Bose 301 test

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CONSUMER GUIDE

Stereo
fiagmaflugflefly

Report on the Newest Hi-Fi
Components&Top
Brand Tape Equipment

ln-Depth Test Reviews, Comparative
Charts 8: Specifications, Ratings on 150
Receivers, Turntables, Tuners,
Amplifiers, Speakers and Open Reel,
Cassette, and Cartridge Tape Machines.

JUSE
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SPEAKER SYSTEMS test

reports

Originaltext

OSE is best known for its "direct/reflecting"
B speaker system design. whereby a high pro»

ponion of reflected sound. in addition to some

direct sound. is permitted to enterthe listening
area. This results in a spacious stereo effect that re-
tains a firm sonic image in terms of relative placement
of the reproduced sound elements. This quality. com-
bined with the wide range and low distortion of the
Bose systems. makes for exceptional realism during
playback.

In the past. CONSUMER GUIDE Magazine has re-
viewed the Bose 901 and found it truly to be "a speaker
against which others must be compared " in our
cumulative summary reports of speakers. the Bose 901
has consistently remained at the top of the preferred
roster in a performance class of its own. it has not been
equaled by any model we have recently tested.

The Bose 501 has also been reviewed by CON-
SUMER GUIDE Magazine and while it is outclassed by
its costlier sibling (the 901). it merited "Best buy
status for its general performance. which also man-
ages - within its admitted design limits. compared
with the 901 - to achieve a convincing effect of
"direct/reflecting" sound reproduction.

Neither the 901 nor the 501 IS a bookshelf model and
both require floor placement. Bose's latest speaker.

the 301 . is a bookshelf model that also manages. by an
ingenious design feature. to achieve the avowed aim of
direct/reflected sound.

Design and Features

THE BOSE 301 is a two-way speaker system housed in
a compact enclosure that measures 17 inches wide;
10-1/2 inches high and 9-1/4 inches deep. A pair. for
stereo. weighs less than 40 pounds, With such light
weight and compact dimensions. this is a true book-
shelf system that actually can fit comfortably on an
average" bookshelf.

The woofer is an 8-inch unit; the tweeter. a 3-inch
cone. A specially designed crossover network pro-
vides a "transitional" division of work between woofer
and tweeter so that there is a little more than an octave
of "overlap" in the crossover range of 1.400 Hz and
3.000 H2. The enclosure has a ducted port for bass
loading. Input impedance is 8 ohms.

A rather efficient system. the Model 301 can be driv-
en amply by 10 watts (rms) per channel amplifiers or
receivers. and is claimed to be capable of use with
units of up to 60 watts power per channel.

The most novel feature of the 301 is the way the
sound can be controlled. for the direct/reflecting"
concept. This is accomplished by what Bose calls the
direct energy control. which consists of a special
rotating panel. or vane. that is fitted lengthwise down
one angled corner of the cabinet and is adjustable
from the top by a small knob. This vane can be rotated
bythe listener to be parallel to the side. orto the front.
ofthe cabinet. or at any position between. in so doing.
the listener changes the amount of midrange and
high-frequency energy that is permitted to emanate
directly into the listening area. relative to the energy
that is dispersed toward the sides and away from the
cabinet, eventually to be reflected by side walls.

Essential to this system is the facility for controlling
this effect on both left and right channels. and accord-
ingly. the 301 is offered in twos. as a matched stereo
pair. with one unit constructed as a mirrorvimage ofthe
other. The normal and recommended setup is to posi-
tion the lefthand speaker with its tweeter facing left.
and the righthand speaker with its tweeter facing right.
Then. by adjusting the "vane control" on each. the
listener can find the best settings for each speaker, for
a satisfactory stereo presentation with respect to room
acoustics. as well as to different kinds of program
material. Details and hints for optimum placement and
adjustmentare included in the clearly written and illus-
trated owner's manual.