Getting the most out of Bose 301 Speakers [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

PDA

View Full Version : Getting the most out of Bose 301 Speakers



kobyof
05-13-2009, 09:15 AM
Hi,

I have recently received two new 301 BOSE speakers. I have placed them according to instructions (roughly 2.5 meters away from each other, on a shelf, ±50cm from the wall). My room is 30sqm. They are connected to a KR-A4080 Kenwood Receiver (which is ±10 years old).

The sound is ok (tried various CDs mostly soft rock, some jazz), but not nearly as perfect as in the store.

Wanted to get your thoughts on what should I do - is it the receiver that is the weak link in the chain and is deceasing the sound quality? Is it time to replace it with a new one? Could it be the speaker cables? They are standard non-branded 0.81mm. Anything else that you can think about?

Willing to specify any other details that may be relevant.

Thanks,
Koby

mlsstl
05-13-2009, 09:53 AM
What qualities did you hear that made the speakers sound better in the store than in your home? Try to describe the differences as precisely as you can, whether bass, overall tone balance, imaging, highs, etc.

Room acoustics have a major impact on the sound of speakers. It is important to match a speaker to the room.

A speaker's position in a room can also dramatically affect the performance. I would suggest using an afternoon to experiment with a variety of speaker placements.

It could be that these speakers are simply not a good match for your room. If so, hopefully you'll be able to return them on that basis.

BTW, all of this assumes that the store gave an honest demo (no equalizers, other sound processors or tricks used to enhance things.)

luvtolisten
05-13-2009, 01:08 PM
Hi Kobyof, and welcome! I bought the 301's series 5 last year, for sentimental reasons, my first pair of speakers were the Bose 301, series I. But like you, I was disappointed when I got mine home too. Then after reading various threads, here on this forum, I came across one titled "Capacitors" started by TWC 644, which talks about upgrading your capacitors in your speaker's crossover by upgrading the capacitors. I changed the capacitors with Jantzen Standards from Parts Express. It really helped a lot. Gave them a lot more detail, and tighten up the bass. I think it cost me around $30. They put really cheap caps in those Bose Speakers as they do with a lot of speakers made/assembled in China, <$300.. I'm not a Bose basher by the way, I'm just being objective. One thing else I noticed about those speakers, they are not as efficent as other bookshelf speakers I have, The specs say so, but they are not, I always have to turn them up a couple of db more. I have using them with a 70 watt reciever (NAD) and 75 watt intergrated (Cambridge Audio) which drives them fine.
But it could also be your room as well, or speaker placement. These speakers are called bookshelf, but it's impossible to place them on a bookshelf to get the best results. They need room behind them, 6 to 12 inches for best results. They also need an adjancent wall, for the "reflecting" theory to work, an open doorway near the speakers is not good, probabIy more so on these speakers than any other bookshelf speaker.I hope this helps.

markw
05-13-2009, 01:39 PM
I'm assuming you're using them in a stereo setup. I really don't think they would be the best bet to purchase new for a HT system.

I looked at these about ten years ago. When they demo these in stores, they generally hve them high up, play music that's well sited for them, and they play 'em LOUD!

When I heard 'em, they played Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass, and they played them quite a bit louder than I would at home.They sounded pretty dang good.

But, when I dropped on some of my classical and jazz CD's (which they really, really didn't want to do, but I gave them no choice) and played them at a more realistic level, you could see the despair in the salesmens faces.

hifitommy
05-16-2009, 01:11 PM
take them back. theyre pretty good as bose speakers go but no bass.

Invader3k
08-22-2009, 01:31 PM
Bose speakers are power hungry. Not very efficient, I don't think. I used to have a pair of 301s powered by my Onkyo receiver in my first surround sound set up. They were OK as an introductory pair of speakers...probably the best pair of speakers Bose makes, to be blunt. They're now serving as my garage speakers.

Could you add a subwoofer? I found once I added a sub to my system and let the 301s handle the mids and highs, they sounded a lot better.

hifitommy
08-22-2009, 04:31 PM
that the 301s are bose' best. they can even throw the fake-o image into mid space but becuase they dont cost serious money, you can accept that fact. for REAL money, i want my speakers to give back an acoustic image directly from the speaker.

a sub would make that a very acceptable system for quite a while until you saved up for some more serious design.

luvvintage
02-28-2013, 10:21 AM
Hi Kobyof, and welcome! I bought the 301's series 5 last year, for sentimental reasons, my first pair of speakers were the Bose 301, series I. But like you, I was disappointed when I got mine home too. Then after reading various threads, here on this forum, I came across one titled "Capacitors" started by TWC 644, which talks about upgrading your capacitors in your speaker's crossover by upgrading the capacitors. I changed the capacitors with Jantzen Standards from Parts Express. It really helped a lot. Gave them a lot more detail, and tighten up the bass. I think it cost me around $30. They put really cheap caps in those Bose Speakers as they do with a lot of speakers made/assembled in China, <$300.. I'm not a Bose basher by the way, I'm just being objective. One thing else I noticed about those speakers, they are not as efficent as other bookshelf speakers I have, The specs say so, but they are not, I always have to turn them up a couple of db more. I have using them with a 70 watt reciever (NAD) and 75 watt intergrated (Cambridge Audio) which drives them fine.
But it could also be your room as well, or speaker placement. These speakers are called bookshelf, but it's impossible to place them on a bookshelf to get the best results. They need room behind them, 6 to 12 inches for best results. They also need an adjancent wall, for the "reflecting" theory to work, an open doorway near the speakers is not good, probabIy more so on these speakers than any other bookshelf speaker.I hope this helps.

I was thinking of buying a pair of these Bose 301 V speakers, due to a prior experience with a Bose 301 II, they sounded (and still sound) awesone to me. Some bose haters said already that this is the worst deal they have made, but other guys talk wonders about this new generation 301 speakers. The point is... Are they really good? Do some bose bashers are using a fair quality sound system to make their judgements? We have to take in consideration our audio gear before making a review or a comment (receiver, amp cables cd player, analog). Recaping this speaker... Does it makes a big or noticeable upgrade? I'm just asking because I'm considering to purchase very soon a pair of this speaker I don't have enough money to acquire a hi-end pair as B&W PSB or the very efficent Klipsch. I am also concern about room acoustic. I have lots of acoustic absorbent material on my listening room, also the room is square, not so good sounding place according to some audio enthusiasts. Do I have to get rid of this absorbent material to get real direct/reflectin effect or this is irrelevant? I wiil apreciate your help! Thanks in advance!

Rotel RB-1090 Power amp
Rotel RC-1090 Preamp
Rotel RCD-950 CD player
Tera Dak 26D Non Oversampling DAC
Technics R&B Series SB-10 Vintage Speakers
Vintage Audioquest Ruby Interconnects
Audioquest Tye 4 Speaker Wires
Cardas & PS Audio Power Cords
Monster Power Line Conditioner
Klipsch SW-8 Powered Subbwoofer
HLLY TAMP-90 Tripath Digital AMp
HLLY AMKII Digital Volume Control

JohnMichael
02-28-2013, 10:49 AM
Welcome to AR. Since Bose speakers are designed to reflect sound off the walls the absorbent material would interfere with the sound. Bose has a sound that some people like so if you enjoy them have fun. I have no advice about upgrading the caps but I do remember the crossover being fairly simple.

One thing you might want to try is different placement. They suggest one speaker as the left and one as right. Sometimes reversing the positions work better in some rooms. Have fun and experiment.

harley .guy07
02-28-2013, 11:02 AM
That is pretty cool that others have had these speakers as their first non rack system speakers they bought. My first speaker purchase was the Bose 4.2 series 2 which was the same basic thing as the 301. I can agree that 2 my ears they were the best speakers that Bose made in my opinion but it has been 20 years since I last heard them so I don't know what I would think of them today since I have not heard a pair since. I remember though I had them on stands that were pretty high "not sure how higher but more than any other standmount speaker I know" and I had them around a foot from the back walls as they seemed to perform better closer to the wall than other more conventional speakers and due to their design you could not toe them in at all or it would mess up the image since the tweeters in each cabinet point in both directions and that seems to be what most people do wrong setting these up if I remember correctly, they try to toe them in like conventional speakers and that is not the way they were designed.

luvvintage
02-28-2013, 12:06 PM
That is pretty cool that others have had these speakers as their first non rack system speakers they bought. My first speaker purchase was the Bose 4.2 series 2 which was the same basic thing as the 301. I can agree that 2 my ears they were the best speakers that Bose made in my opinion but it has been 20 years since I last heard them so I don't know what I would think of them today since I have not heard a pair since. I remember though I had them on stands that were pretty high "not sure how higher but more than any other standmount speaker I know" and I had them around a foot from the back walls as they seemed to perform better closer to the wall than other more conventional speakers and due to their design you could not toe them in at all or it would mess up the image since the tweeters in each cabinet point in both directions and that seems to be what most people do wrong setting these up if I remember correctly, they try to toe them in like conventional speakers and that is not the way they were designed.

I've purchase this Bose 4.2 on middle 90's, but I did not have a fairly good audio gear at that time so and I finished selling them. Tell me how much you like them! harley! I used to have'em on the walls with brackets! I'm plannig to buy the last generation of the Bose 301 and I'm searching for advice!!

luvvintage
02-28-2013, 12:18 PM
Welcome to AR. Since Bose speakers are designed to reflect sound off the walls the absorbent material would interfere with the sound. Bose has a sound that some people like so if you enjoy them have fun. I have no advice about upgrading the caps but I do remember the crossover being fairly simple.

One thing you might want to try is different placement. They suggest one speaker as the left and one as right. Sometimes reversing the positions work better in some rooms. Have fun and experiment.

Thanks a lot JohnMicheal. I've decide to purchase... Hope I don't get wrong with this new gen 301.

luvtolisten
02-28-2013, 03:27 PM
I was thinking of buying a pair of these Bose 301 V speakers, due to a prior experience with a Bose 301 II, they sounded (and still sound) awesone to me. Some bose haters said already that this is the worst deal they have made, but other guys talk wonders about this new generation 301 speakers. The point is... Are they really good? Do some bose bashers are using a fair quality sound system to make their judgements? We have to take in consideration our audio gear before making a review or a comment (receiver, amp cables cd player, analog). Recaping this speaker... Does it makes a big or noticeable upgrade? I'm just asking because I'm considering to purchase very soon a pair of this speaker I don't have enough money to acquire a hi-end pair as B&W PSB or the very efficent Klipsch. I am also concern about room acoustic. I have lots of acoustic absorbent material on my listening room, also the room is square, not so good sounding place according to some audio enthusiasts. Do I have to get rid of this absorbent material to get real direct/reflectin effect or this is irrelevant? I wiil apreciate your help! Thanks in advance!

Rotel RB-1090 Power amp
Rotel RC-1090 Preamp
Rotel RCD-950 CD player
Tera Dak 26D Non Oversampling DAC
Technics R&B Series SB-10 Vintage Speakers
Vintage Audioquest Ruby Interconnects
Audioquest Tye 4 Speaker Wires
Cardas & PS Audio Power Cords
Monster Power Line Conditioner
Klipsch SW-8 Powered Subbwoofer
HLLY TAMP-90 Tripath Digital AMp
HLLY AMKII Digital Volume Control

luvvintage, replacing the caps is not a night and day difference. It's just a nice cheap modification to enhance your speakers. The Bose 301's come with an electrolytic cap, which usually last about 7 years before you notice a side by side difference between the same speaker with new caps. I do not dislike the 301's, in fact I bought a pair of 301's series II, off Craigslist for $30 and refoamed them. If your heart is set on the series 5, then by all means buy them. If you deciced you don't like them, I'm sure you could resell them, there are thousands of 301 fans out there. But I would tell you to look over the construction carefully. You'll see there is more plastic than Mdf on the series 5

luvvintage
02-28-2013, 05:38 PM
luvvintage, replacing the caps is not a night and day difference. It's just a nice cheap modification to enhance your speakers. The Bose 301's come with an electrolytic cap, which usually last about 7 years before you notice a side by side difference between the same speaker with new caps. I do not dislike the 301's, in fact I bought a pair of 301's series II, off Craigslist for $30 and refoamed them. If your heart is set on the series 5, then by all means buy them. If you deciced you don't like them, I'm sure you could resell them, there are thousands of 301 fans out there. But I would tell you to look over the construction carefully. You'll see there is more plastic than Mdf on the series 5

I love the sound of the 301 II, my olny experience was that good, but... Do I go with the latest version (series V) or go vintage? Thanks dear friend! There's a lot of them on eBay!!

luvvintage
03-02-2013, 07:17 PM
luvvintage, replacing the caps is not a night and day difference. It's just a nice cheap modification to enhance your speakers. The Bose 301's come with an electrolytic cap, which usually last about 7 years before you notice a side by side difference between the same speaker with new caps. I do not dislike the 301's, in fact I bought a pair of 301's series II, off Craigslist for $30 and refoamed them. If your heart is set on the series 5, then by all means buy them. If you deciced you don't like them, I'm sure you could resell them, there are thousands of 301 fans out there. But I would tell you to look over the construction carefully. You'll see there is more plastic than Mdf on the series 5

Well finally, I've decided to buy my pair of the latest version of the Bose 301 and this was my first impression: If you love violins and pianos this one is for you. Trumpets, sax and similar instruments sounds just good. Percussions performs with few issues acoustic guitars very fine... Voices sound forward and clean. Their weakness is bass response there's no doubt I connect to the system the SW-8 Klipsch sub woofer and they became more lifelike and solve the lacking bass issue a bit... I could just take' em back or, as you said, there would be thousands of guys wanting this speakers and believe me, I hope so. I will allow them several days to see if is just a matter of reaching the break-in point so they could perform better! I preffer the sweet ol' sound of the 301 II.

Rotel RB-1090 Power amp
Rotel RC-1090 Preamp
Rotel RCD-950 CD player
Tera Dak 26D Non Oversampling DAC
Technics R&B Series SB-10 Vintage Speakers
Vintage Audioquest Ruby Interconnects
Audioquest Tye 4 Speaker Wires
Cardas & PS Audio Power Cords
Monster Power Line Conditioner
Klipsch SW-8 Powered Subbwoofer
HLLY TAMP-90 Tripath Digital AMp
HLLY AMKII Digital Volume Control

StevenSurprenant
03-03-2013, 07:37 AM
I've owned Bose 301's back in the middle 70's and they sounded good unless you directly compare them with higher end speakers. I also listened to a pair for about 10 years at my last job.

Apparently you liked the sound and that's the only thing that matters. All that's left is setup which is very important. How were they set up in the store? Maybe you should, if possible, copy that. If I remember correctly, they are sensitive to how far apart they are from each other. Too far apart and they will not form solid images.

I tried 20 gauge solid silver wire and my small digital amp on the ones at work (they had 16 gauge stranded wire and a Kenwood receiver before I tried that) and I thought they sounded much better.

As for your receiver, about 20 years ago I bought a couple of Kenwood's top of the line receivers and returned them because I thought they sounded muddy. Actually, in direct comparison (in the store) this proved to be true. At the time, I thought Marantz sounded very nice with a warm sound. There are other very good receivers too. Keep in mind that things change so your Kenwood may be better than the ones I bought. BTW, what was the amp they used in the store?

My guess, other than set up, is to try a different brand receiver or amp. Perhaps you can get a loaner just to find out if that is the weak link?

luvtolisten
03-03-2013, 01:16 PM
Well finally, I've decided to buy my pair of the latest version of the Bose 301 and this was my first impression: If you love violins and pianos this one is for you. Trumpets, sax and similar instruments sounds just good. Percussions performs with few issues acoustic guitars very fine... Voices sound forward and clean. Their weakness is bass response there's no doubt I connect to the system the SW-8 Klipsch sub woofer and they became more lifelike and solve the lacking bass issue a bit... I could just take' em back or, as you said, there would be thousands of guys wanting this speakers and believe me, I hope so. I will allow them several days to see if is just a matter of reaching the break-in point so they could perform better! I preffer the sweet ol' sound of the 301 II.

Rotel RB-1090 Power amp
Rotel RC-1090 Preamp
Rotel RCD-950 CD player
Tera Dak 26D Non Oversampling DAC
Technics R&B Series SB-10 Vintage Speakers
Vintage Audioquest Ruby Interconnects
Audioquest Tye 4 Speaker Wires
Cardas & PS Audio Power Cords
Monster Power Line Conditioner
Klipsch SW-8 Powered Subbwoofer
HLLY TAMP-90 Tripath Digital AMp
HLLY AMKII Digital Volume Control

Sorry to hear you're not completely happy with the new version. But all the 301's never performed that well with the very low notes. Unfortunately, there is no perfect speaker, just trade offs. It depends too on what kind of music you listen to. I thought the Bose did best with acoustic guitars, and mid range. I think your Rotels are more than adequate to bring out the best of your 301's. Did you buy them locally or online? The reason I ask if you decide you don't like them you recoup all your money back. Sending them back on line can be pricey. And selling them yourself, you'll have to take a loss. Most sellers give you 30 days, so take your time and see if the 301's tend to grow on you.

Remember too, that things back in the good 'ol days weren't always as good as they seemed. I was a little disappointed in mine, (both the series 5 and II's although I liked the II's better). I think because back in the day it was my first real 'Hi Fi", after coming from a Sylvania console. And back then (due greatly to the Internet) you didn't have the choices you do today. If I remember correctly the Series 5 either didn't have any or very little polyfil inside. Adding more may help. Take your time, and experiment.

luvvintage
03-03-2013, 02:19 PM
Sorry to hear you're not completely happy with the new version. But all the 301's never performed that well with the very low notes. Unfortunately, there is no perfect speaker, just trade offs. It depends too on what kind of music you listen to. I thought the Bose did best with acoustic guitars, and mid range. I think your Rotels are more than adequate to bring out the best of your 301's. Did you buy them locally or online? The reason I ask if you decide you don't like them you recoup all your money back. Sending them back on line can be pricey. And selling them yourself, you'll have to take a loss. Most sellers give you 30 days, so take your time and see if the 301's tend to grow on you.

Remember too, that things back in the good 'ol days weren't always as good as they seemed. I was a little disappointed in mine, (both the series 5 and II's although I liked the II's better). I think because back in the day it was my first real 'Hi Fi", after coming from a Sylvania console. And back then (due greatly to the Internet) you didn't have the choices you do today. If I remember correctly the Series 5 either didn't have any or very little polyfil inside. Adding more may help. Take your time, and experiment.

HI Buddy: Perhaps I've post my comment too early... This is the first time since 1986 I have a close encounter with this Bose speakers. Performance is improving more and more; overall sound is suffering changes (and good ones) thanks goodness. I will allow several days to this babies to break-in before I post a last judgement. Bass response is acquaring pressence punch and musicality, midrange is getting sweeter and highs more relaxing; something I realize is that this speakers are power hungry but with my amp that's not an issue to be concern. I will be posting my impressions as soon as this little friends reaches the break-in point. Hope that could be good news for you and all the 301 fans that read this thread. Lets give' em some time!! By the way they are very sexy:thumbsup:!

luvvintage
03-03-2013, 02:45 PM
I've owned Bose 301's back in the middle 70's and they sounded good unless you directly compare them with higher end speakers. I also listened to a pair for about 10 years at my last job.

Apparently you liked the sound and that's the only thing that matters. All that's left is setup which is very important. How were they set up in the store? Maybe you should, if possible, copy that. If I remember correctly, they are sensitive to how far apart they are from each other. Too far apart and they will not form solid images.

I tried 20 gauge solid silver wire and my small digital amp on the ones at work (they had 16 gauge stranded wire and a Kenwood receiver before I tried that) and I thought they sounded much better.

As for your receiver, about 20 years ago I bought a couple of Kenwood's top of the line receivers and returned them because I thought they sounded muddy. Actually, in direct comparison (in the store) this proved to be true. At the time, I thought Marantz sounded very nice with a warm sound. There are other very good receivers too. Keep in mind that things change so your Kenwood may be better than the ones I bought. BTW, what was the amp they used in the store?

My guess, other than set up, is to try a different brand receiver or amp. Perhaps you can get a loaner just to find out if that is the weak link?

Hi Steven: I preffer to wait several days to make a final judgement. everything is improving... I've made some tests placing the speaker at different distances and location in my listening room with good results. I'm starting to love 'em. BTW The speakers on the store were placed attached to the wall at more or less 6ft away from each other, 4ft from the floor, and were hooked on an Onkyo HT receiver. You mentioned small digital amp? I have a HLLY TAMP-90 amp (which I fell in love with) and that is a test I have yet with the 301's; this lovely little guy is awesome:21:! I recommend it to you if you want to know how good this tripath technology could sound!! Regards from Puerto Rico!!

luvtolisten
03-03-2013, 02:47 PM
HI Buddy: Perhaps I've post my comment too early... This is the first time since 1986 I have a close encounter with this Bose speakers. Performance is improving more and more; overall sound is suffering changes (and good ones) thanks goodness. I will allow several days to this babies to break-in before I post a last judgement. Bass response is acquaring pressence punch and musicality, midrange is getting sweeter and highs more relaxing; something I realize is that this speakers are power hungry but with my amp that's not an issue to be concern. I will be posting my impressions as soon as this little friends reaches the break-in point. Hope that could be good news for you and all the 301 fans that read this thread. Lets give' em some time!! By the way they are very sexy:thumbsup:!

Glad to hear it, and yes they are a little power hungry, but you have the electronics to handle that. I think Rotel is a good match for them myself. The 301's do kind of sound better over time, at the very least I never found them fatiguing or the highs overly bright. Have fun!

luvvintage
03-03-2013, 03:20 PM
Glad to hear it, and yes they are a little power hungry, but you have the electronics to handle that. I think Rotel is a good match for them myself. The 301's do kind of sound better over time, at the very least I never found them fatiguing or the highs overly bright. Have fun!

Thank you very much dear friend... I'll let you know their progress. Wait for my last judgement, but I tell you in advance, things are getting better here and I'm very glad!! Thanks for your help... Regards from Puerto Rico!

StevenSurprenant
03-04-2013, 07:23 AM
I have a HLLY TAMP-90 amp (which I fell in love with) and that is a test I have yet with the 301's; this lovely little guy is awesome! I recommend it to you if you want to know how good this tripath technology could sound!! Regards from Puerto Rico!!

Your HLLY is very similar to what I have and uses the same chip. I have a Trends TA 10.1.

I love mine too.

luvvintage
03-16-2013, 07:47 AM
Well as I promised, this is my last impression of my Bose 301; I thank my Lord I did not become another 301 hater. No speaker below the $350.00 beats the 301 maybe speakers that double or even triple it's price, so you have to spend some greens to make a good upgrade. I'm saying that perhaps few speakers below the $1000.00 could outperform this babies. Let me tell the cons... Lack bass response? Well yes, but performance still improving, bass is getting more present each day and therefore overall sound is improving greatlly. A good subwoofer add sweet, 3D, transparent and room filling sound. (I'm not a guy that has plenty of technical words so lets keep it simple). Power hungry? Yes, but not an issue for me since I own a Rotel RB-1090 that is capable of delivering 385 watts per channel at 8 ohms. But we don't have to go any further. I hook 'em up with my Tripath HLLY TAMP-90 class T Amp, a humble 90 Watts/CH and they rock the house. They're a bit harsh on midrange response? Yes but nothing that could bother my ears. What about their pros? They sound like those old school brothers without missing any aspectl! My advice for those Bose bashers is to make a fair judgement to this speaker system with high quality audio gear and considering room acoustics before posting a review. For 350 bucks we can't ask for more!

Rotel RB-1090 Power amp
Rotel RC-1090 Preamp
Rotel RCD-950 CD player
Tera Dak 26D Non Oversampling DAC
Technics R&B Series SB-10 Vintage Speakers
Vintage Audioquest Ruby Interconnects
Audioquest Tye 4 Speaker Wires
Cardas & PS Audio Power Cords
Monster Power Line Conditioner
Klipsch SW-8 Powered Subbwoofer
HLLY TAMP-90 Tripath Digital AMp
HLLY AMKII Digital Volume Control

blackraven
03-16-2013, 08:46 AM
Not to rain on the parade but I just don't get it with the 301's. I have heard them a few times in store when I was looking to buy speakers for my teenage daughter about 10 years ago. I thought that they were terrible in every way, they lacked musicality and sounded thin, lifeless and flat. We ended up buying a pair of Infinity Primus 160's which sounded much better and at 1/2 the price. We were able to do an AB comparison in store with the infinity's and a couple of other lower priced speakers that sounded better.

Maybe it was the placement of the 301's that made them sound terrible. However, I am glad that you like them and maybe I just need to hear them properly set up!

hifitommy
03-16-2013, 09:57 AM
were i to get the 301s for a hundred, i would consider them a bargain. quite a respectable sound for anything with the bose nametag. there are plenty of other speakers out there at that price that can compete favorably though.

case in point is the recently released Pioneer SP-BS22 LR :

Pioneer SP-BS22 LR Loudspeaker | The Absolute Sound (http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/pioneer-sp-bs22-lr-loudspeaker/)

designed by andrew jones of TAD, they stand up to much scrutiny. the price is $300 new for these little beauties which i would probably buy for myself had i not a pretty good stock of speakers already:

spendor 23/5s, magnepan MMGs, fried RII, and infinity primus 150s.

Spending Time With the Spendor S 3/5 By Herbert Reichert (http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0601/spendor35.htm)

Magnepan MMG Floor-Standing Speakers Reviewed (http://hometheaterreview.com/magnepan-mmg-floor-standing-speakers-reviewed/)

Infinity Primus 150 loudspeaker | Stereophile.com (http://www.stereophile.com/budgetcomponents/404infinity/)

as for the fried RII, i couldnt find a review due to their age.

bottom line, the 301 is probably the best bose ever but it is easily equaled or surpassed at list price by the careful listener.

luvvintage
03-17-2013, 04:29 AM
Not to rain on the parade but I just don't get it with the 301's. I have heard them a few times in store when I was looking to buy speakers for my teenage daughter about 10 years ago. I thought that they were terrible in every way, they lacked musicality and sounded thin, lifeless and flat. We ended up buying a pair of Infinity Primus 160's which sounded much better and at 1/2 the price. We were able to do an AB comparison in store with the infinity's and a couple of other lower priced speakers that sounded better.

Maybe it was the placement of the 301's that made them sound terrible. However, I am glad that you like them and maybe I just need to hear them properly set up!

I have been an audio lover since I was 13 (I'm 48) and I've never heard a speaker perform so fine at only 350 bucks (Remember... They worth only $350.00). In all this time I've own several speaker systems on the $150.00 to $1000.00 price range, and I keep saying that you have to make a considerable investment to beat the 301. You need to remember that you own Magnepan Brand speakers and I can bet they outperforms the 301 by the "classical mile"; you also posses Monitor Audio Loudspeakers. For those audio lovers on a budget like myself, a 301 is a steal; they have limitations YES, but at less than $400.00 you can not ask for more!! Perhaps the electronic and cables used on the store, affect the performance of the speakers. When I bought mine, they've sounded awful on the store, but they were attached to the wall, with an old receiver, cheap interconnects and speaker wires. When I get home and hook em up to my system I was blown away by their very good performance. If you buy them on an authorized Bose dealer they give the chance to audition them at your home then you can make a final judgement since you have awesome electronics!

Feanor
03-17-2013, 05:13 AM
I have been an audio lover since I was 13 (I'm 48) and I've never heard a speaker perform so fine at only 350 bucks (Remember... They worth only $350.00). In all this time I've own several speaker systems on the $150.00 to $1000.00 price range, and I keep saying that you have to make a considerable investment to beat the 301. You need to remember that you own Magnepan Brand speakers and I can bet they outperforms the 301 by the "classical mile"; you also posses Monitor Audio Loudspeakers. For those audio lovers on a budget like myself, a 301 is a steal; they have limitations YES, but at less than $400.00 you can not ask for more!! ...
So that's the thing, really: you can get more for $400. Check out speakers from PSB, Paradigm, NHT, Polk, Monitor Audio, etc. How many of these did you checkout in a meaningful way?

Don't expect much sympathy for your Bose decision when you speak from a position of ignorance.

luvvintage
03-17-2013, 05:55 AM
So that's the thing, really: you can get more for $400. Check out speakers from PSB, Paradigm, NHT, Polk, Monitor Audio, etc. How many of these did you checkout in a meaningful way?

Don't expect much sympathy for your Bose decision when you speak from a position of ignorance.

I understand there are lots of Bose haters out there. Your comment confirms that. I'm not going to argue with any bashers! I have own or at least audition several brands you have mentioned on your thread like Paradigm, Polk, PSB, and many more you forgot to include.

blackraven
03-17-2013, 04:10 PM
You can buy a pair of PSB B6's B-stock for about $400, Wharfedale Diamond 10.1's for $349 AND THE 10.2'S for $449 that would out perform those. But with that being said, I am not a bose hater, it's just the 301's that I heard did not impress me for the price. But thats what makes the world go round, we all have different likes and dislikes. I use to like the old Bose 901's when properly set up and equalized

luvvintage
03-18-2013, 04:02 AM
You can buy a pair of PSB B6's B-stock for about $400, Wharfedale Diamond 10.1's for $349 AND THE 10.2'S for $449 that would out perform those. But with that being said, I am not a bose hater, it's just the 301's that I heard did not impress me for the price. But thats what makes the world go round, we all have different likes and dislikes. I use to like the old Bose 901's when properly set up and equalized

I understand that there are great speakers and those you have mention are very good examples. Lets put it this way, The 301 are very good speaker for their price and I'm having fun setting them on my room, perhaps they mate my room acoustic and I feel them singing. Lets say that the 301 are in that group of fine speakers you can grab for little money and put away the exaggeration. It is true that you can not underestimate the excellent performance of those speakers you have mention, they make justice to our pocket and I have owned and audition plenty of them with few or nothing negative to say. I have heard the 901 in the 80's and was impressed. I did not have a close encounter with the 301 since 1986 and that was what I was looking for (a pair of vintage 301), but sadly it is difficult to ship speaker system to PR from ebay. You have nice electronic... Regards from Puerto Rico!

audiophilevintage
04-06-2013, 08:33 AM
My first "real" system was a Sony stack system from the late 90's hooked up to Bose 201, series 4. I went to the store a few month's ago to listen to a few of their products. After comparing the 301 and the 201 series 5's, I like the 201's better. However the series 4 201's still sounded better than the series 5. If my math is correct, 30 square meters is a pretty large room. I personally love Bose and their products, but even I admit they have limits. It could also be that your receiver is under powered. How many watts does your receiver pump out? Personally, I think the problem with the 301's, is that they have two tweeters. To me, I think this sends out too much tone, and not enough bass. I'd suggest bringing them back and buying an older series of the 201's on eBay, or another place. If you cannot bring them back, adjust your receivers tonal, mid range, and bass levels (assuming the receiver has them)

Best of luck

Rps Abque
05-23-2016, 02:02 AM
For anyone just reading this thread... i just bought the 301's at a pawn shop and to my ears they are sweet. they are "old school" meaning they do best as just a regular stereo set up listening to older music. I am a classical musician and listen to all mediums, lp's cd's even cassettes when needed. They produce a sound that i am very familiar with. I have them hooked to a yamaha Rv-365, which would love to do a lot of fancy encoding, but i have the setting on "straight" and my Creative zx soundcard on no encoder, but with Crystal effect on and I use the Creative equalizer. Whenever possible I play hi def, flac music files. I also have a JVC, old sub woofer which takes me right into the concert hall. With these speakers it is all about placement, placement and the manual is very specific about how to do this. I did order the speaker wall mounts directly from Bose. they are still available and work great. The ONLY thing that for me is a negative is that because of my set up (and because i don't want people walking into them) in order to achieve proper placement in regards to the distance from each other, the TV, etc. they are too high on the wall. I wish they could be closer to eye level - it would be that much more of a "present" sound. When I stand up and stand eye level in front of them i do notice that difference but they are such good speakers that they still sound awesome.

blackraven
05-23-2016, 08:09 AM
Welcome to AR and glad you are enjoying your gear. That's what it's all about regardless of what type of gear you have. I to enjoy old school sound too. I still have my old Technic's integrated amp from 1977.


Larry

hifitommy
05-23-2016, 11:13 AM
i know this is an older thread, a common thing for AR. ayway, these are my current ramblings about the product:

say John Michael,

the original 301s (if that is what you are referring to) don't need the wall for reflections. they have a vane that you adjust for the image. in that case, they can sound very good alone but of course, need a subwoofer for full range sound. using the wall confuses the image. they can be best adjusted by not following the manual but arrange them tweeter up and angle them towards the listening area. adjust the vane until the "image" appears in space between the speakers. used this way, the 301 is likely bose' best speaker.

later models seem not to have the vane for image adjustment. too bad.

nfafan
05-23-2016, 07:44 PM
This is the wrong audio forum to hope to ask about Bose products and get a straight answer, brings out the Bose bashers and internet audio engineers.

Keep experimenting with placement including the non-obvious positionings, you will eventually find the sweet spot.

luvvintage
05-24-2016, 04:51 AM
I have been an audio lover since I was 13 (I'm 48) and I've never heard a speaker perform so fine at only 350 bucks (Remember... They worth only $350.00). In all this time I've own several speaker systems on the $150.00 to $1000.00 price range, and I keep saying that you have to make a considerable investment to beat the 301. You need to remember that you own Magnepan Brand speakers and I can bet they outperforms the 301 by the "classical mile"; you also posses Monitor Audio Loudspeakers. For those audio lovers on a budget like myself, a 301 is a steal; they have limitations YES, but at less than $400.00 you can not ask for more!! Perhaps the electronic and cables used on the store, affect the performance of the speakers. When I bought mine, they've sounded awful on the store, but they were attached to the wall, with an old receiver, cheap interconnects and speaker wires. When I get home and hook em up to my system I was blown away by their very good performance. If you buy them on an authorized Bose dealer they give the chance to audition them at your home then you can make a final judgement since you have awesome electronics!

I Heard them on the store and they sounded very good for the bucks. I bought them and listen to them for several days. The mid-ranges turned out irritating and I could not stand more than 10 minutes listening to this speakers. I end up selling them on eBay. I couldn't make them sound good in any way I've placed the in my listening room. I don't know it could be my audio room, but as time went, this pair sounded terrible. I did a review too early about this 301; I do not blame the speakers at all my audio room is small perhaps they need more space.

luvvintage
05-24-2016, 04:53 AM
So that's the thing, really: you can get more for $400. Check out speakers from PSB, Paradigm, NHT, Polk, Monitor Audio, etc. How many of these did you checkout in a meaningful way?

Don't expect much sympathy for your Bose decision when you speak from a position of ignorance.


I have been an audio lover since I was 13 (I'm 48) and I've never heard a speaker perform so fine at only 350 bucks (Remember... They worth only $350.00). In all this time I've own several speaker systems on the $150.00 to $1000.00 price range, and I keep saying that you have to make a considerable investment to beat the 301. You need to remember that you own Magnepan Brand speakers and I can bet they outperforms the 301 by the "classical mile"; you also posses Monitor Audio Loudspeakers. For those audio lovers on a budget like myself, a 301 is a steal; they have limitations YES, but at less than $400.00 you can not ask for more!! Perhaps the electronic and cables used on the store, affect the performance of the speakers. When I bought mine, they've sounded awful on the store, but they were attached to the wall, with an old receiver, cheap interconnects and speaker wires. When I get home and hook em up to my system I was blown away by their very good performance. If you buy them on an authorized Bose dealer they give the chance to audition them at your home then you can make a final judgement since you have awesome electronics!

I Heard them on the store and they sounded very good for the bucks. I bought them and listen to them for several days. The mid-ranges turned out irritating and I could not stand more than 10 minutes listening to this speakers. I end up selling them on eBay. I couldn't make them sound good in any way I've placed the in my listening room. I don't know it could be my audio room, but as time went, this pair sounded terrible. I did a review too early about this 301; I do not blame the speakers at all my audio room is small perhaps they need more space.

JoeE SP9
05-24-2016, 06:35 AM
It just took you a little longer to notice what some hear right away.

luvvintage
05-25-2016, 01:48 AM
It just took you a little longer to notice what some hear right away.

It took me few days to notice the issue dear friend. That's the reason I stated that I made a review too early of the 301's. It has been a long time I did not enter this site to let the forum know!:smilewinkgrin:

Cheers buddy!

Rotel RB 1090 Power Amp
Rotel RC 1090 Preamp
Technics 1200 MK II Turntable
PSB Image T6 Tower speakers
Marantz CD 5004 CD Player
Analysis Plus Solo Crystal Interconnects
Analysis Plus Oval 9 Speaker Cables

hifitommy
08-18-2016, 06:32 PM
i said in a prvious post that the 301s are the best ones made by bose and whereas that may be true, unless you get them at about a tenth of their list price, they are not worth the effort.

NOW for the list price on amzon of $229 deliverer are the ELAC B5s and are far and aWAAAAY better than any speaker with the bose nametag! i don't need speakers but i may just have to buy a pair for the satisfaction of it all.

https://www.amazon.com/Debut-Bookshelf-Speakers-Andrew-Jones/dp/B014GSER6O

Mr Peabody
08-19-2016, 11:23 AM
I heard ELAC at the show, crazy good for the money, I don't know how they did it.

hifitommy
08-19-2016, 09:10 PM
were you aware of the pioneer bs22 which andrew jones also designed for them before he left for ELAC (after quite a few years with pio designing their pro monitors)? you can just google andrew and pioneer bs22 much as you can elac and andrew for youtube displays regarding each.

luvvintage
12-17-2016, 07:27 AM
were you aware of the pioneer bs22 which andrew jones also designed for them before he left for ELAC (after quite a few years with pio designing their pro monitors)? you can just google andrew and pioneer bs22 much as you can elac and andrew for youtube displays regarding each.

I grabbed a pair of the pioneer bs22 and believe me,it is not the ultimate authority in sound, but Jeez for the money, they sound excellent.The mix of midbass and highs are very good...Very musical this little speakers. Do not have any experience with the Elac, but a friend told me they're awesome. Merry Xmas my people!

hifitommy
12-17-2016, 09:02 AM
i agree, the bs22 isn't the top of the heap but for a starter, WOW.

JoeE SP9
12-19-2016, 08:03 AM
I have a pair of the BS-21's (bedroom system). My brother has a pair of the FS-52's and a neighbor in the next block has a pair of ELAC's (not sure if they're F5 or F6). They are all IMO very good sounding, especially for the money.

The ELAC's sound the best with the FS-52's a close second. However, I'm quite satisfied with the BS-21's in my bedroom. Adding an 8" powered sub woofer makes a very audible difference and takes them close to the FS-52's.