I have a pair of 701's and am very pleased with them. After reading the posts on this page, I think one thing about Bose has been overlooked. They are extremely dependent on PLACEMENT. In the instruction manual, they are very specific about this. Most stores I went to before I bought the speakers did NOT have the speakers in the correct position. I had to actually go to a Bose company store to get the full audio pleasure.
Now the one comment about the test CD, I'm not sure what you are referring to. I have one of these that sweeps 15 to 25, including a white noise track, and the 701's reproduce the tones the way they should. I'm happy with my purchace, which I have in perfect placement in my living room. Ask someone at Bose about placement for the 701's. If you can't do it, then simply don't buy them. No need to come here and lie about how awful they are. I give 5 stars!

Hey folks...Well let me see...where do I begin. It is kind of nice having a family member own a music store because I get to try any speaker that I want in my own room. I am only 19 but I really have grown into the loudspeaker/home audio scene. I tested the bose in my room and found that they were an "ok" speaker. I was impressed with how the bass filled the room seeing how they use a pressurized volume of air to carry the bass instead of a the surface area of an exposed woofer. I really could have used more highs than what they could offer. For some reason they seemed really muffled and the midrange was just a tad muddy. I think that is what happens when paper drivers are still in the equation. I compared the 701's to some Klipsch KSF 10.5's and to (a different level) the Paradigm 90P's. Of the three I liked the Klipsch the most. There really didn't seem to be any color with the sound...so therefore it was expressing a very natural sound. The bass was fantastic and i can tell you that these Klipsch went WAY louder than either the BOSE and the Paradigm...all the while they didn't even distort!! The Bose is a good speaker for those who trus the name and don't have too much experience in the area of speakers. If I were you I would just take a peek at the Klipsch. Thanks guys!

My wife Emily suggested I have a look at this page and see what people are saying. She posted at an earlier date. We bought a pair of 701s in December. Let me assure you that we are both nothing but pleased with these speakers! It's easy to come here and post snide, uneducated remarks then leave. Give some constructive criticism here, folks ... that is, if you have any. Probably not. Here are the reasons why we love our new speakers so much:

-Thunderous lows, and razor sharp highs (20 to 20,000 hz) that never disrupt each other ... a heavy bass response will not give a coloration to the midrange
or highs that are playing at the same time.

-Amazing stereo imaging. Not just left to right, but in depth also. (Brass at rear left, oboe in center front, etc.)

-Enormous sound stage. There is no longer a sweet spot per se in our living
room, the whole room is practically one big sweet spot. The sound hits your
ears as if it were originating from a live performance, not like you are playing music through two "directional" boxes.

-Smooth, mellow, well defined midrange. Voices sound correct, as do woodwinds.

Some may say that the speakers are good for only a certain kind of music. My
wife and I listen to all kinds of music, with the exception of country (no
offence to anyone)! We would like to post a list of CDs/tracks for your listening pleasure if you are thinking of buying a pair of 701s.

Pink Floyd, Dark Side Of The Moon, track 5, "Money"
Yes, Fragile, track 7, "The Fish (Shindleria Praematurus)"
Sergei Prokofiev, Alexander Nevsky, track 2, "Song About Alexander Nevsky" and, from the same CD, track 6, "The Field Of The Dead"
Keith Sweat, Make It Last Forever, track 4, "I Want Her"
Sade, The Best Of Sade, track 4, "Jezebel"
Janet Jackson, The Velvet Rope, track 4, "Got 'Til It's Gone"
Jewel, Pieces Of You, track 3, "Little Sister"
Natalie Merchant, Ophelia, track 2, "Life Is Sweet"
Third Eye Blind, Third Eye Blind, track 5, "Graduate"
Madonna, Ray Of Light, track 10, "The Power Of Goodbye"
Lisa Loeb, Firecracker, track 4, "Let's Forget About It"
Miles Davis, Kind Of Blue, track 2, "Freddie Freeloader"

Those should get you started.
Please A/B test these to any speaker in the same price range, you often have to listen to speakers that cost hundreds of dollars more to find something that you like better. Even then, the Bose 701s will have certain positive nuances that you just won't find anywhere else.

Just as we have posted tracks that are examples of excellent songs to listen to
on the Bose 701s, I invite anyone to give specific examples (artist, track, discription of speaker fault) of why they don't like these speakers. I want to hear what you hear, I want to understand why some don't like these speakers. Right now, I just don't understand.

Now, do I sound like someone who bought a pair of 701s because of agressive marketing, or because I don't know music??

Bravo, Bose. An all around excellent speaker.

That is my real e-mail address, aren't you jealous?
I think the Nays have it. For the people who write "I don't understand why these guys are bashing Bose" (paraphrased). I am glad you can read our reviews, because if we had to talk about Bose face-to-face I am afraid your hearing problem might be a communication barrier.

These speakers are an atrocity to all fair minded citizens every where. They use the same philosophy the Nazi's used in WW II. Tell a lie, tell it Big, and tell it over and over so that the second time someone hears it it is confirmed by the first.

Listen to some real speakers at a dealer (find one you like and trust first).

Clumsy design, poor parts quality, aggressive marketing. Look elsewhere.

I have stumbled on this page checking consumers, opinions. I customize in home stereo installations, including clubs, and have set up for such rock concerts as Vans warp tour and Ozz fest. I myself am a stereo freak. Anyways I have many people ask me on whats the best blast for your buck in speakers. Quite frankly if I was going to advise a Bose product it would be the 701's, very seldomly have done this. As I am 28 I've had lots of experiences with many brands of speakers. Out here in California audio nuts like us, like to give Bose the patend 40 or older sound. What I call it is East Coast sound. It's warm with excellent stereo imaging, however there's a huge contender out there called JBL. When I was younger I purchased a pair of top of the line 901's. It was the biggest mistake of my life ( at that age ). I just had to understand, I wanted my music LOUD. So with some advice I turned my thoughts top of the line JBL, the L series to be technical, and they rocked my world, and my surrounding neighbors. I was impressed (somewhat) with the 701's however, but they are to no perfection. Music is suppossed to sound how it was recorded, and 75% of the industries use JBL speakers to record and play sound. At the concerts I've been to and helped set-up, about 95% of them used JBL's. So if anyone is thinking about buying Bose speakers, compare them next to a set of JBL's for the same price. I think then you'll know your decision on quality. As for the 701's I give them a two because for false name, they sound moderate, and close to how music is intended to sound

Well when I first read the reviews on this page I was quite taken aback as to the trashing the speakers most of the people gave it, So I decieded to give them a listen, well I ended up buying the 701 ,simply because they sound great Be it music or as the main speakers for the home theatre.

Brand name gets attention

...hmm

I can't believe that there are so many people out there who claim to love music and the 701s. To say that they have no clue would be an understatment, but why bother? If you really are an audiophile, you would listen to the Bose 701 speakers and chances are you would not like them. In the audiophile community, there are always differences in what sounds better, i.e. Martin Logan's on a Conrad Johnson or Revels on Levinson 33H's or the old Record album vs cd debate, but we all agree that Bose continues to make poor quality speakers. Just what does Bose do all thier research on? How to make better ads that sell more speakers? I used to own these speakers, but wait there is more. I used to be a huge fan of Bose. Yes I addmit it, I fell into the whole "Just buy what is popular" thing at one point. Enough about all that, on to the review:
Highs: very shrill and grating to the ear, no sense of clarity whatsoever.
Mid's: totally lacking in transparency and smoothness.
Low's: boomy and very boxy sounding.
Throw in some cheap spring clips and no Spec's and you got the Bose 701's.

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Post-it notes, soup..

Since the speakers are angled they will present a stereo effect, almost doesn't matter where you are in the room.

Very limited range high-low, yes that saying has some truth to it.

I've had these 701's for 4 years now. I remember when I bought them I tested a pair of Polks side by side and you could definitley tell that the Bose did not have the same range. Why did I buy them? Probably a combination of Bose hype and liking the reflected sound concept. I actually liked them until some nice friends kindly broke to me that Bose is oh so nowhere. Well I've had them for 4 years and with some help from a PSB subwoofer I get by, though I'm looking for something else now. The subwoofer makes them, the guy below who said he got rid of his subwoofer because their bass was so awesome must be on the payroll. These speakers can be enjoyable all you have to do is grip and rip, crank the volume and forget about being an audiophile.

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Infinity

Well, I have a pair of these 701s and I think they are pretty good considering they are playing through a SoundDesign all-in-one unit! Hee hee. I came in here to find reviews of receivers and found this area. Well for the price I paid (free from a friend), I think they are great but I will tell you better when I get a receiver. The main reason I am writing at all is that BC on March 20 was pretty hillarious. Funny how emotional people are. Maybe because if the speakers stink, they don't want to admit it because they already paid $700 for them. Anyone know anything about the Pioneer VSXD308? Looks pretty good but I can't find any reviews.
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