Tweaked out Bose 901 series 6 mk 2

milford3 · « **Reply #40 on:** 4 Dec 2011, 08:43 pm »

JLM you nailed it! The 901's were a starting point for most of us. We had no idea what good speakers should sound like. Their was one speaker from Bozak, the Concert Grand B-410 that hooked me into audio for life.
Pic of the B-410.

Soundminded · « **Reply #41 on:** 4 Dec 2011, 09:01 pm »

Quote from: JLM on 4 Dec 2011, 08:25 pm

Excuse me, but 30 or 40 years ago we were all kids. What to h*ll did we know? What had we compared 901's to? How many truly audiophile experiences did you have as a teenager? What audiophile recordings did we "audition with? How good is aural memory after that much time?

I'm not discounting audio epiphanies (my first was in 1976), but we need to keep all this in context.

How about AR3a which I had intended to buy instead? How about KLH Model 6 which I owned? How about the New York Philharmonic which I heard live regularly among other orchestras. Piano in my own house which I played, school orchestras I played clarinet in. How about 2 live versus recorded demos I was lucky enough to attend. And BTW I heard all of the Bozaks and KLH Model 9 among others. However the point is well taken. I've become a much more critical listener over the years even if my hearing is no better...but not much worse either. Among other things I've protected it from loud sounds. Not much hearing loss over the years at all.

Chromisdesigns · « **Reply #42 on:** 4 Dec 2011, 09:03 pm »

Quote from: TONEPUB on 4 Dec 2011, 07:42 pm

Got a pair of Pass XA200.5's here ready to go...

I thought the particle board comment was particularly funny. Name one $1400 speaker that doesn't have an MDF cabinet. They pretty much all do. Can't knock Bose for that.

I had a pair of Kirksaeters (sp?) years ago when I was living on a boat. Their cabs were made from solid baltic birch ply, not sure if they still do it that way.

srb · « **Reply #43 on:** 4 Dec 2011, 09:08 pm »

When I bought my first "real" pair of speakers in 1974, EPI 201s (cheap-ass 8" woofers, cheap-ass 1" inverted dome paper tweeters, cheap-ass single crossover capacitors), they sounded significantly better to me than the Bose 901s that I compared them to, both driven with the same Phase Linear 400 amplifier.

Edit: I believe that would have been the 901 Series II in 1974.

More bass, equal midrange, better highs and better image/focus. It could have had something to do with the room placement, but I doubt that any amount of tweaking and placement would have made enough of a difference to the disparity that I heard. The Bose equalizer also seemed to be adding some extra hiss to the system that I was not hearing on the EPIs, even though the EPIs had more extended HF.

Steve

Chromisdesigns · « **Reply #44 on:** 4 Dec 2011, 09:09 pm »

Quote from: JLM on 4 Dec 2011, 08:25 pm

Excuse me, but 30 or 40 years ago we were all kids. What to h*ll did we know? What had we compared 901's to? How many truly audiophile experiences did you have as a teenager? What audiophile recordings did we "audition with? How good is aural memory after that much time?

I'm not discounting audio epiphanies (my first was in 1976), but we need to keep all this in context.

Well, let's see -- AR3, KLH as another poster mentioned, also original Large Advents, pairs and stacks, Dynaco, Klipshorns (no room for them in tiny student apartment), JBLs of various types...

I'd say I had **some** comparison experience when I bought the 901's. I thought they did well against all of the above.

HiFiSoundGuy · « **Reply #45 on:** 4 Dec 2011, 09:45 pm »

Look down this page at post number #45 and see what... Tony3d has to say about these 901's

www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=156904&page=3

Pez · « **Reply #46 on:** 4 Dec 2011, 09:46 pm »

So, I'm confused.

Are the 901s the bestest speaker EVA or are they just plain awesome?

TONEPUB · « **Reply #47 on:** 4 Dec 2011, 09:47 pm »

We'll find out next week, when they get here...

vinyl_guy · « **Reply #48 on:** 4 Dec 2011, 09:52 pm »

Quote from: Pez on 4 Dec 2011, 09:46 pm

So, I'm confused. Are the 901s the bestest speaker EVA or are they just plain awesome?

persisting1 · « **Reply #49 on:** 4 Dec 2011, 10:21 pm »

Wasn't aware that the grills are permanent.

It's a rule of mine to take statements like "a night and day difference" with a grain of salt.

OzarkTom · « **Reply #50 on:** 4 Dec 2011, 10:35 pm »

Quote from: JLM on 4 Dec 2011, 08:25 pm

Excuse me, but 30 or 40 years ago we were all kids. What to h*ll did we know? What had we compared 901's to? How many truly audiophile experiences did you have as a teenager? What audiophile recordings did we "audition with? How good is aural memory after that much time?

I'm not discounting audio epiphanies (my first was in 1976), but we need to keep all this in context.

The Acoustat X's came out about 1976 or 77. Those were the best production ESL's ever made. They were driven by DD OTL servo amps. They still stand up to anything out there you can listen to today. The LS 3/5A's have been out just as long or longer. Companies are still producing them. I remember the first time I heard the LS3/5a with McIntosh tube gear in 1977, My ears could not believe what I was listening too.

Then there are the 1957 Quad ESL's that I first heard in 1979. All of these speakers sound as good today as they did 35 years ago when I started playing audiophile then. The first time I heard the MBL's back in 1980, I knew those would be very special to ever own. My tastes have not changed much over the years.

macrojack · « **Reply #51 on:** 4 Dec 2011, 10:56 pm »

HFSG - After prying off the grills, remove all 9 drivers for a truly night and day difference. You won't believe the improvement this tweak makes over the stock Bose sound. Likewise, this tweak eliminates the influence of amplification altogether. A $10 yard sale receiver will sound as good as anything on the Recommended Component List.
As an added incentive, you can sell those drivers for $3 each on eBay, which is $1.14 more than Bose pays for them. Tweaks are fun and profitable.

TONEPUB · « **Reply #52 on:** 4 Dec 2011, 11:17 pm »

Tom, those Acoustat X speakers were awesome, I always wanted a pair myself. I'm told that the amps are available separately and that you can drive the later model acoustats with them. Now there's a DIY project I'd love to undertake.

OzarkTom · « **Reply #53 on:** 4 Dec 2011, 11:54 pm »

Quote from: TONEPUB on 4 Dec 2011, 11:17 pm

Tom, those Acoustat X speakers were awesome, I always wanted a pair myself. I'm told that the amps are available separately and that you can drive the later model acoustats with them. Now there's a DIY project I'd love to undertake.

I tried the amps on the model Three's and Fours, but they were not as good as the X's or Monitor Three's. The older speaker side panels were more angled and gave better bass and imaging. I am sure Acoustat changed the newer ones so they were easier to ship. I never tried the DD amps on the 1+1 or 2+2's. That would be interesting.

I found a pair of the servo amps on Craigslist for $400 last year, but they were in Florida and he would not ship them. Shucks! Just be careful and don't get electrocuted if you work on the amps. Voltage is lethal.

HiFiSoundGuy · « **Reply #54 on:** 5 Dec 2011, 01:46 am »

I have my 901's toed-in with inter-edge of the speakers about 22 inches out from the front wall and the outer-edge of the speakers out about 27 and a half inches from the front wall and about 22 inches from the sidewalls about 22 inches from anything between my 901's. I also have my 50" plasma HDTV between my 901's and its about 25 inches out from the front wall. I have my 901's off the floor about 2 ft. on top of these http://www.yaffainc.com/products/itemized/952.html without the drawers and turned upside down . It just keeps getting better the more I move them around !!

HiFiSoundGuy · « **Reply #55 on:** 7 Dec 2011, 12:36 am »

I have heard a lot speakers in my time and to my ears they still have not perfected the High Frequency yet !

If you don't get the Highs right then it does not matter how good the midrange or bottom end are because it just will not sound right...period !...

Pez · « **Reply #56 on:** 7 Dec 2011, 01:49 am »

....so just don't try to produce the high frequency like the 901s.

I've got a headache, guess it's time to decapitate myself. Throw the baby out with the bath water etc.

lanchile · « **Reply #57 on:** 7 Dec 2011, 02:18 am »

Quote from: S Clark on 4 Dec 2011, 08:01 pm

When I was first shopping for stereo in the early 70's, the 901's were pushed in most of the stores, and they definitely had a distinctive sound. But I actually heard them sound good on one occasion. A guy I knew set up a pair for the local community theatre, doing a production in a small venue. He had a Phase Linear amp and a DBX 3? expander. The music was a squeezebox playing a tune for a scene in a Paris outdoor cafe. The sound was expansive and holographic. Compared to my little Marantz 1060 integrated and large Advents, it blew me away. Nearly 40 years later I still remember it.
In the day, set up right, they could sound pretty darned good.

you got that right! MDF is way better than particle board!!! Bose is the only company that uses that kind of crab materials and charges a fortune.

lanchile · « **Reply #58 on:** 7 Dec 2011, 02:27 am »

Quote from: macrojack on 4 Dec 2011, 10:56 pm

HFSG - After prying off the grills, remove all 9 drivers for a truly night and day difference. You won't believe the improvement this tweak makes over the stock Bose sound. Likewise, this tweak eliminates the influence of amplification altogether. A $10 yard sale receiver will sound as good as anything on the Recommended Component List.
As an added incentive, you can sell those drivers for $3 each on eBay, which is $1.14 more than Bose pays for them. Tweaks are fun and profitable.

You are wrong sir!!! He can sell tose drivers for way,way more money like $30 each, remember they are Bose drivers made of lunar material that can reach a phenomenal 12khz with +/-10 db.

OzarkTom · « **Reply #59 on:** 7 Dec 2011, 02:36 am »

Whoa, this topic is getting heavy.