Bose 901

I had my first introduction to Bose 901 speakers in 1969 as a college student in Boston.  All of the record shops that were worth patronizing had the new Bose product, matched with huge Carver amps that drove all 18 of the 4" full-range speakers (9 in each cabinet: 1 in front, 8 in back) with over 200 watts of power.  Their sound inspired awe and sold a whole lot of vinyl, although we always felt a bit disappointed when we returned home and found that the music didn't seem quite as stirring or awe-inspiring as it had been in the store. That experience remained fairly vivid for 40 years, and during a recent visit to the Bose Store in Rehobeth Beach, DE (to check out an iPod speaker) I discovered that the 901 still is in production, now in it's 6th iteration. While still somewhat pricey ($1398), though far less so than true audiophile components, I realized that I could now easily afford them (my own children have now graduated from college), and I began to ponder ...  Ultimately, I found a great buy on eBay for a pair of Series IV speakers, with equalizer, which are now about 25 years old.  I replaced the foam cone surrounds, which disintegrate after about 20 years, and had the equalizer reconditioned with all new capacitors for fifty bucks.  The Result: the awesome, spacious sound I recall from the Summer of Love.  I've since been inspired to purchase a bunch of new and old music, and I'm enjoying myself in ways that I had forgotten was possible (particularly without an "illegal smile").