I OWNED and ENJOYED BOSE speakers, what about you?
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- čas přidán 5. 09. 2024
- Steve comes clean about his Bose past! How about you?
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I still own a pair of 901's and I still love them for many reasons, first... they bring me nostalgia of the good old days when a few of us were really involved in audio stuff. Secondly...they sounded pretty good and loud in those days and still today if not directly compared side by side with a much expensive high end speakers. There is nothing to be ashamed of having owned or still own a nice pair of Bose speakers.
Back in the mid 70s my buddy had Bose 901s hanging from the ceiling with chains. Man we would party. The Rolling Stones coming from his reel to reel really loud. It was magic and good times!
Carlos maybe you know Daniel Wenzel who posted here about having 901s hanging from ceiling and had some parties 😀
THe last time I really liked the way my 901’s they were hanging on chains with nothing around them but the walls. Life got in their way and the sound went away.
Dj’d at a joint, in the 80’s....4- 901’s hanging from chains....2 big old subs facing the dance floor. Man, that system rocked!
Haha. I had mine hanging on chains, too.
During the excess of the 80s I was 25 years old and purchased a pair of Bose 901s. I secured them from the ceiling using lightweight chains and it looked quite unique. The person we rented the house from was quite impressed with our audio set up and she would bring us cookies on Saturday mornings and we would talk about music and get our mornings off in the right direction. On most Saturday evenings we would have parties and play the music loud and reach stupid db levels. (Loud enough the surrounding homes could hear the music doors closed) Friends would place a lit candle behind the speaker's rear port and it would blow the candle out - look back at that with a head shake. Ohhhh My - Bose Story
Today, I look back at those days with a smile and some embarrassment.
During my first hunting expedition for quality speakers around 1974, I spent hours in Pacific Stereos audio room comparing a pair of Bose 901’s against JBL L100’s with white woofers that moved like jello. I chose the 901’s, but in retrospect I wish I bought the JBLs and here’s why. At the store the Bose were being powered with an actual Bose amplifier that put out something like 275 watts RMS per channel. I was a schoolboy and had a Marantz receiver putting out around 40 watts RMS per channel. Plus I happened to have a tape monitor switch which is rare on todays receivers. I believe the JBLs would have sounded better with my setup. However, the 901’s lasted until I sent them to Bose a few years ago in exchange for a set of series VI 901’s for next to nothing. In addition to finding an ideal room for proper placement of them. My next investment
will be in an amp/receiver with as many watts RMS into two channels that I can afford without breaking the bank. So the story continues and then I will submit my final conclusion. Never mind time wasted
My roommate did the same thing with his 901s. Had them hanging from the ceiling on chains, in a small-ish room with a 40 watt Tandberg receiver powering them. They sounded okay but got kind of harsh when he turned up the volume. That may have been due to the Tandberg, though. Another guy I knew had 901s set up in the normal way, on their stands, driven by a 100W Pioneer receiver. Man, did he ever get the bass out of them in his setup( so far apart and so far from the walls).It was the best experience I have had listening to Bose 901s.
It started with my Pop's Bose 501's and vinyl. That started me on this awesome journey. I then moved out of the house and purchased some 301's from SEARS. Stepped away from audio for some years... came back with some great sounding gear now! But I really enjoyed the memories and the journey to this point!!! Thanks to my Dad!❤
Bose speakers have a personality - a sound that I enjoy for the right type of music and moment. I like having their products as part of an arsenal of sound possibilities.
Most people don’t sit in front of a stereo system, they walk around while doing other things, or as background to conversation. Bose fills the room with a pleasant sound, nothing wrong with that. Same thing with the new WiFi speakers like Sonos, Apple, etc: it’s fine. I use Sonos while doing dishes, my JBL near field monitors at my desk, and Monitor Audio when listening to vinyl. I also listen to music in my car (now that I think of it is Bose). Maybe just love music?!
So well said.
Bose have great speakers for CERTAIN situations.
Just the ones u mention.
No shame there.
Rod Scott
I actually ran the Bose speakers as rear speakers in a 85 Oldsmobile cutlass supreme brougham and they even took a pioneer amplifier about a 150 watt but I didn't have the gain but halfway turned up and only ran them until I could go to the junkyard and get a 90's set of good gm Delco 6x9 speakers,to hold me by til the JBL decade speakers I'd ordered came..
I have 2 pairs of 301s series 3 in two different rooms. Love them!
301’s, got me through college...with a little NAD. Loved them!
I believe the original 301s were the best of Bose...completely missed the opportunity of picking a pair for myself thinking they’d always be around. Silly me.
I still have the Bose 201 series 2, I bought in the 80s. In the 2000's they became the speakers of my niece's first stereo system. Now retired to the cupboard, I would never get rid of them. They still sound ok. Warm, relaxed sound, easy for a cheap amp to drive. Many kids these days just want to relax with the music rather than worry about their equipment performing optimally.
Steve, great subject. My experience with Bose is probably unique in the audio world. In 1974 I bought the Bose 901 Series 2s and the new Bose 1801 82lb/400wpc@4 ohms power amplifier because Bose had a promotional deal if you bought the 1801 and two 901s they gave you two more 901s for free. It was a phenomenal system with tons of fast and clean bass because of the sealed cabinets and no large woofers to muddy up the transients. The 36 drivers had as much cone area as a 24” woofer however with much less excursion capability. I wasn’t a fan of the direct/reflecting sound though and used them backwards, with the angled backside pointing into the room and arranged so that the sweet spot was pointed at my head. It was a great sound that really rocked my house and the neighbors across the street also.
The bass notes would flicker my lights because of the extreme power surges from the amplifier, which was fun also. But the 18dB @ 35Hz bass boost required was the 901s downfall for me. By needing 64 times the power at 35Hz compared to 1kHz, the conservatively rated 400wpc amplifier would clip easily with bass-heavy music. I could play most rock music at loud levels without a problem, although Santana’s Abraxas album pushed the amp into thermal overload and shut down before I could complete playing a full side of the album. The last straw for me though was when I played Carol King’s Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow at not very loud levels and the kick drum clipped the amp on every beat, as indicated by the superb meters and LED display for monitoring peak power. I eventually sold the 1801 and the four 901s for the same price that I paid because of the two free 901s, and went to the opposite extreme when I began working at Audiotechniques where we built the Big Red and the Super Red studio monitors with the famous Altec 604E coaxial horn drivers and an extra Altec 416 woofer. Clipping problem solved.
The moral of the story - you haven't heard what the 901s can do if you haven't heard four of them and LOTS of clean power.
Good video, Steve. I can't say I honestly feel "shame" about it. I bought my first stereo setup in 1977 with money I saved working at the diner. I bought a Kenwood integrated amp, Technics SL-23 turntable and a pair of Bose 301's at Audio Exchange at the Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City, NY. The 301's were (are?) two way speakers with a port, and honestly, I really liked the way they sounded. They don't of course compare to the Vandersteen 2C's I'm listening to now, or most of the other speakers I've had in between, but to a 17-year old who loved music and wanted to get in at a level he could afford, they sounded really good. Boston, Frampton, Meatloaf and the Rocky Horror soundtrack sounded good to me! And if I remember right, most of the dance clubs and smaller music venues we went to in the city had 901's hanging from chains on the ceiling, so they were definitely good for that!
I've owned and enjoyed many Bose speakers throughout the years. Always wanted to hear the 901s but have never had the opportunity. I think they deserve a spot in the audiophile hall of fame for all the attention they've brought to our hobby (not to mention the innovation they've brought). With that said, nothing can dethrone my Maggies as my favorite speakers!
Steve, your room is looking really nice! Its less distracting visually.
I can neither confirm or deny...lol
Yep..901's. Cranked
@GeneralCurtis3LeMay
Sphere
He means less clutter😆. I loved the clutter. U had history!😉
My journey started about ten years ago with a set of Bose that I hooked up to my dad's old Harmon Kardon pre/power amp. I loved them very much.
I owned 901 series 3s. I was proud to have owned them. In all truthfulness, I wish I still had them if for nothing other than nostalgia and memories of days gone bye.
My first speakers (I bought them for my father) were Bose 301s. My next speakers were a pair of LS3/5As. No regrets though about the Bose, they started me on my journey!
I bought my dad a set of 301s as well. He wanted them, but I preferred my Kenwood system.
Back in the 90's in the Netherlands, Amsterdam, i heared a wall (at least 20x5 meters) of 901's at the Firato (a consumers show). Till this day i can remember the insane bass the wall produced! Simple amazing...🙂
The Bose 2.2s were my beginning (92). And yes I enjoyed the hell out of them. Bought them from a retail outlet that is no longer in business/ Circuit City. Had a 35watt Kenwood receiver with matching CD player and turntable. I moved on to Klipsch RF 5s and thought I'd arrived.... Lol. I still have them in my small stable of speakers. Today my Magnepans Sonus Fiber get the most listening time.
lol I'm listening to this on Bose 201's in my stereo home theater set up. Happily I'm not an audiophile so I can avoid the shame.
I love my 201 speakers!
Yes
BOSE ACOUSTIMASS 6 Series ii, 2001
And i still love and use em 😋
@@johnsmith1474
So the nitwit with the enormously dull name dont want me to mention that acoustimasses were made in space back in the day
@@johnsmith1474
Astrology is a multi-cultural phenomenon. Originating from, and associated with the study of Astronomy.
That's about as 'real' as it gets.
@GeneralCurtis3LeMay
And they were small, cube speakers for cool people
Hi Steve. I've got 3 rooms all have different type of speakers. One has a pair of 901 VI. I bought them for 2 bills with tulip stands and eq. from an estate sale. They are set-up bereft of furniture - just a listening chair. They're not my primary but it's a unique change of pace. Very open especially with live music 🎶. Greg
I have always loved the open airy sound of my 901 but I also started this love of reflection sound from EPI micro towers. Maybe my ears are bad but still have both.
I had 901’s back in the 90’s and enjoyed them, until I bought my first pair of Maggie’s.
I currently own Maggies and have owned several Maggies in the past. But if I find the right 901’s... I may buy them as a small bucket list item. Always wanted them when I first heard them in 1988.
Are Maggies the thinking man's Bose?
@@bigblueocean I wouldn’t say that. Other than the dipole effect, they couldn’t be more different. Loved my MG1s. Always hated 901s.
@@bigblueocean Well, they're nothing like Bose but they do have a cult following (deservedly), IMO.
@@ghawk78 I was thinking more of the way dipoles drive the room though, In fairness, (as a long term Maggie owner) my comment was tongue in cheek.
I had two first influences for Hifi. My father and my piano teacher.
My father had an extraordinary stereo system for its time in 1971. At least in a small village in Germany, where Hifi was not yet popular, that didn't come up until the mid 1970s. A Sansui QX6500 receiver with Sansui SP 2500 speakers and SP70 for "quadraphonic" listening.
I met my piano teacher in 1973 and he had a completely different system, but I also liked it a lot. Mcintosh MA230 with Bose 901, the old ones with light fabric, without those fresh air nozzles but all the better with Alnico drivers.
I was impressed with the Bose sound, I was 14 years old. Nothing hurt the ear, and it was a very wide stage, but I was also irritated, because everything was as fluffy as with fabric softener, or a warm shower. For one thing, I never became a real friend of my piano teacher's Bose. But I have to say that they were the best Bose speakers I've ever heard. Much later, in the 90s, friends had the 901 with those fresh air nozzles. They sounded much worse and very coarse, I thought it was cruel. When they got loud, it was tinny and plasticky.
Today I suspect that the first 901 Alnico were the best. At least they had a positive feature that I only understood as an adult what I liked. There was no passive crossover and nine identical full range drivers. This made for good homogeneity "all over the place".
But the biggest influence that shaped me throughout my life was the sound of the Mcintosh MA 230. I have to say somewhat coolly, I heard the Mcintosh sound "even though" it was a Bose speaker. For 19 years now I have had a C22CE with MC275 on various speakers, never was it Bose:). but for the last four years an LS3/6 from Stirling Broadcast.
The later Bose systems with small satellites, so since the 90s? ...sorry, that's ok for the changing room in the department store. Just my opinion.
My first Bose speakers were the 901s. I bought them in the early 80s when I was living in Japan. A couple of years later, I traded them for a Sansui BA-2000, CA-2000, TU-9900 set which I still own today. Next, I bought the acoustimass 5 series 2. I got these literally a few weeks before the acoustimass 7 was released which made me sad at the time. I still use these as the surround channels in my garage. My next set was the 101s which I bought for use as surround channels. A couple of weeks later I won a second set of 101s in a drawing. Since then I have owned 601s, lifestyle system, and several more acoustimass systems which I picked up for free (or super cheap) to flip. My car has a Bose system. This post probably makes me sound like a Bose fanboy LOL
Well, if the shoe fits...
I to still have my ca-ba-2000 but no longer my JBLs. I once had a friends 901s and the JBLs connected. That was pretty awesome. I’ve spent the last 15 years trying to get that sound of the JBLs back again. Cheers
It was 1986, I was 20 years old and in Okinawa, Japan when I purchased a Technics receiver and my first pair of speakers, Bose 201's. I remember seeing Klipsch, JBL, and Infinity speakers in the PX (military store) all which at the time I had never heard of and were a lot more expensive than the 201's I bought. And besides I had heard of Bose before. I bought them (no audition) early into the year I was there and sold them before I left. When i got back to the states, I bought a pair of infinity bookshelf speakers. I've owned many speakers over the years, but never gave Bose a second thought.
The Bose Mini soundlink speaker is a fantastic small speaker that has given me hours of pleasure! Great for holidays and bedrooms - big room filling sound. 👍
After a Base Exchange promotion at a UK base in the Air Force I bought a pair of Bose 901 VI speakers with the equalizer in 1988. I drove them with a great Marantz integrated amp and kept them until 2018. They still sounded good to me. Admittedly they went from being the primary speakers in my living room over time to computer speakers (after we upgraded to a multimedia 5.1 system). I moved them around the world with me and remember having to figure out wall placement. I still think they are pretty good...
i used to sell high end audio back in the late 70's early 80's , i remember the Bose 901 series. In my estimation they seemed to sound best on live recordings on rock band lps. I had a friend of mine that bought a Rega planer turntable from me and i took it by his place to set it up for him , he had the Bose 901's series 3 I think? as well as the Bose EQ set to the way he prefered. They were on their tulip stands. Room was pretty much perfect for the optimum set up. He popped on the Frampton comes alive Lp. " Do you feel like i do" was enjoyable , ambiance but no real imaging which in a live concert you do not really get that on Rock and more about the sound stage. They played loud. I got what he enjoyed about them. They would never replace my Snell Type A's .. The ear is always the final arbitrator I guess you could say to a music lover. He was happy , he did come into my store and heard a pair of Acoustat Model 3's running thru some Threshold Stasis gear that impressed him quite a bit though.
I've owned and enjoyed Bose Acoustimass 5's and two cars with a Bose sound system. Nothing wrong with them, especially for the reasons I had them - the AM5's were for kitchen audio where I wanted small speakers on top of cabinets but some bass and the cars...I needed a car and that was the audio that came with them.
They aren't my idea of hifi, but they are a fun listen. Too many audiophile's have deleted the word fun from their vocabulary and dismiss anything that isn't to their tastes, but I don't need my 6 grand system to enjoy listening to music when I'm whipping up a grilled cheese, or driving down the road.
I have no regrets.
I just ordered a pair of Bose 301s to give them a try and a review. As my current system includes the Magnepan LRS speakers, I wanted a pair of laid back speakers for radio or background music. I think everyone that gets into this hobby should not be afraid of giving new things a try.
I have owned Magnepan 1.6, 1.7, and MMGs. Last year I picked up a pair of LRS. I agree with you about trying different things. I have never had less than 3 pairs of speakers in inventory for my primary listening room. Moods and music changes and sometimes a different sound is fun to have in the mix.
@@epi2045 Doan, what are your thoughts on going from 1.6's to LRS?
@@markwagner1997 I have found that the 1.6, 1.7, MMG, and LRS perform very closely. Having owned Magnepan’s for over 17 years, I would say the LRS are the best value of the bunch. Unlike the aforementioned, which sound comparable, the 3.6/3.7 are in a different league. My listening room is smaller now hence the LRS is fine.
I worked at a stereo shop during high school, and the owner made me save my money. Literally made me save by applying 1/2 my paycheck to a layaway program on the speakers I liked the most in the shop. So I ended up with a pair of KEF 103.2 speakers, which were driven by a luxman preamp + amp combo and a Linn turntable. That system, to this day, provided my fondest audiophile memories. Magic, really.
Good friend had a pair of 901s and, I think, a Tandberg receiver, along with other components of course. I haven't talked to him in at least 10 years but when we used to chat about stereos his system was, to him, magical.
People like what they like, and if you enjoyed your formative years and an audio system was an integral part of those years, then it's quite likely nothing will ever replicate that magic. I live with my audio memories, happily, and I really wouldn't change a thing about them.
WOW...same work experience (at StereoLand -- just posted above...though started in Jr. High), getting the job because of Band Director vouching for me.
However, I started smaller (Thorens TD160 before graduating to Linn LP12 -- both still great).
I am still living with most of the magic I've acquired over the decades.
I don't know what's wrong in owning, using Bose speakers. At this point is where audiophiles irritate me. Audiophiles are one of the most obnoxious beings in the society. Stop judging people and their music listening methods. As long as one enjoys what they are listening to, it serves the purpose.
There's nothing wrong with owning or even enjoying Bose speakers. But Bose speakers are not audiophile speakers, they don't do the things audiophiles value in speakers. What annoys audiophiles is that so many people seem to think Bose is exceptional or simply really good. And while you are welcome to enjoy your Bose speakers, claiming they are exceptional, would not be entirely correct.
@GeneralCurtis3LeMay It seems like you didn't read or completely misunderstood my point, but that's OK, we can disagree on this point. The fact that you like this setup and think it sounds exceptional is great, I'm happy you enjoy your setup. And not, I can not give you a list of systems that sound better, because I don't have your setup and I am not going to go out an buy the exact same setup just to prove you wrong. I stand by my point that Bose makes lifestyle products, not audiophile products. I did not say they aren't good, I said they are not for audiophiles, even if you like them and would describe yourself as such. There are always exceptions.
@GeneralCurtis3LeMay You keep on dunking on Japanese amplifiers and then recommending the Technics SU-8088, which is, uh, a Japanese amplifier. Technics was the high end brand from Matsushita (Panasonic), and I can literally find an image of the back panel of an SU-8088 from an auction site online that shows the text "Made in Japan" on it.
Clearly your not an audiophile
Have you ever seen a Bose woofer? How it’s constructed? They look like cheap crud
Yes I am a past owner of Bose 901's , along with a Crown Power Amp and Crown Preamp. I was in college and bought them ridiculously cheap from a fellow starving student. And it was a favorite of my drunken fraternity buds. Being drunk myself - I loved the way they could pump out hot air when Blue Oyster Cult was played at 3 o'clock on the volume control. Did I like them myself? I don't remember.....
I'm not at all ashamed to have owned Bose speakers 25 years ago. They sounded great on electronic music.
Their audio profile does electronic music pretty good!
I guess Bose and JBL are still aiming at electronic.
Great is a relative term
I had 301 series 2 as a "B" speaker in a second room in my house for a number of years. They were ok speakers, falling well short of the sound of the JBL L-56 I had at the time. Still, their horizontal orientation fit the space I had, and I even had placement for them to direct reflect correctly. While in college I had classmates in the dorms that had 601 and 501's and I to me those were nice speakers. The 601 in particular was a nice speaker, it was almost literally a double 301 box. My favorite Bose story is when Dr. Bose in person was on an episode of "This Old House" in the Bob Vila era, and told the Dr. to his face something like "there is no way these are going to work" to his new acousticmas speakers they were putting in the house. In this setup the bass unit was in a floor joist, so only a duct like a a/c duct showed in the floor of the room. Classic Bob Vila.
I still have a pair of Bose 301’s.....still listen to them with a Marantz 2250B receiver.
Cool!
@GeneralCurtis3LeMay give it up man Bose are trash
Bose lose. That’s supposed to rhyme but somehow it doesn’t 🤔
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac I had the acustimass 10 series for home theater and at the time I thought they were amazing! I’ve moved on since then and currently own the RP600m’s (thanks to you!).
What brand of bass trap do you have behind your 600’s?!
Bought the Bose 601's in 1982 and still own them today. As the fronts in a 5.1 system they offer room-filling background sound to an open-spaced, high ceiling living/dining area that has stymied more conventional speakers. For high-res audiophile listening there's a separate rec room with Q Acoustics floor standers. Life is sweet!
I bought a Bose Wave radio for my wife 22 years ago and it's still going strong connected to our tv. I recorded the Pulse concert by Pink Floyd on PBS. Very enjoyable.
They don't service these anymore. Both of my CD changers have failed (I have two wave radios). Bose support no longer exists.
@@millerforester6237 Sorry to hear that. My wave radio is am only so less to break down. It needed service once while under warranty but that over 20 years ago.
ABSOLUTELY!!!!! my first audio system included a pair of Bose 901 series 4.. i was 18 at the time, owned them for 15 years and LOVE LOVE LOVED them!!! BUT i had the common sense to set them up properly and reaped the amazing rewards... my friend had a 6 pack.. 3 stacked on each side powered by 3 pioneer m25s.. some of the MOST impressive sound i have heard!!
The time was another back in the 80’s and 90’s...😁
I was a kid back then but adored Bose...😜
I bought BOSE 901 speakers about 30 years ago, at that time of is not an Audiophile. I still use in my old family room. Nowadays I love my Wilsonaudoi Yvette with DarTZeel amp along with Linn Network Player and I’m so happy with my
I have my Bose soundsport earphones in my ears right now. I own a ton of IEMs and audiophile headphones, but for casual listening, these are my go to. They even sound great coming directly out of my phone, whereas other headphones need to be driven by a separate portable amp like the FIIO BTR5. There is something to be said about the casual goodness and simplicity Bose brings to the market with their products.
Bose...What I remember. Being blown away when hearing them for the first time, stoned in Mr. Goodbar back in 1977 ☮
One pair set up in the back of a huge room would rock the entire place. Went out and got a Series 3 a short time later.
Five years and the speakers had disintegrated, after much wrangling 'Bose' agreed to replace them with Series 6, for 'shipping' & 300 bucks.
I finally 'graduated' to Sonus and don't regret the move at all. YMMV
POI sold them with stands 2yrs ago as is.
When I was growing up, Bose was building these weird satellite/subwoofer systems, and I was never impressed with them. But my Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones are amazing. I was just remarking last night how I enjoy more music through them than any other means of listening. Noise cancelling, and you're always in the sweet spot.
In the mid-80`s, I purchased a pair of Bose 601 Series II, which provided good service for a few years. Auditioned them for lots of folks from all walks of life, never got any complaints about the quality of the sound (Mostly rock & jazz).Powered by a Carver M500t amp, they had the horsepower needed to make them sing. Passed them along to a neighbor friend, they were an upgrade for him. My own upgrade at the time was to VMPS Super Tower IIs, they were fun !
Bose 601’s were my first “decent” speakers, and I loved them. I had them for over a decade, until I bought my Klipsch RB-61 I’s.
Same here with the 601s. I bought them in 1985 and used them until 2013 when I upgraded my system and bought a pair of Tannoy DC8Ts. Always thought the 601s had decent sound.
Yeah 601s rocked! I used them most every day from like 1978 to 2010! The twin 8" woofers were plenty of bass. I bought a cheap sub anyway in 2000. The 601 was the best implementation of the direct reflect bs. Great all around speaker. Bullet proof.
@@GregoryHanevelt911 Still have my 601 series 3 since new in 1992. Very tired of them.. Shopping for new towers now.
Hey Steve, Martin Logan guy here.
Again, that room looks so 'refreshed' hardly know it was the same space (O:
BOSE topic. Well, as you know, 14 years with Klipschorns on the first floor, and now the ML's. HOWEVER, I listen to your presentations here in my kitchen with laptop into a BOSE Music System (Platinum finish). Liked it so much, that I bought a SECOND one for the second floor livingroom in dark charcoal finish. They are great little performers for their size and fill the bill without lots of gear taking over the room. Thats my CURRENT Bose story. (and they are designed right here in my state (MA.)
Had them back in the day and still have them now Happy 😃 and I just don’t give a crap 💩 what anyone else thinks! Have a great day 👍🏻
I had some bose 301 back in early 90's, found their limitations very quickly but enjoyed them also , never found them boring and great for parties .
I'm actually looking at a pair of bose speakers. They are from the 90s and when I used to sell them I always wanted to buy them . I'm betting they sound just as good today. Can't say which pair though. I had the Lifestyle 10 or home theater setup. 5.1. They actually sounded killer cus u could turn up the surround volume and watch the Soundstage move right before your eyes. It's truly amazing if u have never heard it.......
We have used a "Lifestyle 30" system as part of a large screen TV media setup for 20 yrs. When the Bose master controller packed in the unit was repaired to factory spec - and for a nominal price. In our experience the thing is bullet proof and fine for 5.1 cinema effects and games stuff on the large screen for the children. It also helps clear up speech for the hard of hearing. It's not hifi - but that wasn't what we bought it for. Greetings to one and All.
I really love your videos! They make my day a lot better! 🙂
Thanks!!
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Same here
I bought a pair of Bose 601’s with a Mitsubishi receiver back in 1981 and I loved those speakers. I still have fond memories and never regretted my purchase. I wish I still owned them to see if I would feel any different about them now. I also had Bose for a professor in school and he was a very enthusiastic lecturer. He clearly had a view about sound and didn’t seem like he was in it only for the money.
When I have the right house with a the right room, I'd probably track down a set of 901s, not as my main system, that would be my big Dali Opticon8 towers that I've fallen in love with. I'd have them as the second set because there were some things in their sound and their unique rear firing design that worked amazingly well sometimes.
Yes & yes! In 1974 I auditioned Bose 901 Series II. Bose had a promotion where if you bought a pair of 901’s and the Bose solid state 1,000 wpc (4 ohms) you got a 2nd pair of the 901’s free. So I also bought the Bose preamplifier, and Bose speaker stands, followed by a Micro Seiki direct drive turntable with carbon fiber tone arm and a Micro Acoustics cartridge (don’t remember model #’s.). I set up the speakers with 2 speakers on the front wall and 1 ea. on the side walls. I listened primarily to Prog Rock (Yes, Pink Floyd, etc.) cranked up to 11! My brother, also an audiophile, introduced me to direct-to-disk records and I added a ton of them to my collection.
I never once felt disappointed by my purchases and listened to music every night after work and all weekend long. However, after getting married my wife informed me that I was to spend all my free time with her, not listening ing to music! So I sold my entire system, which I did not miss much because we had moved to Florida, bought a big sailboat, and spent all our free time sailing. All these years latter I am now listening to a much more modest system (NAD M10 and Klipsch RP600M) am enjoying music just as much.
Bose also revolutionized Aircraft headsets, extraordinary change in helicopter audio eliminating all the noise and allowing great crew communications. No shame in owning Bose speakers.
Hi Steve, Congrats on the milestone :) Very happy for you, and Thank You to your words of wisdom on this channel over the years :) I still have my Bose Lifestyle 28 home theatre system, which I mainly use for movies. I also have a pair of Bose QC35ii which I use for travelling, when I'm home or at work I run them wired with a Cyrus Soundkey DAC just to make them sound more balanced. My living room music listening system is a pair of Canton 519DC speakers with an Onkyo amplifier, and in the home office I have a pair of Canton 426.2 GLE speakers mated to a small class D Yamaha WXA-50 Amp.
I experienced my first exposure to high end speakers in the very early 80's. My first was hearing the Bose 901's and my thought was they sounded good and played loud. BUT, I think it was the same year, my friend showed me his Dalquist DQ-10's and I was blown away. I've never owned Bose or Dalquist speakers but at the time I would have picked the Dalquist .. hands down!
Hi Steve, I am a relatively new subscriber to your channel but I've been 'into' hi-fi since the 1970's. I have never owned any Bose loudspeakers unless you count the little computer speakers plugged into my laptop. They are Bose and I enjoy them. My memory of Bose was going into a large branch of an HMV record store, here in the UK, and listening to the Bose speakers fixed high up on the walls of the shop. You could never say they were accurate or neutral sounding but at high volume levels they were punchy and pretty amazing.
I bought a pair of 901 Series V in the mid 80's. I still have them and listen to them most days. I bought them for their transient response! very dynamic. Looking at a pair of Klipsch Cornwalls now.
Save your money and buy a pair of Caintuck Lil 15's and add a high quality sub. I bought the new Cornwalls and have to say, I wasn't impressed. The Caintucks with a 12" Polk Audio 505 sub is better in my opinion.
Steve I met Dr Bose at a high-end audio store in Milwaukee, Wi and he wanted me to try his new 901 speakers - He sent them to me and I was impressed. I have a photo of them and I now realize that these were different and had wood fronts. I have seen them on E Bay for a ridiculous price. As I may have mentioned I got my ultimate system from Neil Sinclair at Absolute Audio in the 70's. He was very good to me and I finally got a Marantz 8b and a Rega TT and I had the Paragon system E tube preamp all into a pair of Rogers LS35a. I play mostly classical/guitar and this little system would blow away my rich neighbors who lived in the big houses in Laguna Beach. lol. Over the years I had Dahlquest stacked - Magnaplaners and many other mid range speakers. None ever put out the beautiful audio of the Rogers listening to Jazz at the Pawnshop.
I currently have a pair of 901s Series IV in my basement. To be fair, I didn’t buy them. They were my grandfather’s which I inherited. We got some rare Sansui’s too with one front AND A PAIR OF TOP/REAR UP FIRING TWEETERS!! My brother and I couldn’t find any parts for them. Got an all-in-one reel to reel system too. That’s just what we actually received. He was military. Obviously, an old school audiophile. I had these 901s hooked up years ago in a horrible room but am trying them out again in my basement which has a ~15’ wide flat wall to reflect them off of. They have been “re-foamed” and I had the equalizer serviced and upgraded. I’ve raised them up 8” so they are actually at somewhat of an ear level as opposed to my stomach lol. The chromed tulip stands that I have are too short. Just need a proper DAC and preamplifier (coming very soon) to pair with my NAD 2600 Power Envelope amplifier and I’ll be ready to go. I don’t care what anyone has to say about them, I’m using them!!! They’re interesting looking and a conversation starter. Most of my peers (early to late 30s) have no idea Bose ever even made such a monstrosity. These are strictly for experimentation and fun. If I tire of them/don’t like the them... I’ll simply get a new and better pair of speakers. Tbh, would I spend money buying Bose speakers themselves, probably not. They have nostalgic value and family history so these 901s will carry on for now. These speakers are the ones responsible for getting me into this hobby in the 1st place.
Edit: I do have a much better, way more critical home theater set up in my upstairs living room. Polar opposite system to this eventual one.
A lot of headroom out of that NAD. (Just mentioned my old NAD in another post)....always wanted a pair of 901’s. And would love to play with some 501’s. Sure, I bet they are a little colored...but, Hey I don’t mind old scratchy records....and my fathers old Victrola... Here’s to your Grandpa...🍻
@@jimmyBside Cheers 🍻!!! Thank you! The NAD is rated 150w per channel with 2 channels driven. 400w+ peaks per channel at 8ohms (so I’ve researched). Not too shabby! Will get the NAD serviced including a capacitor upgrade to make sure it’s top notch. Definitely a “colored” sound but I’ll have a nice DAC (ALL digital sources) and hopefully a preamplifier with tubes. That will color the sound anyways. Hopefully in a good way.
@@lowstryder1022 That sounds like it would be a sweet set-up....Tubes, DAC and 901’s...Now that’s old meets new school....Love it!
@@jimmyBside Update: Hello again. No one may care but, I’ll put it out there anyways for whom ever. Unfortunately for NOW... no tubes in the preamp. Ordered the Schiit Freya but they couldn’t even tell me when I would receive it or have the $ withdrawn since it’s currently back ordered. Chip shortages + Covid... is what it is. Canceled that order reluctantly but instead got a used Parasound 2100 Preamplifier with a bunch of inputs and various outputs. I can easily add a sub to the 901s with this preamp. S.M.S.L. M400 for my DAC because it “supposedly slightly accentuates” the mids and lower end while somewhat smoothing / rolling off and “sweetening” the top end where the 901s have no tweeters. NAD 2600 will be serviced soon. Using I2s between my DAC and my PC source using an I2s bridge PCIe card. Can’t wait to test this system out!!
I, too owned and enjoyed Bose 501 (11) for several years. Their sound was good enough for the time and they were perfect for the acoustics of 2 consecutive apartments I lived in. I had them flanking the pocket doors between my living room and my dining room with fireplace. With the doors closed or left open a doorway size in the middle and the sound reflecting off the doors and sidewalls this was awesome in the living room and --- I could open the doors and have good sound in the adjoining room which also was spacious and had a fireplace - perfect for romantic interludes. The inboard tweeters would directly radiate into the fireplace area. Fast forward about 14 years and I became a homeowner who wanted a hidden decent stereo in my living/dining area (not my prime listening room) and I bought AM5 ser2 for very short money and this worked well in that area with the cubes on the end of the mantle.
As it's all about choices if it don't come from a white van and you like it then it's fine in my opinion. If I was back in those nearly identical apartments with my now 70 yr. old ears I might start CL searches for 501 again - I liked them that much in that environment. One thing which came out of owning them is I found I liked the spaciousness they delivered when set up right. This likely influenced my decision to use Mirage products in my ATMOS setup and I thank Steve daily for a review suggesting I give them a try for my now expanded HT application. If you drop the snobbery, accept they are only Ok and recognize that you maybe can do better in some regards for the price then there should not be shame involved especially if you have grown beyond this ( and I hope you have )
Still listening to my 1974 Allison 1’s and 4’s some 47 years later!
Started getting into HI-FI as a 15 years old kid, as my father owned the 901. So i bought a used set of 301, and this was my way into HI-FI. Later i upgraded too Focal (F3 Lyd): Onken Focal (the ones with the eeg looking concrete "cabinet" with tweeter/midrange, and a BIG cabinet to put em' on, which controlled the bas). The newly released: Audiolab 8000A amp, was the partner for that system. So if Bose was responsible for me getting into HI-FI, then i have no problem revealing it ;-) Fast forward, i'm 51 and is still on a journey. Cheers from Denmark
I bought 901s in the early 70s and still have them and love them. I used them for music at first but years ago built my home theater system around the replacement series 6 901s. I turned them front to back, added the Bose 302 bass bins and a pair of high quality tweeters mounted on top of the 901s. I Also added a subwoofer and of course 6 surround speakers. With 5400 watts out of five amps in my 26 by 15 foot room the sound satisfies me.
I did own Bose 101 around 30 years ago for AV speakers purpose. I could remember Bose 101 was adopted in many sound projects in Hong Kong, say, disco, music lounge for filling up sound at party rooms or far corners from the main system, it was 70/100V line version. I did discover that the cross-over network (inductor and capacitor) inside was trying to dim the mid-frequency (i.e. a passive way of boosting bass and treble). Bose 901 on the other hand, I never owned one but used it a lot in my work, for the pop-up sound reinforcement in ball room, for fashion show, for music performance, etc. I reckon Bose was one of the most affordable speakers in 80's. I could see some NOS Bose 101 are still in the market trade in China region and the price tag is very very affordable.
Good to get Steve's reminder around the time my 1st job after graduated from high school... the golden era of AV/audio in HK/Japan.
On the complimentary side, they physically and visually fit in more places. And while they may not sound great. They can sound pretty good. And that is a world better than no music at all.
Kinda like 3am at a club, she may not sound great ,she looks pretty good and it's a world better than no company😈😁😈
Yes! Bose ads should have used your slogan or something like it - "They're better than no music at all." Who could argue with that!
Yes Sir
I got a set of 901 series 5 in Germany while I was in active duty Army in the late 80s and still have them today.
I’ve been listening to vinyl with a JVC receiver and vintage system for over 30 years.
They still sound great today.
I was watching the hi-res video and it went away? My dad had Bose 901's back in the day. I remember enjoying them up until I was 10 or so.
I bought bose speakers then and during my life, I’m 75 years old and still have all five sets which still sound good look good what more could you ask? I’ve changed amps, turntables, etc but always had Bose speakers as my main speakers, tried others of various price ranges etc but always went back to Bose. So throughout my life I’ve stayed with fender on stage and Bose in home, apple computers , McIntosh amps so I guess I tend to stay with brands I love and could care less what people think SHAME why? Weird as it may seem no one has ever asked what speakers I have?
I never owned Bose. I grew up with a father who set up sound systems for movie theaters, churches and amphitheaters and he always had Klipsch at home. My first true speakers were Cerwin Vega D9's in 1979 and I owned them for many years. My father had 1966 Klipsch Heresy's that he purchased new and had dual custom built mono block amps. Over the years I went through many different brands and combinations too count. In 1998 my father passed away and I took the speakers and my brother got the amps. My brother sold them without my knowledge but I still own the Heresy's. I have had them refinished twice and upgraded with Crite's components too todays standards and I love them. Just looking at them brings back good memories and since the age of 6 my granddaughter has spent almost every Sunday with me listening to music and playing guitars. In the past 5 years I have had to learn her music selections which I really don't like but I'm grandpa and we have been doing this for years so we have to move on from just my selections and she already knows that this stereo, my guitars and all other related equipment are hers when I pass on. Holy shit I started out just to say no
Late 80's, while in the USAF, I bought a set of Bose modular speakers 2 satellites and a sub (can'r remember the model #), which I had for less than a month. I sold them to one of my buddies and then purchased a pair of Acoustic Research 410's (I think). The AR speakers were a significant improvement run through Denon 1100 pre and 2200 power amp (I still have the Denon equipment in a closet).
That Denon equipment needs to come out of the closet!
I had the Bose 501 speaker. In a small room. I played my music very loud. I knew nothing about good sound quality, I was 18.
The 501's were my first speaker that I owned - and they fit the bill of my taste back in high school and college. But they sure were bass heavy, with very recessed midrange, and a low treble emphasis.
My next speakers were Snell Acoustics Type E/II and they moved the sound quality *much* closer to neutral, but could still have too much midbass, if not set up correctly.
@GeneralCurtis3LeMay I had Bose 501 Series 1 and a Bose 550 receiver my senior year of high school, and of course I took them with me to college. My friend was working at Bose then, and he still works there now, 40+ years later.
You are conflating my comment about the Snell Type E/II setup, with the 501. The 501's got "set up" however they fit in the room.
Later on, after I bought the Snell Type E/II was when I had learned enough to properly set things up.
I bought a pair of Bose 501s overseas(England) in 1983 and still own them to this day. After using them for about 15 years to listen to my vinyl, reel-to-reel, 8-tracks and cassettes. I finally pulled them out of service when I began to delve into the home-theater world. I replaced them with a full JBL 5.1 system anchored with the HLS810s on stands and a PSW1000 sub. I fell in love with the JBL sound and rocked that setup until a little over two years ago. I replaced that setup with the Studio 290s, 235c and a 250p sub. Recently I wanted to go with double subs for the first time. But to my disappointment the 250p was discontinued and after much research. I went with two Klipsch R110SWs(got em both at half price $249.00 each). I've now created a second home-theater setup with my old JBL gear in my game room. Now for the fun part. I am having my Bose 501s which still look nearly brand new on the outside, re-conditioned(internally). I'm going use them for an old-school dedicated music listening-station for my Technics SL-QD3 turntable, Teac X220R reel, a Kenwood KX-90R cassette deck and a Pioneer H-R99 8-track player. And yes, I have music for ALL of them. Lol! Glad I held on to my old gear, including my Bose 501s!!!
The 301s are decent! 8" woofer..and 2 tweeters directed in opposite directions for spacious sound...GREAT concept..but could use better components for better detail
yep.
I can’t stand Bose
@Analog Looney there are plenty of budget priced speakers that don’t require a 10 grand mains to sound good and do blow away Bose.
@Analog Looney if I remember correctly, they actually come with instructions with measurements on placement which i thought was fun. My dad bought those series IIs and they were my gateway into all this.
@Analog Looney well, my gateway into hi-fi certainly wasn’t Bose. I actually built my own speakers when I started out in this hobby. That’s how learned so much about them I know an inferior product like Bose when I see one.
Hi Steve, I bought Bose 901/II for synthesiser studio recording effects and performance back in the day. Worked well enough. The analogue active equaliser was stollen in a break-in. The speakers then lay dormant in storage for 45 years. This year I was given a Deer Creek Audio miniDSP digital equaliser equivalent. The speakers have come alive with greater subtlety, depth and tightness that surprised me. It is as likely that you won't be reading this, as it is unlikely that I am writing this comment. Les
Still enjoying my 601, my 2nd pair.
Everyone has a boat to float in the direction that brings them to a better place. From many years of seeing, hearing and playing with audio in many residential & commercial sites, I have been constantly amazed at what I have heard and seen. Myself, I have grown past the huge speaker cabinets with cabinetry housing many thousands of dollars of equipment with shelves and closets full of content (CD, vinyl, tape etc). When I trialed a Bose 500 sound bar with matching sub and BT remote with a selection of 4K video with connected audio sources via optical, Bluetooth and ethernet. All this sounds like a lot of modern equipment until you realize the huge sound is coming from the Bose. Audio can be automatic for content, low levels, high level party, cinema, etc and the pleasure of music has returned. Of course it must be tried and enjoyed in your situation as with anything. It all started with a Sound dock for an early iPod that was amazing, then it took off from there. Elsewhere in the house we still have the high powered surround system for audio and video however we find we gravitate to the Bose connected system more often. Another thought that brings music to life once again is the convenience of window rattling, earth shaking sound or late night TV quiet at the touch of a button, calibrated as well.
I own a pair of 301's. I bought them for my first system and I was happy. Then I replaced them with Elac's Debut B6. I compared them switching between A and B for hours over few days. The Bose with their 8" paper woofer have definitely better bass and reach lower. With the double twitter (one firing backward) they sound way more spacious and 3D than the Elac's. The Elac's sound clearer for sure and for approx. 76% of the price of the Bose's, the Elac's definitely exhibit better quality in the cabinet construction an bindings posts... The rest is just audiophiles talking to sound like audiophiles!
Owned Bose 301's in College back in '79 with a Sansui receiver and Technics TT. Bounced sound around my 14'x12' room. Liked the sound at the time. Have since gone through Epos es11, Yamaha NS 1000's, Vandersteen 2 ci, Hales system 2's, Naim SBL's and Jamo Concert 8's. Still have the Vandy's, and Jamos. Want 15 inch Tannoys and wish I had kept the NS1000's. Never since heard as transparent a speaker as that.
I had a pair of 501's, then upgraded to JBL L100's...1974..
Rick Williams alias Steve Guttenberg? 😉
No, just the way it worked out.. was stationed in Italy, brought home the 501s and felt that most of the highes were being pushed in the sice of the sofa.. went to a friends house, he had the L100's and I was smitten.. Bad Company / Bad Company.
I took care of a friends house while they were in New York on vacation. The year was 1978 and he had a real stereo like I had never seen before. I was not one of those all-in-ones from Radio Shack, Montgomery Wards, or Sears. It had separate components, a Marantz receiver, Technics turntable, and a pair of Bose 301's. He had them on top of an old console stereo and the speakers on stands he built himself. I heard it for the first time listening to The Alan Parsons Project, Tales of Mystery and Imagination. I was in love. It sounded so good. I had only really listened to music on AM radio up until that point so this was a mind blower. It took a man who was from New York and the little system he brought with him when he moved to Minneapolis to show me the error of my ways. I'm sure the 301's were first generation because he said they were about 7 years old at that point. That's my Bose story. Never bought a pair of the speakers or headphones, I got the JBL L-100's used.
Does the base wave clock radio count? I owned one. Did I enjoy it. It helped me wake up in the morning. It was loud enough.
I recently purchased a pair of Bose 901 VI as a bucket list item. First heard them about 40 years or so ago and really enjoyed the room filling sound. I stream Spotify through an HP laptop, Schiit Modi 3 DAC, Schiit Loki tube preamp, McIntosh Mac 1900 receiver and out through to the 901's. I am very happy with the sound. I compare them to my 2nd system which is the same pre -speaker set-up out to a set of Wharfedale floor standing speakers. Again once correct placement is achieved, the 901's more than hold their own. Front firing Wharfedales vs direct /reflecting Bose. I listen to the same music on both and can honestly say, both speakers are enjoyable. Those old Bose 901's are are not dogs, by any stretch of the imagination.
I recommended the then-new stereo Acoustimas system to a lifestyle-first elderly couple and was pleased with the result in their very oddly shaped living space. They were thrilled and she was a competent church pianist., so no tone deafness here. The Bose system in my Mazda CX-5 is def the best car audio I’ve owned. I think Bose has popularized satellite-sub systems, extended bass ports and DSP-enhanced speakers, all common in brands not hated by audiophiles. So I think Bose gets prejudiced hate. Now, their quality to price ratio often sucks. But they do “think different” like a certain computer brand has done. Judge each of their products as if unbranded and sometimes Bose has the best fit for a certain application. But, admittedly, often not.
I worked in one of the top Bose stores in the US. What an interesting retail experience. Sometimes we would have people come in who knew nothing but the name and you could just throw out terms that sound good and the product had already sold itself when they walked in, it was just a matter of "which one". Then we had customers who came in asking if we sold Beats. And we also had customers who really knew audio stuff, but wanted "something simple and easy," which is what Bose does at this point.
Anyways, having worked in the store, I do own a few Bose products. A surround sound sound bar, sub, and rears, a SoundTouch WiFi speaker, and a few Bluetooth speakers. We also have the first gen wireless in-ears with the cable connecting them, a pair of the true wireless headphones, and my wife has a pair of QC35 II. All of it was either free or at a discount. However, my wife and I have agreed we're going to replace all of it at some point when money and time allows. None of it is AWFUL and it all works well, but none of it is the best and amazing. I will likely never buy another Bose product. The experience of the way the store was closed as the company is shutting down all of their retail stores was really disappointing. I wasn't there anymore, but I was still friends with the manager, assistant manager, and some of the other employees. It was truly a disheartening process for a store that was in the Top 10 in the country every year for over 20 years...
Also, their headphones are absolutely better than their speakers. I argued with colleagues all the time about the sound quality out of the newest home theater system at the time, the Lifestyle 650. For a $4,000 system, it had no oomf and too much treble. The one 10 or 12 inch subwoofer didn't put out enough power and the DSP didn't do enough to fix the fact that the 4 surrounds only had 2 1-inch drivers each. Wanna talk about a U-shaped response...it was awful!
Still enjoying my Vandersteens for over 25 years now
@@johnsmith1474 Thanks !
@GeneralCurtis3LeMay I've been using a Parasound Halo A21 for some time now. Before that, a Accuphase E202.
@GeneralCurtis3LeMay The speakers are 2ci Signatures and I;m using Audioquest Ruby cables. Using a Audio Research SP-6 for the preamp. What system are you enjoying currently ?
@GeneralCurtis3LeMay General, the Technics ST-S8 was definitely one of my choices of tuners. I've been living with a Accuphase T-101 since 1979 with only a muting relay going bad. Still listening to a lot of FM with Chicago having many excellent stations. Most of my gear has some age on it. My Oppo 205 is my newest component,
One of my first "audiophile" experiences was back in the early 70's. At the time, my girlfriend's family owned a bar/restaurant and her older brother had a Marantz receiver, Dual turntable, Akai reel to reel and a pair of 901 hanging from the ceiling in the corners of a very large room/bar. The walls were cinder block with brick facing (ideal for the speakers IMO). You could sit anywhere in that room and let me tell you it was a "musical" experience. Well, I bought a pair a few years later, also hung from the ceiling in our listening room, powered with a 250 watt per channel Soundcraftsmen amp (power is crucial to these speakers IMO) and a Apt Holman pre amp. Sounded wonderful, a "musical" experience. They hung there for better than 30 years. They have been replaced with KEF LS50s , SVS SB1000 sub, Sonographe 120 watt per channel and my rebuilt Apt Holman pre. Now, does the new system sound better? Of course it does but anyone who likes music would enjoy that experience. I thought is sounded much better than my JBL 4311 studio monitors driven by my 80 watt per side Sansui integrated amp. Two things critical for those speakers IMO are power and placement.
Yes, I owned Bose 401s run by Dynaco Mark III amps. I bought them from a friend. I sold them decades ago. Poor high frequency detail is my main criticism, boomy bass was bad too.
Every other day is cool Steve. You have become part of my weekly routine. Thanks Brother.
I think the best thing about owning a Bose speaker is that whatever you buy afterwards is an improvement.
Hahaaaaaa😄
When I think of Bose, I think gateway drug. I still like Bose however have moved on with Magnepans, B&W, Klipsch... still would like a pair of 901’s for fun.
I have bought 4 series 4 used them at very high levels in clubs for 8 years until the foam deteriorated. Bose sent me new series 6, 4 of them , when I called to inquire about getting them fixed. FREE OF CHARGE even though they were out of warranty. I have now had my series 6 for close to a decade and with my system I believe they sound wonderful. Larger than life because of that Direct Reflection. And haven’t bought any other speakers since.
I proudly say I OWN BOSE! 🕺🏾
I never owned Bose, but I have repaired hundreds of Bose speakers over the years as a loudspeaker technician. I'm always perplexed by the nostalgia people have for their Bose, and how they would rather invest money to repair them rather than put that money into a better speaker.
Sometimes stuff just has odd sentimental value to people whether or not its an actual good item.
It's called "psychoacoustics" - a good example of the power of suggestion from reviewers fishing for a lucrative ad contract with a new manufacturer of speakers. People want to be trend setters, discoverers of a superior product or process that will prove how discriminating they are. Because music is an art form which requires auditory ability, there is a variety of musical tastes and few hard and fast rules. There are so many variables that, in the end, it all boils down to what pleases your ears. This makes a wide-open field for the power of suggestion by audio salespeople or media ad agencies. As in politics. consumers tend to be partisan in their choice of equipment. Some of us are sensitive to high frequencies, to the point where the normal audio spectrum treble register is painful or irritating. These are the unfortunate minorities who actually prefer compressed and highly damped speaker systems and the ones who gravitate to background music reproduction. Audiophiles want to hear as much of the material in their source as they can. The live performance is the yardstick for how a system should sound. To approach the dynamics of even a small jazz ensemble requires moving a lot of air and equipment that can do that without undue distortion is expensive to build. There is no shortcuts, because we're dealing with the laws of physics. However, I guess some music is better than none at all.
The first "high end" system I ever heard had piano gloss Bose 901's attached to it. The same friend also had other Bose speakers attached at the time. About the same time Bose came out with Acoustimass systems which were super popular due to their small size. The price premium for Bose was always too high in those early days so my first "real" system was a Carver integrated amp with some JBL bookshelfs. I thought it sounded amazing. Much of music is relative to what you have heard before. I thought the Bose sounded almost magical when I heard them, but I was comparing them to the Boomboxes and mini systems that most people were listening to at the time.
Wow this brings back memories. I was seduced by Bose marketing and purchased, as my first pair of speakers, the 601s. I ran these through an Onkyo receiver. I convinced myself that the open direct reflecting sound was all it, but I was secretly jealous of the more traditional box speakers being purchased by friends. A couple of years later I purchased a used pair of JBL L 100s. I had the 601s and the JBLs both hooked up to the Onkyo (not running simultaneously) and I could compare the sounds. The JBLs needed a lot more juice but had a much fuller and punchier sound and I found myself listening to them more and more. Can’t even remember when or how I dumped the 601s. Perhaps a late night run to Salvation Army. Live and learn.
All thanks to the Audiophiliac, I resurrected my Bose 301s, added a PSB Alpha S10 subwoofer, a decent Topping DAC and an Aiyima amplifier and achieved audio bliss...still love the Bose...
Totally guilty as charged, Bose 301s coupled with Pioneer SX 680 sounded amazing back in the day and I enjoyed that right up to last year when the foam gave way on the 301s and I also lost left channel power on the Pioneer. Not a bad run at all for a paper route budget bought in 1980.
There are kits to replace the foam surrounds on eBay ($15ish), mine blew out last year after 30 years of use but I bought new speakers instead of repairing the 301's, still thinking about buying the kit though.
@@zacknrudi yes I am aware of those kits, thanks! I actually have 2 other full systems at this point so not sure if I will fix the 301s or not. There is that side of me that wants to because it was the first thing I ever bought with my own earned $$.
I bought a 5.1 Lifestyle system in 2004 for my master bedroom. The receiver and sub died. Replaced with a Denon 1400 couple years ago. I am happy with the sound for a bedroom system.
Also bought, at the same time from the Bose outlet store, a pair of 27028's for my living room on the wall. They aren't used much, only at low levels for gatherings. I have been happy with them.
Bose are not perfect, but they work for what I use them for.
My main system is an integrated Denon 6700 and Elac Debut 2.0 - 7.1 system.
I’ve got a pair of 901 series VI and it’s the best purchase of my entire life. Hating Bose is a very common attitude among snob “audiophiles”.
I’m sure that most of the Bose haters haven’t listened to a pair of 901s
I purchased a pair of Bose 201 IVs about 17 years ago. Didn't care for them much at the time. I unpacked them less than a year ago and put them about six feet up in my bedroom on top my furnishings and didn't think they would sound any good, but they sound great to me! I'm not ashamed. I would love to hear some 901 speakers.