BOSE 901's?

So I have a co-worker who said he has a set of Bose 901's that he is willing to sell for 250$. Still has the EQ, but no stands to go with them. I have yet to take a look at them though.

Just wondering if these are still any good? I would guess they are from the 80's or 90's. I would have to check the cones and foam to see how beat up they are. He is an audio nut and owns several different speakers and such. I will have to ask him about the exact details of the 901's.

I would use them in my Basement and would look into getting a good amp to pair them with if I would pull the trigger. Just wondering if they are more for just music listening or will Blockbuster movies still perform well with them?

HICKFARM said:

So I have a co-worker who said he has a set of Bose 901's that he is willing to sell for 250$. Still has the EQ, but no stands to go with them. I have yet to take a look at them though.

Just wondering if these are still any good? I would guess they are from the 80's or 90's. I would have to check the cones and foam to see how beat up they are. He is an audio nut and owns several different speakers and such. I will have to ask him about the exact details of the 901's.

I would use them in my Basement and would look into getting a good amp to pair them with if I would pull the trigger. Just wondering if they are more for just music listening or will Blockbuster movies still perform well with them?

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Since no one's answered, I figured I'd give it a shot. Bose 901's, from what I hear, are fun speakers. If they're in good condition, then it sounds like you're getting a fair price for them. Look over the surrounds for sure, and make sure that none of them have rotted. If they have, I understand it's not a hard replacement.

So long as you're not looking for super accuracy, but just room-filling and a fun sound, then they should be solid speakers. I myself love tonal accuracy and imaging, but truth is that I love sound too much that I could easily see myself owning a pair of these - if not just for their interesting sound signature and design principles. Hope this helps. Happy listening!

As for movies versus music. Judging by the nature of the beast (aka their reliance on the EQ), I would think that 901's would be more suited for music than movies. If you're going to go the movie route, you'd need an amp (or preamp) that can handle an independent in/out connection for just the 901's. I don't know of many inexpensive amps that allow a pre-in/pre-out for discrete channels.

Classic garbage. I remember people buying these in the early 90's. I know they were expensive and didn't really sound to good. They looked nice on the pedestals but sounded mediocre at best. For the price you are paying now, might be a decent deal. Just curb your expectations and you'll be fine.

Buy Other Sound Equipment. ; )

Ya I heard there was a big write up in a magazine that really made them popular. Maybe I can listen to them at his place before I decide what to do.

Avoid these. I've spent a fair amount of time listening to 901s. I wouldn't call them awful, but they are far from great and there are dozens if not hundreds of speakers for that price that are better. And given the age you would need to worry about the condition of the drivers - particularly the surrounds.