None I can see or hear

Not the speaker of choice for stereo listening

I've owned the 501s for almost 10 yrs now and was never really impressed with them until I connected them upto a sansui au-719 integrated amp. They always seemed to be very flat and muffled and the mid range was very weak. After hooking them up to my sansui they still seemed weak even with an equalizer until I added a pair of 301s. That seemed to be the remedy for the situation, the 301s seemed to pick up and carry these 501s to a better place. This set-up still leaves alot to be desired, had I known more 10 yrs ago I wouldn't have been sucked into the bose name, but we all know what they say about hind sight!

Similar Products Used:

pioneer, bose 301

Looks maybe

Everything

I really don't understand how anybody in they're right mind would buy these speakers. Mids are muddled and the bass in non existant. I don't typically bash product lines but these speakers deserve a good scolding. They really do sound like a busted chainsaw - you really do need some serious power to make these speakers perform at a level that is right above the minimal of annoyance. Do not buy these base on the name alone - please compare before buying - you will find that there are much better speakers at a lower price point.

Similar Products Used:

Klipsch, AR

Great High and Mid notes

The bass need alot of improving, you will need a very strong amp to get the correct bass

Out of all, I think they have great sound, me I am a extreamly picky person when it some to sound. To some they say that they have small flaws in theses speaker but I still think they give you a true sound when it come to acustic sounds

Similar Products Used:

You tell Me

treble, mid...

Bass...

I'm sick 'n f''king tired of reading about people say that Bose doesn't have any mid! If you have any understanding at all, you would know that without a mid, there wouldn't be any goddamn music! 8/10 of the music is in the mid, stupid! Jesus...They're quite good, but that's my opinion...

Similar Products Used:

hmm...not sure...

Good power, good treble, reasonable bass, poor mid. Attractive design

Positioning these speakers is VITAL to the sound - that is why people are missing thier bass. clip connectors-cannot bi-wire.

I have mixed views on this speaker, I bought it when I was 17 and at the time thought they were wonderful. I don't agree with many of the reviews here. However I do agree that the lack of mid range and poor connects are a problem. The bass is good but seems to miss a few frequencies which most bose seems to - God knows why. Perhaps it is because the woofer is hidden and works on the principal of vibrating air (sound). The tweeters are very crisp and strong. People dont seem to realise that the two tweeters have dedicated frequencies, the angled one is to act as a tweeter and the straight one is for mid. For the price I was pleased with this speaker. I also have a pair of the 501's big brother, the 701s which are a significantly better speaker I would recommend the 701s over the 501s for a much fuller and complete sound. I am still not sure to upgrade soon to more conventional speakers to match my Linn Genki CD player and Linn LS140 power amp

Similar Products Used:

Castles, Celestions

Very stylish, Will handle more power than many other speakers, Sound pretty good if placed PERFECTLY, Very distinct "Bose" sound. I collect, so at the price I paid, good value.

May require too much power (if you've got a small receiver, you'll miss most of the sound), Distinctive "Bose" sound may not please everyone, and, they really did need a mid-driver.

I have listened to many speakers at many price points, and after years of debating, even with myself, over whether Bose makes a quality product, I believe my final decision is that, if you like the speakers, then they are good for you. These are basically Bose AM-5's in a floor-standing model. If you read reviews of each, you'll find similar responses. A Bose rep. told me that they are basically the same, drivers, crossover points, etc. Again, if you like the way they sound, I think they're okay, then good for you! If not, hope you didn't pay too much.

Similar Products Used:

Bose AM-5, DCM TimeFrame 600, Bose 401, Paradigm SEMkII (I think that's the model), many others.

None really

Complete lack of midrange, very muddy and boomy low end, harsh high end. Highs and lows do not integrate well.

Just stumbled on to this site and had to read the comments for Bose. I can't believe that anyone who has done true comparison shopping for speakers would selct Bose. My problem was that I naively bought based on the name. After 3 years of very fatiguing listening, I shopped around and found that just about every speaker in the price range was far superior to the 501's. The 501's lack midrange, have a very muddy, dull bass and shrill, uneven sounding tweeters. The build quality of the drivers is equally poor, with very thin, cheap paper cones. You can buy better replacement drivers for less than $25 a pair!!!! Even the vinyl veneer was poorly done. They really had no strengths regardless of the music being played or the front end equipment. Side by side with any other speaker in the price range, they simply could not hold a candle sound wise. Bose is being bashed for a good reason, they are overpriced for the quality they deliver. These speakers, when considering sound quality, should sell for no more than $200.

Similar Products Used:

AR, JBL, Polk, Infinity, NHT, Yamaha, Sony, Realistic/Optimus, Tannoy, Klipsch, Cerwin Vega, Pioneer.

Big sound from a small tower with decent power handling capabilities.

none

The 501 V has some great advantages.One is the slimline styling.Try to get get the same kind of sounds with anything else the same dimensions.Another is classic Bose sweet sounds.Still another is its sharp looks.My wife bought me a pair off of ebay for me to use in the motorhome.I''ve got them connected to my Mcintosh 1900.I also added a pair of the Klipsch Quintets to compliment the 501V''s.I am very happy with this set up. Although I''ve read many Bose bashers at audio review dot com, It has not dampened my degree of confidence with Bose Corporation.I own many Bose products some that were bought new and some used.I have listened to and compared many other brands of speakers and amps.Bose may not be always be the best in a particular line but let me tell you months or years later when you need a product manufacturer to step up to the plate and stand behind you, Bose will always be there, unlike some of the competition. Customer service builds reputation and Bose has it.Like it or not Bose is going to be around for the long haul.I own 141''s 4001''s, 501 III''s, 501 V''s, 701''s, a Bose 550 Receiver, a pair of media mates, and yes a pair of 901 VI''s (soon to be two pair).I power everything with Mcintosh (except the 141''s are powered by the 550). I also own Klipsch Chorus II''s.I''ve heard Jbl''s, Paradigm''s, Altec''s, Martin Logans, cerwin''s, polk, etc.Each has its own little quirks.For the money and sound I still choose Bose.For customer service;again Bose.

Similar Products Used:

Klipsch

Original sound.......Even Bass , mids and hi....

Needs a very good amplifier Useless reviews

This is a great speaker, i am having these for the past few years and i am really satisfied with the quality . Even AR and B&W of the same price range doesnt have the quality which bose gives u..... excellent speaker for the money.

Similar Products Used:

Bose 501 mark4 , Am5 , AR , Allison ,Jbl

Easily available. Name recognition. Good resale value. Neato factor.

Very poor sound quality. Overpriced. A waste of money.

These are truly great sounding speakers....if you don''t know what great sound is. I purchased a pair of 501''s based on the fact that my brother-in-law had some 901''s, and a good friend had some older model 501''s that I though were awesome. I was sold on Bose. That was until I actually heard some real speakers. I was new to the audio market and went with a purchase that I thought would sound great and wow my friends. I had these speakers in my system for about 8 months until I went to a real hi-fi shop and learned what real sound reproduction was supposed to sound like. I was crushed. I found several bookshelf speakers for less than $300 that not only produced more bass, but played mids and highs that Bose could only dream of. Bose has great name recognition, and spends tons of money marketing their products with big name celebrities. This sells speakers to the inexperienced person new to audio. Plus, they are easy to find. Do yourself a favor, and listen to several other respected brands, you will be astonished. I still have my 501''s sitting in the garage collecting dust, I just haven''t had the heart to dupe someone, even though they have an incredible resale value. Oh well....

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Phase Technology 4.5''s, 2.1''s: Sonus Faber Concertino Home, Grand Piano ,Sonus Faber Electa Amator II: B&W N805''s : Dynaudio Contour 1.3