Bose bashing...literally!

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Soldermizer

Soldermizer

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Joined 2012
#1
About two years ago, I bought two pair of Bose 901 II ($600). This was (to me) a good deal. Acoustically the speakers had no issues. The auction included a working EQ unit. The only oddity is that I got three L and one R speaker. So today, finally tired of listening to one "upside down" speaker (for symmetry) I took a hammer to the oddball and have determined that you can't (easily) remove the bottom or top of these speakers. I am now the proud owner of a pile of wood chips and 9 spare drivers 🙂

I will post a photo if the audience demands.
 
#3
Nothing remarkable: particle board top & bottom. I removed the trim pieces for spares, and the drivers for same. The Bose of that era used solid core wire-wrapped connections. Stuffing is dense standard puke-yellow fiber glass from the look (and itch) of it.
 
#5
Cal Weldon said:
Are they all the same? Different series had different drivers, different wiring, different EQ's and none of them are interchangeable, so I hope they are all the same series.
Click to expand...

Some Bose speakers have the left and right speakers configured differently. They are unlike other speakers. 901s and 301s are direct-reflecting configurations. Love them or hate them, they sound best when positioned properly. Stick them on a shelf or haphazardly against the wall or between two pieces of furniture, and they will sound absolutely awful. And since Bose markets to morons, you will be hard pressed to find a set that is placed properly in the room.

It was a mistake to trash your 901, because they are well known and there is a market for them. You could easily sell a pair in good working condition for a decent buck.
 
#6
@ Soldermizer Pls do post your Bose photos

Once I had the opportunity to listen to Bose (Acoustic Mass series). Sting's "Every breath you take" was playing, the sound was so horrible that I had to ask if the source was a cassette tape. No points for guessing, the source was CD😱
Concl. Buy Other Sound Equipment
Better Sound Through Better Marketing
Must read-
http://www.alter.si/tabla/files/1197446-bosekritika[1].www.pdf
 
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#10
I have a friend who still has his 901's with skinny / shiny stands.. They are in storage in his basement. His B&W's are in use.

In high school (right after electricity was discovered) I had a friend that DJ'ed with 901's. Turned around so the single driver faced the DJ they were perfect for the crowd and reduced levels for the DJ to hear. Also heard many of them hung in bars. Those were the only applications they excelled in.

I bought four of the 601's.. Had them a day and returned them for a pair of CV pd-9's. Rattled everything in the house.. It was after the Vegas I discovered (and fell in love with) B&W. My 805's put many a Bose to shame. I actually had a custom carry bag made to bring them around to Bose owners homes when they didn't believe me. I probably sold more B&W's as an enthusiast than the stores and their salesmen. Now I built my own active speakers using my old B&W mids...
 
#11
Assuming all the above info is factual (always a daring endeavor!), it is new to me that some Bose were different L/R. Perhaps this was the model(s) (IV) that had the width control (only on the Bose receiver)? The "original" 901 (series I, II) were sealed box and did use 3 sets of drivers selected for slightly different resonances. I don't plan to be so picky. The series III onward are ported, really different speakers entirely. There is some compatibility within each type. As far as I know, the EQ will work for series I, II. Similarly III, IV. And V, VI.

Finally I did feel a little bad trashing the cabinets. But, it's an experiment (that failed!) and I am salvaging the parts.
 
#12
Priceless heritage destroyed by barbarian DIYer

Or, "too bad I don't have a fireplace!"
 

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#14
Since there is only one wiring diagram for each series it seems the L/R is either just a sticker, or the front driver was offset a little?

Looks like you have a series I or II? So that's the 8 ohm drivers correct?

EDIT: I zoomed in on the pic to see Series II so it a 3 drivers in series set with the 3 sets paralleled.
 
#18
#20
FoMoCo said:
Wow! As much as I not like Bose, I've never seen so much misinformation and lack of facts in a paper. The author of that paper clearly knows nothing of what makes a quality product. His conclusion that Bose blows is correct, but how he reasoned his way to it is a lesson in illogical thought. There's just too much BS to even start trying to quote it all.
Click to expand...

Agreed- his cropped photo to show the combined response of the bass unit and sats is misleading, and plenty of obvious errors about what comprises quality loudspeakers.

And bose is trash, nevertheless.
 
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