Adding zones to my AV35 with an SA-2 and an SA-4, also have soundtouch adapter

Home Theater
1

Hi All, 

 

Long time Bose lover, but I am afraid I have not kept up with the times, and need a gut check on my equipment inventory before i start drilling holes. 

 

I have a Lifestyle with an AV-35 head unit. I am not familiar with the AV-35, as I currently use my Lifestyle 28 (head units are interchangeable with the speaker system).

 

I have an SA-2, and SA-4, Soundtouch adapter, and a pair of 151 SEs. I'd like to add more zones, starting with my outdoor zone. 

 

Can I use both a hardwired SA-2, and a SA-4 connected via soundtouch off the AV-35? Also, can I hardware my wave radio as well? Should i buy soundtouch adapters for my SA-2 and Wave instead of running wires? Not sure, if its possible to mix and match, if i need some sort of 'bridge' for multiple zone cables. If its worth investing in more soundtouch adapters instead. 

 

 

Not familar with soundtouch, or multi zone setups in terms of installation. 

 

2
 wrote:

Hi All, 

 

Long time Bose lover, but I am afraid I have not kept up with the times, and need a gut check on my equipment inventory before i start drilling holes. 

 

I have a Lifestyle with an AV-35 head unit. I am not familiar with the AV-35, as I currently use my Lifestyle 28 (head units are interchangeable with the speaker system).

 

I have an SA-2, and SA-4, Soundtouch adapter, and a pair of 151 SEs. I'd like to add more zones, starting with my outdoor zone. 

 

Can I use both a hardwired SA-2, and a SA-4 connected via soundtouch off the AV-35? Also, can I hardware my wave radio as well? Should i buy soundtouch adapters for my SA-2 and Wave instead of running wires? Not sure, if its possible to mix and match, if i need some sort of 'bridge' for multiple zone cables. If its worth investing in more soundtouch adapters instead. 

 

Not familar with soundtouch, or multi zone setups in terms of installation. 

You should know that SoundTouch has been Discontinued, it might not change anything for your setup or for what you wish to do, but I felt I should mention it before I start.

 

Ok, one of those amps are incompatible. To find out which, you need to know if you have a SoundTouch AV35 or a Boselinked AV35. Please read this guide to discover which version you have. Also, it is a good idea to read that guide to make sure your subwoofer is compatible with the AV35.

 

As mentioned in that guide Bose sold a couple of SoundTouch adapters. Which one do you have?

 

Now that you know which AV35 version you have, let's continue:

  • BoseLinked AV35:
    • You need to use the correct remotes for the SA-2 to be controlled by your receiver.

    • The SA-4 cannot be controlled by a BoseLinked AV35, but you can use it independently.

      If you can find a SoundTouch Wireless Link adapter. It can add Bluetooth, Airplay, & SoundTouch to your BoseLinked AV35, so you could have music throughout the house that way.

      Sadly there is no Audio out from the AV35 aside from a headphone out which will mute the system. So unless you do not wish to hear sound from the AV35 you will not be able to send sound from this receiver to the SA-4.

  • SoundTouch AV35:
    • You need to have the SoundTouch Series II wireless adapter plugged into your receiver. From there you can setup the AV35 & SA-4 using the SoundTouch app.

    • The SA-2 cannot be controlled by a SoundTouch AV35 and it does not have AUX inputs so sadly there isn't much that can be done with it without a BoseLinked receiver. Yet it seems you kept your Lifestyle 28's receiver, so will have to use that as the source for this amp's sound. 

      If you can find a SoundTouch Wireless Link adapter. It can add Bluetooth, Airplay, & SoundTouch to your Lifestyle 28's receiver, so you could have music throughout the house that way.

 

As for your Wave radio, it again depends on which AV35 you have and which Wave Radio you have, Does your Wave Radio have BoseLink or does it have SoundTouch?

 

I hope that this helps answer your question. Let us know what you have and what you ended up doing with it 🙂

3

Thanks for the detailed response, very helpful. 

 

  1. I have looked at my SA-2, and it turns out to be an SA-3, with an AUX in! Which is great. 
  2. I hooked up my SA-3 to my AV18 successfully. 
  3. I enabled local source auto detect on on the SA-3 and tested that with a bluetooth receiver successfully as well. excited!
  4. I have tested my SA-4 with Soundtouch as an independent system as well.
    1. Worked good with the iOS app, although the connected was spotty and dropped a few times. Not sure why, not too excited about spotty connectivity over wifi, which is surprising. Maybe I just need a wifi extender outside. 
    2. I tested the soundtouch controller as well. It worked, but was unable to 'wake' the SA-4 from stand-by. Although I could successfully wake it from the iOS app, then the soundtouch controller would reconnect and work somewhat. Not sure if there is a defect there. 
      1. I was surprised by the very limited functionality on the soundtouch controller. Not able to navigate sources beyond presets. But maybe that is to be expected from old tech, not sure. 
  5. I am now debating if I just wire my SA-2 to the AV18, which is already set up. Then use the SA-4 independently. 
  6. OR if i buy my missing power supply for the bose linked AV35 and go that route. Not sure what i gain, since it sounds like it cannot use the SA-4 as a second zone, and I would need to purchase a wireless link adapter to make it soundtouch compatible (which is discontinued at this point)..
  7. OR if i can daisychain the SA-4 to the SA-3 using a boselink cable. Although, I only have a single boselink A, and one boselink B. Not sure if I need a second boselink A cable, or if daisychaining would even work with the SA-4,SA-3 and AV18. 

Getting there,, just dont want to pick a deadend path with obsolete tech. Sound is not a trend, it is a vital part of life. I am in this for the long run

4
 wrote:

Thanks for the detailed response, very helpful. 

Glad to help 🙂 I noticed you didn't say if you have a Boselinked or a SoundTouch AV35. Can you let me know which one you have? All you have to do is turn it over and look for the Watts as shown in the link I provided above to figure that out.

 

Also, you didn't mention the subwoofer your AV18 used, is it an LSPS III as shown in the link I provided earlier?

 

 wrote:
  1. I have looked at my SA-2, and it turns out to be an SA-3, with an AUX in! Which is great. 
  2. I hooked up my SA-3 to my AV18 successfully. 
  3. I enabled local source auto detect on on the SA-3 and tested that with a bluetooth receiver successfully as well. excited!

That's even better news than you might have thought. You don't even need to use the AV18 to run it. Read the post I made here to help 🙂

 wrote:
  1.  
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  4. I have tested my SA-4 with Soundtouch as an independent system as well.
    1. Worked good with the iOS app, although the connected was spotty and dropped a few times. Not sure why, not too excited about spotty connectivity over wifi, which is surprising. Maybe I just need a wifi extender outside. 
    2. I tested the soundtouch controller as well. It worked, but was unable to 'wake' the SA-4 from stand-by. Although I could successfully wake it from the iOS app, then the soundtouch controller would reconnect and work somewhat. Not sure if there is a defect there. 
      1. I was surprised by the very limited functionality on the soundtouch controller. Not able to navigate sources beyond presets. But maybe that is to be expected from old tech, not sure. 

I try to hardwire all my devices. So if you have the ability to, I would run ethernet to every device you can. Be it your TV, cable box, gaming devices, speakers, etc. You could even use Powerline adapters where ethernet is passed through the home's electricity.

 

I think the controller you mention is the circular one. It looked interesting when I saw it 5 or so years ago, I think it was designed to be a simple remote with a basic information display on it. 

 

 wrote:
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  6. OR if i buy my missing power supply for the bose linked AV35 and go that route. Not sure what i gain, since it sounds like it cannot use the SA-4 as a second zone, and I would need to purchase a wireless link adapter to make it soundtouch compatible (which is discontinued at this point)..

Use the AV35 for a better home theater experience with the ability to play lossless audio. While it doesn't support 4K, you can still use 4K with it as I show in this guide.

 

 wrote:
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  7. OR if i can daisychain the SA-4 to the SA-3 using a boselink cable. Although, I only have a single boselink A, and one boselink B. Not sure if I need a second boselink A cable, or if daisychaining would even work with the SA-4,SA-3 and AV18. 

No, the SA-4 cannot work with the SA-3. The SA-3 is Boselink and will work with Boselink, the SA-4 uses a similar shell to the SA-3, but internally it has been redesigned to work with SoundTouch.

 

Bose should have never use the same plugs for both and they should have removed all mentions of BoseLink on their products, but I can only guess that was a cost-saving measure as they only had to change the internals of their receivers and accessories to create new products with new features and functions. 

 wrote:

Getting there,, just dont want to pick a deadend path with obsolete tech. Sound is not a trend, it is a vital part of life. I am in this for the long run

If you're going for the "long run" then look into wiring as much of your wireless tech as you can to your home's router. Wiring modern tech to your ethernet port should be considered an essential part of modern-day tech.

 

Also if you are going for the "long run" remember, you are using tech which ranges from 5-15 years old. So you might want to look and see if you can trade-in your tech for something newer. It's listed as "option 2" in this guide. Though I will point out that it might be time for Bose to upgrade that system soon.

5

How do i reply with inline comments as you did? It will be easier to follow I think. 

 

  • AV35; 20W -> Boselink
  • Acoustimass -> PS38 (Currently hooked up to the AV18)

 

Thanks, 

6
 wrote:

How do i reply with inline comments as you did? It will be easier to follow I think. 

I just used the quote function and edited your reply so it focused on what I was referring to.

 

 wrote:
  • AV35; 20W -> Boselink
  • Acoustimass -> PS38 (Currently hooked up to the AV18)

Ok, so you have a BoseLinked AV35, so you can use the SA-3 with it as long as you used the AV35 expansion remote with it. You can purchase a SoundTouch adapter if you wish to have the same music as what's playing on the SA-4 or one of the other options I list in this reply... 

 

The problem is your subwoofer, it will not work with the AV35. You will have to purchase one of the smaller ones with 3 ports in the front to work with the AV35 (they have many PS## names, but all together they are called the LSPS III). I would recommend that you purchase one from eBay as they are pretty easy to find there.

7

Thanks, 

 

I think in the end you are right, its probably time to consider an upgrade of the old lifestyle system. I will hobble along with the following plan for now. 

 

  1. Keep my AV18, and offload the AV35, and mismatched acoustimas module, on ebay. (Unless there is another market place i should consider?)
  2. Wire my SA-3 to a set of stereo speakers (yet to purchase) and AV18 (The amp will reside in a basement closet right below the AV18 anyway, conveniently), plus I have a few RC18 remotes around that I tested and work.
  3. Deploy the SA-4 independently for the 151s, so I get a better source options for my outdoor zone, and better range than a regular bluetooth adapter on the SA-3. 
  4. Offload any remaining legacy tech.
  5. Plan to upgrade to a new lifestyle system, once released and thoroughly considered as a 15 year solution to my audio needs. ->I am not going to buy into something that will be obsolete in 5 years (cough cough, soundtouch situation...)
  6. kick back, and enjoy some tunes!
8
 wrote:

Thanks, 

 

I think in the end you are right, its probably time to consider an upgrade of the old lifestyle system. I will hobble along with the following plan for now. 

 

  1. Keep my AV18, and offload the AV35, and mismatched acoustimas module, on ebay.

I am a big fan of the AV35. I for one would not sell that receiver.

 

Personally, I would purchase a compatible subwoofer and on eBay, they seem to sell for $60-$200. I really like the fact that the AV35 has multiple HDMI's built-in and it supports Lossless audio, it might not support 4K, but that's easily overcome.

 

So do consider using your AV35 by purchasing an LSPS III subwoofer. As that receiver has a lot to offer, especially if you wish to use it as a stopgap until you purchase something else in a few years

 

 wrote:
  1. Unless there is another market place i should consider?

Craigslist maybe?

 

 wrote:
  1.  
  2. Wire my SA-3 to a set of stereo speakers (yet to purchase) and AV18 (The amp will reside in a basement closet right below the AV18 anyway, conveniently), plus I have a few RC18 remotes around that I tested and work.
  3. Deploy the SA-4 independently for the 151s, so I get a better source options for my outdoor zone, and better range than a regular bluetooth adapter on the SA-3. 
  4. Offload any remaining legacy tech.

Sounds like a good idea

 

 wrote:
  1.  
  2.  
  3.  
  4.  
  5. Plan to upgrade to a new lifestyle system, once released and thoroughly considered as a 15 year solution to my audio needs. ->I am not going to buy into something that will be obsolete in 5 years (cough cough, soundtouch situation...)

I can't blame you, I would do the same thing. My guess is the pandemic caused some delays which I think is completely understandable, but as Bose knows it's best to never announce new products too soon, we will only know if that guess is correct if a new system is announced before the Christmas season starts.

 

 wrote:
  1.  
  2.  
  3.  
  4.  
  5.  
  6. kick back, and enjoy some tunes!

Sounds like a great plan, no matter what you end up doing 🙂

9

thanks, 

 

I am not familar with the AV35 features, so i guess i dont know what I am even missing. Ill google, to find some highlights. All my listening today is either from an Apple TV, logitec bluetooth receiver, or radio, CD's. 

 

 

10

also, 

 

As i didnt find the power supply for the AV35, i went and bought one on ebay, only I accidentally bought at 35W power supply, instead of the 20W (doh), now I need to return and repurchase, along with the bass. 

11
 wrote:

thanks, 

 

I am not familar with the AV35 features, so i guess i dont know what I am even missing. Ill google, to find some highlights. 

I made a few posts talking about that system, one by comparing it against the AV20 and another one where I talk about the audio formats it supports and showing how to connect them to 4K TV's.

 

 wrote:

All my listening today is either from an Apple TV, logitec bluetooth receiver, or radio, CD's. 

Well, AppleTV is simple enough with the AV35 as it has an HDMI input. The SoundTouch adapter might help you as it does add Bluetooth, internet radio, Airplay 2, streaming from iTunes on a PC/NAS drive, and would allow you to play the same music on your SA-4.

 

If you were interested, the V35 came with an iPod dock for the receiver that gave it an on-screen menu to browse through the iPod. Just know it uses the older 30 pin connection since it came out in 2010 (though you can use an adapter). 

sddefault.jpg

 

 wrote:

also, 

 

As i didnt find the power supply for the AV35, i went and bought one on ebay, only I accidentally bought at 35W power supply, instead of the 20W (doh), now I need to return and repurchase, along with the bass. 

You do have the AV35 remote correct? You will also need a different cable from the subwoofer to the receiver. Here is a link to an unboxing video of a Lifestyle ST535 showing what's included in a complete system. So ignore the parts around SoundTouch like the adapter and the USB cable.

 

I am unsure if you need to replace your power supply or not. I know that with some things like USB chargers you can have more amps than a device needs and the device will just not draw that much power.

 

I would call up Bose and let them know that you purchased a replacement power supply online and you discovered that there are two versions 20W & 35W. they should know if you can use a 35W power supply with an AV35 (20W).

12

"You do have the AV35 remote correct? You will also need a different cable from the subwoofer to the receiver. Here is a link to an unboxing video of a Lifestyle ST535 showing what's included in a complete system. So ignore the parts around SoundTouch like the adapter and the USB cable."

 

Unsure about what cable I will need. found a good deal on a PS28 III on ebay, but no cable was included. Are you sure its different than what I am currently using?

13
 wrote:

Unsure about what cable I will need. (..) Are you sure its different than what I am currently using?

Well, you tell me 🙂

 

I shared with you this guide to let you know what will and won't work with the AV35. You told me you have a PS38.

 

This is the underside of an LSPS (the same family as the PS38).

x018LS28iiB-o_subBACK.jpg

This is the cable used to connect the LSPS to the AV18. It has a 9-pin mini-DIN on one side and an RJ45 on the other.

Bose.jpg

 

This is the underside of an LSPS III (PS38 III to be exact) which is compatible with the AV35 receiver

ps38.jpg
ps38.jpg999×486 82.6 KB

This is the cable used to connect the LSPS III to an AV35. It is a double-headed 9-pin mini-DIN.

61bm912GBbL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

 

Unless you are mistaken in what you wrote and you have a PS38 III then yes, you need an LSPS III and a different cable.

 

 wrote:

found a good deal on a PS28 III on ebay, but no cable was included. 

If you found a good deal on a PS28 III (and you don't actually have a PS38 III) I would grab it then call up Bose for the cable and see how much it will cost. You could also google them or search for them on eBay.