bose 901's

falconcry72
falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
edited February 2010 in Vintage Speakers
any thoughts on or experience with these? the "direct/reflecting" system is vaguley reminiscent of SDA's, except from what I've gathered the dimensional array of SDA's is meant to clear things up whereas the refelctive system of 901's sounds like it would make things muddier? Whadaya think?
2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's

Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses

Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's
Post edited by falconcry72 on
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,217
    edited February 2010
    Not even on the same planet as SDA. Bose 901's are very mediocre, IMO. SDA's are 1000 times better at everything.
    "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!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • zingo
    zingo Posts: 11,258
    edited February 2010
    Completely difference technology. SDA cancels out crosstalk between ears in stereo listening while reflecting technology spreads out sound throughout the room by sending it off multiple walls instead of just front firing.
    Jake
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,464
    edited February 2010
    The Bose 901's are the most critical speakers I have ever heard with regards to placement. I heard them in one of their showrooms and they sounded pretty damn good, but the ones I have heard in peoples homes have sounded from mediocre to flat out BAD!
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited February 2010
    They generally need a large-ish room, BIG power, and set about 9-10ft apart, about 9" off the wall from the rear apex. The rear wall needs to be a reflective surface--no curtians/bass traps, etc. 901's eliminate needing a sweetspot, where with SDA's, the sweetspot is important. Having said that, they couldn't be more different. I owned 901 series VI for almost 12yrs, until they were sold in 2000. They have a love/hate relationship with people. I thoroughly enjoyed mine, they are a "fun" speaker, not a "fussy listener" speaker. The upper Freq response is limited to about 11-13kHz, but there's zero listener fatique, and they make CD's sound very analog (probably due to this limitation).
    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
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Schurkey
    Schurkey Posts: 2,104
    edited February 2010
    They make EXCELLENT garage speakers. I would not say they're meant for critical listening.

    Bose claims "Stereo Everywhere"; others claim "Stereo Nowhere". I don't care--they're perfect PA speakers; and they're great for casual listening when I'm working on carburetors or whatever.

    The earlier ones (Series IV for sure, and perhaps the original, II and III) used crappy foam surrounds that have since melted into mush. The Series V and VI use a better surround; my Series V speakers are from the early 80's and are still in good condition.

    Far as I can tell, Bose has done Z-E-R-O development work on the 901 for many years.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • OldmanSRS
    OldmanSRS Posts: 419
    edited February 2010
    They play loud.
    '65 427 Shelby Cobra
    '72 Triumph TR-6
    __________________
    '88 Polk SDA SRS 1.2, with upgraded XO caps and Erse SDA inductors
    '86 Polk SDA CRS+
    '84 Polk Monitor 10A (Peerless tweeters)
    '05 HSU VTF-3 Sub (Original OEM)
    '20 HSU VTF-3 Sub (three more, 100% cloned)
    '93 Carver TFM-35
    '88 Carver M-1.0t
    '88 Adcom GFT-555
    '88 Adcom GFP-555
    '88 Adcom GFA-555 (upgraded/restored)
    '88 Adcom GFA-555 (a second one upgraded/restored)
    '05 Onkyo DV-555 media
    '89 Fosgate 360 Digital Space Matrix
    '89 Fosgate 360 Digital Space Matrix, internal surround amp bridged to drive only a center channel
    '91 Kenwood Basic M1D Amp
    '89 Pioneer Laser Disc media
    '89 Sony SuperBeta HiFi media
    One PGA2310 based custom built remote volume control
    Four Polk T-15's
    Four Polk TSi-200's
    Four Polk TSi-100's
    Two Polk CS-10's
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • hoosier21
    hoosier21 Posts: 4,413
    edited February 2010
    Schurkey wrote: »
    They make EXCELLENT garage speakers.

    funny, that is where my pair are located.
    Dodd - Battery Preamp
    Monarchy Audio SE100 Delux - mono power amps
    Sony DVP-NS999ES - SACD player
    ADS 1230 - Polk SDA 2B
    DIY Stereo Subwoofer towers w/(4) 12 drivers each
    Crown K1 - Subwoofer amp
    Outlaw ICBM - crossover
    Beringher BFD - sub eq

    Where is the remote? Where is the $%#$% remote!

    "I've always been mad, I know I've been mad, like the most of us have...very hard to explain why you're mad, even if you're not mad..."
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited February 2010
    hoosier21 wrote: »
    funny, that is where my pair are located.

    I bet they sound pretty good in a garage, kinda like a garage band would. ;)
    madmax
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,464
    edited February 2010
    I only sing in the shower...
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • zingo
    zingo Posts: 11,258
    edited February 2010
    Schurkey wrote: »
    They make EXCELLENT garage speakers. I would not say they're meant for critical listening.

    Bose claims "Stereo Everywhere"; others claim "Stereo Nowhere". I don't care--they're perfect PA speakers; and they're great for casual listening when I'm working on carburetors or whatever.

    The earlier ones (Series IV for sure, and perhaps the original, II and III) used crappy foam surrounds that have since melted into mush. The Series V and VI use a better surround; my Series V speakers are from the early 80's and are still in good condition.

    Far as I can tell, Bose has done Z-E-R-O development work on the 901 for many years.

    I almost bought a pair of PA use once... almost. :p
    Jake
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Phil Dawson
    Phil Dawson Posts: 288
    edited February 2010
    As we said in the day - No highs, no lows, must be Bose.
    Phil
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • inspiredsports
    inspiredsports Posts: 5,501
    edited February 2010
    falconcry72 wrote: »
    any thoughts on or experience with these? the "direct/reflecting" system is vaguley reminiscent of SDA's, except from what I've gathered the dimensional array of SDA's is meant to clear things up whereas the refelctive system of 901's sounds like it would make things muddier? Whadaya think?

    If you have a pair fine. Put them to use somewhere in your home where background music is needed. If you are considering purchasing a vintage pair of Bose 901's versus nearly any SDA speaker, I would strongly urge you consider the SDA's.

    That's the same advice I gave my brother-in-law who bought a pair of 901's at about the same time I bought my SDA 2B's. As an officer in the Air Force, he dragged those Bose speakers around the country from airbase to airbase for over 20 years, always lamenting he should have listened to my advice to buy SDA's.
    VTL ST50 w/mods / RCA6L6GC / TlfnknECC801S
    Conrad Johnson PV-5 w/mods
    TT Conrad Johnson Sonographe SG3 Oak / Sumiko LMT / Grado Woodbody Platinum / Sumiko PIB2 / The Clamp
    Musical Fidelity A1 CDPro/ Bada DD-22 Tube CDP / Conrad Johnson SD-22 CDP
    Tuners w/mods Kenwood KT5020 / Fisher KM60
    MF x-DAC V8, HAInfo NG27
    Herbies Ti-9 / Vibrapods / MIT Shotgun AC1 IEC's / MIT Shotgun 2 IC's / MIT Shotgun 2 Speaker Cables
    PS Audio Cryo / PowerPort Premium Outlets / Exact Power EP15A Conditioner
    Walnut SDA 2B TL /Oak SDA SRS II TL (Sonicaps/Mills/Cardas/Custom SDA ICs / Dynamat Extreme / Larry's Rings/ FSB-2 Spikes
    NAD SS rigs w/mods
    GIK panels
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • thuffman03
    thuffman03 Posts: 1,325
    edited February 2010
    I had a pair of 901 series III's and did not like them at all. I was able to sell them for more money than what I paid for them. That is the only thing I liked about them. I made money on the sale.
    Sunfire TGP, Sunfire Cinema Grand, Sunfire 300~2 (2), Sunfire True Sub (2),Carver ALS Platinum, Carver AL III, TFM-55, C-19, C-9, TX-8, SDA-490t, SDA-390t
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • lanchile
    lanchile Posts: 560
    edited February 2010
    falconcry72 wrote: »
    any thoughts on or experience with these? the "direct/reflecting" system is vaguley reminiscent of SDA's, except from what I've gathered the dimensional array of SDA's is meant to clear things up whereas the refelctive system of 901's sounds like it would make things muddier? Whadaya think?

    lol, if you look for good speakers...stay away from Bose!!!
    Do not be like many deaf and blind people that swear Bose is the best.
    People just pay for the name.you get the worst!
    Make it simple...Make it better!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • huskerpolkfan
    huskerpolkfan Posts: 21
    edited February 2010
    polk audio rocks
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • lanchile
    lanchile Posts: 560
    edited February 2010
    huskerpolkfan wrote: »
    polk audio rocks

    I second that! I have the small tanks the RTi A1. very nice sound!;)
    Make it simple...Make it better!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter