Bose 141 in 2019? How Good (or Bad) Are They Now?

Thought this would be a fun video to go back and talk about an old, old speaker; Bose 141s! How do they hold up with today's standards?

[@proteusblack8913]

Put them on the floor or near floor level, preferably on a bottom shelf and near the wall. On your sound settings, slightly increase the high mids and highs. When I did this, these speakers practically turned into full range of standing speakers. It was pretty amazing...

[@Kpaceguy]

Thanks for the advice

[@chrisness]

Wish you would have tested them with a sub. That’s probably a common setup people are interested in

[@SpikeoutBattleStreet]

“Better Sound Through Research” I saw this advertisement on my TV a few years ago. Most reputed American speaker brand with great history as they said. Very good review and sound test. Thanks!

[@Kpaceguy]

Thanks! My pleasure

[@christopherhines2718]

they are not from anything like the 80s,They may look like some older bose speakers that are bigger but are not even related to most if not all other bose speakers,meaning they are not omni directional.A much more conventional design,simple with a full range driver,no electronics inside,I had a set about 14 years ago and an old dutch philips fish eye amplifier,and on 3 watts on the VUmeters i could not understand what i was hearing,super balanced sound and definition and detail i could no believe,good bass too the amp was a philips 22ah561,so i had to find out why this set up sounded so good.so in the end i discovered the fish eye amps are mostly class AB,but the 561 flagship is class a so into 8 ohms maybe 15 wrms per channel,so what i was hearing was a small class a amplifier into bose 141,and the quality was astounding as i said a 3 watts yes 3 watts because around 5 watts per channel it was enough for the neighbours to complain and easily filling a 20 square meter living room with enough sound.So what i am saying is with a good quality amp into bose 141,They can sound rediculously good.That little 4 inch driver in there is a work of art and whoever designed the 141s is a genius.

[@pdsg365]

i can assure you these are perfect as surround left and surround right!.....dnt let the bull shit get to you if you own them.

[@chinyanyie]

Actually when I used to listened these bose single full range speaker, I was surprised the soundstage are wide and powerful from single speaker.

[@adaboy4z]

Ahh man I bought a pair of those is 1993 as a Freshman in college. They sound best in a corner and increase the treble. Memories...

[@budzlightyear2212]

When you put some nice power into a vintage pair of Bose They're pretty impressive 💯

[@camerongrafstrom5589]

I ran a set of 141 thru the bose active equalizer (for 901's) and wow those lil 141"s came alive... ive entertained the thought of getting a bunch of em and putting the drivers in a old 901 cabinet (that needs the speakers replaced) and seeing how that works out

[@eurodj101]

I use 4of those for my small living room with an old center and they aren't bad for what I paid for em used,.... Definitely gonna uograde the front and leave the for surround til I decir otherwise

[@Acoustic_Theory]

The strangely shaped surround creates a mechanical filter that boosts the high frequency output from the speaker by reducing excess midrange output.

[@chinyanyie]

they should use this in the 901 series,if impedance are matching,it could work if found many

[@newENIO11]

try em near field, if possible on desktop. slightly tilted upward and the change in sq might surprise you.

[@joebutta7539]

Those fullrange star drivers are actually very well designed. I'm building a 50" long sound bar using them, ribbon tweeters, and a mini 5.5" subs...even set the sub enclosures up like the old acoustimass 3 systems sub.

[@winfield347]

Poor you.

[@JAFO.]

Great little speakers! Remember, they're 4" mid-ranges which are so well designed and built that they can produce a surprising amount of both bass & treble, but out of a single point source putting everything in close to perfect phase for outstanding presence and location realism (called "Staging") This reviewer has little or no clue, what one ends up with if an active subwoofer is employed, thus stripping off the lower 2-3 octaves from these 141s, is an amazingly present, alive and open soundfield which (especially when the lights are switched off) will produce a feeling of being put right in front of the band or vocalist with such realism of immediacy, you'll be stunned and never able to go back to conventional 2-way or 3-way speakers. Some feel the need for enhanced treble as well and add a ribbon, leaf or even electrostatic super-tweeter or ultra-tweeter by way of an extremely small capacitor, such as a .22ufd - allowing only the highest 1/2 octave from the tweeters so there will be as little phase interruption as possible. There are few mids which can reproduce such wide-band realism - *_for those who KNOW how to best utilize them._*

[@soundscapefusions3101]

Thought high end as you said sounded ok,but to perch them high on top of those big speakers is not how I would listen to them,I would have them on stands in the corner about 3 foot of floor using walls to reinforce the bass.

[@Kpaceguy]

If you have to do all that to sound decent, then they're not good speakers.

[@soundscapefusions3101]

@@Kpaceguy Oh well that's your opinion,I tend to keep a open mind as I have heard many flagship speakers such as the one you compare the 141s with ,its not fair comparison as 141s was a bargain bookshelf speaker,while that floorstander would always have a powerful bass response.

[@Kpaceguy]

@soundscapefusions3101 Well of course. I didn't expect it to rival 70 pound tower speakers. It was made to be a fun video seeing how a once popular speaker faired in today's time

[@soundscapefusions3101]

@@Kpaceguy True good review on these speakers over ten years old and past technology interesting to listen to that little star driver.

[@Kpaceguy]

@@soundscapefusions3101 hoping to make another video like this on another vintage speaker

[@abe4781]

I have had theses for years they still sound good the star driver is the more robust or built 4.5 driver not the ones found in the 901 they sound good depending on what you have the hooked up to. There's nothing wrong with a little book shelf speaker playing good tunes. They can be ran all day and night without fatiguing the ears. If you get over the name and they are very good littke speakers had mine since 1997 they still play very well.

[@optik04]

Yeah dubstep should never be used as reference. A couple of measurement mics and a spectrum analyzer couldn't hurt also. Just sayin' ;) Good luck

[@chrisclose7793]

I've got Bose 251s and b&w dm602s and both sound excellent I believe it all comes down to the kit you put through them

[@chinyanyie]

years ago i thinking using the 251 in my room,but glad didnt do it,they look so bad in a room.

[@ayebee4703]

I don’t care what anyone says! Bose is fantastic! Not everyone wants those gigantic speakers making their rooms look gaudy and overwhelming! I love my Bose system.

[@TheFrugalAudiophile]

Bose is OK, but these days you can get so much more for so much less

[@ayebee4703]

Hindsight Reflections I agree I have heard better in the Magnolia section of Best Buy but the size of those speakers are ridiculous for some rooms. I personally feel people get hung up on the brand and popularity of someone else’s setup instead of buying what’s best for their room. My room is very small, just a recliner and a 4K tv. So towers and centers and atmos and dual subs would be a waste for me. Bose offers big sound in a small package. Not the best on the market BUT the best for my setup! That’s y I love Bose.

[@number1pappy]

Good God! I just spewed hot coffee thru my nose as a result of reading your comment!! I can only "assume" your kidding and made this comment to stir things up!!???....that being said can you please give me your mailing address so I can send you my dry cleaning bill as I have some coffee stains on my shirt as a direct result of your actions!....lol!!!

[@TheFrugalAudiophile]

Retired at 49 One can only hope it was a joke!

[@number1pappy]

@@TheFrugalAudiophile right!!

[@dylanBehrproductions]

Really liking these frequent videos

[@torizo2081]

This video seems incomplete. You ran them worst case scenario which is excellent but what about the best case scenario? I would love a follow up video where you try them paired with a sub and auto eq using the receiver.

[@steveu9211]

THE BOSE 141 SOUNDS CLEAR , U NEED TO USE UR SUBWOOFER TO BOOST THE BASS TONE,,

[@Kpaceguy]

I wouldn't say clear

[@christiaanstaps8336]

@@Kpaceguy they sound dull to me!

[@user-xc7jm2xd9d]

I have a pair of these I bought in the mid-90s. Like many old speakers they sound worse as they age and the materials break down. Mine sound pretty terrible now. I see your pair still has the plastic protective film on the shiny bits - I had mine about 15 years before I noticed it! It was turning purplish and bubbling.

[@Acoustic_Theory]

These are actually quite good garage speakers when used with a receiver that can give them a little bottom end EQ. I remember they came out in the late 1990s (or maybe very early 2000s) along with the 161 and the last series of 601 and 701 towers.

[@damianhaber4890]

The 141 speakers debuted in 1986 and production was halted in 1994. They are inefficient speakers having about 86 or 87 decibels that necessitate good, clean power to sound acceptable.

[@soundscapefusions3101]

@@damianhaber4890 Yea that special 4inch star driver seems interesting handles all bass and treble frequencies. Probably needs good amp and proper set up to perform well.

[@Meating_My_Goals]

So I just picked up a Yamaha rx-v4a (new) and I picked up a Bose Acoustimass 3 sub and cubes (used for 65) and I found then to be tinny, bad mid range and decent mid-sub but lacking the low punch. I picked up the a set of 141 (used for 10) and wired them in parallel to the Bose Acoustimass 3 (after the sub) and am really pleased with the highs from the cube and the mid range from the 141. The cubes were tinny and the 141 were muffled but the combo works well. my next step will be to find a powered sub to run off the sub circuit to get that low end punch! Right now the Acustomass and the 141, I have 75 bucks in second hand speakers.

[@recoveryone1]

No no no, it was the 901 's that put Bose on the map back in 1969. On that one hit wonder and great marketing Bose has remain in a cloud of mystery ever since.

[@johnsimun6533]

One hell of a one hit wonder. Someone needs to tell Vanilla Ice, maybe also Mc Hammer.

[@ericflower9855]

Of course these wont sound good as the main speakers...it's like saying lets use this center speaker as a woofer test.... I've had mine 141's since 1997 as rear speakers and they sound really good...BAD use of these for a test...

[@charlesmckenney9936]

Speakers barely moved. What did you hook up for power? I've seen these do better..

[@Kpaceguy]

1500w at the time I believe

[@johnsimun6533]

To all these hatters here, these are one of the cheapest speakers ever released from Bose. Was reading that these was only $100 brand new, later some people said they seen them for as low as $20 new in store.

[@ronwess]

Hey not sure if your keepin them... but I love ❤️ Bose Speakers.... I’ll take em off your hands ... I’m an instrumentalist and would love putting them in the mix of my setup, PeaceLove&GodBless

[@Poppinwheeeeellllllieeeeez]

Id drill 2 holes...1 for a tweeter, and 1 for a high excursion mini sub and build a 2nd order crossover. I have 301s and they are excellent background music speakers

[@mojorocketman]

You could have used different types of music to test these speakers instead of most people's DIY soundtracks...

[@Kpaceguy]

i can't use anything that is copyrighted

[@mojorocketman]

@@Kpaceguy kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5vdqpawhZWciqM

[@DrRDW]

Unfair comparison since you can't compare bookshelf with floor standing, in most cases. A better comparison might have been using the Polk T15.

[@jonathanl984]

Can these be connected and synced to the Bose Soundbar 600?

[@Kpaceguy]

And how would you do that

[@stillenballen]

Hey Kpaceguy, isn't it fun to hook up some old old equipment just to see how it sounds. That just lends to the reasons to love audio. I have way too many speakers and the wife cant stand it lol. I have recently fallen in love with some amps that I saw on another youtube channel. They are called HH m900. I still intend to use the ashly mfa 8000's for the lower binding posts on the lsim's, but the ashly's are bipolar amps which means they lose a little sparkle when they get warmed up, but the mid to low bass is incredible. A bipolar design can lose hi frequency when warmed up, but the HH m900's are mosfet which means they will loose a little grunt when they warm up. I plan to connect the HH m900's to the upper binding posts on the lsim's and the ashly's to the lower binding posts. They HH m900's are tough to find though because they were made in 1979 and came out of Great Britain. I have found 3 from a guy whom has agreed to ship them to me once we finalize the deal. They are the same amp as the HH v800, but those are going for a bit more than the m900's. I cant wait to try the polks with mosfets on the tops, and bipolars on the bottoms. It should sound amazing. I also started doing some reading on op-amps and I have decided my oppinion resides with team discrete for amping hi frequencies, and team op-amp when amping low frequencies. I believe there is just to many circuites in an op-amp to be refining enough for HF. On the other hand, the distortion made by the feedback loops in an op-amp probably wont hurt LF much at all. I think there is a huge upside there for LF because the super high input impedance on an op-amp should save the pre-amp a ton of work considering how much current is required for low frequency reproduction compared to high frequency. Do you have any preferences in your amplifiers, and have you ever thought about using different amps on the two sets of binding posts on the polks?

[@Kpaceguy]

I definitely want/wish I could experiment with Different equipment BUT that costs money lol and I'm not sponsored or anything so whatever I put on the channel comes right out my pocket! But eventually I'll get there!

[@SpikeoutBattleStreet]

@@KpaceguyIdk. I see other yt reviewers put amazon affiliate links in the video descriptions such that people can show some supports when they are shopping. You might think about this.

[@Kpaceguy]

I'm not necessarily a reviewer channel but I actually just made an affiliate account the other night so we'll see what happens

[@SpikeoutBattleStreet]

@@Kpaceguy Great.

[@chinyanyie]

Try test them with other source,not bluetooth.

[@lukaszynka71]

Bose speakers are ment to be heavily equilized to sound the way they should.

[@renzog572]

Which alternative(s) do you recommend for same sized speakers? (like, not bigger in size) Can I assume this is still way better than any sattelite speaker bundled with a home theater set?

[@Kpaceguy]

Elac bookshelves Kef bookshelves Svs bookshelves Fluance ai40

[@ShadowZero1980]

@@Kpaceguy Do you have model/serie numbers for those? Speakers I find seem to be quite a bit larger (ok, Fluance ai40 seems same size)

[@Kpaceguy]

@@ShadowZero1980 those are just brands that make good quality bookshelves. Nobody really makes speakers as small as bose does

[@ShadowZero1980]

@@Kpaceguy Ah ok, good to know!

[@MrMontana2140]

Sorry dude but your big speakers did not sound as great ether, those two old speakers sound ok for what they are, and is common sense that it won’t produce as much base. For how old and to be just one driver per box is 6/10

[@Kpaceguy]

How are you going to tell me my speakers aren't much better from a KZbin video. Lol. Playing on YOUR speakers.

[@rihe1526]

As you're listening to it from your phone speaker. But the music sucks either way. Terrible.

[@terryharris5688]

Yup. Crap in, crap out.

[@TheFrugalAudiophile]

I’m reminded of the old adage regarding automobile engines, there is no replacement for this placement. No matter how great the technology a tiny cute speaker cannot compete with a floorstanding or even bookshelf speaker. Oh when it comes to applications where size does not matter as much such as with headphones or Bluetooth speakers Bose is great, and they are actually making some decent products in these fields. Are they still a little overpriced? Well yes, but they are of good quality

[@areyesrn]

got 4 of these on craigslist for $20 and yeah, they sound terrible...would never use them as fronts. I remember I made them my "B" speakers so I could switch between A & B and it was glaring...like why were they so popular?

[@TheFrugalAudiophile]

I’m reminded of the old adage regarding automobile engines, there is no replacement for this placement. No matter how great the technology a tiny cute speaker cannot compete with a floorstanding or even bookshelf speaker.

[@Wix12345]

Rubbish these Bose speakers would piss all over much larger speakers I've dealt In audio all my life I've had everything Bose is the best sound Ive ever tested

[@gabe6959]

Okay bose hasnt had the best quality home theater speakers in the past. But now they've gotten alot better in terms of Build quality. Their best sounding system (in my opinion) is the soundtouch 700 and acoustimass 700 combo. Mostly because the sub doesnt need to be crossed over so high that you can hear the vocals coming from the sub. The 650 has the sub crossed over SO HIGH the sub is just so muddy and overwhelming. So i think for the price.... the 650 is terrible. The 650 should literally be 650 dollars & yes arguably there are better options for that price but it would sound pretty great for 650 bucks. For 4k i would rather pay off my car cause thats about whats left on it. i currently have a klipsch setup btw

[@Kpaceguy]

I agree with every bit of this lol

[@rartolak]

Got one to mod a google nest mini into it. Hold up on the why would I do this sort of thing, because the mini is heavily dspd. If I used a minimus 7 or something I'd have to build a crossover to kill the insane bass and treble the mini puts out. These seem perfect for such a situation on the quick.

[@elicheny325]

The bose have more open detail sound, your polk don't have any midrange the polk sound compres Bose with sub gonna be pretty good,

[@JOHNNYL57]

The crap you just played would make any speaker sound like crap.

[@masideanwilliams9933]

I thought you playing a 90's videogame sound track. From across the street through a open window.

[@davidmorgen4558]

To my Knowledge bose dosent Pubilish there specs.Bose Law!.......I pick up some 161s fer $30.00 ,Cheap Luv em!

[@samuelsalins8309]

V clear sound...

[@coolelectronics1759]

there is a chance I might get a set of these for free. Will they work on yamaha receiver? Idea is to replace my klipsch kg2s with these in my bedroom.

[@Kpaceguy]

You can get them pretty dirty cheap. They'll work on any receiver

[@taterjones5544]

This guy has no idea what an eq is. Tune to the speakers strengths. Goober

[@Kpaceguy]

Everyone knows what an eq is. And it's not always the answer. Mind you it is hooked up to an expensive pre processor that has calibration that did equalization for me. Its EQ'd.

[@flynndog]

You didn't use the same song for the a b comparison

[@Wix12345]

None of you people have any idea what you are talking about with your massive hi-fi systems that take up most of your house and space bose is the best audio in the world its small compact size that delivers better sound than much larger speakers do and takes up less space a pair of floor standing loudspeakers couldn't complete with these 141 ive tested speakers my whole life sorry ive had everything and bose is simply the best on the planet

[@Kpaceguy]

🤣

[@richardgould7402]

these speakers need to be played at higher volume to reach their maximum potential. convenional music is best.. not modern stuff. great for your only speakers in an apartment.

[@mynameistylerlol4227]

What were the songs you used to test these old bois out?

[@Kpaceguy]

I don't remember but they should be on screen. Played from spotify

[@number1pappy]

"Bose" acronym = Beastly Overpriced s***ty Eletronics!!!

[@LSxHC]

You should stop spamming how much you hate Bose, it’s a matter of opinion and depends on your ears. Also I love your profile picture Hellcats are my dream car

[@number1pappy]

I believe everyone should drag out some old dusty "bose" speakers every now and then to make us appreciate just exactly what horrible speakers sound like so we can appreciate good speakers again!...lol!!

[@yuk747]

They sound like they where used to the max like a rusty door hinge.

[@lesmatthews459]

Too funny! The only speaker they made that was any good was the 901. Back in the late 70's or early 80's my friend had a set of the 901's and my Marantz Imperial 9's blew them out of the water for less money. Plus the Bose were hard to place. If you didn't have them right - they didn't sound much better than a couple of hundred dollar speaker. Just my opinion. Try some old Advent or AR book shelf - so many brands better than Bose back then.

[@JWGARCIA79]

The Polk sound terrible

[@bxrbsaylaa8262]

You should research more first about different kinds of speakers and how to properly use it before posting videos like this. You cannot combine bookshelf speakers to your tower speakers and powered subs. Bookshelf speaker are stand alone speakers.

[@Kpaceguy]

I didn't combine anything

[@reygranada5689]

Wrong polarity

[@kuluvas2]

😂😂😂 not knowing what they're for and saying they're crap... Oh and no sound meter? I run these as front speakers because I know you need a sub... These are NOT meant for what you used them for... Oh and we can't hear shit dude, not without a great system to reproduce the sound your system is producing...

[@jakemarsh149]

They don't sound good at all. For people that want half decent sound, at best It's ok

[@luiscampos7952]

Bosé, not boss.

[@TheFrugalAudiophile]

There’s no way they got down to 35 Hz, maybe 60.

[@Kpaceguy]

It was there but when I tell you, you had to be DEAD quiet, volume full blast, heavily listening for it, you could hear a lower end just barely!

[@TheFrugalAudiophile]

Kpaceguy You should play a frequency sweep from audiocheck.net and see what you can actually hear.

[@Kpaceguy]

That's actually a great idea

[@johnsimun6533]

Kpaceguy, I have a app on my phone, also a pair of 141. Their not bad, but not good. These are the perfect example of, no high no low must be Bose.

[@damianhaber4890]

I borrowed a pair and ran a test and measured approximately 70 hz to 12 khz at no more than 86 decibels.

[@Wix12345]

You got no idea what you are talking about your set up is crap bose speakers are the smallest best sounding speakers in the world

[@dwalker112]

Sigh, I remember my days as a kid thinking Bose was the absolute top of the line. And then I got educated 😂😂😂 Throw Them Away. 🚮

[@stillenballen]

lol this just about the same for me. There are some rare models of bose that contain some stellar components. I have a, not rare at all, bose 502b and woofer in that thing is like nothing I've ever seen.

[@yurianhuizing2352]

Had the same was 14 when i got a 8inch active bose sub😂, nowww i own 9 bang&olufsen speakers 5 active 4 passive😍😍😍 18 yo now

[@dwalker112]

yurian Huizing 😂😂 yup I remember getting a set of Bose companion speakers I thought I hit the jackpot. Now I’m 20 and have a full Definitive Technology setup with 2 bi polar towers and a supercube lol🤷🏾‍♂️

[@TheFrugalAudiophile]

DannyBoy Same here!

[@mikez-ht7706]

I remember growing up when i was kid also thinking Bose was the best. I will never forget that sound now lol. I used to have the 301 & 601 & the lifestyle T-20 HT, that is till i gotten more into different brands, Bose is overpriced & their speakers are made out of paper cones & no specs, just over rated. Only thing they have going for them is The NFL & their headphones. Hey when you get a chance throw some videos of your HT setup & music demos😁 @kpaceguy

[@Kpaceguy]

Will do man

[@mikez-ht7706]

@@Kpaceguy hey when your listening to 2.0 u dont use your subs do ya? I dont only cause its too much bass. I changed it to full band for 2.0.

[@Kpaceguy]

When you switch it to 2 channel the subs auto turn off

[@mikez-ht7706]

@@Kpaceguy Nice, Yea i have to get some HT video demos to put up. Maybe this weekend. I tried 4K Bohemian Rapsody for only a min & of course KZbin took it off..

[@winfield347]

Awfull speakers.more plastic and chipboard crap.

[@spursdynasty7378]

Bose = garbage. Yet ignorant consumers keep buying them at ridiculous prices. Get some elac, svs, kef or klipsch speakers . These are good speaker brands

[@cristianorsa1888]

Alleluia