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Bose 901...really

The good book says that there is a time and place for everything. Even Bose 901s?

I am building a pool house addition to my house, 36 X 26 with a cathedral ceiling about 24 ft. The entire interior is hard surface wood, glass, and concrete, so it will be very reverberant. I want to install a set of multichannel speakers. For the fronts, I am all set, with NHT1259 woofers in a 3 cu ft wall cavity, along with three Dynaudio monitors, mounted on the wall. (I have all this on hand). The rear wall includes a very large set of windows. They say that if the world gives you lemons, make lemonade. Why not use that expanse of glass and wood as a reflector for Bose 901s? I have a hunch it would work quite well. And the darned things a cheap as speakers go these days.
eldartford
rodman99999
6,033 posts
 
It's been my experience, and my point in this discourse, that they have never sounded like live music by any stretch of the imagination. That(live music) is my reference, and will always remain so. I'm much more a sound technician/engineer than an "audiophile". The pedal notes that I referred to are not so much audible, as they are felt in the gut. When I said, "cracked my ceilings," I was being quite literal.
unclejeff
1,313 posts
 
Having experienced the nirvana of really efficien speakers, I know that the 901s are in many ways, lacking.

That being said, I have to point out that I was using a pair of 901s when first I joined the club here at Audiogon and the first improvement to my system was a pair of better---not really high-end---interconnects.

The 901s responded with much better listening. They were at least sensitive enough that this tweak did matter.
inpepinnovations
134 posts
 
Wireless, there are no tweeters to blow.
My experience with the Bose 901 in 'normal' rooms is that I usually have to rolloff the top end with the help of an equalizer to get the sound that I wish at the listening location. In listening I look for natural tone to violins and snare and cymbals, not the 'hot' tone that seems to be the fad these days. If you attend symphony concerts you might be surprised at how 'not hot' and not-detailed sounding the violins are, but yet you will not want for soft beautifull tone.
There is the old joke about the audiophile attending a live concert and complaining that there wasn't enough bass nor highs.
eldartford OP
4,262 posts
 
Rodman99999...I have observed that a fair amount of casual live music (not the kind I usually listen to) is delivered via Bose 801s (?) speakers which look like 901s turned backwards. Surely a 901 would be near ideal for reproducing what comes out of a 801. I have noted that relatively cheap horn mid/tweeter drivers reproduce trumpet better that expensive audiophile speakers. (OK if you like your violins to sound like trumpets).
xiekitchen
821 posts
 
Eldartford;
See my response above on 801... also, I knew a bluegrass band that used a set of 801's, no sub, with a tube power amp, worked quite well, even outside (this was in the mid 1980's).
I just bought the Weather Report "Live at Montreau" DVD video shot in 1976 I believe, and there is Joe Zawinal with about 4 or 5 Bose 801's used as various stage monitors or keyboard amp speakers.
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