Bose 901 series VI & Yamaha A-S2000

+1 on the Bose 901's. For years I read in forums as audiophiles bashed these famous speakers, but had not heard a new pair until recently.

FYI, I run Merlin TSM-MXr speakers with Manley tube amp, so I'm certainly nowhere near the "Bose mindset."

BUT....Guess what? The 901's I heard were a ton of fun. They filled a large room with clean musical sound that really impressed me. They were not set up for critical listening, but were well powered by Adcom stuff. I put my upturned nose away and said, "Those 901's actually sound good!" And they did.

Cheers,

Rob

Dpatterson, Maybe you were ignorant back then. You should take the knowledge you have acquired over the years and apply it to a project of getting the best sound from a pair of Bose 901s. You might be surprised.

I have never owned Bose speakers, but I have heard them in stereo shops a few times. I did not hear anything objectionable about the sound although I was not critically listening. I have owned too many speakers, amplifiers and preamps to mention including both tube and solid state designs and I have enjoyed each one for their own set of strengths. Because there is so much Bose bashing among audiophiles I am seriously considering the purchase of Bose speakers to find out the truth. I believe too many audiophiles are bashing equipment they know nothing about and have never experience first hand. Why not try them. They are rediculously inexpensive. You can buy used Bose 901s for $500-$700 used including stands and matching equalizer. I have spent that much on stands alone for so called audiophile speakers. I still have the stands, but the speakers are long gone. I would like to hear Bose speakers with some really nice tube electronics. The stores usually demo them with a Japanese receiver. I would like to hear Bose speakers with a high quality front end and cables selected to get the most out of the system. Maybe I will like them and maybe I won't, but there is no way of knowing until you have experienced it for yourself and it could be a lot of fun. Isn't that what it's all about?

Rrog, there's more than "Bose bashing" when it comes to this sort of thing. Believe your ears first and everyone else second.

When it comes to audio people either rave or rant and often without feet planted firmly.

Years ago I heard about a speaker called The Carver Amazing. It was a huge ribbon speaker with multiple subs in each panel. A audiophile friend commented that they got little love, but that most people had no clue about what they could really do when properly set up. I ended up buying a pair for an amazing 1200 dollars here in NY. To this day I've never had more fun with a pair of speakers. They played LOUD. They imaged and had depth. And they soaked up wattage like a sponge and created all kinds of room reflection issues while failing to be continuous from top-to-bottom. My current pair of Merlins are infinitely more refined; a more mature product in every respect.....but WOW those Carvers were a great time and I miss them. There has never been a speaker since to even come close to what they could do for the money, IF set up well.
Hearing those 901's blasting away reminded me of those Carvers. There's room for all kinds of speakers out there, folks!

Rob

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I was at a party in an apartment about 20 years ago when I first heard the Bose 301. They sounded really good. A few years later, I heard the Bose 901 in someone's home, they sounded really good also. Both times I heard them, I was not doing any critical listing, but I do remember it being a pleasant listening experience. I am considering getting a set of Bose 901 series VI for the front speakers in my home theater.

When I joined Audiogon, I was surprised to find out that Bose was a no-no. When I started to assemble my main 2-channel system, I dared not consider Bose, mainly because of the opinions I read on Audiogon. For the most part, most of the advice that I've followed on Audiogon to build my system has been spot-on with no complaints.

My advice to the original poster, if you've ever heard the 901's and you liked them...buy them and don't look back. buy what you like and enjoy it.

The 901's come with an equalizer. Make sure the preamp you buy is compatible and has the correct connetctions to work with the Bose EQ. You can go to the Bose website and check out the Owner's manual for the 901 to see if your preamp is compatible.
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