Bose 901 Series III, Audio Icons

BOSE has been building a speaker for 45 years that seems to turn conventional wisdom on its head. Does hi-fi history need to be rewritten? Or is the legendary 901 just a clever design?

When NASA set out to conquer the moon, Bose founder and namesake Amar Bose, who was already allowed to study at the renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a 17-year-old, developed a loudspeaker that seemed to be built contrary to all the usual rules. So it was with nine broadband Loudspeakers, eight of which radiate from the back against the listening room wall.

If you look at where Bose’s idea came from, it seems less eccentric since he was concerned with the psychoacoustics of concert halls. But, in fact, the direct sound component of the instruments in a concert only makes up a comparatively small part of the sound energy that reaches the listener. By far, the most sound reaches the ear via many reflections from the room. With this effect, one gets the impression that the musicians are playing in their own space rather than from a recording. Despite the comparatively blurred stage image, this conveys an unusually high level of intimacy in the listening experience.

With that, the 18 full-range drivers can convey a good portion of dynamics, especially in musical passages with a portion of the attack. Piano attacks and drums then sound amazingly vivid, and despite certain discolorations, voices and saxophone always have charm and timbre. In short, listening to music with the Bose 901 is still a lot of fun!

And there you have it... this particular set of Series III is in 8+ condition. Really a beautiful example of these truly iconic speakers. Love'm or hate'm, they play fabulously. Complete necessary EQ from a Series IV set, this pair is ready to go. 

Demos encouraged in Andover, MA.

$699/pair (plus sales tax, if applicable.  Local sale preferred)

*Note, the stands shown are not included with the sale.*