# Replace Speakers in Bose 201 V



## bibeed (Sep 26, 2012)

Hi all, 
As money is tight in these economic times, I can't upgrade everything at once. I'd love a new receiver and new left and right speakers, but can't afford either right now. However, I do have a pair of Bose 201 Vs that I am currently using for my left and right front speakers that are paired with a Polk CS2 center speaker. The problem is, as I'm sure all of you know, is that the Bose speakers sound like garbage. Absolute. Garbage. So I took them apart and found a 6.5" woofer and a tweeter, both made out of paper. Ugh. I was wondering if there were any speakers I could buy to replace the woofer and tweeter, perhaps Polk component car speakers, yet still utilize the 201's enclosure that would be a sonic match for the 6.5" and tweeter in the CS2 center. I know the real sonic match would probably be the Monitor 70s or the TSi 500s as they also have 6.5" woofers. But, as money is tight, I was wondering if I could just replace some internals. I know I should just save to upgrade, but I just wanted to gather some thoughts on the matter. Thanks.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

The bigger issue I see here is that you would need to replace the crossovers in the Bose enclosures as well so by the time your all said and done it may been cheaper to buy some used speakers instead of rebuilding them. What do you have for a budget?


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## fbov (Aug 28, 2008)

+1

And crossover design depends on both the drivers and their location in the enclosure. There are some inexpensive kits out there...
http://www.diysoundgroup.com/speaker-kits.html

Have fun,
frank


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## bibeed (Sep 26, 2012)

That's what I was afraid of. I figured I'd just be able to get some cheap speakers to put in there. Anything would be better than the paper ones I would think. But crossovers are a little out of my league. I'll just start saving. Polk has some attractive prices on refurbished speakers on their eBay store. I was wondering everyone's opinions on the different lines of polk speakers. Will I be happy with the sound I get out of a pair of monitor 70s? Would a more expensive line match sonically with my CS2 center? My budget is non existent at this point. However, I don't want to spend my money on something I won't be happy with for a while. I'm sure anything will sound 10 times better than the Bose 201s that I own. I just don't want to have buyers remorse 6 months after I buy something. Thoughts?


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## PassingInterest (Mar 29, 2009)

I'd like to second fbov's suggestion that you look into buying a kit and assemble it yourself.
By doing that, you can get audio performance of much more expensive speakers for a fraction of the cost.

DIYSoundGroup, which fbov mentioned, is a great place to look. The designs are very popular and highly regarded.
These are complete kits, which you just glue together and finish yourself--anyone can paint a box.


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## bibeed (Sep 26, 2012)

I'm very intrigued by the DIY kits on that link. I was just wondering if anyone can describe the sound to me. What kind of speakers are they comparable to? Is the sound and clarity better (subjective, I know) than the Polk Monitor 70s I have been thinking of? If the speakers were to be produced by a boutique company or major company, fully assembled and finished, how much would you pay for them? As I can't hear them, I just want to get an idea of the quality I'd be getting.


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## fbov (Aug 28, 2008)

DIYSound's designs are discussed frequently at PE's Tech Talk. Do some searches for the ONS TM and MTM or the Neo Nanos... Paul Carmody's page is a start - two kits are his designs - but that's just his opinion/rationale. See what others have to say
https://sites.google.com/site/undefinition/diy

Have fun,
Frank


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## fschris (Oct 31, 2009)

I built a couple of the DIYSOUND group kits. They are super easy to assy, easy to build the xo provided you have a soldering iron. You just need some wood glue and a drill. Then some paint. Your first ones will never be perfect or pretty but YOU will love them. Then you will see how great a pair of speakers can sound for 200 bucks. It is pretty hard to screw up those knock down kit though. So ... we will await your build thread!


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## bibeed (Sep 26, 2012)

I really like the looks of the Overnight Sensations. Will they sound better than my Bose 201 V speakers? They will be used as front left and right for my 5.1. However my room is fairly small. I sit 7 feet away from my 65" Samsung plasma. Also, will they work well enough with my Polk CS2 center?


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## fschris (Oct 31, 2009)

bibeed said:


> I really like the looks of the Overnight Sensations. Will they sound better than my Bose 201 V speakers? They will be used as front left and right for my 5.1. However my room is fairly small. I sit 7 feet away from my 65" Samsung plasma. Also, will they work well enough with my Polk CS2 center?


of course they will sound better... build 3... one for LR and one for the center...


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## dsime42 (Mar 4, 2011)

What do you dislike so much about paper cones? :dontknow:


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## bibeed (Sep 26, 2012)

It's not paper cones in general, just the ones in the Bose 201 Vs. There is detail in the speakers, I just feel like the sound wasn't what I was expecting when I purchased them. Had I known there were excellent DIY speakers I could purchase, I probably wouldn't have gotten them. Plus I bought them off Craigslist, so I couldn't return them. To my credit, I only paid $80 for the pair and I'm fairly confident that when I replace them, I can at least sell them for what I paid for (hopefully more).


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## Jstslamd (Nov 30, 2010)

Are you looking at building the original overnight sensations or the mtm version? Just curious.


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## Andre (Feb 15, 2010)

Go back to craigslist and let us know what is available before you buy to get opionions. If you looking for inexpenisve speakers that sound nice I have hear the Fluance and found them acceptable

http://www.fluance.com/product/AVHTB_Surround_Sound_Home_Theater_5_Speaker_System.eng-97.html


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