BOSE 301-V Stereo Loudspeakers (Pair) - Cherry
By: Bose Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 17
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 On: 2008-05-19
We expected the best when we purchased these Bose bookshelf speakers, and indeed, thats what we got. They are beautiful to look at and beautiful to hear. The quality is unsurpassed! We could not be more pleased.
On: 2008-03-15
These little bookshelf speakers have a better sound then my old huge end table speakers that I was reluctant to get rid of. Thanks BOSE!
 On: 2007-12-10
I have no anti-Bose bias, nor am I an audiophile who subscribes to stereo magazines. I simply have a good set of ears and a huge collection of LPs and CDs. Upon moving into a tiny Manhattan apartment, I needed to find a pair of small but reasonable bookshelf speakers, as I didnt have room for anything that required floor space. I tested a number of speakers at a local store, and although I had concerns about the unnatural quality of the sound of the Bose 301s, I bought them because they were the only speakers of the right size and within my price range to offer 8 inch woofers. When I got them home and installed them in my packed-with-stuff apartment, the sound quality was noticeably different than in the big open room at the stereo store: the bass was muddy and almost overwhelming, completely dominating the higher frequencies. The sound was out of balance and just bad. They sounded ok with acoustic music such as a string quartet, although the sound was far from realistic. When playing something electronic or with a lot of low end bass, these speakers sounded just awful. Upon returning them to the store, the salesman suggested that the direct / reflecting technology was just bad for those of us with small apartments and lots of stuff. Clearly, he was right. I wouldnt recommend these speakers to anyone unless they have a huge open room with very little furniture. For the rest of us, there are many better choices for speakers.
On: 2007-12-09
I have no anti-Bose bias, nor am I an audiophile who subscribes to stereo magazines. I simply have a good set of ears and a huge collection of LPs and CDs. Upon moving into a tiny Manhattan apartment, I needed to find a pair of small but reasonable bookshelf speakers, as I didnt have room for anything that required floor space. I tested a number of speakers at a local store, and although I had concerns about the unnatural quality of the sound of the Bose 301s, I bought them because they were the only speakers of the right size and within my price range to offer 8 inch woofers. When I got them home and installed them in my packed-with-stuff apartment, the sound quality was noticeably different than in the big open room at the stereo store: the bass was muddy and almost overwhelming, completely dominating the higher frequencies. The sound was out of balance and just bad. They sounded ok with acoustic music such as a string quartet, although the sound was far from realistic. When playing something electronic or with a lot of low end bass, these speakers sounded just awful. Upon returning them to the store, the salesman suggested that the direct / reflecting technology was just bad for those of us with small apartments and lots of stuff. Clearly, he was right. I wouldnt recommend these speakers to anyone unless they have a huge open room with very little furniture. For the rest of us, there are many better choices for speakers.
On: 2007-07-14
I love these speakers. Ive had Sony, JBL, Kenwood, RCA.. ect, ect, and these are, granted you are like me and have a "mild" audio setup, unblowable. Before I upgrated to my Onkyo receiver and power amp, I ran these through a Carver power amp and a Carver receiver. Many, many times these 301s have seen full volume and, after 10 years, they still sound great. No fuzz or scratching or distortion, even at 100 watts. I would recommend these, or any other Bose products to anyone, anytime. If you want a good quality, great sounding speaker, look no further than Bose.
On: 2007-05-13
Great sound for such a small speaker. I am pleased with the styling. Delivery was very good.
 On: 2007-03-09
Im not a big fan of Bose products, believing them to be overhyped, overpriced, and disappointing for the most part. However, occassionally, Bose makes a decent product for the money. Their headphones, for example, make music sound good, even if they dont very accurately replicate sound. At a Best Buy, I recently stumbled upon these speakers. Out of the half dozen other speakers I could compare them to, these sounded the best. They provided the best combination of volume and audio quality of the batch. From my experience with Bose products, they tend to boost the bass frequencies at the expense of the treble, making them suitable only for certain types of music like Rock and Hip Hop, These speakers, however, provided a relatively flat response and the bass was not boosted at the expense of the treble. Mixed with a decent amplifier, I have no doubt they would perform adequately. These are by no means the best speakers money can buy, but Bose doesnt claim them to be. For the price, they not only sound good but look fantastic. These are some of the best looking bookshelves on the market, but this is only a subjective opinion. Thus, while I am not a big fan fan of Bose products, sometimes Bose is capable of making good products like these. Usually, their products are overpriced, but in this case, the price seems fair.
On: 2006-08-04
Response to order was timely and efficient. Packaging was appropriate, and items arrived in excellent condition. Simple installation instructions resulted in rapid setup and activation. Speaker Quality is very adequate for my typical interests, which include; country, jazz, popular, classical, opera, and musical show tunes. The sound reproduction is most adequate. A more expensive speaker system would make little, if any, improvement to the listening pleasure. Thank you, Bose, for the quality product, and Thank YOU Amazon for the delightful price break and service on the acquisition!
On: 2006-06-24
What can I say about a classic that only gets better with time. Bose keeps refining it with small tweaks here and there because the basic design is great. I went with the 301s over the 201s because I wanted the 8" woofer over the 6" one and the additional tweeter. I also have the VCS 10 center speaker and the 161s as surround speakers. Well I did not beleive that these speakers are all voiced matched line that is in the advertising baloney, but believe me the sound is seamless and of course Bose flawless. Save you money and get the 301"s they are definitely worth every penny.
On: 2006-06-04
The reviewer below identifying himself as "An Electronics Fan" obviously has a deep bias against Bose. His multiple reviews about Bose products--here and elsewhere--are transparently motivated by some animus against Bose. Was he fired by Bose? Did a member of the Bose family reject his romantic advances? Did a Bose executive accidentally run over his cat? Did he drop a Bose speaker on his foot and hurt his toe? The true motivation for this guys negative reviews would be fun to know. In the meantime, what we do know is that he has no credibility, and his reviews (two here, others elsewhere for other Bose products; hes made maligning Bose his lifes work, apparently)) should disregarded.
I bought a set of black 301s several years ago to go with my Onkyo receiver. We have it hooked up to a television and DVD player for movies. These speakers are in constant use both for the DVD and for music of all types. The room in which they are placed is huge, with an 18 foot-high flat ceiling. The speakers saturate the room with exquisite sound day after day. The speakers work fine for spoken audio for DVDs; we can hear dialogue perfectly; I feel no particular need for a surround-sound system. Several times my young daughters have turned on the 100 watt amp with the volume turned all the way up or close thereto. I feared a ruptured speaker cone, but the 301s are very forgiving, no damage has been done. The cats sleep on the speakers; they clean right up and still look new after five years. These speakers keep on giving total satisfaction, and I quite simply love them.
About three years ago I decided to go all out in another room and bought the highest quality stereo stuff on the market, or at least what I determined to be best after a lot of research. This included a set of the gold-series tower speakers from Monitor Audio. (The speaker cones are metallic, with some amount of gold, and gold connections, etc., etc.) These Monitor Audios have to be the best looking speakers ever made (real wood veneer cabinetry, with the gold cones and the black covers, etc.). These speakers cost well over a thousand dollars each. Well, I must confess, as awesome as the Monitor Audios sound, I cant really say they sound any better than the Bose 301s!!! They can maybe handle more power, but I assure you the Bose 301s will play loud enough to bring the cops to your doorstep in five minutes or less.
So, when I recently set up my third stereo in a bedroom, I looked forward to buying a third type of speakers. I ran around and listened to what I could find on display. Well, after much contemplation, I went for a second set of the Bose 301s!!! They just couldnt be beat, and I would have gladly spent more if I had found something I liked better. But Im not going to spend more just so I can say I spent a lot...there has to be increased performance. And, in my opinion, the 301s couldnt be out-performed by any other bookshelf speaker of any price range.
My first set of 301s were black. This time I went for the cherry. Folks, these are absolutely beautiful speakers: almost as cool looking as my Monitor Audios. The black cover and the black housing fixture in the back really accentuate the cherry colored wood. No, it is not real wood, but it looks very nice. These things are simply gorgeous. The kind of "mod" or futuristic shape which Bose has designed really stands out in this lighter-colored version. And, yes, they sound just as good as my original pair. I listen to soft music (jazz, typically, or ambient) in the morning and these speakers deliver all the nuances at very low volume; I listen to hard rock at high volume on other occasions, and the 301s dont scare away or distort at all: these things would tear the house apart before theyd lose sound quality.
So, yes, I recommend these highly. Theyd still be the speaker of choice for me at three or four times the price.
On: 2006-06-03
The reviewer below identifying himself as "An Electronics Fan" obviously has a deep bias against Bose. His multiple reviews about Bose products--here and elsewhere--are transparently motivated by some animus against Bose. Was he fired by Bose? Did a member of the Bose family reject his romantic advances? Did a Bose executive accidentally run over his cat? Did he drop a Bose speaker on his foot and hurt his toe? The true motivation for this guys negative reviews would be fun to know. In the meantime, what we do know is that he has no credibility, and his reviews (two here, others elsewhere for other Bose products; hes made maligning Bose his lifes work, apparently)) should disregarded.
I bought a set of black 301s several years ago to go with my Onkyo receiver. We have it hooked up to a television and DVD player for movies. These speakers are in constant use both for the DVD and for music of all types. The room in which they are placed is huge, with an 18 foot-high flat ceiling. The speakers saturate the room with exquisite sound day after day. The speakers work fine for spoken audio for DVDs; we can hear dialogue perfectly; I feel no particular need for a surround-sound system. Several times my young daughters have turned on the 100 watt amp with the volume turned all the way up or close thereto. I feared a ruptured speaker cone, but the 301s are very forgiving, no damage has been done. The cats sleep on the speakers; they clean right up and still look new after five years. These speakers keep on giving total satisfaction, and I quite simply love them.
About three years ago I decided to go all out in another room and bought the highest quality stereo stuff on the market, or at least what I determined to be best after a lot of research. This included a set of the gold-series tower speakers from Monitor Audio. (The speaker cones are metallic, with some amount of gold, and gold connections, etc., etc.) These Monitor Audios have to be the best looking speakers ever made (real wood veneer cabinetry, with the gold cones and the black covers, etc.). These speakers cost well over a thousand dollars each. Well, I must confess, as awesome as the Monitor Audios sound, I cant really say they sound any better than the Bose 301s!!! They can maybe handle more power, but I assure you the Bose 301s will play loud enough to bring the cops to your doorstep in five minutes or less.
So, when I recently set up my third stereo in a bedroom, I looked forward to buying a third type of speakers. I ran around and listened to what I could find on display. Well, after much contemplation, I went for a second set of the Bose 301s!!! They just couldnt be beat, and I would have gladly spent more if I had found something I liked better. But Im not going to spend more just so I can say I spent a lot...there has to be increased performance. And, in my opinion, the 301s couldnt be out-performed by any other bookshelf speaker of any price range.
My first set of 301s were black. This time I went for the cherry. Folks, these are absolutely beautiful speakers: almost as cool looking as my Monitor Audios. The black cover and the black housing fixture in the back really accentuate the cherry colored wood. No, it is not real wood, but it looks very nice. These things are simply gorgeous. The kind of "mod" or futuristic shape which Bose has designed really stands out in this lighter-colored version. And, yes, they sound just as good as my original pair. I listen to soft music (jazz, typically, or ambient) in the morning and these speakers deliver all the nuances at very low volume; I listen to hard rock at high volume on other occasions, and the 301s dont scare away or distort at all: these things would tear the house apart before theyd lose sound quality.
So, yes, I recommend these highly. Theyd still be the speaker of choice for me at three or four times the price.
On: 2006-02-01
After several days of comparing speakers and reading testimonials we finally decided on these Bose 301s. We were replacing much larger but older speakers and wondered if these would be at least as good. The Bose 301s are excellent. They far exceed what we had before. Bass and treble are distinct, clear and robust. Various musical instruments are easily distinguishable from a variety of music. These speakers are well worth what we paid for. Im convinced of the value of Bose reputation.
On: 2004-12-29
These speakers produce a terrific sound. They are the best bookshelf speakers I have ever heard. The sound that is projected through these speakers is crystal clear. I hear the same superior clarity and volume from 6 rooms away as I hear when Im right in front of the speakers. This is thanks to the highly developed Bose direct/reflecting speaker technology. These speakers tend to give the impression of a surround sound home theater system. Time after time my guests are in awe at how much these speakers sound like a top of the line large speaker system. These speakers produce such a life-like sound that people that pass my house tend to believe that instead of listening to music, I have the recorded artist in my home performing live. My only complaint is that the Bose 301 direct reflecting speakers subwoofers are a little weaker than I prefer. However this is expected from a speaker with such a compact design. These speakers will allow you to listen to your favorite songs in a whole new light.
You can read more about the Bose 301 and other bose products at http://www.bose.com
On: 2004-11-09
You know why you dont see Bose reviewed in audiophile mags? Because they sound better than speakers costing many times as much - and whose makers spend a lot of money on advertisements in those magazines.
Ive had Bose 901s for 15 years - and there is no speaker system at any price which can compare with them for acoustic music. Ive also had a pair of Bose Powered RoomMates for 10 years that I now use with my computer. I checked out the 301s because I needed a smallish bookshelf speaker which could fill an entire room - the 301s do just that. The direct/reflecting design of the 301s provides a much wider sweet spot for sound than any traditional speaker - and the Bose ported woofer provides nice tight bass. I do plan to add an additional powered subwoofer to extend the lower frequencies, but even with the additional expense Ill have a better system than anything several times the price.
Theres no excuse for not trying a Bose product in your house - almost any retailer will offer you a money back guarantee. Try one and you wont take it back.
On: 2004-10-21
1 8" Woofer (woof).
2 2" Tweeters (offset).
And thats just 1 speaker.
Double that and you have the best shelf speakers in the business.
I just upgraded from Series III, which were the best speakers in 199?.
Series V beats III all to hell, and I skipped Series IV.
Infinity & Polk just doesnt quite get the fidelity or thump of Bose 301 Series V.
On: 2004-10-15
Bose bashing has become a cult. The primary motivation I believe is this. If you put down some popular product as worthless you are implying you are better than the rest, have a sophisticated ear and somehow superior to the grass grazing herd. Quite similar behavior is exhibited in other areas. For example, photo equipment snobbery preferring Leica, Zeiss to Canon, Nikon etc. The fact is they are all excellent equipment with little practical differences, although subjective preferences could matter and go either way. However, the elite brand sells for an order of magnitude more. Now, how do you justify that to customers? Create a cult following via snobbish magazines or obscure internet forums. There may be other specific motivations against Bose - you figure that out.
I am no way implying that the Bose speakers are the best that money can buy. If you do have a sensitive ear you will distinguish clearly between the Bose, JBL, Infinity variety versus $100,000+ Kharma or Genesis. But then, they are designed for a completely different market. And if you have spent even $5,000+ on a pair of bookshelf speakers with seemingly same specifications as a sub $1,000 pair you better hear the difference! Within the same price range however, the nuances of difference are quite subjective and nearly not as categorical as some of the reviewers seem to suggest.
For a proper review, one must compare products in the same price range and for the same intended usage.
Specific to Bose 301 V, I find that they have nice crisp midrange and treble. The bass although clear, is somewhat weak and will benefit from a separate powered subwoofer in spite of the marketing hype. The non-directional claim ("stereo everywhere") is not quite true but clearly, there is a difference in this department compared to the competition. Compared to bookshelf speakers in the similar price range, I find that these speakers give excellent value for money. My intended use for these was bedroom stereo. I own a separate line of more expensive speakers for our home theater. Before purchasing, I have heard offerings from Klipsch, JBL, Infinity and Polk and decided that the Bose gave the most satisfying sound overall, but then that is just me. Check it out for your own ear!
by: Anonymous On: 2004-02-05
Its amazing that consumers who wouldnt be caught dead driving a substandard car such as a Yugo or AMC Gremlin would devote themselves to the audio equivalent called the Bose 301 (or any Bose product for that matter). This can only be attributed to the lack of consumer knowledge and a strong advertising campaign by Bose. In the audio industry its a well acknowledged fact that Bose isnt an industry leader in either technology nor audio quality. In fact you will never see Bose products advertised or reviewed in Stereophile (not since the early 70s), The Absolute Sound nor any other serious audio/video publication. Why? Bose is a known sub-standard product. But, year after year, unknowing consumers flock to the product blissfully unaware that they can buy better quality for the same money elsewhere. After making their purchase they stoutly defend Bose while at the same time knowing very little about audio. Few know what a crossover is or I would bet, understand the deficiencies the Bose drivers have (if they know what a driver is). I am after all a former Bose 201, 301 and 901 owner. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
On: 2004-02-04
Its amazing that consumers who wouldnt be caught dead driving a substandard car such as a Yugo or AMC Gremlin would devote themselves to the audio equivalent called the Bose 301 (or any Bose product for that matter). This can only be attributed to the lack of consumer knowledge and a strong advertising campaign by Bose. In the audio industry its a well acknowledged fact that Bose isnt an industry leader in either technology nor audio quality. In fact you will never see Bose products advertised or reviewed in Stereophile (not since the early 70s), The Absolute Sound nor any other serious audio/video publication. Why? Bose is a known sub-standard product. But, year after year, unknowing consumers flock to the product blissfully unaware that they can buy better quality for the same money elsewhere. After making their purchase they stoutly defend Bose while at the same time knowing very little about audio. Few know what a crossover is or I would bet, understand the deficiencies the Bose drivers have (if they know what a driver is). I am after all a former Bose 201, 301 and 901 owner. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-02-04
Bose is a fascinating case study of what the power of advertising can do for a product that is cheaply made and outperformed by nearly all of its competition. Based on audio theories from the 1960s and parts of lower quality than what can be bought at Radio Shack, Bose has built an incredible empire out of poorly designed products.Consumers should do their research before shelling out money for Bose speakers. A google search will bring you to epinions or audioreview websites where you can find review after review from buyers of Bose products. The commonly accepted wisdom in audio circles is that Bose makes low audio quality products and sells them at very high prices. In other words those Polk, JBL, Wharfedale or Infinity mid-fi products you can find at Amazon are usually higher quality at much better price points. Compare the sound if you ever get a chance. Make sure you DO NOT depend on volume, in other words volume is a bad indicater of quality. Listen for the high and low notes and to the clarity of the music. Tough to do in a showroom at Circuit City or Best Buy, but even there the differences will show up. Bose attempts to prevent consumers from doing this by segregating their products away from the competition. After this you might look at online audio magazines (do a google search), Audioreview (one word) and Audiogon. Youll find whole NEW world of audio products such as PSB, Paradigm, Vandersteen, Quad, Sonus Faber, ACI and many more whos products will put you on a much higher level of audio than youd ever imagine. Usually these speakers are SEVERAL times more electronically sophisticated than Bose at the same price! Good luck and happy hunting!
On: 2004-02-03
Bose is a fascinating case study of what the power of advertising can do for a product that is cheaply made and outperformed by nearly all of its competition. Based on audio theories from the 1960s and parts of lower quality than what can be bought at Radio Shack, Bose has built an incredible empire out of poorly designed products.Consumers should do their research before shelling out money for Bose speakers. A google search will bring you to epinions or audioreview websites where you can find review after review from buyers of Bose products. The commonly accepted wisdom in audio circles is that Bose makes low audio quality products and sells them at very high prices. In other words those Polk, JBL, Wharfedale or Infinity mid-fi products you can find at Amazon are usually higher quality at much better price points. Compare the sound if you ever get a chance. Make sure you DO NOT depend on volume, in other words volume is a bad indicater of quality. Listen for the high and low notes and to the clarity of the music. Tough to do in a showroom at Circuit City or Best Buy, but even there the differences will show up. Bose attempts to prevent consumers from doing this by segregating their products away from the competition. After this you might look at online audio magazines (do a google search), Audioreview (one word) and Audiogon. Youll find whole NEW world of audio products such as PSB, Paradigm, Vandersteen, Quad, Sonus Faber, ACI and many more whos products will put you on a much higher level of audio than youd ever imagine. Usually these speakers are SEVERAL times more electronically sophisticated than Bose at the same price! Good luck and happy hunting!
by: ssintrepid On: 2004-01-18
This review is actually for the pair of Bose 301 Series III direct/reflecting loud speakers that I bought way back in 1993 and is a testament to the quality of Bose speakers and specifically the 301 series speakers. I originally purchased them as the front speakers in a system but replaced them in the front with Bose 401s and put the 301s in the rear as surround speakers.In either the capacity of front or rear/surround speakers, the model 301 works beautifully to enhance the listening experience whether as a home theater system for DVDs or just straight out stereo or CD playback. As further testament to the quality of these speakers, if youre seriously interested in purchasing the Model 301 Series V speakers; Ive been using the Series III speakers for almost eleven years now and they work just as brilliantly today as they did when I first took them out of the box and this includes several moves since Im in the military. Although these speakers have now been replaced with the Bose Acoustimass 10 Series III Home Theater Speaker System on my primary system, they are now featured as the primary speakers in a second system and are providing crisp and clear high quality sound, made that much better by the direct/reflecting feature which serves beautifully in enhancing the listening experience. I highly recommend the Bose 301 Series V Loudspeakers to any and all whore looking for high quality sound at an affordable price. As a note of caution, these speakers are not magnetically shielded so I would also recommend either the wall/ceiling mounts or the floor stands that Bose specifically manufactures for these incredible speakers, both at highly affordable prices. {ssintrepid}
by: ssintrepid On: 2004-01-17
This review is actually for the pair of Bose 301 Series III direct/reflecting loud speakers that I bought way back in 1993 and is a testament to the quality of Bose speakers and specifically the 301 series speakers. I originally purchased them as the front speakers in a system but replaced them in the front with Bose 401s and put the 301s in the rear as surround speakers.In either the capacity of front or rear/surround speakers, the model 301 works beautifully to enhance the listening experience whether as a home theater system for DVDs or just straight out stereo or CD playback. As further testament to the quality of these speakers, if youre seriously interested in purchasing the Model 301 Series V speakers; Ive been using the Series III speakers for almost eleven years now and they work just as brilliantly today as they did when I first took them out of the box and this includes several moves since Im in the military. Although these speakers have now been replaced with the Bose Acoustimass 10 Series III Home Theater Speaker System on my primary system, they are now featured as the primary speakers in a second system and are providing crisp and clear high quality sound, made that much better by the direct/reflecting feature which serves beautifully in enhancing the listening experience. I highly recommend the Bose 301 Series V Loudspeakers to any and all whore looking for high quality sound at an affordable price. As a note of caution, these speakers are not magnetically shielded so I would also recommend either the wall/ceiling mounts or the floor stands that Bose specifically manufactures for these incredible speakers, both at highly affordable prices. {ssintrepid}
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