Bose 901 sound test by TonePub?

A very "brand"-centric group here. I"ll bet:

1) Most of you have never heard a single Bose product
2) There's going to be a few things to like about the 901's



(edit: just as there's some things to like about Heinz and Hersheys)

 

Me too.

 

Where you pushing those Klipschorns with a 400 watt solid state amp?

 

Brand? No way. Your conclusion couldn't be further from the truth.

As for Ketchup and Hershey's "chocolate", of course uninformed consumers like it. LOL. It is manufactured the way it is in order to appeal to the uninformed masses. I guess we'll just accept that and move along, right? After all, the best thing about the internet is that it enables us to group ourselves among people who hold our exact same beliefs (no matter how ill-conceived and untrue). Good grief, it would be a shame to have to discover something new. Yeah, it's about brand hate. Right.

 

In all seriousness: drink beer, listen to music, and have fun with this. You paid for the speakers, you paid for the shipping, and it's your mag. Besides, we compulsive internet audiophiles are likely to be crabby no matter what you do.

Just remember three things: these things are fussier than Maggies about room placement, you can actually start your review with "I bought it" instead of ending it that way, and mentioning Bose is the audiophile board version of Godwin's Law.

Here's hoping you're up late instead of early. Five in the morning just seems downright unfair.

 

You go after Bose all you want, but I'll put up a helluva fight if you try to take my Mr. Goodbar away.

 

Years ago, I test drove a car and the saleslady pointed out that it had a Bose stereo. Her jaw dropped when I said that unless they had the same car without a Bose stereo, I wasn't interested. Alternately, I suggested that maybe they could give me a discount, since I would have to take it to an aftermarket stereo place to replace it.

 

There are many ways Klipschorns can sound bad. While I appreciate the dynamics of the Klipsch range, there isn't much else I care for in their speakers.

I suspect BOSE could make a killer speaker, but as BOSE has always been more about marketing than about product, I'm not holding my breath.

In any case, I look forward to Jeff's review.

 

You forgot: "There are no Ferrari owners in Carnegie, PA" ..yet, some would lead you to believe otherwise.

personally, i enjoy Bose speakers
except for the 201/301 stuff

 

1) Wasn't referring to you, specifically.
2) Kisses are dirt cheap and should be judged accordingly. "Uninformed Masses"? Where can I get a bag of Amedei for a couple bucks?
3) Have you actually tried telling people "there's no aromatic chocalate worth consuming in a Hershey's Kiss"? Dude, that look on their face isn't confusion....
4) Are you actually equating Bose 901's with Hershey's Kisses and Heinz? Really?

5) Don't sell yourself short.

 

I heard a Bose car system recently.... while not great, it blows away the stock system in my '10 VW.

 

I was just joking when I made the comment about a Bose lawsuit. The only review of the 901 I've ever seen was in Stereophile Mag years ago. It's time for a credible and responsible reviewer like yourself to examine this speaker again.
I look forward to it.

 

J. Gordon Holt's review seems relatively benign.

http://www.stereophile.com/standloudspeakers/425/

Really, most reviews seem relatively benign. I've never heard them, but the reviews online give me the impression that they're not as terrible as people on audiophile forums make them out to be.

I'm actually less interested in the 901 themselves, or even the review, than the forum feedback, which promises to be entertaining.

 

That's interesting. I have a 2010 Wolfsburg Edition Jetta and am happy (aside from the bottom end) with the stock stereo (I did add subwoofers in the trunk and a modest amp).

If Bose weren't so omni-present they probably wouldn't receive all the vitriol and would just be seen as another run of the mill company but, my god, their marketing is everywhere.

 

I haven't fully read that Stereophile review linked to above yet, but while it is dated November 7, 1995 the 901s in that photo were not the ones sold during that time period (I sold HT gear during that time, including 901s). I am not exactly sure which series they are, but going by the ones in the pic i.e. the shiny surrounds (doped cloth?) the drivers use & the EQ box w/white front panel; the lack of a mention of the specific series in the review and especially, the quoted retail price of only $476 per pair, it seems like those in the pic were sold in the early 70s, possibly the first 901s.

 

My understanding is that the Holt review was of the first version.

 

All the reading I've done makes it seem that they've changed the speakers quite a bit over the years. Might need to find a mint series one version to compare.

 

That would be pretty cool. If the subsequent updates have addressed only one of Holt's criticisms, and your review bears out those improvements, it'd be a win for Bose. It'd be interesting to hear what is inherent in the design, and what has been modified over the years to reflect criticism received.

 

I'm not interested in a comparison between the original and current since you can't get the original new. I want to know how good or bad the current one is with decent amp and preamp.

 

That's what I'm after as well. But it is often good perspective to see how a product has evolved.

 

901

Would love to hear the comments on imaging...

 

are you going to stay strictly stock, or do you have plans to implement any of the "tweaks" from HiFiSoundGuy?
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=101152.0

 

I saw a pair in a shop here in Boston several years ago. The owner hated them. I think he wanted $50. for them.

 

A. I'm hoping your kidding

B. I am going to sell them after the review (bought the review pair from Amazon and don't want to be a weasel and return them), so I'd rather keep the speakers and packaging intact so I don't lose too much $$ on the sale.

C. The day I start taking advice from HiFiSoundGuy about anything is the day we close up shop.

 

When you do something like that, what sort of percentage to do look at?