Bose 301 Series V user reviews (black)

Pros Wide sound, good lows, clear sound, sweet trebble..

Cons Tad expensive, would prefer real wood instead of laminate.

Summary These speakers are in a stereo set-up, they work great long as they are a decent distance appart, they have a very wide sound. Imaging is good.

They are expensive, but they do have a flat response from 45Hz to 20Khz... so these are a decent buy, they also handle amplifers from 10 to 150 watts RMS and have a nominal impedence of 6ohms.

Trebble is soft, subtle but there.. it's just enough and does offer a nice sound. Not harsh at all.

The 8" woofer can be a little sloppy sometimes, but for the most part it's pretty damn taut, and sounds nice. It delivers some nice mid-bass with pretty good power handling.

The direct/reflecting system, although some dispute it's validity - I like it for non-serious listening.

These are a good general bookshelf speaker for the person who just wants to listen to music.. and not get critical over the speaker.

I'm no newbie.. I've heard other brands, but these are a fun speaker.

I'm also a professional musician.. and I wont use amplification - yet I can quite happily listen to the 301s.

Need a subwoofer for any really deep bass, and can get expensive with amplifer for them too...

Build quality although is ok, I would have liked a little better for the price.. but oh well..

Pros Did'nt find any

Cons Sound and Design

Summary Got a month ago a pair of “Bose 301” with a “Yamaha RX-497” stereo integrated amplifier, after fast setup I used an Ipod as source and ……… what disappointment … they sounded dreadful!! My old mini Sony stereo sounded much much better… tried every combination possible with these speakers; CD players other amps new cables etc … they still sounded very bad.
Now I am using a pair of used “Triangle Icare” towers … Incredible difference!!!!!

Pros Very efficient (doesn't require series WPC rating to really drive), very wide frequency range, attractive, creates an effect akin to having rear speakers (when they're placed properly)

Cons Particle board construction; cheap feet; limiting design

Summary These are bookshelf speakers. They are not loudspeakers, floor speakers, a stadium PA, etc. Because of the Bose price tag, I think people tend to hold them to a higher standard, while negating the actual purpose of the actual product. I purchased these in lieu of a romantic cohabitation. Compromises had to be made, and my Genesis floor speakers were too 'ugly' for the living room. So, I needed to find a decent performer that could also be concealed by home decor and could sit atop a television armoire. Certainly, my situation isn't unique, as I've seen this speakers placed above kitchen cabinets and used as bookends in offices. Where I have not seen these, however, is connected to high-end equipment (think professional, non-consumer stuff...Carver, etc.) in serious 'audiophile' or 'stereophile' settings.

Other constraints were the relatively low-wattage rating of my amplifier (an early 1970s, 20WPC unit). I tried a few different models in-home, and most of them required that my amp be cranked to 3/4 volume, just to maintain a comfortable listening level. The 301s, however, are driven with room to spare. The bass is tight, though not as low as I had hoped. The highs are very well balanced. Are these colored? Sure. They create a bit of a dip in the mid range to create a warm sound. It suits my amp, my phono cartridge, and my ears very well, however.

What I did expect (from such a yuppie product) was a bit more in the way of extras. Don't expect anything except the speakers themselves and a manual from Bose: no speaker wire, fancy cleaning cloth...nothing. The box was packaged with tiny rubber feet mounted to a sheet of slick paper to be mounted to the speakers by the user. Now, it's not uncommon to leave those things unmounted, as it offers the user greater flexibility, especially considering that these can be stand or wall mounted. These little feet, however, are crap, and are almost insulting considering how 'up-scale' Bose stuff is supposed to be. Ah well. They serve the intended purpose.

So, for $329, I got the best that I could for what I needed: an attractive, decent performing, concealable bookshelf speaker. This is the only Bose product I've ever owned, and I feel no loyalty to their company name. It really burns me, however, when people want to judge a product for what it isn't. These are not bad. For what I got, I find them to be terrific.

Pros None that I can see

Cons See summary

Summary I bought these speakers to replace a pair of battle worn Bose 301 series II's that I've owned for 25 years. What a dissapointment! Shame on Bose for their poor redesign on a great, classic speaker. Even though my cat sratched the domes off my II's, and part of the foam around one of the drivers is missing, they still sound way better than the V's.

Now I'm no stereophile, but to me the speakers sound flat and canned. The highs are not as crisp and the bass/midrange sounds weak and muddy. For some odd reason the engineers decided to move the port and one of the tweeters to the rear, which greatly reduces the punch and energy coming out of the cabinets. The cabinets and grills are cheap and "plasticy". Compare them to the fit and finish of a comparable Polk box and there is no contest.

Do yourself a favor and for the same price-$328 as of this writing-instead order the mr2 from Monitor Speakers like I did. They make speakers costing thousands and you can tell their technology has been incorporated into their entry level line. Plus, they are double posted so you can bywire them for increased performance.

As for my beloved series II's? I plan to install the flawless original grills and use them in my study where I can still enjoy them for years to come.