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#1
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Do Old Bose 901 II's Need an Equalizer, Or Can't We just Turn Up Our Receiver's Bass and Treble
Hello all,
I was lucky enough to inherit a pair of 901 II in Tucson, I am 67, mainly a lover of classical, and bought my AR2a's unfinished while stationed at Offutt AFB, NB in 1962. Alas, there was no EQ I have stayed with the classical since as a listener -- for pure passion, meditative clarity, and support. But I fell away as an audiophile, partly because some historical recordings of terribly bad sound can still be thrilling. E.G, the Berling Symphony Orchestra playing Bruckner's 9th over the radio in 1944 -- an unfinished symphony by a dying composer, played in a dying Germany. The 18 drivers are in perfect shape, and they look as if they were recently refoamed, All 18 play approximately the same as measured by the hose-in-the-ear stethoscope. I wrote to Bose, and they answered the next day (see below.) They said I must find a Series II EQ. Response curves werethe same for I's and II's, different thereafter. My II speakers are acoustic suspension -- sealed box expecting plenty of amplifier power to move them and compress the air in the box, while smothering backwaves. I am guessing they caved to the "no highs, no lows; must be bose" cliche and ported their boxes to shore up the base while stonewalling the boomy problems bass reflex can bring. OK, I admit I am guessing on that, but what else could those nifty tailpipes sticking out of the reflector side be for? Anyway I began looking for a used E in the Q II, but eBay sellers don't know anything about complex electronic hardware, so it's a crap shoot. I want to use these speakers in the home I am building, more specifcally in the great room (30'L x 20'w x 12' h.) They were such an icon in my youth. I am not going to mod the boxes; I will try the EQ, and will thoroughly tes repositioning them. However, in looking at the EQ II,s pics it would appear to control the audio curve just as do ordinary bass and treble controls on my receiver; why can't I use the latter and forget the questionably-functioning 30-yr EQ I'll end up with? Thanks, Tom Mitchell Rio Rico, AZ |
#2
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Do Old Bose 901 II's Need an Equalizer, Or Can't We just Turn Up Our Receiver's Bass and Treble
"Tom" wrote in message
oups.com Hello all, I was lucky enough to inherit a pair of 901 II in Tucson, The 18 drivers are in perfect shape, and they look as if they were recently refoamed, All 18 play approximately the same as measured by the hose-in-the-ear stethoscope. I wrote to Bose, and they answered the next day (see below.) They said I must find a Series II EQ. Response curves werethe same for I's and II's, different thereafter. My II speakers are acoustic suspension -- sealed box expecting plenty of amplifier power to move them and compress the air in the box, while smothering backwaves. I am guessing they caved to the "no highs, no lows; must be bose" cliche and ported their boxes to shore up the base while stonewalling the boomy problems bass reflex can bring. OK, I admit I am guessing on that, but what else could those nifty tailpipes sticking out of the reflector side be for? Anyway I began looking for a used E in the Q II, but eBay sellers don't know anything about complex electronic hardware, so it's a crap shoot. I want to use these speakers in the home I am building, more specifcally in the great room (30'L x 20'w x 12' h.) They were such an icon in my youth. I am not going to mod the boxes; I will try the EQ, and will thoroughly tes repositioning them. However, in looking at the EQ II,s pics it would appear to control the audio curve just as do ordinary bass and treble controls on my receiver; why can't I use the latter and forget the questionably-functioning 30-yr EQ I'll end up with? All you need to do is to duplicate the equalization curve of the origional type II equalizer. Hopefully, you can find it documented some place. The best way to obtain a given equalization curve is a parametric equalizer with 4-6 bands per channel. If you have documentation about what the desired equalization curve is, your remaining problem is to set the controls of the equalizer appropriately. A relatively rapid means would be needed for accurately measuring the response of the equalizer. I can think of several ways to do this, but the most economical means I can think of would be to use the audio interface of a PC, looping the line output of the PC through the equalizer and back into the line input of the PC. Software that measures frequency response quickly, such as the freeware Audio Rightmark software would let you know when you had the equalizer's controls set appropriately. http://www.rightmark.org/ |
#3
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Do Old Bose 901 II's Need an Equalizer, Or Can't We just Turn Up Our Receiver's Bass and Treble
In article .com, Tom wrote:
Hello all, I was lucky enough to inherit a pair of 901 II in Tucson, I am 67, mainly a lover of classical, and bought my AR2a's unfinished while stationed at Offutt AFB, NB in 1962. Alas, there was no EQ I have stayed with the classical since as a listener -- for pure passion, meditative clarity, and support. But I fell away as an audiophile, partly because some historical recordings of terribly bad sound can still be thrilling. E.G, the Berling Symphony Orchestra playing Bruckner's 9th over the radio in 1944 -- an unfinished symphony by a dying composer, played in a dying Germany. The 18 drivers are in perfect shape, and they look as if they were recently refoamed, All 18 play approximately the same as measured by the hose-in-the-ear stethoscope. The orginals did not use foam. They had treated cloth. I would be afraid if they actually had foam. I wrote to Bose, and they answered the next day (see below.) They said I must find a Series II EQ. Response curves werethe same for I's and II's, different thereafter. My II speakers are acoustic suspension -- sealed box expecting plenty of amplifier power to move them and compress the air in the box, while smothering backwaves. I am guessing they caved to the "no highs, no lows; must be bose" cliche and ported their boxes to shore up the base while stonewalling the boomy problems bass reflex can bring. OK, I admit I am guessing on that, but what else could those nifty tailpipes sticking out of the reflector side be for? The I and II had slightly different circuits. The II had more flexibility. You could actually use ANY of the equalizers, but the more recent ones were out of control. Anyway I began looking for a used E in the Q II, but eBay sellers don't know anything about complex electronic hardware, so it's a crap shoot. You will find one for sale (either) occasionally. they should be tested thoughly. Things go bad. I really don't trust the Bose equalizers for reliability, performance, and consistancy.. I want to use these speakers in the home I am building, more specifcally in the great room (30'L x 20'w x 12' h.) They were such an icon in my youth. I am not going to mod the boxes; I will try the EQ, and will thoroughly tes repositioning them. However, in looking at the EQ II,s pics it would appear to control the audio curve just as do ordinary bass and treble controls on my receiver; why can't I use the latter and forget the questionably-functioning 30-yr EQ I'll end up with? I think they sound best in small rooms, and the closer you are to the speaker, the better they sound. greg Thanks, Tom Mitchell Rio Rico, AZ |
#4
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Do Old Bose 901 II's Need an Equalizer, Or Can't We just Turn Up Our Receiver's Bass and Treble
"GregS" wrote in message
In article .com, Tom wrote: I want to use these speakers in the home I am building, more specifcally in the great room (30'L x 20'w x 12' h.) They were such an icon in my youth. I am not going to mod the boxes; I will try the EQ, and will thoroughly tes repositioning them. However, in looking at the EQ II,s pics it would appear to control the audio curve just as do ordinary bass and treble controls on my receiver; why can't I use the latter and forget the questionably-functioning 30-yr EQ I'll end up with? I think they sound best in small rooms, and the closer you are to the speaker, the better they sound. IOW, more direct sound, less reflected sound... |
#5
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Do Old Bose 901 II's Need an Equalizer, Or Can't We just Turn Up Our Receiver's Bass and Treble
In article , "Arny Krueger" wrote:
"GregS" wrote in message In article .com, Tom wrote: I want to use these speakers in the home I am building, more specifcally in the great room (30'L x 20'w x 12' h.) They were such an icon in my youth. I am not going to mod the boxes; I will try the EQ, and will thoroughly tes repositioning them. However, in looking at the EQ II,s pics it would appear to control the audio curve just as do ordinary bass and treble controls on my receiver; why can't I use the latter and forget the questionably-functioning 30-yr EQ I'll end up with? I think they sound best in small rooms, and the closer you are to the speaker, the better they sound. IOW, more direct sound, less reflected sound... Very true. greg |
#6
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Do Old Bose 901 II's Need an Equalizer, Or Can't We just Turn Up Our Receiver's Bass and Treble
GregS wrote:
\ The orginals did not use foam. They had treated cloth. I would be afraid if they actually had foam. I would be afraid if I had Bose 901s ! They really are not that great - the main strength of BOSE was/is their marketing department, not their 'R+D' . I would sell them on Ebay and purhase some better-sounding speakers. Due to BOSE's marketing, you may get an unreasonably good price fdor them ! Good luck geoff |
#7
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Do Old Bose 901 II's Need an Equalizer, Or Can't We just Turn Up Our Receiver's Bass and Treble
Last I heard 901s was the late-70s/early-80s.
Each time they were backed by monster amps -- as I recall Phase Linears, and maybe Pioneer's -1 line (A1 I think it was). The 901s played VERY loud, and to me, sounded remarkable. Stick a weak amp in front of a 901's EQ and you get (I would suppose) some pretty bad sound, just as you would with anything that boosts the bass as much as that EQ does, with an amp that can't possibly supply the power. A 3 dB boost requires 2x the power -- the 901 EQ has some really absurb boost, maybe 15 dB down low. That alone is a good reason to avoid the 901s, but if you have the power, I say, go for it! Even back then they were around $1400 a pair (pedastals extra, and I think you could even buy them without the EQ -- bad idea). I'd take a pair. -- 40th Floor - Software @ http://40th.com/ iplay.40th.com iPlay advanced audio player zircon.40th.com Zircon mobile music player |
#8
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Do Old Bose 901 II's Need an Equalizer, Or Can't We just Turn Up Our Receiver's Bass and Treble
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#9
Posted to rec.audio.tech
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Do Old Bose 901 II's Need an Equalizer, Or Can't We just Turn Up Our Receiver's Bass and Treble
On May 24, 4:02 pm, "Geoff" wrote:
They really are not that great - the main strength of BOSE was/is their marketing department, not their 'R+D' . I worked in a stereo store for a brief period when the early 901s were a current model, and I was always astounded that people preferred them to much more accurate speakers. You would do an A/B comparison, and people would love the "more spatial" sound of the 901s... when what they were actually hearing was additional directional information from all those drivers pointing all over the place. I have come to believe that this was deliberate "marketing engineering" on Bose's part... that they were specifically tailored to sound more "alive" in an A/B comparison. If I got a pair of 901s in good shape cheap, I'd sell them on eBay (where they bring really good prices) in a heartbeat, and spend the money on some really good speakers. But hey... if you like them, that's OK. As I used to tell people back then, what really matters is that *you* like them. |
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