Customer Reviews

BOSE 201-V Stereo Loudspeakers (Pair) - Black

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Moving from a large home into a smaller one it seemed the right time to set the huge twenty-six year old quasi-wood enclosures in the car, take them to Goodwill and buy something of current technology yet in a smaller package. After researching big and small and a dozen brand names we went off in search of the right speakers for us in our smaller setting. Most we listened to were terrible. Inaudible, booming with no clarity or tinny, even the names of note. Then we met Dr. Bose's collection of speakers. We were used to our 12" woofer, a couple of tweeters and a bass that boomed until our chest vibrated. Though we didn't get the booming chest, we got clarity and sound that was true to the instruments and the voices. My receiver is twenty-six years old too and is screaming to be replaced but even with it and it's limited ability to equalize, the true sound we hear from the set of Bose speakers quickly grew on us and proved satisfying. I do miss the ability to go for the booming subwoofer sound when we wish and may buy a small unit to fill the gap. But....if we don't add to this set, we are well satisfied with the Bose speakers and feel fine about spending a few dollars more for a quality sound. So far I haven't found a way to distort the sound and am also happy that we reach a nice volume level without pushing the slider.

I have read mixed reviews from "uch" to "the absolute best" and wonder how so many mixed expectations can precede the purchase of a set of speakers. We, as life long lovers of music and musicans ourselves, are seriously pleased with the Bose speakers even with the slightly less "boom" to which we are accustomed.

I recently decided to set up a small, but decent quality stereo system in my office so that I can listen to CDs and the radio when I feel like it. I had a Sony STR-DE197 stereo receiver, which worked fine...but the tiny Yamaha speakers I had hooked up to it didn't do my music justice.

I purchased these speakers after looking around a bit. I auditioned them briefly in the store, but knew that the true test would be come when I got them home and hooked them up.

Well, right out of the box,these speakers performed beautifully. I dialed them in a bit by adjusting the bass and treble on my receiver to my preferences. I also opted for the high-end speaker wire (Monster cable) because I wanted to make sure that I was getting the best sound that I could.

The Bose 201 speakers do a great job for small-medium spaces, and have sound that belies their relatively small size. The bass is something you hear more than something you feel. For the type of music I generally listen to (blues, rock, acoustic, pop) they are very good. The highs are clear and the middles and lows are right where they need to be.

These are probably some of the best speakers I've listened to. I'm not an audiophile, but I do know what I like. I have no doubt that there are better speakers out there, but for a couple Benjamins, these may be one of the better values out there.

The only potential negative I can think of is that the speakers are designed to sit horizontally because of the direct-reflect technology. Oh well. They're a little bit different looking, but I am very pleased with them, and would recommend them to anyone looking for great sound.

I'm not exactly a critic but I auditioned several speakers at best buy when I looked at these. I particularly looked at some Polkaudio's that were $20 dollars less...they, in my opinion, were not in the same league as the Bose 201's. The bass in them is reasonable for the size of the speaker.

I was THIS close to ordering the 201's online, but I'm glad better sense prevailed and I went down to the local Circuit City with a few CD's of my own for a little "test-drive".

I am not a serious audiophile, and having been fed on media propaganda, I thought Bose were the ultimate. I guess I was wrong. Even to MY untrained ears, it was quite obvious that the Bose didn't sound half as good as they're cracked out to be.

Now, they're not completely worthless, of course, but hearing them side by side with similarly sized (and lower priced) speakers from Polk Audio, Boston Acoustics and Infinity, one could tell that they were a bit out of place.

Sure, they can get loud, really loud, but if loudness is all you want, I'll have my neighbours pay you a visit.. ;-). Compared to other good speakers, the Bose lacked the richness and fullness of sound. You couldnt "feel" the music. The sound was "weak", and at higher volumes, just felt out of place (think Rick Moranis jumping up and down, thumping his chest trying to scare someone.. kinda funny though), and after a while "annoying" (think Rick Moranis jumping.... get the picture?). I also tried the 161's... same result. The sound was clear and crisp, with no distortions, but just not "satisfying".

With the same CD's I also tried Polk Audio RM101, and Boston Acoustics Micro120X, half the size (and price) of the Bose 201's, and even the store associate was surprised by the difference in sound quality (before we started testing, he couldn't talk about anything but Bose.. just like me.. :P).

I finally decided upon the BA Micro120X, probably one of the "ugliest" speakers you can find... lol, but with a GREAT sound. Plus it has a great deal going on at BUY dot COM, where a PAIR (usually it is sold in eaches) is avaiable at ridiculously low prices [Can not state actual price since that is against Amazon's review policy and will get edited out, but think 85% lower than MSRP, not gonna last at those prices for very long though. So if you're looking for one, hurry.]

To be fair to Bose, if I had not heard any of the other speakers, and straight away purchased Bose, I would have been very happy with my purchase and would probably have rated them 4-stars (like I said earlier, they are NOT absolutely worthless). But when you compare them to other good speakers, they just fade away, and the fact that they are so much more costly than other better speakers makes me think they deserve no better rating than a 1-star. Probably a bit harsh, but then, so was the difference in sound quality and listening experience.

I recently installed the Bose 201 speakers in the TV room with a receiver that delivers 100 W per channel.
They have a great bass quality, decent mid and high range, but still sound a little flat as compared with the BOSE 301.

When listened to at a lower volume or combined with additional speakers as part of a 2.1 to 7.1 system they sound great and provide far more depth than the Bose 161 speakers. They are also very appropriate as a secondary set for an additional room where high volume is not a requirement. Otherwise it is worth spending a little more for the 301 speakers especially if you have an amp with decent power for each channel.

Great speakers for the price! I would recommend the Bose 201 speakers as outlined above.

Bose is a good performing speaker all around. These speakers are no exception. I have had the speakers for awhile and they work great for all types of music. Keep in mind that these speakers are small they will not perform like large speakers. They will not fill a large room with tons of bass. They are bookshelf speakers, or small room speakers. For that they are great. For the money these speakers are perfect!! I highly recommend these speakers to people who want a good value but don't want to sacrafice quality and performance.

#1 BoseV301

However, when comparing the 201V with the 301V it is night and day difference. The 301V is on average $100 more then the 201V no matter who you buy it from and for good reason. As its 8" driver and 2 (yes 2) tweeters front/rear this unit flows in a harmony like no other. I am highly impressed with its ability to accurately reproduce voice and other sounds. Someone singing at 4dB can still be comprehended at 4dB even when the receiver is cranked to 60dB. These speakers are excellent as a pair. So much so I wondered about well they get alone with a 5.1/6.1/7.1 system and to my surprise it gave me a competing impression. After hearing them as a pair and listening to them with a system you know they can do more if not better then the center making for a difficult setup after shelling out $320+ for these puppies. The 2 (yes, 2) tweeters front/rear are what set this shelf speakers from the rest. The harmonics, octaves and range are out of this world. Let me explain, a woman singing at 3dB w/o a microphone is heard and processed at 3dB even if you turn the volume up from lets say 15dB to 60dB you can still tell that person is singing at 3dB and not yelling at you. (Although most don't know what 3dB are unless told when you hear it. You can recognize the pitch, tone and octave enough to know if blind folded your ears will know if it's live or a recording). It's sleek design was more to my liking even though the Polk RTi4 sounded just as good (even though the highs were a bit flat) for $260 the large rectangular shape was left to be desired.

#2 Polk RTi4

In 2nd place is the Polk RTi4. I would have to say that for the price of roughly $260 and with sound as good as the Bose V301 for $320 and up. The best feature of this unit is the driver in which produced a more subwoofer level of sound then the Bose 301V. The combination of the tweeter and driver produced Octaves, Tones and Bass giving you the impression that you were there live (I listened to mostly Jazz). These speakers performed good as a pair and excellent with a 5.1/6.1/7.1 sound system. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase these speakers but the rectangular bulky shape was more of an eye sore for my needs. Yes, the quality of sound is just as important I need a more sleek design and I want to place them in front my TV. You simply can't do that with these speakers..

#3 Bose V201

Coming in 3rd place is the Bose 201V are the best speakers I have invested to date. These speaker set have a excellent range, distortion undetectable by the my ear and it's octaves are lively (with a bit more mid range then the V301). I believe the reflux of the bass (at deep, shallow, sharp and soft) and overall combination of how this unit performs very well together for the price offered. Overall tones, bass, octave and balance are excellent and for the price & design well worth the investment. I decided on a pair when listening to music from a CD, HDCD, radio or watching a movie as these speakers were better then other bookshelf speakers such as Klipsch SB-1.& SB-2 (this unit have little bass), the Athena ASR1 (this unit has noticeable distortion at any volume level) and the JBL E30 (nearly tied for the V201 if it didn't require so much volume just to hear it from a 100watt per channel receiver, making for a horrible experience for some low volume jazz).

Radio stations come in with a more lively octave to it and sound reproduction can be mistakenly taken from a cd instead of radio. This unit is excellent as a 5.1/6.1/7.1 system and is great as a stand alone set. I did notice that my Sony STR-DE885 Receiver was having trouble supplying the necessary power as I had to crank the volume from 11 (from 5.1 setup) to 34 (2 channel setup) to reproduce similar sound (except for the base).

Klipsch SC5 Center Speaker

Is by far the most impressive center speaker I have heard to date. It has a perfect combination octaves, range and bass making for a level of realism that can't be beat for it's price of $150. I did compare this unit to the Klipsch SC-3 (was simply louder to me and the JBL EC25CH (excellent sound reproduction but for $250+ it was out of my budget for 1 speaker),

Music of Choice Jazz

Movie of Choice Matrix Revolutions

Receiver: Sony STR-DE885

Speakers currently in use: Klipsch .5 center, 2-Bose 201V, 2-Sony Satellites, 1-Sony 150watt subwoofer

I saw these speakers locally and looked on Amazon for them. To my delight they were there. Because I had tested them here in store, I knew what I was getting. However when they were actually in my home they were much better than I expected. They are great speakers at a great price and of course they carry the Bose name.

Back in the 1970s, Bose came out with their world-famous 901 series speakers. They could get extremely loud and produced thunderous bass and a big, wide room-filling soundstage. However, they were around $1000 a pair with the equalizer and stands. For the masses that couldn't afford the 901s, Bose released their 501s and 301s. The 301s produced a sound that was similar to the 901s at lower volume for about $200. They were, and are, great sellers.

This review is for using the speakers in a stereo system. I haven't tried them in a home theater setting.

There are a few major differences between the 301 speakers and the lighter, cheaper 201 series. (I've listened to both extensively.) First, the 201 is not really a direct reflecting system. It lacks a second tweeter that fires toward the walls in the corner of the room that creates the large soundstage of the 301 series. 201s only have a front firing 6" driver, a bass port and one angled tweeter that helps to produce a more spacious sound. They are not direct reflecting however.

There are pros and cons to the 201 design. The cons are that they can't handle half the volume of the 301s, they don't produce a full direct-reflecting sound, they can't produce the deep booming bass of their big brothers and the trebles aren't as smooth. That's a lot of cons but the 201s are for situations where music is listened to at very moderate volume. With the 301s in my living room, I tend to crank up the bass and volume on my 100 watt per channel JVC amplifier because they don't sound right at low volume and you need to get that rear-firing tweeter cranking to bounce the sound off the walls to enjoy the full Bose experience. The 201s don't need as much volume to push them and they can't handle nearly as much volume. Getting down to the nitty gritty, if you play your music at fairly high volume and like deep, strong bass, the 301s are for you. Of course, they must placed very precisely to make the direct reflecting technology work in your listening area. If you listen to music at lower volume and don't want to hassle with the specific requirements of placement, you can enjoy a replication of the Bose sound in a small room.

If you pump too much volume into these speakers, they will distort awfully. And, being that the treble response can be tinny, you want to keep the treble knob on your receiver cut back more than you would with some other speakers to acheive a more natural high end. Another advantage to the 201s is that they are quite efficient and don't require a powerful receiver. I laugh when I see them listed as "120 watt speakers". Realistically, they are rated to handle 60 watts each before blowing. If you actually pumped 60 watts into each speaker, they would sound atrocious. They sound best with about 10 - 25 actual watts into each, so you could use a receiver rated at anywhere from 25 - 60 watts per channel, whereas the 301s require a mimimum of 60 watts per channel, and ideally 100 watts per channel.

So, if you want some small speakers that put out a nice sound at low to moderate volume from a lower powered receiver, I highly recommend the Bose 201. They sound best mounted on a wall but don't have the strict placement requirements of larger Bose speakers, or you could put them on a bookshelf. They could be superb out on your porch but you wouldn't want to leave them out there. There is a cult of Bose-haters who will say don't buy Bose, get Infinity or Paradigm speakers. Such "high end" speakers in the same price range may have a more articulate sound but they are small and thin sounding with little bass. I say "Go for the Bose".

If ever you are looking for the best sound and clarity this product has it, Bose systems are the best!