Double Bose 901's ????????

[Leland47]

WoW, I had no idea about the 2201!

If those double 901s are real Bose test / research models.....they certainly would be worth the asking price and more...a lot more.

Edited: Geographically....the CL ad is in the general region that Bose is in....

As far as taking a pair of 901s apart and making these....IMO that would be rather difficult. I just don't see taking a speaker that is glued together apart...and coming up with clean usable sections. Plus the only usable parts really would be the top and bottom....? ( and the speakers...)
The angles of these do look quite like the real early 901 design...

 

[bshorey]

My money is on home brew.

The 901 plans were floated around MIT in the 60's when Dr Bose was a student/professor there, many students built them even after the company was founded. It wouldn't surprise me that somebody built a 'double' pair of them, as stacked 901's were a thing back in the day.

Maybe it's just me, but the front facing driver outline in these double 901's seem to be larger than the standard 4.5" (?) 901 driver. It looks like maybe a 6" driver in the front?

bs

 

[damacman]

They forgot the ports on those exact replicas.

I see as much evidence supporting a factory build as homebrew on the doubles.

The most convincing evidence so far that they might be homebrew has nothing to do with the speakers themselves. It's simply the lack of any documentation or citation connecting them to the factory/R&D.

I tend to lean in the direction of those opining that they were put together from 2 pair of factory 901's.

Case in point, rare speakers are out there. How often do you see Bose 2201's come up for sale?

How many AKers even know there was a Bose 2201?

2201's were certainly in production at one point, and are what led directly to the development of the 901.

Never seen those before? Do my eyes deceive me or did some idiot push in the dust caps of every driver?

 

[bowtie427ss]

Never seen those before? Do my eyes deceive me or did some idiot push in the dust caps of every driver?

Actually, they are flat felt discs to provide venting to the voice coil/gap.

 

[markshan]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/bose-901...440875?hash=item21462045ab:g:~dcAAOSwvrxbOklt

Heres a pair of clone 901's, I have no doubt that the double 901's are also home made.

I've never seen 90% feedback on eBay before. I'm surprised anyone would buy from him.

 

[Blue Shadow]

They forgot the ports on those exact replicas.

The port in the Bose 901 didn't show up until Series III and these appear to be Series I or II copies so they wouldn't have ports. That 2201 is interesting.

edit
Thanks for clearing that up. I see what you mean now.

 

[bowtie427ss]

The port in the Bose 901 didn't show up until Series III and these appear to be Series I or II copies so they wouldn't have ports. That 2201 is interesting.

I was referring to the previous post, #19 and the ad copy contained in the linked auction.



Auction pics show a cabinet with a curved front, and no ports. Bose never made such a thing, the clone is being offered by a clown who claims they are exact replicas. Maybe i'm confused on what exact replica means?

The curved front arrived with series III along with the ports, and foam surrounds. An improved voice coil/damper assembly would follow in the series IV.

 

[sregor]

I strongly think they are home brew. In the early 70's there were lots of plans and kits (18 CTS drivers) floating around. I doubt it is a prototype. The screws on the top clench it for me. My 2 cents.

 

[jberger]

I think that there was a briefly made "Continental" trim version of the Series II, that had the curved front, but I seem to recall that the driver was offset. but I could be wrong about either or both.

 

[quartersaw]

You should probably study up on 901's a bit before you post details about them.

The rear baffle angles are absolutely correct.

Series I and II 901's have flat front baffles, not curved.

901's didn't get ports until they got foam surrounds. That happened with the introduction of series III 901, the same time the curved front baffle was introduced.

I bought 'em. Still haven't tested them!

 

[KiM3Ce]

I lived in a dorm in 1976. A guy on my floor had homebrew 901 clones. The walls between rooms were so thin that the direct/reflecting thing didn't work.

I see 901s all the time at estate sales. They certainly are not rare. I did enjoy learning about the 2201! Bose also made a high-power receiver back in the day. I think 200 watts or so per channel, quite exceptional for a receiver then.

 

[EastPoint]

I bought 'em. Still haven't tested them!

I picked up a pair of 901s recently. Series II, so cloth surrounds. TWO drivers were good. All the others were blown in one way or another. TWO out of 18. Seriously.

I ended up selling the grills and two working drivers. The EQ brought a bunch of cash at least.

 

[MuseChaser]

Ah... The coveted Bose 1802....

 

[Blue Shadow]

I think 200 watts or so per channel, quite exceptional for a receiver then.

The Spatial Control Receiver was the higher powered one at 100 wpc with the built in eq for the 901s and additional functions for those speakers.

We had a Luxman R-1070 and SCR crash together in the soundroom, the Bose receiver went back to Bose in a pile of pieces. The full wooden cabinet including across the top and bottom of the faceplate covering controls didn't make it any better at withstanding that abuse. I guess we got some kind of credit for it.

 

[highping]

The 1802 is a beast of an amp!

 

[nitrous]

The Bose 901 Series II Continental model does have a curved front baffle. How do I know? I bought a new set of these speakers from an authorized dealer in 1976.

 

[BilboBaggins]

Ah... The coveted Bose 1802....

Not only is it a beast, it is a very good sounding beast. I have two of them. One is driving my Kef 107s and the other is driving my Sony SS-G7s. The only thing I don't like about them is their weight. Eighty-eight pounds of massive transformer and sharp edged heat sinks. Here is an older picture when I was using a Sony TA 2000F Preamp. My 4401 preamp was being restored by @Racoon1400 at the time.

 

[MuseChaser]

Not only is it a beast, it is a very good sounding beast. I have two of them. One is driving my Kef 107s and the other is driving my Sony SS-G7s. The only thing I don't like about them is their weight. Eighty-eight pounds of massive transformer and sharp edged heat sinks. Here is an older picture when I was using a Sony TA 2000F Preamp. My 4401 preamp was being restored by @Racoon1400 at the time.

View attachment 2903337

Ok, now I feel silly....sillier than usual, even. I was just making a (bad) joke about a "double Bose 910" --- 2 x 901=1802. I've never owned a Bose product, and was unaware that that number corresponded with an actual amplifier. Interesting!

 

[analog addict]

Well, close. 1800 or 1801...

 

[MuseChaser]

Well, close. 1800 or 1801...

https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/bose-1802-power-amplifier.531479/