Bose 901 Speaker Placement

I have series 1.

 

I'm guessing as old as the series I is, the foam rot is not an issue. They look cool with the grills removed though.

 

I owned the 901 Series II back in the seventies and eighties. The series I and II were a sealed enclosure hence needing lots of power if you like your music loud at all to get the most out of them as you are driving 10 individual speakers. Starting with series III and onward they were ported and the sound was downhill from there on. I had mine about 24 inches from the side walls and using the rear center point of the cabinets about 10 inches from the rear wall and about 4 feet high on rigid sand filled stands (a must to keep the base tight). Rear wall must be a solid wall (I covered the rear wall with solid barn board). You don't have your equipment listed but you say you are using an equalizer but not Bose's. It is a must to use the factory eq. as you can't duplicate how the engineer's designed the supplied one. If you are using separate pre and power amps, put the eq. between them not through a tape monitor loop to get the best out of them. I ran the eq at full bright (farthest right position on dial). For all the Bose haters out there mine sounded really good...with good tight bass, nice open midrange with a smooth top end. The sound stage was wide and deep hence why I kept them for so long. I ran them with a Dunlap-Clarke Dreadnaught 500 power amp with a Marantz 3800 pre. Probably time for a recap of the factory eq as it now over 40 years old.

 

("no kidding"): on the 3ft. pedestal stands...about a foot and-a-half away from a wall AND: run with an Onkyo Integra 8057 integrated amp from 1984.
The auditioning disc was Allison Krauss and Union Station's "The Lucky One" played on a B&O cd player and, from when I'd heard this setup at a friend's house, it served acoustic music very well. However, any type of Rock had NO weighty BASS at all and one's view of the 901 became entirely different.

 

I am not adverse to using the Bose EQ; It's just that I don't have one. So the conventional EQ, to paraphrase an old song, will have to do until the real thing comes along. If the speakers sound this good now, I am sure they will only sound that much better with Bose, but I am happy with the current setup and not breaking a leg to find the Bose.

No preamp. I am running these through a massive, heavy solid state receiver/amplifier from the 1970s. (Forget the brand offhand.) Have to use the tape monitor for the Bose so I can listen to the B&W shelf speakers without the EQ in the next room.

 

The local American Legion has a pair of 901's suspended from the ceiling on cables and hooked to a touch-screen jukebox. They sound alright. There's no soundstage or 3D imaging, but did I mention they're ceiling mounted?

 

I am going to re-create that curve to the best of my equalizer's ability and see if the sound is significantly different. This appears to be similar to what I've done, though - a greater boost of the lower frequencies than the highs.

 

Ouch.

 

I have heard them set up that way, and it brings out the Worst in them. Treble is even way more off axis, and it creates some boomy upper bass and crappy mids.

Set up normally, with the eq they should sound relatively good as far as balance goes.
Problem with ceiling mounting, they are far too close to most ceilings and can not easily be "tilted" since the drivers are mostly all rear mounted, and will reflect, instead of being "Aimed" at the listener the way a normal box speaker would.

 

Plus with the Bose EQ, you can vary the mid bass and the treble with the sliders.
Not saying it will transform them to perfection, but it allows a far easier adjustment, and the ability to alter it up and down quickly to see what sounds better with one integrated control for bass and treble.

 

I hear you. I will keep my eyes open for one, but have some more pressing expenses right now. I am told that with series I speakers that both the series I and II EQ are appropriate.

 

Cool forgot you had series I. But here is more info about the different Eq options of every series.

interesting use of 901s---seriously

 

Had a set of Bose 901 Series VI way back in the day.

I found them to sound better in the "reversed" position with the 8 drivers facing forward and the 9th facing the wall.
Used the matching EQ unit through my tape loop and adjusted to taste.

Ran a high quality 120W ($5K) power amp with them and remember being astounded by bass levels.
General imaging and top end were pretty deficient though.

 

I did that with my Bose 301's back in the early/mid 80s along with Tower speakers (DB+) on the floor, creating a wall of sound in my 8x11 room. Good times>

sean

 

I applied Bose's EQ curve to the equalizer that I am using, and while the lows and mids sounded great, the highs were too bright for my taste. I am going to roll them back some.

 

The current issue of Dwell magazine features a Modernist home in the general area of Silicon Valley (I think), with a living area "conversation pit" complete with a pair of 901's on stands. So, I think you're onto something.

 

As we all know, the most critical aspect of any piece of audio equipment is its visual aesthetic. If it happens to sound good, all the better.

 

Bought a set of Series II's from the Marine Corps Hobby shop back in 1974 and powered them with the Bose 1801 amp. Still have them today along with a pair of Series V's. The II's are boxed up & in my closet whereas the V's are providing sound in the bar/sports room. My main listening area is quite different configuration. Through trial & error & just trying different room placement locations ( as others have mentioned) to reverse the cabinets so the 8 drivers are facing into the room rather than the rear wall. Additionally, in other rooms, I brought them more into the room (with the single driver facing). You just have to play with it --

As others mentioned, I too recommend you find a Series II equalizer (I do believe the biggest change from I's to II's was the equalizer; besides aesthetics -- darker cloth and the walnut front trim). There are many on the SF Bay site for modest prices.

I've included Jeff Dorgays' (ToneAudio) review not too long ago on the 901's. Like some have mentioned, I thoroughly enjoyed the 901's and the 'crapers' in large part have never heard a properly placed pair or a pair at all & have found it easier therefore to reiterate the anti-Bose chorus than commenting otherwise. As Henry Ford once was quoted "If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right."

The Bose 901s & the 1801 amp kept bringing me back to the music mediums for 20+ years as I worked towards retirement. No qualms and no second thoughts (oh, maybe a couple - wish I bought those Klipsch Klipschorns or Sansui Sp-5500's back in the day -- but hey, can't have everything).

tonepublications.com/review/we-review-the-bose-901/

The correct Series II equalizer:


Best Sirs,

Bob

 

Most of these haters haven't dated since Jimmy Carter was President but let me tell you, my experience is 901's are Lady Killers! I have a set of restored 901 series III on pedestals w/recapped spatial control eq. I'm an old guy too but since I've been dating again, I swear I should be carving a notch on the cabinets every time I get lucky after I dim the lights and turn up the 901's. The ladies tell me that they strike a sexy pose, have a sleek "Danish" sensibility and quite frankly, I just don't think it's my charm...

Back on topic, I have them set up in the conventional manner; rear firing, a foot from the wall and about 3 feet from the corner. They pretty much fill the entire main floor of my house. Living room, dining room, kitchen and hall.

I have multiple systems in my home and many speakers-some costing several times more than the 901's and the 901's are fun. I too admired Jeff @TONEPUB for giving them such an even handed review in his mag.

 

I have this link bookmarked for a 3rd party eq for series i and ii:
EQ901B-I/II - Replacement Upgrade for BOSE 901 I II Equalizers
Not sure how it sounds compared to stock.

 

OMG using 901's without the original EQ !!!!!! A sure way to ruin their sound. Back in the days when I was in sales, we sold these things by the ton. Not the best sounding compared to other at the price but Bose promoted them and the public bought them. They had pretty good incentives for selling a pair and as salespersons we sold...lol. As to placement, well do what sounds best. With the success of the 901's Bose turned around and made the very same speaker in black, no front driver and called it Professional. They sold with adjustable stands and were meant to have the drivers facing the audience. Begs the question does placement matter to get the Bose Sound?

 

Interesting group - I wanted to chime in because I'm one of those idiots who have the Series 1 and original EQ, all quite pristine.

Running through the stalwart Sansui 7070 via the Pro-ject RPM 3 (Ortofon 2M Red), TEAC A-100 Cassette (what can I say the 80s happened), and of course a nice Bluetooth DAC/receiver (Lazy = iTunes).

I couldn't be happier with the sound, unless I had $20K or whatever to spend, in which case out they'd go. EXCEPT for the room full of MCM classics, which the wife refuses to sully with "big ugly" speakers. The 901s in (real) walnut with the tan burlap-ish grills fit right in. Marriage, like politics, is the art of compromise.

Picked em up from some poor fellow who needed cash, think it was $200. He had them set up without the EQ, they sounded like crap, so I gave him $150 in case the EQ was bad. It was not!

Run via the tape monitor, no pre-out on the Sansui. But I did have them set up that way on my old Vector Research and did not notice any grand advantage.

Placement? on a solid wall, on original stands, about 18" from rear peak to wall. My Eames lounger is situated so my ears are right in the sweet spot, which admittedly is where the magic happens. I can disappear in there.

I wanted to say I'm glad to hear the later series were downhill from the Series 1. Mine sound so good, I had been looking at Series 5 and 6 sets for sale. Like most music weirdos I am constantly looking to improve the sound. Sounds like I should sit tight.