BOSE 201-V Stereo Loudspeakers (Pair) - Black
By: Bose Average Rating: 3.5 Total Reviews: 14
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 On: 2008-04-24
I was THIS close to ordering the 201s online, but Im glad better sense prevailed and I went down to the local Circuit City with a few CDs 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 didnt sound half as good as theyre cracked out to be.
Now, theyre 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, Ill 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 161s... same result. The sound was clear and crisp, with no distortions, but just not "satisfying".
With the same CDs I also tried Polk Audio RM101, and Boston Acoustics Micro120X, half the size (and price) of the Bose 201s, and even the store associate was surprised by the difference in sound quality (before we started testing, he couldnt 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 Amazons 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 youre 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.
 On: 2007-09-08
this speaker, when combined with my sony AV receiver and my ipod as main music player, brings out the musics/songs alive and it certainly sounds much better than ipod hi-fi hype....the best part is the price! ipod hi-fi costs $350, but this bose 201 speaker costs approx. $200 and my sony AV receiver cost me $200 thus total $400 spent for much better sound! This speaker is very affordable and it will certainly beat other speakers @ its price range!! If you look for magnet-rumbling sound quality, Id suggest you look for yamahas since my mom have them in my living room which certainly is bigger speaker than my bose hence better sound quality....*and hence much bigger price*
 On: 2007-03-08
We just moved into our first house, and in the last couple of months, Ive purchased three brands of bookshelf speakers. In order, Ive purchased a pair of Infinity Primus 150 speakers, a pair of small ($10 each on super sale) Pioneer S-HF21-LR speakers, and now I just opened a pair of Bose 201s I got with my credit card points.
The first thing I noticed about the bose 201-V speakers was the build quality: almost as good as the $10 pioneers (the pioneers dont have exposed particle board, the bose speakers do). There are no post-style connectors, just the cheap hole-and-lever type. The Infinity 150s are built out of much better materials, have gold post-and screw style contacts, removable fronts, solid wood construction, internal dampening, nice feet, and wall mounting slots.
The Bose 201-Vs sound decent for their size, but they certainly dont sound as good as the Infinity 150s, which are almost half the price! Specifically, I notice certain mid-range tones are exaggerated with the bose 201s. It is almost as if the cabinets have some resonance frequency that sets off with a certain midtone. The bass response also seems a little uneven, with certain bass drum notes showing up loudly, but other (higher) bass guitar notes almost absent. The absence of certain bass notes is probably what bothers me the most. Im running a straight amp without any EQ.
I got these speakers with my credit card points, and Im thinking of selling them on ebay and buying something else.
Check out stereophile for more speaker information.. they had a good article on the Infiniti Primus speakers.
On: 2007-03-07
We just moved into our first house, and in the last couple of months, Ive purchased three brands of bookshelf speakers. In order, Ive purchased a pair of Infinity Primus 150 speakers, a pair of small ($10 each on super sale) Pioneer S-HF21-LR speakers, and now I just opened a pair of Bose 201s I got with my credit card points.
The first thing I noticed about the bose 201-V speakers was the build quality: almost as good as the $10 pioneers (the pioneers dont have exposed particle board, the bose speakers do). There are no post-style connectors, just the cheap hole-and-lever type. The Infinity 150s are built out of much better materials, have gold post-and screw style contacts, removable fronts, solid wood construction, internal dampening, nice feet, and wall mounting slots.
The Bose 201-Vs sound decent for their size, but they certainly dont sound as good as the Infinity 150s, which are almost half the price! Specifically, I notice certain mid-range tones are exaggerated with the bose 201s. It is almost as if the cabinets have some resonance frequency that sets off with a certain midtone. The bass response also seems a little uneven, with certain bass drum notes showing up loudly, but other (higher) bass guitar notes almost absent. The absence of certain bass notes is probably what bothers me the most. Im running a straight amp without any EQ.
I got these speakers with my credit card points, and Im thinking of selling them on ebay and buying something else.
Check out stereophile for more speaker information.. they had a good article on the Infiniti Primus speakers.
by: pitydafoo On: 2007-01-28
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 didnt 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 Ive listened to. Im 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. Theyre a little bit different looking, but I am very pleased with them, and would recommend them to anyone looking for great sound.
On: 2007-01-16
The speakers are great, and put out a real niec sound on the TV.
On: 2006-07-09
I replaced my old floor speakers(rear)on my home theater system. The sound is very clear and crisp on DVD movies and have more bass than I expected. The great thing is that fit in my bookcase that covers the back wall of my room. I am very pleased with these speakers.
 On: 2006-05-06
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. Boses 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 didnt 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 its 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 dont 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 havent 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.
On: 2006-05-02
For easy listening, the Bose 201 series V are the best there is. I went to Best Buy and listened to their wide selection of speakers, in all sizes and price ranges and chose these.
Your not going to rattle the windows and theyre not magnetically shielded. So, if thats important to you, these wont work. Otherwise, youll enjoy one of the buys of a lifetime.
On: 2004-12-28
First of all, this should not be a discussion forum where individuals criticize a manufacturers whole product range although this seems to be the case with Bose. Or you get the exact opposite, people who are firm believers that Bose has the most amazing sound for the money and "nothing" can touch it.
I must admit I like the look of their little cube satellites and their computer speakers but after having to return the 201s because of its build quality and sound characteristics, I am starting to get annoyed with every positive post I see regarding Bose. On the other hand I do not agre with all the other 1 star reviews which do not convey any meaningful information and seem to have been cut and pasted from a different thread.
Now, on to the mini review. The build quality is no different from any $150 speakers such as low end Polks, Athena etc. Drivers are paper (as opposed to cheap plastic in the other ones), surrounds are cloth (as opposed to rubber), and the 2" tweeter is also paper (when ALL respectable manufacturers use metal or silk)?! It uses clips on the back when the industry standard is binding posts and the overall quality feels cheap. I also owned the Polk RTI4 and those had a much more solid feel.
As for sound quality, looks are not deceiving in this case. You get a "pleasant" tonal characteristic where highs and everything under 90hz is rolled off. Bose speakers in general do not represent music accurately, they use internal filters to limit the frequency response in order to have poor quality drivers perform a little better. Sound coloration is very high and there is no precise soundstaging since the tweeters not aim forward (I have not seen any quality speakers employ this design).
Overall, Im giving these 2 stars because they are VERY affordable, but do not offer any special value.
On: 2004-09-21
#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 dont 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 its live or a recording). Its 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 wouldnt 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 cant 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 its 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 didnt 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 cant be beat for its 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
On: 2004-09-08
It is obvious from most negative reviews of Bose products that either the reviewers are just insanely prejudiced against Bose as the world leading speaker manufacturer or they have never owned a Bose product in their lives.
The Bose 201 Series V bookshelf speaker is the best in its price category. It offers a wonderful soundstage that other speaker brands in the price range simply cannot match. They are good as primary front speakers and excellent as rear surround speakers in a home theatre entertainment setup.
One could get even better performance for a little bit more money from the 301s. The latter are arguably the greatest bookshelf speakers the world has ever known, both in terms of performance and price.
Long live Bose Speakers!!!
On: 2004-07-29
If you say Bose distorts you have never heard their systems! Bose systems NEVER distort! The reviewers here saying that are crazy! They havent even gone to a Bose Store! Then they say the materials Bose uses are crap and they use paper.. I own Klipsch speakers and the Bose are almost like Plastic! The Klipsch are plain paper I could break with a pencil!! Then they say Bose speakers rely on reflecting sound.. they dont! the reflected sound just adds spaciousness and by the way, only some Bose speakers use the reflecting technology, so Bose haters can shut up and go to h-ll! They claim to be experts and have a lot of knowledge about Bose, but trust me, Ive compared A LOT to Bose, and Klipsch, Polk, Infinity and anything you name will always be a level below Bose.
On: 2004-07-28
If you say Bose distorts you have never heard their systems! Bose systems NEVER distort! The reviewers here saying that are crazy! They havent even gone to a Bose Store! Then they say the materials Bose uses are crap and they use paper.. I own Klipsch speakers and the Bose are almost like Plastic! The Klipsch are plain paper I could break with a pencil!! Then they say Bose speakers rely on reflecting sound.. they dont! the reflected sound just adds spaciousness and by the way, only some Bose speakers use the reflecting technology, so Bose haters can shut up and go to h-ll! They claim to be experts and have a lot of knowledge about Bose, but trust me, Ive compared A LOT to Bose, and Klipsch, Polk, Infinity and anything you name will always be a level below Bose.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-07-18
Ive owned Bose 201s, 301s and 901s in my life. Then I began to get into speaker building kits. My eyes were opened. I began to learn about crossovers, tweeter construction, woofers and cabinet resonancy. I also began to seek out commercially sold speakers for ideas and for quality. That is when I began to see just what a joke Bose speakers really are. For the same price, consumers can get better quality sound, build and design from Polk, JBL, Infinity or Klipsch. And they are the commonly available makers. While the Bose 201s arent as horrible a value as the 901s, youre still foolish to get these when much better higher quality speakers are out there. An indicator of Bose priority is the fact that their advertising budget is higher than their research budget. Hey, its your dollar, if you want to waste it go right ahead, but donet fool anyone else about Bose quality.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-07-17
Ive owned Bose 201s, 301s and 901s in my life. Then I began to get into speaker building kits. My eyes were opened. I began to learn about crossovers, tweeter construction, woofers and cabinet resonancy. I also began to seek out commercially sold speakers for ideas and for quality. That is when I began to see just what a joke Bose speakers really are. For the same price, consumers can get better quality sound, build and design from Polk, JBL, Infinity or Klipsch. And they are the commonly available makers. While the Bose 201s arent as horrible a value as the 901s, youre still foolish to get these when much better higher quality speakers are out there. An indicator of Bose priority is the fact that their advertising budget is higher than their research budget. Hey, its your dollar, if you want to waste it go right ahead, but donet fool anyone else about Bose quality.
On: 2004-02-10
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 dont want to sacrafice quality and performance.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-06-21
A lot of people think that bose is the greatest. But have you ever went to a place like circuit city or ultimate electronics and asked a sales rep. what they think of Bose? I used to think Bose was the greatest until I heard them and compared them compared them to a speaker company like Infinity, for less! Bose do have their fans but stay away from Bose you will be happier. The drivers ( the actual speaker inside) on Bose are made of paper. Bose speaker also rely on reflecting sound so, if you dont have a square room you will be digusted with the sound and not even hear most of it. They also sound distorted at low and high volumes. Do not buy this speaker, dont waste your money.
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