Bose Driver Re-use?

[croat47]

I have some Bose 201's that I was going to re-build. Before anyone jumps on Bose products, please read on:

I also have some Dayton 1" silk dome tweeters. I thought perhaps I could use the woofers from the 201's, the Dayton tweeters, and some better crossover components (have those too) to make a nicer sounding speaker. I would eventually upgrade the woofers with some Vifa 6.5" drivers.

Cash flow, living situation (in-law's while we house hunt after our move from out of state), and time are my limiting factors. Has anyone tried this? I know that Bose uses cheap parts and construction (I already dissected one speaker and found NO solder at all: just pins wrapped with wire). But, this could be a band-aid while I wait for the Vifa's.

Thanks!

[Cal Weldon]

Of course that's OK. What are you really asking for? Forgiveness?

Just don't spend any money on them.

[croat47]

Well, I guess it is forgiveness...

I plan on spending MDF and finishing on them. Everything will be geared (except the low pass portion of the crossover) towards replacing the Bose drivers with the Vifa's at some point...hopefully soon.

Have you done this...it's okay to admit it.

thanks!

[Cal Weldon]

I'll admit to using old boxes with new gear. I will admit to friends owning Bose. I won't admit to using Bose myself.

Sometimes I will use old boxes of known size for testing different woofers. I make different baffles that I mount to the old cabinets.

There, I've come clean.

My name is Cal and I'm a speakerholic.

[croat47]

Well, the reason to even take apart the 201's in the first place was to (gasp) rebuild them. They had been beaten pretty severly over the 7 years of college. But, I had the tweeters and found some Vifa's I liked (which may be hard to find now, I hear). So, to get me by, I thought I would build the cabs and bide my time.

Perhaps you are aware, or not...of exactly how cheaply the Bose stuff is made. It's half-inch particle board glued together: there is no way to use these boxes in good concience. Yes, I know I was listening to them for years. I have discovered DIY and a finer ear.

Thanks for the support. Have you gotten your pin yet?

[Cal Weldon]

Just to confirm:

You are building boxes for the Vifa's and want to temporarily use these new boxes to house the Bose/Dayton drivers until the Vifa's arrive?

You will be scrapping the Bose boxes.

You will be scrapping the Bose drivers once the Vifa's arrive.

If you have answered yes to the above questions, no one here will bother you about that. If you are then panning to do something with the Bose drivers, well my friend, you are on your own. Don't forget to duck.

And yes, sadly, I am familiar with the Bose level of quality.

[croat47]

Originally posted by Cal Weldon
Just to confirm:

You are building boxes for the Vifa's and want to temporarily use these new boxes to house the Bose/Dayton drivers until the Vifa's arrive?

You will be scrapping the Bose boxes.

You will be scrapping the Bose drivers once the Vifa's arrive.

If you have answered yes to the above questions, no one here will bother you about that. If you are then panning to do something with the Bose drivers, well my friend, you are on your own. Don't forget to duck.

And yes, sadly, I am familiar with the Bose level of quality.

Yes.
Yes.
Yes.

Somehow they keep selling them. The 901's were cool to hear when I was a kid at a friend's house. His dad had them and they kicked you in the chest. But, my dad's Infinite Slope's (?) sounded so much better with Dark Side of the Moon.

Thanks for the go-ahead!

[Andersonix]

Cal is much too nice of a person to outright forbid the use of Blose drivers. However, EVERY Bose driver I have ever come across (901 4" drivers barely excluded) deserved to be pitched straight into the dumpster. At best, I think you'll be disappointed and discouraged putting valuable time into a temporary solution with those drivers.
Even if low on funds, I would scrape and beg for some money to buy some Pyramid or Pyle (or whatever), rather than use old Bose drivers. Can't you find something on sale at David Levy (dlcparts.com), Madisound, or Parts Express? I've seen speakers at thrift stores and yard sales for next to nothing.
Philosophically, I also wouldn't pull apart a working speaker, even Bose, for parts. I'd rather give them away to somebody appreciative.
Please apply one of the follwing sayings to your situation:
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
You can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear.
You can't polish a turd.
If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right.

[Cal Weldon]

Tosh,

Thanks for the concerns about him using the Bose drivers but I think if you reread the post, you'll find that new cabinets are being built for his Vifa drivers and he's going to use the Bose drivers only until the Vifa's arrive. It's just a stop gap. He promises not to use them after the real drivers arrive.

[Mark Techer]

Croat47,

So what exactly are you building? I maybe way off here, but do you intend to re-build (a better version of) the 201s from MDF and use Vifa/Daton drivers or something else?

The reason I ask is that in some way I see potential in direct/reflecting speakers if they used decent drivers and crossovers...

Mark