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Any info on Bose Lifestyle 901 Powered Speaker System?

xavier4peace said:
I picked up the Bose Lifestyle 901's. Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of information available for these speakers :( This is what I've gathered:

1. The speakers were sold from 1996-2001
2. Power Amp rated at 140-150 watts
3. Speakers are in black high-gloss piano finish
4. EQ and amp is in the speaker stand
5. System includes a brushed aluminum CD20 music center (not upgradable)

The following are not proven facts - after talking to Bose enthusiast and official representatives:

1. I can trade the system to Bose for a new Lifestyle system or new pair of 901's for 1/2 retail price. Should I? Would I?
2. The limited edition Bose 901 Concerto's have the same black high-gloss piano finish as the 901 Lifestyles. The Concerto's are the exact same speakers except they were passive speakers and not powered like the 901 Lifestyle. The "limited edition" label is because of the piano finish - not because of any other reasons according to Bose.
3. The Lifestyle 901's were discontinued due to high cost, lack of sale.
4. Bloody hell, no one owns a Lifestyle 901 or is willing to share their experience :(
5. Oh, they are 'Sexy Cool" - for a smile, watch the music video on youtube! It's by artist Katrine.

I will set the system up and give a review asap. Here are pictures of my latest acquisitions. Thanks for reading and responding. :tresbon:
Click to expand...
I have to build stands like that for my First Gen 901. Those look like speakers you'd see in a Star Trek movie, or other SciFi movie. Damn nice.
 
I wonder if audio buyers at that end of the market (upscale) generally wanted separate amps and just didn't take to the all-in-one concept of these. By '96 maybe the 901 had too much competition on top of it.

I would not trade them in for a new pair (vintage is cool, and you have a rare set there as you know). I gotta wonder what Bose would do with this rig if you traded it in? I can imagine things I don't want to think about.
 
I own a pair of Lifestyle 901s

I bought mine new in 1999 and they cost $4,000.00 at that time. I would not trade mine for new ones straight up. These are much classier in esthetic appeal than the new ones. The speakers are identical to any other Series VI 901s internally. As already correctly reported, they differ cosmetically because of the piano black finish and because the amp is integrated into the left speaker stand. It is a class D amp, and ~150 watts per channel sounds about right. The EQ is integrated into the amp and there are settings to make slight adjustments on the back of the left speaker stand. The control center includes a CD changer that holds 6 discs and it has a tuner, which isn't very impressive. If you want to play LPs you will need a separate phono preamp. In terms of set up, these are not different from any other 901s. You need a room that allows them to be set up well away from both the back wall and the side walls. I recommend 20"-24" from the back wall and double that from the side walls if at all possible. The back wall should be as stiff and dead as possible and it is best that the wall be left clear of furniture if possible. In the right room 901s are really lovely speakers. They have bass down to ~50 cps, and highs to ~15,000 cps (as measured in my room with a real time analyzer). They present the music in a back of the hall perspective. The original measurements upon which Dr. Bose based his design were taken at Symphony Hall in Boston and the 901s sound remarkably like the BSO sounds if you are sitting in the upper level at the back of the hall. No other speakers that I am familiar with do that. They also provide a very realistic ambiance for things like chorale sung in a cathedral, or organ in a cathedral. Lots of echo, which smears detail, though. Some people like that effect, others not so much. My advice to anyone considering 901s is to know yourself. If you like sitting at the back of the hall, you will probably like them, but if you are a front and center in the first 10 rows type of concert goer, the 901s are not likely to be your cuppa. Lastly, a word about things to look for. Pull the grills off of the back of at least one side on the back. This will expose four of the nine drivers in that cabinet. See what shape the surrounds are in. Also, turn on the control unit. As these age the digital display fades. Also while it is on check the remote to make sure it is functional. Bose has excellent customer service and parts are still available, although parts for the control unit were getting low according to Bose when I last had my unit serviced by them about a year ago. Let me know if I can help you in any way.

Bill
 
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Bill Stevens said:
I bought mine new in 1999 and they cost $4,000.00 at that time. I would not trade mine for new ones straight up. These are much classier in esthetic appeal than the new ones. The speakers are identical to any other Series VI 901s internally. As already correctly reported, they differ cosmetically because of the piano black finish and because the amp is integrated into the left speaker stand. It is a class D amp, and ~150 watts per channel sounds about right. The EQ is integrated into the amp and there are settings to make slight adjustments on the back of the left speaker stand. The control center includes a CD changer that holds 6 discs and it has a tuner, which isn't very impressive. If you want to play LPs you will need a separate phono preamp. In terms of set up, these are not different from any other 901s. You need a room that allows them to be set up well away from both the back wall and the side walls. I recommend 20"-24" from the back wall and double that from the side walls if at all possible. The back wall should be as stiff and dead as possible and it is best that the wall be left clear of furniture if possible. In the right room 901s are really lovely speakers. They have bass down to ~50 cps, and highs to ~15,000 cps (as measured in my room with a real time analyzer). They present the music in a back of the hall perspective. The original measurements upon which Dr. Bose based his design were taken at Symphony Hall in Boston and the 901s sound remarkably like the BSO sounds if you are sitting in the upper level at the back of the hall. No other speakers that I am familiar with do that. They also provide a very realistic ambiance for things like chorale sung in a cathedral, or organ in a cathedral. Lots of echo, which smears detail, though. Some people like that effect, others not so much. My advice to anyone considering 901s is to know yourself. If you like sitting at the back of the hall, you will probably like them, but if you are a front and center in the first 10 rows type of concert goer, the 901s are not likely to be your cuppa. Lastly, a word about things to look for. Pull the grills off of the back of at least one side on the back. This will expose four of the nine drivers in that cabinet. See what shape the surrounds are in. Also, turn on the control unit. As these age the digital display fades. Also while it is on check the remote to make sure it is functional. Bose has excellent customer service and parts are still available, although parts for the control unit were getting low according to Bose when I last had my unit serviced by them about a year ago. Let me know if I can help you in any way.

Bill
Click to expand...
Some day I'll have to sit with a group of people, listen to some stuff and have someone explain to me "smearing". I've read this so many times and haven't read an adequate explanation that would allow me to detect such a phenomenon. I have an idea of what it may be, and possibly have experienced it, but can't say that I have with my 901 speakers.
 
I don't agree with the "smearing" description. Now, if you substitute "obscuring" in the same place within the sentence...OK, I'll buy that. :) Reflected sound does obscure direct sound; or put another way, hall sound does obscure detail. Just like it does with live music. All sound, whether live or recorded, that is in heard in a non-anechoic acoustic is going to be a mixture of direct and reflected (and reverberant) sound. The 901 simply adds more reflected sound to the mix than most speakers. Either you like it or you don't.
 
Smearing in a temporal sense perhaps - as in the same note reaching your ears at different times due to echo. aka reverb. I can see how this would obscure (or smear)fine details. The audio equivalent of smearing the details in a painting by touching it when it's wet.
 
xavier4peace said:
I picked up the Bose Lifestyle 901's. Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of information available for these speakers :( This is what I've gathered:

1. The speakers were sold from 1996-2001
2. Power Amp rated at 140-150 watts
3. Speakers are in black high-gloss piano finish
4. EQ and amp is in the speaker stand
5. System includes a brushed aluminum CD20 music center (not upgradable)

The following are not proven facts - after talking to Bose enthusiast and official representatives:

1. I can trade the system to Bose for a new Lifestyle system or new pair of 901's for 1/2 retail price. Should I? Would I?
2. The limited edition Bose 901 Concerto's have the same black high-gloss piano finish as the 901 Lifestyles. The Concerto's are the exact same speakers except they were passive speakers and not powered like the 901 Lifestyle. The "limited edition" label is because of the piano finish - not because of any other reasons according to Bose.
3. The Lifestyle 901's were discontinued due to high cost, lack of sale.
4. Bloody hell, no one owns a Lifestyle 901 or is willing to share their experience :(
5. Oh, they are 'Sexy Cool" - for a smile, watch the music video on youtube! It's by artist Katrine.

I will set the system up and give a review asap. Here are pictures of my latest acquisitions. Thanks for reading and responding. :tresbon:
Click to expand...

Ok, i will try to help you out to a degree. I purchased the 901 Lifestyles new in 2000, i have had three pairs of 901`s in my lifetime going back to the originals.

Getting away from critical set-up the Lifestyle 901`s suffered from sub-par electronics and for the price when new sounded very middle of the road. The best that i heard any 901`s were when they were driven by a Phase Linear 400.

Now getting to the overall sound, it`s either love or hate. I knew the original 901 designers (party animals) so i always gave them a go but personally i never really liked them. They do make a good party speaker and that was the original intention.
 
Interestingly enough, I happen to own a Phase Linear 400 and a Apt Holman preamp to drive it. I believe that this combination would definitely be superior to the electronics integrated into the Bose 901 Lifestyle system. The point of the Lifestyle product is to look good, and they do look very good, be convenient and fit or integrate into the "lifestyle" of people who love music, but are not necessarily audiophiles. The 901 is not a tweakers product. Sorry if anyone is offended, but Bose as a company knew exactly where their market was and they went after it quite successfully. As far as my use of the word "smears" is concerned, I did not appreciate that it could cause controversy. Believe me none was intended. I think the explanation of the effects of direct vs. reflected sound written in response is quite right. For those who are concert goers (to clarify and simplify, let's assume an acoustic rather than amplified event), it should be clear that if you sit near to the performers, that is near the stage, you will get more direct sound, and if you sit at the back of the hall you will get more reflected sound. Put quite simply, the further back you sit the less detail you are likely to be able to hear. The rosen on the bow is less distinct so to speak. The 901s presentation is spacious, but the perspective is somewhat distant as compared to most other speakers. As was correctly said, you either like it or you don't. I have a new system that I am listening to now that is much more revealing of inner detail. There is no right or wrong to the difference and I enjoy music presented from either perspective.

Bill
 
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Wow! thanks for all the info and advice. I think the 901's will give it a good run against my current set up but won't keep up. They might not be first on the podium but they are certainly eye candy and definitely a conversational piece.
 
xavier4peace said:
Wow! thanks for all the info and advice. I think the 901's will give it a good run against my current set up but won't keep up. They might not be first on the podium but they are certainly eye candy and definitely a conversational piece.
Click to expand...

Enjoy, it`s all part of the fun.
 
xavier4peace said:
I picked up the Bose Lifestyle 901's. Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of information available for these speakers :( This is what I've gathered:

1. The speakers were sold from 1996-2001
2. Power Amp rated at 140-150 watts
3. Speakers are in black high-gloss piano finish
4. EQ and amp is in the speaker stand
5. System includes a brushed aluminum CD20 music center (not upgradable)

The following are not proven facts - after talking to Bose enthusiast and official representatives:

1. I can trade the system to Bose for a new Lifestyle system or new pair of 901's for 1/2 retail price. Should I? Would I?
2. The limited edition Bose 901 Concerto's have the same black high-gloss piano finish as the 901 Lifestyles. The Concerto's are the exact same speakers except they were passive speakers and not powered like the 901 Lifestyle. The "limited edition" label is because of the piano finish - not because of any other reasons according to Bose.
3. The Lifestyle 901's were discontinued due to high cost, lack of sale.
4. Bloody hell, no one owns a Lifestyle 901 or is willing to share their experience :(
5. Oh, they are 'Sexy Cool" - for a smile, watch the music video on youtube! It's by artist Katrine.

I will set the system up and give a review asap. Here are pictures of my latest acquisitions. Thanks for reading and responding. :tresbon:
Click to expand...
My Bose 901 Concertos don't have special "Limited Edition" label. Anyone ever seen this?
 

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Djcoolray said:
Also...

If a person has a receiver with limited frequency response, Bose speakers won't have the desired effect either !
Click to expand...
Bass too! I found that I can achieve my desired sound best with a good old fashion mixing board, in addition to the provided 901 EQ. Certainly not very hands free. I tell my wife to just leave my stuff alone.
 
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