Bose 901s?

Apexpro

I remembered a friend from college had a pair driven by a big Sansui receiver and I thought it was the best thing I'd ever heard (at the time - late 70s). I just found a pair on Craigslist - series IV, not my first choice, but they have the EQ and the stands and they look new in the pics. I'm picking them up Saturday morning for $300. Decent price?

They'll end up being the rear speakers in a 7.1 setup with my SDA 2s as the front speakers.

westmassguy

Check the foam surrounds for rot. The Equalizer is due for service, if it hasn't already been done. Good price, if everything is working.
You'll need a separate amp for them.

halo71

For that money, there are a ton of other speakers on the used market I would go for over those. If I were you I would pass. Even if they were in MINT condition. I just never cared for them at all.

MrBuhl

I had a pair of the Series VII I think - they are a surprisingly good sounding set of speaks set up properly, and frankly the only soundstage I've ever heard close to the SDAs. But I don't think they'll make good rears - IMHO. That's a lot of sound bouncing around a room, and they have specific side and rear distance requirements. Combine that with the same on your SDA fronts and you'll need quite a bit of room!

westmassguy

MrBuhl wrote: »

I had a pair of the Series VII I think - they are a surprisingly good sounding set of speaks set up properly, and frankly the only soundstage I've ever heard close to the SDAs. But I don't think they'll make good rears - IMHO. That's a lot of sound bouncing around a room, and they have specific side and rear distance requirements. Combine that with the same on your SDA fronts and you'll need quite a bit of room!

Series VI is the current Series Ed

MrBuhl

westmassguy wrote: »

MrBuhl wrote: »

I had a pair of the Series VII I think -

Series VI is the current Series Dennis

Whoops! Series V maybe? Mid-90's era?

westmassguy

Series IV 78-83, Series V 84-87, Series VI 88 to present

Apexpro

westmassguy wrote: »

Check the foam surrounds for rot. The Equalizer is due for service, if it hasn't already been done. Good price, if everything is working.
You'll need a separate amp for them.

Yup, they'll have a Threshold 400a Cascode (100wpc class A) all to themselves. I'll check the surrounds. I might flip them if they aren't a good fit.

westmassguy

When properly powered, properly set up, and an Equalizer with audiophile grade components installed, the 901s are quite formidable. Not for everyone's taste, but neither are SDAs

westmassguy

Absolutely, it's all subjective.

boston1450

I ran a Adcom 100wpc amp & Bose Eq into a set of Bose on stock stands & with proper placement they sounded pretty good to my ears

oldrocker

I have a set of VI less than 18 months old, have very little use on them. I've ran them with a 100wpc Yamaha, a crown xls1500 and a parasound

IMO, yes they do play loud but somewhat "not a complete crisp sound to me " in the bass, the mids and highs seem a tad "lacking" in the crisp also. Room placement is very vital and plenty of power seems to help. I also know a guy who who has an old sansui with some power that swears by bose. That aside, as said earlier if there is no rot on the surrounds, $300.00 isn't bad for something that will play loud. Then again its all about what sounds you like.

FYI, not sure if they still do it but bose used to offer a trade in discount on 901's. It used to be about $500.00 off a new set which is the only reason I bought mine as my father gave me his old set and they were full of foam rot.

soundfreak1

As we used too say in the day ( I used to sell them 77-80) "BOSE.... NO HIGHS NO LOWS JUST BOSE!

soundfreak1

Too be honest they are loud, good for rock if you dont do critical listening and dont want detail just loud. Very hard to set up in any room. With the right amp in the right room they can sound ok but as said before for 3 bones you can buy much better sound. But have fun with the nostalgia , try too get them for a duce so you can turn them when you tire of them without a loss.

westmassguy

soundfreak1 wrote: »

As we used too say in the day ( I used to sell them 77-80) "BOSE.... NO HIGHS NO LOWS JUST BOSE!

One of the most common tricks used by unscrupulous dealers even today, is to setup the 901s improperly, usually in a cramped space, have the equalizer powered but not actually in the circuit, and then demo them against whatever high profit speaker line they were pushing that week. They'd say Look how horrible the famous Bose 901s sound next to our brand x

Schurkey

I paid $325 for a pair of 901 Series V, with equalizer--but that was maybe ten years ago.

They're great garage speakers. Not my first choice for critical listening, but they're fine when the music is casual/background or "sound reinforcement" at a gathering.

Apexpro

Agreed. Definitely not my first choice. More out of curiosity than anything. Assuming the surrounds are good I think I can play with them for a while and pass them along without losing any $$

Apexpro

Score. 901 series V with EQ and stands in excellent shape for $350. I have to say they sound better than I remembered. Proper placement and a nice warm class A amp may have something to do with it.

I was going to quickly flip them, but now I think it's my duty to live with them for a while and investigate the Bose myth personally. Try some different cables, move them around, who knows.

Then maybe mount new surrounds and pass on a nice set to a Bose fan.

westmassguy

If you can solder, recap the EQ with some Elna Silmic IIs, or Nichicon Muse Gold.
Use some 1000uf Panasonic FM Series caps in the Power Supply. The magic is in the EQ. If you do plan to keep them, invest in Cloth Surrounds, not foam

Apexpro

westmassguy wrote: »

If you can solder, recap the EQ with some Elna Silmic IIs, or Nichicon Muse Gold.
Use some 1000uf Panasonic FM Series caps in the Power Supply. The magic is in the EQ. If you do plan to keep them, invest in Cloth Surrounds, not foam

Thanks for the info! I've been listening to a CD from a show where I was in attendance and with my eyes closed I can sonicly (sic) 'see' where each member was standing/sitting.

They seem to do well in this room - largeish (runs the entire width of the house). Most definitely will use them in my cable comparisons (not solely).

westmassguy

As I said, when properly setup and given plenty of clean power, they can be quite formidable. Not for everyone, but no speaker is. The caps will make a big difference. If the surrounds aren't "ripe" yet, don't worry about re-edging them.

Apexpro

westmassguy wrote: »

As I said, when properly setup and given plenty of clean power, they can be quite formidable. Not for everyone, but no speaker is. The caps will make a big difference. If the surrounds aren't "ripe" yet, don't worry about re-edging them.

I'm feeding them with a high voltage class A cascode Luxman M-300 and they're sucking it dry, but sound better than I was expecting. Seems 901s are the speaker everyone loves to hate, but I'm not one of them. I have a much stouter MC2205 but I don't see needing more volume than I currently have.

I was expecting the surrounds to be showing signs of age, but at least the 8 rear drivers look good on both speakers. I'll probably pick up a cloth kit just to have on hand. At $50 it's not a pocket book killer.

I used to build electronics when I was a kid, and have done some repairs over the years but I'm a rank novice. But now with this purchase - the 8th pair of speakers in the house - I'm thinking I need to be a little more hands on.

Thanks again for the tips! I can use all I can get.

westmassguy

The circuit traces in the EQ are very small, and very fragile. You'll need a solder sucker, and a solder station with a fine tip, otherwise you'll damage the board.
You'll need some DeoxIT Fader Spray for the two slide pots. The two front switches are mostly sealed, but some DeoxIT in the vent hole should clean them up.

For Surrounds, get the V-Roll Treated Cloth from Orange County, not the M-Roll from Simply Speakers. If you do decide to re-edge, do it right, get the shims and new dust caps. Use Aleen's Tacky Glue, not the solvent or white glue they give you.
Get the dust caps from Parts Express.

soundfreak1

westmassguy wrote: »

soundfreak1 wrote: »

As we used too say in the day ( I used to sell them 77-80) "BOSE.... NO HIGHS NO LOWS JUST BOSE!

One of the most common tricks used by unscrupulous dealers even today, is to setup the 901s improperly, usually in a cramped space, have the equalizer powered but not actually in the circuit, and then demo them against whatever high profit speaker line they were pushing that week. They'd say Look how horrible the famous Bose 901s sound next to our brand x

I guess that was done somewhere but at the store I worked in we pushed the 901's, they were very profitable good commission and better spiff. I pushed the JBL'S (( L100'S THEN THE 4311'S ).

Apexpro

I picked up the 901s Saturday morning and they're in excellent shape. Grills are perfect, walnut is perfect, EQ looks brand new and functions well, even the stands are 9 out of 10. I feel pretty lucky picking them up for $350. I'm going to include them in my speaker cable test along with the SDA 2s and the JBL 830ts.

I can flip them at any point in time for a decent profit. A local hi-fi shop has a pair of series Vs for $900 (or did - they're gone, don't know what the sale price was). But I figure I could easily make a couple of hundred bucks. If I sell them.

I have a hard time letting go of things I like.

Apexpro

westmassguy wrote: »

Use Aleen's Tacky Glue, not the solvent or white glue they give you.
Get the dust caps from Parts Express.

Thanks for the info!

bobt

I don't remember the 901's as completely bad speakers. One thing is they will get VERY loud with enough power. I just don't remember them as really GOOD speakers. Which my brain may have just shut them off just because of the "Bose" name. With good equipment, good power and the right placement, they may not be as bad as everybody says. My problem is I've had my 1C's since 1986, or there about, from new. At this point i'm so used to hearing these, with the SDA "effect" that strait normal speakers don't sound right, or that good to me. I have a set of RTI 12's, that I switch out with the 1C's once in a while.
There is really nothing wrong with the 12's, with good power and good equipment, they can sound pretty darn good, and they will get VERY loud.
The problem is as soon as I start to listen, I know the SDA "effect" is not there.
The sound stage is large but not the same.
It might be interesting, if I could find a set of the 901's in good shape, for the 350 bucks, just to see how good or bad these really are...LOL They are probably one of the few speakers that could come close to the SDA " effect".
I don't remember them NOT having bass. Maybe it's just not good bass...LOL
But would be interesting to try out, if there cheap enough.

Apexpro

We're in lock step. At $350 I thought, 'why not - never had a pair'. A friend had a big Sansui receiver and 901s in college and once the police came and told us to tell the band to quit playing. They were LOUD. I'm using them and my SDA 2s in a speaker cable test. They sound good, surprising sound stage for such a small speaker; placement is crucial. I don't like them as much as my SDA 2s but they're probably going to become the front speakers in my upcoming surround sound set up. With a Klipsch sub I'll have plenty of bass to make up for the 901s - they have bass, but it doesn't pound your chest and rattle the windows....which I'll have to have for the HT. LOL.

westmassguy

I wouldn't recommend the 901s for fronts. They were designed strictly as 2 channel. They would serve you better as surrounds in a 5.1 setup.

oldrocker

What he said ^ So true.

gdb

Well, another quarter heard from. This guy rightfully calls out a portion of the numerous Bose Bashers that in reality ...........have NEVER even heard a set of 901s, regardless of any placement-amplification concerns. Kinda like Jimmy Kimmel's "Lie Witness News" skits. LOL


http://www.tonepublications.com/review/we-review-the-bose-901/