The version V 301's are definitely more stylish than the previous versions. The sound produced is very open and airy, not at all restricted and for their size they do produce a reasonable amount of bass.
As always with Bose there is a twist on the normality of hi-fi, this being that the 301 V has a rear firing tweeter directly diagonal to the front tweeter and faces at approximately 45 degrees. This is supposed to eliminate the "sweet spot" with the intentions of not having to sit directly in the middle of the speakers to get the best results. Surprisingly, as crazy as it sounds, it does seem to work. Personally I think that these speakers are more suited to home cinema or a public area like a bar or restaurant, rather than a dedicated listening room.
The only gripe that I have is the build quality. Bose are still using paper cones in these speakers, the cabinets are veneered chipboard, plastic and spring clip cable connections. Also, if you want to wall mount them with the official Bose WB-3 brackets there is nothing on the backs of the speakers to allow for this. You have to measure and work out the position of the brackets on the backs of the speakers and then drill your own holes in to them!
So, to sum up, I like the looks and the sound but the build quality and design planning is sub standard and as you can imagine that Bose label comes at a price.
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