Bose S1 or QSC K8.2? - Page 3

zhunter · #31 02-23-2018, 09:24 PM

QSC over L1, all day every day.

hunter

benderman57 · #32 02-24-2018, 06:18 AM

I chimed in on another Bose S1 thread early this week but after having 3 gigs now with my new S1 I just wanted to share a few thoughts having also owned and played for a while though a K8.

First of all they are both great at what they do but be advised. You could play some of the same gigs with them but the Bose S1 is really a different approach and not the same animal.

I am a Bose fan so take that into consideration. I like other more conventional speaker/PA systems and have used and played through many great ones. What Bose did for me is provide better than average sound for the audience and my Trio with great ease. Do I prefer a proper stage setting with a great PA, FOH engineer and all the bells & whistles, maybe but I love what we get out of our L1 system and so does our audience in most cases.

Back to the S1. I used it several ways this week at gigs. First at a solo gig that really the L1 was overkill in the past. The S1 performed flawlessly and did cover the small room with around 50 people really great. Lots of compliments from people who are use to hearing me in the same room with the L1. Their consensus, It sounded really similar and really good. Kinda what I was hearing but always nice to hear what the audience thinks.

Last night I used it as a stage monitor just for my guitar in my Trio which is full drums, Bass and me on acoustic, banjo, mandolin. I can hear my instruments fine through the L1 but being right next to the drummer I always feel I have to crank it in the system to be heard so I usually do use some kind of small acoustic amp close to me so I can hear myself a little more clear.

It worked better for me than anything I've had. I really love the tone out of the S1 if you don't have to push it too hard.

Been doing this a long time and have always found stuff that worked for me, the new Bose S1 just did this a little better, Very happy with it!

varmonter · #33 02-24-2018, 09:28 AM

I keep hearing this in regards to the s1.
"it sounds good if you don't push it too hard"
The OP was a comparison of the s1 and qsc k8.
I'm not sure how the L1 got injected into the thread
but the L1 is certainly not the s1.
So in your observance what happens to
the s1 when you push it too hard?
I too am thinking of purchasing either the s1
or the EAE d6-8. i am leaning toward the eae
only because of its features. both units don't
compare to the qsc or the L1. But i think either
the bose or eae would do fine in a small quiet
room. i am not selling my qsc k10. Eae from
my suggestion is adding seperate eq to the
aux out (upgrade due soon).so i can eq my k10 from the aux out
of the eae. conceivably not needing a board.
this will give me a stage monitor with the eae
and Foh with the k10. for smaller gigs i can use
the EAE. For the price point this is attractive.
Now i also own the AER C60-3. It's a great
guitar amp stellar actually. But it just doesn't
reproduce vocals very well. How do the vocals sound through the S1.

benderman57 · #34 02-24-2018, 10:48 AM

Well it gets pretty loud but it's only 40 watts so you can't really ask all that much out of it. It does spread the sound around much like other Bose products so not really like a QSC K8 or K10. Plainly put if you want a lot of volume out of it the sound will get start getting harsh and not really louder. Just like a lot of other small amps of any kind.

AeroUSA · #35 02-24-2018, 01:18 PM

Agree with that. Vocals sound harsh when pushed. Actually makes my ears tired. It’s a great portable option but I will be taking my K8.2 whenever I can.

varmonter · #36 02-25-2018, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by benderman57

Well it gets pretty loud but it's only 40 watts so you can't really ask all that much out of it. It does spread the sound around much like other Bose products so not really like a QSC K8 or K10. Plainly put if you want a lot of volume out of it the sound will get start getting harsh and not really louder. Just like a lot of other small amps of any kind.

Yea I guess comparing the Bose S1 to the qsc k8
is an apples to oranges comparison. in that they
both sound good at low volumes the qsc is just
a more versatile unit when it comes to type
of venues it will cover.

benderman57 · #37 02-25-2018, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by varmonter

Yea I guess comparing the Bose S1 to the qsc k8
is an apples to oranges comparison. in that they
both sound good at low volumes the qsc is just
a more versatile unit when it comes to type
of venues it will cover.

Totally agree with that. Both great units that will do similar venues but for sure the K8 will handle more. The Bose really sounds great in the right space!

wooster · #38 06-01-2018, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Conquistador

I run a K&K pickup. The Bose has no "mid" eq which would be a serious issue for me since I have yet to meet a K&K pickup that didn't need a mid cut.

Steve

Sorry to resurrect an older thread and to ask a possibly very naive question but I'm considering matching the S1 to a Martin 000 18 to which I intend to fit with a K&K Pure Mini so I'm interested.

Would the addition a K&K Pre-Amp solve this problem fairly easily or not?

Thanks

Methos1979 · #39 06-02-2018, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wooster

Sorry to resurrect an older thread and to ask a possibly very naive question but I'm considering matching the S1 to a Martin 000 18 to which I intend to fit with a K&K Pure Mini so I'm interested.

Would the addition a K&K Pre-Amp solve this problem fairly easily or not?

Thanks

Two things here. To the OP, the obvious answer is BOTH! The Bose S1 Pro for small gigs where portability or lack of power is the primary goal. The QSC k8.2 for when you need more power. You can also use the Bose as your monitor in those situations. I've had the Bose S1 for over a month and we love it. The QSC k8.2 arrives today! Rest assured, a lengthy and detailed review with follow!

Now, as to the quoted question - the short answer is, yes. The K&K preamp will solve all your EQ challenges with the Bose's limited EQ. Depending on your playing style you might be able to get away without it. If you play with a pick, for instance, going straight into the Bose with the ToneMatch switch in either the guitar or mic position might get you a good enough tone.

I use the exact setup you talked about - Martin 000-18 with K&K into the Bose but I also play fingerstyle with the meat of my fingertips and to get the really great tone I'm used to I need a little something. It doesn't have to be the K&K preamp. Any decent preamp will do. I've had great luck with the tiny belt clip K&K preamp, the Boss VE-8 Acoustic Singer, and the LR Baggs PARA DI.

The Kid! · #40 06-03-2018, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

Ya think?

But to a bunch of boat owners on a dock, it was just fine. Plenty of "Sounds good!" and not a single: "You need to scoop the mids."

In all fairness, most people wouldn't be able to articulate if something needed more or less of any given frequency. People generally will tell you if something is "too loud" though.

That often means "too loud" in the wrong frequencies which makes the overall sound displeasing. There's a local cat that plays the same places that I do and many people tell me that he's always too loud.

He's losing his hearing after many years of loud rock bands and he pushes the upper mids and highs in his live mixes. (That's the range of your hearing thats the first to go, so he over compensates)

His mixes sound "shouty" and "harsh" to me, and I know why people describe him as "too loud." It's his EQ, not his volume. Try to explain that to him though, and I'd probably get a dissertation on how he's been doing this longer than me.

Part II:

Everybody is going to tell you it sounds good. I tell him he sounds good. He's a great player and singer so I'm not lying, but his sound is always terrible.

He wants the guitar to sound huge, so he boosts the lows and the highs. He's boosting low frequencies that aren't even there and it sounds awful. Very scooped.

I mean, vocals and guitar are the mids! Why cut the mids?? It makes no sense!

With no mids, there is no punch and clarity, so he attempts to make up for it with sheer volume. There's usually some weird "nasal" upper midrange that gets accentuated somehow too. Maybe that's just the room or the volume.

WAY too much bass in his vocals too. However, when I see him I'm guilty of saying, "Sounds great, man!"

Everybody is going to tell you that it sounds great. You probably do it too.

I don't want to mix on a board without mid sweeps.

Captain Jim · #41 06-03-2018, 09:21 AM

Oh, yeah? Well, I've been doing this since before you were bor... oh, nevermind.

To get back to the original post: I am enjoying the S1. Great sound/tone with guitar and vocal. For a small situation. What it isn't: a big PA. You can carry it with one hand, for goodness sake. Makes a fine monitor with a bigger system.

leew3 · #42 06-03-2018, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

Oh, yeah? Well, I've been doing this since before you were bor... oh, nevermind.

To get back to the original post: I am enjoying the S1. Great sound/tone with guitar and vocal. For a small situation. What it isn't: a big PA. You can carry it with one hand, for goodness sake. Makes a fine monitor with a bigger system.

You're cracking me up Jim! I love the S1 and have yet to 'push it too hard' as I find that I get great coverage at lower volume than with my Loudbox Artist. I think this is a reason Bose doesn't post the wattage as it seems to be a misnomer in this case. Finally, I'm with Jim-I recall carrying my powered Yamaha board and Peavy speakers up to our second floor apartment at 3 a.m. about 40 years ago! carrying the S1 into a gig is pure bliss compared to this memory!

The Kid! · #43 06-03-2018, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

Oh, yeah? Well, I've been doing this since before you were bor... oh, nevermind.

To get back to the original post: I am enjoying the S1. Great sound/tone with guitar and vocal. For a small situation. What it isn't: a big PA. You can carry it with one hand, for goodness sake. Makes a fine monitor with a bigger system.

Exactly. The S1 seems like a great solution to certain gigs, doubles as a monitor for bigger gigs, and triples as a busking amp with battery power. I see no downside.

Captain Jim · #44 06-03-2018, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Kid!

Exactly. The S1 seems like a great solution to certain gigs, doubles as a monitor for bigger gigs, and triples as a busking amp with battery power. I see no downside.

Plus, I see on another thread that folks are using it (the S1) with bluetooth for movie night! Try that with your K8.2s.

The Kid! · #45 06-03-2018, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

Plus, I see on another thread that folks are using it (the S1) with bluetooth for movie night! Try that with your K8.2s.

I don't see lack of bluetooth as a deal breaker, but it's a nice feature. The QSC K series has RCA jacks, so that you can still use it for movie night. If bluetooth makes things more useful to you, that is understandable.

On that note: A K8 would be more useful to me, personally as part of a modular PA. It can be used as FOH, as a monitor, a side fill, an acoustic guitar amp, even audio playback for movie night with an 1/8" to RCA cable.

If I had a bunch of gigs that the S1 would work for, I'd be all over it. I have none that it would work for, and since I already own a small format mixer, a small powered speaker makes more sense to me. I mainly gig my Line 6 L3T over a Yorkville NX720s 15" sub.

I'd love to be able to gig a smaller system, but I need to move more air at the places that I play. The L3T is a three way box and with the active crossover and sub, it's a four way system. It sounds incredible at any volume. Full, clean, clear, and warm.

Add a board with mid sweeps and some decent FX, and I realize why I haul so much stuff.

I don't need the sub for some of my smaller gigs, so the L3T by itself is my "small" system. It has a 2 channel mixer on the side with sweepable mids on both channels. It's just as easy to set up as the S1 except for the fact that it's 60lbs.