Bose 901's in an acoustically treated room?

@jonwolfpell, i'm just saying this was advertised back then!! 

that is against bose' specifications for use of its d/r speakers, the room  must have a "live" acoustic meaning a minimum of absorptive furniture or treatments. that is the whole idea behind their d/r speakers. you defeat their purpose otherwise. 

Yeah, 901s' preferred an uncluttered wall to affront.....*S*
Carefully placed near a corner, and you'd get enough bass... but it'd put a grin on some to stick a sub into that.....👀😆

Had a pair of S.2's driven by a Marantz 2270, could wind it up until the dial lights  pulsed with bass line....not smart even then, but still funny.

A  PacStereo employ at the time mentioned running a pair with 1KW a side.
It was difficult to stay in the room, apparently....

They just ate it up, waiting on seconds...😎

Decades ago when J Gordon Holt was chief cook and bottle washer at Stereophile he reviewed the then-new Bose 901.  Bose claimed their research showed that 89% of the sounds in a concert hall were reflected, with only 11% direct to the listener.  That was the basis for their design with 8 speakers reflecting off the front wall and only one firing directly at the listener, each channel.

In Holt's review he said this was redundant since nearly all recordings were made including reflected sounds to begin with.  He did not rate them highly.

Personally I feel qualified to offer an opinion since I actually owned a pair for a short time, unlike some who criticize them.  The first couple of days they seemed impressive with their open, spacious sound field.  But I quickly tired of them.  Every recording, from solo performer to full symphony orchestra was presented the same way.  Somehow it didn't sound natural for say Joan Baez and guitar to be spread across the front of the room.

artemus mentioned Advents, that's what I returned to, eventually having Double Advents.  So much better to me.