I Was Wrong About the Bose 301 IV 

▶ Bose 301 IV on Amazon: amzn.to/3k3JLlV ▶ SVS Prime Bookshelf from SVS: bit.ly/SVS-Prime-Bookshelf ▶ SVS Prime Bookshelf on Amazon: bit.ly/SVSPrimeBookshelf My Speaker Leaderboard: bit.ly/SpeakerLeaderboard My Subwoofer Leaderboard: bit.ly/subwooferleaderboard My Headphone Leaderboard: bit.ly/headphoneleaderboard

Takes a real man to admit his mistakes. Go Joe!

I’ve had my pair of Bose 301 IVs since the late 90s. Ive used them as stereo listening in my bedroom, beaten the hell out of them at house parties with DJ setups, and now currently they’re my DJ monitors for my bedroom setup. Still sound great after all these years.

Great job, I bought my 301 series 3 brand new about 30 years ago and still love them!!

This makes so much more sense. I have a set of 301's in my home gym and they don't sound muddy at all.

I think you have discover a new platform for audiophile community. This is much fun. To be able to learn and discuss. I have learned so much from this channel. Really this is a new platform that I really enjoy. Keep up the good work.

I am a musician (pianist) since I was 7 years old. So, I am so happy I didn’t become audiophile, but yes I am musicphilie and harmonyphilie.

As an apparent 'non-audiophile', I have enjoyed my 301s (Gen.?) since 2001.

Out of these two I‘d chose the Bose any day for the wider sound stage alone. I hate being forced into a narrow sweet spot - that‘s one of the biggest strengths of my HomePod IMO - it has great sound from any angle! I think it‘s right for Bose to focus on more mainstream needs. And it‘s also great that there are ”audiophile“ companies that make speakers for classic audiophiles who prefer to sit in a sweet spot to get the most neutral sound. Buy whatever fits your needs.

I have to say that the 301s surprised me quite a lot Also in this video I like their big sound stage and the bass of them Of course they are nowhere near a real hifi speaker and I’d still probably choose the SVS over them if I could only pick one but they are very good for modern music and just the average speaker buyer I own a pair of 301 II myself and I always take them out for parties as they seem to survive everything and get very very loud with good kick bass performance Nice video as well, it’s no problem to make mistakes if you correct yourself with a video like this

I like your style of reviewing, measurement data and actual listening data, most channels just talk and show nothing

My 301's have lasted for years because they're just so good at being all-around workers shoved into lousy rooms, in lousy places, and used for music-video-gaming. Lately I've been using early 90's tower speakers to get that authentic 80's/90's sound. I'm a believer in matching music to the speakers of their era.

Hey Joe: again great video. My anecdote is that in the early 80's the Bose 301 were the go to speakers of the young aspiring audiophiles. At that time, the 901's were about the ultimate speakers. Other brands in the entry level market were Advent, Sony, Realistic (Radio Shack), klipsh and Technics. Dome tweeters were not as common as they are now until the late 80's with Polk Audio SDA's and RTA's (at least in our market). But none of us would has entered the audio enthusiasts if it weren't for the 301's and 201's. I even had 2 subs made to place underneath using a passive Cerwin Vega cross over. Increased power handling and much more base.

I have a pair of these that were on my bar in my house for 20 years before I took them down and put them in the correct position. For the 1st time, I heard the greatest surround (?) type of sound. It changed my mind on them for sure. So no more bar duty. Welcome to the master bedroom TV and music at night duty!

Yes my friend ! Bose are designes to be mounted on especific angles, when i bought my 301 v . I red the directions and Bose recomends to Locate the speakers in certain angle so you can really apréciate the sorround effect. So happy with them and sound really nice

Wow, huge difference from the clips in your "Secret" vid (nice analysis btw). I was stunned to hear how weak the 301s sounded in that first run through. My impression totally flipped around hearing this side by side with the adjustment to the speaker placement and mic direction, thanks for this

BIG difference for sure and the Bose actually sound pretty decent here. I'm just like you... I can't STAND being wrong, but you weren't technically wrong.... your methods were flawed. :) Not that you were wrong about being wrong... ;) LOL

Have a pair. Bose 301s. Have had them for 2o years. Nabbed at yard sale. But I also have four other pair. Bose 901s and pioneer HPM 100 and klipsch towers. When I moved south for the winter I took the little Bose 301s along because they were handy and smallish relative to others ….. I paired those speakers to a lovely vintage marantz receiver and BAM. They are now my favorite …. At least at low volume in a smaller carpeted room. I was wrong too. I had no idea …. Even after owning them 2o years just what they could do paired with good electricity . You can listen to these for a Long time without getting sick of them

This channel is becoming my go to for learning about audio basics. I really like how this material gets presented without any of that "i'm the big expert" attitude.

I'm not a Bose fan boy, but they are not as bad as people think. Honestly, if they improve the quality of the speaker material, it may help the sound. The tweeters look like older paper cones and the woofer not much better.

When it came to vocals the SVS won hands down. The female vocals on the Bose sounded grainy. The jazz piano I really couldn't hear a difference, same with the Guitar. Where I heard the largest difference was the first sample, the midrange seemed to pop out and smack me in the face with the SVS. The Bose seemed more mellow, but overall, the SVS won out in 3/4 of the samples.

WHOA. The gap really closed up. Bose can compete with the SVS. Good show.

You are a stand up guy thanks for your honesty and your review..

I have my 301's in the garage and I like the way they fill the space. The sound quality doesn't drop off much as I move about working on projects.

SVS are still the clear winner, that details in the mids and the controled/neutral sound it offers reveal a lot more than the v-shaped Bose that shows only bass and treble. Bose has impressive design and engineering behind their products, but because they want to "normalized" a sound that is easy to listen for most people and combine it with their ease of use, their price can't be justified only by SQ.

Off axis makes perfect sense as so few of us have a perfectly shaped listening environment

What I'm doing is probably totally "wrong" but I love the way it sounds. I have my 301's reversed (left/right), mounted near the ceiling on computer monitor arms, angled slightly down and in (which angles the full range in, and the tweeters on the outside, facing nearly forward), paired with an inexpensive powered subwoofer. The whole room sounds really good to me for such an inexpensive set of speakers.

Admitting where you're wrong is true authenticity. there's nothing more valuable, to you and to us. we all get a chance to learn from your humanity. THANKS for having the Courage required to be vulnerable and transparent with us. that's real masculinity.

Bose feel like a live music. Bose is different, for me is difficult to compare a direct/reflecting system with a direct system. I have a 301V and is very important the distances from the walls (rear and side walls), for two reasons, 1.- bass reflex 2.- reflecting tweeter. Probably in this test the reflecting tweeter is not recognised from the microphone, or not enough. The SVS speakers sounds very good but for me the high freq. are little bit bother. Thank you for the videos!

I had a pair of the Prime bookshelves and I always felt they were thin, and quite frankly harsh. I would fatigue pretty quickly on normal volume levels and would actually wince with loud levels. I'm glad I sold them.

They are really very different speakers. The SVS is oriented towards being a monitor with an analytical presentation, whereas the Bose has a more warm, exciting sound and is meant to fill a room with music. I use Bose 301's for music and home theater (I just use a 2.1 setup with a Yamaha receiver) and I like the fiber cone woofer and twiddler design (instead of a conventional tweeter). I don't even really need a subwoofer with them as they provide plenty of bass when placed near a wall.

Bose 301s first hit the market in the early 70s and have really only changed in cabinet appearance since then. The use of paper cones in the woofer and tweeters give the speakers a more natural acoustic sound. Back then speakers were categorized as east coast (usually acoustic suspension) such as Advent, AR; and west coast (usually bass reflex) such as JBL. East coast speakers were generally more accurate but subdued while west coast speakers were brighter with accentuated upper bass. Bose kind of split the difference with its own sound maintaining the warmer east coast sound while using the room's acoustics to open it up. Then, as now, their sound was the source of disagreement among listeners. Back then it was not unusual to have a get-together at which the only source of entertainment was listening to music. Taste in music and speaker performance was often influenced by what the listener was drinking and/or smoking. I've owned two pairs of 301's--The original which I bought in the mid 70s and the Sonata 25th anniversary edition that I bought in 1998, I've always found them to be pleasant to listen to. As you say, they need to be set up right to sound right. As a senior, it's nice to find a younger person who actually cares how a speaker sounds. Keep up the good work.

I worked in home/car audio in the mid 90s, and the 201/301 were the only bose products I could sell with a clear conscience. FOR THE TIME, they were decent. They're not critical listening speakers, but they presented a "big sound", and were flexible to room placement. And NO ONE that's under SAF can place speakers where they need to be. Anything by Henry Kloss sounded better. But they had a smaller listening spot and required proper placement. Bose was sloppy and sounded big. And for those what wanted big, they were a good fit.

I like the sounds of Bose 301......with bass ambient that makes music pleasant to hear.

Okay, there are a lot of incorrect point being made. Bose designs speakers to have what is called a flat power response. The power response is the average frequency response of the speaker at many different listening angles. You need to measure the speaker at 0, 30, 60 degrees off axis to approximate the power response of the speaker. Designing a speaker for a flat power response excites the room uniformly and improves the musical perception of the speaker. Audiophiles that have heard open baffle dipolar speakers by linkwitz lab will understand what I’m referring to. I’d say you could use the polar response but that does not provide a summation of different “response”, instead it does provide the dispersion pattern of the speaker at different frequencies.

Nice to see the positive on Bose. What is not really addressed is a real home environment: different floors, walls, ceilings, rugs, furniture, etc, and where the listener is placed. The music is a big player, too. Some sounds better on one speaker system, others, not so much. Comparing different music in home environment, with different listening spots, all affects the quality of the sound. So, of course, many different opinions. Thanks.

Joe on the "I Was Wrong About the Bose 301 IV" video most speaker cloth is clear from a sonic perspective. The grill cloth is made to be left on it is a special weave so not just any cloth or foam will work.

Vocals come alive on the SVS. The Bose sound stage is fairly beefy sounding with the boosted low end response. Like many speakers, I still think it comes down to the source being played. Is it pop, instrumental, electronic? The Bose win the "party" contest in my opinion, but the SVS seems to take the cake when it comes to tightness and clarity. That being said, the guitar in the last track sounded very natural to me on the Bose. I was surprised by that.

I have a bose 301 series II and using them as my rear speakers. For old speakers they sound so good

Way to come back and make the corrections. I like that table top arcade, I’m looking to get one myself.

As a musician and an audio enthusiast after listening to these the SVS sounded much better and it wasn't even close.

Bose did make some good sounding speakers back in the day although I would have to go with svs I see what bose was trying to do by making the 301 more bass heavy to eliminate the need for more speakers or even a subwoofer. But when it comes down to it all speakers have there limits on what they can do no matter if u have floor speakers or bookshelf to get the deep down bass u will want to use a subwoofer just my opinion great video

While I'll never get a Bose product. (Maybe their noise canceling headphones, I hear they are great) I can see why people like them. I took another pair of speakers, sat them on top of my main speakers, and fired it the opposite direction to the mains. While it's not an exact comparison, It did things to my brain and I liked it. But at the end of the day it's not what I really enjoy as it was too unfocused for my taste long term, but I can see that those Bose 301 do something similar and how people might like it. Great video. Sometimes you have to look at things differently than the way you know. These aren't directed to most audio enthusiasts who have speakers like SVS and whatnot, so you can't really compare them the same way. They both are speakers, but throw the sound out in different ways, to do different things.

A friend had a set of those Bose speakers and they sounded pretty good. No sub needed. Produces enough bass by itself. But I felt the highs weren’t the best. I’m a fan of klipsch in wall speakers. I really enjoy the brightness of the horns. But I will my admit my klipsch in walls aren’t the best for music. I do have a 15” klipsch powered sub and the two go together well. But there’s something about those bose 301 speakers

I miss a definition of what "level matched" actually means! At a specific frequency? Total dissipated power? Weighed for what (human ear, presumably)? And so on. It's not as simple as it might appear. Also, the microphone used to record the speakers won't pick up the sound in the same way as a human head+ears.

I sold audio gear (including Bose) for over ten years. We all knew we were not supposed to toe-in the 301's and we never did. Not once in ten years, however, did I have a customer say they thought the Bose speakers we sold sounded better than brands such as Boston Acoustics, KEF, NHT, M&K, and Monitor Audio after comparison listening (though MANY came in the store convinced through Bose marketing that Bose was the very best) -- and this was in spite of our strictly following Bose guidelines for demonstrating their products. The Bose speakers sold well, however, at stores such as Circuit City and (then) Best Buy (who has improved their product selection since that time). All of the salesmen I knew disliked the sound of the Bose speakers, even though they conceded they did have something of the "stereo everywhere" effect their representatives touted so highly. If one is ONLY seeking the novelty of a wider sweet spot they should choose Bose, but if they are seeking higher fidelity and greater listening enjoyment they should choose almost any other brand in the same price range or above (and some brands priced lower). Personally, I would rank Bose below Dayton and Monoprice (and both of those brands cost a fraction of what Bose charges).

It's interesting......my wife and I have two Bose systems, and I've deep dived into audio over the years. We've had paradigm 7SE, Rogers LS7 driven by a few amps.....granted there was outstanding sound at times, the Bose is what I'd call non fatiguing. Super accurate?....no......but the sound signature that gives you less treble in some recording also protects you from others. I've found some speakers to sound shrill at times when you're subject to ultra crisp high reaching treble.

I bought my first pair of speakers while I was in the US Army back in the 70's. They were a pair of Bose 301's. I thought they sounded great at the time. A few years later I picked up a pair of Bose 501's and enjoyed the slightly deeper bass due to the larger 10" woofers. I ended up buying two more pairs of 301's until I realized that the foam speaker surrounds had disintegrated on the original 301 and 501 pairs. I bought a repair kit and replaced the foam surrounds, but then moved on to Definitive Technology BP2002 powered towers, which blow away the Bose any day of the week. I recently bought a small Blue Tooth amplifier and brought out the old 501's and use them in my bedroom now. They still have that Bose sound, which after all these years, isn't so bad after all.

Haven't heard 301's since the early '90s. Probably the 301 Version II, which I thought was respectable in doing exactly that, eliminating the sweet spot and throwing out a decent stereo everywhere sound. One of their better speakers, period for this since you can actually put these on a bookshelf and still get something from them. Better for background listening than the audiophile critical mania. But, let's be honest, a lot of us have the music on as we work or surf the net, etc. And it's quite pleasant. Example, I recently upgraded from Micca MB42Xs as my desktop speaker to some REALLY old school, Pinnacle PN5+ bookies. Back in the late '80s early '90s these little guys took NY by storm for the fact that they sounded so BIG for such a small speaker (yeah they are bigger than Miccas, have a 5" driver, but they're running that near ubiquitous Audax polycarbonate tweeter from that time-which, images far better than it should. You find it on B.A. A40s, Baby Advents, Pinnacles, DCM CX series, etc.-it was everywhere. I believe even some smaller Infinities housed this tweeter. It could get a little taxing sometimes, but well implemented it was not bad! The Pinnacles blow out the smaller Miccas in the appearance of lower bass! It may be illusory or not, they claim a low end of 50Hz? For their size they are very hard to beat for computer, easy listening!

Regarding Bose I can only recount an experience I had a few years ago. I had time to kill so I set foot in a Bose store in Orange County, CA. I was greeted by the manager and I told him that I was looking for a pair of speakers to use as rears in a, primarily, 2 channel system. He asked what equipment comprised my current system and, when I told him, he said "we're not going to have anything you'll like." I told him it was just to use as rears and he said "yea... not even as rears." At least he was honest.

I friend of mine just gave me a set of Bose 301 MK4 to try out. I had MK1 way back when..Im 65 as of this past Saturday..Glad I found your channel..Im looking for to the new generation MK4 lol

I thank you for your honest re-assessment. I've heard the 301's but never owned them. I think Bose has been faithful to their target audience and created products, speakers, headphones, and entertainment consoles that give enjoyment and can be used in an everyday setting. Audiophiles tend to want to squeeze the last nuance from a recording and often sit in the "sweet spot" focused on the music sometimes in a clinical way. Bose on the other hand is an invite your friends over or do something around the room because there isn't a single sweet spot. It could be argued the 901's were the party speaker. They could take huge amounts of power and the sound was everywhere. Audiophiles or sound purists would almost by reflex take issue with that statement. Thanks again for your time in reviewing these speakers.

The Bose sound tighter for sure. Thanks for updating that video because I had Bose Speakers in the 90’s and they banged the party always. The SVS sound really good in some areas but the BOSE brings the sounds closer. I’m getting a pair ASAP.

i have301s and 201s setup in a surround sound, they rock.

If you use omnidirectional microphone you can point the mic towards the ceiling and capture the direct reflect.

To me, the 301s sound more like stage speakers, which isn't a bad thing considering Dr. Bose's goal was emulating live sound. I'm still a fan of Klipsch, but I wouldn't turn my nose up at any of the non-jewel-cube Bose speakers.

The BOSE 301s have more depth to their mid highs. Listened to your video with my series II BOSE 301s. Wood cabinet 301s have a smoother bass response and zero resonance.

Funny how the sounds is been cut off in the part of the "The jazz and piano, 12m02s till 13m16s", I listens to this demo thru my Sennheiser HD 650 Audiophile Open Dynamic Headphones, the difference between the Bose 301 and the SVS bookshelf is big, even with the adjustend mic settings. And just because Bose choose the be for the none audiophile, it is not my choice of sound system. Clearity on sounds is key, you can't cut on corners there. But good to see you correct the mistakes and be honost about it.. that alone gives the respect.

It happens man... I was wrong once, when i thought i was wrong but i was actually right all along

I am an audiophile and yet NOT a Bose hater like so many are. To me the key weakness of the 301 is how they have a tough time with complex passages and get "muddy" in the midrange and treble. The Series IV and newer improved that, with the very popular Series II (and III) being worse at this. To the average listener, there is nothing wrong with Bose. The bass is there and deep enough. The treble is there too. They lack detail but are forgiving of lower grade electronics. To me their key weakness is when a person spends the time to set them up right and knows what they are doing - ultimately the Bose is more limited to how good the sound can be vs. better grade speakers.

I'ts the lack of a "sweet spot" (or is it a bigger sweet spot..??) that make Bose ideal in my situation, (a 10' x 12' room with a door in the corner)) none of the speakers can be properly placed and my seating position is all wrong too, I'm sorry audiophiles but my Bose setup works really really well..!! I do get why people hate them though, I can't help wondering what they'd sound like with some decent parts inside..... (pasted from the last video) "I have identical 301's & 201's along with a VCS-10 centre speaker in a home theatre setup. It's in a small and very cluttered room where it's impossible to place speakers in "Ideal" positions and they work really well. I could replace them with better sounding and cheaper units, all I'd have to do is throw out 50% of my furniture and move the left front when I use the door..!!"

Hi, Joe. Thanks for this second video. My conclusion is the Boses win when it comes to unreal, synthetic sounds (there is no point of reference in the real world, and sound more "euphonic"). When natural sounds come into scene, the SVS are by far the winners, specially in the voice of the singer and in the piano jazz piece (here, nevertheless, there is a clear lack of presence of the double bass, wich the Boses reproduce with authority). Finally (and you can easily check it), its a pity that the acoustic guitar tracks have the channels in opposition of phase, making the comparison quite unvalid. Anyway, thanks a lot for your honesty and your efforts. You're a RU-vid crack, my friend!

I have bought and sold two pairs of the latter 301’s bought a third pair for many great reasons...they’re amazing...I also have a pair of Klipsch Forte ii’s with upgraded caps and titanium diaphragm tweeters...but at the price of the 301’s...YOU CAN NOT BEAT THEM!

Great video. I love it when someone is a straight shooter - Joe, you're more interested in presenting correct info than you are looking good or being right. Major props.

Never owned SVS... but the sound is slightly but noticeably cleaner, crisper, and louder.

Bose sounds balanced high and lows...SVS high on bass...but misses the sharpness....to me bose sounds great as I am getting all the levels balanced...

Good review. . . .I use BOSE 301's as surround sound in a Dolby Atmos system based on an ONKYO reference series receiver. . fronted by JBL Pro Reference speakers and center channel and a KLIPSCH gold reference series subwoofer. . it sounds great.

I have a Pioneer SX-650 driving four 301's positioned in 4 top corners of a larger rectangular room. I've been pushing regular standard directional speakers over the years, but I could suggest, even with just two 301's, the others seem to lack the "everywhere" sound the reflectives provide. For projection speakers I position myself to hear their premium projections respectively, and yes, they sounded more optimal than 301's. Self analyzing sound using quality music is one thing, but I test also by listening to DVD movies, LP's, streamed movies, even RU-vid i.e. crappy PC sources...and ask myself, "will my irritated by anything discerning friends or family tolerate this noise? Does it feel good to them a.k.a. the General Population with just a flip of the switch and a spin on the volume? FWIW, either the 301x2 or 301x4, most laymen prefer the 301 setup. I believe it's more "encompassing". as if it comes from nowhere and yet is everywhere. I do have to employ a software equalizer on the Mac for the streaming sources. Audibly, we are able to easily make out the "actors voices" and enjoy the soundtrack and effects without feeling muddy or mixed with other sounds, yet still sound huge. Voices are heard clearly as is the the brushing of an eyelash in a thunderstorm from anywhere in the room, including leaving the room, such as going to the kitchen or bathroom. Nor is there the often irritating booming woofer sound coming out of the voices that I get with home theater wiring and box kits. The wall reflection (its designed for) seems to work - to the normal ears. The ears of the listeners that don't know the difference between a songbird or a truck horn. Another test is the vacuum test. With the 301 setup, I can actually clearly hear a movie or a song just the same even whilst vacuuming. I am always amazed by this and laugh tauntingly at the vacuum as it blares its unworldly screech at me and the cat. I don't miss a single lyric. Hmm, maybe I should test with a leaf blower. I simply like the everywhere sound that reflection speakers fill. Perhaps they don't sound as well as the Primes "technically", but the Primes don't hold up when it comes to working in an industrial environment like as in my house. Just my experience in one room. I like what the Bose's do for the price, because I can find them at bargains used as everyone sets them out on the curb free for the taking. Heck maybe I'll go 301x8, 4 corners top and floors --- so it sounds 8 times worse than everything else.

the new reviewing standard

The Bose is good in terms of reflect sound to create an artifical surround; but SVS is more accurate and detailed with more groove. I would go with SVS still.

I made that mistake with the gemstone speakers for my 321 system. I tilted them in and it just didnt sound right. So after some research I found out also that you dont do that. Point them straight because the 2 speakers in each one are already on an angle in a V shape. Made a noticeable difference. Sounds pretty good without spending tons of cash.

Well done. It’s just a theory but Bose’s target audience is more likely to listen to their music as an accompaniment to their activities. This would likely be done at lower levels and not in a specific listening spot. In that case the bump in bass and treble would compensate for the human ear’s reduced response at those frequencies. And the direct/reflecting design might contribute to a pleasing sound wherever in the room. It’s actually pretty smart if you ask me. I can see why then the audiophile would shun these for dedicated listening sessions. The problem there is that’s not necessarily good advice for non-audiophiles who still want to enjoy their music.

I have 4 each of the Bose 401s and the AM5 set. I've had these for over 30 years and they still work fine. The 401s lack the highs and are hard to drive (4 ohm speakers). The AM5s are OK but have been surpassed by many bookshelf speakers today. I enjoyed them in their day and have lugged them around for years. I still have them, but no longer use them. If nothing else, they are durable. I did really want the Bose 901s after I heard a demo in 1968 (in Hong Kong), but just couldn't justify spending the huge price premium demanded to own then. They did sound spectacular, but I had nothing to compare them to. I eventually bought the Pioneer CS63 DXs, which were great speakers at that time. I ended up blowing out one of the woofers on that set, so I no longer have them. In listening to your audio samples, both in the first review and the amended version, the Bose 301s sound muted and lack detail. This is especially evident when compared to the SVS speaker system. I recently purchased the Wharfedale Diamond 12.2 speakers and the Q Acoustics 3030i and have set them up as A and B speaker zones with all speakers playing together. I would appreciate a review of the Diamond 12.2 speakers. You have the Diamond 12.1s rated highly, but I'm curious about your opinion of the more recent version. The Wharfedales sound laid back to me and not as dynamic as the 3030i speakers, but the combo is just amazing. I have the Wharfedales closer to the center and the 3030is on the sides in a stereo setup. I have a wall of sound that surrounds me in a semi-circle. The lively 3030i speakers compensate for the laid back sound of the Diamond 12.2s and the result (lively but full sound) is really pleasing to the ear. I won't be purchasing any Bose speakers in the future, especially after hearing how they sound in comparison to the speakers of today. They do make good headphones but there are so many good headphones today so I don't believe I'll be buying any made by Bose. They are still too pricey nowadays.

First time i listened to some bose 302 was around 1992/93, i was in my girlfriends house and her dad put a enigma cd on and the base was fantastic, i was hooked on hifi after that, i was only 16 or 17 years old, i chased that warm base sound and had many speakers which didn't come close, i had to settle for the b&w 603 series 1. They were better in every way, but i could not believe the sound the bose speakers produced, i don't no how the later models of these speakers compare to the bose series 2, but the bose series 2 were great.

one think to note is that the room is playing and important part in how the speakers sound as well.

Nice bro, but Bose 301 sound better in my opinion. Thanks nice video bring such more sound related video.

You weren't wrong - just a mistake. LOL! What a difference! Hated the Bose in first video but sound about equal now!

The glaring problem here is marketing. In the 1990's, Bose spent a TON of money on telling everyone how amazing they were, and charging a premium for it. The reality is, there are a lot of companies who make premium products that outperform the purposely scooped soundstage that Bose brings at the front end. If you want scooped EQ out of the box, Bose might be your thing. If you want accuracy and tightness that you can EQ later out of reasons for pureness and honesty, I can think of 20 better options, some of them at half the price.

You got it wrong even the second time, you're supposed to be close to side walls and back walls for the tweeter reflections to actually come back to you.

I guess when psychoacoustics plays a role, binaural recordings are must. Bose definitely make the most impression when audition in real life.

My first venture into home audio like many was Bose way back in the early 90's. I've come full circle and actually own the Bose Soundtouch 300 soundbar and matching sub for my living room. I really enjoy this combo for what it is and the simplicity of it and so does my family. Oh, and I was able to get both for $399/ea during last years black Friday sale at the local military PX. They will never replace my Buchardt s400 system in the basement but they were never intended too.

That's awesome, Joe. Later the day of the other video, I was thinking "hey, the tweeters on those Bose weren't really measured properly." I thought that, if you put the mic in front of the speakers, the mics would miss a lot of the tweets. Anyway, I know how they sound, I've owned...well I own them now. lol I still prefer even the little Pioneers to these, and please, you owe it to yourself to try the Series V Bose 201....I have not yet heard a better sounding Bose speaker! :D Good Video Joe!!!

ENG: I have 3 pairs of Bose 301s (two series III, one series IV), I also have an Infinity Reference Three pair (3 Ways, woofer of the same size Bose 301), I have done many tests with the same music, same volume; In all the tests Bose has a better response in low frequencies, which are also quite noticeable and stand out, especially under 50Hz, its mids and highs are opaque or do not perceive much like other speakers; That is why I use them in conjunction with an Infinity Reference One in one audio set, and in the other audio set with Fluance SX6W, both additional pairs, have and are better (and more perceived) the mid and high frequencies, so I have better covered the sound spectrum ... ESP: Tengo 3 pares Bose 301 (dos serie III, uno serie IV), también tengo un par Infinity Reference Three (3 Ways, woofer del mismo tamaño Bose 301), he realizado muchas pruebas con la misma música, mismo volumen; en todas las pruebas Bose tiene mejor respuesta en frecuencias graves, que además son bastante notorios y se destacan, especialmente bajo los 50Hz, sus medios y agudos son opacos o no perciben mucho como otros altavoces; es por eso que los uso en conjunto con unos Infinity Reference One en un conjunto de audio, y en el otro conjunto de audio con Fluance SX6W, ambos pares adicionales, tienen y son mejores (y se perciben más) las frecuencias medias y agudas, así tengo mejor cubierto el espectro de sonido...

“Buyers are not audiophiles”: Most of the homes I visit with Bose stereo speakers are using them for ambient music; especially the little Wave Radio. That little box will fill a large home with very nice mid-range voices and lead instruments. It’s not for critical listening; just entertainment. Although, the 901’s are pretty good, with a surprising amount of bass detail.

Another thing is that you have to consider when measuring SPL, is at which frequency band that you are testing. Speakers are not flat and like you have said in your test, the Bose sound signature has the bass in the 100 Hz to 200 Hz boosted. So If you are leveling at the bass region, because that is where most of the energy is, then the highs will be off. Our hearing is unlike a microphone, and is less sensitive to the lower frequency range, so what is flat to a microphone is not flat to our ears. To make it even more complex, most of our hearing abilities are different, so what sounds good to me does not necessary sound good to another person. So I commend you for including a sound clip in your review. An audiophile's criteria is also different to the average music listener, they want the 3D sound stage, imaging, transparency, accuracy in sound reproduction, to hear the micro detail in the recording and emotive reproduction of the music. One of Bose's design criteria is to create a big sound stage and they have achieved that through the direct/reflecting principle which audiophiles claim that it is not real because it was not accurate to the recording. But if you want to be pedantic, adding reverb to a recording is also not real, but it make things like vocal sound better. The other reason why a lot of people like Bose, is its high SAF. It fits into most homes, does not require room treatment or have to be placed 5 feet from the from walls. Is it the best sound for your money? I would say no, but if you can get them at a discount, then it is well worth getting a pair just for its unique sound signature. I believe the 301 Series V are going to be the last ones going to be made and production has either stopped or is about to be terminated. So sometimes it is just good to have a piece of American memorabilia and I will not sell my 901 Series IV which I bought back in the early 80's

I'm glad that you researched the Bose.. However, you can test both speakers in a larger room and put you measuring equipment in the center of the room and at the opposite side of the room and show the results.. This would be a more versatile and more accurate test.

Bose pre equalize their speakers too. As long as you are aware go for it. I am a Crown/JBL person myself, totally different sound setup that Bose does not even compete with. No Bose in big shows or stadium type setups.

A lot of people say you can get better sound for less money than Bose and that's true in some cases but the Bose speakers can take a lot more punishment (high volume over longer periods) and not lose their composure where the less expensive speakers will start to distort and get muddy at higher volumes.

I’ve had my bose Cinamate since 2012 and coming as a studio musician I’ve learned that for my Bose setup it’s all about where the speakers sit. Currently my base module is horizontal towards the back of the living room because that is where I have found the Bose system is most leveled in my room. The same way you would set up a microphone to record to get the sound you are looking for.

I have always liked Bose's sound. I received a set of Bose computer speakers as a gift and already had a set of Polk audio computer speakers. The Polk speakers stayed. My Bose surround sound system in my basement is great. I have a friend with a home theater that has a professionally installed system. I personally like the sound of my system. Human ears hear what they hear. Different ages and hearing make a difference in what is pleasing to different people. I like Bose. Call it inferior, use sound gauges to show me what I'm missing it doesn't matter. If in the future my speakers aren't sounding good to me, I will replace them with something that does.

Bro I’m am subscribed as of today ! A real man knows how make things right and be open, plus your topics are right up my category !

Difference is pretty clear. It’s really to what you want. Bose sounds like it cuts out a lot of the peaking highs not for accuracy but for enjoyment. Basically they are trying to what I believe to be cut out any harshness even for sake of accuracy and the svs are just more livelier and accurate.

The level matching sound test... reminds me of the basis of the "loudness war". It was claimed that if it sounds louder, people tend to like it more.

Having owned 301's since 1978, the problem that I have with the SVS Primes is that their sound is extremely narrow in targeting, aka: A very small sweet spot footprint. If only the more spacious sounding Bose 301's highs were as clear as the SVS Primes; issue is directly related to the 301's tweeters. Such a simple fix, yet I do not know Bose will not act on it; may have to do with keeping the Signal-to-Noise Ratio low.

The SVS’s resemble more of a monitor speaker than anything. Clean tight frequency response but lacking on bass with a roll off from approximately 50hz. SVS would have possibly benefitted from a port or vent tuned to fill in the missing bass frequencies. But nothing wrong with that speaker. Bose is still a little scattered but obviously for listening style reasons is like that for a reason. Bose would benefit at house partys. Good videos. I’ve subbed keep up the good work. 👍🏻

You mentioned level matching "by ear". The best way I know of is to level match is to use full band pink noise and an SPL meter.

It's really nice to admit a mistake! Bose wanted to make speakers that overcome bad accoustics in your living room with speakers for example aiming at the wall. Although I think it doesn't work in all living rooms, they can sound very nice. But for example buying a cupboard that you place close to one of the speakers can ruin the experience.

I don't know man, they both sound incredible through my Sennheiser HD650's...LOL

I got my Bose 501's in 1989 and they are still working great today. They got good bass, smooth highs, and great vocals and sax play, IE, good for sweet moments with that love one if you know what I mean, LOL. Anyway you should see if you can find some as they are for those that love sound the same in large area's like super master bedrooms and living rooms. Put on some Najee and go to cloud nine on her, lol.

this is a fair comparison, SVS output at 100 hz is much lower than 200Hz, while it is similar for Bose at 100 hz and 200Hz. So listeners impression for SVS is thin. At the price of $299 each for SVS vs $499 pair for Bose, Bose is better in this fair comparison.