When testing the speakers with an assortment of solo vocalists, the mid-treble slider on the inline EQ becomes very important. Once properly positioned in the room, the 901s excel at rendering all types of music, consistently producing an excellent stereo image and wide soundstage. This setup seemed to allow the front driver enough space to anchor the overall sound presentation without resulting in excessive reflection as occurs when the speakers are tightly placed into the corners of a room. More akin to traditional audiophile speaker placement, the 901s performed very well when placed approximately eight feet apart and five feet away from the wall with another eight feet between the speakers and a couch. Interestingly enough, during testing, it seemed that one of the best positions for these speakers wasn’t in a corner at all. That said, placing the speakers too close to the corners of a room creates an overblown stereo speaker image (mostly due to exaggerated sound reflection) that can make the speakers sound much flatter than they actually are. This is mostly because the majority of the drivers face the rear of the cabinet and ultimately require you to fine-tune the placement of the speakers for the best sound performance. The Bose 901s work best when placed in a corner. The mid-treble slider has a noticeable more significant effect on the overall sound quality profile. There are also two sliding controls for mid-treble and mid-bass. The EQ has two sound profiles built-in: the first is noticeable flat sounding while the second position provides a bass boost similar to the loudness button found on older receivers. Bose includes a pair of 3 foot RCA patch cables to accommodate the inline EQ installation. The EQ can also be placed directly between the amp and preamp units if they are separate. Custom Controls: Of note is the fact that the inline EQ must be placed in a tape-monitor circuit when using a receiver.Most modern speakers rely on DSP to control each driver but Bose has been able to achieve a comparable effect using a less sophisticated (and less expensive) passive EQ control unit. Drivers: The 901 uses nine full range drivers in each cabinet and Bose decided to use an inline equalizer to make these speakers work together.Keep this in mind both when selecting speaker cable for the 901s and when installing the pedestals to the bottoms of the speaker cabinets. Wiring: Any speaker wire can be used to connect the 901s but since the cables run through the metal pedestals, switching out the wire is tedious and some popular stereo wires, such as Nordost Odin speaker cables, are too thick to work with the relatively narrow stock pedestals anyway.It is surprising that at Bose decided not to add threaded inserts to the bottom of the 901 – especially for a speaker at this price point. Although screw holes are pre-drilled in the bottom of the cabinets, it is unlikely that these holes can be used more than handful of times before the speaker base gets damaged. Construction: Sporting black metal pedestals that resemble something out of a 1960s furniture catalog, the speakers (which each weigh 35 pounds) are mounted to the metal pedestals using wood screws.The fit and finish of the speakers were excellent (walnut cabinets with pedestal bases were used for this test).

This article reviews the newest iteration of the venerable Bose 901 speaker and determines whether the Bose name really is worth the price tag or not when it comes to home stereo equipment. The confusion becomes even more convoluted because the 901 is currently in its sixth generation and whenever someone mentions the 901 product line Bose series VI, it’s important to know if they are talking about the current version of the speaker or if they are referring to an audio remnant from the 1960s. In fact, you could almost compare the 901 to Bigfoot in that so few people have seen 901s in person, let alone heard them play. And of the many speakers produced by Bose, none are more controversial than the venerable 901 Bose series.

Despite the recognition associated with the brand, Bose still has a hard time convincing hardcore audiophiles that its products are worth the money for a high-end home stereo system.Īfter all, the saying “no highs, no lows, it must be Bose” is still a favorite among many audio enthusiasts.

Bose 901 series 1 equalizer