Bose 601 series III...why so special?..

[BilboBaggins]

Don't know about today but not that long ago you could snag a pair of 8.2's for a song & dance. Folks with small spaces went for the 4.2 & 6.2 and the big dog was the 10.2 I assume it didn't sell all that well and was discontinued after a 2-3 year run. I absolutely love this speaker.
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I've had 8.2s (my first Bose), 901 series 2 and 3, 601 series 3, 2 pairs of 501 series 2 and 3, 3 pairs of 301s, and one of their satellite/sub offerings. I also use a portable bluetooth bose for when I travel. I liked the 901s, the 601s, and the 301s the best. I bought the 8.2s brand new in 1986, and always regretted them. They needed more power than I had at that time, and they couldn't do the highs or the lows like my Kef 105s. I finally sold them in 2011 or 2012. I got $350 for them. They were also quite nice looking. I always wanted to try the 10.2s, but couldn't afford them. They sounded really good when I demoed them. I've not seen another pair of 10.2s or 8.2s for that matter, since.

 

[Alwezhpy01]

If I remember correctly, I bought my 601 III’s new in ‘89 along with a pair of Klipsch Tangent 50’s. I still have both pair in excellent condition. Although I have gone through quite a few more sets of speakers since then, I don’t think I will ever get rid of those two pair. They both continue to have the warmest and clear responses I’ve ever heard from speakers in their price range. I really enjoy digital music on a pair of white Wharfdale Diamond 250’s I picked up, but go back to the 601’s when I want to relax and travel back in time. Oh yeah, I also agree with the earlier post that it really is cool having this thread cover so many years. Enjoy! (Excuse the wires. Still working on the last system.)

 

[Lark]

Being newer to the vintage saga, I keep seeing the series III selling for more than the 901's and much more than the series I and II of the 601's. Each series is built differently but scratching my head on why the series III holds more value than even the 901's. I even see CL ads where people want to buy them. Any ideas? Thanks.

Being newer to the vintage saga, I keep seeing the series III selling for more than the 901's and much more than the series I and II of the 601's. Each series is built differently but scratching my head on why the series III holds more value than even the 901's. I even see CL ads where people want to buy them. Any ideas? Thanks.

This is an older thread, I know, but I came here looking for info on these as well. There is a pair for sale locally on facebook marketplace, but no price was listed. They look kinda cool, and I was curious. The last thing I need is another pair of speakers, as I'm pushing 40+ pairs right now. As I said, I was curious...
Imagine my surprise when he came back with 1100 greenbacks.. After checking the sold items on the auction site, I see that he is in the ballpark of the going rate. I've also seen some L-200 JBL for a couple hundred less than that, and I would jump on those in a heartbeat before this deal. But alas, I've never heard a pair of these. My curiosity is freakin KILLING me on this.. People are paying big money for these, and there are soooo many good deals on speakers out there, that I'm more knowledgeable and familiar with. I'm thinking its another case of Bose marketing paying off, because I just can't imagine these things sounding any better than L-100, 4311B, Polk RTA-12 or even my 11t towers, all at a fraction of what these are for sale for. I do own a really small pair of the plastic 141 and also a pair of 301, only because I got a really good deal on them. They don't sound too bad for what they are, but these 601 series 3, just LOOK like they may have the capability of being something kinda special...$1100 special, in todays market? For the love of God, (to quote Steve Vai), somebody please enlighten me on what the deal with these speakers is? Oh yeah - for what it's worth... I bought a pair of D9 Cerwin Vega speakers, because they were cheap, (needed refoamed and tweeters replaced), so I took the project on. I have to say... I was floored by these things after I broke them in. I had both woofers completely rebuilt, and installed new tweeters, and these big boys just amaze me. I am currently pushing them with a JVC JR-S600, in tandem with a pair of Pioneer CS-801, and they are much more than the "party speaker" sound I was expecting.

 

[danrclem]

I had a pair and while I thought they sounded ok they weren't anything special to me anyway. The main reason that they bring that much money is because most of them are shipped overseas.

 

[Alwezhpy01]

Hi Lark, great Cerwin Vegas!
You ask what the deal is about the 601 series iii's. Of course all of the following is just my opinion, but I see many vintage speakers commanding top dollar and, normally, you can see why. Either it's in the quality of the manufacturing, features or their sheer size. With the 601's, I can attest to their quality, but their not very big nor do they have any bells or whistles. They are just two way, six driver boxes. Having said that, they fill a room with warm solid sound. And, you even get a nice punch from the two eight inch woofers when they play the lower bands. I tested them with the movie Edge of Tomorrow and they rocked (The first 40 seconds of the movie will shake the walls if you have a decent setup. Play it at a lower volume first, then work your way up on the following plays). The drivers looked like they were going to pop out of the boxes, but they sounded great. The sound stage is solid whether they are driven by a low or high end amp/receiver. For example, I have used a Yamaha HTR-5840 up to a Yamaha RX-A3030 and the 601's sound fine on both. Granted, the 3030 has a lot more power and gives the speakers more presence. I would not compare the 601's to most of today's truly large speakers, but if you are looking for a set to fill a 16'x20' room, they'll do the job nicely. I've seen them on Ebay for up to $1499, and that is domestic, not overseas. I don't think I paid $1000 new when I bought them in the 80's.

 

[Igotaproblem]

im a big DCM fan, but the Bose series III keeps making its way to the top of my rotation. It was hard for me to admit, but the 601 series III has shot down my DQ-10's and my timewindow 3's! For a jazz speaker, they are excellent.

I'm still listening to these. In my rotation are a set of HPM 100 and ADS l700. I'm telling you these 601 are amazing. I think these are keepers.

 

[eizner23]

Very well could be the side firing tweeters making an addictive soundstage. I use marginally good speakers that fire on all sides over better quality front firing speakers because I prefer that wall of soundscape.