Bose 901 Spinorama?

[bigx5murf]

The 901 are unique enough that, I don't think anechoic data really applies to them. They have like 8 drivers pointed backwards specifically to create and utilize reflections.

 

[CDMC]

My first "good" speakers were Bose "Interaudio" bookshelf speakers. They were ported conventional (not direct reflecting) and used a paper tweeter. They gave the impression of deep base, and the salesman sold them using Poco Heart of the Night on a half speed mattered vinyl recording.

My entry to hifi was a pair of interaudio towers, which were very similar to the later omnivector 4. The first pair of speakers I bought were omnivector 1s from Best. $160. They got me through high school and the beginning of college.

https://assets.bose.com/content/dam...speakers/omnivector/pdf/owg_en_omnivector.pdf

 

[CDMC]

Yeap, but say what you want the 901 was never a audiophile speaker. Torture them no problem. But, no, they never sound good. Not in there time and for shure not today.

I always thought the 501, 701, and even 301 sounded much better.

The 10.2 were actually pretty good also. Then they went down the smaller is better with their acoustmass and ruined it all.

http://www.hifi-classic.net/review/bose-10-2-226.html

 

[NoAudiophile]

I read your review and had to do a double-take at seeing my company's name mentioned.

I try to stay informed as to all the cool stuff going on in the boutique side of the industry, good to see you here.

I like your idea, and was planning on implementing something similar in a stereo soundbar design using the seos8 waveguide with a soft dome and 7 inch revelator in a crossfire configuration(speakers in front of the edge listeners and directly pointed at the opposite edge listener). The ceiling spash would be handled by an external fountek ribbon, pointing the ribbon drivers directly at the top corners of the side walls. I picked up the idea for the ribbon from Von Schweikert's rear mounted ribbons, but the idea for ceiling target and delay(pointing to the furthest front reflection point) was pulled from your stuff.

I never finished the project as I determined during testing that a crossfire sound bar would be absurdly large(wide) to work with my 12' wide 5 seater couch. I've attached a rough model of the last iteration of this train of thought I chased down, for your amusement.

 

[hardisj]

The 901 are unique enough that, I don't think anechoic data really applies to them. They have like 8 drivers pointed backwards specifically to create and utilize reflections.

That is, again, exactly why I want to test them. We rely so heavily on evaluating performance based on CTA-2034 data which weights reflections as part of the analysis. I am interested to see what the CTA-2034 set of data would look like for something like the Bose 901 (as well as the Mirage Omni speakers I posted about here).

 

[Duke]

I try to stay informed as to all the cool stuff going on in the boutique side of the industry, good to see you here.

I like your idea, and was planning on implementing something similar in a stereo soundbar design using the seos8 waveguide with a soft dome and 7 inch revelator in a crossfire configuration(speakers in front of the edge listeners and directly pointed at the opposite edge listener). The ceiling spash would be handled by an external fountek ribbon, pointing the ribbon drivers directly at the top corners of the side walls. I picked up the idea for the ribbon from Von Schweikert's rear mounted ribbons, but the idea for ceiling target and delay(pointing to the furthest front reflection point) was pulled from your stuff.

I never finished the project as I determined during testing that a crossfire sound bar would be absurdly large(wide) to work with my 12' wide 5 seater couch. I've attached a rough model of the last iteration of this train of thought I chased down, for your amusement.

Thank you very much!

I like the geometry of your speakers in the soundbar, and did something similar for a while, but in that model the added reflections were not angled upwards (I hadn't yet figured that part out - I was still thinking primarily in terms of reflections arrival directions, rather than in terms of arrival times).

 

[NoAudiophile]

The arrival time stuff is pretty neat. Picked up some of that information looking into prosound installations where the fill speakers for the back crowd is digitally delayed, which makes the sound still seem to be coming from the stage even though it's 1/10th as loud.

 

[hardisj]

A member of this forum offered up a pair of Bose 901 Series V speakers to me to test. I will let him decide if he wants to say who he is. I told him I would take care of shipping costs both ways. Well, he shipped them today and the total was $115. One-way. So, probably another $115 back to him. Eek!

If anyone here is interested in this data enough and can help me offset some of the shipping costs by donating a little bit, it would be greatly appreciated. You can do so via PayPal through my site link here:
https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/contribute/

 

[ribosradagast]

Yeap, but say what you want the 901 was never a audiophile speaker. Torture them no problem. But, no, they never sound good. Not in there time and for shure not today.

This is actually exactly why they should be measured imo. We have all the two way monitors in the world here getting preference ratings of 4+, that's not interesting anymore. But it is very interesting to me the exotic or historic speakers that push the limits or functionality of the Klippel system. To see what it can really do, you know?

If it measures like flaming poo, then that's still great to know! Another data point

 

[hardisj]

A member of this forum offered up a pair of Bose 901 Series V speakers to me to test. I will let him decide if he wants to say who he is. I told him I would take care of shipping costs both ways. Well, he shipped them today and the total was $115. One-way. So, probably another $115 back to him. Eek!

If anyone here is interested in this data enough and can help me offset some of the shipping costs by donating a little bit, it would be greatly appreciated. You can do so via PayPal through my site link here:
https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/contribute/

Looks like they are set to arrive tomorrow. Yay!

I was kind of hoping they wouldn't get here until next week. I have a bunch of other speakers to test but now the 901's will probably get bumped up to the front of the line.

 

[PierreV]

I still have my 901 type VI. They are relegated to outdoor sound these days. On the plus side, they were able to do a lot of noise for parties, and they were kind of smooth for dinners, evenly filling the room in a non aggressive way.
I tried to measure them last year, but the results weren't nice. Direct comparison at the sweet spot with the Giya G3 is hilarious.
I can safely say that many veils were lifted in that case. Would gladly have sent them but I am on another continent...

 

[tomtoo]

Looks like they are set to arrive tomorrow. Yay!

I was kind of hoping they wouldn't get here until next week. I have a bunch of other speakers to test but now the 901's will probably get bumped up to the front of the line.

Do you make a video review?

 

[hardisj]

Do you make a video review?

They got delayed in shipping. Now set for arrival today.

Gonna take me a while to test them before I even start thinking about making a video review.

 

[tomtoo]

They got delayed in shipping. Now set for arrival today.

Gonna take me a while to test them before I even start thinking about making a video review.

Oh, now problem wish you have a lot of fun with testing, Just was curious seeing a video review about this good old monsters. When i see them i go 35years back in time. Thats also fun.

 

[ribosradagast]

Oh, now problem wish you have a lot of fun with testing, Just was curious seeing a video review about this good old monsters. When i see them i go 35years back in time. Thats also fun.

I just had my Father-in-Law over to listen to my pair and he was blown away by how "good" they sounded. Started waxing eloquent about the times he saw Peter Frampton and Stevie Ray Vaughn live... ideal speakers for that, haha

 

[Ericglo]

I just had my Father-in-Law over to listen to my pair and he was blown away by how "good" they sounded. Started waxing eloquent about the times he saw Peter Frampton and Stevie Ray Vaughn live... ideal speakers for that, haha

Thanks for making me feel old. I saw Stevie live. At least I was in high school.

 

[CDMC]

Did they send the eq box?

 

[ribosradagast]

Did they send the eq box?

They did!

 

[hardisj]

I gotta say, these suckers are cool. Are they accurate? Pssssht. Nope. But my goodness do they create a hugemongous soundstage (even if it’s not supposed to). ‍Depth is beyond any conventional speaker I’ve ever heard.

I know I’m supposed to hate them but I can’t bring myself to do it.


This is also the part where I gently post this again..
One-way shipping on these was $115. So round trip shipping is gonna be $230 or so. I offered to pay it out of my pocket... but I didn't expect to pay that much. So, if anyone here can help me offset some of the shipping costs by donating a little bit, it would be greatly appreciated. You can do so via PayPal through my site link here:
https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/contribute/




So, now the pictures!

@ribosradagast has got jokes!!!

 

[ribosradagast]