So I bought a vintage pair of Bose 901s and...

I have a pair of 601 II. I think they would sound really good in the proper room. Unfortunately I don't have that room.

 

I worried about the TV stand being in the way, but it actually sounds good considering. Once I bring in more furniture to the downstairs I'll relocate them there where there will be much more open space.

If I can find a matching 2nd pair, it would be interesting to try this:

 

Good luck finding a matching pair of those Continentals. I was going to argue your claim those were series IIs, but I'm sure your correct. Have you removed the grills for a peek at the drivers?

I had mine suspended from the ceiling when I was stationed on Crete. The house was concrete block with plaster on the walls and 10 foot ceilings. Man could they play loud in that room with no strain.

 

I've always heard 901s sounding their best when suspended from the ceiling, placed symmetrically out from the walls, with the v-sides facing the wall, as already mentioned.

 

It's really hard to argue their distinctive uniqueness (regardless of how one feels about their sonic presentation). A pair of these went through my hands about a year ago. If I remember correctly, the speakers (and the stands) weren't what I would call... lightweight. The grills weren't in as good a shape as yours.

 

I can't say for sure how that would sound, but you may run into phase cancellation problems if the speakers are set up like that. Including in the midrange frequencies, where you really don't want them.

The 901s do need air around them. I'd suggest pulling the pair you have now out from the wall and the corner a ways, and just play around with them to find the optimal balance of direct and reflected sound that the 901s are designed to throw. Maybe angle them a bit, to see how the reflected sound interacts with the TV stand furniture.Or pull the TV stand forward so that it's parallel with the speaker fronts to provide more space for the reflected ambient sound, as has been suggested. Experiment.

Also- you have nice high ceilings, that's practically always a plus for a home audio listening room. If you get into ceiling-suspended placement, you might find that there's an optimum height for the best dispersion and bass reinforcement.

 

Speaker placement be damned. If I had those 901s I’d put them on either side of my bed, replacing my nightstands. I’d turn them towards my resting head and blast BTO’s Not Fragile until someone called the cops or I went deaf, whichever came first.

 

I am pretty sure they’re Series II. Will double check when I can. I have not removed the grilles. I think they’re held in with staples.

That setup you describe sounds interesting! I’d like to suspend a pair from the ceiling if I can find a 2nd pair.

 

This made me LOL

 

Looking at your pictures, pretty sure those are the series II. If they don't have ports on the rear, it's a definite. What a great find.

 

Congratulations. Owned 901's for about 15 years. Placement and power was key. The more breathing room the better.

 

There are indeed no ports on the rears. I think the rear ports on the later models look cool, but I've read some very mixed opinions on them from those who have compared them to the non-ported ones.

 

Thank you. I think I will be relocating them downstairs eventually, where they'll have a lot more room–– this was just temporary but I've had so much fun with them I hate to move them just yet. They are definitely loud. I'm hoping the neighbors don't hate me right now.

 

Fact is it is fun to listen to speakers that are not in the league of Harbeth or Splendor. I listen to a mono 1935 console radio and at times all day.

 

Given the skepticism most people have of Bose, this thread is reading as the audiophile equivalent of

 

Using 4 901's like that used to be called a SuperBose system. The dealer that I bought mine from had this set up in their big listening room (40x30). They were powered by a Phase Linear 700 power amp. I'm don't remember whether they used 2 eq's or not or the rest of the cabling. That system could produce rock concert volume levels with crystal clear sound.

 

My favorite memory of owning a pair of BOSE 901's (circa new 1980-83) and I loved to play my A&M Nautilus LP pressing of Styx's "Pieces Of Eight" album. I would turn the speaker around so those air tubes on the back side of the speaker, where instead facing me and crank them at the end of "Queen Of Spades". That ending synthesized bass note that just lingers for many seconds would make my hair blow, just like the guy in the "Is it live or is it Memorex" ads, LOL.

For years, I used BOSE 802 series III speakers on the road for my mobile DJ service and I still believe that they are some of the best "live" speakers that I've ever used or heard. I still own them and I want to sell them now, as the problem with those was that I had to use a separate amp for the bass and another amp for the mids and highs, which means a LOT more weight to carry. Now I'm older and I use speakers that have built-in 1,000 watt amps built right in them and they are much, much lighter than lugging those separate old amps, I can tell you. Speaking of which, I'm off right now to spin the hits at an event!

 

I had a friend that had them hung as well n a room with a high vaulted ceiling and they sounded really great, better than I ever heard them on stands.

 

Not to deny you, but I'm quite certain the right-hand one would be better off further to the left. Is that possible? Or does it misalign the TV vs couch or whatever? Cool about the DSP; yes those speakers MUST be EQ'd, it is part of the design not optional. And I'll also get in the "they sound better hanging" ring based on experience in a friend's basement. [OK people, get your minds out of the gutter...]

 

A true wall of sound!

 

It seems that about every place I've heard the 901s in (audio equipment store, bar, restaurant, club, etc), they were all hung from the ceiling; some were properly positioned symmetrically out from the walls as Panama Hotel describes, some were mounted in corners.

I dated a woman who was a karaoke singer (back when that was a thing) at a club that was loaded with 901's- all of them hanging from the rafters. Sound was amazing throughout the entire area.

 

All of the old Bose "direct reflecting" speakers craved / required / demanded a symmetrical layout.

Sure they'd make lots of sound regardless, but unless things were identical left and right that's all it was: sound. Imaging would be way way off with no sense of realism.

Rock music and the like fared best under non-ideal conditions. But everything else, where location and placement were critical: not so much.

Differences in distances from reflecting surfaces. Differences in reflection / diffraction / absorption. Differences in speaker aiming.

I can't say that the 901s were the most "sensitive" to such things; but as I said in an earlier post, I was never able to find a room to accommodate them, and could certainly never do so in my current home, where I have many stereo systems in operation all working very very well in their habitat.

Jeff

 

In the mid '70s, my oldest brother was making good bread and built himself a swingin' bachelor pad in the basement of my parents' house, complete with shag carpet, mood lighting, and an oversized waterbed. I'll never his awesome hifi, which included a Marantz receiver, Garrard Zero turntable, Dual top-loader cassette... and a pair of 901's hanging by chains from the ceiling.

Was hanging Bose 901's kind of a 'thing' back then?

 

My father used a set of 901 series II. He powered them with a Sansui 9090db (which I'm now in possession of) and later some Adcom separates. My stepmom has them now, but would definitely take them if she offered for when or if I ever buy a house. They were so impressive to me when I was growing up. I miss that sound. And they're great for entertaining because of the wall of sound they put up.

 

There's not much room to move left. If I shift everything left, the left speaker back will not be projecting against a wall. For right now it's the best arrangement, once I get more furniture into the basement, they'll be relocated and have much more open space.