BOSE 901's...Whats the proublem???

[Edriz]

Originally Posted by mulester7

.....Guys, if some of you could beam back to when I had the Bose 901s in this basement when I was about 24, and you listened to it, you'd attack Flea-Bay in ardent search, say whatever you want to.....

.....you GOTTA' have two Bose 901 eqs....doesn't matter which model, a Bose person told me that on the phone three years ago....this is NOT the first time for me to fight this battle....you also of course, have to have at least one pair of 901s in good shape....two pair are "much" better with one pair hung high in the corners by gold chain with hooks screwed into the speaker and the barge rafter above....two on pedestals a few feet down the side walls mix with the top two and you've got a whole wall of localization around your components cabinet or TV.....

.....the presence with two eq's is what gets your attention from the first listening....the performing group will seem to move 10 feet closer with MUCH more live presence to be had....individual localizations run rampant, tambourine up in the top right of the wall, acoustic guitar in the middle on the far side, mids in the middle all the way across, Great Bass Looow and Tight-I mean the kind of bass that really makes it all work, etc....the music sounds live, speakers disappearing and all that.....

.....will give measurements of hanging two and putting two on pedestals if anyone might be interested....you'll need a wall 8 feet high and 10-12 feet wide....if someone asks, hopefully he will be serious about trying something here....if you're not going to use two Bose 901 eq's, or you're thinking you can use a slide eq for one of the eq's, forget it....it ain't the same animal....

.....four 901s positioned right, and eq'd right, were magic for me and about 150 friends and relatives who came to listen....important....with two Bose 901 eq's, I didn't have to have it loud for it to sound really good.....

I can't hold back anylonger. I tried.

I am currently running one pair of 901's series V's. Got them last year off flea bay fairly reasonable. No, very reasonable. The pair I bought new back in 79 i bought were the series IV's when I bought my SX-1980. The series IV's are long gone but the 1980 is still with me. I have my 901's hung.

Took me a while to find the correct placement and with a few holes in the ceiling finally got them right. Then after setting the angle I am convinced this is where they need to be. Up in the air away from any furniture. Depending on room size, I tend to agree with Mulester about using 4 901's and if you do you must use 2 EQ's. One for each pair. No way around it.

Personally, If I was running 2 pairs, I would use 2 amps. I just don't think the EQ finctions as well through the tape monitor loop. How can it? Unless you stereo is set up to monitor all sources through the tape loop, the EQ is useless through any source except the tape deck?? I always hook the EQ between the amp and pre amp. Have for 30 years and works great. Seems to anyway through 2 sets of 901's and I always seem to get earth shaking bass, crisp highs and clean mids out of mine. I've never used them with lower powered receivers amps before. I'm now using them with my Carver M-400a Power amp which pushes 200 wpc.
Normally the 901's are hooked to my Pioneer SX-1980 and I think the 1980 is a great match with plenty of power at 270wpc.

I'm somewhat familiar with the OP's Model Eleven III, I had the Eleven II way back in 1977 while stationed in Alaska. Thats the receiver I made Fly!! What a night that was. I think those kenwood receivers were made specifically for the military. Had the timers on them too. Anyway, just curious. Since this original post was some time ago, did the OP ever get them 901's??

[mulester7]

Originally Posted by Edriz

I just don't think the EQ functions as well through the tape monitor loop. How can it? Unless your stereo is set up to monitor all sources through the tape loop, the EQ is useless through any source except the tape deck??

.....Ed, the whole point I was trying to make, is using two Bose 901 eqs, with both 901 eqs affecting ALL 901 speakers involved....using one between the pre-amp and amp, and one on a tape monitor with no tape deck involved on that tape monitor the 901 eq is on....you could just chain two 901 eqs between the pre-amp and amp, but I liked having one eq on a tape monitor so I could show interested parties the difference between using two 901 eqs over just one....if you had one pair, or two pairs of 901s, they'd be getting the effects of one eq between the pre-amp and amp, and a second eq on that tape monitor....I didn't ever try two 901 eqs on just one pair of 901s hung high....I had two hung high, and two on pedestals down low 5-6 feet down the side walls, with all 4 being kicked by the Bose 1801 I had at the time.....

.....but, it doesn't appear anyone has two 901 eqs to try this, so I guess the proposal is a moot point.....

[Edriz]

Originally Posted by mulester7

.....Ed, the whole point I was trying to make, is using two Bose 901 eqs, with both 901 eqs affecting ALL 901 speakers involved....using one between the pre-amp and amp, and one on a tape monitor with no tape deck involved on that tape monitor the 901 eq is on....you could just chain two 901 eqs between the pre-amp and amp, but I liked having one eq on a tape monitor so I could show interested parties the difference between using two 901 eqs over just one....if you had one pair, or two pairs of 901s, they'd be getting the effects of one eq between the pre-amp and amp, and a second eq on that tape monitor....I didn't ever try two 901 eqs on just one pair of 901s hung high....I had two hung high, and two on pedestals down low 5-6 feet down the side walls, with all 4 being kicked by the Bose 1801 I had at the time.....

.....but, it doesn't appear anyone has two 901 eqs to try this, so I guess the proposal is a moot point.....

Doesn't the Bose receiver have a EQ built in. I always was under the assumption that the Bose receivers came equiped with a EQ...Hhmmmm

[mulester7]

.....Ed, I know nothing about a Bose receiver beyond the wireless unit that is used in another room to have extra audio using the Life Style speakers.....

http://www.4electronicwarehouse.com/...bose/ar-1.html

[iloveitloud]

For the guy asking if the OP ever got a set of 901's, Yes, I did. I got some V's, with the EQ, and original manuals. I re-foamed them,-went very well!, and tried putting them in many different locations. I also tried them with several EQ combinations, and agree with some of the recent posts, that 901's sound best with 2, or even 3 EQ's affecting each pair. I now run mine with the BOSE EQ, and use the EQ on the reciever at the same time as well. They sound good with this settup, but you need a whole lot of power to get any kind of volume out of them without clipping. Overall, I kind of like my 901's, sometimes, but I can certainly see both the lovers, and haters points of view on them. Just my 2cents!

[mulester7]

Originally Posted by iloveitloud

I also tried them with several EQ combinations, and agree with some of the recent posts, that 901's sound best with 2, or even 3 EQ's affecting each pair. I now run mine with the BOSE EQ, and use the EQ on the reciever at the same time as well. They sound good with this settup, but you need a whole lot of power to get any kind of volume out of them without clipping. Overall, I kind of like my 901's, sometimes, but I can certainly see both the lovers, and haters points of view on them. Just my 2cents!

.....and a worthy 2 cents it is, Iloveitloud, but using two Bose 901 eqs I'm thinking would bring the better results....possibly we're getting closer to someone reporting using two 901 eqs on a pair of 901s .....

[KentTeffeteller]

The Bose Spatial Control receiver had a built in Equalizer for the 901 speakers. This receiver is made in Japan for Bose (looks like Sansui built it). It's an excellent receiver and built like a brick outhouse. Dates from 1976 or so.

[analog addict]

Originally Posted by mulester7

.....and a worthy 2 cents it is, Iloveitloud, but using two Bose 901 eqs I'm thinking would bring the better results....possibly we're getting closer to someone reporting using two 901 eqs on a pair of 901s .....

You still playing this broken record?....

I suppose I'll have to try and oblige you when have have a chance. I recently picked up a 4401, a 2nd 1801, and an orphan Series II eq, to give me 2 eq's and one set of 901 II's...



http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/sho...d.php?t=250346

Now tell me why again the 2 eq's are better than 1....

Oh yeah, and I also have a Spatial Control receiver, which needs a set of III's or IV's, and a set of 901 V's....both orphans for the time being until I can do some horse trading....

[mulester7]

Originally Posted by analog addict

I suppose I'll have to try and oblige you when have have a chance. I recently picked up a 4401, a 2nd 1801, and an orphan Series II eq, to give me 2 eq's and one set of 901 II's...

.....(wagging tail).....

.....Analog Addict, are your pair of 901s on pedestals or hung high?....I didn't care that much for the Bose 4401 pre as it sounded a little tinny to me, and I stuck with my Marantz 3300 pre....I had 4 901s with two hung high toward the corners reflecting off the back wall, and two on pedestals 5-6 feet down the side walls using bath mats with rubber backing hung on the side walls behind the two on pedestals for damping to promote low-end....and, both sides of speakers were paralleled on the two channel 1801 amp with one eq between the pre and amp, and the other eq on a tape monitor for the effects of BOTH eq's to go to all four speakers....but hey, by all means, PLEASE, pull the trigger with one pair of 901s with two eq's and report what you think....the "live presence" should double or triple, but how do you measure that?.....

[RichPA]

Two eqs is going to overdrive the bass and treble. I wouldn't do it if they were my speakers.

[mulester7]

Originally Posted by RichPA

Two eqs is going to overdrive the bass and treble. I wouldn't do it if they were my speakers.

.....Rich, I used two eq's for 8 years and ran the system virtually every day.....

[darth]

Had a pair of 901's Series III that I used a Parasound EQ with. Sounded ok at loud volume but not so at low listening volume. They ARE beautiful looking but mid-fi in sound quality in my opinion.

[chili555]

one eq between the pre and amp, and the other eq on a tape monitor for the effects of BOTH eq's to go to all four speakers

I wonder how many Black Russians in a row you have to do to try this and think it's good sound.

Other than white van speakers, 901's have more negative press than any audio product on earth. How drunk do you have to be to get four of them and two eeka-lizas and wire them up like that and then, after a few more drinks, call it a good thing.

I am very glad I never heard that particular quad of 901's.

[kconnor]

One Sunday morning I A/B'd a pair of Bose 901V against my set of Klipsch KG4 speakers, (which most owners seem to love). Got my wife involved in it too. At this point I had become a long time Klipsch fan starting with a pair of Tangent 30 I got cheap from a pawn shop. Basically, I bought the Bose out of curiosity after reading Bose's hype and the Bose bashers’ impassioned criticisms. Anyway, the test took us several hours. I was expecting the KG4s to trounce all over the 901s. They didn’t. The differences to me were more subtle than I would have expected. The Klipsch had a more forward midrange presence and slightly more high frequency energy way up top. Came down to what sound I preferred not Klipsch good, Bose bad. I chose to use the Klipsch for that setup. I would venture to say that most of the criticism of the 901s is due to backlash from their advertising, (how dare they say those are better than mine?) and that a good percentage of the critics have never heard them much less heard them setup properly.

[mulester7]

Originally Posted by chili555

I wonder how many Black Russians in a row you have to do to try this and think it's good sound.

Other than white van speakers, 901's have more negative press than any audio product on earth. How drunk do you have to be to get four of them and two eeka-lizas and wire them up like that and then, after a few more drinks, call it a good thing.

I am very glad I never heard that particular quad of 901's.

.....great to hear from you, Chili....of course your statements are based on lots of experience with 901s, right?....does something have us frustrated today?.....