This review is for the BOSE 901 Classic Series VI. The other site is filled up.
I’ve owned BOSE 901 Series IV (yes, that’s series 4) speakers since 1978, and have always been pleased with them. When I changed over to CDs in the late 80s, I noticed that the speakers sounded a bit harsh, so I upgraded the Series IV equalizer to a Series VI model, although against the recommendations of BOSE. But for me, the new EQ enabled my Series IVs to handle the increased dynamic range and frequency response of digital music.

Well, after a total of 20 years of hard use, I recently started hearing some slight distortion from one of the speakers. A new pair (now 901 Series VI) would cost me $1500, so I started to audition other speakers in the same price range. Some were nice, others were not. It was hard to decide. One outstanding brand I heard would require me to invest $$$$ in high-end power (amp/preamp) to drive them right. Too much expense.

So I called BOSE to ask some questions. According to BOSE, the distortion was because the Series IV drivers’ foam surrounds were finally beginning to deteriorate. BUT, they also told me about a program BOSE is offering in which they replace 901 Series IV speakers with brand new Series VI models (which do not use foam surrounds), plus a new Series VI equalizer, for $590 including shipping from the BOSE factory. A savings of $910 over the retail price before tax. So I went for it. I sent BOSE my old Series IVs, and just last week received the new Series VIs, a new Series VI EQ, plus a 5-year warranty, altogether taking less than two weeks.

I set them up, listened, and am pleased once again. The new ones sound a bit different – more detailed. I’m eager to spend some time with them and my favorite CDs. But let me share a very important fact about BOSE 901 speakers. Placement is critical. No question about it, whatsoever. The owner’s manual explains it all in full detail, but in a nutshell, unless these speakers are at least 4 feet apart, at least 18 inches from a side wall, large object, or sound-absorbing furniture, and somewhere between 8-16 inches in front of an unobstructed wall, they will not sound good. Period. In fact, there’s a good chance they might sound like most of the reviews you’ll read in this or the other 901 section.

I strongly suspect that many listeners with the best of intentions have unfortunately heard the 901 Series VI speakers improperly set up, as have I on more than one occasion. I’ve seen these speakers sandwiched between other speakers, or suspended from the ceiling way too far from a back wall. The BOSE 901s radiate 89% of their sound at angles from the back. So, IF you interfere with the back wall and/or the space around each speaker, or jam them up tight against each side of a giant-screen TV, you’ve rendered them quite inefficient. And quite disappointing.

Anyway, I’ve always enjoyed the spacious and well-balanced sound of my 901s (excellent timbre, really low and articulate bass, intricate detail, and nothing boomy at all), and I can now say the same about the Series VI. Every time I’ve auditioned speakers over the last twenty years, (and I have on occasion, just to hear what’s out there), my judgment criteria has been my BOSE 901 sound, or live music (I play guitars and basses, have played with other musicians on occasion, and heard many live performances.) When properly set up (and this may take a bit of experimentation and even minute adjustments), BOSE 901 Series VI speakers can certainly hold their own against the competition, and dust many of them without question. Everyone who has heard my setup including professional musicians has always been very impressed, as am I. And I’m running them off of a very good quality 60W per channel receiver.

Of course, the 901 Series VI speakers are not perfect, but then again, nothing else I’ve heard is, either. Like other very good speakers, the source material has a lot to do with their performance. The computer phrase “garbage in, garbage out” very much applies. I give them 4 stars.

Although I do have to admit that these speakers MUST be set up properly to do them full justice, (in fact this system can easily be made to sound AWFUL, even with their EQ) they are far from the poor sounding, over priced speakers "Only idiots would own", that so many so-called audiophiles have proclamed them to be.
Let us take a look at the issue of frequency response, since this seems to be an area where these speakers tend to take a lot of flack. I have listened to many speakers over the years and have also had the opportunity to test out their associated response curves as well. Although many manufacturers make it a huge point to publish these figures, in most of my tests I found that, in an average listening environment, few speakers could begin to come close to there published specifications without the use of massive amounts of equalization. The main reason for this is that most speakers have such measurments performed in anechoic chambers, and not true listening environments. Since Bose has actually made it a point to NOT publish frequency response curve measurements, I was especially eager to have a look at the type of actual response of these speakers. The Bose 901 system, set up accoring to the recommendations provided in Bose's manual regarding reflective surfaces, in a fairly "dead" room with carpeting, and drapes, amazed me! Not only did the Bose 901 Series 6 system display a remarkably flat response curve (measured in 1/3 octaves using an Audio Control professional analyzer), but maintained a relatively flat curve, +/- 5 DB. extending from 40-18,000Hz.! This performance alone in a speaker system under $1500.00 is pretty impressive. After running tests using pink noise generation, I switched to actual music to further evaluate the quality of the system. Again I was impressed! Bass notes were solid, although a bit heavy in the upper mid-base range, and packed an incredible amount of power down to even the 40HZ area! Although some mid-highs sounded a bit bright, overall the systems demonstrated a remarkable high-end, even in the relatively "dead" room they were in. From these tests, I would highly recommend that anyone interested in reviewing this system take the time to try one out in an actual home environment.

If you want LOTS of sound try these

Need lots of power, little high end clarity

Purchased these Series VI speakers used about eight years ago. Still running strong - no problems. The mission of 901 speakers is pretty simple. Lots of sound (best played loudly) to fill any room they're placed in. Clearly designed for an earlier time with no real thought to the brightest clarity or dialogue. Don't try using 'em with your home theater. Lots of negative comments here, many bordering on the rabid. I agree that the retail price is too high (but when isn't it?). These were designed for a Rolling Stone era - if you realize this you won't be disappointed. For classical, jazz, and video applications, shop around.

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velodyne, infinity

THEY SOUND JUST GREAT !!!!!

NEEDS POWERFUL AMPLEFIER ,BUT ITS WORTH IT

I OWN A PAIR OF BOSE 901'S FROM 1979 THAT I GOT FROM MY DAD. THEY SOUND GREAT EVERYWHERE .SHOULD HAVE THEM IN A LARGE ROOM THEY PLAY BEST THERE .MY NEIGHBOURS ARE ALLREADY COMLAINING ABOUT SPEAKERS THEY PLAY TO HIGH . YOU WOULDENT THINK THEY PLAY SO LOUD IF YOU JUST LOOK AT THEM , BUT THEY DO .THEY SOUND EVEN BETTER WITH A GOOD SUB WOOFER .20 YEARS LATER THEY STILL ARE AMONG THE BEST YOU CAN GET .DOESENT HAVE THE BEST BASS BUT BETTER THAN THE MOST .

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CANT THINK OF ENY

Mid Range

Mid Range Only

901s can sound reasonable if you add a small tweeter array (I have old pair by MicroAcoustic that look like mini 901s). You must also add a Subwoofer and powered equalizer.
These will give you a much cleaner sound and the tweeters will give you a directional focal point.
Bose 901s sound OK for the money but they are now and have always been (incomplete) mid range speakers and should be judged as just that.

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Lots--Getting Martin Logans

Ambience

Ambience, Imaging, Range, Clarity, Price

I endured the Bose 901's for over a year from my room mate. I'm not here to make enemies, if people enjoy the coloration created by the 901's, then whom am I to say otherwise.

The 901's really sound 'compressed', muddy, clarity is elusive and the range is lacking. Most promotions of the 901's bass range is primarily mid bass only, however, anything below 60 HZ at relative loud volume levels will demonstrate how the 901's can betray you! Excessive flutter at 45 HZ at 80 Watts should be a good enough test to hear air rushing in and out of the ducted ports. The little drivers are challnged to reproduce this much less any further extension downwards. Keeping in mind as frequency is cut in half, cone excursion is encreased by a factor of 4, and now your at the threshold of mechanical limitations of the drivers. In addition, to expect any driver to faithfully reproduce the lowest tones while simultaneously trying to recreate any high frequency deffinition without having any modulation distortion is asking too much at any price!
The speakers by design are not for the purist, to create the 'ambience' the multiple drivers will create a massive time phase distortion as well (thus adding to coloration, a bad word for purist). Furthermore, to request any driver to faithfully reproduce all 10 octaves of the human hearing is also asking for too much! That's why most speaker systems divide up the frequency realm into sections to be handled by woofers and tweeters (or more). Sad to say, that's why some of the most elementary designs of simple two way systems will sound superior to the 901's.

I believe the Bose enthusiast really enjoy their 901's because they haven't experienced 'ambience' before. I'm not going to knock them, however, there is much, Much more to music than 'fills my listening room'. They may have to learn through experience, or maybe go ahead and admit they made a 1,500 dollar mistake.

If your truly going to consider Bose (any model), please at least shop around, and grab someone who is experienced.

Bose makes too much money of these puppies!

Clear, clean sound, you are there, hearing every nuance, every breath, every string pluck, the inhaling on instruments for a sax, if it was recorded you will hear it.

Set up for proper wall bounce and height is not easily achieved. Hand em high and wide with plenty of power to push them.

Set up correctly they provide the quality and responsiveness desired. I am fortunate to have been able to hang them from the ceiling and have them properly spaced from back and side walls to get the true benefit of their design. Once this was done, the results are indeed sweet. When they were on stands near the floor and blocked from true reflection, the results were only ordinary, but give them the room and surface, they truly do respond as no other speaker can. I have tested many high quality speakers since in building my TV room. But while many have very clean, realistic sound, its diretive nature lacks the depth and warmth of the surrounding nature of 901 when set up properly. Ah the key is set up and power of course. My ADCOM separates provide ample amount of good clean power. The stings on BB Kings guitar can be heard as his calloused fingers glide along the metal stands. Clean and clear. When set up properly.

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I was sold on these since long ago, and have found nothing since that touches them when set up properly for the price.

Great value when purchased used. Very durable.

Tough to set up, needs power.

My family has had Bose 901's since the series II...and we never had one problem with them quality wise. Now I own a pair of Series V, which I have mounted on the wall, on some clever VOGEL shelves (the arm, which is bolted to the stud moves left and right, and then there is an elbow which allows me to pan, and the speaker stand can be tilted like 15 deg up or down), which allow me to move the speakers in any direction I want for easy adjustements,,,

I have listened to countless speakers, in countless locations, and to me, the only ideal set-up is your own. The shops are too sterile an environment to tell. My Bose sound warm, very very clean detailing,,,I can tell when i play a smooth Jazz guitar, or spanish guitar. It can handle Chris Squire's boomy bass...The feeling that the stage is up center when you have them set up right is amazing.

Other speakers I listened to, which cost at least 5 times as much, sounded like shrills to me,,,and they were hooked up with Krell stuff. Its just not true that these speakers are bad. Its strange to see them because they are short, and the stands they fit on from Bose are ugly...But If you get them, get the Vogel's support shelves.

In summary: I never heard a better speaker (to my ears) for all kinds of music, especially drums. Just dont buy them ignoring the room they will be in...

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Mirage, KEH, Cerwin Vega, Wharfdale, Klipsch, etc

hands down the most outstanding speaker I've ever heard

when I turn my 13" TV's speakers on it drowns out these awesome speakers

I did a lot of research before investing my money in a high end audiophile home entertainment system. And in every audio magazine my eye was caught by the ads from Bose. The descriptions give you an excellent understanding about how much hard work and innovation goes into Bose speaker technology. Their speakers are so advanced that it uses reflected sounds to radiate the sound waves. This radical new technology is so advanced that other manufactures don't even try to do it, that's because they leave high-end audiophile technology to the masters of sound: Bose!!

These speakers are da bomb!!!

Before buying Bose I was using a pair of Teac bookshelf speakers that came with my Teac home theater entertainment unit with an integrated cd player, AM/FM radio tuner, and high current amplifier. I may have spoiled myself a bit with buying the Teac amp, I mean 25 Watts per channel is a lot of power but I could not resist. Teac has an exceptional
price/performance ratio - I dare you to find a cleaner, more pure and natural sounding amplifier in it's price range.... trust me you can't, to get any better you will have to spend
in upwards of $400 to get any noticable improvement in sound. Teac speakers are no slouches either, those thing can kick out the tunes like a grunge rock and roller! And trust
me on this, I have been listening to music for years and years.

But now I am a Bose owner and I am undoubtedly in pure audiophile heaven. When I hooked up the 901's to the Teac unit and heard the first few notes of "Baby, One More Time" by Britney Spears my jaw dropped to the floor. I was in awe. I couldn't believe my ears, it was as if Britney was right there in the room singing live for me!! Yeah, Baby!

The Bose Direct/Reflecting speaker system really works. You have to hear it to believe that such unimaginable clarity and stereo imaging is possible in such a value-oriented audiophile speaker. I don't know how Bose do it, but they are the masters!

Before buying Bose I was auditioning other speakers such as the highly acclaimed Aiwa SP100 tower speakers, and The Radio Shack Home Speaker Unit. But neither of those speakers came anywhere close to Bose. The Aiwa's perhaps were too bright on the upper end of the audio spectrum, the treble notes were always harsh to the ear. The Radio Shack on the other hand were very strong in the bass notes (almost as good as Bose), but I think they had way way too much midrange. I like my music with lots of loud boomy bass and slightly muffled treble notes that don't quite hit the highs enough to be considered bright. And for that type of sound the Bose 501's are incredible.

I could hear things in songs that I never hear before, a subtle guitar pluck or whisper, even in songs I've listened to hundreds of times. I was able to hear every pluck of the
guitar strings out of "Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by The Proclaimers. But there's one thing that made no doubt in my mind that Bose was the speaker for me - the outstanding stereo imaging! These speakers are so accurate that if I listen to them a few feet away from the boxes and close my eyes I can pinpoint exactly where the speaker is. Even some of the disgustingly overpriced (but even higher quality) speakers such as Cerwin Vega have stereo imaging problems, they are so poor in this regard that they almost project a 3D image of the sound, yuck!! Who in their right minds would spend hundreds of dollars on speakers that throw sound out in weird directions like that. When I want audiophile speakers I want pinpoint accurate stereo imaging sound so that I can tell exactly where the sound is coming from.

Anyways, I think I am beginning to ramble on about how amazing 901 Series V Direct/Reflecting speaker technology really is. Out the door with my old Teac speakers, I have found my one true love of my life, Bose 501!!!!

2 thumbs up from me!!!!
(well I'll use stars cause there is no thumbs :)

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Teac, Aiwa, Radio Shack

Punchy, great for high energy rock and roll

Lacking real low bass or critical high frequencies. They are a bit pricey.

I have been fortunate enough to buy and use many different speaker systems in the past 20 years. I think Bose may be responsible for passionate negative reviews. If the first time you listen to these speakers you have been told they are greatest speakers in the world, you will be greatly dissapointed. If you no opinion or knowledge of them before hand and heard a "properly set up" pair you would amazed that speakers that size sound that good.

I also would bet that quite a few negative reviewers did not have the EQ set up properly, mainly because the sound they describe is exactly what they sound like without the EQ.

If you are not somewhat of an audio geek you may not like these speakers, you can't just hookem' up and set them anywhere. However, if you are a geek and spend the time getting it right you will be rewarded for your effort. Good vocal clarity, punchy drums (although lacking gut wrenching bass), distinct electric guitar. Obviously great for rock and roll and top 40.

I like classical recordings and although the 901's don't necessarily embarrass themselves, for me they don't have the dynamic range to do it justice.

Here's how I would break it down:

Classic Rock - Very good choice
Country - Very good choice
Hip-hop (dance) - Lacks the wall shaking bass to be a great choice here.
Modern Rock - Good choice
Classical - OK not great

These are certainly far better than average (radio shack, yorx etc.). But, they do not size up to Martin Logans, Legacy's and the like.

To Bose: Don't say you can't buy a better speaker at any price. And speaking of that, put the price between $900 and $1000 that's where it belongs. (Yes I realize that these speakers sell well and that won't happen)

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Better than Cerwin-Vega's not as good as say Klipsch (I own both)