Bose 901 Review Well Done.

LOL Someone is still wasting space on these?

There was a kid in college that had a pair hanging in the corners up near the ceiling.  Phase Linear amp.  I was totally jealous. It definitely cranked.

I had a JVC integrated amp, BSR turntable, and Altec Lansing speakers.  Really not too bad for a college kid with no money. 

I found after 40 years of Hi End I have just relaxed into enjoying the music again with a pair I picked up for $300.00 dollars.

I have found the reviewers thoughts to be right on.

That's what I love about the hobby.

Enjoying the fact they play anything you throw at them.

A good front end delivery and they will.surprise you.

Add a good room and your good to go.

@secretguy

Did you read the interview?

Your thoughts besides your previous?

Interesting. I have owned every series except 3 and 5. I still own 4 pair. Series 2 were always my favorites but series 6 is fine too. Still have a  pair of them, 2 pair of 2's and a pair of 1's. All are still functional. Not everyone's cup of tea and hated by many but they still can make you smile in the proper setting. Loud rock music is probably best. I haven't used any of mine in years but doesn't mean I never will.

My son read somewhere that they are bringing them back. Not sure if it's true but I think they would be a hard sell as the negativity has been pushed so hard for so long. It's funny though how many real audiophiles admit to enjoying listening to them back in the good ol days. Always makes me smile. 

I liked the fact the reviewer played them for other philosophy and they were impressed.

If anybody owns them...fire them up again.

It's the spirit of our hobby...it's always evolving.

Experiment you might be surprised.

@billpete

They really play anything you throw at them.

Lol...

If you have a really good front end setup....

Try this....a set of 201 series Vi I picked up a set for $45.00

Honestly for less than the price of takeout these days I was delivered Champagne. 

Totally shocked me.

I just bought an Aesthetix Calypso Signature tube preamp. It will be one of the best pieces in my system, probably the best piece. I'm still waiting for it, sometime this week. I use a Cary PH 301 tube phono preamp, old but very damn good. When needed for my lowest LOMC cartridge, I use an SAEC SUT, very good. My amps are two Parasound HCA 2200 II amplifiers, John Curl design, 250wpc @ 8 ohm. They are very strong amplifiers but getting old too. My main turntable is VPI HW 19, Mk II, was Mk III but had to downgrade to original bearing and spindle. Old but still a very good TT. I use an old 20 bit Denon CD player. Whether any of this qualifies for really good front end, I don't know. It has provided me with many years of happiness. The guys here would have to tell me if it qualifies as "really good". I know that at least the Cary and the Calypso do, not sure about the rest. 

I moved to a log house 12 years ago and the 901's have been in storage since then and even some time before, as I switched to AR 9 speakers about 21 years ago. I really appreciate them and their overall abilities but they lack the punching power of 901's. Overall response is far better in AR 9's and plenty of other speakers but the 901's are capable of some things that most others are not. I have never heard drums sound or feel more live and real than from a pair or two of 901's, properly placed and properly driven. Placement and power are key. Many others can outshine them in many ways but they just do some things like nothing else that I've ever heard. They can become "very big", bigger than anything else I've ever heard. Some say "too big" but I think it's all to do with placement and proper usage. 

I never used the equalizers either which goes against everything you ever hear. Any time I tried the EQ's, I thought they sounded awful. When I bought my first pair back in 1975, the salesman told me I would not need the EQ because I had plenty of power with a Crown DC 300A amp. I believed him and was very happy with that system for several years. They did have to be played loud to be appreciated. This may be because I never used the EQ but at high volume, they performed just as you say and surprised an awful lot of people over the years. I have moved on but I do miss certain things as mentioned above. Enough so that I bought all the ones that I have now, mostly about 20 years ago. 

Note:

They require the EQ.

They have no Tweeters and no  Crossover.

Thus for you as far as far as  Drums go because of no crossover their "pace" is fantastic.

Get that EQ working!

Cheers!

You also .shouldn't have to play them loud to be appreciated.

Enter the EQ.

@billlpete

I run a tube pre between my integrated and amp.

Really has helped the sound.

hersch

I'll give it a try next time I set up a pair. I've been toying with the idea of it anyway. I also like tubes on the pre side, been waiting for years to get an all tube pre that I can use with the CD player. I've always criticized CD's for lacking warmth, a sense of life and other general dislikes. All that said, some can be very good. Hoping some tubes in a really nice preamp will help. On the vinyl side, I've been in love with the Cary tube phono pre for years. I don't stream anything, don't own a DAC. I'm hopelessly lost in the 20th century. 

Anyway, next time I set up a pair, I'll give the EQ a shot. 90% say it's a must. The guy who talked me into AR 9's in the first place, also was a 901 owner, an EE and audiophile who used to hang out on the asylum, as did I. He went by Skeptic. He couldn't believe that I didn't use the EQ.

I started a conversation about 901's on there over 20 years ago and it led to about a 3 month long thread. I started by saying "I like 901's, wanna fight?". I did so because it seemed that every subject led to long winded arguments about the most mundane subjects, most of which were simple differences of opinion, not facts. It was both amusing and annoying but I met a lot of interesting people.

@billpete 

The tube pre will take the edge off the harsh thing that digital can bring...

I would like to make a suggestion for your your streaming entry( if you wish to go there)

Here is the gear.

Used Arcam Rblink Bluetooth ($75.00 usd)

An Ipad mini used if you wish. (Cheap)

Spotify music streaming. ($10.00 or so a month)

The secret cause here is the Ipad mini sound signature and I have proven it to others live in a Demo.

It images incredibly and the Bass out is perfect.

Your system will "Jam" with incredible musicality in every genre.

Don't chase details and resolution to the point of "skipping" tracks.

It is then a miserable hobby.

Cheers!

@billpete 

I certainly here you about the 901 discussions.

There seems to be a whole lot out there that believe 40k is better than 30k speakers etc.

I believe the Delta there is insane.

I've hear alot and owned alot.

Thanks. I've never felt the need to stream but I'm a "never say never" kind of guy so who knows what I may try in the future? 

@billpete 

It's incredibly dynamic when you tweak it out.

The arcam rblink built like a tank is an incredible sounding Btooth DAC

it has aptx which can give CD quality if your outboard gear has aptx.

@hersch8888 : Spotify is lossy audio. Try instead Tidal or Qobuz.

If you are already an Amazon Prime customer, Amazon unlimited is a good bargain and has a very good selection of hi-rez. Up to 24/192. 

I don't like Hi rez audio...but thank you for the rec!

I've tried it...I find d it's "cut.and paste audio"

It's akin to TV these days where you get that "Soap Opera " effect video.

Like hi rez audio " it.doesnt jam" does not exude the right emotion...

Just like you can't replace an old song on.an old AM radio...

Hi rez is just numbers to my ears.

Cheers!

And the soap opera is the first thing I adjust on my new tv's.

Smoothing Motion plus Video....OFF!

We used a pair for the PA for a short time.

In hindsight the state of the solid state power to drive them with any authority in 1970 had their own growing pains. 
It might be interesting to hear them driven by todays refined solid state or hybrid amplification.

I have had a pair since 1987. it is tempting to hook them back up for the fun of it

but i cannot figure out how to hook up the active equilizer without a tape 2

input. It used to be run through a old Onkyo reciever which i still have too.

but now i am using a parasound amp and preamp. 

M-'da

It might be interesting to hear them driven by todays refined solid state or hybrid amplification.

You hit it!

I remember an old buddy of mine using a pair in his band. I think they were used with the horn mikes. I think 802's were more often used that way, since they had 8 drivers, all front side. My wife and I sold T shirts at the Chicago fest in 1980 and they had a stage full of them. It was a big Bose push at the time, some ridiculous number of the Bose amps (1801's I think) and pairs of 802's. 32 pairs or so, might have even been double that. It was a helluva lot of speakers. Can't remember. It was kind of impressive but it did lack bass, compared to the other stages that used normal PA stacks and such. Still, it was kind of fun to see and hear.

ericreyn

Per the series II manual, you can hook from preamp output to EQ input and EQ output to amplifier input. This avoids the tape loop. On series II EQ, you have both options but with separate amp and pre, it says not to use the tape loop. I don't think I ever tried it that way and could be why I hated the EQ. I'll have to look at my series VI EQ but I'm sure the same applies there. Interesting thought that I may have used them the wrong way for so many years. I know there are tons of people out there who will say that there is no right way to listen to them but most of these guys never heard them correctly. I'm sure they will disagree but...........whatever.

Don't know what series you have but foam surrounds tend to go bad on series 4 the worst. They had a buy back program and put people into series 6 for a huge discount. I bought a pair of junk 4's just to trade in and got my 6's that way. It was $400 for the trade with Bose. I think the retail was around $1500 at the time. 

The real problem is they don't do what Amar says they should do because on a good recording the room ambience is already there and besides adding in the sound bouncing around the room is merely adding a new distortions. Ad to that the frequency response is a comb filter as Gordon Holt showed half a century ago in his review.

It's OK to like them so long as the term fidelity is not used to describe them.

Well, at least we have permission to like them. Thanks. :) Just kidding around, no worries here. 

I did move on from mine many years ago but I never got rid of them. They are capable of some very interesting things. That is not a rave review, just an acceptance that they are fun to listen to for some interesting effects and they are able to play very loud as well. Again, not high end praise, just something different.

@ericreyn 

https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:b09752c1-8348-43a2-9508-de7e6ea2b1d7

I have to laugh....lol

We have a solid review from an audiophile....

And it's already going sideways!

I certainly have not heard them since 1985. I had a friend that thought he was an audiophile and played them with great pride. My memory was exactly the lead line... No highs... no lows.. complete absence of dynamics... but I have a terrible memory, maybe they sounded great. 

LMAO @ghdprentice 

There was a kid in college that had a pair hanging in the corners up near the ceiling.  Phase Linear amp.  I was totally jealous. It definitely cranked.

@sls883 , I remember back in the early '80s when I was in the Air Force I had a buddy who had a pair matched up with some big Japanese amp and we all thought the same thing.  These crank and they are great!  When he had outdoor parties at his place, he would move his system outside, and I do remember that his system would broadcast!  

Holy Shxxxt ! The comments page exploded as expected.

Just go to my channel and find out what I think of Bose (not Boze White People).

All Highs, Sweet Mids, & Deep Bass....It Must Be Bose !

Every speaker I have ever heard brought something unique to the show. Sometimes better, sometimes worse. Sometimes wow! But they all let you hear the music from a different perspective. That being said, my experience with the 901’s was in the barracks in Germany when one of my buddies had to have them (because of the hype) and my experience was not good because he had no clue how to set them up properly and if he did there was no way to do it in a dorm room! I always wondered what they would’ve sounded like if they were properly set up. I did find the EQ colored the sound but that was expected but you can color the sound with a paint choice. I’m sure that would be the case with something that mostly bounces the sound off of the walls. I’ll bet if you set them up properly they would sound cool in their own right. They most likely would be a novelty item for me but fun to play around with nonetheless! Most importantly, ETM!  Cheers 

In high school I could not afford them so we built what we called 1801s.  We doubled the size.  My friends brother was a MIT graduate so he figured out the size of the speaker, internal volume, etc. and they worked really well.  We used an 18 band EQ with them.  They were pretty amazing for the price we built them for.

I wonder where they are today?

Happy Listening.

A very entertaining, well-written article. Just another reminder why I chose a career path as a hifi peddler and speaker nerd, rather than a wordsmith.

I am working on an article (to be released shortly?) in defense of 901s from the unique perspective of one who has turned the speakers (and EQ) inside out and performed some significant performance mods. I also want to get "real" and disclose that there is just so much you can do with "mid-fi" 4 1/2" drivers slinging 89% of the signal off (untreated) back/sidewalls. The Bose 901 design is the polar opposite of my patented design. That being said, "getting things out of the way that make them sound worse" did reveal some nuance, delicacy, and focus that compelled me to strap myself onto the listening chair for an extended period of time and genuinely enjoy the experience.

The new Bose/Mac relationship got my wheels turning. How about a set of $45k Mac901s with 9 x 50 watts of onboard active amplification, DSP, and audiophile-grade full range (up to 20 kHz) drivers? Optional pedestals? Of course. This time with amplified compact subs/passives with useable output below 20 Hz. I’d trade of couple of cars I don’t drive very much these days for a set.

OP,

Havent heard these and have no desire to, based on my current contentment with my system and prior experience with older iterations. That being said, I am always skeptical when someone joins this site and their first post is a shill....

I own a pair of Lifestyle 901s, these are basically series VI speakers with the amp and equalizer built into the base of one of the speakers.  They are very rare piano black and mine are in minty condition bought new in 1999.  They sound very good for some kinds of music if they are properly set up.  They require a solid, clear wall, meaning no obstructions.  I prefer 16" distance to the back wall and 3' or more to side walls. They sound similar to sitting in the back of a large hall.  This works for orchestral pieces, particularly classical, but don't expect to be able to locate a soloist.  If you like the intimacy of a jazz quartet and are not worried that you can't locate the individual performers, 901s sound fine.  They are tone accurate.  So the alto can be differentiated from the tenor, for example.  If you listen closely you may even be able to hear the difference between the Steinway on the right from the Bosendorfer on the left.  But the difference between the Steinway B and the Steinway D?  No.  Oh, the the pianos will sound big, BIG, wide as the room big. Everything sounds big.  If you like your Ella to sound 10' wide these are the speakers for you.  Those who claim Bose 901s have no bass must have been listening to ones being played without the equalizer in the circuit.  Minus 3 db at 34 Hz is the measured fact.  The nine 4" drivers on each side have roughly the equivalent cone area of one 12" driver.  In summation, Bose 901 speakers are good sounding speakers, in many ways spectacular ones, circa 1970.  They fill the room with pleasant sound.  Wanna have a party?  They are difficult to set up correctly, however, and they cannot be considered serious audiophile speakers in 2025.