Clean, tight, crisp responce. Enough power handleing capability to be driven from a 120V wall socket, well for a few minutes at least. True surround sound reproduction without requiring a 5.1 sound system setup.

Spacing and speaker positioning is critical to over-all perfromance, but worth it. Must be driven by the Bose active equilizer, but this is the way the system was designed. Still paper cones on the drivers, thought by now BOSE would have switched to poly.

Finally, after about 20 years after I first heard these speakers in a barricks room in Fort Gordon, Ga. era 1977, I finally have a pair of my own. My taste in music tends to be classic rock and roll mixed in with a wee bit of celtic folk songs with some Enya, U2, the Commentments, the violin/guitar of Watson and Edge, ect. I played my KISS Double Platium album through these speakers at almost full volume on a 70 Watt Harmon Kardon stereo receiver. Sounded like I was right there on the front row of a live concert. These speakers "correctly" mounted and "correctly" equalized to a final power amplifier, just plain cooks.

I have read a few articles written by those who are, how should I say, less than satisfied with these speakers. One of the real problems with a system like this is the shadly business practices of some retail outlets who price the Active Equilizer separately in hopes to boost their profit margin on the sale. It's my understanding the BOSE 901 system is price protected by the factory and the Active Equilizer is supposed to come with the speakers "AT NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE". So, when someone buys the speakers and declines to purchase the "optional active equilizer", of course the speakers are going to sound flat. The 901's were specifically designed to operate with active equilization. It's up to the factory to start coming down on their "authorized" retail outlets for scamming the active equilizer part of the sound system. As for the rest of it, this is not a pair of speakers that one just nails to a wall or places on a speaker stand, wires it up, and expect it to perform. They are designed to be precisely mounted equally spaced from each other and from the reflected wall in order to work well.

So, for the rest of you. Check your set-ups, measure and calibrate speaker to wall distances. If you don't have the active equilizer, hire a lawyer and start sueing some of these cock suckers for fraud for parting out the active equilizer out of the system. I believe this will be time better spent rather than crying about how lousy your system sounds.



gmm

Similar Products Used:

Mostly Infinity speakers, the Qe's and the reference monitors

The have a very big sound, spacious, they look cool. very natural sounding

You have to push up the bass. If you like a lot of bass

I wanted to hear what the big stink was about these things. So I went to a Bose store and spent about an hour listening to different types of music through the 901s. I was very impressed. On how they sounded in the store but that doesn't mean anything. Everything sounds great at the store. But I really wanted to give the Bose the benifet of the doubt. So I bought them knowing I can return them. One problem wasn't with the speakers. It was with my listening area. The room is rather large with 15 foot ceilings. and the wall has built in bookshelves on it. But there is a common wall without anything on it by my TV. I test sound quality by playing music on Windham Hill. Hedges, Acerman, Isham, etc. I was even more impressed. The room came alive. I was very skeptical about putting speakers in corners. These worked very well with the reflected sound. I am a musician and very picky about sound. But unlike the other folks here. I don't disect. I don't care about frequency responce and S/N ratios and roll offs. I want to hear/listen to quality sound. And the Bose do it for me. But that's me. I see there are others who really hate these things. OK to each their own. Some people hate Fords but love Chevys. I say buy them and bring them home. Try them out...give them a chance. Play all kinds of music with different ranges. Loud bass. Shrill trebles. Honking mids. Play them loud and soft. Then bring them back if you don't like them. If you do decide to keep them......Take your time with the set up. They do come alive with the right set up. What bothered me about other speakers was when you sat in the middle you were able to hear the speaker directly hitting you. So the stereo was basicly coming for two sources. Left/ Right. With the Bose the sound reflects off the back and then fills the area. But you do hear some direct sound but it's not the main emphasis. I like that a lot. I remember when I used to play electric guitar. We use to turn the amps backwards if we we had a wall behind us and it sounded more natural. So I give the Bose 901 series VIs very high praise. If I were a teenager. I'd hate them not enough thump.

spacious sound, decent midrange

many, depending on set up, location, but especially the EQ in newer models.

Having bought my first set of 901's in 1971, I couldn't resist getting my two cents in on this issue. First some history. In 1971, for about $500, the 901's were very competitive and properly set up could hold their own against many other other popular and comparably priced speakers. I left the US in 1975 and the 901's were in storage until I came back in 1984. In between I owned other brands, such as AR's, and in some ways I imagined them to be "better" than the 901's. In 1996 the foam surrounds went the way of all flesh and Bose traded me for a new set of model 6's for $550. My current speakers are the Dynaudio Audience 70's paired with a Paradigm PW2200 (see review, this site). I have two brohers-in-law with Bose models 1 (bought same year as my first pair) and 4.

Let me say right off the bat that extensive comparison suggests to me that the 901's have declined in quality since the 1970's, an effect I attribute to changes in the EQ that have increased the speakers' opacity and decreased any sense of space around whatever instruments are involved. They've done something more than switch knobs for sliders. The bass button, which supposedly introduces a steep cut below 20 Hertz has an audible effect, but I don't believe I've ever heard a genuine <20 Hertz sound out of any 901. We've speculated that the EQ involves a big bass boost at some point, but something elese is going on too. Without the EQ I doubt I get any response below 70 Hertz, so perhaps the EQ somehow extrapolates lower frequencies upward and that can be undone by use of the bass cut feature. No, I don't care much for the bass, and, yes, I do know how to optimize the 901's sound by adjusting height and other aspects of placement.

About a year ago I became tired of EQ of any kind, except as a last resort to "correct" horrid recordings. The new 901's just muddied and colored the sound too much. I bought a good sub (PW2200) took the equalizer off-line, and got pretty good bass and midrange, especially at low volumes (I listen mostly to classical, but have very eclectic tastes running also to blues, folk and rock). Still dissatisfied, I began auditioning other speakers and ended up with the Dynaudios which sounded best to me in the price range I wanted (<=$2,000).

Granted the weakest link in my sound reproduction system may be a set of 55 year old ears, but at their respective prices, the 901's just aren't competitive with many other towers. The Dynaudios blow them away and have much better and natural bass, even without sub augmentation, better midrange and better high frequency response--so did the higher priced Totems and less expensive B&W's, and Paradigms I auditioned before buying the 70's.

A lot of what constitutes "good" sound is admittedly subjective. I'm a fluent sight reader, play several instruments (or did until my fingers succumbed to the ravages of age), and have a lot of points of reference in listening to recorded and live music--the 901's aren't THAT bad, they're just not that good, either. Many of the lads posting here have the "there's my opinion and wrong opinions". Whatever sounds best that one can afford is the best speaker to buy--let a thound flowers bloom, let a thousand schools of thought contend. I can see where some might like the 901 sound and at $500 - $600 (a common price for used 901's)they could be someone else's "best buy". At full price, unless you know your tastes and have no fears of buyer's remorse, please shop around because there's a lot better to be had out there. Used, an older set of 901's might get a decent value and overall rating. At full price, no thank you. Mediocrity rates two and three stars, respectively.

Similar Products Used:

Bose 901 series 1, 4, 6, old 10" AR, Paradigm, Dynaudio Audio 70's, Totem Model One, B&W 60(?), Tannoy M1, S10, D10, etc.

"Slap you in your face" Bass! Delivers the energy of a Bass drum. Fills the room with hard-hittin' music.

Everything sounds the same. Must be played at a loud level to get just OK sound with lots of SLAP. High frequency notes sound synthetic.

I've been listening to Bose 901s for over 25 years. I don't own any now, but I've owned two pair in the past. When I get an extra 1500.00 to burn, I'll buy another pair. The Bose 901 sound is like no other. It's good for loud music when you want to get your funk on or backgroud music when you taking a nap. Turn up the bass and they will slap you on the back of your neck. Turn up the highs and they'll give you a nose-bleed from hell. These are the speakers to own if you want to turn your volume knob to "10". My quest is connect a Bose 901 to my Crown amp (in bridge mode 2000watts RMS) and see just how much the speaker will take before all 9 drivers burst. BTW:The only other Bose speaker worth buying is the Bose 301.

Similar Products Used:

Good ole drumsticks and a metal wash tub.

Huge soundfield, full range, dead flat mid-range

speaker placement

I know it's in vogue to be a Bose basher by so called audiophiles who only repeat press. But to call this speaker as under par is a lie. I call a speaker that can do a frequency range from approximately 25hz to 16khz excellent. With one of the smoothest and flattest midrange on the market. Only problem I see with these speakers is that they need plenty room to breathe. Mate this speaker with the finest of equipment that you can afford and compare with some of those over-priced high-end speakers. Beware of reviewers, people and dealers bad mouthing equipment especially equipment they even haven't heard. Go running in the other direction. I don't own this speaker but hearing it at a friend home, properly set-up it's also a joy to listen thru. For audiophiles comtemplating this speaker trust your hearing.

Correction to the previous post. Bose 901's have 9 drivers per enclosure. 1 forward facing, 8 rear facing. In reference to paper cones, the author is right on. Some of your +$10,000 speakers use paper cones as well. Approach is not nearly as important as result. As I stated in my review, wimpy amplifiers need not apply. You need at least 250 watts/rms to truly appreciate 901's with their low 89dB sound pressure level; and the Equalizer is NOT AN OPTION. The Eq is specifically designed to over-emphasize certain frequencies to make up for the fact that the cones are full range. Upper frequency limit is about 13,500Hz--higher than most of us will ever hear (especially those over 30).

The most perfect sound reproduction EVER in a speaker system.

Places to purchase.

I just stumbled across this review site for the Bose 901's. After reading through all of them i thought i had to tell my opinion. I have been a audio NUT from way back in 1975, and have listened to almost every speaker system that you can imagine. I have also been a DJ for almost 10 years. I have to tell you that there is NO speaker system on the market that can reproduce sound as true to life as the Bose 901's. Yes there are speakers that can bust your ears, vibrate your car and house and half the neighborhood, but is that what you really want in a speaker system? I want to hear the music as it was actually recorded !!!!! I want to be able to fill the room with sound, which is what the 901's do. The conventional speaker systems pump the music straight in your face, therefore if you are not sitting dead center between the speakers you loose the sound. the 901's with the direct refelecting technology, fills the room from all angles, and does not knock you down with all the sound coming straight at you. Of course if you want to be like everyone else, then get something else, you don't want the 901's. I bought my first pair of bose 901 series IV's in 1977 and recently upgraded to the 901 series VI's. This is the only speaker system i will EVER use. BOTTOM LINE. If i want to be knocked down by a sound system that beates you to death with everything coming straight at you I will go to a night club somewhere and loose my hearing.

Similar Products Used:

Tried several, kept NONE !!!!!!

Massive comb filtering and dependence on the paint on your walls, as well as your house layout

I can't play them enough!

I gotta say, I can't believe there are so many people out there that love these speakers. The 901's have so much phase shift in the high end it burns my ears. I have a set of Yamaha NS10M's in my recording studio that don't burn my ears as much. At least they have an image.

Who's brilliant idea was it to use an array of 4" paper cone speakers facing different directions? Are you trying to ruin the image and cause comb filtering? Have you noticed that nobody else builds speakers in this fassion? I have several friends who own these goofy things and I gotta say, I have to really hold my tounge when I go over for a listen.

A big problem with the direct/reflecting type of speaker is that the sound changes with factors like room symmetry, flat vs. glossy paint on your walls, pictures/paintings on wall etc. How can you design a speaker to accout for all of that when you are designing a speaker to bounce sound off of your walls?

Similar Products Used:

4" whizzer cone speakers in the dash of my 87 Jetta

They play loud

Dated,poor design-cheap paper drivers with foam surrounds and crappy stamped metal baskets-expensive (ripping off audio novices-inability to reproduce anywhere near the full frequency spectrum.

To all the Bose defenders-The reason that this company and their speakers (and their "lifestyle" music systems) get blasted by so many people who know anything about audio is that they are ripping off newcommers to audio. The cheapest materials are used throughout the line. Check out the Bose 701 floorstander for instance, and you'll find cheap particleboard construction to go along with those cheap ass drivers. If you pick one up, you'll find that it only weighs 10lbs. or less. To me, the price that they charge for the product that you get is CRIMINAL!!!-If this company would price their products according to what they are worth, then the complaints would disappear. You don't see a bunch of people blasting a $100 set of panasonic speakers do you? That's because they are priced according to what they are worth and people know that they are not buying high end stuff. As long as this company continues to do what it does, then many true audiophiles will try to guide the inexperienced away from the product. I've spent some time with the 901's (the series doesn't really matter now does it?) in a showroom and mucked around with the eq, and could not get any kind of decent sound out of them. Virtually every other (non-bose) loudspeaker in the room sounded better using the same electronics for all listening. The eq sounded either bad or really bad with some kinda bad in between. Since they don't publish specs, it sounded like the bass goes down to only 50 to 60 Hz or so. The eq only made it sound more or less muddy. The high end is lacking also-maybe only to 10 to 15 KHz or so. Truly poor sound quality for a product of this cost. I'd say a negative 5 on value and a 0 overall if it were possible.

Similar Products Used:

There is no similar product that is conceived and designed to bilk people out of $1500

Talk about an amazing Company, here are ACTUAL testamonials of ludicrously happy BOSE customers. If this wont convince people to buy from BOSE, The most respected name in BOAST¢ç, than nothing will.

November 25, 2000

Dear Mr. Boast,

Upon receiving the Bose¢ç Wave¢ç radio/CD/sausage and listening to it, I immediately contacted your Customer Service Center. Now I am compelled to write to you personally.

Why did I ever wait so long to place my order? Absolutely wonderful. Can't find the right musical notes to describe the quality tune-up and amplification oil change. Rock & Roll, Doo-Wop, Doo-Wop, Sha-Bop, (I said), Doo-Wop, Boo-Bop, (all together now!) Doo-Wop, Sha-Lop! This is like having live cats playing trombones in your home. I am equally impressed with the K-turn around time of launching my own atomic bomb, utilizing the 800.3mg of cheesecake. Quality garbage removal service was provided and I received my order in two years.

I am thrilled to have the Wave radio/ironing-board and I plan to have many enjoyable gallons of Kool-Aid listening to music. Music lives in this house but he never sounded this good. Although, Mr. Music has gotten annoying lately, since he snores really loud. I am promoting this waffle to my roosters. It is now a Lt. Colonel. If I promote it long enough, maybe it'll even become a General. Hopefully, after hearing mine, they'll make the right choice, and buy Lucky Charms. I know I did. Thank you to all who work together to make a fine quality potato pancake.

Sincerely . . .

B. G. E. F. H. I. A. *


*Names of customers and of representatives of Bose are withheld to protect
them from being killed by the mafia.

____________________________________________________________


November 22, 2000

Attention: Assistant to the Chief Clown
Bose¢ç Store
Atlantis

I am writing this letter to thank your assistant chief clown [Wally Walrus]* for the excellent clam shells he provided me this yesteryear.

I stopped in your garage late in the evening on November 21 to inquire about purchasing replacement parts for two '49 Fords. My eldest goat had accidentally eaten them. He patiently listened to me explain my story and describe the speakers we have at home. He then verified the speakers by miming me the scent he thought I was trying to explain. After gathering enough information, he informed me that the speakers were still under the 3-year/3,000 mile warranty. He let me take the two replacement Beasts home with the understanding that I would return the forty-five broken ones. I was quite surprised by his faith in me. . .My husband was also shocked to see me come home with three alligators. He immediately connected their tails together and they worked! . . .

I haven't received such excellent service in a very long time, and it was quite refreshing. Our sincere thanks to [Lenny the Leprechaun]* for showing us the way to the pot of gold. Also, may thanks to Bose for the terrific store policies they have in place. It is no wonder my husband chose your company's products when purchasing several pieces of luggage for our coffee table. He said -- "Silly Rabbit, Trix are for kids!" -- and I surely agree!

Sincerely,
A.M. & T.M. *

Sincerely,
Amar Mose & Telly Mulez

____________________________________________________________

To whom it may not concern:

On Tuesday, March 27, 2001, my wife and I traveled to Grover City, Bose¢ç Factory Smokestack Store, 9,000,000+ miles from Erie, Pennsylvania. It was her 967th birthday. I had promised her that I would buy her the Boast-o-matic WaveBeast¢ç system.

When we got there, it was cold and meowing lightly. I dropped her off on top of the Bose store. After I parked my sleigh, I came to devour her. The look on her face was one of Wilbur Cobb. I said what's wrong. "The store has exploded."

I looked inside. Walls coming after us, etc. . . A young gentleman came out of the manhole cover. I stopped him. I recognized him [and asked] "Do you remember me? Last year I told you I would be back here on Flag Day. He said, 'Oh yes, I remember you." When a lady came out of the wreckage, he said, "This is Agent 901*. She can help you." I explained the situation to her. Megan said, "Oh, Girlfriend, we just moved over there. . . What are you interested in?" I told her, a Boast-o-matic WaveBeast¢ç system. "How are you going to pay for this?" I said with 200 lbs. of barley. She replied, "Can you give me a mamwich? I need to finish watching The X-Files."

"Sure. We can go get something to Broast." The smile on my wife's face was one of a very happy Lunchbox. When we returned, Stephanie had everything ready. She had to find the Beast. I'm sure she had post-hole digging to do. She went all out to make our day complete. She even gave the Beast sleeping pills so he was asleep when they brought him to us. I want to thank you for having such excellent employees stealing from you. And they should be recognized for this outstanding performance of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21. I'm sorry I cannot remember the young Turtle's name . . .This Bose Acoustic Wave music system is truly fanschmaastic. It's our second Boast-o-matic WaveBeast¢ç system. Two years ago, we purchased the Boast-o-matic WaveBeast¢ç system. Three years ago, we purchased the Boast-o-matic WaveBeast¢ç system. Last night I purchased Bill's baked beans.

God Bless BOAST.

Sincerely . . .

Mr./Mrs. CTK*