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To hear Bose speakers full potential.


Matthews

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OK, I have owned Bose....

Before I owned Klipsch....some 27+ years ago I got a set of 901 II's and had my old Sansui intergrated amp... and I liked it...really thought it had great sound.

Then I found my LaScala's and got some "real" amps.... sold the set-up.....

Years ago at the shop I had no tunes there. I got some boom box set-up, was happy with that for awhile..but I always wanted better sound. So through the years I upgraded to other better set-ups... Surfing the CL one day I found three Bose 901's IV. They were in good shape and the price was right. So I hung those 901's in the corners of the shop (just two of them).... got a old Adcom and had that set up for quite a few years.

Quit a few people came into the shop and asked about my system. You could hear it in the office and outside. Anybody that new anything about speakers would say "oh Bose 901's there the best" I would just say something like yea there OK..

Now the one parts guy that comes to my shop loved my tunes. He would say how great it sounds... that Bose 901's are one of the best speakers ever.

About two years ago I scored my four KP-362's. The plan was offing the Bose and Adcom and bringing in one set of the KP-362's and one of my big Carver's TFM-42. I told the parts guy I was getting rid of my Bose for these Klipsch. He was not happy, he never even heard of Klipsch speakers. He realy thought this was a bad move. I told him the deal was done and the Klipsch would be in the shop in a few day.

The afternoon came where he bought some parts out to the shop. He came in the bay and I showed him my new Klipsch. I put on some tunes and put about 300+ watts in em...the look on his face told all.

After the song I said "sooooo what do you think?" He said he has never heard music like that....it sounded like a concert.

Even the used car guys next to my shop love the Klipsch..... in the warm weather the bay doors are open and the music is pumping out of the shop....

So yea..... Bose.... I've owend em...... sold em.....no plans for any more....

MKP :-)

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So, do you think Bose would sound up to their full potential if we paired them up with $5,000 McIntosh tube amps?  ;)

 

Maybe.  Does McIntosh have a tube amp at that price?  Please don't tell me that the refurbished Mc275 costs that now! :)   I have heard Bose 901s with what, apparently, was a 1,000 w.p.c. solid state McIntosh amp, and they sounded good.  That was at Alphonso's in Mendocino, but he and they are gone now.

 

I chose Klipschorns will a Belle center for the clearer, much more dynamic sound.  I bought a couple of dozen classical Lps and CDs from Alphonso over the years, after hearing them on his Bose 901s.  On a very few orchestral recordings, the Bose 901s, with the 1,000 w.p.c. amp, sounded better than the Khorns.  Specifically, I think they were recordings that needed a little mush to cover their defects.   With most recordings, the Khorns sounded much better with my tiny 150 w.p.c. amps (really more like 120 w.p.c. RMS).  Bose never published efficiency data on their speakers, AFAIK.  If we can trust the figures in an old Consumer Reports magazine, 120 w.p.c. into speakers of the efficiency of Khorns is the rough equivalent of 2,760 w.p.c into Bose 901s.

Edited by garyrc
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I think they are at their best when you take a power cord and hook it to the binding posts.  Plug it in.  They will never sound better.

 

Dave

 

I witnessed a demo where that was done. There was a very loud buzz and those speakers, original 901s, held up. I would recommend plugging into 240 VAC or higher to ensure destruction.

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I think they are at their best when you take a power cord and hook it to the binding posts.  Plug it in.  They will never sound better.

 

Dave

 

I witnessed a demo where that was done. There was a very loud buzz and those speakers, original 901s, held up. I would recommend plugging into 240 VAC or higher to ensure destruction.

 

220,221….whatever it takes :D

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Maybe. Does McIntosh have a tube amp at that price? Please don't tell me that the refurbished Mc275 costs that now! :) I have heard Bose 201s with what, apparently, was a 1,000 w.p.c. solid state McIntosh amp, and they sounded good. That was at Alphonso's in Mendocino, but he and they are gone now.

 

Look, you have to understand we are talking about getting the best sound out of your Bose.  They simply don't sound their best with the standard $3,000 McIntosh amp.  The guy at Best Buy said the more you pay for an amp, the better the Boses sound.

 

I upgraded the power supply in my custom built McIntosh 901 with gold plated wires and I had the tubes tied and then rolled, twice.  Now I feel I am getting 1,200 watts per channel and the Bose have a dreamlike, airy, almost effervescent sound.  You can't playback crap or you'll get crap especially with stock Bose.

 

I'm sorry I didn't know Mc's didn't cost $5,000, but it's kinda stupid to worry about money when it comes to Boses. 

 

And yes, a single speaker is a "Bose" and two or more are "Boses."  I'm not bragging, but I own two.

 

Now when I play a good vinyl record of a dog barking, all the other dogs in my neighborhood start barking too.  It's that good!

Edited by wvu80
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Maybe. Does McIntosh have a tube amp at that price? Please don't tell me that the refurbished Mc275 costs that now! :) I have heard Bose 201s with what, apparently, was a 1,000 w.p.c. solid state McIntosh amp, and they sounded good. That was at Alphonso's in Mendocino, but he and they are gone now.

 

Look, you have to understand we are talking about getting the best sound out of your Bose.  They simply don't sound their best with the standard McIntosh amp.  The guy at Best Buy said the more you pay for an amp, the better the Boses sound.

 

I upgraded the power supply in my custom built McIntosh 901 with gold plated wires and I had the tubes tied and then rolled, twice.  Now I am getting 1,200 watts per channel and the Bose have a dreamlike, airy, almost effervescent sound.  You can't playback crap or you'll get crap especially with stock Bose.

 

I'm sorry I didn't know Mc's didn't cost $5,000, but it's kinda stupid to worry about money when it comes to Boses. 

 

And yes, a single speaker is a "Bose" and two or more are "Boses."  I'm not bragging, but I own two.

 

Now when I play a good vinyl record of a dog barking, all the other dogs in my neighborhood start barking too.  It's that good!

 

I think more than 2 would be called The Boss :D

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Now when I play a good quality recording of a dog barking, all the other dogs in my neighborhood start barking too.  It's that good!

 

There is a difference between barking and howling... :emotion-14:

 

 

Exactly! 

 

And dogs can't tell that distinction on the cheaper sounding, un-modified La Scalas.

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Does listening to Bose while refurbishing Klipsch motivate you to hurry the hell up??

Bose sounds decent at best. It just doesn't move you.. It doesn't evoke awe. It's great for a cocktail party in a tiny kitchen apartment.

One might think so, however i really dont remember what speakers are hooked up at this time, the BICs?.

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