Bose 601 Series II & III

Name: Bose 601
Brand: Bose

A floor-standing direct/reflecting loudspeaker system designed to deliver 901-like sound at a lower cost

Overview

The Bose 601 is a floor-standing loudspeaker system sold as both the Series II and Series III. It was designed to bring the acoustic performance of the flagship 901 system into a more affordable form. The multi-driver layout builds a balanced, room-filling sound field. The 601 relies on wall interaction and driver placement to get its direct/reflecting effect, so where you put it is a big part of the design.

Specifications

Model Rating Method	2-way, 6-speaker, direct / reflecting system, floor type
Low Band Units	20 cm cone x2
High Range Units	7.5 cm cone x4
Crossover frequency	1.5 kHz ~ 2.5 kHz (Dual Frequency System)
Impedance	8 Ω
External dimensions	14 by 29 1/2 Inches (front), 13 Inches deep
Weight	16.4kg
Original price	$890 per pair

Design

The Bose 601 uses a "Direct/Reflecting" design with five of six drivers mounted in the upper enclosure. Two 20 cm woofers handle the low frequencies. Each sits in an independent sub-enclosure, connected by a sub-port that controls standing wave effects and guides back pressure to the main chamber. The lower frequencies leave through a top-mounted port. Four 7.5 cm cone tweeters are arranged in a 360° unobstructed layout, angled to radiate sound in all directions. Two of the four tweeters increase outward energy at higher frequencies through a crossover network with a bypass capacitor. The crossover is dual-frequency, with both woofer and tweeter operating between 1.5 kHz and 2.5 kHz, which reduces point source effects. The tweeters use a special pulp with high internal loss and Young's modulus. The voice coils use a space rocket-surface-treated polymer for heat resistance. A control switch toggles between asymmetric and symmetrical tweeter output, depending on room placement. The speaker is meant to sit near the back wall, with three drivers radiating upward to keep the balance when it is near furniture.

Context

The Bose 601 was developed as a more affordable alternative to the 901 system. It uses similar acoustic principles, including the free space array method and the indirect/direct sound balance derived from live performance modeling. Bose’s focus here is room-filling sound through reflective acoustics, not forward-focused directivity.