For all you Bose 901 Haters!


 

rankaudio

I guess I missed something here.

Am I supposed to be impressed? I’m not. I wasn’t.

I had a pair of 901 Series IV back in 1983-1986. Just ok speakers. I powered them to ear-blistering levels with my Sherwood S9600-CP receiver. Then my SAE Two A14 integrated. (I still both of those, but not the 901s. I sold those in 1986. Actually, traded for a pair of KEF 105.2s. Guy wanted them back after 2 months. Nope!!)

I find this more impressive, 1956 recording played back using a 1958 GE VRII mono cart. Recorded using my phone above and behind my speakers, so not ideal. But better than those 901s! 
 

https://youtu.be/3EE06d3e0r8

 

1973, 18 year old Marine stationed on Okinawa.  I had disposable income and determined to bring home a Kick Ass Stereo because components were cheap being in Japan and in the military.  Back then, speaker sound was correlated with speaker size; bigger was better, so I went in looking for BIG speakers.  Listened to a bunch and then I was pointed toward some speakers that just got in the store.  They were "small" [and heavy] but MAN could they push some sound!!!   I was in love and bought them immediately:  Bose 901 [before there was a "series"].  I paired them with a Sansui receiver, Akai cassette player, and Gerrard Zero One-Hundred turntable.  NOW I was playing with the stereo big boys :)  

1974, small college fraternity bedroom with my stereo gear set-up.  I was the crazy ex-Marine and KING of sound in my frat!  I LOVED my Bose's and so did everyone else [what else could they say :)] !!  I will say, one of my frat brothers bought some ESS Heil's and I did like them a lot [maybe better than my speakers, but I kept that to myself].  Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon, turned up to 25 at 1AM was  awesome.  Surprised not a lot of people complained.  

2022, my Bose are hanging from my great room ceiling as one part of a 9.2 home theater system.  This is probably their best use :)  

 

Back in the mid-80's, I had two pair of Bose 901 series IV's in my 10x12 college dorm room (one in each corner).  driven by 4 Carver M-500 amplifiers (bridged to mono).  no imaging, but gobs of sound!  the Drom parties were epic.  :)   great memories.  2022, B&W 802d in one room and Magnepan 1.7i's in another.  been through too many iterations to count.  it's been a wonderful journey through the years.  thanks for the post that brought it all back!  Cheers.

901 memories! 1978 my bedroom was a matchbook. I hung them from the ceiling and connected to a Hafler DH500. Zeppelin 2, drove my parents and neighbors nuts!