I still own a pair of 901's and I still love them for many reasons, first... they bring me nostalgia of the good old days when a few of us were really involved in audio stuff. Secondly...they sounded pretty good and loud in those days and still today if not directly compared side by side with a much expensive high end speakers. There is nothing to be ashamed of having owned or still own a nice pair of Bose speakers.

Back in the mid 70s my buddy had Bose 901s hanging from the ceiling with chains. Man we would party. The Rolling Stones coming from his reel to reel really loud. It was magic and good times!

During the excess of the 80s I was 25 years old and purchased a pair of Bose 901s. I secured them from the ceiling using lightweight chains and it looked quite unique. The person we rented the house from was quite impressed with our audio set up and she would bring us cookies on Saturday mornings and we would talk about music and get our mornings off in the right direction. On most Saturday evenings we would have parties and play the music loud and reach stupid db levels. (Loud enough the surrounding homes could hear the music doors closed) Friends would place a lit candle behind the speaker's rear port and it would blow the candle out - look back at that with a head shake. Ohhhh My - Bose Story Today, I look back at those days with a smile and some embarrassment.

It started with my Pop's Bose 501's and vinyl. That started me on this awesome journey. I then moved out of the house and purchased some 301's from SEARS. Stepped away from audio for some years... came back with some great sounding gear now! But I really enjoyed the memories and the journey to this point!!! Thanks to my Dad!❤

Most people don’t sit in front of a stereo system, they walk around while doing other things, or as background to conversation. Bose fills the room with a pleasant sound, nothing wrong with that. Same thing with the new WiFi speakers like Sonos, Apple, etc: it’s fine. I use Sonos while doing dishes, my JBL near field monitors at my desk, and Monitor Audio when listening to vinyl. I also listen to music in my car (now that I think of it is Bose). Maybe just love music?!

Bose speakers have a personality - a sound that I enjoy for the right type of music and moment. I like having their products as part of an arsenal of sound possibilities.

I have 2 pairs of 301s series 3 in two different rooms. Love them!

Steve, great subject. My experience with Bose is probably unique in the audio world. In 1974 I bought the Bose 901 Series 2s and the new Bose 1801 82lb/400wpc@4 ohms power amplifier because Bose had a promotional deal if you bought the 1801 and two 901s they gave you two more 901s for free. It was a phenomenal system with tons of fast and clean bass because of the sealed cabinets and no large woofers to muddy up the transients. The 36 drivers had as much cone area as a 24” woofer however with much less excursion capability. I wasn’t a fan of the direct/reflecting sound though and used them backwards, with the angled backside pointing into the room and arranged so that the sweet spot was pointed at my head. It was a great sound that really rocked my house and the neighbors across the street also. The bass notes would flicker my lights because of the extreme power surges from the amplifier, which was fun also. But the 18dB @ 35Hz bass boost required was the 901s downfall for me. By needing 64 times the power at 35Hz compared to 1kHz, the conservatively rated 400wpc amplifier would clip easily with bass-heavy music. I could play most rock music at loud levels without a problem, although Santana’s Abraxas album pushed the amp into thermal overload and shut down before I could complete playing a full side of the album. The last straw for me though was when I played Carol King’s Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow at not very loud levels and the kick drum clipped the amp on every beat, as indicated by the superb meters and LED display for monitoring peak power. I eventually sold the 1801 and the four 901s for the same price that I paid because of the two free 901s, and went to the opposite extreme when I began working at Audiotechniques where we built the Big Red and the Super Red studio monitors with the famous Altec 604E coaxial horn drivers and an extra Altec 416 woofer. Clipping problem solved. The moral of the story - you haven't heard what the 901s can do if you haven't heard four of them and LOTS of clean power.

lol I'm listening to this on Bose 201's in my stereo home theater set up. Happily I'm not an audiophile so I can avoid the shame.

Steve, your room is looking really nice! Its less distracting visually.

I still have the Bose 201 series 2, I bought in the 80s. In the 2000's they became the speakers of my niece's first stereo system. Now retired to the cupboard, I would never get rid of them. They still sound ok. Warm, relaxed sound, easy for a cheap amp to drive. Many kids these days just want to relax with the music rather than worry about their equipment performing optimally.

I owned 901 series 3s. I was proud to have owned them. In all truthfulness, I wish I still had them if for nothing other than nostalgia and memories of days gone bye.

I don't know what's wrong in owning, using Bose speakers. At this point is where audiophiles irritate me. Audiophiles are one of the most obnoxious beings in the society. Stop judging people and their music listening methods. As long as one enjoys what they are listening to, it serves the purpose.

I'm not at all ashamed to have owned Bose speakers 25 years ago. They sounded great on electronic music.

I had 901’s back in the 90’s and enjoyed them, until I bought my first pair of Maggie’s.

Yes BOSE ACOUSTIMASS 6 Series ii, 2001 And i still love and use em 😋

Hi Steve. I've got 3 rooms all have different type of speakers. One has a pair of 901 VI. I bought them for 2 bills with tulip stands and eq. from an estate sale. They are set-up bereft of furniture - just a listening chair. They're not my primary but it's a unique change of pace. Very open especially with live music 🎶. Greg

Hi Steve, Congrats on the milestone :) Very happy for you, and Thank You to your words of wisdom on this channel over the years :) I still have my Bose Lifestyle 28 home theatre system, which I mainly use for movies. I also have a pair of Bose QC35ii which I use for travelling, when I'm home or at work I run them wired with a Cyrus Soundkey DAC just to make them sound more balanced. My living room music listening system is a pair of Canton 519DC speakers with an Onkyo amplifier, and in the home office I have a pair of Canton 426.2 GLE speakers mated to a small class D Yamaha WXA-50 Amp.

I've owned and enjoyed many Bose speakers throughout the years. Always wanted to hear the 901s but have never had the opportunity. I think they deserve a spot in the audiophile hall of fame for all the attention they've brought to our hobby (not to mention the innovation they've brought). With that said, nothing can dethrone my Maggies as my favorite speakers!

My journey started about ten years ago with a set of Bose that I hooked up to my dad's old Harmon Kardon pre/power amp. I loved them very much.

My first speakers (I bought them for my father) were Bose 301s. My next speakers were a pair of LS3/5As. No regrets though about the Bose, they started me on my journey!

I've owned and enjoyed Bose Acoustimass 5's and two cars with a Bose sound system. Nothing wrong with them, especially for the reasons I had them - the AM5's were for kitchen audio where I wanted small speakers on top of cabinets but some bass and the cars...I needed a car and that was the audio that came with them. They aren't my idea of hifi, but they are a fun listen. Too many audiophile's have deleted the word fun from their vocabulary and dismiss anything that isn't to their tastes, but I don't need my 6 grand system to enjoy listening to music when I'm whipping up a grilled cheese, or driving down the road. I have no regrets.

I still have a pair of 601 series II that I bought in 1985. They are still awesome.

Back in the 90's in the Netherlands, Amsterdam, i heared a wall (at least 20x5 meters) of 901's at the Firato (a consumers show). Till this day i can remember the insane bass the wall produced! Simple amazing...🙂

The Bose 2.2s were my beginning (92). And yes I enjoyed the hell out of them. Bought them from a retail outlet that is no longer in business/ Circuit City. Had a 35watt Kenwood receiver with matching CD player and turntable. I moved on to Klipsch RF 5s and thought I'd arrived.... Lol. I still have them in my small stable of speakers. Today my Magnepans Sonus Fiber get the most listening time.

I bought Bose 301 series 1 around 1980, with a 50W JVC amp. I retired the amp about 6 months ago realising for 10 years it's really needed a service. It's been a bedroom amp for 20 years. I retired the Bose 301 around 2008, replacing them with a pair of Bang and Olufsen Beovox 5000 wall panels. I LOVED the 301s for a very long time. They sounded fantastic in the 1980s and 90s. I had HUGE parties around them. Had the police turn up many times. I built many systems around them. In the 1980s I ran 3 power amps. 1 stereo amp for the 301s at the front, a 2nd amp for some rear speakers and a 3rd amp that ran 2 gigantic sub woofers. On the subs I ran a Bose 901 equalizer. I had dual stereo and the sound was GIGANTIC! My AIWA turntable weighed 30kg. In the 2000s I went from stereo to a Marantz 5.1 surround system.. I ran Bose 201s for the rear and it too was a huge sound. It's only when I started realising I'm missing out on the capability of today's equipment to really reproduce true natural tone did I start to desire a different sound. I changed most of my gear, cables, amps, sound source etc.. Bought Marantz DV9500 SACD 5.1 CD player etc. Dynavector HX1.2 power amp which is still in the system today, Cambridge preamp etc. The Bose 301 series one is the most smooth of all the generations and probably the widest reproduction in sound. I loved many aspects of it. I once had a smoke and for a few mins I thought I was on the stage with the Rolling Stones listening to Get yer ya yas out. To this day I can still recall the entire experience. I woke up to myself and realised I wasn't on stage, just a bit not quite all there ... I still could see my position on stage, and the experience of looking at Mick Jagger's butt whilst I looked out into a stadium. This is 35 years into owning my Bose 301 series 1.. So yeh, it's been a fabulous experience owning these speakers. I tried all the other generations and I didn't like them at all. A friend has series 2 and they sound fabulous in her system. Quite a modern sound. I had a friend who owned many 901 Series 4 pairs.. He basically blasted the roof off his bedroom cracking it entirely around the edges. My landlord also had a pair of 901 series 4 and he prided himself on the 1812 overture with live canons. He would sit his guests into the leather couch and basically blow them out of the room. He had series 2 301 for the rear pair, running of the larger Bose spacial receiver. GREAT combination... So in all, I've had a great life with Bose speakers. I am still to this day looking forward to the day I can buy a later pair of 901s and stick them in a big house. I worked for Bang and Olufsen in the 1980s and 90s and they made some very nice gear then. I've owned probably about 10 different high end speakers but I still have a great fondness for the first series 301.. Oh, and a mate owned series 1 501s with a pioneer, just like in this preview. It was a VERY sweet sound.

Hi Steve, I am a relatively new subscriber to your channel but I've been 'into' hi-fi since the 1970's. I have never owned any Bose loudspeakers unless you count the little computer speakers plugged into my laptop. They are Bose and I enjoy them. My memory of Bose was going into a large branch of an HMV record store, here in the UK, and listening to the Bose speakers fixed high up on the walls of the shop. You could never say they were accurate or neutral sounding but at high volume levels they were punchy and pretty amazing.

My first Bose speakers were the 901s. I bought them in the early 80s when I was living in Japan. A couple of years later, I traded them for a Sansui BA-2000, CA-2000, TU-9900 set which I still own today. Next, I bought the acoustimass 5 series 2. I got these literally a few weeks before the acoustimass 7 was released which made me sad at the time. I still use these as the surround channels in my garage. My next set was the 101s which I bought for use as surround channels. A couple of weeks later I won a second set of 101s in a drawing. Since then I have owned 601s, lifestyle system, and several more acoustimass systems which I picked up for free (or super cheap) to flip. My car has a Bose system. This post probably makes me sound like a Bose fanboy LOL

I really love your videos! They make my day a lot better! 🙂

I bought BOSE 901 speakers about 30 years ago, at that time of is not an Audiophile. I still use in my old family room. Nowadays I love my Wilsonaudoi Yvette with DarTZeel amp along with Linn Network Player and I’m so happy with my

The Bose Mini soundlink speaker is a fantastic small speaker that has given me hours of pleasure! Great for holidays and bedrooms - big room filling sound. 👍

I still have a pair of Bose 301’s.....still listen to them with a Marantz 2250B receiver.

I just ordered a pair of Bose 301s to give them a try and a review. As my current system includes the Magnepan LRS speakers, I wanted a pair of laid back speakers for radio or background music. I think everyone that gets into this hobby should not be afraid of giving new things a try.

It was 1986, I was 20 years old and in Okinawa, Japan when I purchased a Technics receiver and my first pair of speakers, Bose 201's. I remember seeing Klipsch, JBL, and Infinity speakers in the PX (military store) all which at the time I had never heard of and were a lot more expensive than the 201's I bought. And besides I had heard of Bose before. I bought them (no audition) early into the year I was there and sold them before I left. When i got back to the states, I bought a pair of infinity bookshelf speakers. I've owned many speakers over the years, but never gave Bose a second thought.

After a Base Exchange promotion at a UK base in the Air Force I bought a pair of Bose 901 VI speakers with the equalizer in 1988. I drove them with a great Marantz integrated amp and kept them until 2018. They still sounded good to me. Admittedly they went from being the primary speakers in my living room over time to computer speakers (after we upgraded to a multimedia 5.1 system). I moved them around the world with me and remember having to figure out wall placement. I still think they are pretty good...

i used to sell high end audio back in the late 70's early 80's , i remember the Bose 901 series. In my estimation they seemed to sound best on live recordings on rock band lps. I had a friend of mine that bought a Rega planer turntable from me and i took it by his place to set it up for him , he had the Bose 901's series 3 I think? as well as the Bose EQ set to the way he prefered. They were on their tulip stands. Room was pretty much perfect for the optimum set up. He popped on the Frampton comes alive Lp. " Do you feel like i do" was enjoyable , ambiance but no real imaging which in a live concert you do not really get that on Rock and more about the sound stage. They played loud. I got what he enjoyed about them. They would never replace my Snell Type A's .. The ear is always the final arbitrator I guess you could say to a music lover. He was happy , he did come into my store and heard a pair of Acoustat Model 3's running thru some Threshold Stasis gear that impressed him quite a bit though.

Had them back in the day and still have them now Happy 😃 and I just don’t give a crap 💩 what anyone else thinks! Have a great day 👍🏻

Yes I am a past owner of Bose 901's , along with a Crown Power Amp and Crown Preamp. I was in college and bought them ridiculously cheap from a fellow starving student. And it was a favorite of my drunken fraternity buds. Being drunk myself - I loved the way they could pump out hot air when Blue Oyster Cult was played at 3 o'clock on the volume control. Did I like them myself? I don't remember.....

I had two first influences for Hifi. My father and my piano teacher. My father had an extraordinary stereo system for its time in 1971. At least in a small village in Germany, where Hifi was not yet popular, that didn't come up until the mid 1970s. A Sansui QX6500 receiver with Sansui SP 2500 speakers and SP70 for "quadraphonic" listening. I met my piano teacher in 1973 and he had a completely different system, but I also liked it a lot. Mcintosh MA230 with Bose 901, the old ones with light fabric, without those fresh air nozzles but all the better with Alnico drivers. I was impressed with the Bose sound, I was 14 years old. Nothing hurt the ear, and it was a very wide stage, but I was also irritated, because everything was as fluffy as with fabric softener, or a warm shower. For one thing, I never became a real friend of my piano teacher's Bose. But I have to say that they were the best Bose speakers I've ever heard. Much later, in the 90s, friends had the 901 with those fresh air nozzles. They sounded much worse and very coarse, I thought it was cruel. When they got loud, it was tinny and plasticky. Today I suspect that the first 901 Alnico were the best. At least they had a positive feature that I only understood as an adult what I liked. There was no passive crossover and nine identical full range drivers. This made for good homogeneity "all over the place". But the biggest influence that shaped me throughout my life was the sound of the Mcintosh MA 230. I have to say somewhat coolly, I heard the Mcintosh sound "even though" it was a Bose speaker. For 19 years now I have had a C22CE with MC275 on various speakers, never was it Bose:). but for the last four years an LS3/6 from Stirling Broadcast. The later Bose systems with small satellites, so since the 90s? ...sorry, that's ok for the changing room in the department store. Just my opinion.

When I was growing up, Bose was building these weird satellite/subwoofer systems, and I was never impressed with them. But my Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones are amazing. I was just remarking last night how I enjoy more music through them than any other means of listening. Noise cancelling, and you're always in the sweet spot.

The time was another back in the 80’s and 90’s...😁 I was a kid back then but adored Bose...😜

Every other day is cool Steve. You have become part of my weekly routine. Thanks Brother.

Hey Steve, Martin Logan guy here. Again, that room looks so 'refreshed' hardly know it was the same space (O: BOSE topic. Well, as you know, 14 years with Klipschorns on the first floor, and now the ML's. HOWEVER, I listen to your presentations here in my kitchen with laptop into a BOSE Music System (Platinum finish). Liked it so much, that I bought a SECOND one for the second floor livingroom in dark charcoal finish. They are great little performers for their size and fill the bill without lots of gear taking over the room. Thats my CURRENT Bose story. (and they are designed right here in my state (MA.)

I was watching the hi-res video and it went away? My dad had Bose 901's back in the day. I remember enjoying them up until I was 10 or so.

I have my Bose soundsport earphones in my ears right now. I own a ton of IEMs and audiophile headphones, but for casual listening, these are my go to. They even sound great coming directly out of my phone, whereas other headphones need to be driven by a separate portable amp like the FIIO BTR5. There is something to be said about the casual goodness and simplicity Bose brings to the market with their products.

ABSOLUTELY!!!!! my first audio system included a pair of Bose 901 series 4.. i was 18 at the time, owned them for 15 years and LOVE LOVE LOVED them!!! BUT i had the common sense to set them up properly and reaped the amazing rewards... my friend had a 6 pack.. 3 stacked on each side powered by 3 pioneer m25s.. some of the MOST impressive sound i have heard!!

I worked at a stereo shop during high school, and the owner made me save my money. Literally made me save by applying 1/2 my paycheck to a layaway program on the speakers I liked the most in the shop. So I ended up with a pair of KEF 103.2 speakers, which were driven by a luxman preamp + amp combo and a Linn turntable. That system, to this day, provided my fondest audiophile memories. Magic, really. Good friend had a pair of 901s and, I think, a Tandberg receiver, along with other components of course. I haven't talked to him in at least 10 years but when we used to chat about stereos his system was, to him, magical. People like what they like, and if you enjoyed your formative years and an audio system was an integral part of those years, then it's quite likely nothing will ever replicate that magic. I live with my audio memories, happily, and I really wouldn't change a thing about them.

Bose 601’s were my first “decent” speakers, and I loved them. I had them for over a decade, until I bought my Klipsch RB-61 I’s.

I bought a Bose Wave radio for my wife 22 years ago and it's still going strong connected to our tv. I recorded the Pulse concert by Pink Floyd on PBS. Very enjoyable.

Bought the Bose 601's in 1982 and still own them today. As the fronts in a 5.1 system they offer room-filling background sound to an open-spaced, high ceiling living/dining area that has stymied more conventional speakers. For high-res audiophile listening there's a separate rec room with Q Acoustics floor standers. Life is sweet!

I bought bose speakers then and during my life, I’m 75 years old and still have all five sets which still sound good look good what more could you ask? I’ve changed amps, turntables, etc but always had Bose speakers as my main speakers, tried others of various price ranges etc but always went back to Bose. So throughout my life I’ve stayed with fender on stage and Bose in home, apple computers , McIntosh amps so I guess I tend to stay with brands I love and could care less what people think SHAME why? Weird as it may seem no one has ever asked what speakers I have?

Bose also revolutionized Aircraft headsets, extraordinary change in helicopter audio eliminating all the noise and allowing great crew communications. No shame in owning Bose speakers.

When I have the right house with a the right room, I'd probably track down a set of 901s, not as my main system, that would be my big Dali Opticon8 towers that I've fallen in love with. I'd have them as the second set because there were some things in their sound and their unique rear firing design that worked amazingly well sometimes.

I had 301 series 2 as a "B" speaker in a second room in my house for a number of years. They were ok speakers, falling well short of the sound of the JBL L-56 I had at the time. Still, their horizontal orientation fit the space I had, and I even had placement for them to direct reflect correctly. While in college I had classmates in the dorms that had 601 and 501's and I to me those were nice speakers. The 601 in particular was a nice speaker, it was almost literally a double 301 box. My favorite Bose story is when Dr. Bose in person was on an episode of "This Old House" in the Bob Vila era, and told the Dr. to his face something like "there is no way these are going to work" to his new acousticmas speakers they were putting in the house. In this setup the bass unit was in a floor joist, so only a duct like a a/c duct showed in the floor of the room. Classic Bob Vila.

Started getting into HI-FI as a 15 years old kid, as my father owned the 901. So i bought a used set of 301, and this was my way into HI-FI. Later i upgraded too Focal (F3 Lyd): Onken Focal (the ones with the eeg looking concrete "cabinet" with tweeter/midrange, and a BIG cabinet to put em' on, which controlled the bas). The newly released: Audiolab 8000A amp, was the partner for that system. So if Bose was responsible for me getting into HI-FI, then i have no problem revealing it ;-) Fast forward, i'm 51 and is still on a journey. Cheers from Denmark

I'm actually looking at a pair of bose speakers. They are from the 90s and when I used to sell them I always wanted to buy them . I'm betting they sound just as good today. Can't say which pair though. I had the Lifestyle 10 or home theater setup. 5.1. They actually sounded killer cus u could turn up the surround volume and watch the Soundstage move right before your eyes. It's truly amazing if u have never heard it.......

I bought a pair of 901 Series V in the mid 80's. I still have them and listen to them most days. I bought them for their transient response! very dynamic. Looking at a pair of Klipsch Cornwalls now.

Room is looking great. Now the audiophillac is classy 😊

I have bought 4 series 4 used them at very high levels in clubs for 8 years until the foam deteriorated. Bose sent me new series 6, 4 of them , when I called to inquire about getting them fixed. FREE OF CHARGE even though they were out of warranty. I have now had my series 6 for close to a decade and with my system I believe they sound wonderful. Larger than life because of that Direct Reflection. And haven’t bought any other speakers since. I proudly say I OWN BOSE! 🕺🏾

Still listening to my 1974 Allison 1’s and 4’s some 47 years later!

I experienced my first exposure to high end speakers in the very early 80's. My first was hearing the Bose 901's and my thought was they sounded good and played loud. BUT, I think it was the same year, my friend showed me his Dalquist DQ-10's and I was blown away. I've never owned Bose or Dalquist speakers but at the time I would have picked the Dalquist .. hands down!

I had some bose 301 back in early 90's, found their limitations very quickly but enjoyed them also , never found them boring and great for parties .

I bought a pair of Bose 601’s with a Mitsubishi receiver back in 1981 and I loved those speakers. I still have fond memories and never regretted my purchase. I wish I still owned them to see if I would feel any different about them now. I also had Bose for a professor in school and he was a very enthusiastic lecturer. He clearly had a view about sound and didn’t seem like he was in it only for the money.

I currently have a pair of 901s Series IV in my basement. To be fair, I didn’t buy them. They were my grandfather’s which I inherited. We got some rare Sansui’s too with one front AND A PAIR OF TOP/REAR UP FIRING TWEETERS!! My brother and I couldn’t find any parts for them. Got an all-in-one reel to reel system too. That’s just what we actually received. He was military. Obviously, an old school audiophile. I had these 901s hooked up years ago in a horrible room but am trying them out again in my basement which has a ~15’ wide flat wall to reflect them off of. They have been “re-foamed” and I had the equalizer serviced and upgraded. I’ve raised them up 8” so they are actually at somewhat of an ear level as opposed to my stomach lol. The chromed tulip stands that I have are too short. Just need a proper DAC and preamplifier (coming very soon) to pair with my NAD 2600 Power Envelope amplifier and I’ll be ready to go. I don’t care what anyone has to say about them, I’m using them!!! They’re interesting looking and a conversation starter. Most of my peers (early to late 30s) have no idea Bose ever even made such a monstrosity. These are strictly for experimentation and fun. If I tire of them/don’t like the them... I’ll simply get a new and better pair of speakers. Tbh, would I spend money buying Bose speakers themselves, probably not. They have nostalgic value and family history so these 901s will carry on for now. These speakers are the ones responsible for getting me into this hobby in the 1st place. Edit: I do have a much better, way more critical home theater set up in my upstairs living room. Polar opposite system to this eventual one.

On the complimentary side, they physically and visually fit in more places. And while they may not sound great. They can sound pretty good. And that is a world better than no music at all.

All thanks to the Audiophiliac, I resurrected my Bose 301s, added a PSB Alpha S10 subwoofer, a decent Topping DAC and an Aiyima amplifier and achieved audio bliss...still love the Bose...

In the mid-80`s, I purchased a pair of Bose 601 Series II, which provided good service for a few years. Auditioned them for lots of folks from all walks of life, never got any complaints about the quality of the sound (Mostly rock & jazz).Powered by a Carver M500t amp, they had the horsepower needed to make them sing. Passed them along to a neighbor friend, they were an upgrade for him. My own upgrade at the time was to VMPS Super Tower IIs, they were fun !

I had the Bose 501 speaker. In a small room. I played my music very loud. I knew nothing about good sound quality, I was 18.

The 301s are decent! 8" woofer..and 2 tweeters directed in opposite directions for spacious sound...GREAT concept..but could use better components for better detail

Excellent episode! I live in a condo and don't want to bother my neighbors so I prefer smaller speakers. I've been using Bose 141's for my fronts and 161's for my surrounds for a few years now and love them. I never owned but always liked the old 901's and their early Acoustimass systems whenever I had a chance to listen to them.

Steve, the backdrop on this video is great!

I own a pair of 301's. I bought them for my first system and I was happy. Then I replaced them with Elac's Debut B6. I compared them switching between A and B for hours over few days. The Bose with their 8" paper woofer have definitely better bass and reach lower. With the double twitter (one firing backward) they sound way more spacious and 3D than the Elac's. The Elac's sound clearer for sure and for approx. 76% of the price of the Bose's, the Elac's definitely exhibit better quality in the cabinet construction an bindings posts... The rest is just audiophiles talking to sound like audiophiles!

Yes & yes! In 1974 I auditioned Bose 901 Series II. Bose had a promotion where if you bought a pair of 901’s and the Bose solid state 1,000 wpc (4 ohms) you got a 2nd pair of the 901’s free. So I also bought the Bose preamplifier, and Bose speaker stands, followed by a Micro Seiki direct drive turntable with carbon fiber tone arm and a Micro Acoustics cartridge (don’t remember model #’s.). I set up the speakers with 2 speakers on the front wall and 1 ea. on the side walls. I listened primarily to Prog Rock (Yes, Pink Floyd, etc.) cranked up to 11! My brother, also an audiophile, introduced me to direct-to-disk records and I added a ton of them to my collection. I never once felt disappointed by my purchases and listened to music every night after work and all weekend long. However, after getting married my wife informed me that I was to spend all my free time with her, not listening ing to music! So I sold my entire system, which I did not miss much because we had moved to Florida, bought a big sailboat, and spent all our free time sailing. All these years latter I am now listening to a much more modest system (NAD M10 and Klipsch RP600M) am enjoying music just as much.

I, too owned and enjoyed Bose 501 (11) for several years. Their sound was good enough for the time and they were perfect for the acoustics of 2 consecutive apartments I lived in. I had them flanking the pocket doors between my living room and my dining room with fireplace. With the doors closed or left open a doorway size in the middle and the sound reflecting off the doors and sidewalls this was awesome in the living room and --- I could open the doors and have good sound in the adjoining room which also was spacious and had a fireplace - perfect for romantic interludes. The inboard tweeters would directly radiate into the fireplace area. Fast forward about 14 years and I became a homeowner who wanted a hidden decent stereo in my living/dining area (not my prime listening room) and I bought AM5 ser2 for very short money and this worked well in that area with the cubes on the end of the mantle. As it's all about choices if it don't come from a white van and you like it then it's fine in my opinion. If I was back in those nearly identical apartments with my now 70 yr. old ears I might start CL searches for 501 again - I liked them that much in that environment. One thing which came out of owning them is I found I liked the spaciousness they delivered when set up right. This likely influenced my decision to use Mirage products in my ATMOS setup and I thank Steve daily for a review suggesting I give them a try for my now expanded HT application. If you drop the snobbery, accept they are only Ok and recognize that you maybe can do better in some regards for the price then there should not be shame involved especially if you have grown beyond this ( and I hope you have )

Still enjoying my 601, my 2nd pair.

I never owned Bose. I grew up with a father who set up sound systems for movie theaters, churches and amphitheaters and he always had Klipsch at home. My first true speakers were Cerwin Vega D9's in 1979 and I owned them for many years. My father had 1966 Klipsch Heresy's that he purchased new and had dual custom built mono block amps. Over the years I went through many different brands and combinations too count. In 1998 my father passed away and I took the speakers and my brother got the amps. My brother sold them without my knowledge but I still own the Heresy's. I have had them refinished twice and upgraded with Crite's components too todays standards and I love them. Just looking at them brings back good memories and since the age of 6 my granddaughter has spent almost every Sunday with me listening to music and playing guitars. In the past 5 years I have had to learn her music selections which I really don't like but I'm grandpa and we have been doing this for years so we have to move on from just my selections and she already knows that this stereo, my guitars and all other related equipment are hers when I pass on. Holy shit I started out just to say no

Everyone has a boat to float in the direction that brings them to a better place. From many years of seeing, hearing and playing with audio in many residential & commercial sites, I have been constantly amazed at what I have heard and seen. Myself, I have grown past the huge speaker cabinets with cabinetry housing many thousands of dollars of equipment with shelves and closets full of content (CD, vinyl, tape etc). When I trialed a Bose 500 sound bar with matching sub and BT remote with a selection of 4K video with connected audio sources via optical, Bluetooth and ethernet. All this sounds like a lot of modern equipment until you realize the huge sound is coming from the Bose. Audio can be automatic for content, low levels, high level party, cinema, etc and the pleasure of music has returned. Of course it must be tried and enjoyed in your situation as with anything. It all started with a Sound dock for an early iPod that was amazing, then it took off from there. Elsewhere in the house we still have the high powered surround system for audio and video however we find we gravitate to the Bose connected system more often. Another thought that brings music to life once again is the convenience of window rattling, earth shaking sound or late night TV quiet at the touch of a button, calibrated as well.

We have used a "Lifestyle 30" system as part of a large screen TV media setup for 20 yrs. When the Bose master controller packed in the unit was repaired to factory spec - and for a nominal price. In our experience the thing is bullet proof and fine for 5.1 cinema effects and games stuff on the large screen for the children. It also helps clear up speech for the hard of hearing. It's not hifi - but that wasn't what we bought it for. Greetings to one and All.

I recommended the then-new stereo Acoustimas system to a lifestyle-first elderly couple and was pleased with the result in their very oddly shaped living space. They were thrilled and she was a competent church pianist., so no tone deafness here. The Bose system in my Mazda CX-5 is def the best car audio I’ve owned. I think Bose has popularized satellite-sub systems, extended bass ports and DSP-enhanced speakers, all common in brands not hated by audiophiles. So I think Bose gets prejudiced hate. Now, their quality to price ratio often sucks. But they do “think different” like a certain computer brand has done. Judge each of their products as if unbranded and sometimes Bose has the best fit for a certain application. But, admittedly, often not.

Does the base wave clock radio count? I owned one. Did I enjoy it. It helped me wake up in the morning. It was loud enough.

I purchased a pair of Bose 201 IVs about 17 years ago. Didn't care for them much at the time. I unpacked them less than a year ago and put them about six feet up in my bedroom on top my furnishings and didn't think they would sound any good, but they sound great to me! I'm not ashamed. I would love to hear some 901 speakers.

Yes Sir I got a set of 901 series 5 in Germany while I was in active duty Army in the late 80s and still have them today. I’ve been listening to vinyl with a JVC receiver and vintage system for over 30 years. They still sound great today.

I had a pair of 501's, then upgraded to JBL L100's...1974..

Yes, I owned Bose 401s run by Dynaco Mark III amps. I bought them from a friend. I sold them decades ago. Poor high frequency detail is my main criticism, boomy bass was bad too.

I bought a pair of Bose 501s overseas(England) in 1983 and still own them to this day. After using them for about 15 years to listen to my vinyl, reel-to-reel, 8-tracks and cassettes. I finally pulled them out of service when I began to delve into the home-theater world. I replaced them with a full JBL 5.1 system anchored with the HLS810s on stands and a PSW1000 sub. I fell in love with the JBL sound and rocked that setup until a little over two years ago. I replaced that setup with the Studio 290s, 235c and a 250p sub. Recently I wanted to go with double subs for the first time. But to my disappointment the 250p was discontinued and after much research. I went with two Klipsch R110SWs(got em both at half price $249.00 each). I've now created a second home-theater setup with my old JBL gear in my game room. Now for the fun part. I am having my Bose 501s which still look nearly brand new on the outside, re-conditioned(internally). I'm going use them for an old-school dedicated music listening-station for my Technics SL-QD3 turntable, Teac X220R reel, a Kenwood KX-90R cassette deck and a Pioneer H-R99 8-track player. And yes, I have music for ALL of them. Lol! Glad I held on to my old gear, including my Bose 501s!!!

This is, without a doubt, one of my favorite Audiophiliac vides of all time. Nuff said.

I never owned Bose, but I have repaired hundreds of Bose speakers over the years as a loudspeaker technician. I'm always perplexed by the nostalgia people have for their Bose, and how they would rather invest money to repair them rather than put that money into a better speaker.

Totally guilty as charged, Bose 301s coupled with Pioneer SX 680 sounded amazing back in the day and I enjoyed that right up to last year when the foam gave way on the 301s and I also lost left channel power on the Pioneer. Not a bad run at all for a paper route budget bought in 1980.

Owned Bose 301's in College back in '79 with a Sansui receiver and Technics TT. Bounced sound around my 14'x12' room. Liked the sound at the time. Have since gone through Epos es11, Yamaha NS 1000's, Vandersteen 2 ci, Hales system 2's, Naim SBL's and Jamo Concert 8's. Still have the Vandy's, and Jamos. Want 15 inch Tannoys and wish I had kept the NS1000's. Never since heard as transparent a speaker as that.

Never had them. I'll confess that my first speaker (1972) were Jenson 3-ways with 12" woofers and walnut enclosures. I was happy with them until I heard and brought home my first pair of Magnepans in 1982. On my 3rd pair (1.6's) now. Tried Definitive Technology, Yamaha and Keff, but not for long...they always led me back to Maggies. Steve, Congratulations on 175K! You'll blow past that soon, I'm sure!

Still enjoying my Vandersteens for over 25 years now

Bose 901 series 6 and u can’t get a better live sound speakers anywhere! If u get the correct room size and enough power to run them they can’t be beat also the Bose acoustic wave music system is the best sounding portable music system ever just try one it has 2 amplifiers and the CD player will not skip on any cd and it will fill any size room more then u think

I had a pair of 301III in my bedroom back in the days. I hung them from the ceiling . 18 inches from the ceiling and about 2 feet from the walls. TV and hi-fi betamax between them. Had HK receiver hooked up to it. They did their job . They were pretty ok listening late at night at lower volume . I SOLD HI-FI equipment for Circuit City . I got them for free . I later switched to DCM then to JBL LX44. Loved the LX44.

I bought a 5.1 Lifestyle system in 2004 for my master bedroom. The receiver and sub died. Replaced with a Denon 1400 couple years ago. I am happy with the sound for a bedroom system. Also bought, at the same time from the Bose outlet store, a pair of 27028's for my living room on the wall. They aren't used much, only at low levels for gatherings. I have been happy with them. Bose are not perfect, but they work for what I use them for. My main system is an integrated Denon 6700 and Elac Debut 2.0 - 7.1 system.

Shame my A$$!! High school. Like a "first love", you'll have way better experiences later in life, but will always have affection and appreciation for your first. I truly loved them at the time. Bose 301, series 2 with the 2 real tweeters arrayed. Added a cheap Sony subwoofer. Sounded way better than whatever boombox or "rack system" they had at the mall.

I think the best thing about owning a Bose speaker is that whatever you buy afterwards is an improvement.

I did own Bose 101 around 30 years ago for AV speakers purpose. I could remember Bose 101 was adopted in many sound projects in Hong Kong, say, disco, music lounge for filling up sound at party rooms or far corners from the main system, it was 70/100V line version. I did discover that the cross-over network (inductor and capacitor) inside was trying to dim the mid-frequency (i.e. a passive way of boosting bass and treble). Bose 901 on the other hand, I never owned one but used it a lot in my work, for the pop-up sound reinforcement in ball room, for fashion show, for music performance, etc. I reckon Bose was one of the most affordable speakers in 80's. I could see some NOS Bose 101 are still in the market trade in China region and the price tag is very very affordable. Good to get Steve's reminder around the time my 1st job after graduated from high school... the golden era of AV/audio in HK/Japan.

I recently purchased a pair of Bose 901 VI as a bucket list item. First heard them about 40 years or so ago and really enjoyed the room filling sound. I stream Spotify through an HP laptop, Schiit Modi 3 DAC, Schiit Loki tube preamp, McIntosh Mac 1900 receiver and out through to the 901's. I am very happy with the sound. I compare them to my 2nd system which is the same pre -speaker set-up out to a set of Wharfedale floor standing speakers. Again once correct placement is achieved, the 901's more than hold their own. Front firing Wharfedales vs direct /reflecting Bose. I listen to the same music on both and can honestly say, both speakers are enjoyable. Those old Bose 901's are are not dogs, by any stretch of the imagination.

Wow this brings back memories. I was seduced by Bose marketing and purchased, as my first pair of speakers, the 601s. I ran these through an Onkyo receiver. I convinced myself that the open direct reflecting sound was all it, but I was secretly jealous of the more traditional box speakers being purchased by friends. A couple of years later I purchased a used pair of JBL L 100s. I had the 601s and the JBLs both hooked up to the Onkyo (not running simultaneously) and I could compare the sounds. The JBLs needed a lot more juice but had a much fuller and punchier sound and I found myself listening to them more and more. Can’t even remember when or how I dumped the 601s. Perhaps a late night run to Salvation Army. Live and learn.

I still have a pair of Bose speakers, and enjoy them.’ I use them in my garden, and take them out of the cabinets and play jazz indirectly. Great stuff. My other system is in my living room, and consists of kef ls50s driven by Arcam with qobuz. There’s the thing. When I want to play music at dinner parties, the audiophile set up isn’t very pleasant to listen to. I use my second speaker drive of my amp to power an old pair of mission bookshelf speakers, and it’s pretty good sound for everyone to hear during conversations. However, my personal reference is a baroque lute, and I enjoy having friends play in my living room regularly. By comparison, any audio system is profoundly flawed. Which leaves us to ponder, what purpose do I want to accomplish with my stereo system? How can I get there? If you think you’re a stereo music snob, you should meet musicians who sweat every detail of their instrument and hands to get the music to express what they want. It’s a whole different world.