Kith's Limited Edition Bose 901 Speaker Revives a Historic Midcentury Design
Giving new life to the original 1968 piece, which was Bose’s inaugural stereophonic home speaker.
Kith continues to foray into the home sphere, now partnering with Bose to revive the 1968-born 901 speakers, the audio technology pioneer’s first-ever stereophonic home audio product. The collaborative design, which commemorates Bose’s 60th anniversary, celebrates the midcentury modern characteristics of the original with subtle tweaks to amplify the retro feel.
Ronnie Fieg took to Instagram to share more on the collaboration, “For those that don’t know, the inception of the 901s was a result of Dr. Bose’s visionary pursuit to develop a speaker system that could replicate a live concert in his living room. They leveraged breakthrough technology that used a combination of both direct and reflecting sound to deliver the same immersive listening experience as live.”
To mimic a live concert experience, the original 901 had one driver at the front and eight drivers at the back of each speaker, each strategically positioned to create an immersive sonic experience. However, the technical specs of this reissue have not yet been shared. Fieg tapped craftsman and designer Mark Jupiter, a regular Kith collaborator to bring the updated design to life. “Mark has handcrafted the furnishings in my home and Kith stores around the world, and I couldn’t imagine a better person to bring a fresh perspective to this project,” he continued his post.
In contrast to the original 901, which boasts a metal tulip-style pedestal, the Kith model leans further into the midcentury aesthetic by continuing the wood from the frame on the base with the rubbed brass accents. Additionally, the Jupiter design is softened with smooth rounded edges, unlike the sharp-cut look of the original design.
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However, the release will be extremely limited with only 12 custom sets for friends and family of the two brands in a duo of stain options: white-washed ash wood and natural air-dried walnut.
