Bose 901 Review Well Done.
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.
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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. |
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. |
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.
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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! |
@hersch8888 : Spotify is lossy audio. Try instead Tidal or Qobuz. |
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!
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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. |
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. |
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 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.
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