Opinions on the Bose L1 Systems

[Brendan @ Heartbreaker Guitars]

guys, what's your opinion on this system for the money??

[Gizmot]

The Bose system doesn't deliver the output or the sound quality that it should for what it costs. You can do a lot better for less than Bose.

[jseth]

I have had a Bose L1 Model I Classic for 4 years now... bought it used with one B1 (subwoofer), a T1 tone generator/mixer and a new Shure Beta 58 A - got all of that for $2k from a Guitar Center in Gilroy, Ca.

It is a fabulous system! Truly amazing... I've been performing for over 40 years, and have been waiting for someone to design something like this the whole time... in my estimation, it is absolutely the perfect system for acoustic guitar and voice! For what it's worth, I was not a huge Bose fan prior to owning this system...

It has a curiously effective method of dispersing the sound... the effect on the audience is "kind of" being surrounded by the music, as opposed to the standard "point the speakers at the people and shoot" PA's I've used, heard and played through... with the main tower 5 or 6 feet behind me and slightly off-center, I can hear myself perfectly, with ZERO feedback issues, while the folks at a table in front of me can both hear and talk, without raising their voices much, if at all... and people who are sitting 30 or 40 feet away can hear me just about as well as I can hear myself! It really is quite different from even a really nice PA system of the standard type... the sound even seems to work it's way around corners!!!

Now, don't get me wrong - I have owned and had the experience of many wonderful sounding PA's in the past - but the Bose is something else! I like the fact that it has a quite small "footprint" on stage and is relatively simple and fast to set-up/teardown. At 61, I wish the base unit was lighter than 30#s, but it's a far cry from schlepping a power amp, mixer/fx rack, 2 speakers, stands...

I was put off by the fact that the Classic does not have ANY effects in it, but my experience has been that it sounds wonderful without any reverb or delay, that the natural room reverb seems to suffice... This thing makes ME PLAY BETTER! Because it is so accurate and clean, I can hear it when I'm a bit off; I had not realized that I was actually using reverb and delay to "hide" a bit, but I was leaning that direction...

The bottom line, for me, is that it is truly a wonderful PA, when used the way it was designed to be used... the sound is so different that I think a lot of folks don't "get it", or they don't give it a chance... plus, Bose designed these things PRIMARILY for one player/voice. They are pricey, so I think that a lot of folks try to put more through it than it was intended to have. I don't know how they'd sound with 5 or 6 different sources coming through it...

I'd say they are over-priced for a new one... well worth it for a used one at a better price... I can't say enough about the Bose L1 system!!! Like AER or Acoustic Image, they are costly, though...

play on...................................>

John Seth Sherman

[Rod Neep]

Best PA I have ever bought! I have had mine now for around 4 years.
For up to two acoustic guitars and two microphones it is simply superb in every way.
Excellent clean sound.

Rod

[rmyAddison]

Not a fan here, too small speakers, overprocessed, very poor subs. SoloAmp is cleaner, less processed, and if you need to (doubtful) you can add a real sub and still spend less. Did a Bose/SoloAmp A/B at my local GC years ago and nobody preferrred the Bose.

My opinion, Bose has the most extensive marketing and most overpriced products in electronics. I am big time into home theater/high end audio, many audiophile friends, Bose isn't even a consideration, hype over substance. Sorry, I really dislike Bose products, there's so much better out there for less money.

[SpruceTop]

I like my Bose L1 Model II the best of any of the many systems I've owned. It's the last system I'll ever need for solo-/duo-performance. With the new L1 Model 1S, a player can have most of the great features of the top-of-the-line L1 Model II but at a significantly lower price point. I heartily recommend the Bose L1 Model II and Bose L1 1S for acoustic-music performance whether for a singer/guitarist, or for a duo featuring a singer/guitarist with a singing partner playing electric/acoustic bass. These are full-range music PA systems with great dispersion for small-to-medium-size venues.

Regards,

SpruceTop

[Larry Pattis]

I owned a Bose L1 for about 5 years, and then switched to the L1 Model II (with T1 ToneMatch Engine) and both give performance far better than the earlier, much more expensive component system that I owned.

The T1 also operates as a pre-amp for guitar(s) when I am plugging into a house PA.

It's a portable and fabulous sounding invaluable tool for a solo performer.

[open-road-matt]

Value for the money is always tough.

If you are unable or don't need to take advantage of the benefits of something, you will probably feel that it is over priced. However, if your performing situation allows you take advantage of the benefits, you will probably feel like it's money well spent.

When I evaluate any piece of musical equipment I do so based on several categories: portability, ease of set up/tear down, build quality, customer support, sound quality, performance enhancement (i.e. what if anything does it add to the quality of my show.) For sound systems I'd add in venue coverage/sound disbursement and I'm sure there are some other factors in there too.

So I evaluate all of those things based on what I play, where I play and what I hope to do with my music and that helps me decide if something is worth the money.

For what I do, there simply isn't anything else on the market that does what the Bose L1 system does. Period. To switch to anything else would mean me giving up something I'm simply not willing to give up.

I bought my first L1 in January of 2005 so I'm closing in on 8 years of touring with different Bose systems. I bought my current L1 Model 2 the day they came out. I think spring of 2007 and I have beat the hell out of that thing. I've played in the rain, the snow, the hot summer sun. Hundreds of shows in all kinds of different places so I feel like I've gotten a ton of value for my money.

Here are my benefits:

Portability: I travel in a Toyota Camry getting over 30 mpg even when I'm all loaded down for a long road trip. All of my music equipment minus my guitar fits in the trunk. Is the Bose L1 the most portable? Not even close. An acoustic amp like rmyAddison suggested would take up a lot less space but since I need to provide sound for almost everything I do, I can't get by with just an amp. For what I do I would argue that there is nothing more portable than allows me to fill as big an area with sound as the L1.

Ease of setup/tear down: If I really, really have to, I can be up and running in minutes! I hate when I have to do that, but sometimes that's the way it goes. Again, there are probably set ups that would allow me to move even faster but the L1 is a very simple setup. I can set up my L1 Compact faster than I can my L1 Model 2. It just depends on where I'm playing and what I need for the show.

Build quality/customer support: As I mentioned, my Bose gear has been through a lot. I've never had a single problem with any of my big L1 systems or my T1 mixer despite all the abuse. I did have a bad channel on my Compact. Bose fixed that super fast under warranty. I've been very happy with the quality and the support from Bose.

Sound quality: I love the vocals through all of my L1 systems. My acoustic guitar is OK. This is one of the trade offs. I think when people talk about the compressed sound or things of that nature with the Bose stuff, I hear that on acoustic guitars. My guess is that is a result of the same technology that allows me to fill a city block with music and stand a few feet in front of the thing. Of course an acoustic amp like the SoloAmp, Schertler Unico, AER, etc would give me a much better acoustic guitar tone. I owned a Unico for a while and I loved my guitar through the Unico but comparing acoustic guitar amps to sound systems doesn't make a lick of sense. They are two different creatures. For almost the same amount of set up I'm using a full sound system. I also know that I'm a singer/songwriter who plays the guitar. No one is coming to see me based on my acoustic guitar tone. I've also worked within the confines of what I have to make things sound as good as I can. Plus the subs allow me to play my Porchboard! Can't do that with an amp.

Venue Coverage/Sound Disbursement: This is really where the Bose shines. I play mainly outdoors. A lot of festivals, concerts in the park, etc. My audience or potential audience is not always sitting right in front of me in a concert type setting. The Bose can fill very big spaces with nice, ear pleasing sound. This is a huge advantage at outdoor shows. I've had people come and find me and buy CDs at festivals because they hear the music from far away. It's also great indoors. People can hear me throughout a venue without the music being too loud for anyone. One thing the Bose does not do well is beat people over the head with loud music. So if you play in rowdy, raucous pubs, the L1 might not be the best choice. I'd say the L1 is a bad weapon to take into a volume war. (I would also argue that no one ever wins a volume war!)

Performance enhancement: The L1 has made me a better player. Since I started hearing exactly how I sound, I've become a better singer, a better guitar player and better at making sure I'm presenting my audiences with a better overall mix. I also started selling more CD's when I switched to the L1 and I've had countless venues tell me that I am able to get a better sound than anyone else who plays there.

Sorry for the long post! I could go on and on!

What I do and where I do it allows me to take advantage of all of the benefits of a Bose L1 and since there isn't anything else on the market that hits all of these marks so nicely for me, the L1 is absolutely worth the money.

Hope that helps,
Matt

[TerryAllanHall]

Originally Posted by Gizmot

The Bose system doesn't deliver the output or the sound quality that it should for what it costs. You can do a lot better for less than Bose.

That sums up my feelings, as well.

[donh]

Originally Posted by Heartbreaker1

guys, what's your opinion on this system for the money??

I have no interest in Bose for *any* money. In my day job we do our best to remove as many of their stuff from service as we can manage - our customers get really happy when we do.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Heartbreaker1

guys, what's your opinion on this system for the money??

Hi Hb1...

I've heard some really great groups through the system. And really enjoyed sitting and listening in a café environment. It didn't intrude on the bluegrass group that used it, and it handled the folksinger really nicely too.

I didn't get hung up on noticing the system in the mix.

Visited a mobile church meeting in a conference room which used a pair of them (one on each side of the room) and it worked really well. Again, not invasive to the experience.

[Bobby1note]

Originally Posted by Heartbreaker1

guys, what's your opinion on this system for the money??

My initial impression is, it's not worth the $3200. asking price (Sweetwater) for an L1 model 2 with Tonematch and one B2 bass module.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/L1m2B2T1/

That said, I'm probably looking at this set-up a little differently than some folks here. I can't afford to look inward, and ask myself "is this a good P/A"? I have to look outward (the crowd/venue,conditions), and ask myself, "is this a good P/A for the job I have to do"? (crowd coverage/spl). With almost any P/A application, you need a certain degree of scalability (varying number of speakers depending on crowd/conditions.) Scalability is not the Bose systems' forte.

I won't argue for a second, that it may be a fine sounding system for the correct application. I haven't heard one, so I can't say what the limitations are. I do know that Pat Metheny uses up to 12 of the Bose L1 Model 2's on stage, for his "robot band". This is not about "crowd coverage" however; it's to provide Pat with a more realistic sound experience "for him" as he plays.(point sources for various instruments around him) According to Pat's sound-engineer however, the stage set-up covers roughly the first eight rows of the audience, and the "rest" have to be covered with a traditional P/A system, and we're talking about a quietly seated audience here,,,, not some rowdy bar scene.

Interview with Pat Metheny/Bose L1.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CEozzi-ng8

David Oakes interview (Pat's sound engineer)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_v5D1XZVuk

[mchalebk]

"what's your opinion on this system for the money?"

For the money, there are a lot of options that can get the job done for less money. Count me as one who thinks the Bose L1 systems are overpriced. Also count me as a satisfied owner of an L1 Classic.

I think it's very important to take into consideration all aspects of a sound system, how you might use it, how many instruments, what kind of instruments, what kind of venues, what size of venues, how many people you'll be playing for, etc., before deciding if an L1 is for you.

For me, I love how the line array effect of my Classic carries such a long way, yet allows for stage volume to be moderate. While using an iPod to play background music at my church Fall Festival a few weeks ago, I walked around and marveled at how well you could hear the music everywhere, with no dead spots or hot spots. Just the same sound where ever I walked. Using two small mixers, the system was also used for several different acts, including one group with about 6 members (that's pushing it a bit for a single system, but it worked). It got the job done and did it well.

I love it for use with my duo. We both sing, I play guitar on all the songs, while my partner plays some guitar, some bongos and some cajon. I would like to get a better mixer for the front end (with more channels for those occasions like the aforementioned festival), but I really can't imagine any other system working as well for my situation. I also love the fact that I don't have to lift heavy PA cabinets onto speaker stands any more.

Are the L1 systems worth the money? That will be for you to decide. I still think they should cost less, but they're really the only game in town for this kind of gear (I'm talking about the full L1 systems, not the Compact, which doesn't have enough speakers to function as a line array; the Soloamp is good competition for the Compact; I'm not aware of any competition for the full size systems). If you think you'd like the advantages that the L1s offer, Bose does have a generous free trial period. I should also point out that used systems can be had for pretty reasonable prices (I got my system on eBay for a very reasonable price).

[Captain Jim]

As a former rock 'n roller, I always felt there was no substitute for "poundage"... big heavy speakers to put out a big heavy sound. Those who buy a Bose system to try to accomplish the same output will be disappointed. From that same school of thought as: there is no substitute for cubic inches.

If you are trying to beat the audience into submission with as much "sound feeling" as a big concert venue, you will, likewise, be disappointed. If you are an acoustic player, working an intimate setting, it is about the sound, not the sound volume. It took me a lot of years to understand the difference.

We've all heard that you can turn down a big system, but it is harder to pump up a small system. There is a point where a big system just feels/sounds weak as you turn it down. That's where a Bose system shines.

When I moved to solo performing, I bought a traditional Peavey PA system, with a powered mixer and cabinets with a speaker and a horn. Three trips just for those three components. Just the mixer was heavier than the whole L1 Compact I now use. Is the L1 Compact as loud as the Peavey? Not even close. Does it fit what I'm doing? Like a comfortable pair of jeans. Is it worth the bucks? Depends on who's writing the checks.

To dismiss any piece of equipment without giving it a fair trial shows personal bias... back to the cubic inches and "my Chevy is better than your Ford" thing. For me, the Bose works. Does what I want. In a compact, light-weight form.

I didn't pop for the T1 tonematch. Recently, I added a Fishman Loudbox Mini; use that for the effects (reverb, chorus), and then run an XLR out from that to the Bose. I am delighted with the sound, the effects, and the light weight. No hefting speakers onto poles, no wondering if the FOH sounds like the monitors, no "volume duels" with others.

The right tool for the job. Your job requirements will most certainly vary. The only way to know is to try it.

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

As a former rock 'n roller, I always felt there was no substitute for "poundage"... big heavy speakers to put out a big heavy sound. Those who buy a Bose system to try to accomplish the same output will be disappointed. From that same school of thought as: there is no substitute for cubic inches.

If you are trying to beat the audience into submission with as much "sound feeling" as a big concert venue, you will, likewise, be disappointed. If you are an acoustic player, working an intimate setting, it is about the sound, not the sound volume. It took me a lot of years to understand the difference.

We've all heard that you can turn down a big system, but it is harder to pump up a small system. There is a point where a big system just feels/sounds weak as you turn it down. That's where a Bose system shines.

When I moved to solo performing, I bought a traditional Peavey PA system, with a powered mixer and cabinets with a speaker and a horn. Three trips just for those three components. Just the mixer was heavier than the whole L1 Compact I now use. Is the L1 Compact as loud as the Peavey? Not even close. Does it fit what I'm doing? Like a comfortable pair of jeans. Is it worth the bucks? Depends on who's writing the checks.

To dismiss any piece of equipment without giving it a fair trial shows personal bias... back to the cubic inches and "my Chevy is better than your Ford" thing. For me, the Bose works. Does what I want. In a compact, light-weight form.

I didn't pop for the T1 tonematch. Recently, I added a Fishman Loudbox Mini; use that for the effects (reverb, chorus), and then run an XLR out from that to the Bose. I am delighted with the sound, the effects, and the light weight. No hefting speakers onto poles, no wondering if the FOH sounds like the monitors, no "volume duels" with others.

The right tool for the job. Your job requirements will most certainly vary. The only way to know is to try it.

Well put, Captain Jim!

I've owned a Bose L1 Compact and loved it too but wanted more horsepower so I traded it towards my Bose L1 Model II system. Bose products are expensive but the new Bose L1 1S offers many of the advantages of the L1 Model II but at a significant cost saving. Also, for any potential Bose buyers out there, right now Bose is offering their semi-annual, 10%-off sale on much of their pro-audio gear.

Regards,

SpruceTop