This morning I was looking on the local craigslist and in the free area someone had a pair of bose speakers. free curb side pick up. i emailed them and asked them if they could set them to the side for me. it was a good half an hour drive to pick them up. They emailed me back and set them to the side. they also emailed me and asked if i wanted to buy the matching stands for 40 dollars. I broke down and bought them. they said at one time they had the eq but a friend said they could repair it for them and someone stoll it from their friends house. They look to be in good shape but when i removed the cloth the foam edges are all shot.
I am wondering if i am better off getting the cloth kit or the foam edge kit. i was look at http://www.simplyspeakers.com/2doityourself.htm and its 39.99 for the foam and 59.99 for the cloth. both have free shipping.
The speakers are almost spotless i see one little chip in the vineer on the edge of the one speaker but you dont see it unless you are looking for it. they are not all scrached up or anything.
I am wondering if i am better off getting the cloth kit or the foam edge kit. i was look at http://www.simplyspeakers.com/2doityourself.htm and its 39.99 for the foam and 59.99 for the cloth. both have free shipping.
The speakers are almost spotless i see one little chip in the vineer on the edge of the one speaker but you dont see it unless you are looking for it. they are not all scrached up or anything.
Free is good. How many screws hold in each driver? I believe the 3-screw drivers had foam surrounds and the 4-hole drivers used cloth.
Beware, Bose 901's are some of the most debated loved/hated speakers ever made. They are unique in their design but lack response out of the midrange. Some of the replies you will recieve may not share your entusiasm for repairing them.
I just finished two stands for a set of 901/VI to sit on. Each stand holds a Selenium 15" woofer so the absence of bass has been corrected. I may add a tweeter next but they are pretty enjoyable now as they are. Making sure how they are placed with regards to walls and/or other reflective surfaces is crucial to them sounding tolerable.
I'd always wanted to hear a pair of 901s just to see what the fuss was about, and because they really did look like a great concept if I wanted room-filling sound
Looking at the EQ curve are we able to ASSume a rough frequency response for the 901's? I've never found one, of course Bose never published one. I'm curious to see how high a tweeter could be crossed in and just how "Full Range" a 901 is. I was hoping to bring in a tweeter 1st order around 5k to 6k if possible.
I would get a cheap digital processor and a Panasonic electret mic, plus I would download ARTA measurement software demo. I would EQ for a flat but drooping house curve from both speakers playing together at listening position. 2kHz -2dB down from 200Hz. 10kHz -2dB down from 2kHz. That process will answer all questions for the raw 901 too.
they have the 3 screws and were foam. from what i am reading the cloth ones will work on the 901 IV speakers. they are to last a lot longer. is it worth paying the 20 dollars more for the cloth? they say they have the same flex as the foam surrounds and proform the same. I also found them on ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/LIFETIME-Cloth-...in_0?hash=item2ea593e8b6&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14 they are only 49.99 plus shipping so this is a better deal then the first web page i found. but they are a v roll and the other web page is a m roll http://www.simplyspeakers.com/2doityourself.htm
yesterday I picked up the 901 iv speakers and today I picked up a 2nd pair of bose speakers for free. off craigslist again. This time it's a pair of bose 4.2 stereo speakers. The foam surrounds look great but I think someone replaced them before. they look to of done a great job if they did. the date on the 4.2 speakers is 1985. I saw photos on ebay and they don't look like the stock foam edges on the woofers. they look mint. so do the woofers. the surrounds arent dried out and they are not to soft. I haven't tested them to see if they work. I will be doing that later. normaly I see something like this on craigslist and they are already gone.
Why both speakers playing together? This will introduce comb filtering between the two speakers which will effect your measurements. ( Although with so many drivers the 901s comb filter all over the place anyway, so with these particular speakers might not matter so much)
Nice that you found these for free. A worthwhile project if you ask me. While the direct/reflecting speakers are not the most accurate, they can be satisfying to listen to, just filling the space with music. IMO, an experience worth having just once in your life.
To find the correct tonal balance house curve for what you will be actually hearing from stereo, warts n' all. Developing speakers and setting up speakers is another fruit. 1/6 octave resolution is enough for that.
P.S. You can average listening window matrix measurements for individual channels as well, but I do not find much difference than say 4 stereo up down, left right, from ear height at listening position in practice.
I will have to hear them to see if i want to keep them or flip them. I always keep what sounds better to me and sell what I don't want. I also picked up two pair of AR speakers for free and both sets need new foam. I picked them up about a month ago but never took the time to order the foam. They are common sizes and I can order them from http://www.matelectronics.com for next to nothing. The only thing with ordering foam from them is you have to have a minimum order of 25 dollars. I wish they had the 4.5” size. The 4” size is only 80 cents each but they are to small. Heck even an 8” foam edge is only 99 cents. And a 10” is only one dollar and 49 cents. I normally order extra of sizes I use. This will be my first time refoaming a pair of Bose.
http://matelectronics.com/cgi-bin/s...aker___Accessories_208.html#aFER_2d4#aFER_2d4
If they started with foam, stick to foam. They're still going to last 20 years and you probably won't even own them then.
from what i am reading i need the active eq for the speakers. I was looking on ebay and one of the sellers says that the IV, V and VI have the same curve and any of those will work. then I saw another one that is for a 901 III and they say that one also works for the IV speakers. does anyone know what models can be used with the 901 IV speakers?
*Taken from another site*
Series I & II {1968 to 1976} are compatible when it comes to mix and matching speakers and E.Q.'s.
Series III & IV {1976 to 1983} are compatible.
Series V & VI {1983 to Present Day} are compatible.
Notice that compatibility for Bose 901's are in Series pairs...I & II...III & IV...V & VI. DO NOT deviate from these guidelines as the sound will be most incorrect and you will be most frustrated!
Series I & II {1968 to 1976} are compatible when it comes to mix and matching speakers and E.Q.'s.
Series III & IV {1976 to 1983} are compatible.
Series V & VI {1983 to Present Day} are compatible.
Notice that compatibility for Bose 901's are in Series pairs...I & II...III & IV...V & VI. DO NOT deviate from these guidelines as the sound will be most incorrect and you will be most frustrated!
Thank you Cal Weldon. I can use a seres III and IV. That helps a lot. I will have to keep my eye open for a cheap one. I don't want to spend a lot on a EQ.
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