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Thread: amp info bose 1801

  1. #1
    Senior Member greyhound's Avatar
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    amp info bose 1801

    currently im using a denon pma qs10 amp. its an intigrated amp thst gives 50 watts at 8 ohm but doubles it at 4 ohm. it still sounds a bit to nice (too audiophile) so im looking to improve.
    im in the fortunate position of buying the bose 1801 power amp. theres not much info on it here and certenly no first hand experience with it.
    any one over there who knows this amp. i know its big and powerfull but is it suitable as a home amp?
    it will have to drive the century gold speakers who can coop with 800 watts in peak.
    am i a fool for this change or should i go for it.
    finally i have a pair of 604 8g's....there not easy to find in the netherlands

  2. #2
    RIP 2021 SEAWOLF97's Avatar
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    This is the Bose 1801 power amplifier. Probably the biggest home audio amplifier ever made in size and weight. It is rated at 400 watts per channel in a 4 ohms load. The heat sink goes all around the side and back, which makes it awkward to move. Take a look at the size of the transformer, sign of huge power delivery. Each channel has 14 TO-3 cased transistors, all of the same type. It is a quasi complementary output circuit. You can replace the originals with SD555.

    This unit had one channel defective. A hot resistor melted the solder and two output transistors blew. A common problem for these amps is a zener diode which shorts and causes a resistor to flare up therefore damaging the printed circuit board, making the amp unusable. Bose does not sell these proprietary parts anymore which makes' it difficult to fix. It is a monster well worth keeping
    http://www3.sympatico.ca/sireno/vintage_audio.htm


    http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread/t-20439.html
    Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles

  3. #3
    Senior Member greyhound's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SEAWOLF97 View Post
    This is the Bose 1801 power amplifier. Probably the biggest home audio amplifier ever made in size and weight. It is rated at 400 watts per channel in a 4 ohms load. The heat sink goes all around the side and back, which makes it awkward to move. Take a look at the size of the transformer, sign of huge power delivery. Each channel has 14 TO-3 cased transistors, all of the same type. It is a quasi complementary output circuit. You can replace the originals with SD555.

    This unit had one channel defective. A hot resistor melted the solder and two output transistors blew. A common problem for these amps is a zener diode which shorts and causes a resistor to flare up therefore damaging the printed circuit board, making the amp unusable. Bose does not sell these proprietary parts anymore which makes' it difficult to fix. It is a monster well worth keeping
    http://www3.sympatico.ca/sireno/vintage_audio.htm


    http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread/t-20439.html
    the owner has changed some components like elco's en transistors and its been done by a well known company. it looks pretty mint and he's asking 500 euro thats less than 500 dollar. im realy tempted to buy it. espacially since i like the vintage stuff so much. im playing guitar music mostly so it doesnt have to be to sutble you know. guitars should sound like a V8 engine if you know what i mean.
    finally i have a pair of 604 8g's....there not easy to find in the netherlands

  4. #4
    Senior Member alskinner's Avatar
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    I have two Bose 1801s and a Bose 1800. I have found them to work well with JBL speakers. I run an 1801 on my 4344 clones and find it one of the best matches so far. Besides the zener diode mentioned ealier there are also some of the caps on the driver board that it really pays to change. The main thing to watch out for is like the Phase linear 400 if the 1801 blows output transistors it will take the speakers with it. This was especially true in the lower serial numbered units. Bose did a modification that tiook care of this in the later units. I keep mine on 24 hours a day and have not had a problem with it over the last 3 years. If you are interested in the 1801 it would pay to buy a service manual for it. They can usually be found on e-bay for about $12.00. Also at about 90 pounds it's a chore to move around.

    Regards
    AL

  5. #5
    Senior Member greyhound's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by alskinner View Post
    I have two Bose 1801s and a Bose 1800. I have found them to work well with JBL speakers. I run an 1801 on my 4344 clones and find it one of the best matches so far. Besides the zener diode mentioned ealier there are also some of the caps on the driver board that it really pays to change. The main thing to watch out for is like the Phase linear 400 if the 1801 blows output transistors it will take the speakers with it. This was especially true in the lower serial numbered units. Bose did a modification that tiook care of this in the later units. I keep mine on 24 hours a day and have not had a problem with it over the last 3 years. If you are interested in the 1801 it would pay to buy a service manual for it. They can usually be found on e-bay for about $12.00. Also at about 90 pounds it's a chore to move around.

    Regards
    AL
    i never switch off my amp so it will be glowing for 24/7
    i wont play it very loud but what kind of behaviour causes the trans to blow?
    the 90 pounds are no problem (im a powerlifter for a hobby)its more the way you hold it because of the cooling ribs.

    what do you mean with "watch out for the phase lineair"
    finally i have a pair of 604 8g's....there not easy to find in the netherlands

  6. #6
    Senior Member hmolwitz's Avatar
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    Schematic

    I phoned up the folks @ Bose and they mailed me a schematic No Charge.
    I bought it with one side blown been working beautifully for years, nice amp.
    Harry

  7. #7
    Senior Member greyhound's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hmolwitz View Post
    I phoned up the folks @ Bose and they mailed me a schematic No Charge.
    I bought it with one side blown been working beautifully for years, nice amp.
    Harry
    thats good to hear. im rwaly getting exited because my amp (thats for sale) is quite popular so it seems.
    finally i have a pair of 604 8g's....there not easy to find in the netherlands

  8. #8
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    I do remember those amps when I worked in a Bose dealership in the mid-70s. We went through 2 Barzilay shelves before we found one strong enough to support it.

    Yes, one of them also had the instability problem that led to both amps going bad at the same time and it took out a set of 901s - all 18 drivers!, too.

    I think we sold one of the 1801s but sold many, many Crown DC300s mainly due to our loss of confidence in the amp.

    Still, it was fun to watch those big meters bounce along with the music.

    Cheers,

    David

  9. #9
    pentictonklaus
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    Yes, one of them also had the instability problem that led to both amps going bad at the same time and it took out a set of 901s - all 18 drivers!, too.

    I think we sold one of the 1801s but sold many, many Crown DC300s mainly due to our loss of confidence in the amp.


    I had that Bose about 20 years ago. It took out all drivers in a Dynaudio 5000 one morning at startup. Very expensive 1/4 of a second.
    DC prevention curcuit is a must on these amps.I run DC 300 after, but
    the crown does also benefitt from DC prevention curcuits.

    Klaus

  10. #10
    Senior Member greyhound's Avatar
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    the bose deal didnt get trough. instead i have now a pre and power combination from bryston. this is a big improvement over the denon. i was looking for a american amp but levinson and krell were just to expensive.
    the controll over my century's have improved a lot and they sound like a happy marriage. im getting closer to my ideal sound thats a bit like PA but also capable of playing mozarts requim.
    of course there is a humming sound in the back so i might have to replace the tranformator and the condensators. the importeur here in holland is giving me a hard time with the warranty so if they dont fix it ill have to do it myself. they are build rather simple so i can pull it of i think.
    anyway thnx for the bose input.
    i still love the look of Vu meters.
    finally i have a pair of 604 8g's....there not easy to find in the netherlands

  11. #11
    Senior Member greyhound's Avatar
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    i finally got it.
    its in gtreat shape and sounds even better. lost of control especially in the loweer regions. we replaced the zener diode wich was in bad shape and took out 2 transistors. it kept on playing though. after have seen it opened its a real nice handmade beast. the frase "they dont make em like they used too "comes to mind when you browse through it. thick printplates, large powersupply. realy beautifull.
    why on earth didnt bose continue this course in stead of the crap they make today i will never understand.
    well anyway im a happy owner now.
    finally i have a pair of 604 8g's....there not easy to find in the netherlands

  12. #12
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    I'm using a Bose 1800 (same amp, different package) to power a pair of Altec Lansing 816 cabinets for the fronts on my Ht. I bought the 1800 because I have an 1801 that I bought new in 1973. It was in a house fire and still worked. It has failed twice since then but it gets fixed and I still like it. These amps are happy delivering large amounts of current. I'm a big fan of speaker fuses and I keep 4 amp fuses on the outputs. Playing music wil lnever take an amp near its rated output unless you really like distortion.

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    I am a big fan Bose 1800 as I have been using it for such long time, I agree with you about the large amounts of current this one can deliver which makes it really astonishing!


    Quote Originally Posted by ray134 View Post
    I'm using a Bose 1800 (same amp, different package) to power a pair of Altec Lansing 816 cabinets for the fronts on my Ht. I bought the 1800 because I have an 1801 that I bought new in 1973. It was in a house fire and still worked. It has failed twice since then but it gets fixed and I still like it. These amps are happy delivering large amounts of current. I'm a big fan of speaker fuses and I keep 4 amp fuses on the outputs. Playing music wil lnever take an amp near its rated output unless you really like distortion.

  14. #14
    Senior Member Audiobeer's Avatar
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    Thier speakers are absolutely incredible. Just having fun folks. I wonder what if the Wave had Preouts and Ins to use with the 1801?

  15. #15
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    Bose 1801 Power Amp

    [QUOTE=greyhound;177251]currently im using a denon pma qs10 amp. its an intigrated amp thst gives 50 watts at 8 ohm but doubles it at 4 ohm. it still sounds a bit to nice (too audiophile) so im looking to improve.
    im in the fortunate position of buying the bose 1801 power amp. theres not much info on it here and certenly no first hand experience with it.
    any one over there who knows this amp. i know its big and powerfull but is it suitable as a home amp?
    it will have to drive the century gold speakers who can coop with 800 watts in peak.
    am i a fool for this change or should i go for it.

    "I have owned one of these for over 35 years now. If you want information on this amp, email me at [email protected] and I will send you a copy of the owners manual, service manual, and other information that I have. It will be in a pdf format." Whatever you do, if you have one that is in good condition, do not sell it. It is one amp that a lot of people would love to own. I also have the Bose 4401 pre-amp. I also have owned a set of Bose 901's for about the same time period. I now have the Bose 901 Series VI and I would not buy any other speakers but these. I have audition speakers costing $60,000.00 and more and I will say hands down, the 901 is the best. They must be set up correctly in order to get the best out of them, but once you have done that, you will hear why I am saying they are the best."
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    Last edited by marvinf; 12-10-2013 at 11:49 AM. Reason: Add some more content and correct spelling.

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