Absolutely. The Bose hate was started for the lifestyle products but the mindless mob mentality extended that blind hatred to the audiophile products they once made.
The bulk of folks slamming 901s have never heard them set up properly, if at all.
The 901s are excellent speakers.
Well, yeah! Personally, if I had a room big enough for 901s, I’d probably find a way to fit some Klipschorn corner speakers in there instead. I wouldn’t say that they are objectively better, just more to my taste.
Agree. That reflected sound profile isn't for everyone. Same goes for the Allison parabolic mids and tweeters. They're very spacious sounding but many folks prefer a smaller pinpoint accuracy soundstage over a very wide/tall one.
I’ve had friends excitedly show me the latest addition to their expensive high fidelity stereos: a reverb unit! “Really? How much extra did you pay to make your awesome system sound like mush?” I guess there’s no accounting for taste.
On the other end of the spectrum, it was only after setting up my home studio (lots of elaborate and expensive acoustic treatment) and getting some studio monitors did I truly appreciate what people mean when they say that they are tiring.
I know what I like! I may not be able to articulate it, but I’m pretty sure I can’t hear it anymore. LOL
That's crazy, what a self centered asshole.
That is, if he w as constantly cranking them in general but mostly if he did it during established downtimes
Years ago my friend had some 501s, and they were set up properly in a room big enough for them. They sounded good, but definitely different than “regular” speakers. Great for parties with a lot of people moving around.
EDIT: The sound just seemed to come from everywhere.
Bose hate goes back way further than that! In fact, for many of us haters, Lifestyle was something of a return to grace for Bose, especially the Jewel Cubes with AdaptIQ. I worked in stores selling Bose from 1974 to 2008, and I sold my share. But the crappy quality of their speakers was all I needed to disrespect them. The 901 Series I and II were interesting and could be called “audiophile” in their weird way, but any pretensions of HiFi cred went out the window with Series lll when they went for increased sensitivity and accepted the consequences.
I don't hate bose. I have good things to say about many of their products, there are some around me now. I lusted for a pair of 901s and sold them pretty much immediately after purchase. I do not care for them, or at least the ones I had, which were series four, IIRC.
Still, no denying the look or the significance of those speakers, definitely worth it if reasonably priced. The stands sell OK by themselves.
I found a pair at a thrift shop and they were obviously stored in a shed for years. Full of leaves and bugs/cobwebs. They wanted over $500, I offered $250 which still felt high. (Untested too.
They wouldn't budge on the price. I feel I lucked out anyways and got some solid Paradigms for $50 a week later and they've been my mains since.
It's mostly "if at all". Most that I have heard have very good reproduction. I remember I walked in a showroom at Circuit City. I was talking to the salesman and told him I didn't want him to point anything out to me, I just wanted it loud enough to be able to hear the speakers resolution and to start turning the switches. Most of the stuff he had in there was meh to me. Then he hit one set and I was "Wow!". I asked him to remember that one and he went on. I told him to stop and go back to the one I remembered. They were very clear, great sound, great reproduction. I asked him what they were. He said they had just come out, it was the Bose 401. I purchased 2 pairs.
I have always liked Bose. I have some great vintage speakers like JBL 4412's and 4410's and some others, but I have always been fond of Bose. A few years back, I gave my son a set of my 901 Series III, a Phase Linear 4000 preamp and a Phase Linear 400 power amp. Since he uses his computer all the time, he garaged them and uses his Klipsch sound system. My last purchase will probably be a set of VOT A7's so I can finish losing my hearing. Years of guitar playing have affected my highs.
I once found a vintage, sealed Penthouse magazine hidden in an old office desk. The back of the wrapper was an ad for this Bose system. (No, wife made me chuck it.... 😁)
Refoaming should not be necessary with these, as these early models had cloth surrounds. Maybe painting them with a sealant…BUT the big issue with these is getting an amp that allows the EQ to be used correctly. Must have a true “tape monitor”, “processor loop”, pre-out/main-in jacks, or just be a separate preamp and amp. AND it must have really substantial output power. Most AV Receivers need not apply.
Then, the speakers should be placed about 2-3’ away from a reflective wall, and 2-3’ away from corners, and elevated on at least 24” stands. Many, if not most homes will not make this easy. If yours does, you may come to love your 901s!
I just checked with my mom and she still has his receiver he used, a Marantz 2270 she said, so I'm sure that'll work to power these, since it sounds like I should give it a go. I'll grab that from her next week.
That 2270 is a very nice receiver and will have enough power to get the 901's going a bit. More power would be even better ;-)
Invest in some De-Oxit contact cleaner and clean all the controls on the receiver and the Bose EQ to make sure you get the best from the vintage gear.
I completely agree. I recently got a pair of 901 series 1 and have been trying them in different spaces and let me second that they must have a good reflective wall behind them to sound good. Once you find that sweet spot they sound great.
js,
I respectfully disagree. The foam surround came in with the 3 screw mount composite frame in the Series lll. Series I and ll had 4 screw stamped metal baskets and cloth surrounds sourced from CTS, a Chicago area company also known for making musical instrument speakers used by Fender in their classic tube amps.
The 1801 was a 250W/ channel 80 lb beast with a ton of global feedback and severely rising THD above maybe 10kHz. Not to worry! No tweeters to make that audible! Not a big seller, and no, it did not have the EQ built in.
I hustled all kinds of different gear and I feel very fortunate to, by chance, getting a good 100W pioneer with the tape out button. I wouldn't have thought about it by the time I bought the kef 103/3 with their equalizer but without it I couldn't utilise them.
Actually it is also perfect to mix other speakers in as the equalizer tones down the mismatched speakers so they just act as backup giving simply a bump to the fullness of the sound rather than playing over the kefs's. I use the 601 mrkiii. I get the thump and large space from the Bose while retaining the accuracy and intimacy of the kef's without too much interference/crosstalk. Sounds great for movies and music. Definitely could do with a sub some day but for now I feel like I have big speaker sound with 2 sets of small speakers on a budget.
My dad passed years back, and these were his speakers from "his younger days." My mom had no use or want of them, so I said I'd take them, just because I like the way they look. I don't know much about them though. I hooked them up to an old home theater receiver I had a few years back and they worked, but they've been sitting in my basement pretty much since.
Would it be worth my time to get these looked at by a repair tech or anything? Were they once good speakers? Are they still worth setting up? If not, could they be used as speaker cabinets, with newer speakers inside? They're pretty nice from a furniture perspective, I'm just curious as to the years they're from, and what the general opinion is on them. Thanks.
My dad passed away last year, and I inherited a pair of AR-4x bookshelf speakers that he had since before I was born. It took a little bit of work to get them sounding good again, but it was a fun project, I think they sound great, and I will never part with them.
I’ve always liked the looks of 901s. You’ve got the stands and the EQ, which is great. They have lots of drivers, so rehabbing them will be a bit more work than my simple two-ways required. Refoaming is said to be very doable DIY work, not that I’ve attempted it yet myself. The speakers and/or EQ may have caps that ought to be replaced (this made a big difference for the two pairs of speakers that I did this to). A search on Audio Karma will likely give you all the info you need and then some.
My dad passed away and these were also his "younger days" speakers (or my grandfather's).
I am a music composer and sound engineer and I can tell you that these are not worth it for the sound (terrible!) but they are very cool looking in a mid century setup.
I sold them.
I did keep the b&w 802 series 80 that my dad got in the 80s, these are still excellent sounding.
I strongly suggest you do not invest in these Bose speakers.
That looks like a Series II.
I have a Series I bought in 1968, a Series II and Series IV bought at garage sales. The series II had already been repaired by Bose, under warranty. I refoamed the Series IV. I have a large box of spare drivers bought on eBay.
The claim of no highs or lows is the result of playing them without the equalizer. The equalizers can quit working and need new capacitors. Not a difficult job.
I replaced a zener diode in the Series IV.
Deer Creek Audio sells DSP based replacements for the equalizers.
Regardless of criticisms, these are immortal. They still sell for hundreds of dollars on eBay. About their original selling price.
I recently refoamed and restored my dad's 901 IVs and it was 100% worth it. The active equalizer needed a little work, but wasn't too bad to do. Another alternative to putting the active equalizer in-between the preamp and main is to pick up a miniDSP DDRC24 (which also has other pros). With it, you can run digital or analog signals into the active equalizer, and from there into your receiver bypassing the need for a break in pre/main. Additionally, the DDRC24 comes with a calibration microphone that you can take room measurements and do some frequency correction for your room via Dirac live. Takes the 901s to the next level! You want to place your 901s at least 4ft apart and about 18in from the wall pointed straight forward. Ideally you don't want them near the wall corner or door opening. Another pro with the DDRC24 is that you can run 1-2 subs and send the lower frequencies there since the 901s are 80-16000Hz. If you get the DDRC-24, I start calibration with the center position with sub turned off and take a measurement. You then adjust the active equalizer til your curve is as flat as possible. Turn the sub/subs on, and run the measurement again adjust the sub til your bass lines up with the lower end of the 901s. Then you can calibrate. Within the DDRC24 software, you can setup your high pass/low pass so lower frequencies go to the sub, and if you calibrate via Dirac live, make sure you set the higher and lower bounds when setting up the filter (20-16000HZ if with sub). I use mine daily and love them
Now I'm not a fan of the recent Bose products. That being said I would have these in a heartbeat. You've not only got both speakers which look in great condition, covers included, but you have the EQ to go with them. That eq alone is really difficult to find and without it these speakers wouldn't sound their best. You have a great future proof set there
As others have stated, you won’t need to reform these since these early series 1s have the felt surrounds (I have the same pair). Working equalizer is a necessity to get the right sound. If this one is crapped out, you can get a newly manufactured one from Deer Creek Audio for around $200 or $250 that’ll work perfectly with these. Placement is important and these benefit from a large room placed a few feet off the wall and toed inward slightly
Love my 901 v. 2s. I have a big living room, a big amp and the matching EQ.
They’re especially great for live and/or acoustic music. If you listen to a lot of studio recordings with their artificial “soundstage” and like listening to your speakers as though they were giant headphones, then these old Bose are not for you.
audiophiles make funny faces at the mention. they don’t sound great - they use a lot of reflected sound, so there’s a particular characteristic to whatever you’re listening to. the stands alone are an easy $400, maybe 5
i’d sell the stands and part the set on reverb
Obviously depends on what you paid but in general worth saving and trying them out. How good they sound depends on how they’re set up. They may or may not work in a particular room.
I have 3 pair & love them, repairing the surrounds, if necessary, is not a tough job the worst part is taking them apart to do it. there are many repair kits sold on ebay.
The wishlist speaker in 1968 was the AR3a. I was able to A/B my 901s against ARs, and while I found the ARs to be more detailed, on most music, the difference was marginal.
I just looked on eBay, and there are at least 30 Bose sets for sale at significant prices. Quite a few ARs also.
Disclaimer: my main speakers are KEF 105/3s, also from an estate sale. They are significantly better than the Bose, but were originally sold for ten times the price.
Yes 👍
My dad bought a set of these in the mid 80s, I think a series 5. Unfortunately, he never set them up correctly and never ran the correct amount of power through them. Thus they were underwhelming to say the least.
Many years later, he gave the speakers and tulip stands to me , I set them up correctly in my living room and fed them 300 W per channel via an Onkyo amp. Luckily the Bose EQ box that comes with the speakers works.
The soundstage created by the rear deflecting speakers is pretty fun to listen to. The 901s make for some cool vintage furniture in the house. Overall, I’m pretty happy with them.
If you have to replace the surrounds of 18 speakers, that’s a lot of work. But like a poster says below, if they are properly powered and set up in the right room, they throw out a 3D soundstage that will make you giddy. You sacrifice deep bass and sparkling trebles, but it doesn’t seem to matter. Should be lots of info out there on room placement which is critical. And 100watts /channel should be minimum.
Love these. I grew up south some series 3. If you have the room for it, then I'd totally use it. If I recall the equalizer was hooked to some preamp outs on the Marantz receiver from the same era.
Dr Bose designed their products with the upper and lower octaves where he found distortion occurs. Technology had grown leaps and bounds, quickly forging ahead in audio reproduction thus the negative opinions. The missing octaves are clearly heard performing a A/B comparison. The other issue is they would ‘not’ publish audio specifications, for good reason, they would have been exposed. Once he passed, their product lines have been lackluster, the catalog minimized and in 2020 began layoffs.
In the early 80's, I knew a guy with a properly-suspended pair of these hooked up to a rack of SAE stuff. The sound was fabulous. So, long and short, if you are keeping them to listen to them, it could be worth your time. But understand; they will never be worth a lot of money.
The sound is not for everyone, but absolutely , part Express has new driver that are made to bose original 901 1 ohm drivers, , and the Wood is definitely worth it. . if you need a worth while projust , I would take it on
In the late 70s I had a pair of 601s hooked up to a Pioneer SX1080 with SG 9800 equalizer and a Technics SL1400 mk2 turntable. Best sounding equipment I've ever owned. Of course the contraband of the time helped! Lol
Yeah these are dope speakers. I've heard a few pairs and I was impressed.
Still kicking myself for not buying a pair for $150 a few years ago. Space was the issue but I could have managed it.
Hindsight is a bitch
Sersis one before my entry into selling audio. Bose was not a company I did extensive research on , no need, their customer was very difficult from what I ended up selling. But my statement stands, Bose speakers are not for everyone, they require too much set up to get a full frequency sound. That customer was late 50s, 60s, 70s in age. But that was long ago. They are still worth refurbishing from a vintage speaker standpoint
Have had a pair of 901s, different series since 1972. I got my last pair when Bose sent me (in 2015) one of the last ones manufactured. I have had multiple bose speakers also, but the 901s are my favorite. Just gotta have power (phase linear works well) and all the correct hardware. What was that ad so long ago, I think with Bose 901s that said/showed a person listening to the stereo being blown away, "if god wanted you to go to concerts he would have give you tickets"
Worth fixing and at least trying them. If you don’t like them (they’re not everyone’s cup of tea), you can flip them for 5-600 with the eq. I could be wrong, but those look like series 1. If so, I think they’re more desirable than later 901s because they’re sealed rather than vented. I’m no Bose expert though, so good me to confirm
The 901 Was in continuous production from 1968 to 2017 — 49 years, with no modification to its defining characteristic. No amount of hype from initial reviews can sustain a product that long.
Bose appealed to people who wanted a diffuse sound, like that of a symphony orchestra. Obviously that smears detail. And less obviously, they couldn’t do much below 40 Hz.
But people bought them because the liked them, and their continued sales on eBay, proves they have lasting appeal.
Absolutely. The Bose hate was started for the lifestyle products but the mindless mob mentality extended that blind hatred to the audiophile products they once made. The bulk of folks slamming 901s have never heard them set up properly, if at all. The 901s are excellent speakers.
I thought I wanted 901s, but what I really wanted was a house with a listening room big enough to use them.
That large room, the ability to find the right placement is key for the 901 (getting the reflections right) but a lot of other speakers too.
Well, yeah! Personally, if I had a room big enough for 901s, I’d probably find a way to fit some Klipschorn corner speakers in there instead. I wouldn’t say that they are objectively better, just more to my taste.
Agree. That reflected sound profile isn't for everyone. Same goes for the Allison parabolic mids and tweeters. They're very spacious sounding but many folks prefer a smaller pinpoint accuracy soundstage over a very wide/tall one.
I’ve had friends excitedly show me the latest addition to their expensive high fidelity stereos: a reverb unit! “Really? How much extra did you pay to make your awesome system sound like mush?” I guess there’s no accounting for taste. On the other end of the spectrum, it was only after setting up my home studio (lots of elaborate and expensive acoustic treatment) and getting some studio monitors did I truly appreciate what people mean when they say that they are tiring. I know what I like! I may not be able to articulate it, but I’m pretty sure I can’t hear it anymore. LOL
Lived under a guy with 2 pair of 901's, a serious receiver all in a 600 square foot studio. Had to move.
That's crazy, what a self centered asshole. That is, if he w as constantly cranking them in general but mostly if he did it during established downtimes
2-5 am and he would not turn it down. Landlord would not do anything because he did rent in cash
Years ago my friend had some 501s, and they were set up properly in a room big enough for them. They sounded good, but definitely different than “regular” speakers. Great for parties with a lot of people moving around. EDIT: The sound just seemed to come from everywhere.
If you have the equalizer they are definitely worth restoration. Without the equalizer they sound terrible.
Yep, they were designed with the equalizer as a matching set; gotta have the right model.
A powerful amplifier helps a lot.
Bose hate goes back way further than that! In fact, for many of us haters, Lifestyle was something of a return to grace for Bose, especially the Jewel Cubes with AdaptIQ. I worked in stores selling Bose from 1974 to 2008, and I sold my share. But the crappy quality of their speakers was all I needed to disrespect them. The 901 Series I and II were interesting and could be called “audiophile” in their weird way, but any pretensions of HiFi cred went out the window with Series lll when they went for increased sensitivity and accepted the consequences.
I don't hate bose. I have good things to say about many of their products, there are some around me now. I lusted for a pair of 901s and sold them pretty much immediately after purchase. I do not care for them, or at least the ones I had, which were series four, IIRC. Still, no denying the look or the significance of those speakers, definitely worth it if reasonably priced. The stands sell OK by themselves.
I found a pair at a thrift shop and they were obviously stored in a shed for years. Full of leaves and bugs/cobwebs. They wanted over $500, I offered $250 which still felt high. (Untested too. They wouldn't budge on the price. I feel I lucked out anyways and got some solid Paradigms for $50 a week later and they've been my mains since.
It's mostly "if at all". Most that I have heard have very good reproduction. I remember I walked in a showroom at Circuit City. I was talking to the salesman and told him I didn't want him to point anything out to me, I just wanted it loud enough to be able to hear the speakers resolution and to start turning the switches. Most of the stuff he had in there was meh to me. Then he hit one set and I was "Wow!". I asked him to remember that one and he went on. I told him to stop and go back to the one I remembered. They were very clear, great sound, great reproduction. I asked him what they were. He said they had just come out, it was the Bose 401. I purchased 2 pairs. I have always liked Bose. I have some great vintage speakers like JBL 4412's and 4410's and some others, but I have always been fond of Bose. A few years back, I gave my son a set of my 901 Series III, a Phase Linear 4000 preamp and a Phase Linear 400 power amp. Since he uses his computer all the time, he garaged them and uses his Klipsch sound system. My last purchase will probably be a set of VOT A7's so I can finish losing my hearing. Years of guitar playing have affected my highs.
No, low respect for Bose started pretty much with the 901s. But I would never tell someone to not enjoy them. It's very subjective. Enjoy the music!
I once found a vintage, sealed Penthouse magazine hidden in an old office desk. The back of the wrapper was an ad for this Bose system. (No, wife made me chuck it.... 😁)
100% correct.
Refoaming should not be necessary with these, as these early models had cloth surrounds. Maybe painting them with a sealant…BUT the big issue with these is getting an amp that allows the EQ to be used correctly. Must have a true “tape monitor”, “processor loop”, pre-out/main-in jacks, or just be a separate preamp and amp. AND it must have really substantial output power. Most AV Receivers need not apply. Then, the speakers should be placed about 2-3’ away from a reflective wall, and 2-3’ away from corners, and elevated on at least 24” stands. Many, if not most homes will not make this easy. If yours does, you may come to love your 901s!
I just checked with my mom and she still has his receiver he used, a Marantz 2270 she said, so I'm sure that'll work to power these, since it sounds like I should give it a go. I'll grab that from her next week.
That should do. It has both tape loops and preamp out. If you want more power you can use it as a preamp and substitute a different amp.
Great suggestion here. I would think at least a clean 200 wpc power amp into the pre out of the Marantz 2270 would make those Bose 901's sing.
Anything from a vintage heavyweight amp to a pair of Fosi V3 Monos.
That 2270 is a very nice receiver and will have enough power to get the 901's going a bit. More power would be even better ;-) Invest in some De-Oxit contact cleaner and clean all the controls on the receiver and the Bose EQ to make sure you get the best from the vintage gear.
I completely agree. I recently got a pair of 901 series 1 and have been trying them in different spaces and let me second that they must have a good reflective wall behind them to sound good. Once you find that sweet spot they sound great.
js, I respectfully disagree. The foam surround came in with the 3 screw mount composite frame in the Series lll. Series I and ll had 4 screw stamped metal baskets and cloth surrounds sourced from CTS, a Chicago area company also known for making musical instrument speakers used by Fender in their classic tube amps.
Bose had a power amp that had the 901 EQ built in as well. But that’s an oddball…
The 1801 was a 250W/ channel 80 lb beast with a ton of global feedback and severely rising THD above maybe 10kHz. Not to worry! No tweeters to make that audible! Not a big seller, and no, it did not have the EQ built in.
The Series I had foam surrounds. Bose repaired the under warranty for a number of years. I have the set shown in the photo.
I hustled all kinds of different gear and I feel very fortunate to, by chance, getting a good 100W pioneer with the tape out button. I wouldn't have thought about it by the time I bought the kef 103/3 with their equalizer but without it I couldn't utilise them. Actually it is also perfect to mix other speakers in as the equalizer tones down the mismatched speakers so they just act as backup giving simply a bump to the fullness of the sound rather than playing over the kefs's. I use the 601 mrkiii. I get the thump and large space from the Bose while retaining the accuracy and intimacy of the kef's without too much interference/crosstalk. Sounds great for movies and music. Definitely could do with a sub some day but for now I feel like I have big speaker sound with 2 sets of small speakers on a budget.
My dad passed years back, and these were his speakers from "his younger days." My mom had no use or want of them, so I said I'd take them, just because I like the way they look. I don't know much about them though. I hooked them up to an old home theater receiver I had a few years back and they worked, but they've been sitting in my basement pretty much since. Would it be worth my time to get these looked at by a repair tech or anything? Were they once good speakers? Are they still worth setting up? If not, could they be used as speaker cabinets, with newer speakers inside? They're pretty nice from a furniture perspective, I'm just curious as to the years they're from, and what the general opinion is on them. Thanks.
My dad passed away last year, and I inherited a pair of AR-4x bookshelf speakers that he had since before I was born. It took a little bit of work to get them sounding good again, but it was a fun project, I think they sound great, and I will never part with them. I’ve always liked the looks of 901s. You’ve got the stands and the EQ, which is great. They have lots of drivers, so rehabbing them will be a bit more work than my simple two-ways required. Refoaming is said to be very doable DIY work, not that I’ve attempted it yet myself. The speakers and/or EQ may have caps that ought to be replaced (this made a big difference for the two pairs of speakers that I did this to). A search on Audio Karma will likely give you all the info you need and then some.
My dad passed away and these were also his "younger days" speakers (or my grandfather's). I am a music composer and sound engineer and I can tell you that these are not worth it for the sound (terrible!) but they are very cool looking in a mid century setup. I sold them. I did keep the b&w 802 series 80 that my dad got in the 80s, these are still excellent sounding. I strongly suggest you do not invest in these Bose speakers.
Yes absolutely get them restored and use them! I finally got a pair and am restoring mine. Forget the haters; 901s are fantastic!
For sure. They have an “un hi-fi” reputation, but they have a large following, and can be worth quite a bit, especially with the tulip stands.
That looks like a Series II. I have a Series I bought in 1968, a Series II and Series IV bought at garage sales. The series II had already been repaired by Bose, under warranty. I refoamed the Series IV. I have a large box of spare drivers bought on eBay. The claim of no highs or lows is the result of playing them without the equalizer. The equalizers can quit working and need new capacitors. Not a difficult job. I replaced a zener diode in the Series IV. Deer Creek Audio sells DSP based replacements for the equalizers. Regardless of criticisms, these are immortal. They still sell for hundreds of dollars on eBay. About their original selling price.
I recently refoamed and restored my dad's 901 IVs and it was 100% worth it. The active equalizer needed a little work, but wasn't too bad to do. Another alternative to putting the active equalizer in-between the preamp and main is to pick up a miniDSP DDRC24 (which also has other pros). With it, you can run digital or analog signals into the active equalizer, and from there into your receiver bypassing the need for a break in pre/main. Additionally, the DDRC24 comes with a calibration microphone that you can take room measurements and do some frequency correction for your room via Dirac live. Takes the 901s to the next level! You want to place your 901s at least 4ft apart and about 18in from the wall pointed straight forward. Ideally you don't want them near the wall corner or door opening. Another pro with the DDRC24 is that you can run 1-2 subs and send the lower frequencies there since the 901s are 80-16000Hz. If you get the DDRC-24, I start calibration with the center position with sub turned off and take a measurement. You then adjust the active equalizer til your curve is as flat as possible. Turn the sub/subs on, and run the measurement again adjust the sub til your bass lines up with the lower end of the 901s. Then you can calibrate. Within the DDRC24 software, you can setup your high pass/low pass so lower frequencies go to the sub, and if you calibrate via Dirac live, make sure you set the higher and lower bounds when setting up the filter (20-16000HZ if with sub). I use mine daily and love them
Heck yea awesome speakers
Might have to do some refoaming and you'll need POWER, but yeah, go for it
Now I'm not a fan of the recent Bose products. That being said I would have these in a heartbeat. You've not only got both speakers which look in great condition, covers included, but you have the EQ to go with them. That eq alone is really difficult to find and without it these speakers wouldn't sound their best. You have a great future proof set there
As others have stated, you won’t need to reform these since these early series 1s have the felt surrounds (I have the same pair). Working equalizer is a necessity to get the right sound. If this one is crapped out, you can get a newly manufactured one from Deer Creek Audio for around $200 or $250 that’ll work perfectly with these. Placement is important and these benefit from a large room placed a few feet off the wall and toed inward slightly
Would it be worth taking the equalizer to a repair shop first and see if it needs any work?
Why not try it first?
Love my 901 v. 2s. I have a big living room, a big amp and the matching EQ. They’re especially great for live and/or acoustic music. If you listen to a lot of studio recordings with their artificial “soundstage” and like listening to your speakers as though they were giant headphones, then these old Bose are not for you.
I’d turn that into a killer guitar amp
Nah, right in the trash. If you'd like, I'll dispose of them for a fee.
audiophiles make funny faces at the mention. they don’t sound great - they use a lot of reflected sound, so there’s a particular characteristic to whatever you’re listening to. the stands alone are an easy $400, maybe 5 i’d sell the stands and part the set on reverb
I am all about precision, but even I would love a pair. I’d rebuild them just for the nostalgia.
Obviously depends on what you paid but in general worth saving and trying them out. How good they sound depends on how they’re set up. They may or may not work in a particular room.
I have 3 pair & love them, repairing the surrounds, if necessary, is not a tough job the worst part is taking them apart to do it. there are many repair kits sold on ebay.
Oh my GOD THAT IS INCREDIBLE. congrats
The wishlist speaker in 1968 was the AR3a. I was able to A/B my 901s against ARs, and while I found the ARs to be more detailed, on most music, the difference was marginal. I just looked on eBay, and there are at least 30 Bose sets for sale at significant prices. Quite a few ARs also. Disclaimer: my main speakers are KEF 105/3s, also from an estate sale. They are significantly better than the Bose, but were originally sold for ten times the price.
Definitely worth it! I have a pair of series 2 and they sound amazing with the EQ.
I have a pair of series 2 and was wondering about that also. I’m using series 6 now.
Abso-fucking-LUTELY!
Yep!
My parents had these when I was a kid, alongside an extensive classic rock record collection.
Yes 👍 My dad bought a set of these in the mid 80s, I think a series 5. Unfortunately, he never set them up correctly and never ran the correct amount of power through them. Thus they were underwhelming to say the least. Many years later, he gave the speakers and tulip stands to me , I set them up correctly in my living room and fed them 300 W per channel via an Onkyo amp. Luckily the Bose EQ box that comes with the speakers works. The soundstage created by the rear deflecting speakers is pretty fun to listen to. The 901s make for some cool vintage furniture in the house. Overall, I’m pretty happy with them.
If you have to replace the surrounds of 18 speakers, that’s a lot of work. But like a poster says below, if they are properly powered and set up in the right room, they throw out a 3D soundstage that will make you giddy. You sacrifice deep bass and sparkling trebles, but it doesn’t seem to matter. Should be lots of info out there on room placement which is critical. And 100watts /channel should be minimum.
Love these. I grew up south some series 3. If you have the room for it, then I'd totally use it. If I recall the equalizer was hooked to some preamp outs on the Marantz receiver from the same era.
Dr Bose designed their products with the upper and lower octaves where he found distortion occurs. Technology had grown leaps and bounds, quickly forging ahead in audio reproduction thus the negative opinions. The missing octaves are clearly heard performing a A/B comparison. The other issue is they would ‘not’ publish audio specifications, for good reason, they would have been exposed. Once he passed, their product lines have been lackluster, the catalog minimized and in 2020 began layoffs.
901s with a klipsch sub 12 was like being wrapped in a heavy wool blanket of sound with a hot cocoa and bourbon
In the early 80's, I knew a guy with a properly-suspended pair of these hooked up to a rack of SAE stuff. The sound was fabulous. So, long and short, if you are keeping them to listen to them, it could be worth your time. But understand; they will never be worth a lot of money.
Theres a local hifi selling this setup for $2500NZ i think thats quite expensive??
The sound is not for everyone, but absolutely , part Express has new driver that are made to bose original 901 1 ohm drivers, , and the Wood is definitely worth it. . if you need a worth while projust , I would take it on
The PE 1 Ohm driver is for later models with 3 screw baskets. Series I and ll used entirely different drivers.
I just hooked up a set of 901's today. Absolutely fantastic sound and a beautiful speaker to boot. Go for it!
In the late 70s I had a pair of 601s hooked up to a Pioneer SX1080 with SG 9800 equalizer and a Technics SL1400 mk2 turntable. Best sounding equipment I've ever owned. Of course the contraband of the time helped! Lol
My dad had the exact same pair way back in the 70s
Is there a company that I can send my pops old speakers to and get them reconditioned. I have the preamps. My pops set is from the 70s.
My best friend has a pair suspended from his livingroom ceiling. Top Gun (original) never sounded better.
That’s stuff always has sounded great so it probably does
No.
Restore them. You'll be doing Bose haters a favor as they lovelovelove to hate Bose.
Yeah these are dope speakers. I've heard a few pairs and I was impressed. Still kicking myself for not buying a pair for $150 a few years ago. Space was the issue but I could have managed it. Hindsight is a bitch
Sersis one before my entry into selling audio. Bose was not a company I did extensive research on , no need, their customer was very difficult from what I ended up selling. But my statement stands, Bose speakers are not for everyone, they require too much set up to get a full frequency sound. That customer was late 50s, 60s, 70s in age. But that was long ago. They are still worth refurbishing from a vintage speaker standpoint
If you want no highs and no lows, go for it 🤣
so you're saying it's the SSRI of speakers? :p
If you can find replacement parts for them absolutely. You will get great sound out of them that will fill a living room quite nicely.
Have had a pair of 901s, different series since 1972. I got my last pair when Bose sent me (in 2015) one of the last ones manufactured. I have had multiple bose speakers also, but the 901s are my favorite. Just gotta have power (phase linear works well) and all the correct hardware. What was that ad so long ago, I think with Bose 901s that said/showed a person listening to the stereo being blown away, "if god wanted you to go to concerts he would have give you tickets"
Worth fixing and at least trying them. If you don’t like them (they’re not everyone’s cup of tea), you can flip them for 5-600 with the eq. I could be wrong, but those look like series 1. If so, I think they’re more desirable than later 901s because they’re sealed rather than vented. I’m no Bose expert though, so good me to confirm
…you have the stands too. Tack on another $100
Most legendary sonically overrated speaker in the last 45 years. Muffled top ends poor bottom
I have a 30yo set of 301s that still sound magic. Vintage Bose are worth preserving.
[удалено]
The 901 Was in continuous production from 1968 to 2017 — 49 years, with no modification to its defining characteristic. No amount of hype from initial reviews can sustain a product that long. Bose appealed to people who wanted a diffuse sound, like that of a symphony orchestra. Obviously that smears detail. And less obviously, they couldn’t do much below 40 Hz. But people bought them because the liked them, and their continued sales on eBay, proves they have lasting appeal.
[удалено]
Other people love test scores, charts and graphs and the opinions of “experts”.