Bose 901 Series IV Floorstanding Speakers
Bose 901 Series IV Floorstanding Speakers
USER REVIEWS
[Dec 23, 2019]
b55bpf
Strength:
I own a pair of bose 901 series 4 speakers since 1979. I have them run with their own equalizer and a 400 Watts RMS stereo Technics SA-700 power receiver. Located maintaining the distances specified by Bose, and hanging on the ceiling, THE POWER OF THE BOSE 901 Series 4 is almost unlimited. I placed them for a party in the huge courtyard of my house, and the music could be heard without distortion 300 meters away. Weakness:
The problem with these speakers is that they don't work well with a small and cheap receiver. It is recommended that the stereo receiver be more powerful than 100 Watts RMS. Price Paid: 1500
Purchased: New
Model Year: 1976
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[Jan 30, 2019]
DamianHonor
Strength:
Had 901s for 30 years and powered by 2 yamaha m85 that push 520 watts per side. Best system out there at that time and would say it still is highly up there. The only problem is that the pictures fall of the walls do to house shaking. Weakness:
None at all Price Paid: 2800
Purchased: New
Model Year: 1987
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[Mar 22, 2008]
winbat
AudioPhile
Strength:
Bass below audible levels, coherent sound all the way up the spectrum, no crossover to confuse things, size, great looks on pedestals, easy to listen at high levels, they produce little or no fatigue, no need for a sub woofer, relatively cheap due to bad undeserved press, extreme reserves power, can play louder than any speaker I know and yet sound live, very high wow factor.
Weakness:
Need correct and good working equalizer, room must lend itself to setup, EQ should be adjusted first for volume level and then next to recording quality, need minimum 75 watts per channel amplifier for it to sound good. Let me chime in here and say that I neither work/ed for Bose and I am not a Bose basher--nor do I have a pair selling on eBay.
Similar Products Used: Nothing similar in design of performance. |
[Jan 25, 2007]
Npei
AudioPhile
Strength:
When properly placed and EQ'd, the 901's are capable of compelling imaging. The speakers will disappear, just as they should.
Weakness:
The speaker has, in my opinion, been the butt of more vitriol and uninformed malice than any other piece of Audio equipment in the history of the hobby. Everyone has an opinion, apparently especially those who appear unable to read a manual! Very sad. To all the bashers, I would politely say you're welcome to hear them at my house. Friends of mine who count themselves knowledgeable and critical have consistently praised these humble-looking transducers, and not just to be polite!
Another perspective, and PLEASE take this seriously! I'm not interested in anything but highest quality music reproduction - as a professional, and classically trained musician, this is mandatory for me.
Similar Products Used: Nothing I know is similar. |
[Oct 20, 2006]
poobear
AudioPhile
Strength:
Ability toplay loud, not clear but loud
Weakness:
No bass. Highly recommend the use of a subwoofer if yuo are thinking about a set. I use to sell bose products. However, after spending years in the audio business and owning a pair of 901's for a short period of time I can honestly say the speakers had to go. Other than having the capacity to play extremely loud I thought the speakers sounded just awful. Because everything about these speakers sounded unnatural especially the bass and the highs. Of course like everyone else that’s been overseas in the military you either had a set of bose , jbl, or klipsch. And I will say that the bose 901's was by far the worst in that bunch. Especially for the amount of money you spent on them. For those who think the 901's are the greatest things since slice bread I highly recommend you listen to a pair of snell loudspeakers, and if you want something closer to home listen to a good pair of JBl's not the cheap ones. Customer Service Great Similar Products Used: Snell, JBL XPL-200, Magnapan, |
[Jun 08, 2006]
Maddmaster
AudioPhile
Strength:
Spacious sound. Power handling capability.
Weakness:
Active EQ limits configuration unless using separates. Not designed to use as mains in a home theater setup but will work OK with alot of effort. I have used 901's since 1982. Are there other speakers I like, sure there are. I do however still like the 901's and still using them today. I have to agree they do restrict you when building a surround sound or home theater system because of the Active EQ, but that's only if you are using a Receiver and happen to be using a tape monitor loop. If you are using separates there's not a problem. I even use them in my home theater setup which is posted on http://community.webshots.com/user/maddmaster
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[Nov 11, 2004]
Audio ole timer
AudioPhile
Strength:
Accurate reproduction, small size as compared to some of the behemoths out there, sound good at a low level also. Try the Super Bose system, sounds great!Two in front, one along either side of you, speakers hooked in parallel.
Weakness:
If you like it very loud, be sure to have at least 250-300 watts ch. Foam surrounds were a bummer! Well, here goes. Thought I would jump in here and put my 2 cents in about the Magnificent sounding Bose 901 series 1(original) through series V. I have been into audio since I was seven. I've had so much stuff, built so much stuff, auditioned so much stuff it's unbelievable! First things first! How the so called audiophiles can put this and other fine speakers down is just Wrong! Everyone hears things in their own way and I respect the different opinions of all the reviews here, as long as they are fair and objective. The Bose 901 does a very good job of reproducing music. No, I don't it's the best at any price. I don't think any speaker is. All of them have flaws. I auditioned the B & W Nautilus and it sounded very good, but not perfect, I've owned Mcintosh Xrt-20's, Klipschorns, B & O, Carver Amazings, Magneplanars and several other fine speakers. All sounded good, all had flaws. Drove to Memphis once to hear the Legacy Focus and Whisper. Very dissapointing! The Bose 901, when set up properly and USING the equalizer can provide a really nice audio experience. Having at least 250 watts a channel is better, good clean equipment to push them will be rewarding. In the 70's the Super Bose System was introduced, this consisted of 4 901's hooked in parallel along with the Bose 1801 power amplifier. This produced 400 watts a side at a 4 ohm load, thus each speaker was getting 200 watts. It sounded very good, but with the efficiency of the early 901's lacking because of the 18 db boost of the EQ,, this was not enought power. With the Ported design, efficiency is better. As for the cheap paper cones, there is a reason for this. If you can't figure it out, then maybe you are not a true audiophile after all. If you notice, the paper is very thin, it needs to be this way. Because of the extreme bass boost, the enertia of the cone has to be controlled, thus reducing overshoot. Same principle that makes Lowther such a fine speaker. The 901 produce accurate bass if set up properly, a lot of other speakers introduce bass on the heavy side. The highs are adequate. You can only hear 17khz or so anyway. If you are in the market for some speakers, listen to a pair properly set up, and let your ears camp out with your favorite music. After all, listening to music is personal and tuned to one's own taste, not a track race of opinions. Kudos, Amar Bose, you did alright! Happiness to all! Audio ole timer. Similar Products Used: None, they are in a class all alone. Not perfect, but very good! |
[May 07, 2004]
bacon
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Excellent all round performance for all music, very versatile
Weakness:
I can't come up with any, a very fine speaker Listen to a lot of speakers to pick the right one for you. Altec, Kilpsh, Fostek, Infinity R.W. Oliver Dayton Wright. I listen to all of them, (really liked the Kilpsch La Scala) I picked the 901's, don't even consider your own equalizer unless you are advanced, use the Bose equalizer. I have hung them from the ceiling, used stands, played socials/dances they work great. Not the best in the world, but in their price range among the finest. It's nice to have an opinion; however anyone who SLAMS what Bose does has an agenda, or some other drum to bang. You have to audition your speakers, spend the time before you spend the money. You might not chose the 901's as I did, but they are not crap as some would have you believe and deserve to be in any audition. Have fun, enjoy the shopping, it really is a personal choice. I've enjoyed my 901's for 25 years now, they have never let me down. |
[Apr 12, 2004]
deweyclark
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
They looked nice especially with the chrome stands. Unlimited power capability.
Weakness:
Mine had too much hiss. Iwish I knew what caused it, but I gave up on the equalizer after having it looked at twice. I bought these speakers in Feb 1979 for $610.00 a pair. That was a great deal considering they were going for $1,400 in the states. With the equalizer on, they definitely had a good range. The only thing I did not like was the hiss. I had my equalizer checked out to see if it was the problem or not. I also bought the chrome stands for $55 a pair. These speakers could handle unlimited wattage. If you blew a driver, they would replace it for free. The wind blew thru these speakers at up to 60 MPH - I know because I had a poster behing the one and would watch it move. The reason I bought them, was a guy I knew in the service in Montana had the 901 series III speakers. His speakers sounded great. That is why I was disappointed in mine with the hiss no matter what source I listened too [radio, cassette, lp's]. I sold them after about a year or so of ownership. Similar Products Used: Pioneer CS922A. Polk Audio RT-5000. |
[Mar 02, 2004]
malamati
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Amazing ability to hit those highs and lows at almost ANY power level you care to put into them in a normal home environment. Nice stereo separation, even listening in an adjacent room, for Gawd's sake!
Weakness:
Marginal ability to tailor the mid-range bass and treble through the Bose equalizer. Bose 901 / V You'll read lots of love-'em, hate-'em about these speakers. Both views are right-on, so the only possible way you can really assess these speakers is to audition them yourself, preferably in your own environment, with the electronics that will drive them and the spatial locale in which they would live. My opinion? For $1000+, I might keep looking. For $380, including the equalizer, I can't imagine ANYTHING that would sound as open, transparent, adjustable, and as capable of absorbing mass power, as these speakers. I set 'em up in a very unconventional configuation (one corner-fired at the end of my rectangular listening space; the other nearly in the middle of the opposite wall), adjust the balance on my Patton-tank receiver, and love the separation and bright, all-the-power-you-want capability of these little speakers. As I said, you will hear bad-mouthing about Bose 901s from plenty of enthusiasts. I would just ask them, how many multiples of $400 did they have to pay to sneer at these speakers? For the price I paid, they are incredible transducers, and I'm very happy with them. |