I own a pair of Bose 901 speakers. The first time I heard them was in mid 1970's at a dealer in Albany, New York. The speakers were set up with their equalizer and were on their stands. The room was very large with wood floor. They played some jazz, rock, and classical music for me. My jaw dropped when I heard the speakers. As a young student, I used to go to classical concerts in Troy Music Hall in Troy, New York. The Troy Music Hall was built many years ago and has one of the best acoustics in the world. Some audiophile recordings have been made there. The Bose 901 speakers were the first speakers that reminded me of the concerts at Troy Music Hall. They have 9 drivers in the back and completely surround the room with music. Unfortunately, I was a poor student and could not afford the 901 speakers.
A few years later, I was in a restaurant/disco in Birmingham, England. They had 18 Bose 901 speakers hanging from the ceiling. The music started in mid afternoon and gradually the volume increased as it got dark. It was one of the greatest musical experiences that I ever had. I will never forget that. That is when I decided to buy the speakers.
The 901 speakers that I currently own were purchased in mid 1990's and I used them in a 2-channel setup for a while. When we moved to our new house, I set them up as my surround speakers. Unfortunately, I did not have a very large spare room to use them in a two-channel setup.
The 901 speakers are not for everybody. They require a very large room and a very powerful amplifier. They must be used with their external equalizer. They sound best on their stands or if they are hung from a ceiling. They are ideal for large auditoriums or clubs.
This is the picture of one of my Bose 901 speakers that I use as rear channel.
Bose Corporation was founded in 1964 by Dr. Amar G. Bose, then professor of electrical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As an MIT grad student in the 1950s, Dr. Bose decided to purchase a new stereo system. He was disappointed to find that speakers with impressive technical specifications failed to reproduce the realism of a live performance.
The quest for better sound was on.
Extensive research in the fields of speaker design and psychoacoustics—the human perception of sound—led to the groundbreaking 901® Direct/Reflecting® speaker system in 1968. Its unprecedented approach to sound reproduction came much closer to the essence and emotional impact of live music, and won immediate acclaim.
In 1968, the introduction of revolutionary Bose 901 Direct/Reflecting® speakers redefined the phrase "high fidelity." For the first time, a home stereo speaker was capable of reproducing music with much of the impact, clarity and spaciousness of a live performance. Today, thanks to Bose electronics research, our 901 speaker system incorporates some 350 enhancements over the acclaimed original.
Direct/Reflecting® speaker technology reproduces much of the impact of a live performance
Nine full-range drivers provide greater power handling than conventional home audio speakers
Optional floorstanding speaker pedestals available
An introduction to Bose 901 speakers: A classic design, updated several times since its introduction in May of 1968, and still in production 40 years later.
There are detail differences among the various versions, chiefly the cabinet and grille styling and the internal structure of the cabinet. Most have a wood or wood-looking cabinet; a few were built having a glossy "piano black" finish. There was a (now discontinued) version of the Series VI that came with its own amplifiers--and a $3500 list price.
Series I----1968 to 1973, acoustic suspension (sealed cabinet), drivers use 4 bolts each to hold them in place
Series II---1973 to 1976, acoustic suspension, improved high frequency response. Drivers use 4 bolts.
Series III--1976 to 1978, Acoustic Matrix (ported cabinet--takes less amplifier power to drive to the same volume level) Drivers use 3 bolts.
Series IV--1978 to 1983, Acoustic Matrix, improved high frequency response. Drivers use 3 bolts.
Series V---1983 to 1987, Acoustic Matrix, better material used for the speaker drivers. Drivers use 3 bolts.
Series VI--1988 to present, Acoustic Matrix, Drivers use 3 bolts. This is current production, as of July '08 its $1,398 list price includes two speakers and an active equalizer, with shipping and sales tax additional, of course. Bose has periodically put the speaker system on sale for about a hundred bucks off, and some eBay vendors are not charging tax and shipping, which helps a lot.
Dr. Amar Bose practically built his company on the reputation of these speakers. Although he now seems to concentrate on selling tiny speakers, headphones, and expensive table radios which DON'T sound all that good, the 901 series is a different animal in that sound quality was a real, driving force in the design and development of the speaker system. Since the current production is the Series VI; and it has been since '88 (TWENTY YEARS!), I suspect that there is presently z-e-r-o engineering effort expended on the 901 series speakers, Bose finding much greater profit in the cheap and tiny stuff.
There are several things that make the 901 series speakers so special. The unique Direct/Reflecting design of the speaker causes most (89%) of the sound produced to be directed to the rear of the cabinet, away from the seating position. This sound bounces off the back and side walls before reaching you. Depending on your preferences, this is either "Stereo Everywhere" if you like the effect, or "Stereo Nowhere" if you don't care for it. I'm not saying it's good, and I'm not saying it's bad. It's a design choice, and it has its place. The use of nine identical 4 1/2 inch drivers, rather than the more traditional "big" woofer, "little" tweeter, and "just right" midrange cones is another design choice. Nine small drivers, acting in unison, have about the same air-moving capacity as a single large woofer and mid-sized midrange cone. On the other hand, it's tough to get a 4 1/2 inch driver to put out high frequencies. And so here is a trade-off. Using multiple, identical drivers allows Bose to totally eliminate a passive crossover network, but instead, a special, purpose-built Active Equalizer is needed to extend the frequency response of the speaker unit.
You will want a Bose 901 active equalizer to go with your 901 speakers. It is contained in a small box that is powered by normal household current (120 volts AC, at least in the US and Canada) and connects to your receiver or preamp by plugging into the tape loop or external processor jacks using two pair of interconnect cables. (It's simple and easy) The equalizers are somewhat specific to the speaker series model--a Series IV speaker should use a Series IV equalizer. The 901 Series VI owner's manual says the Series VI equalizer is also compatible with the Series V, but NOT COMPATIBLE with Series I, II, III, or IV. A reading of the Series IV owner's guide seems to suggest that the Series IV equalizer is compatible with Series III speakers. A Series II equalizer seems to be compatible with Series I speakers. I cannot recommend mis-matching the speaker series and the equalizer series, so if you choose to do so, (i.e., Series II speakers with a Series IV equalizer) it would be wise to contact Bose first. Be sure to check the auction to see if the correct active equalizer is included. If not, equalizers are a common item on eBay.
Another option would be to use an antique Bose receiver, which will have an equalizer for an older model 901 (probably series III or IV, requiring Series III or IV speakers to be used) built-in. I've found references to two different receiver models: the Spatial Control Receiver (100 watts/channel) and the Model 550 (40 or 50 watts depending on the source of the info--and info is kind of hard to come by for these receivers!) Those receivers weren't too common when new, and that was a long time ago--around '79--'83 give or take a couple of years. I'd be concerned that the electronics are getting old enough that they may not be reliable anymore. The 901 Series III and 901 Series IV have three speaker cable terminals. There is the usual + and -, but in addition they have one labeled *. This third terminal is unused (and un-needed) unless you have one of the special antique Bose receivers. This third terminal is used as part of an "effects" device. You could vary the apparent width of the soundstage with an adjustment on the receiver. This third terminal disappeared on the Series V speakers, by that time Bose had quit producing the special receivers.
Aside from a Bose 901 Active Equalizer, either a stand-alone unit or integrated into a Bose receiver, you must be concerned about older Bose 901 speakers having problems with deteriorated (rotted) foam on the actual speaker drivers. I think this is a problem with the Series III and Series IV speakers. My Series V speakers have more of a rubber than a foam surround, and seem to be in fine condition even though the speakers are well over twenty years old. Repair kits are readily available on eBay to repair speakers suffering from foam rot. The price of the kits isn't bad, but it would be a labor-intensive job to re-foam the 18 drivers in a pair of speakers.
The Bose 901s were legendary for their ability to handle large amounts of amplifier power. For a long time, Bose claimed that the 901 could take "unlimited" amplifier power, providing that a fuse of a specified value (a "3-amp, quick acting" fuse such as a Buss AGC-3 or Littelfuse 312-003) was inserted into each of the + speaker cables. This was back in the days when a "120 watt" receiver was considered hugely powerful. Today, watts are cheap and readily available, and Bose is now claiming that the latest 901 (Series VI) will handle up to 450 RMS watts per channel, or 250 watts as tested by the IEC method . First Guess: That's about what a Series IV or V will take, too.
The 901 design--particularly the ones new enough to use the molded plastic Acoustic Matrix internal structure (Series III and newer) produce big sound even with low-powered receivers or amps. They are very versatile with regard to the amount of watts you have available to feed them!
The Bose 901 is small and (relatively) light for a quality speaker, easily portable, handles massive power reliably, and doesn't sound bad at all. I would say that it has sound quality equivalent to, or better than 90% of the speakers sold in big-box retailers like Best Buy or Circuit City, and FAR better than ANYTHING sold by the likes of Sears, Wal-Mart, Target, and Sam's Club. Which means, a properly functioning pair of 901s with the active equalizer is better than what is in 95% of the homes in America right now--primarily because there have always been a huge number of cheap-junk speakers being sold.
The following is small part of The Art of Bose Bashing. Read the entire article here.
Quote:
The Bottom Line Audio: is a wonderful hobby! Let's all respect one another's tastes and preferences. Anything otherwise would be both foolish and childish.
The Art Itself
Here are some typical so called observations Bose bashers use against Bose admirers:
1. Ignorance...Bose buyers are not aware of other high end brands because Bose sells in general low to mid-fi audio stores where they cannot be compared to ultimate quality transducers. Also because of this situation and because they never read Stereophile Magazine, Bose lovers are not aware of excellent high end amplifier brands like Belles, Creek Audio, Krell, Parasound, Mark Levinson, Conrad Johnson, Musical Fidelity, Plinius, Rotel and Audio Research. Bose owners are not educated in the art of true sound reproduction! They are some of the most naive people on the face of God's good earth!
2. Bose lovers are tone deaf or have just plain lost their hearing completely.
3. Bose lovers are gullible. They have been brainwashed! To call themselves seasoned audiophiles is absolutely ludicrous! They believe blindly in Bose's aggressive advertising and marketing. They follow like sheep while the biggest con artists in the business...Bose itself takes a P.T. Barnum approach = "A sucker is born every minute." Bose products are overpriced, overhyped, over marketed while under manufactured with cheaply made outdated materials like paper woofers and tweeters along with foam surrounds as opposed to polypropylene or composite materials like Kevlar with rubber surrounds.
4. No highs no lows...must be Bose! Bose lovers are not attuned to or aware of audiophile listening qualities such as deep well defined tight room shaking bass, subleties/nuances in music, transient response [quick buildup and decay of various musical sounds such as plucked strings], transparency, accuracy, musical timbre, neutrality, proper soundstaging, discretion, overtones, dynamic range and musically emotional involvement.
5. If a Bose owner really rants and raves about his/her purchase and joyfully explains his/her happiness about it and how ultimately satisfying the whole thing is then the person is one of the following: a. in denial
b. a Bose dealer
c. a big fat liar
d. ignorant
e. all of the above.
Why is it so hard for some people to accept the fact that many Bose owners are indeed perfectly happy with their purchases? Thus...# 5 on my "Bose basher" list.
I love # 4 on my "Bose bashing" list as Bose 901 owners are perhaps the most elite group of audiophiles when approaching the reproduction of TRUE natural DEEP bass! I'll never forget that when we used to have the 901's setup in our huge converted attic how you could FEEL deep bass throughout the house that literally shook the place and anything that was loose would vibrate! Unfortunately, when circumstances required moving the 901's out of that great room and into a much smaller room in another home...well most of the speaker's charm also departed along with the excellent bass response!
In this sense, part of Mr. Holt's review was right on the money. Then again, this situation is not unique only to 901's but other speakers as well. The right speaker for the right room as Roy Allison proved in the mid 70's and right now my Polk R30's are right on the money for our humble 8' x 12' computer room. Still, I admire the Bose 901 speakers although I do believe now that they really are best suited for much larger than average rooms. It has taken me years to fully understand this but I do believe that this situation only further fuels some audiophiles' perception as Bose being a rip-off artist.
In response to # 3 on my "Bose bashing" list I will counter with an excerpt from the very "Steroephile" article that the so-called high end uses against the 901's as "the truth and guiding light"..."Much of the 901's popularity is attributable to Julian Hirsch's rave report in Stereo Review, and there is no doubt but that Amar Bose's compellingly convincing ads had their effect, too. But these things alone could hardly account for the 901's popularity."...Thank you, Mr. Holt!
# 2 is quite an ignorant and immature attitude by others and really has no place in audio circles whatsover...but that is what happens sometimes when something out of the ordinary becomes successful. Famed organist Virgil Foxx once stated about the so-called music and audio purists..."They are the ones who talk about it...but can't do it!" He even referred to one of them as having his "nose so high in the air that he could not even smell the very thing of which life is made!"
I will talk of # 1 from the list a bit later in the essay as it is quite the most devious dim-wittedly clever little rap against Bose and Bose owners in general.
We sell the BOSE line at Costco and I tell you...they fly out of there! Absolutely huge WAF because of their size and clean look. Their computer speakers are actually quite good, good enough for me anyway!
For the record - I have owned the following Bose speakers:
901's
501's
301's
201's
AM5's
AM7's
Can anyone say - this guy must have been in the military - how do you think I've come across soo much gear? Between being in the Military overseas (Europe) during audio's heyday (80's and 90's) and working in the industry durning my last tour - you get to see and get a lot of stuff!
I own a pair of Series VI Bose 901s. I am very happy with them and have them hung from the ceiling. I use them as part of a 5.1 set up. One pair of Bose is used for the front speakers the other pair of Bose is used for the rear or surround speakers. I use a Carver center speaker and an Audio Source subwoofer.
I had a difficult time adapting these speakers to 5.1 because of the compatability issues with the other speakers that require non-equalized signals. A Circuit City salesman who knew his stuff sold me a Carver amp and Carver center speaker along with a Sony Dolby Digital Processor. The amp has 5 separate outputs so that I can run non-equalized signals to the other speakers. This worked great. Then came DTS only dvds and blu-rays. My Sony processor doesn't decode DTS. The separate (if you can find them) DTS decoders are very expensive. The Sony Blu-ray player I now have decodes DTS so now my system is compatible again.
I didn't buy 901s for 5.1 surround, I adapted them into the system when 5.1 became popular. I used small surround speakers for awhile and then when my system was compatible I used the 901s. The difference was night and day and the Bose dramatically improved the movie viewing experience.
For my home experience I like the 901s. I auditioned the big Klipshorn speakers that sound great at high volumes but I noticed that the great highs sounded harsh on some material at normal listening volumes that I would use at home whereas the Bose sounded smooth and there was no listener fatigue. Also for the best effect the Klipshorns require a large center speaker in addition to the very large horn speakers.
I auditioned 2 other brands of speakers that sounded great in the stores but I still preferred the spaceness and smoothness of the Bose and so I kept those and still have them 35 years later (I bought the IIs in the 70's).
i have a set of 901's they are awesome speakers. and bose stood by there product also i bought these speakers in 1981
and after say 15 yrs as big daddy stated a foam surrounds turned to dust.
after alot of digging i found that bose offered the org owners of these speakers a program for return. you returned your old 901's with 300.00 dollars and they sent you a brand new pair that was current model speaker vi i think.
and they are hung from the ceiling filling the neighborhood with sound.
so Big Daddy...how big of a room and amplifier do you think the 901's need?
Most of the drivers in the 901 are in the back. They need to be placed away from the rear walls. The bigger and emptier the room, the better it is for them. They work off of the reflections from the walls.
It is best to put them on their stands or hang them 2 or 3 feet from the ceiling and use their dedicated equalizer.
They can take a lot of power. If you have a 200-300 watt amplifier, it will be great, although they can sound good even with much lower power.
Does anyone have any suggestions for compatible 5.1 audio equipment with 901 series VI speakers with equalizers? I need to mix a center speaker and subwoofer into the system. I am presently using a Carver amp with a Sony DD surround processor but need DTS processing and cannot find an equivalent (and equivalenty priced) DTS surround processor. I cannot find any receivers that work with the Bose as the Bose requires tape monitor connections and if the receivers even have these, the surround processing is disabled in this mode.
My blu-ray downmixes DTS into PCM but this doesn't sound as good DD and DTS is suppose to sound even better than DD. Music videos sound OK this way but we were watching Wall-E last night and the sound was not as encompassing on the main feature using the blu-ray decode of DTS as the DD was on the two short features.
The Bose are about 20 years old so I am ready to move on with a smaller compact HT system such as Klipsch or Mirage if I can't find anything to work with the 901s.
In the early 80s a friend of mine had four 901s hung from the ceiling from macrame hangers (remember those) that his wife had made. They were powered by two Yamaha M-2s. All I can say is WOW!
I have Bose Companion 2 Series II speakers. I use them with my Apple computer. I bought the computer and the speakers new, not used. I think it is a USB connection, but am not positive. Lately, when the computer is on and I am not listening to music or anything, I hear sounds coming from the left Bose speaker. It sounds something like coffee perculating. The sounds are not loud. I do not hear the sounds when I listen to music on the computer. The sounds are only from my left Bose speaker, and not from the right Bose speaker. The right speaker is the one with the controls for volume. But the sounds are only from the left speaker. I have had these speakers and computer for a year and a half, with no problem, but these annoying and strange sounds only started about a month ago. What should I do?
Some Bose 901s popped up on my local Craig's List. Not sure if I will bite though, as I don't have a need for them or an external amplifier which I think you need?
Bose Series 3 with equalizer is how it is marketed. Selling price of $400
Anyone using 201s or 301s as rear surrounds? Have an option to get either fairly cheap. They will have to be flush mounted about 8ft on a rear wall. Feedback please. Thanks!
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The Official Bose Speakers Thread
- how do you think I've come across soo much gear?
901 Compatibility w/Home Theater
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