I bought a pair back in 2012. I was on the verge of selling off my 901series VI speakers, until I learned of Deercreek audio and their Bose 901 EQ system. Now I can enjoy an improved sound with a subwoofer connection in the mini DSP. It has made a big improvement. Do they sound as good as modern speakers, no but I can enjoy them a bit longer. I am 80 years old and with moderate hearing loss. I can still play my old vinyls.
I still have my first system I bought in 1973. 901's on the tulip stands , A Sony 7065 receiver & a Bang & Olufson Beogram 3000 turntable. All work & look great. But in the shed now. I moved on but not much. Polk SDR SRS2 speakers & a White Oak Audio rebuilt Phase Linear PL700 amp putting out 700 watts per channel @ 4 ohms . Maybe not audiophile, but pretty glorious to my ears. I have lost my desire for anything better.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with your system. I would love to have a set of SDA SRS. They were my dream speaker when I was a teenager. Those big suckers also need every bit of that 700 watts per Channel you're giving them. You have a system that might have some age on it, but most people would love to have.
@@bradrock7731 those Bose speakers can not work properly, as all dri be ers had foam surrounds - limited life span, and to refoam the drivers would cost way more than they were ever worth. Don't hate brother - I worked with Bose engineers and am just stating facts.
I actually just bought a pair of 901’s Picked up the deercreek audio mini DSP it eliminated the Bose EQ . I really wanted to here them with all my equipment . They sound way better than I thought. Still playing with them
@@nelsonscattabingus5751 me too. Boggt a pair of IVs last year and reformed one of them. Been playing with EQ and they're pretty decent. Short term, I'll do the other and try them in the living room to have a huge sweet spot. Long term, I may replace the front speaker with a coaxial 4" so there's a real tweeter. Maybe do a little two way on the front instead. All with active EQ.
A buddy of mine had a pair of 901's he bought in the late 80's. He ran them through a massive Kenwood power amp and pre amp, a Kenwood totl parametric eq, cd player and cassette deck . He had them hung from the living room ceiling in a rectangular room about 22ft. X. 14ft. They sounded increadible. They were loud, clean and of course airy. They had ample bass. They are still memorable to myself imo. I don't care what the audiophiles say. In his set up they sounded great.
One of my friends had a 901 system in the early nineties. It only sounded good with ambient music and light music playing low never had a sub with them. He later upgraded to a Sonos system before he passed. I think audiophiles avoided Bose 901 because of the mandatory equalizer. Subsequently I believe either the 401 or the 501 was considered the best sounding Bose music only loudspeaker ( non A/V system). I don’t remember which.😊
Decades ago, my father once sold Bose products and he told me that Bose speakers alone were questionable, but coupled with the Bose algorithm, they could be magical. It was the first time I heard of the word “algorithm” and ever since, I only ever looked into Bose products if there was an improvement in the algorithm over the hardware.
Hahaha! I appreciate your sarcasm. Yeah, if one has to spend hundreds and even thousands of dollars to improve the sound of those Bose 901s, there are so many speaker better options out there. It's too bad because I liked the aesthetic design of those 901 speakers, but form must follow function, so if they sound hopeless, no modernist design can compensate for that. :)
Here's a 901 story: A friend of mine went to Pacific Stereo and was talked into buying a system with the series 3s. I went over to hear them, and they sounded really dull. He thought that they sounded fine. This really bothered me,as I couldn't believe that they could sound so shitty. I looked around on his Kenwood receiver and found the tape monitor button, pushed it,and presto! He looked at me like he'd heard music for the first time. They still had deficiencies, though, and a few years later the foam disintegrated! I like my Maggies😊
Bose doesn’t deserve the hate. Their passive speakers are unique, extremely durable, take tons of power, and are technically capable drivers that eq great. They are midfi, though they put out lots of sound for the size. Their modern commercial line of speakers are actually very impressive. Easy to admit their lifestyle crap was a big marketing ploy.
I Still Have My 1978 Bose 901 Series IV That My Parents Got Me For My ( 12th Birthday ) With The Chrome Stands ) 😊 And They Are ( Impeccable) Not ( 1 Scratch ) Or Dent On Them 😊 And Now Here It Is The End Of 2024 And Bose Are Back At It Once Again Talking About Their Mind Blowing MASTERPIECE ❤
@dextermorgan1 Lol Back In 1978 They Was Only ( $475.00 ) A Pair I Was Driving Them With A ( Pioneer SX-1980 ) I'm 58 Now Driving A McIntosh MHT 300 With Bowers & Wilkins 801D4
@brooklynknightss Now How Is A Pair Of $475.00 Speaker's A Lot At 12 I Had Already Been Playing Fender Stratocaster For ( 7 Year's ) And Grew Up Listening To My Dad High End Gear From Day ( 1 ) That's McIntosh & Bowers & Wilkins Flagship So In Response To What You Just Said That's BULLSHIT
@darrylfleet3773 i just said its a an expensive gift at that time, especially its unusual at that age to get a high-end speaker for a 12 yearold to get speakers like that at that time. Listen its all good! No reason to get crazy and upset!! Im glad for you! Todays dollars thats equivalent to 2000.00!! If you dont think giving a 12 yearold a 2000 dollar gift to day isnt expensive then whats a cheap gift???
I’ve owned a pair of Bose 901 speakers for over forty years. I have a testament to their quality that I love. I appreciate their boldness that they offer (ed) in their look for their time. The sounds with the receiver I’m pushing them with really makes them sound crisp on the high end. Saying that I have added a self powered klipsch 500 watt woofer that makes the bass jump in your chest. I too am anxious in seeing what Bose can do with the reinvention and release of a speaker. I for one enjoy daring innovation of technology it takes a lot of heart to take the challenge and criticism that Bose has endured
A friend of mine who owns a high end a/v store said the Bose rep told him Bose bought Macintosh & SF to expand their car audio line. That's where bose makes most of their money & home audio is only a small portion compared to what they make in the car audio market. What do you think?
My uncle Jim had a pair of the series 1. Played by an early 70s Marantz receiver, I thought that they were listenable. That room was fully carpeted. But, later on I had a different encounter. At a pool party, the host had the series 2. That was powered by a rather powerful late 70s Kenwood receiver. The room had nothing on the floor but a small rug. That room was very lively. As a result (and probably how he had those equalized), that system sounded better top to bottom. The highs and midrange were very pleasant. But, the bass shook the room with very little boominess.
@chebrubin They claim so in marketing - in reality, no. Just an FYI - till 2013 Bose were actually produced in MA / they've since offshored production to Singapore and Malaysia. So the series 6 901 - not made here.
I remember those Bose in the 70s and their cube series were all the rage in the 90s. I never went with them for home audio except for the wave radio and CD player bought used like my Dad had back in the day. I have their NC 700 cans and Bluetooth portable speakers and they work well. Thanks for the video. Rock on Gene.
I ran my 901's with a separate Power Amp(350/wRms measured at 20Kz. With that power rating, I still clipped content. Even so I enjoyed the 901's very much.
Someone mentioned console TV’s too. Excluding the fact my parents still have their first year General Electric Widescreen 1000… I used to work at Circuit City from 87-94 and a stint at Good Guys. Selling 901’s was a big deal at CC. Bose reps and CC higher ups wanted to make sure staff sold the story and concept of the 901’s. Don’t get me started about the AM5’s. Anyways, selling 901’s required using psychology if clients liked something else in the price range. If the wife liked the 901’s then you didn’t have to do much except pander to her. I personally never cared for them. However, I did like the fact that many customers would hang them from the ceiling and not use stands.
Bose...What I remember is being blown away when hearing them for the first time in 1976, stoned in Mr. Goodbar. One pair set up in the back of a huge room would rock the entire place. Got a Series 3 and five years later the speakers had disintegrated and after much wrangling 'Bose' agreed to replace them with Series 6, for 'shipping' & 300 bucks. They never matched my first impression when in the home setting, they still looked impressive though. I finally 'graduated' to Sonus 10 years ago and don't regret the move at all. YMMV
My first 901 series 2 (901 II) in 1974… blew away everyone and everything from 9th grade through senior year in college using a Pioneer sx1250 (after upgrading from a Kenwood 7400)… even got a Phase Linear in the early 2000’s to power 2 pairs of 901 II’s…and now got a third pair for the lake house…yes my Focal Sopra’s are more accurate blah blah but they will never give me and my friends as much fun as the 901’s did when I was growing up…original pair is now 50 yrs old and they still can punch big sound…series II and proper placement are essential
A friend of mine had the Bose Super System 2 pairs of 901 Type II and the Bose Amp. The amp was 500 watts per Channel !!!! The lights in the house would dim when switched on! You could fry an egg on top of the 2 large heat sinks. The amp had 2 very large white VU meters. I've have never heard a system kick like that system . No lows must be Bose - I think the neighbors and police will disagree.. we shook the windows next door!!!!
I was in a college dorm, 1972…I had my brother's hand-me-downs …Sansui integrated amp, Acoustic Research Turntable, Dynaco Speakers…not too shabby…but I will never forget going down the hall to a party in this rich-kid's room where he had a McIntosh Amp powering a pair of Bose 901s playing The Rolling Stones "Sympathy for the Devil"…and I was BLOWN AWAY by the experience. Stays with me to this day….I was young…and stoned…and at the time it was complete Nirvana… Times change I guess…
Times do change, yes. They also stay the same. I'm old, and stoned at the moment. 😊 I'm also currently listening to my Revel F 206's powered by a Monolith amp. It's nothing special but it sounds great. Have a good night 😊
Those Revels look COOL! Times do change….I am clean & sober 22 years 😅 have a pair of DynAudio Contour 20s, some REL subs and finally got my McIntosh amp…an MC152…..Fun times!
None of these names relate to the names that were established way back in the day. They used to be actual separate little companies, Marantz, Pioneer, McIntosh, JBL, .... the names have been bought and sold many times since then. Just like Masimo Corporation, which bought Sound United, is talking about closing that division down after the purchase did not provide anywhere near the ROI they expected. They own: Bowers & Wilkins, Denon, Marantz, Polk Audio, Definitive Technology, Classé, HEOS, and Boston Acoustics. Maybe some other company will by some of those names. But then at this point what does a name mean?
@@glenncurry3041 yeah, most are just empty shells of their founders vision. When the inspiration of leadership suffers keyman-risk and falls into the direction of the accountants.
I remember a band mate bought them along with Bang and Olufsen back in the late 1970's. We were teenagers then, and they sounded good, but were lacking in the bass section. He was pretty impressed with them at the time. He played guitar and I was a drummer. Hopefully they improved the drivers and crossover systems to keep up with todays tech..
I bought a pair of 901 Continentals with the tulip stands when they first came out. Powered them for 30years with a Carver amp at 150 wpc. I sold them 2 years ago to a vintage audio store with the stands for $400. All 18 drivers needed refoamed. There must be a market for vintage 901s.
In 1987, I was an airman stationed in West Germany. All of us young, single guys were stuck in dorms and had nothing to spend our money on but beer and stereos. The BXs knew this and the largest ones had massive audio departments with a full array of brands. I was browsing one of the larger stores one time and the salesman and I started chatting about speakers. The 901s were in a premier location within the store and I'm sure, based on their popularity (and top-notch marketing), were a best seller. He said, "Here, let me show you something. Most people think these are pretty good." I agreed and then he put on a CD (new tech!) of the 1812 Overture and cranked it The sound wasn't to my liking, but you know...fine for symphonic, I guess. And then came the cannons and the 901s fell right on their face. The cannons sounded like massively distorted dog farts. Then he played the same track through different speakers that sounded amazing. Truly night and day. (I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't remember what speakers he demo'd next.) Only one airman on my floor had 901s and everyone else went with something else. I went with a pair of B&W that I still own to this day. Thanks for the review. I love hearing about retro stereo gear.
I had a pair of the series 4 for 10 years. I bought them in 1978. I always had them set up in an ideal setting. I thought they sounded fantastic, and anybody I had over thought they were awesome too! I think most of the haters out there never heard them when they were properly setup, or never even heard them at all!
During the late 1970's, I went with some friends to check out a local band at a basketball court in a High School. They had the 901's playing music until the band showed. I noticed that the rear part of the 901's was facing us. So for a small venue or room these speakers were acting here as a PA speaker, more than anything. I remember they had playing Heart's Dog and Butterfly album and it sounded great, like the band was there. I have never listed to these speakers in a more typical home music listening set up.
I had a pair in 1986 and the biggest issue that most ran into was the reflecting wall. I'd seen some brainiacs with the wedge side facing the listing space, so ... In my case, my listening room had lath and plaster walls, with the bounce wall's windows high up near the 12' ceiling, so the reflectivity was outstanding and I didn't run into the complaints that you're mentioning here. As for the sound in my environment, it was simply amazing. I drove the speakers with a pair of Crown single-channel club amps and the Bose equalizer unit handled things wonderfully. You want to hear them properly, listen to the original Telarc release of Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's "Firebird Suite" (on vinyl if possible).
This system seems to have ignored the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) design philosophy and gone with a new one, KIC (Keep It Complex.) If they had added a tweeter they could have eliminated half of the 901's shortcumings. When hooked up to a powerful amplifier they could play like a PA system, when in high school we had an auditorium show by a retired recording guy, he used a single 901 and used it to explain the studio recording process, it was plenty loud. You are spot on about the drivers, they are very basic with ho-hum specs. Here are the specifications: size 4.5 inches, an impedance of 1 ohm, power handling of 30 watts RMS and 60 watts max, a frequency response of 83 Hz to 15,000 Hz, a sensitivity of 91.5 dB at 1 watt and 1 meter, a voice coil diameter of 1 inch, a 12 oz magnet, and a blue paper cone with foam surround. Very mid quality and specs, even by 1968 standards. These old systems could be vastly improved by upgrading the drivers, but I doubt anyone will bother doing it.
EPI did something close to what you’re alluding in ‘71; Model 601. Famous for their very affordable and flexible 2-way modules (either 6” or 8” paper cone butyl rubber surround woofer and inverted dome tweeter, they incorporated a pair of the former on the back, and a single of the later on the front. This was one of the brands I sold during an early career in the hi-fi business, and owned at least three different models of them (50/100&150). I even emulated some of the design aspects of the 201 in one of my last DIY builds about 8 years ago,. While we sold hundreds of pairs of the three single module designs, and probably several times more of the M75 /MT1 that used a pair of 4” full range drivers rather similar to that employed in the 901, don’t have a distinct memory of ever selling any of the 601 or 602.
The new 901 will feature speakers that you can twist in their mounting holes to adjust volume and tone, and the actual sound will come out of the amplifier heat sinks. McIntosh will now have amplifiers with 8 VU meters facing backwards and 1 forward. Sonus Faber will be renamed Faber Sonus and will boast all passive radiators and long excursion wood cabinets that vibrate to the electrical signal input.
The Bose 901s were the first "real" speakers I heard from a "real" stereo system. Back in 1988 a work buddy had an audio listening room with a pair of piano gloss Bose 901s and I thought they sounded amazing at the time. Back then my "dream" system included a pair of Cerwin Vega's with 16" woofers.... Today I'm still spending money on speakers and headphones I don't need, but love.
I'll post an extensive explanation of how I reengineed these speakers turning them from a sows ear into a silk purse in a day or two.. It was not easy. First try failed. second try took four years. Results were excellent.
My Dad had the 901s and a monster Pioneer integrated receiver. I wasn't allowed to touch any of it but I got to hear plenty of it. My friend took the drives and put them into a home made speaker cabinets. They didn't sound good and I don't think we knew about the external crossover. I wish he was around to hear my setup now.
Gene - every single word Chat GPT spit out was exactly spot on accurate. I trained 20 Bose engineers at their corporate facility in MA in 2012 using NX cad software from Siemens. Theres a reason the series lasted so long - extensive money in promotions, dealers that could display the system only in a controled listening environment, and were peanalized for not pushing their products over anything else they sold. Back to the antiquated technology - people, many customers found out that outside of the controlled listening environment, at home the experience was not what was anticipated. Without dedicated tweeters and bass / mid bass modules, theres simply no way to reproduce the full bandwidth of 20 hz to 20,000 hz. Its simply impossible. Their eq system tried to curve the soundfield, but lets be honest - theres no way a 4* paper driver can accurately reproduce the sound spectrum. These are distinctive design pieces, nothing more. And yeah, no highs no lows - must be Bose / very much applicable. No serious audiophile would expend money on this line
As a musician, I had four Bose 800 speakers. When the 900 were released, I added two of them to our stack. I quickly returned them for a refund. The 800 are much clearer and with more punch. The 900 sound OK but not if you compare them to the 800. For home stereo, Tannoy is a far better option.
The Bose 901s... Enthusiasts either love or hate them. For some they take design ques from floodlights and sound their best when set on fire, in the bottom of a garbage dump. For others, they are one of the greatest speakers ever. As an audio enthusiast myself, I prefer to keep well away from either camp as I do not have personal experience with them. The unifying thing, however, and I think all true enthusiasts will agree upon, is the music. Thus I will curtsy out of respect to either side of the Bose divide. 😊😊😊
I can’t say I disagree with you-I’d happily swap our 901s out for something else. But my wife absolutely loves how they look, and let’s just say… the 901s aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Trust me, I’ve tried. Multiple times. 😂
Bose has a long history which speaks for itself. The fact that they now have a stable that includes Macintosh speaks volumes. All the noise/ negative campaigning won't stop them from making a gazillion dollars. When part of the complaint is that Bose is a cultural artifact... well ,think of that!
The picture of the drivers is from a late version. Also the speaker you showed is ported. Please listen to the 901 Type II a totally different driver. Not ported. not plastic . The 901 Type II is the best 901 ever produced. Plenty of bass and can handle 400 watts! No foam surrounds to rot. My original's are still perfect. The 901 type II are wood with beautiful real walnut veneer. Go get a pair of 901's Type II's and a Vintage Pioneer SX1250 at 165 watts per channel and you'll be blown away! Speaker placement is critical. Plus wife's love that there are not 2 giant cabinets in their living space!!
I've never understood why people liked them. A buddy of mine had a pair several years ago, just went on and on about how great they sounded. I took a pair of moderately priced bookshelf speakers and a 12" powered sub over and totally blew the 901s away. He ended up selling the 901s.
I've had my 601 Series III for 36 years. They have a very large sound and it's right to note that their imaging isn't as good as something you can buy now. Hopefully Bose can figure out a cleaner and more concise speaker for today's digital formats.
Doctor Bose was incredible, they named a part of M.I.T after him, and that brings money to McIntosh from M.I.T Because you have to have money for R&D.and McIntosh knows it's not every day you will sale 10k amp at dealer stores, if you can find a brick and motar store, I don't think Doctor Bose had critical audiophile listening in mind when he designed the 901's but was trying to simulate concert refective sound one will hear in a big hall, when listening to a orchestra their is no treble, midrange and bass knobs, just FULL range sound, everyone interpret sound in their own way, i remember when they appeared on the market and they were the cat's meow!! I had a pair and i didn't install them near a corner and room placement was not an issue if you followed the instructions. Doctor Bose wrote various papers on Acoustics that M.I.T has. I lot of people hated on Doctor Bose designs, but if you read his papers, you will understand the man and his research. Remember: Better sound though research BOSE
I have 2 of the newer lifestyle systems and they’re superb. The have 10” drivers in the subs unlike the older ones with 6” bass drivers, the wife loves the size of the speakers and for tv/movies it’s great. The system are also simple to use and setup. It’s not hifi, I have a separate system for that kef/onkyo. But for the size the lifestyle 650 is great. We have a couple of the Bluetooth speakers, flex and soundlink max, again both are really good, the max has some serious bass too, anyone who hates bose I recommend you have a listen to some of the latest kit as it is really good.
I knew a guy that added a set of Aperion super tweeters to some Bose 901. It turned out really well, actually. The highs were much better(obviously) IDK if he ever added a subwoofer to the system but he said he was going to.
I actually collect a lot of audio gear and i love the Bose 301, when used properly, and of course their headphones. I did land on a super nice pair of 901 last year. I was so disappointed, I sold them to a regular buyer for $50. To be fair, didn’t have the EQ with them
Ok, here's my 901 story. I grew up a poor farm kid so didn't buy ready made speakers-I bult them. Mid 70s you could get the Bose patent from Speakerlab up in Seattle that included a diagram of the eq used. I bought my speakers from McGee radio (they were suppose to be direct replacement) out of KC and built my first set in early 80s. Powered up with Yamaha M70 200 watt channel amp. Used 10 band eq for my eq. Tried to make eq from patent but wasn't up enough on schematics to get it done. (prof at college said I should be an electrical engineer instead of mechanical after showed him what I was trying to do). Lived with my homemade a few years. Ended up making some homemade Klipsch khorns. Here's my thoughts on the original design. Not real powerful low bass. You could overdrive speaker if not careful. Highs not real sparkly. Mids ok but nowhere near the precise sound of my khorns (used an Audax 6.5 midrange high efficiency driver). In college early 80s someone had a pair of the later models and they filled the dorm commons area with sound for parties. Bose marketed a quad set with their 1801 power amp in early 70s. Would have helped with bass. I sold my pair to brother in law. Not sure he still has them. Can't remember if they had foam or cloth surround. Still listening to my homebuilt khorns. Added tractrix horn to 6.5 midrange and using dsp built into Yamaha receiver to eq them.
I had a pair that I purchased for 600 in 1985. I loved them. Did they have some deficient bass? Yes but I still loved them. My daughter still has them.
The “new/resurrected” 901 is, I believe a very limited production bespoke vanity project collaboration between Bose and Kith. They may well sound just fine, but I don’t think should be considered a serious return of the design.
I remember the first time I heard these speakers it was a large mostly untreated room with marble floors 12 to 14 foot ceiling and the room had just enough echo and they sounded awesome listening to Billy Ocean Caribbean Queen . the area rug and couches helped break reflection just enough to sound good ..
I'm a long time fan of Gene's, he's the best! But I had a funny thought. Can you imagine sitting next to Gene on an airplane? He pulls out 3 different sets of headphones, probably taking notes. If you didn't know he was a bona fide expert you might be wondering 'what's up with this dude?' 🤭
I've had several pairs of 901s since 1979, and have gone through the time-consuming task of refoaming the rotted surrounds. A couple of Series IV EQs were recapped with marginal improvement. The EQ seems to have one correct setting on each slider which is approx. 30% up for low frequency and about 75% for the highs. Oddly, they are supposed to be for "room correction" which I never found to be the case. In fact if the Sliders needed adjusting (particularly the Lows) placement was wrong. The worst thing you could do with them is choke them too close to a corner. When placed properly, both Bass and Highs sound good. They don't produce any kind of Soundstage with accurate Imaging. After proper placement, they certainly don't need a Sub, as the Bass is clean (not boomy nor muddy).
What people forget is that when you’re talking Bose. It has been be done in the form of a poem. … Bose in the front, bose in the back, despite the origami theres no quality to unpack.
@@TemujinScott80 only when people recite the same Bose poem over and over again. I’m actually advocating a renaissance of Bose Poem proliferation lol Show me what you got! :P
Ah the farmer loved his owl, a most exotic bird. The owl had an eye to see through darkness, and the farmer a love for the blackest of sheep, in whose wool there is no light. The farmer’s Bose were truly a special specimen, so many threads of charming inspirations woven into remarkably unique concepts. The owls ears, a feathery dish of sonic bliss, pierced the Bose woven wool pulled over the farmer’s eyes. In all the farmers love of exotic concepts, it turns out fleecing their customers wasn’t even all that exotic.
Bose reintroducing the 901s, even if just as a celebration of the brand's history rather than for sale, is a fantastic nod to its legacy. Over the years, Bose has created so many iconic products and innovations, from the legendary 901 speakers to the revolutionary Lexus suspension system, the Wave Radio, and today's industry-leading noise-canceling headphones. It would be amazing to see Bose create a modern interpretation of the Wave Radio, blending its timeless design and sound quality with today's technology.
@@cunawarit It's a gimmick devised by their inside sales team to wallop you with high cost for semi updated technology ( possibly DSP instead of analog ). Many other brands blow them away at similar / lower cost.
@Audiomainia2310 The new 901s are not for sale. Nobody will be paying for them. They are meant as a collector’s items exclusively for friends and family of Bose and Ronnie, and will not be available for purchase.
Great review but you certainly don't need artificial intelligence :) I owned 9017 college and soon tired of them. With extensive listening and research I concluded that a significant part of the problem was intermodulation distortion. The range over which the 4-inch drivers must work is not doable without significant distortion. Thanks again!
Match the 901's with the BOSE SPATIAL CONTROL RECEIVER ( 100 + 100 watts per channel). Only must is to have solid back and side walls. This is crucial for the sound quality of a live concert. I remember hearing the awesome sound at a Toronto Stereo Show (Constellation Hotel?).
Just picked up a set of 301 series 2 for free. They needed refoaming, but they are in immaculate condition. I refoamed them and put them in my system. I like them.
McBose with whizzer cones! 😀 Modern class D amps can provide very high voltages which are needed for distortion free peaks across the frequency range. Of course the immutable laws of physics come into play and the Achilles heel of this design will come into play: Doppler distortion. Playing organ music at volume will reveal this. Bass pedal notes will make the reeds sound like a cheap deck with crazy flutter! Those limits aside, the DSP can provide some serious umpf. Look what it has done with portable bluetooth audio. Of course even those are typically two way designs keeping HF out of the LF drivers. If they did this by adding a ribbon tweeter it would be a game changer.
...and they're bringing back VHS too! Perfect for living in a throwback nation. Can't wait for the console TV/Hi-fi to make a comeback so we can watch CRTs in a beanbag and easily adjust the fleshtone knob.
I feel like Bose with their full range drivers tried to do what Kef did with uni-q with a single source of sound but didn’t have the tech and used mid range drivers to produce enough sound and bass.
I would sound off my circa 82’ Boston A150’s anytime, anywhere alongside any Bose product ever made. I still tickle them with my 76’ Yamaha CA-800 and have an 80’ Sansui AU-417 for backup.
Well thanks for another Bose bashing review - I don't understand why you published it. My understanding is that the new model is a limited edition model limited to 10 pairs. In spite of many negative comments, many people just listen to them as they are fun to listed to - not accurate but fun. For many people that is what it's all about.
To change and improve the 901s sound, I figured out to feed them 500wpc of real power. They become more lively and directional . And they take all of it and stay clean.
I rejected their sound vs Braun/ADS 810 three way. Disappointing because Professor Bose said he had a better design. He knew that the drivers were not first rate and thereby couldn’t deliver the design promise.
I bought a pair of series 3 in 1979...used them for 20 years until technology changed. I loved them. Looked good in the room. They sounded better at higher volumes....when I listened to music, so did the neighbors lol.
I always have to laugh (not really) every time I see these super critical negative reviews of the 901. These speakers are apparently required to conform to standards that seemingly no other speaker needs to conform to. I've seen rave reviews of speakers that cost over $10,000, where the reviewer would still indicate that they would benefit from the addition of a subwoofer; preferably two of them (apparently, if you want to forego the subwoofer requirements, then $20,000 a pair would be more appropriate.) Complaints that the 901s require careful placement, as though no other speaker requires careful placement. Complaints of unfocused imaging, as though a speaker needs to provide an image so convincingly real that you could actually hear air escaping from the mouth of the singer or you could tell the difference in placement of a splash symbol as opposed to the crash symbol (as if recordings are actually engineered to sound this way); as though such failures of imaging in any live performance would make or break the experience for the audience member. Show me the measurements in a live performance where the frequency response is ruler flat. These speakers are 1968 technology with sound processing added! This was inconceivable in 1968. Sound processing is a relatively recent innovation. One can only imagine what some of the DSP processing capabilities currently available when added to the 901 along with more modern drivers could accomplish. I still have my Series II with a recapped equalizer and in my room they sound great. The cloth surrounds on the Series II required very little doping and the cabinets were in great shape. I doubt if I'll ever sell them. If I want to hear a different sound, I'll set up another set of speakers. I have full range single driver speakers that I built myself that sound awesome and I have moderately sized tower speakers that sound terrific; with satisfyingly deep bass coming from 6-in drivers. I use a sub to lower the noise floor. In any speaker system, trade-offs abound. I don't care how much you pay. As far as the Bose acquisition of Sonus Faber and And McIntosh, those potential buyers and current owners are probably shaking in their boots. Will the acquisition be good for those products? Time will tell. Those products may never be reacquired by another company ever again. Good or bad? Again. Time will tell
Hey this is not about the Bose 901 but what about the Bose Soundcraft speaker they were ok they won’t that bad I have a pair of them and I like them they do need a eq or dsp To sound there best but then a lot of other speakers still need tweaking sound they best
I reformed a pair 10 years ago, my god that will be the last time. I also wasn't impressed with them, they were okay at best. At least they were creative
With the ratings of 3.5 out of 10 that's the worst.....it's about time for Bose to level up and to reach the maximum ratings as possible, 901 model should be discontinued since listeners will think it should the same 901 as it was and not give a chance to try to listen to it anymore. ... instead build a newer one that will carry a model# with the sound result that could B&W 900D series but in affordable price never use the same 901model as it was an old being resurrected
My dad had 901s back in the 80s. He drug them from fort Lauderdale to Alabama then all the way to Dominica when he retired. I think that about killed them though. Paper cone speakers dont do well on a tropical island with no ac.
Fall of 1984, listened to Purple Rain album on my friend’s 901’s. Life changing for my young high school self at the time.
Same here! The album never sounded so bad!
I bought a pair back in 2012. I was on the verge of selling off my 901series VI speakers, until I learned of Deercreek audio and their Bose 901 EQ system. Now I can enjoy an improved sound with a subwoofer connection in the mini DSP. It has made a big improvement. Do they sound as good as modern speakers, no but I can enjoy them a bit longer. I am 80 years old and with moderate hearing loss. I can still play my old vinyls.
Happy for you honestly Enjoy it with good health!!!!!!!!!!
I still have my first system I bought in 1973. 901's on the tulip stands , A Sony 7065 receiver & a Bang & Olufson Beogram 3000 turntable.
All work & look great. But in the shed now.
I moved on but not much.
Polk SDR SRS2 speakers & a White Oak Audio rebuilt Phase Linear PL700 amp putting out 700 watts per channel @ 4 ohms . Maybe not audiophile, but pretty glorious to my ears.
I have lost my desire for anything better.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with your system. I would love to have a set of SDA SRS. They were my dream speaker when I was a teenager. Those big suckers also need every bit of that 700 watts per Channel you're giving them. You have a system that might have some age on it, but most people would love to have.
@@bradrock7731 those Bose speakers can not work properly, as all dri be ers had foam surrounds - limited life span, and to refoam the drivers would cost way more than they were ever worth.
Don't hate brother - I worked with Bose engineers and am just stating facts.
I actually just bought a pair of 901’s
Picked up the deercreek audio mini DSP it eliminated the Bose EQ .
I really wanted to here them with all my equipment .
They sound way better than I thought. Still playing with them
@@nelsonscattabingus5751 me too. Boggt a pair of IVs last year and reformed one of them. Been playing with EQ and they're pretty decent.
Short term, I'll do the other and try them in the living room to have a huge sweet spot. Long term, I may replace the front speaker with a coaxial 4" so there's a real tweeter. Maybe do a little two way on the front instead.
All with active EQ.
You should try a decent pair of speakers some time, you will be pleasantly surprised.
A buddy of mine had a pair of 901's he bought in the late 80's. He ran them through a massive Kenwood power amp and pre amp, a Kenwood totl parametric eq, cd player and cassette deck .
He had them hung from the living room ceiling in a rectangular room about 22ft. X. 14ft.
They sounded increadible. They were loud, clean and of course airy. They had ample bass. They are still memorable to myself imo.
I don't care what the audiophiles say. In his set up they sounded great.
One of my friends had a 901 system in the early nineties. It only sounded good with ambient music and light music playing low never had a sub with them. He later upgraded to a Sonos system before he passed. I think audiophiles avoided Bose 901 because of the mandatory equalizer. Subsequently I believe either the 401 or the 501 was considered the best sounding Bose music only loudspeaker ( non A/V system). I don’t remember which.😊
Decades ago, my father once sold Bose products and he told me that Bose speakers alone were questionable, but coupled with the Bose algorithm, they could be magical. It was the first time I heard of the word “algorithm” and ever since, I only ever looked into Bose products if there was an improvement in the algorithm over the hardware.
The solution is to ad $10,000 Audioquest speaker cables.
Hahaha! I appreciate your sarcasm. Yeah, if one has to spend hundreds and even thousands of dollars to improve the sound of those Bose 901s, there are so many speaker better options out there.
It's too bad because I liked the aesthetic design of those 901 speakers, but form must follow function, so if they sound hopeless, no modernist design can compensate for that. :)
@@rogerboretskyjr5651 you mean $100,000 cables like the ones Jay uses on his UA-cam channel lol
Here's a 901 story: A friend of mine went to Pacific Stereo and was talked into buying a system with the series 3s. I went over to hear them, and they sounded really dull. He thought that they sounded fine. This really bothered me,as I couldn't believe that they could sound so shitty. I looked around on his Kenwood receiver and found the tape monitor button, pushed it,and presto! He looked at me like he'd heard music for the first time. They still had deficiencies, though, and a few years later the foam disintegrated! I like my Maggies😊
Bose doesn’t deserve the hate. Their passive speakers are unique, extremely durable, take tons of power, and are technically capable drivers that eq great. They are midfi, though they put out lots of sound for the size.
Their modern commercial line of speakers are actually very impressive.
Easy to admit their lifestyle crap was a big marketing ploy.
I Still Have My 1978 Bose 901 Series IV That My Parents Got Me For My ( 12th Birthday ) With The Chrome Stands ) 😊 And They Are ( Impeccable) Not ( 1 Scratch ) Or Dent On Them 😊 And Now Here It Is The End Of 2024 And Bose Are Back At It Once Again Talking About Their Mind Blowing MASTERPIECE ❤
That's a hell of a birthday present for a 12 year old. Even back then.
@dextermorgan1 Lol Back In 1978 They Was Only ( $475.00 ) A Pair I Was Driving Them With A ( Pioneer SX-1980 ) I'm 58 Now Driving A McIntosh MHT 300 With Bowers & Wilkins 801D4
@dextermorgan1 that was an expensive gift back then especially a speaker like that for a 12 yearold!!
@brooklynknightss Now How Is A Pair Of $475.00 Speaker's A Lot At 12 I Had Already Been Playing Fender Stratocaster For ( 7 Year's ) And Grew Up Listening To My Dad High End Gear From Day ( 1 ) That's McIntosh & Bowers & Wilkins Flagship So In Response To What You Just Said That's BULLSHIT
@darrylfleet3773 i just said its a an expensive gift at that time, especially its unusual at that age to get a high-end speaker for a 12 yearold to get speakers like that at that time. Listen its all good! No reason to get crazy and upset!! Im glad for you! Todays dollars thats equivalent to 2000.00!! If you dont think giving a 12 yearold a 2000 dollar gift to day isnt expensive then whats a cheap gift???
I’ve owned a pair of Bose 901 speakers for over forty years. I have a testament to their quality that I love. I appreciate their boldness that they offer (ed) in their look for their time. The sounds with the receiver I’m pushing them with really makes them sound crisp on the high end. Saying that I have added a self powered klipsch 500 watt woofer that makes the bass jump in your chest. I too am anxious in seeing what Bose can do with the reinvention and release of a speaker. I for one enjoy daring innovation of technology it takes a lot of heart to take the challenge and criticism that Bose has endured
A friend of mine who owns a high end a/v store said the Bose rep told him Bose bought Macintosh & SF to expand their car audio line. That's where bose makes most of their money & home audio is only a small portion compared to what they make in the car audio market. What do you think?
My uncle Jim had a pair of the series 1. Played by an early 70s Marantz receiver, I thought that they were listenable. That room was fully carpeted. But, later on I had a different encounter. At a pool party, the host had the series 2. That was powered by a rather powerful late 70s Kenwood receiver. The room had nothing on the floor but a small rug. That room was very lively. As a result (and probably how he had those equalized), that system sounded better top to bottom. The highs and midrange were very pleasant. But, the bass shook the room with very little boominess.
Nail on the head , placement , placement, they worked for me for a solid 5 years .
So many European and middle eastern small cinemas had 5 x Bose 901(s) behind the screen and sounded amazing in the pre digital soundtrack age.
That’s cool
How does one reflect sound from a back wall through a screen and remotely sound accurate?
@@Audiomainia2310 aren't they all acoustic transparent material?
@chebrubin They claim so in marketing - in reality, no.
Just an FYI - till 2013 Bose were actually produced in MA / they've since offshored production to Singapore and Malaysia. So the series 6 901 - not made here.
There was a theater in Hollywood CA, that used all 901's for the sound system. I saw Pink Floyd The Wall there. It was fantastic!
I remember those Bose in the 70s and their cube series were all the rage in the 90s. I never went with them for home audio except for the wave radio and CD player bought used like my Dad had back in the day. I have their NC 700 cans and Bluetooth portable speakers and they work well. Thanks for the video. Rock on Gene.
In my military days back in the 80’s a buddy had a pair in the dorm room. The sound enveloped the entire room it was pretty cool.
@@Carl-bd1rf that’s awesome! I love room filling audio technologies.
I ran my 901's with a separate Power Amp(350/wRms measured at 20Kz. With that power rating, I still clipped content. Even so I enjoyed the 901's very much.
Someone mentioned console TV’s too.
Excluding the fact my parents still have their first year General Electric Widescreen 1000…
I used to work at Circuit City from 87-94 and a stint at Good Guys. Selling 901’s was a big deal at CC. Bose reps and CC higher ups wanted to make sure staff sold the story and concept of the 901’s. Don’t get me started about the AM5’s.
Anyways, selling 901’s required using psychology if clients liked something else in the price range. If the wife liked the 901’s then you didn’t have to do much except pander to her.
I personally never cared for them. However, I did like the fact that many customers would hang them from the ceiling and not use stands.
I'll give credit to bose for their headphones and Bluetooth speakers which are pretty decent products
And that's all I'll give Bose credit for.
Bose...What I remember is being blown away when hearing them for the first time in 1976, stoned in Mr. Goodbar. One pair set up in the back of a huge room would rock the entire place. Got a Series 3 and five years later the speakers had disintegrated and after much wrangling 'Bose' agreed to replace them with Series 6, for 'shipping' & 300 bucks. They never matched my first impression when in the home setting, they still looked impressive though. I finally 'graduated' to Sonus 10 years ago and don't regret the move at all. YMMV
My first 901 series 2 (901 II) in 1974… blew away everyone and everything from 9th grade through senior year in college using a Pioneer sx1250 (after upgrading from a Kenwood 7400)… even got a Phase Linear in the early 2000’s to power 2 pairs of 901 II’s…and now got a third pair for the lake house…yes my Focal Sopra’s are more accurate blah blah but they will never give me and my friends as much fun as the 901’s did when I was growing up…original pair is now 50 yrs old and they still can punch big sound…series II and proper placement are essential
A friend of mine had the Bose Super System 2 pairs of 901 Type II and the Bose Amp.
The amp was 500 watts per Channel !!!! The lights in the house would dim when switched on!
You could fry an egg on top of the 2 large heat sinks. The amp had 2 very large white VU meters. I've have never heard a system kick like that system . No lows must be Bose - I think the neighbors and police will disagree.. we shook the windows next door!!!!
I was in a college dorm, 1972…I had my brother's hand-me-downs …Sansui integrated amp, Acoustic Research Turntable, Dynaco Speakers…not too shabby…but I will never forget going down the hall to a party in this rich-kid's room where he had a McIntosh Amp powering a pair of Bose 901s playing The Rolling Stones "Sympathy for the Devil"…and I was BLOWN AWAY by the experience. Stays with me to this day….I was young…and stoned…and at the time it was complete Nirvana… Times change I guess…
Times do change, yes. They also stay the same. I'm old, and stoned at the moment. 😊
I'm also currently listening to my Revel F 206's powered by a Monolith amp. It's nothing special but it sounds great. Have a good night 😊
Those Revels look COOL! Times do change….I am clean & sober 22 years 😅 have a pair of DynAudio Contour 20s, some REL subs and finally got my McIntosh amp…an MC152…..Fun times!
@@dextermorgan1I love my F206s!
None of these names relate to the names that were established way back in the day. They used to be actual separate little companies, Marantz, Pioneer, McIntosh, JBL, .... the names have been bought and sold many times since then. Just like Masimo Corporation, which bought Sound United, is talking about closing that division down after the purchase did not provide anywhere near the ROI they expected. They own: Bowers & Wilkins, Denon, Marantz, Polk Audio, Definitive Technology, Classé, HEOS, and Boston Acoustics. Maybe some other company will by some of those names. But then at this point what does a name mean?
@@glenncurry3041 yeah, most are just empty shells of their founders vision. When the inspiration of leadership suffers keyman-risk and falls into the direction of the accountants.
Very Well Spoken 100% True Word's Indeed My Brother 😊
I remember a band mate bought them along with Bang and Olufsen back in the late 1970's. We were teenagers then, and they sounded good, but were lacking in the bass section. He was pretty impressed with them at the time. He played guitar and I was a drummer. Hopefully they improved the drivers and crossover systems to keep up with todays tech..
I bought a pair of 901 Continentals with the tulip stands when they first came out. Powered them for 30years with a Carver amp at 150 wpc. I sold them 2 years ago to a vintage audio store with the stands for $400. All 18 drivers needed refoamed. There must be a market for vintage 901s.
In 1987, I was an airman stationed in West Germany. All of us young, single guys were stuck in dorms and had nothing to spend our money on but beer and stereos. The BXs knew this and the largest ones had massive audio departments with a full array of brands. I was browsing one of the larger stores one time and the salesman and I started chatting about speakers. The 901s were in a premier location within the store and I'm sure, based on their popularity (and top-notch marketing), were a best seller. He said, "Here, let me show you something. Most people think these are pretty good." I agreed and then he put on a CD (new tech!) of the 1812 Overture and cranked it The sound wasn't to my liking, but you know...fine for symphonic, I guess. And then came the cannons and the 901s fell right on their face. The cannons sounded like massively distorted dog farts. Then he played the same track through different speakers that sounded amazing. Truly night and day. (I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't remember what speakers he demo'd next.) Only one airman on my floor had 901s and everyone else went with something else. I went with a pair of B&W that I still own to this day. Thanks for the review. I love hearing about retro stereo gear.
I had a pair of the series 4 for 10 years. I bought them in 1978. I always had them set up in an ideal setting. I thought they sounded fantastic, and anybody I had over thought they were awesome too! I think most of the haters out there never heard them when they were properly setup, or never even heard them at all!
During the late 1970's, I went with some friends to check out a local band at a basketball court in a High School. They had the 901's playing music until the band showed. I noticed that the rear part of the 901's was facing us. So for a small venue or room these speakers were acting here as a PA speaker, more than anything. I remember they had playing Heart's Dog and Butterfly album and it sounded great, like the band was there. I have never listed to these speakers in a more typical home music listening set up.
My first pair of speakers was the Bose 301. First edition. I loved them for a party speaker. I’ve moved on, but have good memories.
Long ago at my local HiFi store got to hear the original 901, preferred the Henry Kloss Advent.
I love my 901s. I was fortunate enough to get a set of them w/EQ before they discontinued them a few years ago. Thanks for the post 👍
I had a pair in 1986 and the biggest issue that most ran into was the reflecting wall. I'd seen some brainiacs with the wedge side facing the listing space, so ... In my case, my listening room had lath and plaster walls, with the bounce wall's windows high up near the 12' ceiling, so the reflectivity was outstanding and I didn't run into the complaints that you're mentioning here. As for the sound in my environment, it was simply amazing. I drove the speakers with a pair of Crown single-channel club amps and the Bose equalizer unit handled things wonderfully. You want to hear them properly, listen to the original Telarc release of Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's "Firebird Suite" (on vinyl if possible).
This system seems to have ignored the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) design philosophy and gone with a new one, KIC (Keep It Complex.) If they had added a tweeter they could have eliminated half of the 901's shortcumings.
When hooked up to a powerful amplifier they could play like a PA system, when in high school we had an auditorium show by a retired recording guy, he used a single 901 and used it to explain the studio recording process, it was plenty loud.
You are spot on about the drivers, they are very basic with ho-hum specs. Here are the specifications: size 4.5 inches, an impedance of 1 ohm, power handling of 30 watts RMS and 60 watts max, a frequency response of 83 Hz to 15,000 Hz, a sensitivity of 91.5 dB at 1 watt and 1 meter, a voice coil diameter of 1 inch, a 12 oz magnet, and a blue paper cone with foam surround.
Very mid quality and specs, even by 1968 standards. These old systems could be vastly improved by upgrading the drivers, but I doubt anyone will bother doing it.
EPI did something close to what you’re alluding in ‘71; Model 601. Famous for their very affordable and flexible 2-way modules (either 6” or 8” paper cone butyl rubber surround woofer and inverted dome tweeter, they incorporated a pair of the former on the back, and a single of the later on the front. This was one of the brands I sold during an early career in the hi-fi business, and owned at least three different models of them (50/100&150). I even emulated some of the design aspects of the 201 in one of my last DIY builds about 8 years ago,. While we sold hundreds of pairs of the three single module designs, and probably several times more of the M75 /MT1 that used a pair of 4” full range drivers rather similar to that employed in the 901, don’t have a distinct memory of ever selling any of the 601 or 602.
The new 901 will feature speakers that you can twist in their mounting holes to adjust volume and tone, and the actual sound will come out of the amplifier heat sinks.
McIntosh will now have amplifiers with 8 VU meters facing backwards and 1 forward.
Sonus Faber will be renamed Faber Sonus and will boast all passive radiators and long excursion wood cabinets that vibrate to the electrical signal input.
The Bose 901s were the first "real" speakers I heard from a "real" stereo system. Back in 1988 a work buddy had an audio listening room with a pair of piano gloss Bose 901s and I thought they sounded amazing at the time. Back then my "dream" system included a pair of Cerwin Vega's with 16" woofers.... Today I'm still spending money on speakers and headphones I don't need, but love.
Happy you're making videos again . I am digging this channel.
Please so some comparison tests with sonos speakers and sound bar
I'll post an extensive explanation of how I reengineed these speakers turning them from a sows ear into a silk purse in a day or two.. It was not easy. First try failed. second try took four years. Results were excellent.
Looking like a movie star in the thumbnail Gene! I wonder when your new blockbuster's coming out so we can get it into our living rooms!
The biggest mistake of my audio career was buying a pair of 901s in the 70’s. Sold them a month later for a loss.
I lost my new 901s through a divorce.
So grateful i am now.
I never have to wake with either in my home.
She took your speakers!?
@lawrence09151 she took my poor blind taste
😂 Wow
@luca😂shinch
My Dad had the 901s and a monster Pioneer integrated receiver. I wasn't allowed to touch any of it but I got to hear plenty of it. My friend took the drives and put them into a home made speaker cabinets. They didn't sound good and I don't think we knew about the external crossover. I wish he was around to hear my setup now.
Gene - every single word Chat GPT spit out was exactly spot on accurate.
I trained 20 Bose engineers at their corporate facility in MA in 2012 using NX cad software from Siemens. Theres a reason the series lasted so long - extensive money in promotions, dealers that could display the system only in a controled listening environment, and were peanalized for not pushing their products over anything else they sold.
Back to the antiquated technology - people, many customers found out that outside of the controlled listening environment, at home the experience was not what was anticipated. Without dedicated tweeters and bass / mid bass modules, theres simply no way to reproduce the full bandwidth of 20 hz to 20,000 hz. Its simply impossible. Their eq system tried to curve the soundfield, but lets be honest - theres no way a 4* paper driver can accurately reproduce the sound spectrum.
These are distinctive design pieces, nothing more.
And yeah, no highs no lows - must be Bose / very much applicable. No serious audiophile would expend money on this line
This is the video ive been waiting for!
As a musician, I had four Bose 800 speakers. When the 900 were released, I added two of them to our stack. I quickly returned them for a refund. The 800 are much clearer and with more punch. The 900 sound OK but not if you compare them to the 800. For home stereo, Tannoy is a far better option.
The Bose 901s... Enthusiasts either love or hate them. For some they take design ques from floodlights and sound their best when set on fire, in the bottom of a garbage dump. For others, they are one of the greatest speakers ever. As an audio enthusiast myself, I prefer to keep well away from either camp as I do not have personal experience with them. The unifying thing, however, and I think all true enthusiasts will agree upon, is the music. Thus I will curtsy out of respect to either side of the Bose divide. 😊😊😊
I can’t say I disagree with you-I’d happily swap our 901s out for something else. But my wife absolutely loves how they look, and let’s just say… the 901s aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Trust me, I’ve tried. Multiple times. 😂
Bose has a long history which speaks for itself. The fact that they now have a stable that includes Macintosh speaks volumes. All the noise/ negative campaigning won't stop them from making a gazillion dollars. When part of the complaint is that Bose is a cultural artifact... well ,think of that!
The picture of the drivers is from a late version. Also the speaker you showed is ported.
Please listen to the 901 Type II a totally different driver. Not ported. not plastic .
The 901 Type II is the best 901 ever produced. Plenty of bass and can handle 400 watts!
No foam surrounds to rot. My original's are still perfect. The 901 type II are wood with beautiful real walnut veneer.
Go get a pair of 901's Type II's and a Vintage Pioneer SX1250 at 165 watts per channel and you'll be blown away! Speaker placement is critical. Plus wife's love that there are not 2 giant cabinets in their living space!!
I've never understood why people liked them. A buddy of mine had a pair several years ago, just went on and on about how great they sounded. I took a pair of moderately priced bookshelf speakers and a 12" powered sub over and totally blew the 901s away. He ended up selling the 901s.
Loved the 501 and 601 speakers from back then. They were very popular especially the 501s.
Indeed 501 & 601 Cool BUT The 701 Was A Beast Also 😊
@ Ohh yess
I've had my 601 Series III for 36 years. They have a very large sound and it's right to note that their imaging isn't as good as something you can buy now. Hopefully Bose can figure out a cleaner and more concise speaker for today's digital formats.
Doctor Bose was incredible, they named a part of M.I.T after him, and that brings money to McIntosh from M.I.T
Because you have to have money for R&D.and McIntosh knows it's not every day you will sale 10k amp at dealer stores, if you can find a brick and motar store, I don't think Doctor Bose had critical audiophile listening in mind when he designed the 901's but was trying to simulate concert refective sound one will hear in a big hall, when listening to a orchestra their is no treble, midrange and bass knobs, just FULL range sound, everyone interpret sound in their own way, i remember when they appeared on the market and they were the cat's meow!! I had a pair and i didn't install them near a corner and room placement was not an issue if you followed the instructions. Doctor Bose wrote various papers on Acoustics that M.I.T has.
I lot of people hated on Doctor Bose designs, but if you read his papers, you will understand the man and his research.
Remember: Better sound though research BOSE
I have 2 of the newer lifestyle systems and they’re superb. The have 10” drivers in the subs unlike the older ones with 6” bass drivers, the wife loves the size of the speakers and for tv/movies it’s great. The system are also simple to use and setup. It’s not hifi, I have a separate system for that kef/onkyo. But for the size the lifestyle 650 is great. We have a couple of the Bluetooth speakers, flex and soundlink max, again both are really good, the max has some serious bass too, anyone who hates bose I recommend you have a listen to some of the latest kit as it is really good.
I knew a guy that added a set of Aperion super tweeters to some Bose 901. It turned out really well, actually. The highs were much better(obviously) IDK if he ever added a subwoofer to the system but he said he was going to.
Now that you did this, Please do one for the Legendary Klipschorn speaker, which has been in continuous production since 1946.
I actually collect a lot of audio gear and i love the Bose 301, when used properly, and of course their headphones. I did land on a super nice pair of 901 last year. I was so disappointed, I sold them to a regular buyer for $50. To be fair, didn’t have the EQ with them
As far as I have heard, Bose is the reference standard when it comes to high quality headsets for pilots in commercial aviation 🤠
Ok, here's my 901 story. I grew up a poor farm kid so didn't buy ready made speakers-I bult them. Mid 70s you could get the Bose patent from Speakerlab up in Seattle that included a diagram of the eq used. I bought my speakers from McGee radio (they were suppose to be direct replacement) out of KC and built my first set in early 80s. Powered up with Yamaha M70 200 watt channel amp. Used 10 band eq for my eq. Tried to make eq from patent but wasn't up enough on schematics to get it done. (prof at college said I should be an electrical engineer instead of mechanical after showed him what I was trying to do). Lived with my homemade a few years. Ended up making some homemade Klipsch khorns. Here's my thoughts on the original design. Not real powerful low bass. You could overdrive speaker if not careful. Highs not real sparkly. Mids ok but nowhere near the precise sound of my khorns (used an Audax 6.5 midrange high efficiency driver). In college early 80s someone had a pair of the later models and they filled the dorm commons area with sound for parties. Bose marketed a quad set with their 1801 power amp in early 70s. Would have helped with bass. I sold my pair to brother in law. Not sure he still has them. Can't remember if they had foam or cloth surround. Still listening to my homebuilt khorns. Added tractrix horn to 6.5 midrange and using dsp built into Yamaha receiver to eq them.
I had a pair that I purchased for 600 in 1985. I loved them. Did they have some deficient bass? Yes but I still loved them. My daughter still has them.
The “new/resurrected” 901 is, I believe a very limited production bespoke vanity project collaboration between Bose and Kith. They may well sound just fine, but I don’t think should be considered a serious return of the design.
I still have my Bose 601 from 1978. Are they worth keeping ?
I remember the first time I heard these speakers it was a large mostly untreated room with marble floors 12 to 14 foot ceiling and the room had just enough echo and they sounded awesome listening to Billy Ocean Caribbean Queen . the area rug and couches helped break reflection just enough to sound good ..
I'm a long time fan of Gene's, he's the best! But I had a funny thought. Can you imagine sitting next to Gene on an airplane? He pulls out 3 different sets of headphones, probably taking notes. If you didn't know he was a bona fide expert you might be wondering 'what's up with this dude?' 🤭
Can't wait to hear the updated 901s.
Can’t Wait to
I've had several pairs of 901s since 1979, and have gone through the time-consuming task of refoaming the rotted surrounds. A couple of Series IV EQs were recapped with marginal improvement.
The EQ seems to have one correct setting on each slider which is approx. 30% up for low frequency and about 75% for the highs. Oddly, they are supposed to be for "room correction" which I never found to be the case. In fact if the Sliders needed adjusting (particularly the Lows) placement was wrong. The worst thing you could do with them is choke them too close to a corner. When placed properly, both Bass and Highs sound good. They don't produce any kind of Soundstage with accurate Imaging. After proper placement, they certainly don't need a Sub, as the Bass is clean (not boomy nor muddy).
What people forget is that when you’re talking Bose. It has been be done in the form of a poem.
…
Bose in the front, bose in the back, despite the origami theres no quality to unpack.
@@SwirlingDragonMist that’s so old…. And played out
@@TemujinScott80,so then try my rhymes: I don’t love highs and I can’t stand lows definitely kicking it with the one called Bose!😂😂😂
@@TemujinScott80 only when people recite the same Bose poem over and over again. I’m actually advocating a renaissance of Bose Poem proliferation lol
Show me what you got! :P
Ah the farmer loved his owl, a most exotic bird. The owl had an eye to see through darkness, and the farmer a love for the blackest of sheep, in whose wool there is no light.
The farmer’s Bose were truly a special specimen, so many threads of charming inspirations woven into remarkably unique concepts. The owls ears, a feathery dish of sonic bliss, pierced the Bose woven wool pulled over the farmer’s eyes. In all the farmers love of exotic concepts, it turns out fleecing their customers wasn’t even all that exotic.
@TemujinScott80 your 901 are played out, 🗑.
Bose reintroducing the 901s, even if just as a celebration of the brand's history rather than for sale, is a fantastic nod to its legacy. Over the years, Bose has created so many iconic products and innovations, from the legendary 901 speakers to the revolutionary Lexus suspension system, the Wave Radio, and today's industry-leading noise-canceling headphones. It would be amazing to see Bose create a modern interpretation of the Wave Radio, blending its timeless design and sound quality with today's technology.
@@cunawarit It's a gimmick devised by their inside sales team to wallop you with high cost for semi updated technology ( possibly DSP instead of analog ).
Many other brands blow them away at similar / lower cost.
@Audiomainia2310 The new 901s are not for sale. Nobody will be paying for them. They are meant as a collector’s items exclusively for friends and family of Bose and Ronnie, and will not be available for purchase.
Old school Bose was SOLID engineering, I'm kinda excited for this merger
Not so sure about the older Bose products but the latest 12 speaker premium Bose Mazda sound system sounds pretty good for any vehicle under $70k
Great review but you certainly don't need artificial intelligence :) I owned 9017 college and soon tired of them. With extensive listening and research I concluded that a significant part of the problem was intermodulation distortion. The range over which the 4-inch drivers must work is not doable without significant distortion. Thanks again!
Match the 901's with the BOSE SPATIAL CONTROL RECEIVER ( 100 + 100 watts per channel). Only must is to have solid back and side walls. This is crucial for the sound quality of a live concert. I remember hearing the awesome sound at a Toronto Stereo Show (Constellation Hotel?).
Just picked up a set of 301 series 2 for free. They needed refoaming, but they are in immaculate condition. I refoamed them and put them in my system. I like them.
301s were way better imo. Totally different design
McBose with whizzer cones! 😀
Modern class D amps can provide very high voltages which are needed for distortion free peaks across the frequency range. Of course the immutable laws of physics come into play and the Achilles heel of this design will come into play: Doppler distortion. Playing organ music at volume will reveal this. Bass pedal notes will make the reeds sound like a cheap deck with crazy flutter!
Those limits aside, the DSP can provide some serious umpf. Look what it has done with portable bluetooth audio. Of course even those are typically two way designs keeping HF out of the LF drivers. If they did this by adding a ribbon tweeter it would be a game changer.
...and they're bringing back VHS too! Perfect for living in a throwback nation. Can't wait for the console TV/Hi-fi to make a comeback so we can watch CRTs in a beanbag and easily adjust the fleshtone knob.
I feel like Bose with their full range drivers tried to do what Kef did with uni-q with a single source of sound but didn’t have the tech and used mid range drivers to produce enough sound and bass.
I would sound off my circa 82’ Boston A150’s anytime, anywhere alongside any Bose product ever made.
I still tickle them with my 76’ Yamaha CA-800 and have an 80’ Sansui AU-417 for backup.
Thanks a lot! My parents? Grandparents? I was repping others like AR, Cerwin Vega, RTR, ... when the 901 came out.
Well thanks for another Bose bashing review - I don't understand why you published it. My understanding is that the new model is a limited edition model limited to 10 pairs. In spite of many negative comments, many people just listen to them as they are fun to listed to - not accurate but fun. For many people that is what it's all about.
BOSE 901 review from Gene of all people. Is this the jump the shark moment?
To change and improve the 901s sound, I figured out to feed them 500wpc of real power. They become more lively and directional . And they take all of it and stay clean.
suuuure do you stay clean too??
I rejected their sound vs Braun/ADS 810 three way. Disappointing because Professor Bose said he had a better design. He knew that the drivers were not first rate and thereby couldn’t deliver the design promise.
Bose being a brand name is singular. Bose is back as opposed to are back.
If you want speakers with diffuse sound get some old deftech towers or polk sda
Best speaker Bose ever made. (50ish years ago)
I will say that I do like their aesthetic.
I bought a pair of series 3 in 1979...used them for 20 years until technology changed. I loved them. Looked good in the room. They sounded better at higher volumes....when I listened to music, so did the neighbors lol.
Take out the 4" stock drivers and replace with concentric 2-way woofer/tweeter combos from Kef or Tannoy.
Then add a subwoofer and a better EQ.
@@pjo1964 In other words, get a different speaker.
Ever talked about the 601?
Gene that cant be you in the Thumbnail pic? Ai?
The Bose 901 speakers look like the same speakers that are in the doors of Fords
Is it really a "DSP box"? Thought it was simply an active, old-school/analog crossover? ("D" = digital?)
I misspoke initially. It was all analog. Hopefully, the new version will be DSP driven.
Why bring back junk!
I always have to laugh (not really) every time I see these super critical negative reviews of the 901. These speakers are apparently required to conform to standards that seemingly no other speaker needs to conform to.
I've seen rave reviews of speakers that cost over $10,000, where the reviewer would still indicate that they would benefit from the addition of a subwoofer; preferably two of them (apparently, if you want to forego the subwoofer requirements, then $20,000 a pair would be more appropriate.)
Complaints that the 901s require careful placement, as though no other speaker requires careful placement. Complaints of unfocused imaging, as though a speaker needs to provide an image so convincingly real that you could actually hear air escaping from the mouth of the singer or you could tell the difference in placement of a splash symbol as opposed to the crash symbol (as if recordings are actually engineered to sound this way); as though such failures of imaging in any live performance would make or break the experience for the audience member. Show me the measurements in a live performance where the frequency response is ruler flat.
These speakers are 1968 technology with sound processing added! This was inconceivable in 1968. Sound processing is a relatively recent innovation. One can only imagine what some of the DSP processing capabilities currently available when added to the 901 along with more modern drivers could accomplish.
I still have my Series II with a recapped equalizer and in my room they sound great. The cloth surrounds on the Series II required very little doping and the cabinets were in great shape. I doubt if I'll ever sell them.
If I want to hear a different sound, I'll set up another set of speakers. I have full range single driver speakers that I built myself that sound awesome and I have moderately sized tower speakers that sound terrific; with satisfyingly deep bass coming from 6-in drivers. I use a sub to lower the noise floor.
In any speaker system, trade-offs abound. I don't care how much you pay.
As far as the Bose acquisition of Sonus Faber and And McIntosh, those potential buyers and current owners are probably shaking in their boots. Will the acquisition be good for those products? Time will tell. Those products may never be reacquired by another company ever again. Good or bad? Again. Time will tell
They were discontinued in 2018 not 2014.
Hey this is not about the Bose 901 but what about the Bose Soundcraft speaker they were ok they won’t that bad I have a pair of them and I like them they do need a eq or dsp To sound there best but then a lot of other speakers still need tweaking sound they best
I reformed a pair 10 years ago, my god that will be the last time. I also wasn't impressed with them, they were okay at best. At least they were creative
With the ratings of 3.5 out of 10 that's the worst.....it's about time for Bose to level up and to reach the maximum ratings as possible, 901 model should be discontinued since listeners will think it should the same 901 as it was and not give a chance to try to listen to it anymore. ... instead build a newer one that will carry a model# with the sound result that could B&W 900D series but in affordable price never use the same 901model as it was an old being resurrected
is that Amir in the thumbnail?
My dad had 901s back in the 80s. He drug them from fort Lauderdale to Alabama then all the way to Dominica when he retired. I think that about killed them though. Paper cone speakers dont do well on a tropical island with no ac.