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Bose 901 IV Advice

cmcvey

cmcvey

Member
Wondering what you guys think:
Looking to possibly replace my CV D7's with a pair of Bose 901 IV's that I found for sale.
They are $200, cabinets are in great shape, he says they have new surrounds but do not have the EQ.
They are about a 3 hour drive away. Might consider picking them up if he will go down to $150 considering the gas and the extra money I'll have to spend to find an EQ.

So 2 questions
-Should I?
-Can these speakers be heard working without the EQ simply by setting them up to a receiver?

I don't know much about how these speakers operate but I hear they sounds amazing and have nice bass. Would be a nicer setup in the small room that I have the D7's in.
 
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The series you refer to here NEEDS the EQ. Only your ears will tell you which speakers are an improvement. A fair fight will only happen with the EQ. Additionally, there are many sellers of foam surrounds. If the owner replaced the foams with examples that don't have the correct compliance, you are not going to get what the speakers can produce, good or bad. You could flip them for a profit, but they would have to be cosmetically and functionally good.
 
First and foremost, they will "work" (i.e. produce sound) but without that equalizer they will, well, suck.

Second, make sure that whatever you will be using with is able to have the equalizer inserted in the circuit path. This means a true tape monitor loop (not just a tape out and tape in) or the ability to insert it between the preamp and power amp.

What will you be driving them with?
 
cmcvey said:
I have a Marantz 2230 and a Carver PM2.0 amp :)
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If you use good judgment you should be fine.

Those speakers will not have anywhere near the bass of the CV's. If you try to coax it out of them, you COULD kill the speakers
.
I think that equalizer applies about 10 db worth of bass boost. That means you'll be feeding them about 100x the power at bass frequencies than you will be at midrange,

If, as you imply, there is no equalizer, I would walk away.
 
901's are not bass-shy if the proper EQ is used and they are set up properly. They are also one of the most rugged speakers out there. They can absorb a ton of power, but they are sensitive enough (from Series III on) that huge power is not necessary for most people in most situations. I'm not sure about the amount of bass boost relative to frequency, but I do know a bud of mine drove his to party levels regularly, back in the day, with a 40W / channel Bose receiver.

You can probably get the correct EQ for $100 or so. Assuming good cabinets and drivers, $200 sounds fair to me.

I would definitely recommend a proper tape monitor loop, too. I've never cared for inserting the EQ between pre and power sections. I always heard extra hiss when I tried this, but some folks seem to get satisfactory results this way.
 
Thanks for the advice. Against my better judgment, I think that I am going to buy them. May wait and just buy the EQ when I have the cash but at least I'll already own the speakers which are a good price.
thatToolguy - Keep in mind I have the 465WPC power amp, I'm thinking that should drive them pretty well, no?
 
Thanks MarZutra. I'm in Moncton, New Brunswick. The speakers I am looking at are in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Cheers!
 
Another question - Do I absolutely need the model IV EQ or are others compatible? Picked up the speakers last night and they look to be in fantastic shape!
 
cmcvey said:
Another question - Do I absolutely need the model IV EQ or are others compatible? Picked up the speakers last night and they look to be in fantastic shape!
Click to expand...

I think some of the EQs cover a couple 901 versions but, yeah, generally speaking you need to get the proper one.
 
Those 901s will suck up MASSIVE amounts of power, so you don`t want to underpower them. Something like the Carver M-1.5T would be a good choice ....if you want to drive them to their full potential, the 1.5T will provide that power !
 
OK, let's get a few things straight here. First, Original Generation and Series II are the ONLY series that are power demanding. This was due to being Acoustic Suspension design. All other series are ported (bass reflex) and more efficient. According to the Official Bose website the Series III were introduced in 1976, which means development started well before this. That was also on the heals of the "power wars", when S.S. equipment began to exceed 100wpc. If Bose waited it out longer they wouldn't have had to go more efficient (IMHO). That aside, because the later model 901 were Bass Reflex the power demands were reduced. They can still "take" gobs of power, but are less demanding than their earlier brethren. I've powered my Original 901 with an 75wpc receiver and was quite pleased. However, the second point is the EQ is a must. I've spoken with people who haven't used an EQ and they were happy, until listening to a set with an EQ. The difference is quite huge. As for bass response, without the EQ they are pretty much gutless. With a parametric EQ you can improve things. Those are still pretty cheap and pretty common. But for the best bang you will need the correct EQ. Original and Series II can use either EQ interchangeably. Series III and IV, the same applies, as does Series V and VI, meaning the stated pairs will work with the same EQ Series. Example: you can use the Series VI EQ with a Series V 901, but not with the Series III or IV. I've had people shocked at the bass and highs from my 901 speakers, every time. Never fails. They've read the same BS, "Bose, no highs, no lows". Without EQ, sure, with EQ a whole different animal. Keep us posted. Those of us who OWN them are here to support.
 
kijiji looks like Craigs List. Interesting. I'm checking it out. Only issue, however, is shipping. Quite a bit more going into the states.

I almost bought a 1801 but there were problems with it. One channel out or not functioning correctly. Seller wanted too much for it, like full street price. No way will I pay full price for a non-functional or not 100% functional piece of gear. Or anything for that matter. I keep looking though. Actually I haven't been "actively" looking. I do generic searches for Bose stuff. I've been so happy with the Adcom I just haven't been too eager to look for a replacement. Wouldn't mind another one. That EPI 1000 you have is incredible. Wish I were close enough to pay a visit and check it out. I have family in Toronto, but finances don't permit any trips at the moment.
 
Copa1934 said:
OK, let's get a few things straight here. First, Original Generation and Series II are the ONLY series that are power demanding. This was due to being Acoustic Suspension design. All other series are ported (bass reflex) and more efficient. According to the Official Bose website the Series III were introduced in 1976, which means development started well before this. That was also on the heals of the "power wars", when S.S. equipment began to exceed 100wpc. If Bose waited it out longer they wouldn't have had to go more efficient (IMHO). That aside, because the later model 901 were Bass Reflex the power demands were reduced. They can still "take" gobs of power, but are less demanding than their earlier brethren. I've powered my Original 901 with an 75wpc receiver and was quite pleased. However, the second point is the EQ is a must. I've spoken with people who haven't used an EQ and they were happy, until listening to a set with an EQ. The difference is quite huge. As for bass response, without the EQ they are pretty much gutless. With a parametric EQ you can improve things. Those are still pretty cheap and pretty common. But for the best bang you will need the correct EQ. Original and Series II can use either EQ interchangeably. Series III and IV, the same applies, as does Series V and VI, meaning the stated pairs will work with the same EQ Series. Example: you can use the Series VI EQ with a Series V 901, but not with the Series III or IV. I've had people shocked at the bass and highs from my 901 speakers, every time. Never fails. They've read the same BS, "Bose, no highs, no lows". Without EQ, sure, with EQ a whole different animal. Keep us posted. Those of us who OWN them are here to support.
Click to expand...
I'm looking at a pair of 901's. I'm not averse to using Bose gear (EQ, Amp,etc), but I would run them through a Carver c4000/M1.0T and have a DBX231 eq and DBX 128 Range Enhancer. Can a recreate/improve on what the Bose EQ adds or is it a secret sauce kind of a Bose deal?
 
Definitely the secret sauce. The 901 needs to have the appropriate Bose EQ, period. No graphic EQ can match the curves provided by the Bose units.
 
So I have everything all set up! Really impressed by the sound of the mids and highs but the bass is definitely very weak.
I have the gain all the way up on my Carver PM 2.0T amp, The Loudness on with my bass, mid and treble flat on my Marantz 2230, The bass up 2 notches from the lowest level on the Bose EQ
If I play rap or hip hop with even a bit of bass in the track I feel like I am seriously going to kill the speakers, even if with the volume up a quarter of the way. When I listen to rock with the volume knob at noon or slightly less even, same thing.
I am impressed by the sound, especially with Jazz but if I can't enjoy my regular music even slightly loud without experiencing distortion, I don't know if I could call myself too satisfied.
Also, one of the drivers sounds very blown so I've removed it and have been listening without it. May try redoing the surround and hopefully center it a little better to see if that helps but at the price of replacing the whole driver, may just do that.
Thoughts???
 
Not sure if its germaine but I will throw this out there...

I have been running Series II since '74 or whenever they first came out with what should be woefully low powered receivers...Sansui 3000, Sony STR-V35 and now Onkyo TX-8210 with a "massive" 48 watts RMS per channel. I can get loud loud levels in two connected 12 x14 rooms with normal ceilings no trouble. BUT bass response is very dependant on spacing against back wall and side walls. Median placement (for Series II anyway) is 18" away from each. Go to the Bose website, I think there is a chart there saying which EQ goes with which series...I kinda didn't pay attention after Series II, but it makes a difference.

Just another note. I am an original purchaser, and my EQ dropped a channel last Spring...Bose repaired it, shipping included for $ 65.00, and I got mine back repaired not exchanged...and they offered me a trade in for a new pair around $ 800.00, which I declined due to sentimental reasons, but their offer was nice.
 
cmcvey said:
So I have everything all set up! Really impressed by the sound of the mids and highs but the bass is definitely very weak.
I have the gain all the way up on my Carver PM 2.0T amp, The Loudness on with my bass, mid and treble flat on my Marantz 2230, The bass up 2 notches from the lowest level on the Bose EQ
If I play rap or hip hop with even a bit of bass in the track I feel like I am seriously going to kill the speakers, even if with the volume up a quarter of the way. When I listen to rock with the volume knob at noon or slightly less even, same thing.
I am impressed by the sound, especially with Jazz but if I can't enjoy my regular music even slightly loud without experiencing distortion, I don't know if I could call myself too satisfied.
Also, one of the drivers sounds very blown so I've removed it and have been listening without it. May try redoing the surround and hopefully center it a little better to see if that helps but at the price of replacing the whole driver, may just do that.
Thoughts???
Click to expand...
Something definitely amiss somewhere. Should have mucho bass. If drivers, including surrounds are OK, placement might be the issue. I don't know if eq problem would effect bass but I suspect it could. Wrong eq could for sure.
 
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