Bose 401 Direct/Reflecting Speakers
Floorstanding speakers using Bose's Direct/Reflecting technology to create a wide soundstage through controlled sound reflection.
Overview
The Bose 401 is a pair of floorstanding speakers built to copy the spatial feel of live music by mixing direct and reflected sound. They use Bose's proprietary Direct/Reflecting principle. Two woofers and a tweeter are arranged to send sound forward and also toward the side walls of the room. The aim is a concert-hall sense of depth and presence. Two finishes were offered: 401B in black and 401T in teak brown.
Specifications
| Design Type | 2-Way, 3-Speaker, Bass Reflex System |
| Drivers | For low band: 16 cm cone x2, For high pass: 5.1 cm cone type |
| Impedance | 4 Ω (main source), 8 Ohms (additional sources) |
| Power Handling | 100W (peak IEC) |
| Crossover | Dual Frequency Crossover |
| External dimensions | Width 305 x Height 762 x Depth 305 mm |
| Weight | 14.3 kg (main source), 28.5 pounds (~12.9 kg) (additional sources) |
| Original price | ¥139,600 (per pair, circa 1992) |
Design
The Bose 401 uses a Direct/Reflecting design with a cross-firing system and Radial Energy Array technology. Below 1 kHz, both 16 cm woofers work together for strong bass output. Between 1 kHz and 3 kHz, the woofers split duties. The outer woofer reinforces the side-wall reflections, while the inner woofer and the 5.1 cm tweeter project sound at a 45-degree inward angle. Above 3 kHz, the tweeter handles all output. The tweeter uses magnetic fluid for cooling, lower distortion and durability. A heat-sensitive circuit protects it by limiting current during overloads. The crossover network overlaps woofer and tweeter output over approximately one octave to keep phase shift and response irregularities down.
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