[Alexandermcwubbin]

Hi guys, long time lurker, first time poster. I've got a pair of Bose 901 speakers from the late 70s that I'm trying to hook up for my father. He wants to have it hooked up in the basement so that he can listen to his iPhone music when he's relaxing.


The speakers look to be in really good condition, and I do have the Bose Equalizer for them as well.


What I need is a recommendation on a set-up to get these going. I've had some recommendations for getting separates, but I'm very unfamiliar with what components I would need, and I think a receiver would be the easier route.


My budget is about $200-400. Like I said, the real goal here is to get these speakers to work with my dad's iPhone so that he can enjoy his new music on his old speakers. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks guys!

 

[rboster]

Like I said, the real goal here is to get these speakers to work with my dad's iPhone so that he can enjoy his new music on his old speakers. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks guys!

Maybe I am missing something, but do BOSE 901's hook up differently than normal speakers (have a positive/negative input on the back)?

 

[RayDunzl]

You'll need a receiver/integrated amplifier/ or separates that have the ability to take the preamp output to the Bose equalizer and then back into the power amplifier section.


http://worldwide.bose.com/axa/assets/pdf/owner_guides/StereoSpeakers/901iii_guide.pdf


See page 12

 

[GreySkies]

^^ What Ray said. Also see this article. Here's a pertinent quote:

Mix the Bose 901s, a $150 vintage receiver, and an iPod, and you’ve created a rocking system.

And here's a thread from three years ago discussing that article.

 

[AtlantaAllen]

If you are really going cheap you might get an RCA splitter/adapter to plug into your ipod headphone jack, run the RCA ends directly into the equalizer, then run equalizer into any receiver, integrated or even power amp. If the ipod will give you enough gain, it would cost practically nothing to get him going unless I'm missing something.

 

[AtlantaAllen]

BTW, I've got Krell, B&W 801s, and a lot more well respected electronics and speakers, but I've never had any more fun than rockin' with my old 901s back in the day.

 

[Alexandermcwubbin]

Awesome! Sounds like I've got enough info to point myself in the right direction. Thanks guys.

 

[RayDunzl]

If you haven't seen what the equalizer does, here is a curve.

There may be some differences with different years, but this shows the general idea.

Big (did I say big?) EQ boost on the lows and highs to get the little drivers to output somewhere near flat.