listening preferences. If you listen to a song all the way through, uMusic
assumes you like the song. If you skip a song, uMusic assumes you’re not in the mood for the
song at that time. If you feel strongly about a song –pro or con –you can give the music a“+”
or“–”rating using the remote. The system uses this information to play music that is similar to
music you have accepted, and avoid music that is similar to what you have rejected.
Yes. If you find that there are tracks you never want to listen to in any preset, you can delete
tracks, albums or individual artists.
The uMusic intelligent playback system allows you to create one playlist of your own in addition
to the nine uMusic system presets.You can either search the library for specific tracks and add
them to the list, or press and hold the “playlist”button when you hear a song you want to add.
You can connect a computer or iPod/pocket PC to the Lifestyle®system and use it to play
music, but you cannot download or transfer MP3s into the uMusic system.
Any CD-R burned as an audio CD can be stored into the uMusic system. In order for the uMusic
system to make associations among songs, it needs to input the music from original CDs or
exact duplicates. CD-Rs burned as data discs with MP3 files cannot be stored but they can
be played on the system.
Bose®link is our proprietary technology that allows Bose products located in up to 14 different
rooms to play sources from a single Lifestyle®system and its connected components. Bose®link-
compatible products (such as a 3·2·1 home entertainment system or Lifestyle®stereo amplifier)
in various rooms can communicate with the Lifestyle®system independently, with their own
volume, mute and on/off controls. In addition, a Bose®link-enabled room has a choice between
two independent audio streams coming from the Lifestyle®media center.
An audio stream is similar to a TV channel –different channels have different content.With
Bose®link, the streams have content from the different audio sources generated or enabled by
the Lifestyle®system. For example, one stream might have music from the internal CD player,
while the other stream could be the FM tuner, or even a connected component such as a TV.
An audio stream-based approach offers far more flexibility than the traditional zone approach.
In a zone approach, audio systems in different rooms are physically linked together.Two
rooms in a zone, such as the master bedroom and the kitchen, must always have the same
What is Bose®link?
Can I delete tracks from
the system?
Can I make a playlist if
I want to?
Can I connect a computer
or iPod/pocket PC to the
Lifestyle®38 system and
download MP3s?
Can I store MP3s off
a CD-R?
What is an audio stream?
How does an audio stream
differ from a zone?
How does the uMusic™
intelligent playback system
learn my preferences?
What if I have more
than one person in
the house? Or if I have
different moods?
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LIFESTYLE®38 DVD HOME ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
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audio output.With the stream approach, each room gives the listener a choice between the
two audio streams, so the person in the kitchen can listen to the radio while the person in
the bedroom listens to a CD.
Factors such as a room’s size and shape, the placement of speakers and where someone sits
to listen affect sound in different ways. Furthermore, everyone’s room arrangement is differ-
ent.The ADAPTiQ audio calibration system is an innovative Bose®technology that analyzes and
adjusts the system’s sound to ensure a quality Bose performance regardless of the room. The
ADAPTiQ system is available with all DVD-based Lifestyle®systems.
The ADAPTiQ audio calibration system is activated while setting up the Lifestyle®system during
a simple process that takes from ten to fifteen minutes.Microphones on a special headset worn
by the user sample the sound from the system at five different locations throughout the room,
analyzing the response from the speakers at each location.The ADAPTiQ system then makes
the necessary adjustments to the Lifestyle®system so it will automatically deliver a quality
Bose performance, customized for that particular room and its listeners, time after time.
No. The ADAPTiQ audio calibration system is proprietary technology available only with the
Bose Lifestyle®48, 38, 28 and 18 systems.The technology is integrated only with DVD-based
Lifestyle®systems.
Yes. Simply run the ADAPTiQ system setup procedure again when you rearrange your furni-
ture, change your speaker placement or move the Lifestyle®system to a different room. There
are no limits on how many times the ADAPTiQ audio calibration system can be reset.
It is important to get a variety of measurements so the system can evaluate your room.
We recognize that there may be fewer than five listening locations in some rooms, which
is why it is suggested that customers stand (or sit on the floor) to create the five different
locations in those situations.
Yes, you can turn off the ADAPTiQ audio calibration system.Using the remote, go to the on-
screen display (OSD) and choose AUDIO SETUP. Within the menu, highlight ADAPTiQ and
toggle to OFF.
Yes. With the ADAPTiQ system, you still have treble, bass and surround volume control,so
you can further adjust the sound to your liking.
Will the ADAPTiQ audio
calibration system work
on any system?
If I change speaker loca-
tions or move the system
to another room, can
the ADAPTiQ system
be recalibrated?
When going through the
ADAPTiQ system process,
I'm instructed to sit in
five listening locations.
How important are
these locations?
If I choose not to use
the ADAPTiQ system,
can I turn it off?
After setting up the
ADAPTiQ system can I still
modify the performance
of my system?
How does the ADAPTiQ
audio calibration
system work?
What is the ADAPTiQ®
audio calibration system?

LIFESTYLE®38 DVD HOME ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
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After customers experience 5.1-encoded media played back through a digital home theater
system, they can appreciate the added realism provided by discrete stereo sound in the
surround channels. However, most conventional systems can deliver discrete five-speaker
surround only from specially encoded software –5.1 DVDs, for example. Proprietary
Videostage 5 circuitry allows customers to get a five-speaker surround experience from
almost any source –including surround-encoded VHS tapes, stereo CDs, even monaural TV
programs.Videostage 5 decoding circuitry provides the listener with the following benefits:
• A five-speaker surround sound experience from surround-encoded VHS
tapes and stereo TV programs –Videostage 5 decoding and post-processing
circuitry delivers a five-speaker experience from a surround-encoded program by
decoding the signal into front left, front center, front right and two independent
channels of surround (both left and right).This performance is similar to that of a
5.1-encoded DVD disc and is automatically engaged.
• A five-speaker surround sound experience from mono TV shows –The next-
generation Lifestyle®home entertainment systems, using Videostage 5 decoding circuitry,
can deliver a five-speaker surround sound experience even from mono TV shows.With
Dolby®Digital 1.0 (monaural) program material, the five-speaker surround sound expe-
rience is delivered automatically. If a TV broadcast or VHS tape is in mono, customers
can enjoy a full five-speaker surround sound experience by pressing and holding the
“five-speaker”button to engage the monaural decoder. (They will hear a chime, and
then they will hear all five speakers come on.)
• Five-speaker surround sound from stereo CDs –Many conventional home the-
ater systems are challenged when playing stereo CDs through all five speakers. However,
Bose®proprietary Videostage 5 decoding circuitry delivers a realistic listening experience
with the vocalist or predominant instrument appearing centered, the backup instru-
ments remaining spacious and ambient instrumentation appearing in the surround
channels. If customers would rather listen through two speakers, they simply press
the “Speaker 2-3-5” button on the remote control and select the two-speaker mode.
Yes. Most of the decoding technology available today was originally designed to work in com-
mercial movie theaters –a significantly different environment than most homes. Because Bose
specifically engineered Videostage 5 decoding circuitry to reproduce the experience of the
cinema in a living room,the Lifestyle®system offers your customers important advantages:
• Deep, low notes from a single source –Videostage 5 decoding and post-processing
circuitry sums the lower frequencies from all channels into the single Acoustimass®
module, which can easily be hidden out of sight.Integrating all the low-note production
into one source reduces unpredictable acoustic effects that may be caused by placement
of multiple low-note enclosures in the room.
• Improved on-screen localization –In most homes, the center channel speaker is
placed above or below theTV screen.With the Videostage 5 circuitry in the Lifestyle®
system, output from the three front Virtually Invisible®cube speakers is integrated to
establish a sonic image of the center channel information in the center of the screen.
Most of the other decoders available today tend to steer the center channel information
Are there any other
advantages offered by
Videostage 5 decoding
circuitry compared with
conventional decoding
technology?
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES
Why did Bose®pursue the
development of Videostage®
5 decoding circuitry and
what are its customer
benefits?
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LIFESTYLE®38 DVD HOME ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
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directly to the center speaker –an arrangement that works well in movie theaters,
where the center speakers are set directly behind the screen, but perhaps not so well
in homes, where the center speaker is generally above or below the TV picture.
• Advanced surround channel controls –The Lifestyle®system includes surround
controls that allow you to adjust the direction that the surround channel information
comes from, so you feel enveloped by sound. In addition, the Lifestyle®38 system pre-
serves the surround information that Hollywood intended.Unlike the surround controls
of most conventional systems, the Lifestyle®system control does not just turn down the
surround, but actually fades it from rear to front, so the information in the surround
channels is not lost –even if you fade the sound all the way to the front.
In order to meet the demands of today’s movie soundtracks,the Acoustimass module delivers
low frequencies with more clarity, even at very loud levels. Utilizing a proprietary hybrid
approach,innovative technology combines several approaches to low-frequency reproduction,
allowing prodigious airflow at the lowest frequencies without port compression or other
audible problems.You can hide the module out of sight and all the sound seems to come
from the tiny cube speakers.
Yes. Lifestyle®home entertainment systems have DTS and Dolby Digital decoding –so they are
ready for 5.1-encoded programs from DVD, DSS or DTV. And because it is a Lifestyle®system, no
re-calibration is required to enjoy 5.1 sound. It takes only the push of one button to enjoy the
digital 5.1 experience.
When enjoying home theater, listeners often must be sensitive to the needs of others –
neighbors, sleeping children or a significant other –who should not be disturbed.As volume
is decreased in most conventional home theater systems,the ability to hear the quieter portions
(particularly dialogue) diminishes.That’s because the soft portions of the soundtrack approach
or even fall below the ambient “noise floor” of most living spaces. So listeners must “ride the
volume control” –turning the volume up to hear soft dialogue, then quickly down again to
suppress an explosion or other loud audio effect.
Bose®proprietary Digital Dynamic Range®compression circuitry lets listeners hear dialogue
clearly, yet still experience the impact of special effects even at low listening levels. This feature
is automatically engaged for all video sources, but can be easily turned off if desired.
Today’s home entertainment systems must be able to accurately reproduce soundtracks from
video programming and music from compact discs. Movie soundtracks are typically designed
to reproduce with a boost in the low frequencies, which can often prove overwhelming when
listening to music. Most home theater systems do not automatically adjust for this.The Lifestyle®
system automatically delivers a suitable low-frequency boost for movie soundtracks and
removes it when a CD or the radio plays.As a result, the listener enjoys appropriate lows
both for movie soundtracks and music reproduction –all from a single system without
complex controls.
What are the benefits of
the hideaway Acoustimass®
module?
Can the Lifestyle®system
decode a DTS®or Dolby®
Digital 5.1 program?
What is the benefit provided
by Digital Dynamic Range®
compression circuitry?
How does the Lifestyle®
system deliver proper
signal processing both for
movies and music?

LIFESTYLE®38 DVD HOME ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
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8
It makes the system more versatile.The Lifestyle®media center offers two independent audio
outputs that can deliver different audio sources to two separate areas of the home simultane-
ously. Just add Bose®powered loudspeakers (a wide variety is available to fit your customers’
needs and budgets) and a remote control for each additional room.Customers can enjoy
home theater in one room and a radio program in another –all from the same media center.
One easy-to-use radio frequency remote controls all functions of the Lifestyle®system and pro-
vides access to the most frequently used commands for the TV, VCR and cable box or satellite
receiver. In addition, the system can control many important functions of a connected personal
video recorder or CD jukebox.Also, with the supplied TV power detector, the system knows
whether to turn the TV on or off, so one button can turn on the Lifestyle®system and the TV.
Sound from the system and video from the TV can be activated with a single button press.
In addition to its radio frequency remote, the Lifestyle®system has an infrared (IR) control
system which includes an IR receiver and an IR transmitter, plus an extensive multi-brand IR
commands database.Additionally, published Bose IR codes enable the IR remotes to control
the Lifestyle®system.
The Lifestyle®system’s media center houses four audio inputs forTV, VCR, AUX and Cable/Sat.
Each input has L/R analog and a coaxial digital connection.
The Lifestyle®system’s media center has an optical digital input that can be assigned to one of
the four audio inputs.Simply identify which input the optical connection should be associated
with in the on-screen menu, and make the necessary cable connections.
• Floor stands –(pair), UFS-20 (Black,White or Silver)
• Wall bracket –(single), UB-20 (Black,White or Silver)
• Table stand –(single), UTS-20 (Black,White or Silver)
• Bose®link-enabled powered speakers and systems,including the 3·2·1 system
and 3·2·1GS system
• Lifestyle®SA-2 stereo amplifier, Lifestyle®SA-3 stereo amplifier
• Controllers: Personal®music center II, RC-38S remote control
To order accessories, call your nearest Bose dealer or contact Bose Customer Service at
1-800-367-4008. Be sure to specify color, using the model numbers above.
Can the Lifestyle®system be
controlled by universal or
learning remote controls?
CONNECTIVITY
What additional equipment
can be connected to the
Lifestyle®system?
What can customers do
if they have a satellite
receiver with “Optical
Output” only?
What accessories are
compatible with the
Lifestyle®system?
SERVING THE CUSTOMER
CONTROL INTEGRATION
What additional equip-
ment can the Lifestyle®
system control?
What is the benefit of the
multi-room/multi-source
expansion capability
included with the
Lifestyle®system?

LIFESTYLE®38 DVD HOME ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
Q
&
A
9
With the uMusic™intelligent playback system, the ability to store up to 200 hours of music,
Bose®link and the ADAPTiQ®audio calibration system, the Lifestyle®38 system is unlike any
other home theater system available today. The Lifestyle®38 system offers:
•Compelling performance for movies and music from a very compact, simple and
elegant system.
•Ahigh-quality, elegant media center with a DVD/CD player, AM/FM tuner and the ability
to store 200 hours of music.
•Hideaway Acoustimass®module and five Direct/Reflecting®speakers to fit into practically
any décor.
•uMusic intelligent playback system.
•ADAPTiQ audio calibration system ensures high-quality, customized sound in almost
any room.
•Bose®link expansion capability.
Every customer considering a home theater purchase should experience the benefits of
Lifestyle®home entertainment systems. Their unique blend of performance, elegance, simplicity
and expandability, made possible through patented and proprietary Bose technologies and
integrated systems design,make Lifestyle®systems truly unique. We also believe that when
customers discover these benefits first hand –the lifelike, dramatic sound, ease of operation,
innovative listening approaches and creative solutions to the problems posed by conventional
home theater –they will be motivated to join the Bose family. Lifestyle®systems, with the
ADAPTiQ®audio calibration system,“listen,” learn and adapt to their surroundings.The uMusic
intelligent playback system takes this a step further, by “learning” a listener’s musical tastes and
playing selections they most likely want to hear. Lifestyle systems offer high-performing, elegant,
intuitive home theater...only from Bose.
How should I present
the Lifestyle®38 system
to customers?