Best Amplifier for Bose 301 Speakers

Do you own Bose 301 speakers at home? If your answer is yes, then you probably know that these bookshelf speakers sound big already and do a good job with casual listening and background music.

But while they sound good in space-conscious home environments, some homeowners want to achieve a more expansive sound. If such is a case, then you may want to invest in amplifiers. 

These components do more than just making the sound louder. Amplifiers also boost faraway signals. However, you can’t just buy any amplifier for your Bose 301 speakers. 

Matching speakers and amplifiers are crucial to make sure that your 301 speakers will have enough sensitivity that the amplifiers can drive. A good match is also important for the overall presentation and tone of your audio the way the speakers originally sound.

This task may be complicated, but, after considering a handful of factors, we came up with this list to find you a good pairing. As for Bose 301 speakers, a receiver that can handle 4 to 8ohms and up to 150 watts per channel is usually going to be good.

In this guide, we give you the top five best amplifiers for Bose 301 speakers to save you time and help you decide whether they’re worth your money.

Top 5 Amplifiers for Bose 301 Speakers

1. Bose Home Speaker 500 with Alexa Built-In

Product Description

We observed that one of the top-selling points of the Home Speaker 500 is that it uses the proprietary mic technology of Bose, which enables the speaker to pick up commands even when the sound is playing loudly.

It even contains eight microphone arrays for far- and near-field listening. These microphones are adept in picking up voices even from far away, meaning you can comfortably interact with this amplifier or your speaker even when you’re on the other side of the room.

The Home Speaker 500 is compatible with WiFi, Apple AirPlay 2, and Bluetooth. As such, you can stream wirelessly. 

Best For: 

People who want to achieve a room-filling wall sound.

Pros

• Good voice pick-up
• Aesthetically pleasing
• Easily to control
• Instantly connects to Alexa to control your smart home, play music, or get information, among others
• WiFi and Bluetooth compatible
• Wall to wall stereo sound

Cons

• Expensive
• WiFi setup does not always work

Here’s a quick link to where you can buy it! 

2. Polk Audio S35e Centre Speaker, HiFi Speakers

Product Description

The S35e Centre Speaker is an exciting delivery from Polk Audio, perhaps that’s what makes E stands for. Well, anyway, the surround speakers produce a solid front soundstage upon performance test in a dedicated home cinema.

This HiFi speaker also fits in any home. Thanks to its 4”-tall slim profile. It features bass-enhancing tech Power Port and low distortion for an elevated sound.

Another thing we observed, it can handle plenty of power, a wide dynamic range, and tight transients. It can perform well even in lower volumes and is surprisingly sensitive. It can retrieve even the smallest details from the sound.

Best For:

Music enthusiasts who are looking for an enjoyable sonic performance and a balanced surround system, which is capable of picking up the smallest sound details (like you’re right there in a concert hall or studio).

Pros

• Well-made and nice design
• Centre speaker fits even in smaller spaces
• Easy to drive, clear, and detailed
• Dynamic and responsive sound
• Excellent audio quality

Con/s

• Sub could be deeper

Order this product now while it’s available!

3. Bose Direct/Reflecting Speaker System

Product Description

The Bose Direct/Reflecting Speaker System is a blend of technology and smart design features. It provides a balanced stereo sound over a broad listening area and a cinema-like sound quality.

It has a flared slot port design meant to lessen air turbulence. The port geometry and woofer in this system likewise complement each other, allowing you to enjoy realistic spaciousness in the listening zone.

Best For:

Music fans want to recreate the natural spaciousness they experience while attending a live concert/ performance.

Pros

• Wide-sound audio
• Sleek appearance
• With two high-sensitivity tweeters
• automatic protection circuitry
• A wide distribution of sound

Cons

• Cabinet does not feel robust
• Thin bass output

Interested? Click here to buy this product today!

4. Acoustic Audio WS1005 Passive Subwoofer Amp

Product Description

The Acoustic Audio WS1005 Passive Subwoofer Amp is to be used as a passive subwoofer for your in-ceiling or in-wall home entertainment or home theater system.

With a total system power of 200 watts and frequency response of 50 – 200Hz at 4-8ohm, it is enough to produce great sound. Furthermore, this amplifier has an output impedance of 4-8 ohm. 

There are also dedicated RCA and LFE inputs for use from an audio receiver.

Best For:

Audiophiles who want a fuss-free music reproduction that is above average. This is also best for anyone who enjoys and loves home theater as the amplifier makes a powerful addition to a home theater system.

Pros

• Great home theater and surround sound systems
• Compact size
• With LED power indicator light
• Easy on and off power button
• Sub volume and crossover control knobs
• Low Bass Frequency Response of 50 – 200 Hz +/- 3dB

Cons

• Few users experience sound level drop when set to LFE
• Gets a little warm when used so better keep it in the open

Like what you see? Buy this product here today!

5. BOSS Katana  Amplifier – Stage Ready

Product Description

The BOSS Katana Combo Guitar Amplifier takes the popular Katana guitar amp to a higher level as it has a turbocharged core platform with more features, effects, and sounds. 

This stage-ready 100-watt combo amp is versatile and can almost literally do anything. There’s even a database of user-made presets that reproduce popular tones. As for its power, Boss Katana has a 50-watt solid-state power amp.

For recording, simply plug the headphone out into the audio interface or use the USB since both sound good.

Best For:

Every guitarist who is looking for stage-ready and fantastic tunage on a budget. This is also ideal for people who do home recording.

Pros

• Sturdy yet light
• Great tones
• Tons of features
• Responsive
• Five unique amp characters  (acoustic, brown, lead, crunch, and clean)
• Sound excellent
• GA-FC foot controller for complete amp control
• Allows sound customization with updated BOSS Tone Studio software (iOS and PC)

Cons

• No extra input jack

Don’t miss out! Buy this product here before it’s gone!

What to Look for When Buying the Best Amplifier

With different features built into amplifiers, it could be intimidating when you are planning to buy one for your Bose 301. So, here are important specifications or features to consider when choosing an amplifier:

Frequency response

The frequency response of amps allows you to see how the output gain or magnitude response and the phase response change at a certain single frequency or over a range of different frequencies, depending on the design of the circuit. 

Good frequency response is somewhere around 20 Hz to 20 kHz.

Requirement for power

Power output equates to how loud the amplifier can pump out music. The bigger the speakers are, the more power output is needed. A power output of 10W is generally pretty loud already for average listening and 100W is loud enough for most parties.

Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise (THD + N)

THD+N is a measure of how much effect the amplifier has on the sound quality output. Generally, more sound distortion means more coloration of the sound.

On the other hand, the lower the sound distortion, the closer the output of the amplifier will sound to the original sound. At best, choose a THD+N figure that matches your listening preference.

Crosstalk

The undesired signal coupling between the amp channels is called the crosstalk. Amplifiers function to split apart the signals so that when it reaches the speakers, listeners can tell that the singer of the song is standing slightly to the left of the stage, for instance, or that the instruments are towards the right.

It is harder to pick out the positions of sounds and instruments the more the crosstalk there is in an amp. The larger the number following the minus sign (example: -100dB), the better the stereo separation. So, go after that.

SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio)

The bigger the number for SNR, the better. SNR is the difference between the reference level and the noise floor. 

The goal is that the amplifier should make the background noise imperceptible. That way, you hear less of the noise (from electrons whizzing) and more of the music.

Final Verdict: Which One Should You Buy?

Considering the overall performance, we think that the Acoustic Audio WS1005 Passive Subwoofer Amp shines the most among the amplifiers in this list. It’s really simple to install and not complicated to use. 

It’s also a good value amp in normal mode. It is very responsive and gets tight lows when the system handles the highs and mids. Its size is also small enough to be placed on top of the sub.

But we think it’s a close rank with Bose Home Speaker 500 with Alexa Built-In as this device allows you to just instantly connect the Alexa virtual assistant to play the music you want.

To come up with our top pick, we scored based on popularity, reviews, brand reputation, and features quality.

If you enjoyed this article, share it with your friends and colleagues! You may also want to check out our other articles at SpeakerTune.com.

Similar Articles: