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Bose 601 "owner" opinions please

I find the tweaks interesting, but after receiving my copy of "Barnstorm" by Joe Walsh and spinning side one thru the Bose 601 II's, I'm very happy.

For once, I'm not changing a thing. I may glue the album tho. Gave it the perfunctory scrub, but still hearing a pop or two.
 
Copa1934 said:
Nice. Are those the flicker lamps or standard lamps?

How to tune and restore your 601 and chandelier in one thread. ;)
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They are 4 watt bulbs (24)...I had precisely the same idea, but the costs made me take a step back. This was a photo op for a couple of potential buyers in Minnesota and Nantucket. Whoever pulls the trigger first, that's where I have to deliver it. I'm not looking forward to the Nantucket drive and back. Whew! Asking price now is $45K and I have two more to restore/flip...all three were a wreck. Came out of a home across from Tiger Woods
 

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HomeBody said:
They are 4 watt bulbs (24)...I had precisely the same idea, but the costs made me take a step back. This was a photo op for a couple of potential buyers in Minnesota and Nantucket. Whoever pulls the trigger first, that's where I have to deliver it. I'm not looking forward to the Nantucket drive and back. Whew! Asking price now is $45K and I have two more to restore/flip...all three were a wreck. Came out of a home across from Tiger Woods
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Say what?

I'm in the wrong line of work. :scratch2:

Rock on, man.
 
No, you're probably in the right line of work. This kind of thing is NOT the norm. Trust me...I flip alot of lighting between my silent 'bay partner & myself. The slow seasons truly suck, Lowballers coming at you constantly...researching, photography, packing, and oh- the cheaters that report damage so they can attempt a freebie- Its a stone cold headache my man!

I'm with you about tweaking this brand...the more my ears give way- the more I'm beginning to think the tweaking gains won't yield a mountain of gain. One question- Two 8" woofers vs One 15" woofer- who has the greater surface area for displacing air?
 
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HomeBody said:
I'm with you about tweaking this brand...the more my ears give way- the more I'm beginning to think the tweaking gains won't yield a mountain of gain. One question- Two 8" woofers vs One 15" woofer- who has the greater surface area for displacing air?
Click to expand...

Well, in theory, the two 8'' would have more surface area.

As I've aged, I've grown to prefer the sound of 8'' woofers and 10'', case in point my Epicure 20's, which use 2 8'' per cab. Marantz Imperial 6's use a 10'' woofer.

When everything else sounds awful to me, I use one of these two sets. They're like an old house robe, warm and comfy.
 
HomeBody said:
No, you're probably in the right line of work. This kind of thing is NOT the norm. Trust me...I flip alot of lighting between my silent 'bay partner & myself. The slow seasons truly suck, Lowballers coming at you constantly...researching, photography, packing, and oh- the cheaters that report damage so they can attempt a freebie- Its a stone cold headache my man!

I'm with you about tweaking this brand...the more my ears give way- the more I'm beginning to think the tweaking gains won't yield a mountain of gain. One question- Two 8" woofers vs One 15" woofer- who has the greater surface area for displacing air?
Click to expand...
I'm really beginning to wonder about this point, piston size. When you consider the many sub-woofers that are smaller than 12" and produce bass down to 20hz (or thereabout), it really does come down to "design" more so that size alone.

I've yet to have any speaker, thus far, compare well to my Mach Two for "theater" duty, including sub-woofers of which I've owned two (10" and 12"). But for music alone even my Vienna Acoustic Haydn (only 6" woofer) does quite well. The exception would be bass heavy music where my 10" and larger speakers excel, but mostly at lower volumes. At low volume, using a Bose Series II EQ, I can get my Celestion DL10 speakers to put out some awesome bass. Raise the volume too much and they sound way off. Disable the EQ, then crank them up and they're good again.

So, I think the main advantage to "large" is lower volume. Having two woofers, of smaller size, net's a compromise that is acceptable. Like having systems with Passive Radiators. Here are some random number pulled from this post...http://www.talkbass.com/threads/vol...rface-area-of-different-sized-drivers.300241/


8" = 50 square inches
10" = 79 square inches
12" = 113 square inches
15" = 177 square inches
18" = 254 square inches

Keeping in mind that drivers aren't necessarily on the money in diameter AND some cones are shallower than others, which translates into less surface area. Example, a Mach One cone is actually smaller in diameter than a Mach Two. Both of which are 15" drivers. The Mach One is only 11-3/8" in diameter. So two 8" drivers (if 8") can be close to the Mach One, or better. The Mach One woofer is restricted by the smallish cabinet volume and doesn't have the frequency response the 8" drivers do.

So something to be said about smaller woofers.
 
I think Ive reached my limit. Bose 601, Mach One & Two, Sansui SP2500, Onkyo 3way modified towers, RCA improved Minimus 7, and a gem pair of RShack 3way that must be heard to be believed. I think I'll continue to build & test as time allows. I need some basic testing equipment to continue further. Till now, its just been my ears & the opinion of others-
 
The 601 mods I was thinking of mostly revolve around putting different tweeters in place of them paper ones.

I like ribbons, hard or soft domes etc ... put 1 of each and leave the 4th one stock.
Cool.
Srinath.
 
srinath said:
The 601 mods I was thinking of mostly revolve around putting different tweeters in place of them paper ones.

I like ribbons, hard or soft domes etc ... put 1 of each and leave the 4th one stock.
Cool.
Srinath.
Click to expand...

You can't crossover a true tweeter that low.
 
I should reword a comment I made earlier-
I dont think the 601 performance gains are really needed in the grand scheme. We can do little tricks that have been posted on AK, but, IMHO, the gains won't yield an entirely different speaker while respecting the direct-reflecting attributes. In short, a grand speaker in any and all accounts. I did consider a reflector for the upper woofer sorta styled after the 501's highend reflector. Each listener should post their serious opinion on any real world shortcomings of this series from Bose. Maybe a concise list will accumulate over time within this great thread. I am the only one that I know of here that doesnt have basis troubleshooting gear. My ears have been loyal to me for 50 some years now..
 
HomeBody said:
I should reword a comment I made earlier-
I dont think the 601 performance gains are really needed in the grand scheme. We can do little tricks that have been posted on AK, but, IMHO, the gains won't yield an entirely different speaker while respecting the direct-reflecting attributes. In short, a grand speaker in any and all accounts. I did consider a reflector for the upper woofer sorta styled after the 501's highend reflector. Each listener should post their serious opinion on any real world shortcomings of this series from Bose. Maybe a concise list will accumulate over time within this great thread. I am the only one that I know of here that doesnt have basis troubleshooting gear. My ears have been loyal to me for 50 some years now..
Click to expand...
I'm with you completely. I was sold on Bose 901 speakers back in 76 or thereabouts. I was accustomed to live performances as there was a time we were attending some kind of live performance almost every weekend. And when not attending I was part of a "garage band". Bose, to me, offered a solution for the "imaging" those of us who played music were so accustomed to.

Listening to reviews is all fine and dandy, but MY ears make the final call. I've had the pleasure of listening to K-horns, QLS-1, Beveridge, Cain & Cain and so many more. What I have at home works. The marginal difference I could detect in other models of speakers was no where sufficient enough to justify the "typical" street price.

Look forward to getting my 601 speakers up and running.
 
One thing Im seeing here.. we are a collection of seasoned audio listeners. We know what we really hear, how it should really sound and how to dismiss hype from fact..
 
Tweeters too

nclh77 said:
It's free of crossovers.
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And my evil idea for the series 1-2 901 is to replace one leg of the 3 with a bass blocker and a triplet of tweeters. Soft domes/hard domes X 3 or do a 1 of each, 1 soft dont, 1 hard dome and 1 piezo - LOL.

I know you cant XO a tweet in place of the 601's paper mid/tweet - but put a cap in line and block out under 3500 or whatever it calls for.

Cool.
Srinath.
 
FWIW...about a 5 degree toe-in with a mono signal should be tried for spit & giggles...quite choice! Wondering just how a whizzer might impact the mid signal..
 
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srinath said:
And my evil idea for the series 1-2 901 is to replace one leg of the 3 with a bass blocker and a triplet of tweeters. Soft domes/hard domes X 3 or do a 1 of each, 1 soft dont, 1 hard dome and 1 piezo - LOL.

I know you cant XO a tweet in place of the 601's paper mid/tweet - but put a cap in line and block out under 3500 or whatever it calls for.

Cool.
Srinath.
Click to expand...
"Tweeters? I don't need no stinking tweeters" Said the 901 to the naysayer of Bose speakers. When I can hear chimes and cymbals and other instruments and sounds in the upper reaches of the audio spectrum, I know my speakers are doing there job. If I can't hear something, it won't be because of my Bose speakers, it will be because "I can't hear it", period.
 
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