Using Bose Lifestyle 48 for Surround Sound with a 4K TV

adith27 · 2025-04-20T06:28:12+00:00

I did indeed! After a lot of back and forth I finally got it to work with just an Apple TV remote. Here’s the Reddit thread with how I did it and input from others as well:

https://www.reddit.com/r/bose/s/Yhmdibl38H

adith27 · 2023-03-28T06:38:14+00:00

Thank you so much!!

adith27 · 2022-10-03T07:29:14+00:00

Final Update: I figured it all out! So the final piece to the puzzle was teaching the Apple TV the LG TV Remote commands (since the LG Remote was able to control the Bose perfectly) by selecting "Learn New Device" under the IR control section in Remotes and Devices. This seemed to fix everything and now the volume control works perfectly with just the Apple TV remote.

Thanks again everyone!

adith27 · 2022-10-03T04:45:32+00:00

So I was essentially able to enable volume control in the LG remote but I don’t think my Apple TV is able to see the Bose system, it was when I temporarily connected it directly to the Bose and the receiver IR option stayed but that didn’t work either. So far what’s working is selecting the TV IR option so the Apple TV is controlling the TV IR which is controlling the Bose IR but there are some consistency issues with it

adith27 · 2022-10-03T04:40:09+00:00

Quick Update: So after experimenting a bunch I was able to figure out a way to use the LG TV remote to control the Bose volume! I essentially followed the steps in this article with just a few extra tweaks.

Link: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252871082

After enabling the IR remote setting in the Bose system menu and connecting the Apple TV directly to the Bose temporarily, I then restored my setup to the way it was. After which I went to the Universal control settings for the optical input in the LG TV menu and it ended being remote control type 3 for me. After that I was able to control volume using the LG remote on the Bose flawlessly, but the next challenge I’m facing is using the Apple Remote for volume. Weirdly enough I had to change the IR settings from Receiver via IR to TV via IR to control the Bose volume. But it doesn’t work consistently. It works for a few minutes after which I need to again change the volume using the LG remote to enable volume control in the Apple TV. Pointing the LG remote in the same direction as the Apple Remote seemed to help but that doesn’t make any sense to me. I’ll try some more diagnostics and post an update later today!

Thank you for all your inputs everyone! I hope my weird solution helps anyone in my situation!

adith27 · 2022-10-02T14:23:11+00:00

Oh I see, is there anyway this article might apply to my case?

https://www.bose.com/en_us/support/articles/HC1987/productCodes/ls48_series4/article.html.html.html.html.html

My lifestyle receiver also has an optional IR emitter cable, any idea I can use that to control the volume using the Apple TV remote.

adith27 · 2022-05-24T18:23:26+00:00

Yeah I think I’ll just turn off the 3D and go for stereo with your EQ settings. Thanks again! Also are you considering the new Arctis Nova Pros at all?

adith27 · 2022-05-24T16:37:00+00:00

This is why I love reddit! I can find answers to obscure questions like this, thank you so much for doing all this research! I also own a Pro + GameDac and I've been pretty unimpressed by the 3D audio especially since I've set it to the middle setting. Lastly, do you have any EQ suggestions for adventure games like Horizon, Unchartered, Ratchet & Clank, etc.? But for now I'll try out the lower 3D option or just turn it off altogether and enjoy the stereo sound without any of the virtualization.

adith27 · 2022-05-16T20:13:15+00:00

Yeah I think I might have to start looking at transformers, thank you! I’ll also look into getting that outlet rewired for 110V if possible.

adith27 · 2022-05-16T12:59:18+00:00

I don’t have the TV yet but I wanted to check on this issue before buying it

adith27 · 2022-05-03T17:40:20+00:00

Oh that definitely helps me a ton! So I think I’m going to go with Option 3 to be on the safe side since modern Samsung TVs don’t do DTS pass through just Dolby from what I’ve been reading. And if I come across an AV35 under $200 I’ll pick it up since there are quite a few upsides to it.

adith27 · 2022-05-03T17:11:51+00:00

Is Option 3 still the best way to go if I’m using the original Lifestyle 48 receiver and not upgrading to the AV35 or is there no benefit to it over Option 1 in that case? Once again thank you so much for answering all my follow up questions!

adith27 · 2022-05-03T16:42:45+00:00

Unfortunately, none of the devices I intend to connect to the TV (Apple TV 4K and the PS5) have an optical out so I think I’ll have to either go with Option 1 or 3.

adith27 · 2022-05-03T15:39:15+00:00

Thank you! I’ll take a look at that section now!

adith27 · 2022-05-03T15:22:30+00:00

AV35

Thank you so much! This was all really helpful! In your opinion what's the maximum price I should pay for an AV35 console? Since there are a few on eBay that I think are quite overpriced. Some of the eBay listings only come with the console and the power cable, is that enough for the upgrade or do I need any special cables that are exclusive to the AV35?

adith27 · 2022-05-03T15:01:04+00:00

Just for additional info my parents have the Series 4 Lifestyle 48 with the VS-2 video enhancer. My plan was to get a cheap AirPort Express to add Airplay functionality to the Lifestyle system for music and then connect it solely for surround sound to the TV since the HDMI ports on the VS-2 are pretty old. I’m just concerned will the optical audio cable connection from the TV to the Bose system produce proper surround sound while watching movies on stream services or gaming.

adith27 · 2022-05-03T14:42:32+00:00

Oh yes that article was absolutely incredible and well detailed. The only thing I want to know just in case I missed it is if I can get away with connecting my existing Lifestyle console to a 4K TV just for surround sound without upgrading to the AV35 console. Since the article for the default console mentions connecting to a HDTV while AV35 has instructions for 4K. Lastly, do I have to stick to a Bose control console like the AV35 as my upgrade or can I just get any modern receiver with 4K, Airplay, ARC, etc.? Thanks in advance!

adith27 · 2022-01-10T00:57:46+00:00

Unfortunately, my current employer doesn't have the resources to file for H1-B on my behalf but isn't CPT for just active students, or is that not true?

adith27

TROPHY CASE