Spacious and realistic sound when properly set up

Over emphasisized bass and weaker overall response on later versions.

I have been fortunate enough to be able to own several pieces of high-end to esoteric audio components. Over the years, I have seen and read about many components and systems that utilize varying principles of reproducing the realism of a live performance. The original Bose 901 utilized a unique design in both form and function to address the problem of reproducing a live performance. For some reason that I can't see, there are many reviewers within this forum that seem to have a passion for fabricating falsehoods concerning this speaker system. I've read one review here, in which an individual claimed that Dr. Bose, had found that a small speaker could not accurately recreate a live performance, but Bose turned and produced such a speaker. This is not true. To quote Dr. Bose, "...through the techniques of multiplicity of full range speakers and equalization, we can reduce the problems in the spectral category to the point below audibility."

I've auditioned the most recent versions of the 901's, and I have to say that Bose Corporation has drifted away from their original objectives. The current speakers are not what I would recommend for a serious listener. The bass response is much too overpowering to be accurate. The overall tonal balance is lost from the original Bose designs. The Bose 901 Series I and II, are what I feel are the best of the 901 series of speakers. Other than the most basic principles of 901 design, the newer versions are several steps down from the early models.

Using a Bose 1801 500-watt power amplifier with a pair of Series I or Series II 901's is a VERY revealing system. Impressive does not describe the capabilities of these components as a system. From Miles Davis to Wagner, this is how the Bose 901's are meant to perform. They are made primarily for 'listening' to the music. They reveal the nuances and subtleties within complex musical and vocal passages. I've not found this to be the case with the most recent 901's.

Now, the 901 I's and II's are not anything like my Krell powered Ascents or my Conrad Johnson powered KEF's. They are a completely different approach to the never-ending quest in finding live performance realism for the home. They require careful positioning and a prodigious amount of power to function as they should. When done right, they are a very impressive speaker system.

From the standpoint of a potential buyer, I would pass on the new series and search out a pair of older ones. Both Series I and II utilize cloth driver surrounds that are impervious to rot. Series III and newers have foam driver surrounds, which will deteriorate over time. Therefore my rating for this review is for Series I and II loudspeakers. Not Series III and later.

Similar Products Used:

Speakers: Bose 901 Series I and II, Infinity RS IIB, KEF 104/2, KEF Reference 4, Martin Logan Monolith and Avalon Acoustics Ascent.
Amplification: Bose 1801. Bose 4401, Conrad Johnson PV-12A, Conrad Johnson MF2200, Conrad Johnson Premeire 11, Threshold T2, Threshold T4, Krell KSA 250, Krell FPB-600 and Mark Levinson ML-9

Compact size

Power-hungry. They need lots of it to sound even a little good.

I bought these 901-VI's because I'd heard they're a good compromise when space-saving is an issue.
They've been a disappointment from day one. At loud levels, they POP like crazy if your bass knob is up too high. And when you turn the bass down, the sound is crappy too. I was told they need lots of power to perform acceptably, so I located and bought a Sansui 9090DB. Still no help. Then I found and bought a Sansui G 9700. This helped, but sound is still sub standard for my liking. I now have them hanging out in my garage, where I listen to them while working in my bike, or other chores I may be doing out there.
I simply cannot recommend these speakers, and especially for the price. They will get my lowest rating. Its no wonder I spot more 901'sfor sale in the classified section of my paper than practically all other brands combined! So I guess I'm not alone.

Similar Products Used:

None

Good Clean Bass

Midrange Is not as fine as other's however the bass and highs make up for it

Anybody seriously thinking about buying these should go to your local dealer and have a listen for yourself. You can't go by what the idiots say here(i.e those of you who give it one star). These people probaly don't even own a pair. Thay are not the best and they are by far not the worst. It is a sound that you must decide if you like or not for yourself.

P.S. When you go for the audio test don't let the salesman keep them cranked up the whole listing sesion. This is where they realy sound good. Listen to them at a low normal listing volume and then decide.

Similar Products Used:

cerwin vega, dcm, deftec

Good Clean Bass

Midrange Is not as fine as other's however the bass and highs make up for it

Anybody seriously thinking about buying these should go to your local dealer and have a listen for yourself. You can't go by what the idiots say here(i.e those of you who give it one star). These people probaly don't even own a pair. Thay are not the best and they are by far not the worst. It is a sound that you must decide if you like or not for yourself.

P.S. When you go for the audio test don't let the salesman keep them cranked up the whole listing sesion. This is where they realy sound good. Listen to them at a low normal listing volume and then decide.

Similar Products Used:

cerwin vega, dcm, deftec

Finally a sane bunch of reveiws.
I too, have heard 901's both properly and inproperly, set-up. The 901's are very good speakers when properly set up. I've heard these speakers when they were being used without their outboard EQ and they were hiddeous. When set-up properly, in the optimum roon setting, and adequate power, they can sound awesome.

But thats not their claim to fame. They were used exstensively in the 70's as a point source, near field, speaker for studio and stage. Sometimes termed as a hotspot speaker (there is now a brand called 'Hot Spot'), they would allow a persons own instrument to be heard over the mains because of their efficiecny in the mid range, especially keyboards.

The technology for these speakers, however, is nearly 30 years old. There are better speakers for the same or even less money, that aren't as reliant on placement or in need of equalization. The design alone does not allow for very low bass, as does some of the more modern speakers. And, in my opinion, $1500(ea.) speakers should have low enough bass response with out the need for passive or powered subwoofers. Of course, not everyone is a fan of the big bass sound.

The WaveRadio not withstanding, all other Bose speakers are sold based upon the reputation that the Bose 901 series acquired 30 years ago. My rating is a retro one.

While I will agree that their sound is not for everyone, it certainly isn't trash. Every time I've heard a set of Bose, whether it was in a store demo, home, or an auditorium, I have always come away impressed with how they made the music come alive. From the AM5 to the 901's, they are all impressive. They do have their weakness, but for the person who just wants to enjoy music without critiqing it, they are great. One guy mentioned the 901's had 8 drivers in front and one in the back. Geez, no wonder they sounded bad. Turn the damn thing around. Anyway, to equal out the ratings from all of the anal retentives, I will give these 5 stars. I know there are other speakers out there that are better, but there are also many more that can't compare.

I am using a pair of Bose 901 VIs as side speakers in a surround system. While I would not consider them as being good enough to use as main speakers, their "direct reflecting" characteristics make them perfect for use as non-directional side channels. . . which are generally not called upon to produce frequency extremes. The supplied EQ can help match the timbre of your non-Bose mains. Installed properly, they produce a wall of sound that smooths over the hot/dead spots that plague directional and even di-pole speakers when used as rear/side channels. Everything people cite as weaknesses are strengths in the right application.I would not suggest anyone buy a new pair of 901s for this or any other purpose but for a used price of about $500 +/- they will help create a seamless front to back soundstage in a surround system. 5 Stars when usedas surrounds. Don't consider them for use as Mains.

George, you say the Bose 901's can match the timbre of, oh say, KEF's, B&W's, Cantons, and so on? Speakers made with fine quility drivers comingling with Bose is like breeding a thoughrobred with "Tony the pony"
901's in themselves are junk, but would ruin other speakers quality.
One DOES NOT use dissimilar mids and tweets in a system anyway for correct surround---that's just plain idiotic!
Any true Audiophile knows this.
I can think of a number of small speakers at a fraction of the 901's price that would have a soundstage that is infinately more focused, and clear.
I am not an "Audio snob" simply because I have heard $200 Signets sound better than ANYTHING in the Bose line.
To give Bose 5 stars would be in the categories of biggests wastes of money.
It gets 1 star from me for ANY application, because I can hear the differnce in any situation.

I have auditioned very many speakers for a very long time now. Please hear me, audio nirvana I have found. My very long journey started with Hales, Dynaudio, Thiel, and very many suitable mid range audiophile speakers. Overpriced and underachieving, the whole lot. Nothing, you I tell, comes remotely close to the "realism" Bose 901's achieve. The soundstage is from hear to China. This has to be the most musical speaker ever I heard. My thanks Mr. Bose!Associated equipment:
Fisher CAV227 amplifier
Technics SAR150 graphic equalizer
BSR belt driven turntable
Monster cable interconnects
Radio Shack *premium* speaker cable

Well... It is truly interesting to see the wide range of opinions on the 901s. I have a pair of Series IIIs that I have had for somewhere around 20 years. I do listen to every audio system I can find. I have just installed NHTs for my surround sound (2.9s in the front, dipolars in the back and the 500 watt sub2 on the way). I have a new Harmon Kardon AVR65 receiver attached, latest model (I recommend this one).
The NHTs, in my opinion (and remember these are award winning speakers not consumer JBLs etc) do not hold a candle to the 901s for rock, pop or new age music. Where they do excel is in Jazz and vocals. As others have stated, environment and positioning is critical for great sound out of 901s as is a good amp and cable. The Bose 901s should not be mentioned in the same sentence as the cube Bose line! The Bose 901s exhibit a room filling full sound, and when properly positioned everyone in the room has a good seat not just the one at the cross-over locations. They are not perfect! The design is for a full sound not a seperated sound that you will find in speaker sets with tweeters, horns, mids and base speakers completely seperate. They also exhibit outstanding full accurate base not just a sub-woofer filler. One big down point is that you must run the dynamic equalizer through the tape monitor of the amp, which is a real problem if you want to build a system with 901s and a normal set of speakers.

The bottomline is that the speaker/amp that one likes is personal so listen to the combination of amp, music and speakers and choose the one you like not what someone else likes. Anyone who tells you that their speakers are more accurate is just comparing the sound to the one that they use to listen, once you run a signal through electronics and speakers the sound is changed dependent upon that combination.

On the subject of specs, I always look at the specs. A bad component will invariably have poor specifications, but just having great specs does not translate into great sound! In truth a perfect sound actually sounds fake to the human ear since the brain relates variations to normal. For example an electronic drum beat with perfect beat will never sound as good a real drummer with all his/her imperfections!

For the type of music intended for the Bose 901s, I rate it a strong 5. I will not drop the rating because others do a better job at other types of music, just like you do not rate Ferrari by how many people it can hold.