New Shop System Underway!
- Thread starter damacman
- Start date
Are those the current MKVI models? Oak?
damacman
Resident Psycho
Yep. Walnut, I believe. All four pair are Series VI, one of these pair is Series VI Version 2 so it has different drivers with a ribbed surround. Never seen that before. They are just mint. One of the other two pair is Oak, but nobody ever noticed.
I just got back from HD with the correct ceiling anchors ... now to make a template ...
(8) 901s ... (2) 2500s ... giddy up.
So you move out where your neighbors are far away, ... and you STILL find a way to annoy them!
damacman
Resident Psycho
Well, I suppose I could do that if we added the other two 2500s and the 18" subs but we don't really need them as the 901s dig pretty deep. 8 sets of mutually coupled drivers is quite effective. Really, the amount of first octave output (with the EQ on the C37 flat) from these speakers must be experienced to be believed. It's heavy on your ears for sure after a few hour of spirited listening.
The original plan was to have (4) 2500s and (8) 24" subs, which was why I was collecting amps. That would have been for a more remote property! We don't have the room for that here but we do have room for the 18s should we decide to add them down the road. There is a Crown MT2400 in the rack and I have a 2nd 20A circuit handy ...
I'll keep the spare amps as we may add another building on the property in the near future for product development.
The original plan was to have (4) 2500s and (8) 24" subs, which was why I was collecting amps. That would have been for a more remote property! We don't have the room for that here but we do have room for the 18s should we decide to add them down the road. There is a Crown MT2400 in the rack and I have a 2nd 20A circuit handy ...
I'll keep the spare amps as we may add another building on the property in the near future for product development.
damacman
Resident Psycho
I listened to all kinds of stuff last night. Sounds which are embedded into the stereo mixes which lend themselves to location cues in a traditional living room setup can be startling at times. I was up looking for something that fell off a shelf more than once.
The "stereo everywhere" idea is just absolutely ideal in an application as this as all workstations have great sound with excellent spatial cues from stereo pairs - no matter how far that station is away from the opposite speaker. People that knock these speakers clearly do not understand their abilities.
Bose & McIntosh - whodathunkit?!?
The "stereo everywhere" idea is just absolutely ideal in an application as this as all workstations have great sound with excellent spatial cues from stereo pairs - no matter how far that station is away from the opposite speaker. People that knock these speakers clearly do not understand their abilities.
Bose & McIntosh - whodathunkit?!?
Yeah, most people don’t know their capabilities. I used to push two pair with two PL 400IIs in my mobile DJ system. They satisfied just about everyone (though not my friend with Altec 19s). I wanted Klipsch La Scalas and a sub, but too big and too expensive.
Obviously, Bose 901 bass can’t compete with Klipsch MWMs, but their midrange and clear, clean, satisfying bass beats most of the cheap PA systems many people use in commercial applications. I had many, many high school principals thank me and praise / compliment the loud, clean “home audio system” sound of the 901s in their gymnasiums, compared to the awful, screechy PA horns most DJs used.
The haters are gonna hate.
PARTY ON!
Obviously, Bose 901 bass can’t compete with Klipsch MWMs, but their midrange and clear, clean, satisfying bass beats most of the cheap PA systems many people use in commercial applications. I had many, many high school principals thank me and praise / compliment the loud, clean “home audio system” sound of the 901s in their gymnasiums, compared to the awful, screechy PA horns most DJs used.
The haters are gonna hate.
PARTY ON!
To each according to their ability.
BOSE speakers have something unique to them.
damacman
Resident Psycho
This is a diverse hobby with many applications. The best systems always utilize components suited best for the application. To that end, I feel the 901s an excellent fit. One thing is for sure - McIntosh amps have been the right choice for every application for which I've used them.
Our shipping/receiving manager definitely prefers the sound of the 901s to the wall mounted Missions we have in her zone. She prefers the less direct sound and likes the idea of having speakers at each end of the room versus one end only. Her 6200 can easily power a 2nd pair of speakers, so the search is on for two pair of 301s ... then she can run one or both depending on her mood.
Our shipping/receiving manager definitely prefers the sound of the 901s to the wall mounted Missions we have in her zone. She prefers the less direct sound and likes the idea of having speakers at each end of the room versus one end only. Her 6200 can easily power a 2nd pair of speakers, so the search is on for two pair of 301s ... then she can run one or both depending on her mood.
I found the 301s to be relatively underwhelming. Why not a new pair of 901s? Aren’t they only $600 per pair? I think I paid close to $1400.00 per (series IV) pair way back in 1978.
damacman
Resident Psycho
Bose discontinued all traditional speakers a few years ago in favor of bluetooth speakers and soundbars ... very little demand I would guess. It took me some time to track all these down at reasonable prices!
The 301s have some bright spots through the years depending on the series and are pretty cheap. 901s are just too big for her space ... I'm certainly open to other compact speakers which are non-direct designs.
The 301s have some bright spots through the years depending on the series and are pretty cheap. 901s are just too big for her space ... I'm certainly open to other compact speakers which are non-direct designs.
damacman
Resident Psycho
And, I found a near mint pair of the Series II . . . got a nearfield demo of them sitting on a desk prior to purchasing them. They weren't offensive . . . so, we shall see. Our shipping / receiving manager is campaigning for a pair at each end of her room. The 6200 can do that no problem. We shall see what one pair sounds like first . . .
damacman
Resident Psycho
Today was another BUSY day getting things in order. We're going on 7+ months to get the shop the way we want it. [I'm NEVER moving again.] The lighting in the shipping / receiving area pretty much sucked so we hung some overhead LED lighting. While I was at it, I pulled down the Mission speakers and mounted some shelves for the 301s. Man did I get lucky as I got studs with both brackets for each shelf. The shelves ARE 16" wide, but even still - what are the odds?
The 301s are not without their challenges, as many of you already know. However, most people running them likely don't have 1) the powerful 5-band EQ of the MA6200 or 2) Eight 901s to supplement their bottom end. Really, all it took was a small twist to the left on the 150Hz control on the MA6200 to eliminate a nasty peak that colored the vocals. That may also be a function of their proximity to the ceiling. My position on them isn't clear at this point. I hear things I like and things I don't. The drivers and components in the crossover network (very simple, I believe) are all original. They do sound a touch veiled to me but alas, far better in this application than were the Missions.
Man can they soak up some power . . . all that the 6200 can dish out. I've never seen a 6200 work so hard! However, by the time the PG lamps are flashing, the room is really pretty well energized. She's more than pleased with the results and likes the non-directivity of these as compared to the Missions. In all fairness, the Missions were angled down slightly and these are not. I asked her, Do you still think you need a 2nd pair at the other end of the room? She was like, Absolutely not! Problem solved it would appear.
One of the reasons I put the shelves up was so that I could easily swap these out for other speakers should I get the itch. So, we'll see. Personally, I don't see her thinking that way and it his her department so I'm best served making her happy. There is a perception thing at play here, definitely. It's easy for us to lose sight of what others define as excellent when we allow our opinions to get in the way. Sure, a bookshelf speaker with an air motion tweeter, a TOTL bookshelf like a B&W 805, or a small studio monitor may be more accurate, could image better, be more efficient, etc. But this isn't that environment. It's a workplace. To her, she looks at these speakers and the stack of electronics powering it all and she's just in 7th heaven. I told her that the 301s kind of looked like a pair of window AC units and she scolded me for pointing that out. LOL . . .
As of today, I still do not have music in my office . . . but that's OK. That will soon change.
The 301s are not without their challenges, as many of you already know. However, most people running them likely don't have 1) the powerful 5-band EQ of the MA6200 or 2) Eight 901s to supplement their bottom end.
Really, all it took was a small twist to the left on the 150Hz control on the MA6200 to eliminate a nasty peak that colored the vocals. That may also be a function of their proximity to the ceiling. My position on them isn't clear at this point. I hear things I like and things I don't. The drivers and components in the crossover network (very simple, I believe) are all original. They do sound a touch veiled to me but alas, far better in this application than were the Missions.Man can they soak up some power . . . all that the 6200 can dish out. I've never seen a 6200 work so hard! However, by the time the PG lamps are flashing, the room is really pretty well energized. She's more than pleased with the results and likes the non-directivity of these as compared to the Missions. In all fairness, the Missions were angled down slightly and these are not. I asked her, Do you still think you need a 2nd pair at the other end of the room? She was like, Absolutely not! Problem solved it would appear.
One of the reasons I put the shelves up was so that I could easily swap these out for other speakers should I get the itch. So, we'll see. Personally, I don't see her thinking that way and it his her department so I'm best served making her happy. There is a perception thing at play here, definitely. It's easy for us to lose sight of what others define as excellent when we allow our opinions to get in the way. Sure, a bookshelf speaker with an air motion tweeter, a TOTL bookshelf like a B&W 805, or a small studio monitor may be more accurate, could image better, be more efficient, etc. But this isn't that environment. It's a workplace. To her, she looks at these speakers and the stack of electronics powering it all and she's just in 7th heaven. I told her that the 301s kind of looked like a pair of window AC units and she scolded me for pointing that out. LOL . . .
As of today, I still do not have music in my office . . . but that's OK. That will soon change.
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