I recently came across a recent episode of the never-ending to and fro re: the 901s...let me say to all and sundry, and I'll use a line I've read countless times in other forums @this site, "You don't know how to listen!"

Most members ot the "boom and tizz" brigade (long-time readers of the late, lamented "AUDIO" mag will recognize that phrase) are so use to hearing "in-your-face" hi freqs, they believe it to be a hallmark of accurate sound...and the low freq humps designed into most loudspeakers to disguise their rapidly-falling off, below mid-bass reponses...well, let's not go there!

I have owned 901 Series lls since 1974. I auditioned Allisons, Advents, Dahlquists(pre-mirror imaging mods) etc., etc. and chose Bose.

Why? To me, all the reasons pertaining to their design and execution made perfect sense. Multiple small drivers producing the output of a single 12" woofer with less mass, no hangover, none of the drawbacks of the larger cone. They theoretically can and, in practice do, provide crisp and accurate transients and do extend well into the nether areas...talk about basso profundo!

On a wide range of low freq-rich program material, whether it be the tympani in Copland's "Fanfare For The Common Man" , E. Power Biggs pedal work on Bach's organ pieces, synth work on some of Heart's or ELPs cuts...it's there, deep, accurate, clean and visceral.

Highs? Have you really(and I mean really) listened to live music? They(the highs) drop off quite distinctly depending on distance from the source. Do you really listen to trumpet, et al with your ears to the bell? On a close-miked recording with conventional loudspeakers, that's exactly what is happening...hardly realistic, IMHO.

Indulge me, if you will...Placement is critical, I built a side wall to be sure the installation parameters would match side to side. My power amp is an HK Citation 19 rated @100W/side and I use an SAE 2700B half-octave equalizer. My system is EQd from stylus to listening position. Using a calibrated source( a Crown third-octave test record) and a borrowed pro SPL meter(which by-the-by, the RS unit compares favorably with in side-by-side usage). Multiple room plots and adjustments resulted in near-flat response...but, flat ain't where it's at...a gentle roll-off above 10k provides the most natural sound to me and most of the pots are in the "cut" mode; the few that aren't are +3db max. The Bose eq is used to tweak lesser recordings and the tone controls on my pre-amp are bypassed with the "defeat" switch.

The sound is neither bottom-heavy nor shrill, the net result is smooth sound, uncompromising in its' candor. Good recordings sound as they should and poor ones are revealed...Listener fatgue does not apply and the catch-phrases are all at the ready: imaging and depth, inner details, articulation...an acoustic bass sounds as it should, brushes on a drum kit, ditto. But, only if the source can provide these things.

Comparing Bose to anything else is like the proverbial "apples and oranges" and those who base an opinon of their sound on a Bose-equipped system that has not been set up correctly don't know what they are missing, how unfortunate. And, don't think they are properly set up in a Bose store, quite curiously they're not!

Audie