Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners Yikes, Dad wants a Bose!

I had a set of Bose 901's along with a 250 wpc Bose amp back in mid 70 to early 80. Then the price, with military discount was about $1500 for the pair, I think. At the time, I thought it was a great sounding system. I've not heard 901's in years, but I remember listening to the 301, 501 and the stuff they sell today for PC's and HT and it just sounds like c.r.a.p. But this leaves me wondering if the 901's back in the 70's were "different" that what they sell today?

I would like to see the research done on the 901's. I'm going to search for it and see what it says.

Ok, I read the article mentioned earlier in this thread. There was a lot of sound theory discussed there concerning the Bose 901 reflective sound, but nothing convincing that it was no good, to me at least. If a person was considering Bose, I think they would have to go the 901 route and have an adequate room to put it in. A lot of gripes on this system was room response concerning inadequate rooms.

Here's the last 2 paragraphs on that article:

"We don't wish to give the impression, though, that the 901 is a dull-sounding system. You can, of course, make it sound that way via the treble-cut settings on the equalizer, or you can make it sound hard and zippy at the top, but with the equalizer set for flattest response (according to Bose's curves, and our ears), the 901 has much of the brilliance of a typical horn system, but without the "horny" midrange coloration.

If we were to judge the 901 in terms of the best sound available, then, we would say that it produces a more realistic semblance of natural ambience than any other speaker system, but we would characterize it as unexceptional in all other respects. It is ideal for rock enthusiasts to whom sheer sonic impact is of paramount importance, and for classical listeners who want the next best thing to ambient stereo without the cost and the bother of rear-channel add-ons. However, we doubt that the 901 will appeal to perfectionists who have developed a taste for subtleties of detail and timbre."