OP
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- #21
So, I take it no one has a pair they want to send in for testing? LOL
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Bose 901 Spinorama?
- Thread starter hardisj
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https://www.bose.com/en_us/products/speakers/stereo_speakers.html
These are the only speakers they still sell. You cannot find them in the regular site easily.
As to your JBL L100 comment, the last JBL 3-way to run the 12" FULL-RANGE (like the L100) is the 4312E
View attachment 72160
I was thinking the 'traditional' line--901, 501,301 etc. Their market (almost the entire popular audio scene) has changed. Bose used to sell a preamp, amplifier (Mark Levinson used one at a CES to drive part of his HQD as he didn't have enough ML-2s ready), and a receiver.
Funny story: one of the best high school auditorium sound systems I ever heard consisted of a set of Bose commercial speakers. Looked like a 901 but facing the room, with all the drivers forward firing. I have no idea how it was constructed since the drivers were not visible. Just a large BOSE printed on the front. Take-away? If a high school auditorium is where you do most of your listening, you might want to consider Bose!
As others have said, their commercial speakers seem to be good. IIRC Curt Palme of CRT fame has spoken highly of the Bose commercial speakers for big installs.
If I found one cheap, then I would do it.
Maybe one of the local sellers would be willing to "rent" one to you. Say $50 for a week or two.
OP
- Thread Starter
- #25
I reached out to the one who is about 2 hours from me. I figured it couldn't hurt to ask if he might be willing to loan it. I sent him the link to my set and explained why. The dude promptly replied... Nope.
alanca3
Member
I've been pleasantly surprised with the performance of Bose Pro so far. I would consider the Bose LT before the equivalent JBL Pro box if I had the money. Still not as good as Meyer Sound though. I'm interested to see if anyone here has heard their DeltaQ arrays (Room/Arena/Show - Match). I know their contractor grade loudspeakers are very popular in the retail/restaurant industry. They're cheap and attractive, especially from a branding point of view. They're not tonally balanced or particularly great, but they do sound less offensive than some of the alternatives (looking at you Klipsch CA and JBL Contractor).
I DJ in my off time, most events falling between 50-500 people. I almost exclusively use two of the Bose L1 II. It is a self powered tower with 24 angled 2.25" drivers, mated to a dual 10" bass cabinet. You can check the performance of a single tower here. What I find so interesting is the amount of people who've complemented the sound of the system, as compared to when I use JBL PRX and QSC K2 series. It highlights the fact that our perception of sound is influenced by visual cues and brand bias. As long as more people like the worse-measuring Bose system, I will continue to use it.
I DJ in my off time, most events falling between 50-500 people. I almost exclusively use two of the Bose L1 II. It is a self powered tower with 24 angled 2.25" drivers, mated to a dual 10" bass cabinet. You can check the performance of a single tower here. What I find so interesting is the amount of people who've complemented the sound of the system, as compared to when I use JBL PRX and QSC K2 series. It highlights the fact that our perception of sound is influenced by visual cues and brand bias. As long as more people like the worse-measuring Bose system, I will continue to use it.
No ASR review, but ProSound liked DeltaQs.
https://www.prosoundweb.com/review-bose-professional-showmatch-deltaq-array-system/
https://www.prosoundweb.com/review-bose-professional-showmatch-deltaq-array-system/
anmpr1
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When I was seriously getting into the hobby there were 3 speakers on everyone's lips: L100, AR3a; and 901. It would be difficult to find three loudspeakers that sounded so different from each other, were so popular, and sold so many.
Today none of them would be considered suitable for serious listening by many people. But that was almost 50 years ago. What loudspeaker made today will still be talked about 50 years from now? With as much fond memory or downright hate! I mean, those three products were amazingly polarizing.
PS: I'd add the Quad--50 years from now people will still remember Peter Walker's landmark loudspeaker.
ribosradagast
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I'm waiting for a definitive reply from him, but my father in law has a pair which he has offered me to sell in the past. If I can poke around in his basement and find the eq, I will definitely send em in your direction.
F1308
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I remember It was summer 1991 when a friend and I very much enjoyed a live concert...played through as many as four , if my memory does not deceive me, pairs of Bose 901. I am still hearing Tina Turner We don't need another hero...
The bass was so outstanding I cannot tell you.
Music came from a keyboardist, vocals from a female singer with a really nice voice. I am not aware of any other equipment used, I just kept staring at the 901s, loving the sound.
It was the first loudspeaker to trigger my interest that far, willing to buy it. When I managed to get a price, nothing easy to do at the time, I had to look elsewhere...
476$ in 1968... 3610$ today....
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/flashback-1968-bose-901-speaker-system
https://www.inflationtool.com/us-dollar/1968-to-present-value
Time to test new technology....
https://www.bose.com/en_us/products/frames/bose-frames-alto.html
The bass was so outstanding I cannot tell you.
Music came from a keyboardist, vocals from a female singer with a really nice voice. I am not aware of any other equipment used, I just kept staring at the 901s, loving the sound.
It was the first loudspeaker to trigger my interest that far, willing to buy it. When I managed to get a price, nothing easy to do at the time, I had to look elsewhere...
476$ in 1968... 3610$ today....
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/flashback-1968-bose-901-speaker-system
https://www.inflationtool.com/us-dollar/1968-to-present-value
Time to test new technology....
https://www.bose.com/en_us/products/frames/bose-frames-alto.html
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These were finished as PA speakers and sold for that purpose and perhaps more particularly for rock bands etc in smaller venues.
OP
- Thread Starter
- #33
Just an update. A fellow ASR member has a line on a set of 901 Series IV with the EQ. He will have to re-foam them before they can be used, though. He's also quite a distance away and shipping would be costly for even a single speaker. I don't know anything about the different versions but I know I've seen a lot of talk about the Series IV and up. But, if all else fails... we have a friendly fellow with a speaker he can lend out once they've been restored.
However, in the meantime I wanted to ask around in my other forums/groups just in case there's anyone I know who has a set that I didn't know about.
However, in the meantime I wanted to ask around in my other forums/groups just in case there's anyone I know who has a set that I didn't know about.
NoAudiophile
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I've got the measurements still, here is what they look like windowed down to 5ms.
Obviously not useful in this form. Let me know what you want I can provide.
Attachments
OP
- Thread Starter
- #35
Cool! I believe I have a donor for the series IV but I appreciate you sharing. I will be in touch if I need it. Thanks for your hard work as well! Love your site.
NoAudiophile
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I wish you luck on this. I spent a lot of time with a measurement microphone in front of these speakers, and never saw a coherent trend. If I was going to do it again I would try a redneck spinorama, as I did in the ELAC 5.2 2.0 review to determine overall power response compared to a speaker that has detailed measurements available. That's the only thing I think I left on the table that might produce a useful line on a graph. Look forward to seeing your results.
OP
- Thread Starter
- #37
Thanks.
Spinorama is exactly what I'm looking to do. I am just curious to see how something like this shows up in a standard spinorama plot. Especially being that it is relying on reflection to do the tricky stuff.
I read your review and had to do a double-take at seeing my company's name mentioned:
"Even today you can see some of these same ideas being used in new products such as AudioKinesis "Late Ceiling Splash" technology, where very directional speakers are coupled with delayed reflections that add immersion to the listening experience."
You described what we do accurately, and I appreciate that.
A bit more information, just for the record: Our delayed reflections are much weaker than what the 901 generated, and actually even weaker than what we'd normally get from a dipole loudspeaker. If the delayed reflections are too strong, clarity is degraded. So in our opinion there is a "sweet spot" where the delayed reflections are beneficial but clarity isn't degraded.
In a concert hall, you CAN have reflections which sum to 10 dB louder than the direct sound and still have good clarity IF certain other conditions are met, which include the delay times. Imo Amar Bose made the mistake of only looking at the relative levels, and not arrival times.
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phoenixdogfan
Major Contributor
Let's not forget LS3/5as.
phoenixdogfan
Major Contributor
I'll buy the popcorn if it ever gets to the spinorama.
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