Affordable, good midrange, compact and visually satisfying

Lacks deep bass.

I was very pleased with the clarity and overall sound of the 301. I used four of them in theater surround mode with an infinity center speaker and found that they balanced out nicely and sounded great. The deep bass can sometimes be lacking, but they have no trouble thumping the explosions in Saving Private Ryan. If your on a tight budget or have a space problem, these are a best buy.

Similar Products Used:

Bose 401,technics various.

Hey Anti-Bose, your message is clear. How about using
your wit on another deserving product line. I'm thinking
Polk would be such an item.

mid-bass punch; makes for soul stirring rock and country music

shrill highs when pushed hard; jazz or classical fans need not apply

It’s not without some trepidation that I wade into these dangerous waters. As a reviewer stated below, I will attempt an objective review.

My Bose 301 series II speakers were bought in 1985 along with a JVC 55 watt per channel receiver (.007 thd) and a second generation Technics CD Player. For its time, the sound was outstanding. These served me well for 10 years before “upgrading” to a Sony 100 watt per channel Pro-logic receiver and the JVC was retired to storage. Big mistake. From the moment of hooking up the new receiver it sounded muddy and unpleasant. Without hardley noticing I began to listen to less and less music and use the stereo only for movies.

Around 1998 the surrounds began to deteriate on the speakers. Looking for a solution brought me to Ebay where I found some replacement speakers from a Bose 501 (identical drivers). It also kindled my interest in vintage audio. I replaced the speaker drivers and purchased a late 70’s Sansui AU-7900 integrated amp off Ebay, hooked everything up and began playing some of my old CD’s.

Damn!

Here was the sound that attracted me to Bose to begin with. Strong, punchy bass, clear mid range, loud and dynamic. Rock just works on these speakers. Southern rock and new Country too. These speakers love clean power and hard music. The newer junk receivers we have been sold as consumer grade for the past dozen years simply wont cut it with these speakers. It that’s all you have as your basis for criticism then you haven’t heard what they are capable off. These speakers were designed at a time when power was paramount.

My two cents worth:
It seems that at least at the Circuit City end of the audio market receivers have regressed over the past few years while the quality of sound of some newer speaker designs have progressed forward. Newer speakers designs from PSB, Mission, etc. make concessions in efficiency to expand the audio spectrum and they do sound excellent. Some people say “no highs, no lows, must be Bose”. To a point they are right. The highest treble and the lowest bass are missing. Soundstaging is only fair. They are really out of their element with jazz or classical. Still, these 301’s play 90% of all audio beautifully. My next pair of speakers may not be Bose but I will continue to love my 301’s.

The decriers of bose claim they are nothing more than marketing, but they themselves participate in a smear campaign - so how are they better? It's simple folks, listen objectively to the speakers and pick the ones best for you - don't buy just because everyone else does, and don't avoid because everyone tells you to. Decide for yourself.
I've been using Bose 301 series II speakers about 15 years now, and am still amazed at the quality. I believe they are strong contenders with speakers in the same price range.

Good sound & plays nice bass for a small cabinet.

Accuracy, high end definition

I bought these, on a whim, used, about 10 years ago and they worked well as a bookshelf speaker in a small room (about 12' x 12'). I used the room for business so I was not looking for audiophile sound, just background music. They did the job and at $35/pair (used) I couldn't complain. When I hooked them up to my main stereo, it was then that their shortcomings where noticeable. These are not audiophile quality and I don't think they pretend to be.

I think you have to remember that these are bookshelf speakers. I've yet to hear any speakers of this size that didn't have flaws (although the degree of those flaws are what separate them). Some are better & some are worse. This model, I think is average (my A-25's and Advents are much better but are also selling for between $150 & $225 used).

My value rating is based on my price paid used and that, once again, they are bookshelf speakers. If you are looking for an all round speaker for certain situations, this on may fit the bill if the price is right.

When the tweeter in one of these finally blew (my fault, I decided to hook up an old receiver to my computer and plugged the wrong jack into the wrong hole with the power on), Bose didn't have replacements but offered me an "upgrade" to 301 IV's for the cost of shipping.

I must say I liked the "old" 301's better then the IV's.

Similar Products Used:

Dynaco A-25, "old" Large Advents (a little big for bookshelves but thats what they were called).

Small compact, Impress non-educated friends

Too many to list

It's funny how many Bose owners defend their product...I would too after shelling out so much money for a marginal product. The common theme I seem to hear from their owners is that you have to spend even more bucks for a somthing that is better then Bose.

Not So! (How about a Nad Integrated amp paired w/ a pair of B&W 302's?)

I'll take that over a Bose 301 any day!


The one thing that Bose does well is not music reproduction ...what they truly excell in is marketing and advertising.


EVERY Bose product gets below average ratings here on Audio Review, Bose has NEVER been recommended by Audiophile magazine (the most respected Hi-Fi publication the market)

If they didn't charge so much it would be okay, but they charge more for their products taht perform worse then stereo setups HALF their price!

I too was once fooled by the marketing and hype, then I ACTUALLY went into a stero shop, closed my eyes and really listened - why did I find?

NO HIGHS, NO LOWS - MUST BE BOSE.

Listen for yourself and please if you don't take my word for it, then how about every HI-FI authority?

full bodied sound, bass, sense of space, imaging

Doesn't hit the highest treble

I used to be completely against Bose products. This week while auditioning the 701's for myself, I though, the 301's might make a good b-day gift for my sister.
This is after listening to a great number of small speakers at length.
The small speakers that had bass were very expensive. The sub $500 speakers seemed to sound small and boxy. They required careful placement to find a narrow aperture for a sweet spot.
The 301's didn't seem fussy. In fact, mounted on the wall, 7 feet up witha 12' ceiling, they still had tremendous bass. They made other speakers sound sad and tiny.
For the home environment and all it's variables, these speakers deliver the most bang for the buck.
It can be argued they have cheap parts, but when I heard speakers costing much more, they sound smaller, and unexciting.
My money stays here---and no one is going to tell me what I did was wrong, stupid or otherwise.
I would rather have 5 star enjoyment for $250 a pair than someone who is unstaisfied after spending $3,000

Similar Products Used:

PLOK, Klipsch, NHT, Boston

Good dispertion of sound,tight bass, custemer service

high resolution!"/$%?

It`s a good speakers but for 50 dollars more, you have a pair of infinity rs3 or polk rt35 with a sound very hot. I know that custemers buy Bose for the name (in this case bose 301 is a good choise!!!!!!) Pay attention to salesperson who want to sell bose to you because it's to easy.

For young person, it's a good speakers because give it distortion, too bass, etc... and the speakers make a smiles.

Similar Products Used:

jbl Decade 8 inches

Low priced. Great Bass for those who want to listen to rock without regard to really tight bass across the lower end.

I agree...Cheap parts. The plastic fill panel between the speaker panels have both broken. The stands didn't last more than 3 moves. I've grown to prefer real wood cabinets instead of cheap plastic laminate.

I got these paired with a Carver 900 Receiver at a Navy Exchange in 1986 for about $600. I've always thought the receiver was incredible and I thought the speakers were good for many years. Living in military barracks (dorm type rooms) doesn't give one much opportunity to experience great audio charactaristics.

At one point I purchased a pair of cheap BSR speakers (dunno the model, huge things with a 15" woofer in a sealed cabinet) at DAK on clearance in California. The bass reproduced by these was much tighter than the Bose. Of course they didn't have the "thump" at lower power that one can get out of a ported cabinet, but I loved the sound of the BSRs at higher power in a large room. Even though the Bose were rated for higher power (I've blown and repaired 3 midranges and replaced 2 tweeters on the cheap BSRs) the damaged BSRs still sound better.

The Bose were a great deal then because it was a package deal with a great receiver, and space was at a premium. I still haven't gone any farther with my audio system, as I don't want to take food from the mouths of my children to do it (I have more fun with their toys and playing with them and listening to music when on the road).

I don't think it's fair to call them trash. I wouldn't buy them again, but it was a good deal when I got them. I wouldn't compare them to a Yugo, but maybe to a Mustang. The hotrod speaker for the hotrod kid. Of course the guy driving the Mercedes will call the Mustang trash, but the person driving the Yugo will drool over the Mustang.

My wife(?) has a pair of Altec Lansing Challenger 1 speakers that are quite old. I had them re-coned a few years ago, and I think they sound a bit cleaner than the 301's, but she prefers the 301's. I guess it's all a matter of taste. I can't down on anyone for buying the three-oh-ones. They work.

Similar Products Used:

Altec Lansing Challenger 1

The Bose 301. No sir, I don't like it.

Bose the company. No sir, I don't like it.

Why don't I like Bose? Because they're ...



Bad to the Bose!

Bad to the Bose!

Buh-buh-buh-buh-buh-buh-buh-buh BOSE!

Buh-buh-buh-buh-buh-buh-buh-buh BOSE!

Bad to the Bose!

® 2001 Mr. Horse Music Studio, Inc.



Peace. Word. Out.