Boston Acoustics BA7800 Review : 3DsoundSurge

Official specs
Manufacturer	Boston Acoustics
Suggested Retail Price	US$150
Number of satellites and subwoofers	2 two way satellites (front) and 2 single driver (rear) satellites plus subwoofer.
Satellite dimension	Approximately 7.5" (19 cm) x 5.25" (13.3) x 4.25" (11 cm) (H x W x D) with stands.
Subwoofer dimension	28.5 cm (11.25 inch) (width) X 33.5 cm (13.25 inch) (height) X 37 cm (14.5 inch) (depth)
Weight	Subwoofer is 9.6 kg (21 pounds) Satellites: 0.9 kg (2 lbs) each (note: I think there is a difference in weight between front and rear)
Cables	Satellite cables: 2.44 m (8 feet) for the front speakers and 6.1 m (20 feet) for the rear. Custom 3 pin cable going into subwoofer with 2 permanently attached stereo mini-jack cables (for sound card connection at the other end. to the sound card’s front and rear (optional) inputs - 2.44 meter (8 foot) cable. Control center cable - 2 meters (6.56 feet) coming from the . Standard 8 foot / 2.44 m AC cord; Correctly placing the satellites. Powering up the system, set the master, bass
Floor stands/Wall mount options	Rear satellites have molded screw slots on the back.
Driver Size	3" in each satellite plus a 0.75" tweeter in each of the two front satellites 8" woofer in the subwoofer
Power output/satellite	16 Watts RMS (per FTC Rating Method 16 CFR Part 432, 12/22/00)
Power output for subwoofer	34 Watts RMS (per FTC Rating Method 16 CFR Part 432, 12/22/00)
Total Power	98 Watts RMS (per FTC Rating Method 16 CFR Part 432, 12/22/00)
Maximum Sound Pressure Level	113 dB on Gateway Site, 111 dB @ 0.7 m in manual
THD	N/A
Noise	N/A
Frequency response	32 Hz to 20 kHz +/- 3 dB on website - manual lists 38 Hz to 20 kHz +/- 3 dB)
Inputs	4-analog
Input sensitivity for maximum output:	N/A – (input impedance listed as 10,000 ohms
Headphone output:	Yes – amplified
Subwoofer Output:	No
Decoder	No
Stereo to 4 or 5.1 expander	No - See Stereo to 4 or 5.1 Expansion Technologies article for details on stereo to 4 or 5.1 technology.
Equalizer or effect mode (e.g. Theatre preset)	No
Controls	On front satellite - power/master volume, surround volume (not a front rear fader) and subwoofer level.

Our Objective Measurements
Measured SPL (loudness)	Overall the Logitech Z-560 is the loudest 4.1 system we have tested, but the BA7800 delivers volume that is also above average (106 and 108 dB in our two tests). These levels need to be reduced by about 2 dB to be mostly distortion free.
Subwoofer exaggeration	At the 80 dB setting the sub can be exaggerated by about 14 dB with very good quality. At the 90 dB setting the subwoofer has about 10 dB of exaggeration range with acceptable quality (some distortion though) or 5 dB with very good quality.
Measured Frequency response	Our tests show a very smooth frequency response of approximately +/- 3 dB from around 185 Hz right through to 10 kHz on the front satellites. From 10 kHz it climbs to somewhere between a +4 to +4.5 dB peak at 12.5 kHz from which it declines down to around – 1 dB by 20 kHz. The rear speakers are in the +4/-3.8 dB range from 173 Hz to 13.7 kHz. The subwoofer is at the -3 dB point from a 100 Hz reference point at about 160 Hz and – 10 dB at 258 Hz. Looking in the other direction the – 3 dB point from the 100 Hz reference level is approximately 47 Hz, - 5 dB is 43.5 Hz and – 10 dB is around 37 Hz. At 33 Hz the output is around 15.5 dB below the 100 Hz reference point. Perhaps Boston Acoustics is factoring room acoustic effects into their stated specs but even so we don't see it extending to 33 Hz within a -3 dB point.
Our Subjective Impressions
Subjective impression of noise levels	I had no issues with noise.
Subjective impression of sound quality	Overall imaging on the BA7800 front satellites is very consistent and stable as a result of its above average smoothness in overall frequency response. It exceeds the the performance of systems such as the ProMedia 4.1 and Logitech Z-560 in this respect. Upper highs are somewhat but not significantly pronounced and upper bass extension is good, although not quite as low as the ProMedia 4.1 or Z-560. The end result is very clean sound. Rear satellites are somewhat, but notably, duller in sound and less directional than the front satellites on the BA7800 or the front and rear satellites other systems I have tested. The subwoofer delivers powerful well defined bass. Depth is good but not as deep as systems such as the ProMedia 4.1 and Z-560.
Music	The overall smooth clean response with good transient response, good stereo image and powerful well defined subwoofer are musical strengths. For multichannel music the rear satellites comparative lack of definition and precision is a clear down side.
Games	Upper bass positioning is good. Front channel imaging is excellent, however, the BA7800 is behind the other systems $200+ systems compared in this review (Z-560, ProMedia 4.1, Crossfire, MM2000) in the area of surround channel detail. The subwoofer delivers good solid effects despite not being as deep as most of the competing systems.
DVD Movies	Overall, the BA7800 is a strong performer at the $150-200 price point. Center channel imaging is excellent, as is the overall system volume and clarity. The subwoofer delivers very powerful, but not the deepest available, bass effects and, the surround channels are closer to the non-directional type than any of the other systems. What that means will vary by personal taste.
Summary	Very good value at $150. It easily earns our Silver Award and Surge of Approval. If the rear satellites exhibited the same characteristics as the front satellites this system likely would have been awarded our gold medal of excellence.
If you are interested in the Boston Acoustics BA7800 you may also find the following speakers of interest. In case we have done a review we offer a link to it, otherwise we offer a link to the official product page.	Altec Lansing 641 Logitech Z-560 Cambridge SoundWorks MegaWorks 510D Klipsch ProMedia 4.1 Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 Monsoon MM2000 VideoLogic Sirocco Crossfire VideoLogic DigiTheatre DTS More Speaker Reviews Press Releases of Speaker Systems

We will go into much more detail about the Boston Acoustics BA7800 and how it compares to some of the other top of the line multimedia systems in this review. For those looking for a shorter read, we are offering a condensed version that is about half the length of our typical detailed review.