Bose 901 I with VI equalizer

[etoinshrdlu]

Is there any reason that I can't use my Bose 901 I with VI equalizer?

 

[Warmonger]

I would say, yes you can use them, however, I suspect it will not bring out the best performance of those series one. I still own my 901 series II purchased in 1975. They still work and are in my #3 son's bedroom. Series I and II were made mostly of wood, however, series III featured the introduction of plastics and I would imagine an entirely different equalization curve. I can't imagine that a series IV equalizer would be better than one designed specifically for that speaker. I'd check on ebay periodically to see if you can find a matching equalizer.

 

[Davemcc]

FWIW, my step-father has a set of 901s. Originally, he did not have the EQ. He stopped into a Bose store and they gave him the proper EQ free of charge. It sure wouldn't hurt if you could visit a showroom and try to score the same deal. Maybe they do that for all 901 owners...I don't know. The 901 are pretty useless without it so maybe they do that simply to maintain the brand's reputation (such as it is). Imagine if somebody's only experience with the 901s was sans EQ.

 

[markw]

I've seen this more often than you can imagine.

Imagine if somebody's only experience with the 901s was sans EQ.

More than once too. On some forum, someone will be bragging about how they got a set of 901's for free/cheap and hooked them up and how he was "blown away" with the great sound. Invariably, someone would ask about the equalizer and the kid would respond "what equalizer?" or some such.

....that flushing sound that followed was their reputation going down the drain.

 

[Warmonger]

More than once too. On some forum, someone will be bragging about how they got a set of 901's for free/cheap and hooked them up and how he was "blown away" with the great sound. Invariably, someone would ask about the equalizer and the kid would respond "what equalizer?" or some such.

....that flushing sound that followed was their reputation going down the drain.

I have tempered my enthusiasm over the years about how great any speaker sound because my own hearing isn't nearly as good at it was many years ago. I was 27 when I purchased my 901s II. I thought they were great speakers at that time. But even then, in addition to the Bose equalizer, I also used a sub and a SoundCraftsman 10 band equalizer in the system and that was on top of my Phase Linear 4000 preamp. I tuned the music to my liking. Someone else may have thought my system too bright or too heavy in the lower frequencies, but that didn't matter. The system was tuned to please me.

What surprises me now is almost everyone uses auto-tuning via Audyssey MultEQ XT to achieve a flat frequency response. Hell, my hearing drops off sharpely at the higher frequencies. Too many years on the Air Force flightline around Jet engines. I never read that anyone, after acheiving a near flat system response using Audyssey, then going further to tune a system to compensate for their own hearing deficit. Does anyone take into account deficiencies in their own hearing anymore? Our hearing degrades with age, so how much music are we missing because our systems are tuned merely to achieve a flat response. i haven't see anyone review or recommend the use of multi-channel, multiband equalizers for AV systtems.

Now, I'm thrilled with the theater experience given by my present AV system. However, when it comes to just audio I'm looking for the same sound experience I heard years ago. Audyssey MultEQ XT doesn't do that for me. That is why I'm building a separate and dedicated audio system, which will include equaliers to play my old LPs and CDs. I see professional AV reviewers present charts that show flatness in a system's frequency response, but I never see anyone account for the ability to tune to personal preference in AV equipment. Am I off base, what am I missing?