Decent treble and Bass. 4 Ohm.

Nothing specific.

I upgraded to these from my 301 series III's which I enjoyed for many years. The problem with the 301s are the large tweeter that requre the listener to crank the treble just to get a crisp sound.
The 401's have much sharper treble and stronger bass. Sometimes the bass isn't as clean as I would like but for the most part, it's acceptable.
The odd shape of these speakers makes placement key. For the longest time I tried to figure out why the things were out of phase, then I moved closer to the front of the listening area and suddenly everything snapped into focus. When you set these up, you really can't position them the way they look they ought to be set. Tweaking is key.

Over all, though, I'm very happy with these speakers.

Similar Products Used:

Bose 101, 201, 301

Bought used at an online pawn shop for $125. Sound better than my friends new 501's. Tight bass, efficient design, stylish, not a boomy overpowering bass.

Larger than I expected. 501's are 1/4 the size.

Don't let the other reviews scare you off. If you can find a set for under $200 you won't be sorry.

Similar Products Used:

Infinity, JVC, DLK.

Great Sound

Really sensitive to placement...Absolutely destroyed when the cheap version came out at Sam's Club

This can be a great speaker combination...BUT, you have to buy the right set and place it properly. The set that was sold about 8 years ago and older are excellent...good craftsmenship, good sound...overall good product. DO NOT buy the set sold at Sam's Club...the overall quality of the speaker and especially the sound quality has changed from the 401s made before 1995 and sold at specialty stores. For some reason when they started making the 401 for Sam's Club, they changed the quality and made the speaker a worse value. If you can find the non-Sam's Club variety of the 401 it is a GREAT Value...good sound...good quality...then, you have to worry only about set-up...play with it in your home and you will get a great sound! Good Luck!

Similar Products Used:

Bose 501, 601, 10.2

Very Good Speakers.

-good highs, decent bass response

-paper tweeters, poor quality trimmings, unable to handle al ot of power (they cut out on high-powered amplifiers)

Though decent speakers, the 401s cost more than they should.
A pair of Paradigm Titans sound better and are much cheaper.
Also, the 401s don't work very well with some stereo amplifiers. I hooked them up to a friend's Kenwood pre-amp, power amp and they cut out at higher volumes. Finally, these speakers are not robust. The paper tweeters leave a lot to be desired. The woofers are decent, though nothing spectacular. Overall the sound seems adequate for casual listening (at least the 401s sound better than those cheap speakers that come with cheap mini-stereo systems like York, Venture, Citizen, etc...) My advice to others is to stay away from Bose 201, 301 and 401 speakers. I even think those Radio Shack Minimus-77 speakers sound better than the 401s.

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm Titans, though the Titans are actually better speakers, for a lot less money.

Excellent, Crisp, Sound.
Good Looking
4-Ohms Clarity

Expensive

An excellent speaker. Great Sound compared to larger speakers. 4-Ohm resistance allows the listener to hear sounds throughout the spectrum.

WARNING!!!
If you are not an ardent BOSE proponent, and you have posted a negative review of a bose product, you may be subjected to the wrath of an individual who goes by the moniker "Mr. Bose". He will come to you in stealth, with a foul tongue and an equally lacking vocabulary totally void of any degree of usefull coherency. This person is evidently either retarted or perhaps a crack adict.

Mr. BOSE: We know your out there, however your cowardice is evident in the fact that you don't give anyone the opportunity to respond to you maniacal ravings. This will not be tolerated. At least When I write a to reviewer I give them a chance to retort. Mr. Bose, it is well that you are devoted to your cause, nevertheless, it is unfortunate that you lack the intelligence to convey your ignorant beliefs. It is advisable that you consult a dictionary which, just in case you weren't aware, is a book which may bestow upon you startling revalations about the mechanics of intelligent expression. I await your response.

good bass, decent price

mid-range is a bit weak

Looking for speakers, I was most interested in good bass response. I listen to a lot of dj-mixes, hip-hop, raggae and old R&B. I also listen to a lot of floyd and miles davis. For most of my listening purposes, i was interested with feeling the bass. I just like the sound and feel of the low frequencies.
I bought these speakers at a bose store for $315. I was skeptical about buying a bose product because of the mixed reviews I have heard. In the storeroom, these speakers sounded much better (especially in the lows) than the others that i had tried (at circuit city and best buy) in a similar price range.
I must point out the importance of positioning the speakers according to the specifications.
3 months later, I am happy with the performance of the speakers. There could be better responce in the mid's, but overall, i give the speakers a thumbs up and encourage others to at least give them a listen.

It is a Bose speaker......

Not the best speaker out there

A 4 ohm flop from the company that brought you the wave radio. You know that $500 alarm clock, those guys again. I picked up a set of these speakers and I was dissapointed to say the least. The standard Bose sound, poor bass definition and nose wrenching highs. Don't paint me with the brush of the Bose basher. I can afford what ever I want in terms of music reproduction gear. I bought these speakers because I though they might be just alright. Boy was I wrong. I have had it all from boom boxes to Krell.. these speakers are a sorry product that makes no sound worth listening to. Save your money for beer if you buy these speakers, you'll need it. Because I will laugh at you and you will feel ripped off unless you are one of the people that think they not need to have the whole sound real..... TWO thumbs down for the Bose 401... they stink like rotten fish

Similar Products Used:

Toilet paper, New York Times, what ever you wipe with...ha ha

they look nice

very difficult to position, unless you have a special, enclosed listening room; stereo sepration not the greatest.

this speaker system sounded much better in the store display than it did at home, although the center channel component is better than the one i previously had. ive had a set of hand-me-down cheaper front speakers that delivered a fuller sound than these mains. i believe bose has been resting on its laurels for the past 20 years.