Bose 901's with "highend ancillaries"??

I'm not the first to say that the basic premise of the 901 is fatally flawed. Bose determined that the sound reaching the audiences ears in a concert hall was 11% direct from the stage and 89% after reflecting off the walls, floor, and ceiling of the hall. So the 901 imitates that ratio with one forward facing driver and eight rear firing. Yeah, but a recording of a performance in a concert hall already contains the direct and reflected sound reaching the recording microphones, from different directions and at different times. It's more than a little simplistic to think you can simulate the 11%/89% concert hall direct/reflected ratio through two speakers playing recordings made in the type of room you're trying to simulate. You're actually doubling the direct/reflected effect with the 901, you see? You would need to make a recording in an anechoic chamber, one mic for the direct sound and multiples for the reflected. Then play the recordings on a system that mirror images the recording mics---one speaker facing the listener and eight firing from the sides, back, and ceiling.

And what about a recording made in a studio? Here, the direct/reflected premise is more than meaningless, it's completely wrong! Is it any wonder that the 901 does not, in fact can not,image?

Then there is the matter of trying to reproduce bass through 4-1/2" drivers! Not to mention high frequencies!! Nope, sorry---can not be done. One listen to a 901 will confirm that.

Which is why those with "high end" Bose systems point the front of the speaker at the wall.

Probable why pro installs from ceilings with a LOT of open space behind can sound pretty good if done well to take venue acoustics into account.

Its hard to have that much space behind speakers in most homes and still get the overall acoustics right.

Pointing the front o the wall might be a better option. Dunno. Never heard a home Bose audition good enough to get my interest. In general, I find Bose stuff cheaply made and overpriced, a cash cow for Bose. 901s not so bad in teh right situation maybe. You never know what will work best in each unqiue case/installation. Money spent alone won't do it.

Most audiophiles will dismiss these as garbage, along with all horn speakers and other brands / technologies not blessed by the gurus of mainstream high end.

In fact, I have heard speakers at far higher price ranges do more damage to the music, and sound far more offensive to me. The 901s can be fun to listen to, and I'd rather listen to them than many "approved" speakers. I find the colorations and distortions of an award winning single driver speaker at many tens of thousands of dollars much more offensive than 901's, as one of the many examples I could bring up.

I saw a pair of tiny Totem Arros going for over $2K at a local dealer yesterday.

Yowsa! weren't these almost half that price not so long ago?

Granted they are good sounding speakers for their diminutive size but they are TINY!!!!

I like the sound of the Arros but the price for that tiny package no matter how good really struck me.

I'll stick to buying used online whenever I can I suppose.