Bose 901 Set Up Troubles

[MeganFrancis]

We recently bought a home with four Bose 901 speakers mounted in each corner of a large bar area. We had no idea what we were doing and bought a receiver/amplifier combo Yamaha RX-V385 and then learned we needed the equalizer. We now have the correct equalizer and are trying to find the fix to be able to use the Yamaha. Any and all help is SO appreciated! Thank you!! 

PS - We are not music/tech pros, so specificity would be great!!

[Snoopy8]

 to the forum, and a long way from home.

 

We will help as much as possible but will need more information.  Please provide more details of the equaliser and if possible a link to where you found out that that this equaliser was required.

 

What is the source of music and how is it connected ?   Is it a CD player, are you streaming from your phone or something else?   Is  there a TV?  Please let us know your understanding of the various types of audio cables so that we can adjust our advice.

 

Do you need help connecting the RX-V385  with the speaker cables?   Just remember that each cable has a positive and negative side; there is should be some sort of mark eg. maybe some words to differentiate them. 

 

Sorry for so many questions...

[Darryl]

I haven't had any experience with 901s but will post a pic here of the rear of the Yamaha RX-V385 from the Yamaha web site as it might help others.

 

A quick Google of the Bose EQ shows that it connects into a tape loop on the amplifier, which the Yamaha doesn't have.

 

Someone else will be able to help I'm sure.

 

 

[frankn]

901 speakers are designed to use the Bose equaliser to produce a wide-bandwidth (room corrected) sound.

https://assets.bose.com/content/dam/Bose_DAM/Web/consumer_electronics/global/products/speakers/901_series4/pdf/owg_en_901_series4.pdf

https://www.bose.com.au/en_au/support/products/floorstanding_speakers_support/901_series4.html

 

Bose sold very well in the USA and as "M" is in the USA there are more likely to be a lot more Bose aficionados there... 

From the Bose website links :

To connect the 901 equalizer, a compatible receiver must have either a tape monitor loop or both preamp in and preamp out jacks. Alternatively, a separate preamplifier can be used in conjunction with a power amplifier to connect the equalizer. The following pages describe connecting the 901 equalizer with compatible components: 

 

[Frank Prowse Hi-Fi]

As already said, you need the Bose EQ for each pair of the 901s, as well as a tape loop on the AVR to allow them to connect.

Secondly, even if you had the required connectivity, that Yamaha would never drive a pair of 901s without underdriving them, never mind two pairs!

 

901 speakers are notoriously inefficient and the connectivity make them very difficult to connect to home theatre systems.

I would recommend putting this in the "too hard" basket instead of throwing more money at the solution (which would require a LOT more money to solve)

 

[THOMO]

Yes you would be best off with a stereo receiver or integrated amp with a tape loop  so you can hook up the equailiser and just using one pair.Something like a second hand Rotel  or NAD of around 60 watts per channel or more would be fine.

I am not convinced corner mounting is ideal  .901s tend to sound best placed along a long wall  on stands , shelves or hanging and away from the corners and about 300-400mm out from the wall.Like that they can sound very good in their own way and are very musically engaging.

 

 

[Snoopy8]

1 hour ago, Frank Prowse Hi-Fi said:

As already said, you need the Bose EQ for each pair of the 901s, as well as a tape loop on the AVR to allow them to connect.

Secondly, even if you had the required connectivity, that Yamaha would never drive a pair of 901s without underdriving them, never mind two pairs!

 

901 speakers are notoriously inefficient and the connectivity make them very difficult to connect to home theatre systems.

I would recommend putting this in the "too hard" basket instead of throwing more money at the solution (which would require a LOT more money to solve)

Do your want to take the lead with OP and explain? I happen to be the first to reply but did not know anything about the 901. Remember, she does not have an audio background.

[cwt]

8 hours ago, MeganFrancis said:

We recently bought a home with four Bose 901 speakers mounted in each corner of a large bar area. 

This sounds like an attempt at a quadrophonic setup Megan like this; 

 

https://obsoletemedia.org/sq-quadraphonic/

 

Sound processing has long eclipsed early quad systems like this . The 901's are best used as a 2ch system these days as the direct /reflecting nature of the driver design is meant to give ambience to the listener [and would not work well with competing reflections from another pair at all ]

 

The equaliser is necessary as the individual drivers are monopoles that need equalisation to get decent low frequency and high frequencies without drastic rolloff of those frequencies . If you want a modern multichannel system 4x 901's are incompatible with modern dsp codecs like dolby digital/truehd ; dts/hdma  that your Yamaha can handle  

If you are happy with the Yammy buy some L/R 's  a center channel and modern surround speakers . When the 901's were designed we didn't have lfe subwoofers and auto room eq ; these are a tad incompatible with the premise behind Bose direct/reflecting imho . You may well get a good price for some 901's - they are a classic design with a similar reflecting design like Allison once manufactured 

Edited June 25, 2019 by cwt

[Hydrology]

1 hour ago, Snoopy8 said:

Do your want to take the lead with OP and explain? I happen to be the first to reply but did not know anything about the 901. Remember, she does not have an audio background.

As mentioned probably the best advice (considering the OP admits to a lack of knowledge) would be to abandon the 901 speakers altogether, keep the Yamaha amp and buy some conventional speakers. As the OP is based in the US, contact SVS who will sell you suitable speakers with a 30 day money back guarantee.