Need very little power to sound great, If placed correctly very open and spacious sounding. Outstanding workmanship.

Ease of placement. READ THE MANUAL

I mulled over the decision to buy the 901's for years. Believe me I am glad I bought them, they blow away anything I have previousley used.I am pushing them with a 70 / wpc Marantz sr4000 Surround amp with the EQ hooked through the preouts, they sound delicious,and look great too,the amp has plenty of oomph to shake the walls . Bass can get a little rumbly but the EQ does a good job of settling it down, agian with these speakers Placement and hooking up the EQ are critical. Read the owners manual you you should have no problem at all. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Remember sound is in the Ear of the Beholder.

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Infinity, Cambridge, Klipsch

None come to mind at the moment. However I kind of like the clear plexyglass base speaker that they demo at Bose.

P.A speakers

These are ok speakers. You really need to follow the directions to set them up properly. I got mine for 400 bucks, a friend of mine needed the money. I would probably consider a couple of Polk or JBL speakers and a sunfire subwoofer jr. instead.

Mids and Highs Size Elegant design and look with the pedastals (black color looks awsome) 400 watts max price Outstanding support from Bose

Not for everyone If you can't read simple instructions to set up the Bose 901 EQ then these speakers aren't for you.

I can't understand the bashing and the negative reviews on the Bose 901. I mean honestly, for the price and size there's nothing better for overall music from Classical, Jazz, POP, Rock, R & B, Country or Rap. Of course there are better speakers like Martin Logans, Mirage, the high ends from Infinity and so on but not for the price and size. These are the best speakers I have heard under $2,000. Of course they only cost about $1,200 to $1,400 but other high end brands to sound better they start anywhere from $2,500 to $10,000. In a few words you either have to be rich or get a loan from a bank to purchase those other high end speakers. Now some here will make a case that for the same price as the Bose 901 they can get better speakers. I say not for classical and modern music. The Bose 901 are very versatile and they sound great for classical, jazz, modern music and home theatre. No other high end brands will do that for the price and size, they might sound a little better in Rock music because they have the big woofers and towers but not neccesary in Classical or other less boomy music. The 901 are rich in mids and highs. It can kick a decent bass but if you want a big bommy clean base you better get a good subwoofer like Sunfire or Velodyne to go along the 901. I have a Sunfire Arc True Signature Sub with the Denon AVR 5800. When I listen to R & B and Rap the Bose 901 and Sunfire SUB complement each other really well. When I listen to Classical or Jazz I turn the Sunfire either low or off and the 901 are the best in my opinion for Classical, Jazz and home threatre. Last thing you need either a semi-high end receiver or amplifier to a high end to run the 901. Don't be a afraid to put power in these babies the can handle up to 400 watts max, the more clean power then better these speakers will sound and I don't just mean at high levels, more clean power will be notice at any level. And another thing please read the instructions on how to set up the 901. There are simple instructions but if you fools who gave the 901 bad reviews hook them as regular speakers of course they will sound like caca!!!! The 901 hook up is more as simple set up of negative and positive speaker cable. You have to set up the EQ properly which is easy if you read the instructiions.

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Martin Logans Odyssey and Prodigy Mirage OM-5 Infinity Prelude Boston Acoustic Polk

Can handle anything. Despite what others say, they can be placed anywhere. I have mine on a bookshelf facing backward.

They need an operator with above average intelligence. The equilizer throws them every time. When you forget to use it, they sound as flat as 4 inch midrange speakers sound. But that's because they are 4 inch midrange speakers. Except they have 8 - 4 inch speakers in each cabinet and can be pushed through the entire frequency range with the equilizer. (They actually have nine drivers. There is one on the front and eight in the rear.)

The concept can't be beat. Eight drivers in one cabinet. Remarkable richness of sound. If you can't here the difference, your deaf. I use them for surround sound. The only thing holding them back is the cheap Pro-Logic amplifier that I have. Of course I over-drive the center and rear speakers because 901's need the equilizer. It doesn't seem to hurt them though. I tried lots of surround speakers. I even went to a Bose store to here their surround system. It sounded like the rest. Distortion in a plastic box. Bose should build a surround system based on the 901's. Only thing I ever heard that was as good or better was a pair of Infinity Towers back in the seventies. The Towers sounded great because they have six tweeters, six midrange and one woofer in each cabinet. Same concept as 901's. The more drivers the better it sounds. Just like a choir. Don't believe me. Go to a Bose store and bring your favorite CD. And don't let the salesman push you into the other junk they sell.

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None. There are no similar products. Thank you Amar Bose.

THEY IS GOOD

Massive power handling. They sound great and require little power to sound that way.

The new ones are a bit pricey, but are still worth the money.

Frankly, I''m surprised how many people have given bad reviews about the 901''s. They are legendary, and just sound awesome. But I have a theory why you people don''t like them: you''ve never heard them the way they were meant to be heard. I''ve long listened to my friend''s Series I 901''s, and they''ve always sounded great the way they were set up. That talked me into buying my own pair of Series II (really good deal on eBay). The first thing I do is set them up on a table, to test them out, and they sound terrible. Then I reminded myself of how these things work. They are REFLECTING speakers. 89% of the sound is reflected...that''s why there''s 8 drivers in the back, and only 1 DIRECT driver in the front. After I got them set up the way Bose recommends them to be (hanging from the ceiling; backs faced against a wall), they sounded simply awesome. That''s just how they work.

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Nothing compares.

all around good sound, sound best if hung from the ceiling.

i hate that i have not had to buy speakers for 16 years.

i bought the 901 in 1986 when i finished blowing up many speakers.the 901 was many speakers i listened to before i finally made up my mind to buy them.one of best choices i made, these speakers have held up to the test of time.the amp i have been using to drive the speakers is a carver 250 wpc, i listen to loud rock and roll i dont care if these speakers have paper cones or plastic cones they sound good.the bose bashers sound like to me that they dont know how to hook the speakers up with the eq.i would like to respond to nigel h from ontario who has the 50wpc quicksilver amp what ever that is, your quicksilver amp is not in the same class with a carver amp i dont know if i would use your mighty quicksilver amp to drive my computer speakers.as far as krell amps they are way over priced, but good equipment.back to the 901, i have had good luck and good sound i have no complaints.

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to many to list.

Lack of coloration (accuracy) Power handling. True bass and frequency response.

Relatively high list price. Foam surround deterioration (though they do have a good exchange program). Limits as to placement. (simply don''t buy them if you don''t have the room) I''d rate them 9 out of 10 if the rating system was set up that way - no component is perfect.

To preface: I bought the BOSE 901''s series 5 8 years ago along with a NAD pre,Yamaha Nat Sound 2100, DBX expander and Pioneer 9000 tuner for $1000 Canadian. First I read the instructions - straightforward and necessary as of course these are not meant to be simple front firing bookshelf speakers. I use them in a room in the basement - about 14 feet by 24 feet. (these speakers are NOT meant or professed to work in a small room). Simple procedure to hang them through the drop ceiling from the floor joists maintaining clearances as per the recommendations. Right away I was very pleased with the performance of these boxes. The bass is true bass - not some trumped up boomy semblance of low notes, but tight, accurate and LOWWWWWWWW! I have Bostons and Paradigms as well and though they are very capable speakers when I compare them to the 901''s they definitely lack the tight true bass. Try listening to Koyanisqatsi by Philip Glass to see what I mean. The 901''s are downright scary - and I only have to crank the electronics half way to get an awesome chest thumping experience. As for stereo imaging there is nothing wrong with the way these speakers handle that. Listen to the 70''s album Autobahn by Kraftwerk or some Pink Floyd through the 901''s and try to tell me they can''t project an accurate stereo front! It''s easy to pick out the instruments at the proper placements across the image - the 901''s handle this as well as any front firing speakers I have listened to. As for frequency response I must admit they don''t have that super high artificial sizzle of many other audiophile speakers - this is a minus???? The cymbals sound like cymbals and the snares sound like snares - isn''t that the way it''s supposed to be? Finally - accuracy, lack of distortion, power handling, expansion of the image with increased input etc etc - the 901''s possess these attributes in spades.

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Boston Acoustics A70''s Paradigm bookshelf speakers.

Huge soundstage, no crossover distortion, lightweight, low cost, INDESTRUCTIBLE, performance that defies its size.

Needs to have the room/placement criteria satisfied. Low bass is heavilly equalized due to the small enclosure. Needs "Big Boy" brutish amplification. NOT for novices.

I am never amazed more than when I read reviews on these speakers. It is kind of a love''em, hate''m thing. Ford vs Chevy, Fender vs Gibson...I bought these in 1974, 901 II walnut, I have used them with a multitude of high power amps and have enjoyed them very much. I have JBL L-200 studio masters, Def Tech BP3000TL''s and love them as well. Can the 901 produce bass as loudly as the L200 or 3000''s? HECK NO. They can still shake walls... Can the 901 fit as many room types as the others? No. But for those who have found the right room (rectangular with no windows or openings between the speakers)for these and have used amps with HIGH power...you know what I am talking about. Try Hotel California with a Phase linear 700B or Hafler 500 or Bose 1801 amp...I challenge anyone to listen to this set up blindfolded and tell me that these are 901''s without foreknowlege. These have been a joy to me for years, helped me through a troubled childhood and will always be treasured. I know the others will play louder and with less distortion, but more enjoyable, more pleasing to the ears? I don''t think so. I have heard Martin Logan''s and Krell systems that have not thrilled me any more than the units I now have at home. I believe the best audio equipment still was made in the 70''s.. I have Marantz 2325, 2275, 1060''s... Don''t believe the reviews of someone that tried these speakers without researching placement and power requirements beforehand. Such a person is not qualified to review high end audio. Most of the people that buy these have heard a friend''s that were set up correctly. I have not owned the newer versions with the "foam surround" so I will not be qualified to judge them.

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Small size

Constipated sound

I''m running these Bose 901/6''s with a powerful Sansui G9000DB receiver. Monkeying with the tone controls and the EQ controls enables me to obtain nothing approaching what could be considered good sound, especially high volumes. Bass craps out if you try to add what you like, highs come out with this harsh, shrill sound that defies description. Unlistenable for any length of time. JBL''s, Paradigm, Klipsch, Boston Acoustic, or even the cheap KLH speakers you can but at ant Costco will, and do, sound better than 901''s. So I boxed these things up and sold them on Ebay for the exact same price. So this story has a happy ending. For me anyway.

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