Jump to content

Bose 901 VI


Recommended Posts

  • Replies 312
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

-- it's understood and accepted by everyone in the industry that the more a driver moves the more it distorts,

I'm confused. My JL Audio f-113 subwoofer says that their speaker cone can move as much as 4". So does that mean that it is distorting more than a speaker that moves less?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The 901s are indeed high-fidelity loudspeakers, .

I don't mean to belabor this pont ...but ...

No Way, JT ......Posted Image

I had 3 different freinds with 901s in the 1980s. Have not had they urge to search 901s out in past 15 years. Prety uninvolving as I recall. Origonal 301s made a darn nice dorm room speaker 25+ years ago for those of us on a limited budget.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Roc Rinaldi,

I think more excursion produces more Frequency Modulation distortion (and perhaps other kinds, including the unnamed, but undead), but I'll bet FM distortion is a lot less audible in subwoofers, millimeter for millimeter of excursion, than in other speakers, since the ear is a lot less critical in the deep bass. Less audible, but probably still audible; I ended up limiting my subs to 40 Hz and below, with a very steep slope, so that the tight, clean bass of my Klipschorns would not be interfered with.

Wouldn't the worst case -- the one people worry about the most -- be when a single speaker cone is producing bass & midrange & treble, and the mids and treble are riding unnecessarily back and forth on a flapping cone, undergoing Doppler effect, etc?

The speakers I've liked best over the years (some each of Klipsch, JBL, Altec) are horns, in which the diaphragms don't move much ---coincidence or not?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hi all,

i've debated with myself about whether to post on this subject or not because, although i have an amusing anecdote to add i don't know specifically about what components are involved aside from the speakers. however, i think you might get some fun out of this story...

years ago when i first bought the klipschorns i didn't have a system that was worth a darn. radio shack's best reciever which turned out to be a real disappointment. anyway, a friend of mine who happened to be a musician and a real music lover bought a very nice ss system and a set of bose 901's. he wanted me to listen to them because he had heaard the the horns and wanted me to hear how good his sounded in comparison. sure enough when i listened to his system i was blown away by the 'wall of sound'. one of the first albums he played was 'dire straits' with sultans of swing on it.

anyway, suitably impressed i asked him if he would like to try his system with the klipschorns for comparison and he jumped at the offer. a week or so later he brought his system over and hooked it to the horns. after a couple hours of listening he was somewhat depressed and it wasn't very long after that that he sold the bose speakers and got a set of different speakers. i don't recall which type he got...they were enormous but weren't klipsch. i have a feeling he felt like he needed to find speakers that sounded better than the klipschorns as a matter of pride. they were about 6 feet tall, 4 feet wide, and about 4 inches thich if i recall correctly. i heard them once and was really impressed but never got to compare them them with the horns. were they magnapans? i really don't know. i fell out of touch with him after that but that got me to realize that i needed to get a better system than i had to play the horns. i got the best nad ss component system i could buy from crutchfield some of which i still own today but only recently got the bug to upgrade mostly because of starting to lurk on this site.

i've very much enjoyed reading all your posts and do realize that my experiences are very limited and that my mileage probably varies widely from others.i'm not bashing any brand, just relating an experience.

hope everyone's having a great evening!

pete

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pete:

"i've very much enjoyed reading all your posts and do realize that my experiences are very limited and that my mileage probably varies widely from others.i'm not bashing any brand, just relating an experience."

Limited or not, you still know what you like when you hear it, and that's the important thing. I was also impressed with that sort of wall of clean sound I heard, and came home and was still impressed by our Klipschorns. I think components can have applications they are more suited to than others, and the 901s provided a very spacious and open sound that might be ideal for a large multi-purpose area, given the right walls and amplifier, in a home.

Erik

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While I don't have a dog in this fight (if one were to even call it a 'fight') I DO find  it somewhat humorous that some would declare the 901s (no, I don't own them, although I did at one time.  But I've also owned probably 100 other pairs of speakers over the years) not high fidelity or accurate while espousing the use of tubes and horns (Disclaimer, I LOVE tubes and horns and my main system is currently composed of a pair of LaScalas, with ALKJr Crossovers; a pair of Quicksilver Horn Monos; and a Quicksilver tube linestage).   SS amps measure a LOT better than tube amps and horn speakers are far from flat (frequency response wise).  I've owned LOTS of speakers that measure FAR better than my LaScalas (Thiels, KEFs, Legacy Focus immediately come to mind).  However, I ENJOY my LaScalas (with tubes more).  I merely suggest it is not all about the measurements or even the approach.  A lot are dismissing the listening room as a component (I think the MOST important component).  I remember when I was going from one 'high end' speaker design to the next during the 80s and 90s most 'audiophiles' despised horns ("honky, shrill, ancient, poorly designed", etc).   I finally learned (through trial and error and lots of $) that only my opinion counts on what I find satisfying.  To automatically discard someone else's opinion on what 'they' enjoy seems to be somewhat 'exclusive' and short-sighted.  Even though 'bose-bashing' is an easy and convenient target; it doesn't both me one iota if someone else enjoys them.  Just my .02...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

WHO, you hurt your cause by saying,"Heck, I

would take KlipschPromedia over the 901", that is the best laugh I've

had all week-end. The right room, the right equipment, trust me, the

901 is a High-Fidelity set of speakers, just like any other

speaker.

Ya know, it's ironic isn't it? The drivers in the Bose 901's are far

inferior to the Tang Band fullrange drivers. Of course you're talking

50 cents versus $5 so it's not really fair. It's also immensley ironic

that the Logitech computer speakers are also running the same line of

Tang Band drivers. So are you saying the Logitech's are superior to the

Klipsch? That nice tweeter horn in the promedia is gonna be on par with

the K77 [:o] And at nearfield, the woofer mid does quite well...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Roc Rinaldi,

I think more excursion produces more Frequency Modulation distortion (and perhaps other kinds, including the unnamed, but undead), but I'll bet FM distortion is a lot less audible in subwoofers, millimeter for millimeter of excursion, than in other speakers, since the ear is a lot less critical in the deep bass. Less audible, but probably still audible; I ended up limiting my subs to 40 Hz and below, with a very steep slope, so that the tight, clean bass of my Klipschorns would not be interfered with.

Wouldn't the worst case -- the one people worry about the most -- be when a single speaker cone is producing bass & midrange & treble, and the mids and treble are riding unnecessarily back and forth on a flapping cone, undergoing Doppler effect, etc?

The speakers I've liked best over the years (some each of Klipsch, JBL, Altec) are horns, in which the diaphragms don't move much ---coincidence or not?

I keep getting a lot of advice about using an 80Hz crossover. Have you compared 40Hz to 80Hz to determine the difference in sound?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

what's really amusing to watch is how some people think that because they have technical knowledge and/or training it makes them the absolute authority of what is good or bad. I believe this has gone way beyond a healthy debate (for some). Who cares if Bose 901s sound good to someone else? I mean, do the Bose-bashers here really care that someone likes them or do they just want to try to impress everyone with their technical expertise? Does that make these people feel stronger, more verile or competent? Were they picked on as a little kid and now feel inadequate? What's the deal?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"I believe this has gone way beyond a healthy debate (for some). "

Considering the subject matter I think everyone has behaved in a remarkably civil way throughout. If you think this one is bad just have a search for the SET threads. Now those ARE threads that get out of hand and downright nasty at times.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

WHO, you hurt your cause by saying,"Heck, I would take KlipschPromedia over the 901", that is the best laugh I've had all week-end. The right room, the right equipment, trust me, the 901 is a High-Fidelity set of speakers, just like any other speaker.

Ya know, it's ironic isn't it? The drivers in the Bose 901's are far inferior to the Tang Band fullrange drivers. Of course you're talking 50 cents versus $5 so it's not really fair. It's also immensley ironic that the Logitech computer speakers are also running the same line of Tang Band drivers. So are you saying the Logitech's are superior to the Klipsch? That nice tweeter horn in the promedia is gonna be on par with the K77 [:o] And at nearfield, the woofer mid does quite well...

How many Stereo's have you owned ? Come down to Earth Dr. Who.................I can't wait for you to hit the REAL WORLD and get out of your College Dorm....................It's not what you learn, it's what you do with it..............I'm Sorry I guess I forget just how much knowledge 20 year old's have....Maybe you'll design the World's Greatest Speakers............and Put Klipsch and BOSE out of business

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hi all,

i've debated with myself about whether to post on this subject or not because, although i have an amusing anecdote to add i don't know specifically about what components are involved aside from the speakers. however, i think you might get some fun out of this story...

years ago when i first bought the klipschorns i didn't have a system that was worth a darn. radio shack's best reciever which turned out to be a real disappointment. anyway, a friend of mine who happened to be a musician and a real music lover bought a very nice ss system and a set of bose 901's. he wanted me to listen to them because he had heaard the the horns and wanted me to hear how good his sounded in comparison. sure enough when i listened to his system i was blown away by the 'wall of sound'. one of the first albums he played was 'dire straits' with sultans of swing on it.

anyway, suitably impressed i asked him if he would like to try his system with the klipschorns for comparison and he jumped at the offer. a week or so later he brought his system over and hooked it to the horns. after a couple hours of listening he was somewhat depressed and it wasn't very long after that that he sold the bose speakers and got a set of different speakers. i don't recall which type he got...they were enormous but weren't klipsch. i have a feeling he felt like he needed to find speakers that sounded better than the klipschorns as a matter of pride. they were about 6 feet tall, 4 feet wide, and about 4 inches thich if i recall correctly. i heard them once and was really impressed but never got to compare them them with the horns. were they magnapans? i really don't know. i fell out of touch with him after that but that got me to realize that i needed to get a better system than i had to play the horns. i got the best nad ss component system i could buy from crutchfield some of which i still own today but only recently got the bug to upgrade mostly because of starting to lurk on this site.

i've very much enjoyed reading all your posts and do realize that my experiences are very limited and that my mileage probably varies widely from others.i'm not bashing any brand, just relating an experience.

hope everyone's having a great evening!

pete

Pete, I think your post was wonderful and quite informative as it was a true story.

I encourage you to post more stuff as you can.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

what's really amusing to watch is how some people think that because they have technical knowledge and/or training it makes them the absolute authority of what is good or bad. I believe this has gone way beyond a healthy debate (for some). Who cares if Bose 901s sound good to someone else? I mean, do the Bose-bashers here really care that someone likes them or do they just want to try to impress everyone with their technical expertise? Does that make these people feel stronger, more verile or competent? Were they picked on as a little kid and now feel inadequate? What's the deal?

I don't care.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

I don't know.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"I believe this has gone way beyond a healthy debate (for some). "

Considering the subject matter I think everyone has behaved in a remarkably civil way throughout. If you think this one is bad just have a search for the SET threads. Now those ARE threads that get out of hand and downright nasty at times.

There is never a need to get nasty. We are all adults. (I think)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

WHO, you hurt your cause by saying,"Heck, I would take KlipschPromedia over the 901", that is the best laugh I've had all week-end. The right room, the right equipment, trust me, the 901 is a High-Fidelity set of speakers, just like any other speaker.

Ya know, it's ironic isn't it? The drivers in the Bose 901's are far inferior to the Tang Band fullrange drivers. Of course you're talking 50 cents versus $5 so it's not really fair. It's also immensley ironic that the Logitech computer speakers are also running the same line of Tang Band drivers. So are you saying the Logitech's are superior to the Klipsch? That nice tweeter horn in the promedia is gonna be on par with the K77 [:o] And at nearfield, the woofer mid does quite well...

How many Stereo's have you owned ? Come down to Earth Dr. Who.................I can't wait for you to hit the REAL WORLD and get out of your College Dorm....................It's not what you learn, it's what you do with it..............I'm Sorry I guess I forget just how much knowledge 20 year old's have....Maybe you'll design the World's Greatest Speakers............and Put Klipsch and BOSE out of business

What did I just say?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Go easy on the kid... At least he is willing to learn and be proven wrong.

I have found Mike (Dr Who) to be fun to hang around with. Something about a 20 year old who wants to learn, experience, grasp everything he can in 4 years, and yes "Do go out in the real world too." LOL (Personally I think the real world starts when you have a few kids... Your settled a little, THEN reality hits... hahahaha) His taste in music is different than mine in some areas... but we still find common ground too. At least he has taste. He knows what real instruments sound like.. I played the Violin as a kid, he played the Viola. We both like Cirque Du Solei stuff visually and Music wise, great movies (Not so sure he loves sports as much as I do..LOL) I have sung and continue to sing live.... he is learning to get what the performer wants sound wise as well.

I would agree with the "It is what you do with it" But it also takes knowledge too. I know a lot of "intellectually constipated people" in many fields, including audio. LOL I can't explain why on my sound board hooked up the way it is... it works so well sound wise.. But it does.. A engineer might take a different approach but it also sounds like hell to me or is too complicated for me to use in real time. Case n point I bought a really nice Lexicon digital effects unit. (Delay reverb etc etc) Now , in the studio one track at a time.. This would of been a fantastic piece of gear.. At home, changing the style of your voice, looking for a room sound and delay length quickly it was a total pain in the arse. Let the studio guys with countless hours to spend track by track do it.... At home , in a live show.. I will keep what I have. I understood the lexicon.. It just wasn't for me.

I would have a hard time comparing the BOSE 901's to any speaker in the Klipsch line. Your firing a sound into a corner reflecting it to create a sound stage.. (BOSE) The other company (K horns ) uses corner horn folding technology to fire it out to you using corners. LOL

I have heard 901's in a proper set up and I enjoyed them. They are different... I have a very hard time psycho acoustics wise were really hearing the full spectrum of sound yet it is hard to determine what that is exactly with the BOSE... Especially at mid to high volumes. Critical listening? I would love to bring a list of my favs to really hear what I think I am hearing on the 901's as well.

Personally I love my pro media speakers too. I was skeptical at first like many of you... But I am amazed just how good they really are!

My 2 cents.

Your line of "I'm Sorry I guess I forget just how much knowledge 20 year old's have....Maybe you'll design the World's Greatest Speakers............and Put Klipsch and BOSE out of business" was pretty much a put down.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...