Am so disappointed with my Bose 911 speakers. I appreciate good sound quality and these speakers just don't cut it. They do not possess good sound performance as far as highs and lows and the sound is very flat and muffled, and no they are not blown. They have sounded the same way since they were new about 5 years ago. Had an old pair of Canadian made speakers made by Audio tec from the early 1980's and wish I would have kept them as the sound was far superior. Bose 911 speakers are over priced and the sound quality sucks. Don't buy them!!!
Are you using the supplied equalizer? Also setup is non negotiable with these speakers. I myself am not a fan of Bose but have heard the 901's many times setup properly with their external equalizer. They have pretty decent bass and don't sound awful. Do I enjoy them, no, but should someone, yes. The people that I have spoke to have always heard them in the store where the salesman had them pushed up against a wall and plugged directly into an amp. Of course they would sound like crap that way. The external piece is not a optional use item it is part of the speaker. The other half have only listened to them at a friends house where they are probably not setup properly or were just pulled from storage and once again don't have the little box plugged in. Anyways I am not one to normally back up Bose but I am familiar with the 901's and they normally only sound awful due to user error. Of course there is the fact that if you are looking for soundstage look elsewhere :)
I can't find any information about Bose 911, only Bose system for Porsche 911. Do you mean Bose 901 speakers? I agree with others here wondering why you have been listening to speakers you do not like for 5 years. If your speaker is a Bose 901 it is very important to use the proper equalizer and that it is connected properly. It is also important to set up the speakers as the manufacturer suggests. The back or pointed side of the speaker should face the back wall. For best results the wall should be bare and the speakers placed 8"-18" from that wall. There should not be anything in front of the speaker to muffle the sound such as furniture. Depending on the age of your speakers it might be worth while checking the foam surrounds on the drivers. Matching associated equipment and cables is as important as it would be with any other speaker. However, audiophile approved equipment and cables are not necessary. Keep in mind Bose speakers are designed by engineers from MIT, not some guy in his garage like many so called high end speakers. In fact MIT is currently the major share holder of Bose Corporation. Ignore comments like "no highs no lows it must be Bose". The people making those comments have never owned Bose speakers and most likely have not even heard Bose speakers in several decades. Read the review in Tone Audio by Jeff Dorgay. He did not follow the owners manual for set up and he still got pretty good sound from the 901. If you follow the manual your sound should be better. If you make an honest effort to get the best sound from your speakers without success your only option is to sell your Bose speakers and try something else. You will not have trouble selling them as Bose speakers are easy to sell. In that event you may want to try Dali speakers. They are not the best speaker, but you can buy them NEW for pennies on the dollar. Good Luck
I worked for a retailer who sold Bose. They might be good speakers for those used to listening to a console or portable tv all their life. However there are far better speakers available. Amar Bose is the Ron Popiel of the audio business. Bose claims their stuff can "replace a whold room full of stereo equipment." I suppose it could if you don't take yourselt too seriously and believe that all the high volume advertizing they do is 100% truthful.
Bose believes in phsychoacoustics and my take is just like PT Barnum. There are many ways to separate a "S***** from His Money."
Rrog, tell us where then. And what fraction ? Most items are available for less than retail if you shop around. what is your problem with Dali? This thread is about Bose 901's.
There's a pair of 901's on c-list in my area for $750. The seller says they're the best speakers ever made. Hmmmm, maybe I was wrong about those mbl 101e's. Must of been the amp they were using.
Bose is all about clever marketing, putting thoughts into peoples mind. No serious manufacrurer would advertise their gear on prime time tv. Its not really about good sound quality, but fair sound quality, if that. I wonder why you purchased them.
I once heard their speakers ( cube) about a decade ago and susequently never looked into them. There are so many quality manufacrurers around and there is no need to look at something like this, really. A friend has a 5.1 setup and its quite lame, though I tell him it sounds great. ( nothing is acieved by upsetting someone)
Dont burn them. Sell them off really cheap, cause thats their real value, in my opinion. James
All I can say is that Bose puts more into advertising and simplifying things and not enough into quality. Less $$$ in advertising and more into product. Also, when I worked for Tweeter any employee was able to get any Bose product at a 70% discount and Klipch at 50% and they still made money....
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