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My expectations Bose 901 and setup

Frank Sol said:
As I said... the SQ was OK but thanks for your opinion

BTW -- When and where did you hear a setup like described in post #38 ?

Thanks
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I'm not concerned about the setup you mentioned.

Let me clarify my point: if one hasn't heard 901s with the proper EQ they have no valid opinion on the sound of 901s. It's a system.
 
Frank Sol said:
OK... so you never heard that sort of setup
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Why would I? I have 901s with the proper EQ and find the sound quite enjoyable, even if they're not my best.

But, not sure why your undies are in such a bunch. I specifically mentioned 901s, not the setup you'd mentioned. Had I a direct comment to you on that I would have quoted your post.
 
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Thanks to all that chipped in. So just to recap what I intend to put together. Actually it will likely be exactly what whoaru99 drew. There are 2 areas still up for change. (maybe 3)

FOR upper HIGHS- In ceiling speakers for highs or some type of small bookshelf. I have no idea what, I was even thinking of making some just using a tweeter or horn?

FOR lower LOWS - Powered sub woofer <<<<< I was looking at the Klipsch R-12SW, but honestly I have no idea.

For all the rest I will rely on my 901's.

All mixed with my SF-850 crossover.

The only other twist, is to try with or without the Eq as Bill Suggested.

This is an experiment, so it's happening whether you feel it's a good use of my funds or not. But I do want to hear from you if you think it will be a total failure and why. (The supportive argument is critical, opinions are like...)

However, if you feel its worth a try, please feel free to make suggestions on which speakers to use for the highs and lows. Remember I don't intend to use them for anything but the extreme highs and lows the 901's are lacking. IMO

Budget would be $1000 combined +/-

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Lombardo said:
The only other twist, is to try with or without the Eq as Bill Suggested.
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Earlier I'd posted the correction curve applied by the (Series VI) EQ. If you flip that upside down you'll get some idea of the response of the 901 without EQ. The span of that graph is 20Hz to 20kHz. Then, if you consider approximate middle of that as "flat" you see the bass is -15 to -18dB and the treble is down even more.

Depending how high or low you set your crossover points will dictate a lot of how important the 901 EQ is. If you use the 901s only for fairly small swath of midrange (~200 - 900Hz) then the EQ is less important, but not unimportant either.

If you're talking using a sub for the low end then a sub usually isn't used too much above 100-150Hz else it often stands out too much on its own. If you run the 901s that low without the EQ or some other way to boost the low end, then you're going to have a fairly wide and deep dip in the response. But, as has mentioned, it's only you that needs to be satisfied with the sound.
 
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Lombardo said:
Thanks to all that chipped in. So just to recap what I intend to put together. Actually it will likely be exactly what whoaru99 drew. There are 2 areas still up for change. (maybe 3)

FOR upper HIGHS- In ceiling speakers for highs or some type of small bookshelf. I have no idea what, I was even thinking of making some just using a tweeter or horn?

FOR lower LOWS - Powered sub woofer <<<<< I was looking at the Klipsch R-12SW, but honestly I have no idea.

For all the rest I will rely on my 901's.

All mixed with my SF-850 crossover.

The only other twist, is to try with or without the Eq as Bill Suggested.

This is an experiment, so it's happening whether you feel it's a good use of my funds or not. But I do want to hear from you if you think it will be a total failure and why. (The supportive argument is critical, opinions are like...)

However, if you feel its worth a try, please feel free to make suggestions on which speakers to use for the highs and lows. Remember I don't intend to use them for anything but the extreme highs and lows the 901's are lacking. IMO

Budget would be $1000 combined +/-

View attachment 1977382
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It seems that you want to unnecessarily complicate things. Don't forget the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid).

For that $1K budget you could buy a new pair of speakers and a subwoofer(s). For example: Magnepan LRS @ $650 a pair and a pair of Elac 1010 powered subwoofers ($129 each). The resulting sound will be a lot better than 901's without the equalizer no matter how or what you do with them.

IMO, the above setup will sound better than 901's even with the equalizer.

Why don't you find and purchase the correct equalizer for your 901's? It would be a lot cheaper, a lot less work, and allow the 901's to sound the way they're supposed to.:dunno:
 
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Although I've never been partial to 901's, when they are properly set up there are a lot of speakers that IMO don't sound as good. Some of them are quite popular.

The adage "all highs no lows must be Bose" definitely applies to 901's operated without the proper equalizer.
 
JoeESP9 said:
It seems that you want to unnecessarily complicate things. Don't forget the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid).

For that $1K budget you could buy a new pair of speakers and a subwoofer(s). For example: Magnepan LRS @ $650 a pair and a pair of Elac 1010 powered subwoofers ($129 each). The resulting sound will be a lot better than 901's without the equalizer no matter how or what you do with them.

IMO, the above setup will sound better than 901's even with the equalizer.

Why don't you find and purchase the correct equalizer for your 901's? It would be a lot cheaper, a lot less work, and allow the 901's to sound the way they're supposed to.:dunno:
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But where’s the fun in that? I actually love my 901s just the cool look of them and they do fill the house with sound. I had the chrome pedestals re dipped so they’re pretty nice. Mostly I’m just curious if this will work. And lastly this is a good reason to have more dials and knobs! Maybe I’m alone in the room when I say I enjoy seeing all those knobs and levers and knowing what they do. I’m excited to play around with the crossover and see how the sound changes. But your point cannot be argued. It’s just the way I want to do it.

B5CC043F-F629-4AEA-88D5-0CA6C450EF38.jpeg
 
Indeed. I'm all for facilitating an experiment.

Were it my experiment, I'd use the Bose EQ as shown in my drawing, with the low/mid cross from sub to 901 around 80Hz for starters. Then I think I'd use a pair of small bookshelf-type speakers on the 901s crossed mid/high "up there" a fair bit. Not fully in the treble region, but well above the meat of the midrange.
 
whoaru99 said:
Indeed. I'm all for facilitating an experiment.

Were it my experiment, I'd use the Bose EQ as shown in my drawing, with the low/mid cross from sub to 901 around 80Hz for starters. Then I think I'd use a pair of small bookshelf-type speakers on the 901s crossed mid/high "up there" a fair bit. Not fully in the treble region, but well above the meat of the midrange.
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Sounds good. The nice thing is I can keep tweaking the crossover till it suits me. We’ll see what happens and let you all know.
 
I'm with you, I think experimentation for the sake of learning is what has made this hobby so popular. But I must caution you, you're standing at the top of a deep rabbit hole.

While some may think the no highs / no lows is a bad thing, there is an upside. When properly EQ'd and fed sufficient power they can be listend to for hours and hours at very high levels without becoming fatiguing. Not many other speakers can do that.

On key is sufficient power. With all those individual drivers and the extreme boost applied by the EQ the 901's suck up some serious current. While the Spec series of Pioneer is certainly some nice gear, it is not a particularly high current design and that may be the achilles heel of your setup. Since this is an experiment, I'll leave you to discover that on your own.

The other items that will greatly impact your experiment are the selection of your subwoofer and high frequency drivers. Soft dome, hard dome, horn loaded, paper cone and other tweeter designs all have their compromises, which ones fit your experiment will take some time to sort out. Subwoofers are a rabbit hole all on their own. I prefer smaller driver, high power, sealed enclosure subs(plural) YMMV.

Always remember, YOU are the only one who has to like what your system sounds like. We all hear and listen differently, different rooms, different gear, different music, in the end your system has to work for you.

Carry on my good man. Enjoy yourself and keep us posted on your progress.
 
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