has anyone used a Bose L1 Model 2 System With B1 Bin.

[voxpop]

Hi Guys,
Has anyone come across this Bose speaker systems.
If so, is it any good ofr bass guitar.


[url="http://www.hwaudio.co.uk/product/bose_67286.aspx"]http://www.hwaudio.co.uk/product/bose_67286.aspx[/url]

Thanks in advance

Also.................. Merry Christmas to all.

Edited December 21, 2008 by voxpop

[stevie]

[quote name='voxpop' post='360266' date='Dec 21 2008, 03:18 PM']Hi Guys,
Has anyone come across this Bose speaker systems.[/quote]

hhhrrghgh sshhshppppt!!

I don't know it but it's probably based on somebody else's design that they've nicked and patented.

[neilb]

This is a compact PA system, not really a substitute for a backline.

Ive head this system (albeit with 2 towers) in use by a band and it sounded phenomenal. Theres no need for monitor systems because the sound comes out of the towers 360 degrees.

Im thinking of researching it further and possible canvassing the band re a joint purchase. Our current PA setup is so bulky and heavy.


Lightweight PA................at last.


No, I dont work for BOSE before you ask!!

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

[quote name='neilb' post='360305' date='Dec 21 2008, 11:24 AM']No, I dont work for BOSE before you ask!![/quote]
Maybe not, but one of their shills will quite possibly show up post-haste, as they have their employees use search engines to find threads like this one to weigh in with less than objective opinions.
The Bose is adequate for bass, but is no better than a 2x10 at 1/4 the cost. As for PA, OK for coffee house gigs, but again grossly overpriced, and won't do large rooms.

[Protium]

Actual product: £1
Bose brand name: £1748

[warwickhunt]

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' post='360333' date='Dec 21 2008, 05:12 PM']Maybe not, but one of their shills will quite possibly show up post-haste, as they have their employees use search engines to find threads like this one to weigh in with less than objective opinions.
The Bose is adequate for bass, but is no better than a 2x10 at 1/4 the cost. As for PA, OK for coffee house gigs, but again grossly overpriced, and won't do large rooms.[/quote]

I researched these a year or so ago and after talking to people who use them (guitarist/vocalist in coffee shop style bands) and people who sell them (you get honest opinions from people who you've dealt with for 20 years); it transpired that even with a 'pair' of their subs, you still wouldn't get the kind of punch you get from bog standard cab designs!

I was told by the guy who retailed them to save my money and walk away... that was good enough for me!

They are supposedly very good for duo's etc doing smaller buskers style gigs.

[whizzzy]

Bose have a forum for the L1 system [url="http://bose.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/frm/f/7521050644"]http://bose.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/frm/f/7521050644[/url] where you can find a lot of information both for and against. Uses generally fall into two very distinct camps, those who swear by them and those who swear at them.

Our band in a previous incarnation used 4 or these towers with associated bins for about 6 months. We were a 10 pc soul band with three vocalists and a three horn players, trying to use the complete system as PA and foldback – it was an absolute disaster causing so many disputes and arguments that the band finally split and reformed as an 8 piece using a conventional PA set-up with conventional mixing desk and sound engineer.

That’s not to say that the Bose L1 doesn’t have its uses. For individual backline amp for keyboards or acoustic guitar reinforcement the tower can sound very sweet and is also great for duo’s and three piece bands playing the coffee shop / wine bar circuits. For serious bass use however save your money and invest in something conventional.

[High score]

I have seen these demoed and to be honest:

- the clarity was superb,
- highly portable and light weight
- well suited to a singer and acoustic guitar where simple works ie set and forget
- superb where space and ease of use was more important.
- monitoring not required due to 360 degree sound field
- they can be linked into external pa equipment
- modular approach so add on is just plug and play

But....

- each column and bass unit was around £1700 so call it £3400 to cover each side of the stage
- limited inputs.......BOSE recommend each instrument has it's own column and bass unit !!
- if a unit goes down you have nothing
- I can't see them being robust enough for a long life, getting horsed in and out of vans meaning they won't roadie well !!
- there is no possible way they would have the head space if there is a larger venue
- with 360 sound field, feed back could be a complete pig and no real way to control it
- really not suited to the complexity of a band

I like seeing developments and in my opinion, a clever idea but NOT one I would go for. There is a lot of mid priced, light weight pa kit out there that could be bought new, could kick out more than enough to fill (with head space) a lot of the venues many bands play in. Further, with careful planning can be expanded on later and integrated into an upgrade.

[crez5150]

Forget Bose L1..... it sucks for band use..... acoustic musicians can get away with it just about...... Have a look at this little beauty...... just done our first gig with it at the weekend.... 4k rig that fits into the boot area in my Audi A4 - [url="http://www.k-array.com/download/KR200S_data_07.pdf"]K-Array Redline System[/url]

Full band through this and we hardly had to drive it.....

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

[quote name='crez5150' post='360466' date='Dec 21 2008, 03:44 PM']Forget Bose L1..... it sucks for band use..... acoustic musicians can get away with it just about...... Have a look at this little beauty...... just done our first gig with it at the weekend.... 4k rig that fits into the boot area in my Audi A4 - [url="http://www.k-array.com/download/KR200S_data_07.pdf"]K-Array Redline System[/url]

Full band through this and we hardly had to drive it.....[/quote]
Probably better than the Bose, at least the sub driver is large enough, though the design appears to not allow multiple subs to be clustered, which is very poor practice. As with the Bose the 2" midbasses are too small to run down to the 100Hz that they need to, and too large to run to 12kHz with adequate off-axis dispersion. The main technical shortcoming of both this and the Bose is that no 2 way system can effectively function across the full 40Hz-12kHz bandwidth required for live sound reinforcement. But in the lower price ranges most PA systems suffer from a myriad of technical shortcomings, so they still might sound pretty good comparatively speaking.

Edited December 21, 2008 by Bill Fitzmaurice

[crez5150]

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' post='360584' date='Dec 21 2008, 11:14 PM']Probably better than the Bose, at least the sub driver is large enough, though the design appears to not allow multiple subs to be clustered, which is very poor practice. As with the Bose the 2" midbasses are too small to run down to the 100Hz that they need to, and too large to run to 12kHz with adequate off-axis dispersion. The main technical shortcoming of both this and the Bose is that no 2 way system can effectively function across the full 40Hz-12kHz bandwidth required for live sound reinforcement. But in the lower price ranges most PA systems suffer from a myriad of technical shortcomings, so they still might sound pretty good comparatively speaking.[/quote]

The Subs can be Clustered.... The Hi-Packs do not get any where near the 100Hz.... obviously as they are 2" drivers.... but do run from 150Hz.... giving a very convincing performance...
I think that for the size of the system and the power output your extremely hard pushed to find anything that matches.

[The Burpster]

Marc,

Yeah I tried it in Sound control in Nottm, with one of their P-basses ( I wasnt shopping for amps but got excited when i saw it) and in honesty it needed 2 of the bass amp driver units (subs) to make it sound 1/2 decent for a P.

I can imagine with an accoustic set in a hotel lobby lounge/bar it would be sweet, but for a bass backline it was thin sounding, and very very expensive for what it was.....

If I had unlimited funds and a huge sw***y pad that I invited my mates over to jam in then I would consider one but for getting the best sound from a bass in a live situation, IMHO forget it.

Shame because I wanted to be blown away by it!

[The Dark Lord]

I'm thinking of replacing our PA for our three-piece band (guitar, bass and drums) with a Bose L1 Model 2 with a B1 bass module with a T1 ToneMatch module.

From what I can assess, it would be fine in a band situation for up to 200 people ..... which is the most we ever do.

I'm checking one out at a music store in Portsmouth tomorrow.

Edited June 9, 2013 by The Dark Lord

[Mr. Foxen]

Bose is one of those marketing over design deals. Go elsewhere.

[The Dark Lord]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1370809223' post='2105908']
Bose is one of those marketing over design deals. Go elsewhere.
[/quote]

Well, I have a Bose system in my Audi TT and it is superb. Utterly superb. I also have a SoundDock 2 which has remarkable sound quality for such a small item.

I'm looking for a system with a small footprint. I'll go and have a look I think.

[Geddys nose]

I tried one in a music shop in the US last year and with music played through it was alright but putting them behind a acoustic drum kit it would be drowned out a little bit IMO, They had a HK Element set up beside it too and that sounded great, actually superb and much louder.

[The Saint]

Hi Dark Lord

I want to get a Bose L1 for an acoustic project, but haven't found a dealer that has one. Where are you going for a demo?

I'm in the Hampshire area for a few weeks..

Cheers

Graham

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

[quote name='The Dark Lord' timestamp='1370808635' post='2105898']
I'm thinking of replacing our PA for our three-piece band (guitar, bass and drums) with a Bose L1 Model 2 with a B1 bass module with a T1 ToneMatch module.
From what I can assess, it would be fine in a band situation for up to 200 people ..... which is the most we ever do.
[/quote]A keyboard player friend of mine has an L1 with two bass modules, and when he does his single act it works OK for his keys and vocals. When he plays with my R&B band only his keys go through it, his vocals go through my PA, and we generally play 200 seat rooms. For singles and acoustic acts they're OK, though grossly over priced. For a real band, forget about it.

[The Dark Lord]

[quote name='The Saint' timestamp='1370810909' post='2105936']
Hi Dark Lord

I want to get a Bose L1 for an acoustic project, but haven't found a dealer that has one. Where are you going for a demo?

I'm in the Hampshire area for a few weeks..

Cheers

Graham
[/quote]

Nevada Music.

[The Saint]

Thanks

Could you let me know how you get on there and which systems they can demo, I'd like to get down there this week.

I first heard this system being used in a bar in Spain a few months back. As soon as I walked in I was really impressed with the sound of the guy doing a solo gig with keyboard and vocals. Their big selling point is the distribution of an even sound across the room and that's exactly what was happening. I did an acoustic solo spot myself using his rig with my guitar and not having to use monitors really appealed to me.

I worked as a sound engineer around 15-20 years ago and would have killed to get a gig to sound as good as that. Things have moved on in every department since then I know, but I still haven't heard anything quite like it.

I would agree that it's not really suitable for a full band, putting every instrument through it FoH and for monitor use, but I've read many reports of people doing just that.


Cheers

Graham

[The Dark Lord]

I went down there this morning. They have the three new models there (Compact, Model 1S and Model II) with all of the accessories.

I had a listen, I really need to see one of these being used as a PA for a three piece pub rock band to be sure.

It fits my requirements perfectly. A PA only for vocals, small footprint (especially in transit) and technical tour de force.

I often buy products without hearing them first not usually at £2,600.

I'm going to see if I can actually hear one somewhere. I see that Bose in the US do trial units - but I don't think they do that here.

[The Saint]

If you find someone using one, please let me know.

What differences did you hear between the L1S and the Model II?

There's a big price hike up to the the Model II.. I'll be interested to hear both systems without a sub, as if they are suitable alone for just vocals and acoustic guitar, it would enable me to buy the Tonematch T1.

Graham

[The Saint]

I had a demo of these units yesterday and was very impressed. I don't envisage me using it in a full band situation, so I just played around with vocals and acoustic guitar. It's eye wateringly expensive, but when you consider that I won't need monitors, FX units and a mile of cables to set it up, it seems a bit lighter on the wallet as well as the back. It's also incredibly quick to set up.

The B2 sub seemed the way to go and I was given a good price for the L1 model 2 with the Tonematch T1, so I might just go for it. None of the systems worked well without a sub.

Graham

[chris_b]

I play with a keyboard player who uses an L1 with 2 bass modules and with his Nord and he sounds fantastic.

The only thing I don't like is that on small stages the pole is right behind my head so it overpowers the other instruments. I make him set it up as far away from me as he can.

Also if he plays in an area with a low ceiling he can't put the top part of the pole up and that gives him impedance issues, and he has to go through the PA instead.
[size=3] [/size]

[size=3]I think Bose will let you take a rig out to try on a gig.[/size]

[The Dark Lord]

I have just pulled the trigger on an ex demo unit comprising: L1 Model II, B1 Bass Module and T1 ToneMatch. A snip at £2,200.

I'm going to see if I can use use it for vocals only in a three piece pub rock band (indie and the like). Won't get rid of the existing PA until I am happy that it can be used for that. I'm fairly certain it will though.

I was offered at 10 day trial unit from the guys at Bose, but decided to just purchase one anyway. I have to say that their pre-sales customer service is prompt, polite and helpful.

Edited June 14, 2013 by The Dark Lord