They sound clear, loud and great for the price..!!

Solid as a paperweight.

Construction, ability to reproduce basic frequency range (20-20).

Ever wonder how Bose lovers tend to say REALLY stupid things about audio? "I'm and audiophile, and I say these are good because they pump 200 watts." What? I doubt your Aiwa mini system can do that. Also, I love it when these people refer to car audio products, when this is a home audio forum. We relegated the car audio children to a completely different site! Just goes to show Bose lovers do not know what to listen for, how to test response, or have any solid foundation in the fundamentals of audio criticism. But this is what Bose thrives on- stupid people. Europeans and Japanese love Bose. Why? Because it's "American" and people around the world love to mimic Western culture. The guy from Honolulu- perfect example. It's "high-end" because he's gullible enough to be drawn in by the American advertising machine. Paradigm, Snell, BA, B&W, Mirage, M&K. Bose cannot be rightfully mentioned in the same context or sentence as these reputable companies. I don't have to go on, because if anyone is contemplating Bose as a "high end", please read all posts regarding all models. Even if the model is not what you are looking for, you will see everyone hates Bose for two reasons. One: Price/performance. Two: Shoddy construcion that does not imply effort. In discussion, I've had people defend Bose who, by their own admission, NEVER HEARD ANYTHING MADE BY BOSE! That is impressive marketing; borderline brainwashing. Now, the onus is on you Bose, because the audio world is watching. Make something that justifies the price.

Similar Products Used:

Nothing this bad in years!

Wow, first off, I must add that I was totally mis-directed when I found out this was all "user reviews". Anyhow, I have been a Bose user for quiete a number of years. Even though I sort of think I am an audiophille not considering my system doesnt $25,000 as most audiophiles systems do, I still do think I've heard mostly all out there, in all price ranges.

My home theater package consists of a 53' inch Sony V series projection TV, bose 501's for the rear, bose "701's" for the front and the Bose VCS-10 for the middle channel. My amp/tuner is a Yamaha 1105 Dolby Digital/DTS receiver pumping 85 watts of RMS. I also use a Sony S550 DVD player.
I wont mention any other component.

The first ever receiver I owned was a fisher Pro Logic receiver and I thought it was the best many years ago. I upgraded to the Yamaha 905 later on and was amazed at how great it sounded in Dolby Digital and music. Then later on I got the 1105, a kick ass receiver. However, the music and the movies wouldnt be complete without the speaker package. I do have my cons about bose myself, even though I do own this many bose products. First off, I do want to say the good things. Since this is about the bose 701's, I will stick to the subject.

The Bose 701's really amazed me at first. It had very responsive base and it almost never degraded. I usually listen to all kinds of music. But when I got them first, I poped in my Matrix DVD, the fighting scenes make you feel as if you are in the movie theater. You can really tell if a sound was projected on the top left corner of the room with these speakers, I think there are a total of 5 independent speakers in the whole speaker setup, each firing different angles. Since my receiver is a DD/DTS receiver, the 701's totally made my Yamaha 100 Watt sub seem as if wasnt needed. Till this day, I still dont use my sub, and if I do decide to turn it on, I keep it very low, hardly noticible. The bass is just great. Music on the 701's make you want to crank up the volume just to see how far you can go without anyone from downstairs or upstairs start banging on the ceiling to make u stop. Overall, music and movies, both sound good on the 701's.

Now, about the gripes on the 701's. First off, I want to touch a bit on the discrete way you have to place these baby's. My living room isnt exactly the best shape in the world and little to say, I dont think I will move else where for now. But anyways, the fact that the left speaker being placed as the manual says and the other no where near a wall makes me sorta pissed off that there is some kind of gimmick involved in setting up these so called direct/reflecting speaker system. My left front sounds far more rich in bass then the right. Second, the tweeters dont produce enough high's. They might be enough for some, I would like them to be a bit higher.

thus, I own the whole Bose package, from the 501's to the 701's does not mean I completly dont believe there isnt anything else in my price range, but I do believe that you have to listen to them before you mock them. I love my speaker system/home theather package and wouldnt live without it. Give me 25,000 and you better believe I wont be using bose anymore, but until then I am a happy man.

PS: if your reading this review and are planning to write a follow up, just be honest, dont go by what everyone else is saying.

Enjoy!

Excellent Stereo effect in a wide range of seating positions. Very good ambient sound reproduction.

MUST be carefully placed. Requires a high power amp for best performance. Not as easy to set up as direct radiators

It seems to me that most of the negative reviews here all come from people who know very little about non-direct radiating speakers. Think of it this way: when a speaker only fires in one direction, you can pretty much put it anywhere, just so long as the speaker is pointing towards the listener and achieve decent sound. With these "reflective" speakers, it is VITAL to place them properly, or else the sound becomes disappointing. Long story short, if you are placing these speakers in a small room, or will, in any way, need to compromise their placement, DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY. These speakers perform very well when the reflecting points are carefully placed and treated, but sound poor when placed with little thought as it seems other reviewers here have done. My Definitive Tech BP2004 speakers are still the best I've heard and are more forgiving in their placement, but they also cost about $300 more for a single speaker than these Bose 701s as a pair!
The funny thing is: if you can afford the room in which these Bose's need to be placed, you can probably afford some Definitive Tech. speakers.

Similar Products Used:

JBL, Definitive Technology

aesthetic appeal (subjective), design, sound quality/price ratio, small footprint, very high input power capability, very high SPL output capability.

placement is very important to maximize soundfield spread. DONT obstruct these speakers in any way and give them plenty of room to breathe. Bottom mount spring clip connectors (subjective)

I've had several responses to my previous posting. Although maybe a bit premature, here goes (I'd rather post a review here than reply to lots of e-mails). Let me start by saying that I feel these speakers are a great value for what I paid (they would not be for the typical price range posted on this site - around $800). I paid $630 from an online store and am in no hurry yet to return them. I read a few complaints on this site about "boomy" bass coming from these speakers. I disagree. The word I would use is "tight". Tight in the sense that the lower frequencies are reproduced quite accurately with little to no audible distortion and response time is instantaneous. I will say that if your a bass freak, you NEED a subwoofer. Couple these puppies to a decent powered sub and you will feel the thump that the 701's lack without one. Boomy bass Bose bashers take note: your amp/receiver has (or should have) some eq with which you use to tailor your sound to your liking - LEARN IT, MASTER IT, IT IS YOUR BEST FRIEND (dammit!). Mids I found to be a little lacking but some eq finesse fixed that to my satisfaction. The same was true for high frequency reproduction. Placement was also critical for good mids and highs. These speakers move tons of air so you'll want to give them space to breathe (yes, breathe - remember that your ears are responding to the movement/vibration of air). DONT slap them in a corner somewhere, obstructing any of the ports or drivers (there are ports in the front and rear) and expect them to perform to their potential.

So, overall I'm quite pleased with the 701's. Although I've heard much better, I feel that they are a great value for the money. Shop around for the best price - and bear in mind that Bose is discontinuing this model for a new one that is supposed to be "the speaker to kill all speakers" (thats all I know so dont bother asking), which should allow you to find a great deal. The footprint is tiny in comparison to similar speakers, allowing some placement flexibility. Also, they SOUND like a much larger speaker. Not quite like a cabinet loaded with 15's but you get the point. The SPL output is astonishing for the size (and also much higher than comparable, even incomparable speakers). Generally speaking, I think they sound great (again, for the money)...

Am I a Bose activist? NO
Am I a Bose basher? NO
Do I try to evaluate things based upon my INDIVIDUAL tastes and criteria? YES
Should you? YES (unless you are a mindless automaton...you probably arent)

I sincerely hope this helps anyone thinking about a purchase (whether Bose or otherwise). Remember, buy something that pleases you and not something that a thousand others think you should. After all, its your money.

Equipment used for eval:
Sony STR-DE935 receiver (stereo and surround processing)
bose 701's (front A)
MTX MTX412's (front B)
klipsh micro quintets (rear surround)
Infinity entra center (center)
Infinity entra subwoofer
Pioneer 301 CD changer
HK DVD50 DVD changer

Similar Products Used:

KLH, Infinity, Marantz, MTX, Klipsh, Vienna, JBL, Mirage, Yamaha, AR, Boston Acoustics

Nil..

Poor speaker at high price.

i bought a set of dees here speakers and they really suck as bad as you all have been saying. I thought I would see about all the hubbub surrounding Bose. Man these speakers lack any of the tranparency that a good ole radio shack speaker from one of their 15 dollar clock radio has. I was laughing as I hooked them up. Sloppy bass that is as boomy as two kids in a tin can rolling down a hill. At 800+ dollars you could by a good used car, well ok maybe a clunker, but a FORD POS serves its purpose better than the 701's, and you still got some change in your pocket. The highs, what highs? Smeared and bloated mindrange is nicely complamented by those cute spring clip connectors. Bose is a Joke, anyone who likes the 701's has not caught on yet. These speakers are the worst speakers that I have heard at the 800 dollar price point. They would be fine if you could pick up a set for around 150 dollars. Better sound through Marketing..... BOSE.....

Similar Products Used:

Pac-mac toilet paper, vic's vapo rub on a string, two wires and a car alarm...

I have been installing residential music and theater systems for years and seen and heard them all! I must say bose makes excellent products. I've read some of these reviews and I cant't believe people right reviews just to bash on a certain product. I own a pair of 701's which i use more than any other that I have primarily they have beat overall sound and last longer than any other speaker I've ever used.I seen one review where someone complained about Bose speaker cabinets being covered with veneer.Goes to show what they know. Veneer is used on 99.9% percent of speaker cabinets. Like many other speakers proper placment is necessary.

Very large sound stage, fairly decent highs

Muddy bass, shrill highs at high volumes. Slghtly overpriced

I was shopping for speakers and ordered a set of the 701's. I was not all that impressed with the quality of the construction of the speaker and the materials that were used. These speakers sounded fine when I was listening to the radio, but when I put on some classical music, a big frown appeared on my face. I felt like I spent way too much and got very little. The highs were a touch sharp and poorly defined. For a little over 850, I felt that I should have gotten a better product. As for the bass, well it sounds as boomy as the cheap speakers sold at chain stores. I would recomend these speakers for people that do not do critical listening and have the cash to spend. Other than that, the Bose 701's are not suited for the rest of us. I found that out the hard way.

Everything-sound and size!

None

When I went to the showroom, I just stared at the 901. However I found that the the size of 901 is just too big to fit in my little sitting room and so I decided the 701. before I bought that I have tried nearly 10 pairs: AR, Celestion, Mission, Infinity......all can't compare with the Bose. Yup, all Bose-philes are right. In fact I can only find Bose products in the showroom in Hong Kong. And the audio shopkeepers will tell you that Bose sucks. But now I can say that the shopkeepers suck. Weel, I bought 2 pairs, one for me and another for my aunt.
For my house it's just at 600 sq feet apartment and reflect system doesn't work that well in my home. That's not the Bose's fault. But at least it meets my basic needs. Pop, Classics, movies, karaoke...... an all-round speakers. A crystal clear treble, a dynamic bass, a very wram human voice. with my $400 Marantz SR-5000 the speaker works well. The most important thing is that: The size is just fit for my room!
For my aunt's room it's a 1,900 sq feet apartment with a 10 feet ceiling. Don't laugh at me. This has been regarded as a 'very large' apartment in Hong Kong. Well, at there, it's the show time for the reflect system for Bose 701. Sure I also have to give my thanks to the PS audio Amp. Before my aunt got a KEF 107 speaker, and it cost $3,600 (US)! Sure I don't mean that the KEF is bad, and in fact KEF is nearly perfect, but I was just wondering at that time why the audio shopkeeper recommend the speaker with 4 times price, but with similar quality? After reading the notes from the friends here, I got the answer. Thx very much my friends!
Don't listen to the others. Listen to the speaker.

Got at a good price

Muddy sound. Can be reworked with sound fields.

For the next to the top of bose floor models. Could and should be better.