[phil*]

I am considering buying Bose 901 Series 6 speakers. Has anybody purchased these and have any comments on them?

[Garrett Lundy]

1. are not full range, you'll need a subwoofer.

2.Don't get the walnut, is ugly.

[Arthur S]

I owned 901s for a while. They sound different than anything else I have ever heard. For the first few months, I really liked that sound. Then one day I realized that the piano sounded like it was on the ceiling. That is when I decided they had to go. No regrets.

[Kenneth Harden]

Only speakers Bose makes I consider 'decent', but they are pretty weak (heard them before) and their time passed about 30 years ago.

Do realize they you have 9, 4.5" (cheap) full-range drivers that are trying to do everything as forced by a EQ, not a very elegant setup.

Nobody else is doing it, and its not because of patents, its because everyone knows better.

[Rory Buszka]

The Bose 901 has to be one of the most unconventional speakers I have ever seen. The drivers are constructed like most paper midranges but they have a somewhat longer throw to be able to deliver some bass. I have heard them in a decently sized room with a good amplifier and they do have some good bass at moderate listening volumes, but when you turn it up beyond that you start to hear more IM distortion. I listened with the below 40 Hz filter off, and with the mid-bass and treble controls set to neutral, and with the amplifier's own 2 Hz subsonic filter engaged, to try and get a feel for what those speakers are capable of. But the extremely wide presentation of the 901 speakers is not for everyone. The Bose speakers add an extremely short-delayed reverb (from the wall reflections) to try to create the sense of spaciousness. The speakers seem to respond well enough to the EQ unit but your amp needs to be beefier than most of what is sold now. Also, it needs to be a stereo reciever with a tape output, or a pre/pro and separate amplifiers, otherwise you can't use the active equalizer. The Active Equalizer uses your reciever's Tape Monitor to switch it into the signal chain, or some older stereo amps (I heard a Technics BU-8080 which was 125 watts per channel) will have special plugs just for adding a graphic EQ to the system, and the Bose EQ can be inserted there. Whenever "boosting" EQ is involved like in the case of the 901 EQ, you need to have tons of amplifier power. I think the 901s have an IEC specification of 250 watts or thereabouts.

[Garrett Lundy]

I think Boose may actually sell an Amp designed just for the 901's..... if you dont have a seperate amp already.

[Joe-M]

I have a pair of Bose 901 series 3 speakers which I re-foamed in my living room setup. They are in-questionably one of the finer looking speakers availible. That is, if you like a more classic look. They are curious creatures, they are exquisitely sensitive to placement. If placed wrong you will lose alot of bass and depending on how bad the placement even upper end sound suffers. The thing that blows my mind about them is how the sound literally fills the room. Its actually unnerving when you first hear it. That said, I put them up agains't my Genesis Physics M-1s and the M-1s blew them away in every catagory except for the fore mentioned property. The Bose speakers are neat to say the least but high end sound, I doubt if they truely qualify for mid-end sound. Still, I have kept mine for their interesting qualities and they don't sound too bad as long as you are casual listening and not really being picky. They do have a warm, rich sound when placed right.

[ChrisWiggles]

If you care at all about accurate sound and imaging, avoid these like the plague.