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Art Landy wrote:
I fully understand your love for the Bose 901s. I have the original 901s
that I bought when they first came out. I still use them and love them,
though the equalizer doesn't work anymore. They still provide a spacious
sound. have great bass and are very pleasurable to listen to. Forget all
the critics. What you enjoy hearing is what you should insist on. I also
own Martin Logan Electrostats and a speaker system by the name of Essence 8a
( a 4 way transmission line system with KEF drivers). Each is in a
different room and each provides a different kind of listening experience.
I prefer each system depending on the type of music I want to hear. I could
not honestly say that one is any better than the other - they are just
different in various ways. And each has its own strengths and weaknesses.
One of the great things about the Bose speakers is that they do not lose the
highs and lows when played at a low volume, and to my ears they have plenty
of detail. Hope this helps!

I agree with your comments about the Bose 901. Back in the day (late
60s to late 80s) I was an impovirished audiophile who spent a lot of
time auditioning speakers that I could not afford. These included the
901s, AR3as, AR LSTs, several large Altecs (Barcelona and VOTTH),
J-bells, large Rectilinears,and in the late 80s, Fulton J-modulars (my
candidate for the best speaker system of all time) and the ML
Hartley/Quad/Decca system. Except fot the last 2, what I heard from the
Bose equalled or bested them all.

I requested a copy of their testimonial booklet and was shocked to see
what speakers people were trading in for the Bose 901. Everything from
Klipschorns to KLH 9s, in fact most of the big names of the day were
"embarrassed" in the booklet. Ok! It was advertising hyperbole,
especially when Bose told you to place the 901 on top of the biggest,
most expensive speaker that you could find and compare! Around that
time Bose had a hell of a lot of immitators. I always suspected that my
beloved AR LSTS was born out of the Bose emphasized need to have a
widely spread source of sound.

This said, the 901 (in all versions) does sound different from those
others. It has a huge sound, especially considering its size and
unbeliveable clarity and spaciousness. I have read criticisms that
complained it has no lows and no highs. I don't know what speakers
those critics heard but no lows would be the very last thing to be said
about the 901. Listen to the Zubin Mehta "Also Sprach Zaruthustra" on
London Decca. The opening organ pedal note is reproduced with a power
and authority that could make you wet your pants. Same for the heart
beats on the opening cut of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon". Now I
know that there are subwoofeer systems that can reproduce a blue
whale's belch at the level of a nuclear air burst, and this is fine for
those who derive their greatest pleasure from listening to blue whale's
belches. But if you want to hear deep, deep, powerful, bass from
musical instruments especially electric bass, organ or timpani, the 901
would give it to you.

When I could afford top quality speakers, room restrictions for the 901
caused me to look elsewhere. AR LSTs were followed by KEF 105.2s and
finally an ESL 63/Gradient system. By the time I got the 63s I had a
room that allowed more space at the rear and sides than even the Bose
demanded and the sound beguiled me away from any others on the market.
All of these speaker systems I currently have in my house.

No the Bose 901 is not the world's best speaker (BTW I do not consider
those mega buck systems from Wilson Audio and other insanely designed,
engineered and priced efforts as part of normal audiophile activity),
and yes I believe for most music, the Quad electrostactics and a few
others of their ilk outshine 901s. But the hard edged sometimes vicious
disparagement of the 901s that you often read is uncalled for. Bose put
out a speaker around 1968 that has stood the test of time and was
imitated by many.

ESTG/ A 60 year old, 40 year audiophile.

"...what in me is dark illumine; what is low raise
and support; That to the height of this great
argument, I may assert Eternal Providence,
And justify the ways of God to men."
John Milton " Paradise
Lost"