Bose 901 VI Main / Stereo Speaker - Page 4 - Answered Questions & Fixed issues

The manual for the 901's is here.

http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/shop_online/speakers/stereo_speakers/901_speakers/index.jsp

For the purpose of this discussion the 901 active equalizer is the same as any Tape deck or audio processor. You could place the 901 Active Equalizer in the VCR or MD/Tape loops; or remove the Pre Out / Main In jumpers and place it there but that would you could never use headphones as they wouldn't sound right with 901 active equalization. See page 10 and 11.

The PS3 is just in audio device for this topic. Anything that has a headphone output can be adapted to feed an RCA cable pair for standard stereo to any audio device with a standard RCA input (except PHONO). Get a cable like the one described here:

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10218&cs_id=1021804&p_id=665&seq=1&format=2

and connect it into any available analog input EXCEPT "Phono". Turn the MP3 player volume up.

SAVE THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Crossing fingers) mine are 26 years old and still holding up. But I know where to find a nearly endless supply of them on eBay.

Search eBay for "bose 901 surrounds", check the 'include description' box.

Around $33 for both speakers.

http://www.retrevo.com/support/Sony-STR-SE491-Receivers-manual/id/390bh328/t/2/

You can't activate any Tape Loop on an AVR and still have multichannel sound. Tape Loops are 2-channel analog.

You want the 901's to be your Main Front speakers, right? The news is not good.

There will be some limitations because you can't extract a 'processed' Front L-R from this receiver. The following will give you good stereo and Front L-R from the 901's but it won't allow central volume control or send them any of the DSP effects you may select. Sorry. If it had a Front L-R Pre-Out you'd be good to go for all functions and listening modes.

You'll need a separate stereo amplifier WITH ITS OWN VOLUME CONTROL for the 901's to accommodate the need for the Active EQ. Modest amps would work but at very loud volumes may go into clipping, which is bad for any speaker. I'm using only 100W for mine and it has plenty of steam for the 901's.

With this receiver we have to cheat to get the Front L-R signal out to the 901's (but it's unprocessed and at a steady MAXIMUM volume level)...

For connection I would run a pair of RCA cables from the MD/Tape Audio Out L-R OUT jacks (*) to the Active EQ's Line IN; then the EQ's Line OUT to a separate amp's Line IN. Attach the 901's to the new amp.

* You

Hello,first off they are great,natural sounding speakers.They can handle quite a bit of power and if you like it loud you will need it,because they arent going to put out serious db until they get to approx 50 watt rms.I would look into recievers that put out a true 20-20khz 150 watts per channel.At that level you will have the power and headroom needed for almost any demand.Models and features vary ,but brand quality and durability rarely do. My favorite brands are,yamaha ,denon,marantz,onkyo and integra ..What they offer at about there 1200 dollar price point will be more than enough.

I have a setup similar to what I think you're trying to do and it works great!

You're in luck because you have a full complement of pre-outs. You'll need a separate amp for the 901's.

First some background.

The use of 901's Active EQ (or any external proxcessor) in any digital AV receiver setup for anything EXCEPT STEREO listening through the 901's alone requires you to have a separate amplifier for them and to avoid having to use a Tape Monitor which could introduce proprietary and potentially damaging Active Equalization back into anything in the AV Receiver with its conventional speakers.

In an AVR, if you activate any Tape Monitor circuit at all, you will kill any digital sources. That is a function of AV receivers in general, nothing to do with 901's. Your Pre-Outs get us around that possibility and limitation but it also means you need a moderately powerful amp for your 901's. I use a Carver MT-200.

Run it with the Active EQ between the receiver Front L and R Pre-Outputs ** and the 901's amp channels.

** Front Pre Out (or one of your analog Tape Outs) >>> Bose EQ Amplifer IN, then Bose EQ Amplier OUT >>> new amplifier IN.

The AV Receiver can still drive the Center, Surrounds and the Sub(s) as it is designed. This is how mine is wired.

Then set the new amp's volume control (if it has one, mine doesn't) to something HIGH and leave it alone. Run through your speaker setup routines on the AVR. After levels and distances are set the AVR will be the boss of the 901's. With 901's don't even need subwoofers but they don't hurt. If you do have subs I recommend sharing the LFE with the 901's.

I've done this in my own setup once. Turn the 901's around so the rear faces point into the listening area. Crank up a movie like Master and Commander and when the waves are crashing or cannon are firing you WILL FEEL A BREEZE from them. Now THAT is multi-media! I advise having the 901's share LFE with any subwoofers you might have.

http://www.retrevo.com/support/Harman-Kardon-AVR-230-Receivers-manual/id/386bh145/t/2/

First I would make sure that the speaker cable is not shorted.
Second I would make sure that the slpeaker itself is not shored.
You need to get some kind of ohm meeter to check this.

I can't finds anything about your previous experience with this problem.

Can you start over?

It says on the speakers they "requires dbx sfc-1a soundfield controller". Do you have that?

http://vintagedbx.free.fr/photos/sfc-1a.jpg

Yes.

http://worldwide.bose.com/productsupport/en_us/web/901_series6/page.html

Follow the instructions for hooking up the equalizer.

http://worldwide.bose.com/productsupport/en_us/web/901_series6/page.html

If your system is equipped with a tape monitor loop, you can switch the EQ out of the circuit by disengaging the tape monitor switch. If the EQ is connected to the pre-out / main-in jumper, you would have to defeat the EQ before you hook up a conventional speaker. I don't believe the EQ has a defeat switch - you'd have to rig a bypass.

Once defeated, if you have a system equipped with a Speaker A / Speaker B selector, the smaller speakers could hook up to the second system. If that's not possible, speaker switches are available for reasonable money. It is very important, though, that the 901 EQ i defeated when using conventional loudspeakers.

Had the same question, e-mailed Bose support and they suggested "# 10 woodscrew, 4.5 mm diameter".

Hi -

Sony CD player Red / White RCA - > CD input RCAs on the Arcam.

From the Arcam Preamp Output RCA's, go to the Bose "Input". From the Bose "Output", you need RCA splitters to make them into four outputs to run your amplifier connections.

If you get a second amp for the 901's you can have your cake and eat it in front of the TV too.

http://www.retrevo.com/support/Yamaha-RX-V850-Receivers-manual/id/320bh027/t/2/

Two solutions:

ONE: dedicated 901-RX-V850 stereo-analog-audio only:

If you want to have the Yamaha also support non-901's as the second set of Front Speakers, put the Active Eq in one of the three selectable Tape Loops. That way you can dial the 901 EQ out of the equation and select the 'normal' speakers for your Dolby Surround video experience.

Now imagine this:

TWO: 901's for the Front on a 100wpc stereo amp, your RX-V850 or a nice digital AVR driving center and rear, maybe 'normal' fronts, too

Get a nice 100wpc amp with its own volume control on eBay and slave it off the Yam. Remove the Front Pre-Main jumpers and place RCA Y-splitters in there so the pre-main connection out is maintained but shared with the Active EQ, which is in series with the 901's dedicated amp. Use the new amp's volume to match the 901's to everything else and you just have to turn it on or off to enjoy the 901's along with or instead of the 'normal' front speakers. You could even just disable them at the Yam.

Now for some boilerplate I created to get your creative juices flowing ij case you have a digital AVR in mind for the future:

Having a 901-based multichannel setup myself, I would highly recommend getting the Full Monte for video listening (below)...

In that case a separate stereo amp for the 901's would work. I run a Carver AV-406 (5-channel amp) for my 901's in Front, 2 Subwoofers and the Rear Surround channel, with the Active EQ between the receiver Front L&R Outputs and the 901's amp channels. My receiver controls everything and just drives the Center and Surround speakers.

You could get by with just a stereo amp for the 901's. A Carver M-200 is a good efficient amplifier that would have you cooking just fine (2x100W). Run it with the Active EQ between the receiver Front L&R Pre-Outputs ** and the 901's amp channels.

** Front Pre Out (or one of your analog Tape Outs) >>> Bose EQ Amplifer IN, then
Bose EQ Amplier OUT >>> new amplifier IN.

Then set the new amp's volume control (if it has one, mine doesn't) to something HIGH and run through your speaker setup routines on the Yamaha. After levels and distances are set the Yam will be the boss of the 901's. I recommend sharing or directing any LFE with them. With 901's don't even need subwoofers but they don't hurt.

I've done this in my own setup once. Turn the 901's around so the rear faces point into the listening area. Crank up Master and Commander and when the waves are crashing or cannon are firing you WILL FEEL A BREEZE from them. Now THAT is multi-media!

Found on Google Search: "bose 901 internal wiring" You must first identify which series you have. The first two series were acoustic suspension, and used nine 8 ohm drivers in a series/paralel configuration. Series III through VI used nine .9 ohm drivers all wired in series. Series III and IV had an additional terminal for use only with the Bose Spacial Control Receiver. Series III through VI are easy to identify, as there are three ports sticking out the back of each enclose. The 1st two series have no ports.

Yes, if they're all on the same 2 amplifier channels.

If you're pondering some kind of employement in a multichannel system look around fixya for the dozens of post I've made addressing various scenarios. Keyword: Bode 901

I've passed your question on to person (camino3x2) who posted a good article on eBay.

http://reviews.ebay.com/Bose-901-Speakers-A-primer_W0QQugidZ10000000001314034

If you're registered with eBay you could ask him any other questions.

I have series V's with brushed aluminum side panels. As you probably know, a 901 system also includes a series-matched Active Equalizer which must be used with it.

You want them to be your Main Front speakers, right? The news is not good.

There will be some limitations because you can't extract a 'processed' Front L-R from this receiver. The following will give you good stereo and Front L-R from the 901's but it won't allow central volume control or send them any of the DSP effects you may select. Sorry. If it had a Front L-R Pre-Out you'd be good to go for all functions and listening modes.

You'll need a separate stereo amplifier WITH ITS OWN VOLUME CONTROL for the 901's to accommodate the need for the Active EQ. Modest amps would work but at very loud volumes may go into clipping, which is bad for any speaker. I'm using only 100W for mine and it has plenty of steam for the 901's.

With this receiver we have to cheat to get the Front L-R signal out to the 901's (but it's unprocessed and at a steady MAXIMUM volume level)...

For connection I would run a pair of RCA cables from the VCR/DVR Audio Out L-R OUT jacks (*) to the Active EQ's Line IN; then the EQ's Line OUT to a separate amp's Line IN. Attach the 901's to the new amp.

* You'll lose the ability to use these jacks for anything else, but few of us use them anyway. DO NOT select this function for monitoring or you lose all audio in the VSX.

Why not look up Bose on the net and email them the question directly.

Bose makes terrific car radios, table top radios, and many types of very good sounding speaker systems.

Jerry G.

For stereo only, anything pushing a good 100 watts (for real). I use a Carver MT-200.

If you want to use it in a mulitchannel home theatre setup you'll have to have a dedicated amp for it in addition to an AVR for the other channels and control.

Look around Fixya for the dozens of posts I've made in this area. One of them should work for you.

The presence of 1/4" TRS balanced phone jacks instead of RCA inputs is a problem; and the 1/4" TRS speaker output jacks, too. You'll need to acquire cables with compatible ends.

The amp can handle 4-ohm loads so running two 901's parallel on each channel would theoretically work, but I'd put them in series just to keep from presenting too low a load when you get cranking. At 230 wpc you've got the juice. From Series 4 on the 901's are very efficient.

The Tape Deck will attach conventionally to the Tape Loop on the Active Equalizer.

Once you get the physical wiring compatibility issues worked out:

Patch the Active EQ directly between any source you may be using (Amp In from the Pre-Out of the source, Amp Out to the Peavey input).

You can record the external source onto the attached Tape Deck and you can monitor it by pressing the Tape switch on the 901 EQ.

Start out at low volume and see how it works before turning it loose.

Since tha Active EQ is designed for use ONLY with the 901's you'll need a separate power amp to drive them in a multichannel environment. I'd get something like a Carver M-200 (2x100 watts) or larger. That's what I use.

This receiver makes it easy for you.

This is exactly how mine are connected.

Run a pair of RCA cables from the Front L&R PRE OUT to the Active EQ's Line IN; then the EQ's Line OUT to a separate amp's Line IN. Attach the 901's to the new amp, run through the receiver's setup procedures for volume, etc and you're done.