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Poster:	dead-head_Monte	Date:	Apr 2, 2011 7:43pm
Forum:	GratefulDead	Subject:	Re: Bear vs Bose

I used Bose 901 speaker arrays to achieve the sound Bear describes, but on a much smaller scale. Bose conducted research into psychoacoustics and eventually clarified the importance of a dominance of reflected sound arriving at the head of the listener, a listening condition that is characteristic of live performances. This finding led to a revised speaker design in which eight of nine identical small mid-range drivers (with electronic equalization) were aimed at the wall behind the speaker while one driver was aimed forward, thus ensuring a dominance of reflected over direct sound in home listening spaces, replicating the dominant reflected sound fields listeners experience in live performances.

The new pentagonal design, named the Model 901, was a very unconventional design for speakers at the time (which were generally either full-size floorstanding units or bookshelf type speakers). The Model 901 premiered in 1968 and was an immediate commercial success, and the Bose Corporation grew rapidly during the 1970s.

Bose model 800 speakers (and re-wired model 901 speakers) were excellent speaker arrays for PA systems. These Bose speaker arrays are aimed facing forward, into the audience. Bose speaker arrays were a "best choice" used by many musicians for accoustic instruments and vocals. You have Bear passionately mentioning accoustic sound for Old and In The Way.