good looks

weak highs

the highs are way too weak and the bass too boomy. i use the energy encores as second speakers and they sound good together which explains the weaknesses of the 701s. (because the encores have hardly any bass and the the highs are bit too sharp... hurts my ears when i turn the volume up) i guess these two set of speakers evens out to a descent sound. personally do not recommend it.

Similar Products Used:

none

None what so ever!

A Bose Product.

Hey here is a fun thing to do one day. Call Bose's 800 number and start asking questions about your new speakers. I did. I asked what is the sensitivty rating, they claimed that they don't publish that information, the same went for frequency response. So if Bose speakers are so great, why do they feel the need to hide information about there products? I mean if they were selling a soft drink, they would have to list what is in the can, right? Well as sad as it would seem, the people at Bose are tight lipped because they make a sub-standard product, not because they are inovators afraid of the other speaker manufactures copying thier ideas, as they would have you believe. If you have a patent in America, it is protected. Enough said. The 701's have terrible imaging and the voices seem to bounce off of the walls, no matter how you place them in your listening room. I used to like my speakers, but when I hear the new Polk speakers, I found out what real good sounding spakers are like. A Cap and a resitor, do not a crossover make! ..And springclips for connection? No speaker manufacture in the right state of mind would ever consider using such a shoddy connecter on a speaker. Paper drivers? Paper is for writing, not musical enjoyment. Wake up people, Bose is leading you down a path of lies and propaganda. better sound through secrets....

Similar Products Used:

Toilet paper, timex watch.....

I agree with Dennis about the Bose 701 speakers review. I bought a pair for about $800 last year, after careful shopping. I am almost exclusively a classical music listener, with no interest in a home theater system. I went shopping with a friend who is a professional musician. We listened and compared in the store CDs of Sibelius Violin Concerto, and Tchaikofsy Piano concerto, on a number of speakers (all under $1,500 a pair).We were impressed that, unlike the other brand name speakers every "audio enthusiast" rants about, the Bose 701 bass sound DID NOT drown the strings sounds, an important consideration for classical music lovers. I can see where those into rock and disco music may want bass as ear-chattering loud as possible.
For stereo music only, Bose 701 are very good, considering the price. But the speakers are not shielded, so location is an important consideration for those contemplating a Home Theater system.

This "Bose sucks" issue sounds like a lot of noise from folks whobuy B.S. $600 speaker cables. I am a musician and listen to music, not
speakers and electronics. I have a pair of JBL 4312 monitors
with Carver professional electronics in my studio. I have 5 Kefs with
a DT 18" powered sub with Carver home electonics in my home theater.
And I have a pair of Bose 701s with a Yamaha receiver in my living
room. All serve their purpose. The Bose sound good with most music;
the Direct/Reflecting sound really allows a bunch of folks to sit
in several places and all hear the same thing; and my wife can turn
on the stereo and listen to music. Enough said?

Hell, I thought that this section of audioreview is only for BOSE model 701.Is everybody so aroused to bash bose without knowing where they actually are ?
Anyway, I agree that most bose speakers suck. I had the BOSE AM-5 for six years
and I think I'm going brain dead (from listening to the poor audio quality).
Nevertheless, to my knowledge the BOSE 701 is a decent speaker. For one thing, each of the speaker has a 8" driver in it in a multi chamber bass enclosure that
produces bass fraquencies well below any other "conventional" speaker with an 8" driver (most other speakers need a powered sub with at least a 10" driver to produce the same bass quality). How about other audiopile quality speakers with a passive 8" woofer ? Not even close!
I have to admit though that the way the midrange driver is designed was poorly thought. I'm pretty damn sure that BOSE intended to produce sound that is spacious by "bouncing" the midrange on the walls. But what we get is TOTAL LOSS of stereo imaging. The AM-5 does the same thing, I had to prevent the cubes from directing to the wall to get a nearly decent stereo imaging. I think any/most other speakers in the market (other than bose) makes better mid-range sound. And that is a fact, no thanks to BOSE.
Last, but not least, the tweeter of the model 701 is pretty decent. It's even better than the tweeter of most audiophile quality speakers that I know. It is very clear and clean.

In conclusion, the BOSE 701 is the best among all other bose product. even the BOSE 901 is no match for it as far as I am concerned. And keep in mind that with bose speakers, price and sound quality is irrelevant. even though most of them cost so much, they sound like crap. If you like jazz and classical music, the model 701 is very satisfactory. But don't even think of using it for home theatre because the stereo imaging is just non-existent. I'll give it three star.

Yes, Bose speakers are greatly overpriced and they sound terrible... comparede to real high end brands that is. I couldn't believe the build quality of their electronic components either but that's a different matter. I would give these speakers 2 stars since the people who bought them seem to have a great deal of enjoyment, even if they are getting ripped off. Hey, satisfaction is the bottom line right? I have these hooked to the Yamaha receiver model before DSP-A1 (can't remember the model #). Other associated components:
1 Yamaha sub
2 JBL floorstanders
1 Soundscape equalizer
1 Sony beta player
1 Pioneer LD player
2 Karaoke components

Of course, it's a karaoke system so I don't give a damn about "fixing" it.

I really enjoy my pair of 701's. They sound fantastic in my listening room that is 400 square feet. They provide a very open sound stage with acurate highs and lows what more can I ask. I run them a 300w per channel. For under a $1000 they are the best speaker. By the way I think the best sounding speaker is the Legacy Focus. The opinions expressed on this page are insane! So many people knocking the bose corporation a very crediable company that makes superior sounding speakers. All the insults are just unnessary if you do not like the speaker leave it at that.

i have to say, these arnt bad speakers at all. i think they are prob. the best of the bose line up. the spacesness they creat is great at times, but you know what i did to make them even better when i want more targeted stereo, put a set of bowl shapped covers with a opened front over the mid firing 6" drivers on the sides so it makes them fire forward. now they sound even better then most speakers i have ever heard(give it a try some time).
and you cant beat the, not 1 but 2 -8" woofers in a ported cabnit bringing them down to 20-20,000hz

In June of 1998 I listened to every floorstanding tower speaker costing between $600 and $800 that I could find. I went to two "Hi-end/Audiophile" stores and to Circuit City, Best Buy, Fry's, etc... I listened to the Bose 701's and comparable ones from PSB, Pyramid, JBL, Eosone, NHT, Cerwin Vega, Infinity, Polk, etc. The Bose 701's were without question the worst sounding speakers in this price range. I was buying these for my best friend's wedding present and I am so glad I did not simply buy the Bose based on their name without listening to them. I was stunned at how much I hated how they sounded. I write this to say to prospective buyers: BEWARE. Be sure to listen to as many different speakers in your price range as possible before making up your mind. I ended up buying the PSB 600i's for $600. The PSB's were in a class of their own, sounding far superior to every other speaker I could find at this price. Bose should be ashamed to sell the 701's. P.S. For fun, call up Bose and ask them why they don't publish any technical specs for their speakers. I got an amusing story about Dr. Bose from one of their Tech guys. In the end I said to him, "Well that's a really cute story and all, but I wouldn't buy a Corvette without knowing what kind of engine it had in it, so I don't see how I can buy speakers from you that you refuse to tell me anything about."

My husband and I bought a pair of Bose 701s in December. I can say this much ... they make every CD you listen to a major event. Absolutely wonderful sound! Smooth and clear response through the entire audible spectrum. And they even look nice in our living room. Thanks Bose for making such a great speaker!