I am ashamed...
mlistens03
Posts: 2,767
in Speakers
Of what I am listening to right now. No, not the song... well, I am actually kind of embarrassed to be listening to meatloaf (lol they are really annoying), I am actually ashamed of the speakers. And the worst part is, I don’t hate them. In fact, I kinda like them. What are the speakers in question? Well, I hate to say it, but they are a pair of Bose 201 series IIIs. And they don’t sound as bad as I thought they would! In fact, considering what they are, they sound AWESOME! I mean, I would never sell my other speakers and keep these only, they aren’t that good, but for a budget speaker from the 90s, that are from a certain disliked company, they sound real good. And, you’ve probably heard the saying “no highs, no lows, must be Bose”. And while they don’t have amazing lows (what do ya expect? They are very small), the highs are pretty good. The midrange sounds awesome though. Do I lose my audiophile card for this?
By the way, the picture above my system is my old YouTube channel art. My friend drew it for me.
Do I need to see a doctor? I think I need to at least clean my ears, and listen again. Lol
Micah
By the way, the picture above my system is my old YouTube channel art. My friend drew it for me.
Do I need to see a doctor? I think I need to at least clean my ears, and listen again. Lol
Micah
Comments
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mlistens03
Do I lose my audiophile card for this?
Nah, when you are able to discern the good and the bad of ANY speakers/system, audiophile card stays intact.
That being said, if you would have said "These are the best speakers ever"...then "yes, please turn in your card"
We all ave have those moments "hey these xxxxx don't sound that bad considering"
happy listening2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC
erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a -
Get your ears on a set of Bose 301's.
They aren't too bad either! I was impressed.
But put them on top of your LSi25's. I suggest you do that with your 201's also. Note on the back of each speaker which side goes where!Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them. -
I thought the beveled side was supposed to face the outside.... Hmm learn something new every day.
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I thought the beveled side was supposed to face the outside.... Hmm learn something new every day.
2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC
erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a -
I thought they were designed to sit on the floor or be mounted on the ceiling, and then the design would allow you to be able to still hear the tweeter. My dad had to come in and tell me otherwise (he by the way, likes them more than I do)
I really wish that they were actually mine, my grandpa said I could borrow them for a test to see what Bose is really like.
I will say, I did listen to some Bose headphones, the top ones from a few years back, and I wouldn’t have payed more than 10 dollars for them. The highs were muted, the lows were muddy and bloated, and the midrange was good except it lacked clarity of any kind. So there is some truth to the saying. -
The 201s (Series III, if I can believe my own caption) that passed through here some years back had excellent midrange and were very musical and listenable overall. The less sophisticated Bose loudspeakers (201 and 301 in particular) were very respectable. Probably overpriced when new, but certainly not worthy of the withering scorn that is the "audiophile" default for all things from The Mountain in Framingham.
bose201iii by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
boseflash by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
(dump finds -- all three pieces) -
A Bose amplifiers? Nevermind seen that before.
You are absolutely right, I find them very easy to listen to, and overall they sound pretty good. Not audiophile, but pretty good. -
Had some 301s myself back in the day. They fit the bill at the time.Music: Oppo103 - Parasound JC2 - Parasound A21- SDA 3.1
Theater: Denon 3808 - B&K 7500/Emotiva XPA-3- RTi12, CSi5, RTiA7x4, PSW505
Sleeping: Marantz 70005 - Harman Kardon 2400 - SDA 2
2 Channel: Cary 306 SACD - Canary Audio 906 - Pass Labs x250 - PS Audio Perfectwave DAC, Polk LSiM705, SVS SB13 Ultra
Office: Dell Optiplex, Emotiva XDA-2, Adcom 5500, LSiM 703
Spares: Yamaha CA-810; LSi 15; Kenwood Basic M2a, Yamaha M60/M80, Polk Monitor 7, SVS SB13 Ultra -
Well that's a receiver, not "just" an amplifier.
I have no idea who made it for Bose; it was a pretty generic and uninspiring Japanese made receiver of no particular outstanding qualities (although not unattractive). I gave the receiver & speakers to someone who could make good use of them years ago now.
That said...
Bose also made a rather fancy & expensive receiver, the "Bose Spatial Control Receiver" that was more or less purpose built to pair with the 901s -- it had the EQ circuit for the 901s built into it.
(all borrowed images)
Actually, I was just this afternoon (no kidding!) talking to a hifi guru I know who once worked at Bose. We were reminiscing about the truly monstrous Bose 1801 power amplifier which was a true brute. They are not common, nor are they inexpensive, but they were (are) also not junk.
(borrowed photos, needless to say!) -
TXC's got it.txcoastal1 wrote: »We all ave have those moments "hey these xxxxx don't sound that bad considering"
happy listening
Who cares what anyone says/thinks, man - Are you enjoying the music? - that's the only thing that matters. It's fun to switch it up every once in a while, too.
Besides, sometimes nostalgia adds to the listening experience. For me, it's not just sound - it's sound and emotion.Post edited by msg onI disabled signatures. -
mhardy6647 wrote: »Well that's a receiver, not "just" an amplifier.
I know, but before me and my friend new anything about audio all AVRs and receivers and all of the above were just commonly referred to as amplifiers. Only if it didn’t have speaker outs was it not called an amplifier, but, to be honest, at the time if it didn’t have speaker level outs it was a CD/DVD player. Man did we know nothing. Lol
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Bose was so successful because they gave people the sound they wanted---and it had little to do with accuracy. I agree that I found many of Bose' models very pleasing to the ear. Really liked the 201/301 series as well; and owned a pair of 901 VI for 14 years! I would like to be in the "cool kid" club, but I really enjoyed the 901.Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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I have a Bose 802, which I think is the pro audio version of the 901, and I can agree, even though I don't have the EQ, it is very nice to listen to. not accurate, but very nice to listen to. And maybe that would change if I had the EQ.
listening to them again now, and they really are nice to listen to, although I think they do have a slightly colored sound. The Beatles "Oh Darling" really sounds awesome. -
But put them on top of your LSi25's. I suggest you do that with your 201's also. Note on the back of each speaker which side goes where!
I would, but the door would knock them off. lol. -
The EQ is a must with the 901, and running thru a processor loop is far better than connecting between pre and amp. It's best to leave the pre tone controls (if present) on flat; and use the treble on the EQ--in this rare case I recommend using it. The 901 NEEDS some treble boost, it's the nature of the beast, IMO.Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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Definitely. I unfortunately don't have the EQ for my 802 (I only have one), but I can tell listening to it that with the EQ it would sound quite nice. If I did have the EQ, I would probably use it, but its on standby in the closet right now.
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I had a colleague in a past life whose avocation was a cappella singing (he was a mild-mannered biochemist by day). His group (who were very good by the way) had a pair of Bose 802s -- they were fine-sounding loudpeakers for live performance in small to medium sized venues. Bose's pro products have long been... pretty good actually.
p0063 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
(sorry the scan quality is so bad -- I need to rescan that page... someday)
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Cool. What is the name of the band? I might see if I can find them and give 'em a listen
Even without the EQ it sounded pretty good, for a speaker that needs an EQ without an EQ of course.
that's some pretty cool equipment in that picture. -
aka Pelican Groove
(a cappella can groove)
They did cut some albums and should turn up with a little diggin' in cyberspace.
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Bose 201, 301 & 601 are real speakers that sound decent to good. I could never get the right sound out of 901's even when the Bose rep came to DOW/Tweeter and tuned them. Thing is a better speaker can be had for less $$$ than the above.
Where Bose really lacks is them darn gimmick cubes and wave things.. $400 for an AM radioWhen I was a kid my parents told me to turn it down. Now I'm an adult and my kids tell me to turn it down.
Family Room:LG QNED80 75", Onkyo RZ50 Emotiva XPA3 GEN3 Oppo BDP-93,Sony UBP-X800BM. Main: Polk LsiM 705Center: Polk LSiM 704CFront High/Rear High In-Ceiling Polk 80F/X RT Surrounds: Polk S15 Sub: HSU VTF3-MK5
Bed Room; Marantz SR5010, BDP-S270Main: Polk Signature S20Center: Polk Signature S35Rear: Polk R15 Sub: SVS SB2000
Working Warehouse; Yamaha A-S301, Sony DVP-NS3100ES for disc Plok TSX550T SVS PB2000 Mini tower PC with 400GB of music -
It is so common to bash bose products and exaggerate how "bad" they supposedly are, that some think the myth is truth.
Truth is, the 201 and 301 are in fact quite normal sounding bookshelf speakers, not great, not horrible.
Compared them to the Polk Monitor 4 type speakers and found the bose to be somewhat better overall. -
Yeah well, while Polk got better at making speakers, Bose has not.HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
I prefer not to look back on my ignorance.
"Uh-uhhh, brutha; I ain't gonna show my ignorance to noooo-body!" -
Ignorance really is bliss. You don't know what you don't know, but your happy! Loving your rig all the same! A lot of enthusiasts strive toward the end all system, which doesn't exist, and end up rolling components ad infinitum. But are they really happy? At least until the next component or firmware upgrade comes out!
What a journey! Yes it's the journey, not the destination!
Basement: Polk SDA SRS 1.2tl's, Cary SLP-05 Pre with ultimate upgrade,McIntosh MCD301 CD/SACD player, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Cambridge 851N streamer, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Silnote Morpheus Ref2, Series2 Digital Cables, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Series2 XLR's, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables
Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, Antique Sound Labs AV8 Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
Spare Room: Dayens Ampino Integrated Amp, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
Garage #1: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
Garage #2: Cambridge Audio EVO150 Integrated Amplifier, Polk L200's, Analysis Plus Silver Oval 2 Speaker Cables, IC's TBD. -
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I have some base 141's ? And they are the best speakers I have ever heard. I ask you what is shame? If it's what I think it is I have none!
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Yeah well, while Polk got better at making speakers, Bose has not.
The "non-cube" regular bose speakers, almost have a sound that could be described as a bit warm, and smooth, similar to some vintage speakers from years back.
Not a trait everyone wants, but it does sound very good to some, (merely fairly good to me), but they are not overly bright or annoying to listen to. -
afterburnt wrote: »I have some base 141's ? And they are the best speakers I have ever heard. I ask you what is shame? If it's what I think it is I have none!
I have 3 or 4 sets of the 141's. I bought them for pennies.
They do sound great with a sub in the mix. Blew my mind how good they are from such a small speaker.Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them. -
I my humble opinion the best speaker Bose made was the 601 followed by the 301. They were very good speakers but the price was a lot more than what they are worth. I have a pair of old Polk bookshelf speakers from the 80's that still sound good. when I got the the sales guy was trying to push me into 301 @ $200 more. I did the A/B for like a 1/2 hour and got the Polks.When I was a kid my parents told me to turn it down. Now I'm an adult and my kids tell me to turn it down.
Family Room:LG QNED80 75", Onkyo RZ50 Emotiva XPA3 GEN3 Oppo BDP-93,Sony UBP-X800BM. Main: Polk LsiM 705Center: Polk LSiM 704CFront High/Rear High In-Ceiling Polk 80F/X RT Surrounds: Polk S15 Sub: HSU VTF3-MK5
Bed Room; Marantz SR5010, BDP-S270Main: Polk Signature S20Center: Polk Signature S35Rear: Polk R15 Sub: SVS SB2000
Working Warehouse; Yamaha A-S301, Sony DVP-NS3100ES for disc Plok TSX550T SVS PB2000 Mini tower PC with 400GB of music -
I my humble opinion the best speaker Bose made was the 601 followed by the 301. They were very good speakers but the price was a lot more than what they are worth. I have a pair of old Polk bookshelf speakers from the 80's that still sound good. when I got the the sales guy was trying to push me into 301 @ $200 more. I did the A/B for like a 1/2 hour and got the Polks.
I could be wrong, but thought the bose 301's were only 200 some dollars in the eighties at most.
