People know you bought Bose when they see em

Sounds like crud

I have yet to hear a speaker that sounds like the 901, that is to say a speaker that costs that much and sounds so bad. The eq lets you make them more or less boomy and that is it. Bose claims there is no crossover, but none of thier speakers use a real crossover anyways. The nine supposed full-range speakers in the box just don't have the deep bass or the clear highs that they should for a "full range" speaker. If midrange is your bag, then the 901's might be a good speaker for you. But if you like to hear every detail of the recording, then stay far away from them.

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Hair dyer, toaster, anything that makes noise

I think 901 are horrible sounding speakers, due to the fact of its equalizer coloring signal before it even hits the speaker. For you realists outthere I would not even suggest looking into this product.

Ability to fill the room with sound, using a compact enclosure. No other speaker in existence can recreate a
sound stage like the 901 Series VI, AT ANY PRICE.

Need to be elevated. Matching stands are not tall enough for most projection screen TVs or for that matter and TV stand.

Yes, the 901 Series VI are not a good value for the money. Yes, the 901 Series VI do not reproduce extreme
lows well. These speakers are not intended for Joe Blow off the street to buy and hook up to his off-the-shelf
$400 Pioneer "receiver". The speakers are meant to be a compliment to a mid end home theater system. What
did you expect from 18 (yes, 9 + 9 does equal 18 the last time I checked, not 16) 4 1/2" drivers? If you didn't
realize that when you saw them for the first time you should have moved right along to the swap meet and
picked up some JBLs and saved yourself the money. These speakers aren't behind their (yes their, not there)
time. In fact, they are well ahead of their time. No other speaker on the market (that I know of) matches so well
into a COMPLETE home theater package. Assuming Bose doesn't have a stake in Dolby Labs, this is quite
impressive as the "new" home theater standard wasn't a standard when the 901s were released. The 901s
provide a spatial quality when playing an AC-3 soundtrack like no other I've heard. Combined with another
set in the rear (or for the others who did this review who are obviously worried about money, the Bose
AM-5), a center channel that will reach at least 50Hz, and a well tuned, powered subwoofer, the 901 create a
rich, warm sound that is homogeneous throughout any room (even, in my case, with a two story vaulted
ceiling). Above all, you need a crisp, clean, amplifier capable of driving such a load with out clipping at high
volume. I'm running a tube amplifier but you can pick up a decent, well built transistor amplifier for under
$2000 that will get you on the right track. If you are looking to build a home theater system and don't want to
shell out the cash, then save yourself a lot of time and money and collect stamps. If you are serious about
sound and want a complete home theater sound stage that is unparalleled, then the Bose 901 Series VI is a
great way to get started.

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Bose AM-5

I thought I'd have to throw my two cents in also. The advertising hype around these speakers is offensive. Even if the nine 4" drivers do have the area equal to a 12 " woofer, they are still not capable of moving the same amount of air as even a poorly designed 12" woofer. If they could why would the response need to be equalized? The total displacement must be augmented by the equalizer by increasing the excursion of the 4" driver, thus distorting the midrange signal. Also, there is no way a 4" cone can move air fast enough to produce a decent frequency response in the upper octave or two. Even after all the scientific research has been shown to be nothing but marketing hype, the speakers sound like your grandfathers Victrola. One star is high praise indeed for these overpriced hairballs.

I agree with Scott. The ads are such hype. Only a complete 6th grade dropout would be dense enough to believe that the center (dust cap) can act as a high efficiency tweeter. The ads through the years have stated that the bass is equal to 1) 12" woofer 2) a 20" woofer 3) The biggest woofer. How do you say "To hell with physics" and come up with this hogwash? Just how does a 4" full range equal a quality dedicated Seas or Litz tweeter? They CAN'T!!!, and how do they equal a 12" Velodyne sub? They CAN'T. Physics just says NO! I also agree and defend the original Consumer Reports negative review. Are you listening MR Paul Harvey, and Stereo Review? These are poor mid range only producing speakers that are way too expensive. How can anyone A/B these and not go for the OTHER speaker? Due to sheer cost: 1 star!!!

I don't place myself into Audiophile because I have seen too many of them fooled in blind a/b tests. Amps and speakers they normally would rate poorly are given a surprisingly good rating this way. Esoteric cables as thick as your thumb when 18 guage can pass frequencies into the Rf range without loss (short distances) or distortion that is measurable on a techtronix O-scope.Bose in general have more grain than a barn silo. These are the "thump and sizzle" meathod of smearing sound in all directions like a flourescent light.
The 901, which is probably stamped out for less than $90 a pair from the factory are outrageously overpriced. The artificial bass created by the cumulative mass of 9, 4 inch drivers is not coherent, or below midbass. The drivers and design contribute to gross doppler distortion and image float. The 'trebel" rolls off early, not ever to be confused with quality seas or vifa drivers. For a/v porposes the sound is everywhere and nowhere, and the impact of indirect bass is lost vs conventional speakers. These are simply not high end speakers, and in some respects, cannot qualify as MID fi. If you want sound everywhere, get 4 polk, boston acoustics, Signet, or Paradigm speakers. All provide resoloution , detail and imaging far superior, and far cheaper than a pair of 901's.

size, sound

placement CRITICAL

I have had Bose 901 series IV speakers for about 20 years.
Haven't used them for some time due to foam deteriation and lack of a proper room for them. I have had them set up in four different locations. Two of them sucked big time, and the other two provided incredible full range sound. When hung from the celing and placed at one foot from a wall they rock. The wind (yes,I said wind!) from the bass ports would blow out a Zippo lighter. At the time, I worked at a place that sold stereo equipment. The Bose 901 display stunk and nobody bought them. I insisted the manager come to my house and listen before slamming those speakers further. CD players had just come out and for the first time I was able to really crank the 901's without turntable feedback. My manager sat there with his mouth wide open
and could not say a word. He spent the next few days trying to figure out what was wrong with the display setup. He never did, the display continued to sound bad, and I was still gloating over my incredible speakers. I don't claim to be an 'audiophile' but I know what sounds good and the Bose 901's can't be beat IF they are set up correctly. (to another reviewer: the 8 speaker side is the rear, not the front.)

Here is the part you will love and will hopefully quiet some of the naysayers. As I said, my speakers had seen better days. I moved into a new house with a wall just begging for my Bose and I wanted to get them rebuilt. The process seemed quite expensive, until I contacted Bose, who gave me several options, one of which was to trade my old series IV plus $560 for a new pair of series VI (with EQ and 5 year warranty). Not only was I completely impressed that a company would continue to support a 20 year old product, but that those 20 year old, worn out speakers were still effectivly worth $1000! Beat that!

I agree, these speakers are not for everybody. They are especially not for those with limited placement options. (Your wife will hate them!) They are also not intended for anyone who thinks they need to spend $5K on speaker wires.(Jez! I wish I had seen you guys coming like that salesman did.) Those people will obviously never be satisfied with such an inexpensive speaker. Take your time, hang them from the celing, sit back and prepare to have your bones rattled. If they don't blow you away, you didn't do it right. I can't wait to try my new series VI's. If they have been improved at all over the last 20 years I will probably wet myself. The only reason they don't get five stars is because of placement issues. You wont find a more natural sounding speaker.

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Bose Spatial Control reciever

Lets get one thing straight first off - I have never considered myself an audiophile - a title that seems a bit silly to me, with to many of the typical audiophile "truths" realized in backwater audio voodoo and hocus pocus "I can hear the difference!" nonsense. I am an amateur speaker designer, a DIY guy, if you will. I like Bose speakers, hate me if you must. No, I don't think they are the best speakers out there, but I think Bose is ok. And here's why - this company may have a team of advertisers and a veritable army of lawyers, but the fact is that this company doesn't mind taking chances and manufacturing some interesting (and sometimes odd) products. No, the 901 is not worth $1500, and I would never buy a set of these speakers. But they are rather unique. I first heard the 901's in a home theater, with 2 pairs powered from a massive McIntosh amplifier in a friends setup. No center channel, no surrounds - just 4 Bose 901's and lots of power. They were very impressive, with bass I found unbelievable from such small speakers. For home theater, these speakers even gave a convincing surround image even though no surround speakers were present. For music, I can think of better, and with such a steep price tag I can definitely pass. Heck, I could build my own 901's with higher quality drivers and without the cheezy EQ for much less if I wanted - but that's not the point. Unfortunately, what was a novelty item back in the 70's has been shorn of all mystique by modern day audiophile guru "paint the edge of the cd green" types, who would rather flame Bose than accept their mediocrity along with their brilliance. And yes, the design is a bit long in the tooth. Bose is not the best, but they sell tons of speakers, and for lots of money. This upsets some folks, but not me. Bose has paved the way in many areas for others to tread, including the recent sub/satellite popularity, and I suspect they will continue to "set the stage" with interesting, sometimes wacky designs. Even if their speakers are not the best, they are not so horrible as to incite the riot of flames witnessed on this website. Though the 901's speakers may be lacking in realism and sound quality to some, the fact is that they are a decent sounding speaker system, and if some folks find them wonderful enough to shell out the bucks, more power to them.

When I heard 901's years ago when I was a kid, I thought they were great sounding, and probably they were pretty good then. But much has changed in audio since then and Bose has not really kept up. There not bad speakers, but not as good as the competition today and there is alot in the price range there in. I have often wondered what the speakers would do as surrounds a home theater setup since they would give an excellent defused sound field due to the 16 speakers that would generate reflections.

No the Bose's 901's are not the best you can buy and they are majorly over priced ( I bought mine used for 1/3 of the price ).I have messed around with the different positions that they suggest, But most importantly GET THEM UP IN THE AIR !!! The furniture, carpet, or anything else in the way will BLOCK the sound from getting to you. And like other speakers you have to be in the "sweet spot" to fully enjoy these speakers.
I am currently searching for better speakers now, but Bose's is not the only ones to be over priced. I can't get into a slam fest like some of the others because everyones taste is different {I can at least respect that, No matter what blows your skirt up}. I've heard alot of slam's and a lot of praise of the 901's and I can say that if the equalizer is not working or is not hooked up properly "they do suck". Try not to be so criticizing and be more open minded. It might not be just the speakers it could be a not so good system driving them. Maybe I'll try adding a good sub to accent them.