Bose 1801 Monster Amp

joeparaski
joeparaski Posts: 1,865
edited March 2006 in Electronics
I won it on E-bay and just got it today. I nearly busted a gut getting it into the trunk of my car from the shippers place, this thing weighs 83 pounds!

It's from the mid 70's and was reported to be one of the most powerful amplifiers of it's time. It was seriously UNDERrated at 250 wpc at 8 ohms. I took the top cover off to have a look and this thing is really clean and I'd give it a 9/10.

I have a buddy who is a serious amplifier collector and has been for many years, he knows his stuff. He said that if I ever came across one to jump on it because it will blow the doors off almost anything.

--I haven't powered it up but it has both VU meters and LED's.
Amplifiers: 1-SAE Mark IV, 4-SAE 2400, 1-SAE 2500, 2-SAE 2600, 1-Buttkicker BKA 1000N w/2-tactile transducers. Sources: Sony BDP CX7000es, Sony CX300/CX400/CX450/CX455, SAE 8000 tuner, Akai 4000D R2R, Technics 1100A TT, Epson 8500UB with Carada 100". Speakers:Polk SDA SRS, 3.1TL, FXi5, FXi3, 2-SVS 20-29, Yamaha, SVS center sub. Power:2-Monster HTS3500, Furman M-8D & RR16 Plus. 2-SAE 4000 X-overs, SAE 5000a noise reduction, MSB Link DAC III, MSB Powerbase, Behringer 2496, Monarchy DIP 24/96.
Post edited by joeparaski on
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Comments

  • ohskigod
    ohskigod Posts: 6,502
    edited March 2006
    not many bose fans here, but DAMN that amp looks beefy
    can you find any reviews on it? I've seen them before in passing but never really paid attention to them.

    big, ridiculously overpowerred and overbuilt, and its got the name bose on it? WTF man! were they a completly different company that long ago? LOL
    Living Room 2 Channel -
    Schiit SYS Passive Pre. Jolida CD player. Songbird streamer. California Audio Labs Sigma II DAC, DIY 300as1/a1 Ice modules Class D amp. LSi15 with MM842 woofer upgrade, Nordost Blue Heaven and Unity interconnects.

    Upstairs 2 Channel Rig -
    Prometheus Ref. TVC passive pre, SAE A-205 Amp, Wiim pro streamer and Topping E50 DAC, California Audio Labs DX1 CD player, Von Schweikert VR3.5 speakers.

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  • ohskigod
    ohskigod Posts: 6,502
    edited March 2006
    would love to throw that thing on my carvers by the way, just for kicks and giggles
    Living Room 2 Channel -
    Schiit SYS Passive Pre. Jolida CD player. Songbird streamer. California Audio Labs Sigma II DAC, DIY 300as1/a1 Ice modules Class D amp. LSi15 with MM842 woofer upgrade, Nordost Blue Heaven and Unity interconnects.

    Upstairs 2 Channel Rig -
    Prometheus Ref. TVC passive pre, SAE A-205 Amp, Wiim pro streamer and Topping E50 DAC, California Audio Labs DX1 CD player, Von Schweikert VR3.5 speakers.

    Studio Rig - Scarlett 18i20(Gen3) DAW, Mac Mini, Aiyma A07 Max (BridgedX2), Totem Mites
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  • Toxis
    Toxis Posts: 5,116
    edited March 2006
    at what point did Bose say "Hey, let's stop building equipment that sounds good and will last!"?? That thing looks massive! Am I mistaken or are those 1/4 farad capacitors in there?? Look almost 1/2 farad. Dear god man...
    Never kick a fresh **** on a hot day.

    Home Setup: Sony VPL-VW85 Projo, 92" Stewart Firehawk, Pioneer Elite SC-65, PS3, RTi12 fronts, CSi5, FXi6 rears, RTi6 surround backs, RTi4 height, MFW-15 Subwoofer.

    Car Setup: OEM Radio, RF 360.2v2, Polk SR6500 quad amped off 4 Xtant 1.1 100w mono amps, Xtant 6.1 to run an eD 13av.2, all Stinger wiring and Raammat deadener.
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  • unc2701
    unc2701 Posts: 3,587
    edited March 2006
    I can't believe that Bose built that. Seriously, who'd they outsource to?
    Gallo Ref 3.1 : Bryston 4b SST : Musical fidelity CD Pre : VPI HW-19
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  • cfrizz
    cfrizz Posts: 13,415
    edited March 2006
    Very nice! Hook that baby up & let us know how it sounds!
    Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited March 2006
    Looking at those huge caps, it looks like a hybrid class "H" design like Soundcraftsmen used.

    Cool vintage.
    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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  • StopherJJ1980
    StopherJJ1980 Posts: 267
    edited March 2006
    It must be a fraud! Who used photoshop to put a Bose name on that thing? LOL :)
    -Stopher
    Tempe, AZ

    Setup:
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,179
    edited March 2006
    steveinaz wrote:
    Looking at those huge caps, it looks like a hybrid class "H" design like Soundcraftsmen used.

    Cool vintage.

    That's what I was thinking Steve, but I wasn't sure. That thing is massive. Looks like a beefy killer amp. You might be able to blow all your mid-woofers across the room with that thing :eek: :D:p .

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited March 2006
    Once upon a time... TBH, I did not know Bose ever got into man-amps... (shudder... at that name form the past).

    Please give us a no-flash shot of the face when she sees action.

    Meanwhile Google found this for your viewing pleasure.
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
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  • aaharvel
    aaharvel Posts: 4,489
    edited March 2006
    an early April Fools Day joke right?















    RIGHT?
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited March 2006
    A big cap is a big cap...check out the hand wound transformer.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited March 2006
    Was going to ask how you could tell it was hand-wound, then I took a closer look....

    DAMN...
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • joeparaski
    joeparaski Posts: 1,865
    edited March 2006
    Nope...not an April fools' joke, not Photoshop....I've got the REAL thing here and it looks to be mint. I haven't hooked it up yet because quite frankly, I can't physically move it into the rack by myself. It isn't rack mount so I'll have to make some sort of support and place it at the bottom of the rack.

    I am also considering bringing it upstairs to power the 3.1tl's in the upstairs system instead of the current Denon integrated amp.
    Amplifiers: 1-SAE Mark IV, 4-SAE 2400, 1-SAE 2500, 2-SAE 2600, 1-Buttkicker BKA 1000N w/2-tactile transducers. Sources: Sony BDP CX7000es, Sony CX300/CX400/CX450/CX455, SAE 8000 tuner, Akai 4000D R2R, Technics 1100A TT, Epson 8500UB with Carada 100". Speakers:Polk SDA SRS, 3.1TL, FXi5, FXi3, 2-SVS 20-29, Yamaha, SVS center sub. Power:2-Monster HTS3500, Furman M-8D & RR16 Plus. 2-SAE 4000 X-overs, SAE 5000a noise reduction, MSB Link DAC III, MSB Powerbase, Behringer 2496, Monarchy DIP 24/96.
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  • joeparaski
    joeparaski Posts: 1,865
    edited March 2006
    dorokusai wrote:
    A big cap is a big cap...check out the hand wound transformer.


    I've got a copy of the owner's manual for the amp. That is a 2KW transformer which alone weighs 41 pounds. There are 14 silicon power transistors in each channel.

    Reading through this manual it would seem that it was pretty advanced in its' day. Again, I can't get over the "almost new" look it has. I was quite surprised when I opened the box considering the condition of other stuff I bought on e-bay.
    Amplifiers: 1-SAE Mark IV, 4-SAE 2400, 1-SAE 2500, 2-SAE 2600, 1-Buttkicker BKA 1000N w/2-tactile transducers. Sources: Sony BDP CX7000es, Sony CX300/CX400/CX450/CX455, SAE 8000 tuner, Akai 4000D R2R, Technics 1100A TT, Epson 8500UB with Carada 100". Speakers:Polk SDA SRS, 3.1TL, FXi5, FXi3, 2-SVS 20-29, Yamaha, SVS center sub. Power:2-Monster HTS3500, Furman M-8D & RR16 Plus. 2-SAE 4000 X-overs, SAE 5000a noise reduction, MSB Link DAC III, MSB Powerbase, Behringer 2496, Monarchy DIP 24/96.
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  • audiobliss
    audiobliss Posts: 12,518
    edited March 2006
    :eek: :eek:













    :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:
    :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:
    :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:
    :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:


    That is one beast of an amp. 2kw transformer?! :eek:
    George Grand wrote: »
    Jstas wrote: »
    Simple question. If you had a cool million bucks, what would you do with it?
    Wonder WTF happened to the rest of my money.
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