I’ve owned a pair of 901’s for over 20 years. I was introduced to this speaker as a teenager, my father friend had the series 4 in his home, pushed by a McIntosh 2105 amplifier. To be honest, I don’t know who writes these reviews and what kind of music is being played but IMO these are the best speakers for the price and sound quality. Currently, I use mine with the McIntosh 2505 amp, the music is clean and stress free and is cranked up quite often. Crisp highs, clean mids with a strong mid bass. I also use a REL sub for the lows. Placement is absolutely crucial but once achieved, it’s musical bliss. I listen to Reggae, Soca, R&B and old school hip hop. So anyone who reads my thread, please don’t listen to all the negative reviews on this speaker. This speaker is amazing for my taste.
@dennylegendre6048 The people who write these reviews are people who often, such as myself, have a lifetime in audio, starting professionally in the 80s. Or, like Gene, who also has not only been devoted to audio his entire life, but also has a degree in Electrical Engineering. Plus many, many, many more. People who have not just listened to this one model and brand for the last two decades (not counting your father's friend). They/we have listened to thousands of pieces of audio gear over the years. And hundreds upon hundreds of different speaker brands and models. I consider people like Gene invaluable, because, unlike someone like Steve Guttenberg, who just says, "Yeah, I like it. It's cool." or Andrew Robinson, who says, "I'll say it's good, when do I get paid?", Gene or Erin's Audio Corner both bring actual measurements to their evaluations. Objective data is something that eliminates the problems imposed by opinion, or greed. They clearly delineate any speaker's performance characteristics. So, between experience, education, and objective measurements, virtually every professional in the field has evaluated the Bose 901s as poor performers. That's not a coincidence. And I would DEFINITELY listen to the vast sea of people who have not only said that the speakers are not very good, but have also demonstrated why. The measure of a speaker is not that they play loud. Or that they sound good to one person who has basically no oexperience with any other speakers. Perhaps if you actually heeded some of the advice, you would arrange for an in-home demo of some other speakers. Since (I think) 1959, Klipsch has made some of the most efficient speakers ever produced, that can play louder, with less distortion, than most other speakers, if that's your thing. There's the SVS towers that can really boogie. Or the Arendahl, that are exceptionally accurate. The MoFi's. The KEF's. The Buchardt's. There are dozens of great products out there with a variety of different strengths, depending on your taste. The Bose, unfortunately, isn't one of them...
@shodan6401 do you think people's ears can be wrong? IE: is hearing and audio enjoyment subjective? If you answer no to people's hearing can't technically be wrong and yes to the audio enjoyment is subjective....this would explain why equally many people enjoy bose products vs don't. What i find fascinating (and ridiculous) is that once you concede those things, people like you now fall back on "measurements" to tell you whether you like something or not. To tell you if the subjective experience of audio is good or not. Even Floyd E toole was aware of the concept that good measurements don't necessarily equate to positive perception of sound. Which is why he put such importance on double blind listening tests in his research. Im confident that many of you spec snobs would potentially vote positively of bose in such a setting.
@@sporegazm Well said. Took words out my mouth and very tactful. All I eead was blah blah blah about measurements. I’m all about good sound, separation and warm stress free music. Not new this, so I know what sounds good from what doesn’t.
@@dennylegendre6048 thx. Im glad you enjoy your speakers. And even if I don't have the same experience with the same speaker, it doesn't make you wrong or me wrong. If you have a positive audio experience...that's all that matters at the end of the day. A person who puts *too* much emphasis on measurements and data may be able to show you that it measures poorly, but if your ears like it nonetheless, does it matter? No it does not. Again, why Floyd Toole put such importance on double blind listening tests. So clearly, in the case of the bose 901's...they've done something right. Because, marketing aside, they've tickled enough ears in the right way, despite poor measurements, to have it in production and sell it for nearly 50 years. I would love a pair for nostalgic reasons myself
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 agree with James, a name so good that you say it twice - ride those bad boys with your new subwoofer into the sunset. At 80, there's no rush to change now. Enjoy your music!
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.😊
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 had a friend years ago when I was a freshman in high school (I think that was the time period. I'm going on 71 and long ago things are a little fuzzy.) Anyway, he invited me over to hear his new stereo: Marantz receiver built when Saul Marantz was in charge, a dual 1219 turntable with Shure V15 cartridge, and two Bose 901 speakers. All crammed into a tiny bedroom along with his bed, a dresser, and a couple of chairs. He put on a recording of Also Sprach Zarathustra and turned it up. It was glorious! After we listened to the whole album, he put on Iron Butterfly's In-A-Gada-Da-Vida. We reveled in the sound of the organ and drums (He played drums in our high school marching band). It was so wonderful. After all that, I went home and looked at my Montgomery Ward stereo with drop down turntable, plastic speakers with 2 tiny cones, and just cried. I went over to his house as often as I could to hear a REAL stereo. It didn't hurt that I also had a crush on his younger sister who was a year younger than me (He was a year older than me). Sigh. Those were truly magical days. PS: His sister had no interest in me at all. 😢
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 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!!!!
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.
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.
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’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
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.
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.
@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.
When the 901 was conceived it theoretically solved several problems with Hi-Fi speakers for the home. It focused on sound power rather than frequency response which made them sound bigger than they appeared. Back in the 60's tweeters were either 2" cones or horn loaded compression drivers which were very directional, whereas the 901, by using EQ, could put out a lot of HF energy. Speakers of this era also tended to be very large - at least those with extended bass - and not very living room friendly. But other Boston based speaker companies of the time addressed the same problems in different ways, most notably AR with acoustic suspension woofer loading to get deep bass in a small cabinet and dome tweeters to get broad HF coverage. As others have commented they were sensitive to the rear wall materials and relative placement to the rear wall since that reflecting surface became part of the speaker. You can imagine the difference in sound between glass patio doors vs. heavy drapes as the reflecting surface. Clever design based on real science of acoustics but as you say flawed in execution. Bose also had a penchant for making the product cheaper over time to increase profitability. Big 'improvements' like going from 4 screws per driver to 3 screws per driver always made me chuckle - the improvement was a 25% reduction in hardware!
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.
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.
The 601 series III were the apotheosis of Bose’s floorstanding speakers. The best ever by Bose. I have a pair in the basement. I also have a pair of B&W 600 series floorstanders . Those are great but I keep going back to the 601’s which are over 3 decades older. Something very special about them.
I have a set of the Bose 701 series 1 tower speakers and really like them. The dual 8” woofers in each cabinet provide super deep bass, but they do need a lot of power to sound best. This was probably the most non-traditional Bose speaker cabinet ever made. I recommend listening to these if you haven’t heard them and wish Bose would reproduce these.
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 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..
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. :)
@@TorontoJon,most audiophiles would not buy 901 over passive Bose loudspeakers like the 401,501 etc. because the 901 comes with a mandatory equalizer that follows output transformers on tube/valve amplifier’s or solid state output transistors as well. A pair of way back then advent’s would compete with either the 401 or 501. So for your 901’s all you need is Monster Cable OFC never Audioquest 😢😢😢. But Bose now owns Sonus Faber you can use your Audioquest with a pair of those.
I started in Germany with a set of series IV's. 14 years later the paper failed on most of the Drivers. Bose let me trade them in plus $500.00 and they gave me a set of Series VI's plus the equalizer. The Series VI's are tough as nails. 26 years later they are still like new. They sound even better. So much for all of the trash talk on these speakers! 🤔🤨
Gene, I'm pleasantly surprised you are discussing the Bose 901. We all know many audiophiles hate the name Bose (& any of their products). But I believe that's simply because Bose blew it when they started marketing tiny "space saving" cube speakers, satellite systems, the wave radio, etc. When Amar Bose died, the whole company changed into a marketing conglomerate, rather than focusing on sound quality. The original Bose 901 model, as well as many of the other series (301, 501, 601, etc) were phenomenal speakers UNTIL about the mid to late 1990's. Then the quality changed. Anything purchased AFTER that is basically considered "junk" by many opinions, including mine. I grew up listening to the Bose 901 & 501. I've had a pair of Bose 501 (series 4) since I was a kid. My parents bought them brand new (around 1990). I still have them, still sound phenomenal to this day. My Uncle had 2 pair of 901's (series 5 & series 6). Just 1 pair with his McIntosh or Carver equipment and placed correctly USING the equalizer purchased from Bose was astounding! Yes, they DO have very realistic & deep bass/mids/& highs for music. Place them CORRECTLY and use the equalizer (or other DSP), proper quality power, they will amaze you. Just a standard or low-powered receiver might not be the best paired with these. When my Uncle passed away, he left them to me. I'm grateful and they still sound phenomenal to this day. Many don't understand how critical the placement is so the sound can correctly reflect off the walls. It is truly immersive with a live sound stage. 70%+ of sound in a live performance is reflected. I'm a musician, I understand sound. Live sound is not "perfect," it's realistic. Many audiophiles ignore that fact. Recording studio monitors are more precise, but those are for a different purpose. It's personal preference whether you want a more live performance sound or studio track perfection. I own many other speakers from "audiophile brands" that sound completely different, & I love them too. But what the 901 & 501's are to me - realistic & natural. They bring a live performance to my room. Forget measurements, there's a place for it. But I measure with my EARS. Not with computers & numbers. What matters is how they sound to you. Some audiophiles simply don't understand or are not willing to admit some of this. They hate it just because of the name in general, or it's not "expensive enough." Use the right equipment w/ them & your ears will thank you.😊
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.
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.
I've a pair of 901 series 3 that I picked up more of a curiosity and were inexpensive. They needed all drivers refoamed and cabinets refinished but they functioned. The soundstage was big and filled the room but other than that, no big deal. I have them mounted on the tulip stands and mainly as audio decoration for their uniqueness. Had someone once call them the 'Jetson' speakers after the Saturday morning cartoon show of the 60's.
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.
Always wanted some 901s but in the mid to late 90s I was in my 20’s and had the Bose 301 book shelf versions just ran through a 12” infinity sub and powered with just a pioneer receiver. I tell you what, they sounded amazing! We then ran some Texhnics turntables for spinnin some vinyl and could turn the reducer up full bore and those little speakers would NOT distort a lick! We had some amazing parties and those rocked it hard! Great also for some Alice In Chains unplugged! Sounded like you were sitting right in front of the band! My friends loved it
I've owned 2 sets of 901s. A series IV, which I bugged / bullied my Dad into buying for me used when I was like in the eighth grade. Those sounded both amazing, and way better than anything my other friends had at the time. I will concede that they lacked bass if you pushed them. And what 14 year old doesn't want to hear his music LOUD? Highs, perhaps I had better hearing back then cause I never felt they lacked that. They did sound BIG and enveloping, especially when compared to the Advents we had before. That was VERY cool. We did live in a smaller house. Fast forward 20 years and the Series IV have been ravaged by time with all surround foams having rotted into non-existence. But then Bose introduces a program where if you turned in you old speakers, plus some small amount of money, they send you a new pair of speakers. Enter Series VI, which sit today in my house. What can I say? Somehow, even though my hearing is not what it used to be, these don't sound as good as they Series IV did. Same amp, Pioneer SA-8800. Refurbished & recapped, so it's not the amp that's failing. Maybe I've been exposed to better sound, maybe my memory is playing tricks on me. Maybe it's the larger house and the lack of nearby side walls. But I swear the Series IV sounded not only better, but way better. Maybe it's streaming the music instead of playing records & CDs... Now looking to buy another omindirectional speaker, the Ohm Walsh 4000.
You can make a comparison using the Bose 901 being similar to the Tesla Cybertruck. Both are unique and introduced pretty radical design concepts but also have lots of shortcomings. They do get people talking about them. Those tulip stands looked pretty cool imo.
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).
I'm currently driving 4 pairs of series #1 BOSE 901's in my living room with a new SVS 4000 Ultra 16 Ported... 1 amp and 901Elite EQ from Deer Creek in conjunction with a Yamaha AVR, so much sound... just can't believe what I'm hearing now in my living room... better than I've ever heard before... OG 901's are BOMB! Deer Creek got great, and way more modern EQ's for these cabinets... Love them!
Bose has made substantial material and outlook improvements since about 2015. For example, the LS overhaul they made was pretty impressive, and I never thought I’d say such a thing. So I’m curious to see what they can do with this.
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
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.
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).
the wall construction you have is ideal for most loudspeakers as its not like having 4 x 8 plasterboard flexing passive radiators out of phase destroying the sound.
I have a set..two sets in fact, of series iv , stacked. Fuller sound and although the Bose EQ corrects the tonal qualities to an extent I still run a second EQ to tweak slightly. I use the dubbing switch to add the 2nd in. Running the EQ's off the two tape loops. 175 WPC amp. And I like them. I have a second set of speakers hooked up to speakers "C" and shut the Bose EQ obviously when switched to those. Depends on the music and how loud to which I listen to. When I want it LOUD I pick the double set of 901's. I agree with a lot of what you said.. for sure I'd like a good tweeter in the mix but one of the key points about the 901's are no crossover in 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.
Bought my first pair in 1993; added a second pair around 2005. Best sound attained with a sub woofer and SAE parametric EQ along with the 901 equalizers. Still have them but they always ran a far second to my DCM Time Window 3 speakers. I'm old school and favored SAE rackmount amps and EQs. Hard for me to consider anything new and know I've been left behind.
Hi I have 2 pairs of Bose 901 series 5 and 6 and my 2 nad 2200 amps and 4 Klipsch r120 powered subs I love my system it really rocks and shakes my house. The 901s need subs it’s a must have How are the deer Creek audio 901s DSP are they better than the Bose 901 eq
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.
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.
Got a pair of rebuilt 901 (V3 i think) back during Chicks lockdown. I was collecting some old dream equipment with time to go around the Midwest to pick up stuff Like Magnepan MG-IIBs which i the-wired \mylar, Carver TFM-35 Magnetic field amp, Towel RBh1080 amp,Be4tagni SM 80s my just ever hearing through buying of a Tube amplifier, super efficient Tekton Lores and way more etc. Anyway, i like the Boss 901s just fine in their own ways but there are a legend in my mind from 40 years ago reading Stereo Review magazine from the days of the giant Polk SRS towers. The Boss 901 was a legend to me so owning and hearing them is pleasing. Flaws are what they are
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.
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'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.
i inherited a set of 901's in the late 90's complete with stands and equalizer and a sherwood amp. just for kicks i set them up in my family room on top of my lascala's. this was a real david vrs goliath contest. goliath won hands down. i played with them for a while and then put them on craigs list. to be fair i got quite a few calls and they sold quickly. in my opinion these speakers belong where i first saw/heard them , hanging from chains in a bar.
You mentioned Bose and their car audio, I just recently bought a 2011 Cadillac CTS coupe with Bose system, I tore that out and the speakers I pulled out were utter garage, the 8" front door woofers were ridiculously poorly constructed, in place of the Bose, I installed up front Focal's K2 ES KX3E's, and the tweeters from my rear Focal's K2 ES K2E in the front and the 6 1/2 in the rear panels, then in a sealed box rear firing in the trunk 2 Rockford Fosgate T1D212, power by Rockford Fosgate 1,500-1D for the subs, JL Audio HD 600/4 running the Focal's K2 ES KX3E's and the 6 1/2" in the rear, and a Rockford Fosgate R2-200x2 running the TKME tweeters through the Focal biamp crossover, and tuned with a JL Audio TwK 88 DSP, it's absolutely no comparison, the magnetic on just one of my 6 1/2 weighs more than the 6 Bose speakers I removed, I didn't remove the sub, the center channel or the two rear deck speakers just they're not powered, but my brother has a set of 901's 4th generation without the eq and in a log cabin with a 35 foot peek cathedral ceiling of tongue and grove pine, and when I told him his system was bottoming out around 150 to 100 hz he got pissed at me and said I was just being a Bose hatter, oh and his 901's were hung by chains from the ceiling to about 5 feet off the floor with the wedge upward firing and the front firing at the floor, and he had a set of 501's 3 series being powered by a 100 watt late 70's Pioneer amp, I don't think it could have been a worse setting for Bose, and he's actually refused to even listen to my car system, I'm guessing because he doesn't want to admit my car sounds so much better, mind you my Focal's K2 ES KX3E's alone were $2,400 so my system isn't exactly mid range in price But for sound stagging clarity and complet frequency response of 25 to 20k hz there's no comparison, but again I'm comparing a high end modern system to a latre 70's system
some of us can't stand numbing sound, and others like who ever set up that log cabin system have just enough knowledge to make things far worse. Good call on your car audio!
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 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 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!
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
I had a pair a number of years ago with seperates pushing 200 watts per channel..I had a 12 inch powered sub...Never did anyone say anything but good sound heard.. The only complaints were the neighbors within 100 yards all around lol.... The misunderstanding in my opinion is the fact that the 4.5 inch midrange drivers are just that, midrange.. The sub provided the low end thump...
I bought my set from a baby boomer, an ex-Bose employee. He sold his house in Boise foothills and moved to Montana (probably made 10x profit lol). Anyway, I hooked them to my bridged C80/M80s. When treble notes hit, meters peaked btw! Lol.. those 24db boosts!!! (3db is 2x power, 3x8=24db, 2×2×2×2×2×2×2×2=64 times power boost for treble).
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!
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
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!!
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.
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 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!
Fairly accurate. Bose has a creative marketing team and a vicious legal department. Together, they built an empire. Whenever I watch Monty Python's Holy Grail I laugh when Camelot is mentioned, and I think Bose 901's. I once met Amar Bose at a CES show. After my boss, Harold Beveridge, introduced me, the two began arguing, in physics language. Impressed, when they parted, fairly steaming, both, I asked what that was all about. Bev, simply said, marketing vs reality, while shaking his head. A moment in time I will NEVER forget.
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!
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.
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.
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’ve owned a pair of 901’s for over 20 years. I was introduced to this speaker as a teenager, my father friend had the series 4 in his home, pushed by a McIntosh 2105 amplifier. To be honest, I don’t know who writes these reviews and what kind of music is being played but IMO these are the best speakers for the price and sound quality. Currently, I use mine with the McIntosh 2505 amp, the music is clean and stress free and is cranked up quite often. Crisp highs, clean mids with a strong mid bass. I also use a REL sub for the lows. Placement is absolutely crucial but once achieved, it’s musical bliss. I listen to Reggae, Soca, R&B and old school hip hop. So anyone who reads my thread, please don’t listen to all the negative reviews on this speaker. This speaker is amazing for my taste.
@dennylegendre6048
The people who write these reviews are people who often, such as myself, have a lifetime in audio, starting professionally in the 80s.
Or, like Gene, who also has not only been devoted to audio his entire life, but also has a degree in Electrical Engineering.
Plus many, many, many more. People who have not just listened to this one model and brand for the last two decades (not counting your father's friend).
They/we have listened to thousands of pieces of audio gear over the years. And hundreds upon hundreds of different speaker brands and models.
I consider people like Gene invaluable, because, unlike someone like Steve Guttenberg, who just says, "Yeah, I like it. It's cool." or Andrew Robinson, who says, "I'll say it's good, when do I get paid?", Gene or Erin's Audio Corner both bring actual measurements to their evaluations.
Objective data is something that eliminates the problems imposed by opinion, or greed. They clearly delineate any speaker's performance characteristics.
So, between experience, education, and objective measurements, virtually every professional in the field has evaluated the Bose 901s as poor performers.
That's not a coincidence. And I would DEFINITELY listen to the vast sea of people who have not only said that the speakers are not very good, but have also demonstrated why.
The measure of a speaker is not that they play loud. Or that they sound good to one person who has basically no oexperience with any other speakers.
Perhaps if you actually heeded some of the advice, you would arrange for an in-home demo of some other speakers.
Since (I think) 1959, Klipsch has made some of the most efficient speakers ever produced, that can play louder, with less distortion, than most other speakers, if that's your thing.
There's the SVS towers that can really boogie. Or the Arendahl, that are exceptionally accurate. The MoFi's. The KEF's. The Buchardt's.
There are dozens of great products out there with a variety of different strengths, depending on your taste. The Bose, unfortunately, isn't one of them...
@shodan6401 do you think people's ears can be wrong? IE: is hearing and audio enjoyment subjective? If you answer no to people's hearing can't technically be wrong and yes to the audio enjoyment is subjective....this would explain why equally many people enjoy bose products vs don't. What i find fascinating (and ridiculous) is that once you concede those things, people like you now fall back on "measurements" to tell you whether you like something or not. To tell you if the subjective experience of audio is good or not. Even Floyd E toole was aware of the concept that good measurements don't necessarily equate to positive perception of sound. Which is why he put such importance on double blind listening tests in his research. Im confident that many of you spec snobs would potentially vote positively of bose in such a setting.
@@sporegazm Well said. Took words out my mouth and very tactful. All I eead was blah blah blah about measurements. I’m all about good sound, separation and warm stress free music. Not new this, so I know what sounds good from what doesn’t.
@@dennylegendre6048 thx. Im glad you enjoy your speakers. And even if I don't have the same experience with the same speaker, it doesn't make you wrong or me wrong. If you have a positive audio experience...that's all that matters at the end of the day. A person who puts *too* much emphasis on measurements and data may be able to show you that it measures poorly, but if your ears like it nonetheless, does it matter? No it does not. Again, why Floyd Toole put such importance on double blind listening tests. So clearly, in the case of the bose 901's...they've done something right. Because, marketing aside, they've tickled enough ears in the right way, despite poor measurements, to have it in production and sell it for nearly 50 years. I would love a pair for nostalgic reasons myself
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 agree with James, a name so good that you say it twice - ride those bad boys with your new subwoofer into the sunset. At 80, there's no rush to change now. Enjoy your music!
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.
@@mvallely79😂🤣🙃🤣😂🤣😂
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.😊
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.
Nail on the head , placement , placement, they worked for me for a solid 5 years .
I had a friend years ago when I was a freshman in high school (I think that was the time period. I'm going on 71 and long ago things are a little fuzzy.) Anyway, he invited me over to hear his new stereo: Marantz receiver built when Saul Marantz was in charge, a dual 1219 turntable with Shure V15 cartridge, and two Bose 901 speakers. All crammed into a tiny bedroom along with his bed, a dresser, and a couple of chairs. He put on a recording of Also Sprach Zarathustra and turned it up. It was glorious! After we listened to the whole album, he put on Iron Butterfly's In-A-Gada-Da-Vida. We reveled in the sound of the organ and drums (He played drums in our high school marching band). It was so wonderful. After all that, I went home and looked at my Montgomery Ward stereo with drop down turntable, plastic speakers with 2 tiny cones, and just cried. I went over to his house as often as I could to hear a REAL stereo. It didn't hurt that I also had a crush on his younger sister who was a year younger than me (He was a year older than me). Sigh. Those were truly magical days.
PS: His sister had no interest in me at all. 😢
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 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!!!!
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.
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.
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😊
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.
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’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
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 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 👍
Happy you're making videos again . I am digging this channel.
Please so some comparison tests with sonos speakers and sound bar
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.
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!
When the 901 was conceived it theoretically solved several problems with Hi-Fi speakers for the home. It focused on sound power rather than frequency response which made them sound bigger than they appeared. Back in the 60's tweeters were either 2" cones or horn loaded compression drivers which were very directional, whereas the 901, by using EQ, could put out a lot of HF energy. Speakers of this era also tended to be very large - at least those with extended bass - and not very living room friendly. But other Boston based speaker companies of the time addressed the same problems in different ways, most notably AR with acoustic suspension woofer loading to get deep bass in a small cabinet and dome tweeters to get broad HF coverage. As others have commented they were sensitive to the rear wall materials and relative placement to the rear wall since that reflecting surface became part of the speaker. You can imagine the difference in sound between glass patio doors vs. heavy drapes as the reflecting surface. Clever design based on real science of acoustics but as you say flawed in execution. Bose also had a penchant for making the product cheaper over time to increase profitability. Big 'improvements' like going from 4 screws per driver to 3 screws per driver always made me chuckle - the improvement was a 25% reduction in hardware!
This is the video ive been waiting for!
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 😊
Nailed it, private equity is destroying audio and nearly everything in its wake.
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!
Now that you did this, Please do one for the Legendary Klipschorn speaker, which has been in continuous production since 1946.
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.
The 601 series III were the apotheosis of Bose’s floorstanding speakers. The best ever by Bose. I have a pair in the basement. I also have a pair of B&W 600 series floorstanders . Those are great but I keep going back to the 601’s which are over 3 decades older. Something very special about them.
I have a set of the Bose 701 series 1 tower speakers and really like them. The dual 8” woofers in each cabinet provide super deep bass, but they do need a lot of power to sound best. This was probably the most non-traditional Bose speaker cabinet ever made. I recommend listening to these if you haven’t heard them and wish Bose would reproduce these.
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.
Replacement drivers don't have the issues the original ones do.
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.
Long ago at my local HiFi store got to hear the original 901, preferred the Henry Kloss Advent.
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..
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
@@TorontoJon,most audiophiles would not buy 901 over passive Bose loudspeakers like the 401,501 etc. because the 901 comes with a mandatory equalizer that follows output transformers on tube/valve amplifier’s or solid state output transistors as well. A pair of way back then advent’s would compete with either the 401 or 501. So for your 901’s all you need is Monster Cable OFC never Audioquest 😢😢😢. But Bose now owns Sonus Faber you can use your Audioquest with a pair of those.
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I started in Germany with a set of series IV's. 14 years later the paper failed on most of the Drivers. Bose let me trade them in plus $500.00 and they gave me a set of Series VI's plus the equalizer. The Series VI's are tough as nails. 26 years later they are still like new. They sound even better. So much for all of the trash talk on these speakers! 🤔🤨
Gene, I'm pleasantly surprised you are discussing the Bose 901. We all know many audiophiles hate the name Bose (& any of their products). But I believe that's simply because Bose blew it when they started marketing tiny "space saving" cube speakers, satellite systems, the wave radio, etc. When Amar Bose died, the whole company changed into a marketing conglomerate, rather than focusing on sound quality. The original Bose 901 model, as well as many of the other series (301, 501, 601, etc) were phenomenal speakers UNTIL about the mid to late 1990's. Then the quality changed. Anything purchased AFTER that is basically considered "junk" by many opinions, including mine.
I grew up listening to the Bose 901 & 501. I've had a pair of Bose 501 (series 4) since I was a kid. My parents bought them brand new (around 1990). I still have them, still sound phenomenal to this day. My Uncle had 2 pair of 901's (series 5 & series 6). Just 1 pair with his McIntosh or Carver equipment and placed correctly USING the equalizer purchased from Bose was astounding! Yes, they DO have very realistic & deep bass/mids/& highs for music. Place them CORRECTLY and use the equalizer (or other DSP), proper quality power, they will amaze you. Just a standard or low-powered receiver might not be the best paired with these.
When my Uncle passed away, he left them to me. I'm grateful and they still sound phenomenal to this day. Many don't understand how critical the placement is so the sound can correctly reflect off the walls. It is truly immersive with a live sound stage. 70%+ of sound in a live performance is reflected. I'm a musician, I understand sound. Live sound is not "perfect," it's realistic. Many audiophiles ignore that fact. Recording studio monitors are more precise, but those are for a different purpose. It's personal preference whether you want a more live performance sound or studio track perfection. I own many other speakers from "audiophile brands" that sound completely different, & I love them too. But what the 901 & 501's are to me - realistic & natural. They bring a live performance to my room. Forget measurements, there's a place for it. But I measure with my EARS. Not with computers & numbers. What matters is how they sound to you. Some audiophiles simply don't understand or are not willing to admit some of this. They hate it just because of the name in general, or it's not "expensive enough." Use the right equipment w/ them & your ears will thank you.😊
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.
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.
When I cranked Zeppelin or Floyd on my Bose 901's not only did I get the enjoyment, so did all my neighbors!
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.
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.
I've a pair of 901 series 3 that I picked up more of a curiosity and were inexpensive. They needed all drivers refoamed and cabinets refinished but they functioned. The soundstage was big and filled the room but other than that, no big deal. I have them mounted on the tulip stands and mainly as audio decoration for their uniqueness. Had someone once call them the 'Jetson' speakers after the Saturday morning cartoon show of the 60's.
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.
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.
Always wanted some 901s but in the mid to late 90s I was in my 20’s and had the Bose 301 book shelf versions just ran through a 12” infinity sub and powered with just a pioneer receiver. I tell you what, they sounded amazing! We then ran some Texhnics turntables for spinnin some vinyl and could turn the reducer up full bore and those little speakers would NOT distort a lick! We had some amazing parties and those rocked it hard! Great also for some Alice In Chains unplugged! Sounded like you were sitting right in front of the band! My friends loved it
I've owned 2 sets of 901s. A series IV, which I bugged / bullied my Dad into buying for me used when I was like in the eighth grade. Those sounded both amazing, and way better than anything my other friends had at the time. I will concede that they lacked bass if you pushed them. And what 14 year old doesn't want to hear his music LOUD? Highs, perhaps I had better hearing back then cause I never felt they lacked that. They did sound BIG and enveloping, especially when compared to the Advents we had before. That was VERY cool. We did live in a smaller house. Fast forward 20 years and the Series IV have been ravaged by time with all surround foams having rotted into non-existence. But then Bose introduces a program where if you turned in you old speakers, plus some small amount of money, they send you a new pair of speakers. Enter Series VI, which sit today in my house. What can I say? Somehow, even though my hearing is not what it used to be, these don't sound as good as they Series IV did. Same amp, Pioneer SA-8800. Refurbished & recapped, so it's not the amp that's failing. Maybe I've been exposed to better sound, maybe my memory is playing tricks on me. Maybe it's the larger house and the lack of nearby side walls. But I swear the Series IV sounded not only better, but way better. Maybe it's streaming the music instead of playing records & CDs... Now looking to buy another omindirectional speaker, the Ohm Walsh 4000.
You can make a comparison using the Bose 901 being similar to the Tesla Cybertruck. Both are unique and introduced pretty radical design concepts but also have lots of shortcomings. They do get people talking about them.
Those tulip stands looked pretty cool imo.
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).
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'm currently driving 4 pairs of series #1 BOSE 901's in my living room with a new SVS 4000 Ultra 16 Ported... 1 amp and 901Elite EQ from Deer Creek in conjunction with a Yamaha AVR, so much sound... just can't believe what I'm hearing now in my living room... better than I've ever heard before... OG 901's are BOMB! Deer Creek got great, and way more modern EQ's for these cabinets... Love them!
Bose has made substantial material and outlook improvements since about 2015. For example, the LS overhaul they made was pretty impressive, and I never thought I’d say such a thing. So I’m curious to see what they can do with this.
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
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
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.
I still have my Bose 601 from 1978. Are they worth keeping ?
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).
the wall construction you have is ideal for most loudspeakers as its not like having 4 x 8 plasterboard flexing passive radiators out of phase destroying the sound.
I have a set..two sets in fact, of series iv , stacked. Fuller sound and although the Bose EQ corrects the tonal qualities to an extent I still run a second EQ to tweak slightly. I use the dubbing switch to add the 2nd in. Running the EQ's off the two tape loops. 175 WPC amp. And I like them. I have a second set of speakers hooked up to speakers "C" and shut the Bose EQ obviously when switched to those. Depends on the music and how loud to which I listen to. When I want it LOUD I pick the double set of 901's. I agree with a lot of what you said.. for sure I'd like a good tweeter in the mix but one of the key points about the 901's are no crossover in 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.
Would love to get into a technical discussion why you think the 901hvc/D11/22 driver was "cheap." Twas an extremely robust 4.5" driver.
Bought my first pair in 1993; added a second pair around 2005. Best sound attained with a sub woofer and SAE parametric EQ along with the 901 equalizers. Still have them but they always ran a far second to my DCM Time Window 3 speakers. I'm old school and favored SAE rackmount amps and EQs. Hard for me to consider anything new and know I've been left behind.
Hi I have 2 pairs of Bose 901 series 5 and 6 and my 2 nad 2200 amps and 4 Klipsch r120 powered subs I love my system it really rocks and shakes my house. The 901s need subs it’s a must have How are the deer Creek audio 901s DSP are they better than the Bose 901 eq
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.
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.
Got a pair of rebuilt 901 (V3 i think) back during Chicks lockdown. I was collecting some old dream equipment with time to go around the Midwest to pick up stuff Like Magnepan MG-IIBs which i the-wired \mylar, Carver TFM-35 Magnetic field amp, Towel RBh1080 amp,Be4tagni SM 80s my just ever hearing through buying of a Tube amplifier, super efficient Tekton Lores and way more etc.
Anyway, i like the Boss 901s just fine in their own ways but there are a legend in my mind from 40 years ago reading Stereo Review magazine from the days of the giant Polk SRS towers. The Boss 901 was a legend to me so owning and hearing them is pleasing. Flaws are what they are
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.
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'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.
i inherited a set of 901's in the late 90's complete with stands and equalizer and a sherwood amp. just for kicks i set them up in my family room on top of my lascala's. this was a real david vrs goliath contest. goliath won hands down. i played with them for a while and then put them on craigs list. to be fair i got quite a few calls and they sold quickly. in my opinion these speakers belong where i first saw/heard them , hanging from chains in a bar.
You mentioned Bose and their car audio, I just recently bought a 2011 Cadillac CTS coupe with Bose system, I tore that out and the speakers I pulled out were utter garage, the 8" front door woofers were ridiculously poorly constructed, in place of the Bose, I installed up front Focal's K2 ES KX3E's, and the tweeters from my rear Focal's K2 ES K2E in the front and the 6 1/2 in the rear panels, then in a sealed box rear firing in the trunk 2 Rockford Fosgate T1D212, power by Rockford Fosgate 1,500-1D for the subs, JL Audio HD 600/4 running the Focal's K2 ES KX3E's and the 6 1/2" in the rear, and a Rockford Fosgate R2-200x2 running the TKME tweeters through the Focal biamp crossover, and tuned with a JL Audio TwK 88 DSP, it's absolutely no comparison, the magnetic on just one of my 6 1/2 weighs more than the 6 Bose speakers I removed, I didn't remove the sub, the center channel or the two rear deck speakers just they're not powered, but my brother has a set of 901's 4th generation without the eq and in a log cabin with a 35 foot peek cathedral ceiling of tongue and grove pine, and when I told him his system was bottoming out around 150 to 100 hz he got pissed at me and said I was just being a Bose hatter, oh and his 901's were hung by chains from the ceiling to about 5 feet off the floor with the wedge upward firing and the front firing at the floor, and he had a set of 501's 3 series being powered by a 100 watt late 70's Pioneer amp, I don't think it could have been a worse setting for Bose, and he's actually refused to even listen to my car system, I'm guessing because he doesn't want to admit my car sounds so much better, mind you my Focal's K2 ES KX3E's alone were $2,400 so my system isn't exactly mid range in price
But for sound stagging clarity and complet frequency response of 25 to 20k hz there's no comparison, but again I'm comparing a high end modern system to a latre 70's system
some of us can't stand numbing sound, and others like who ever set up that log cabin system have just enough knowledge to make things far worse. Good call on your car audio!
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.
Would love to hear a review of the Bang&Olufsen RL 140s
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 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!
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
I had a pair a number of years ago with seperates pushing 200 watts per channel..I had a 12 inch powered sub...Never did anyone say anything but good sound heard.. The only complaints were the neighbors within 100 yards all around lol.... The misunderstanding in my opinion is the fact that the 4.5 inch midrange drivers are just that, midrange.. The sub provided the low end thump...
When will Bose release these modern 901's? Will buy, and will compare :-)
I bought my set from a baby boomer, an ex-Bose employee. He sold his house in Boise foothills and moved to Montana (probably made 10x profit lol). Anyway, I hooked them to my bridged C80/M80s. When treble notes hit, meters peaked btw! Lol.. those 24db boosts!!! (3db is 2x power, 3x8=24db, 2×2×2×2×2×2×2×2=64 times power boost for treble).
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!
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
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!!
The review lost all relevance the moment he stated, "It's a unique product, I'll give Bose that," revealing his inherent bias.
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.
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
I got a 901 Series I (1968) and a EQ for $70 repaired the EQ / CAPS $30, they are alright it was a fun project.
Heard Gary Wright’s, Dream Weaver when it came out through the 901’s and knew I had to have them! And they were fun, until they weren’t.
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 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!
Ever talked about the 601?
Fairly accurate.
Bose has a creative marketing team and a vicious legal department.
Together, they built an empire.
Whenever I watch Monty Python's Holy Grail I laugh when Camelot is mentioned, and I think Bose 901's.
I once met Amar Bose at a CES show. After my boss, Harold Beveridge, introduced me, the two began arguing, in physics language.
Impressed, when they parted, fairly steaming, both, I asked what that was all about.
Bev, simply said, marketing vs reality, while shaking his head.
A moment in time I will NEVER forget.
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!
I like mine alot, and i had different floor speakers bevor but the 901s kick ass, specialy when they mounted on the ceiling
Back in the day,, when I could hear...I always wanted to A/B these things with my EPI 202's....We got a lot of calls for Bose where we worked...
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??
Old school Bose was SOLID engineering, I'm kinda excited for this merger
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.
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 was an audio salesman in the 80's. The 901's were the worst speakers in our audio room.
@entitykeeper8869 of course they were, of course.
Lmao such a dumbass comment,
I expect nothing less from “an audio salesmen” 😂
Please get an education
If you want speakers with diffuse sound get some old deftech towers or polk sda
Julian Hirsch loved them.
I had a pair of 501 SII. Loved those speakers.