Audio Systems: Bose 901 advice, bose speaker systems, dual phono

Question
Well, it's time to decide whether to replace/repair/retire my original 901-1 speakers after 35 years - symptomatic of possible surround failure, but very playable with certain programming. Have loved them 100%. Problem 1: nowhere can I find info on opening up the walnut surround cabinet to inspect the drivers. I'd rather not take a come-along to the corners if I don't have to. Problem 2: the 901-6 I've auditioned don't seem to sound as good as mine did originally; is it possible the current model is engineered with shortfalls, either in material or design? Bose has an "exchange" program for about $775 (half the price of retail), but my dillema is whether to keep my vintage vinyl system intact with replacement 901s or spend a thou on what may be lower quality speakers. I'm not running anything terribly exotic - Marantz 2270 & Dual phono - but I'm not ready to give up the warmth of analog just yet. I know Bose is a very touchy subject in the audio community for different reasons.  Any advice?  Thanks!

Answer
Sorry, I am not a Bose fan.  The design criteria for all Bose speaker systems is not to my liking.  That being said, sound quality is very, very subjective and you must set up your own personal criteria for what you like in the sound.  And, I don't track what Bose is doing with their designs because I am not too interested in any of them.

Not too sure what your problem is with the existing system.  Is it just deterioration of the sound quality or is their a specific failure you have detected?    If the speakers are working as original, then why replace them?  If they are damaged, they can be repaired.  There are many shops that will repair the surrounds on the drivers or whatever they may need to bring them back to proper sound performance.

I don't like to give equipment recommendations because of the subjective nature of it.  The loudspeaker is always the weakest link in an audio reproduction system. The differences between different speakers is an order of magnitude greater than what you would find in electronic amplifiers, for example.  So, you are right to focus on their performance.   If the Marantz is working fine, then I would not change anything.

I won't comment on the "warmth of analog" comment other than to say that it has never been proven scientifically that it is so.  Analog sounds different in many cases, particularly from plastic recordings, but compared with good digital, vinyl recordings are grossly more distorted and have surface noises buried into the signal that are virtually impossible to remove.  Further, phono pickup cartridges have the same acoustic reproduction shortcomings of loudspeakers, so an analog system playing back from a vinyl disc is doubly handicapped with resonances, frequency response anomalies and other electro-acoustic weaknesses.  For me, I will take a good digital signal any day over analog.

Hope all goes well with your system.

C