In the early 80s I owned a pair of Bose 901s (I think they were IIIs) and they were great. They went loud, were unbreakable and made your typical rock record sound real ballsy. Tonal truthfulness, soundstaging, imaging, low level dynamics, transparency, etc. - look someplace else. But if all you want to do is blast rock and roll, then the 901s are a credible speaker. I can imagine where they would work wonders as rear effects speaker in an HT setup.
Opinions on the Bose 901
A friend of mine just gave me an old pair of Bose 901 Series IV. All the foam surrounds have crumbled, but the cabinets and the EQ are in decent shape. A foam surround kit plus the dust caps is less than $90 USD at ( www.partsexpress.com ).
I am pretty much set with my Swans M1 near field system--it rocks, especially after adding a 3000W ONEAC 220V isolation transformer. I am looking at using the Bose as HT speakers or as a background music system--I like to have music all over while I cook...
I am seeking unbiased opinions as to how I could use these speakers in a 2 channel HT setup:
The Series IV has a third contact between the (+)and the (-)(is it a ground?) which was used with the Bose Receiver's "spatial control". It allowed changing how much energy was sent towards the inside or outside reflecting surfaces--it was like a fader control, but from inside to outside.
If I use them for HT, I could use a homemade preamp that would allow such control and the 901's could become a "virtual center channel" by shifting the energy balance towards the area between the speakers. I think this could offer a neat movie viewing effect in the absense of a Pro Logic, THX, DTS, 5.1, 7.1, 10.2 or a 15.3 decoder.
A false gypsum wall could be constructed for having my 27" Sony WEGA flush and provide a good reflective surface for the 901's.
I will appreciate any constructive input.
Thanks,
P/A
I am pretty much set with my Swans M1 near field system--it rocks, especially after adding a 3000W ONEAC 220V isolation transformer. I am looking at using the Bose as HT speakers or as a background music system--I like to have music all over while I cook...
I am seeking unbiased opinions as to how I could use these speakers in a 2 channel HT setup:
The Series IV has a third contact between the (+)and the (-)(is it a ground?) which was used with the Bose Receiver's "spatial control". It allowed changing how much energy was sent towards the inside or outside reflecting surfaces--it was like a fader control, but from inside to outside.
If I use them for HT, I could use a homemade preamp that would allow such control and the 901's could become a "virtual center channel" by shifting the energy balance towards the area between the speakers. I think this could offer a neat movie viewing effect in the absense of a Pro Logic, THX, DTS, 5.1, 7.1, 10.2 or a 15.3 decoder.
A false gypsum wall could be constructed for having my 27" Sony WEGA flush and provide a good reflective surface for the 901's.
I will appreciate any constructive input.
Thanks,
P/A