I won't argue that. $450 clock radios and he's probably sold millions of them. I have never owned any Bose products other than 901's nor do I intend to. I have owned 4 different series of them and find the oldest two series to be the best. The series ones are about 35 years old and show no deterioration of any kind. They do seem to last. My son has a pair of 501's but I was never overly impressed by them and they do need repair.
What decades old concept in employed with the 901? Paper speakers? Wood cabinets? I don't see anyone else designing a full range direct reflecting speaker but I see many using it for a part of their system. I don't really know if it would work out or not, as I said, I intend to give it a try. The room has to have two perfect corners and nothing else. Too small and they'll overwhelm you, they need a pretty large area.
I have no idea what you listened to that gave you a mono everywhere effect. I have never heard greater separation or spatial response than from a pair or two pair of 901's. I have always appreciated this more from vinyl than CD, I don't know why. Yes, they sound big but IMO not too big. Listen to a grand piano at a church or concert hall, it sounds big. The same is true of a single voice in an acoustic structure, the idea is for everyone to be able to enjoy it. I've never been to a concert anywhere that sounded focal or small. It always sounds big to me. As for their ability to reach 22hz, you'd have to ask Skeptic. Something about working together and adding up their individual small dimentions to act as one large woofer. Sounds nuts but they will reach very low. The later series don't get much below 40hz but are ported and the bass sounds boomier, more ever present but won't go as low.
I know very little about the 5.1, 6.1, 7.1 etc. except that they exist and I haven't heard any that I like for music. I definately would not recommend the 901 for surround although some people use them this way. Quadraphonic albums were tried but never caught on. I guess not enough people wanted to go out and buy a whole new stereo. There might be some great sounding stuff being made with the new CD formats and surround type systems, I have not heard them and can't speak for or against them. What I have heard is two channel CD's played on 5.1 systems and didn't care for it.
I remain completely amazed at what can be done with two channel stereo and don't see a need for improvement or change. I like it all out in front of me (like a concert) and I like it to be difficult to tell where my speakers are. Better yet, I like to imagine that they are not even there and I get mighty close with two channel stereo.
Don't think that I'm calling the 901 the greatest speaker ever because I'm not doing that at all. I'm just saying that they create a depth and sense of spatiality better than anything that I've heard. They still have their shortcomings and I choose to listen to my AR9's.
Bill