Bose L1 Cylindrical Radiator

this system is good for acoustic performers but not full bands unless they play quiet no loud guitar with drums.

for example, it sounded great for gigs where it was vocals and bass and an acoustic gtr going into the bose. another guitar player used his own amp. this worked great.

this would also work great for solo acoustic or an acoustic duo or something like that.

running vocals thru this with a full band is disappointing because you just don't have the power because if you're indoors and start cranking it up you'll get feedback.

it is what it is. i called bose and learned its a 250 watt system. it's very efficient but lacks the big power

the clarity is awesome. it is an eat the mic system. no reverb for vocals

great dependability

n/a

good for what it is

We are using these Bose L1 Cylindrical Radiators in indoor & outdoor.
Sounds great & no problem with feedbacks , booming , wowing, big echoes in halls & other minor issues , which always are with "normal" speakers . And there is
very big difference in sound quality ; Before buing, we really compare in live this speakers , when we were playing outdoor in old town , where was playing more bands with JBL's , EV's , DB's , ... - their sound were dull ( even these musicians were not amateurs & they know how to use their equipment ) , & many people go to us , & were happy , & everybody said , that sound was great , & ask where we get this equipment .
Any way , this equipment ( Bose L1 ) is perfect , only for first using, better to know what is this & how to use it . For indoor usage it's enough to have for each L1 , two subs , for outdoor for one L1 ,- 4 subs . This is really "no problem" equipment . But I think , that Tonemach mixer from Bose is really overpriced & "narrow" in use , & better to use other companies mixers . & at last , we were used electric contrabass ( which with normal speakers is very sensitive for feedbacking ) , & with Bose L1 & 2 or 4 subs it works perfect , no feedbacking , even you stay in front of subs very close , & sound is full of base .
& last thing , for everybody , before writing total bad critics about these equipment, better read owners manuals, & just little bit study
about electroacoustic , instead turning knobs blindly . Sorry for my english , but I think You understand me correct .

P.S. & when I read here , that somebody said ,that they work in recording studio & knows how speakers must sounding good ..... I need to ask, is
a "normal" speakers , which have non flat frequency response in real & have peaks & downs 14 db's or in some bad acoustic rooms until 24 db's
are better sounding , than Bose L1's , which really flat frequency response with peaks & downs about 2-3 db's only ?..... I think better to go, to doctor to check Your ears first . Amen .

I bought an L1 model 1, andf didnt think much of it, but agreed to try the model II and am darned glad I did. I have had it four months now. The tone Match with your own input is the key to this thing being as useful as a swiss army knife. I use it with a live band, an Ipod, and a computer based midi one man band thing that I do so it has to do everything, and it does it all so well I am grinning when I sing, as I hear what the audience hears and dont have to ask anymore if they enjoyed the show. I know for a fact. MANY casinos use these as their pro setup for the various bands that come through too. The one valid complaint is the bass. Two cabs does VERY well, but u have to dial it in and eq it. I also use a line out, and send that to a DIY powered sub, and let that round out the tone. That sub has it's own cutoff dial in, and has 500 watts to 2 12's so it thumps harder than babe ruth. That sub came from a DIY mail order house, and I made it myself with a kit. Less than $500 for everything. The cab is the size of a car sub so it is just as portable as the rest of the system, and fits in the trunk. It sits behind the drummer and destroys everything we have heard. My drummer about fell down when he heard this thing. What amazes me is how LOUD this thing is. Tiny speakers do not mean lower volume.

I use a wide variety of guitars including a Taylor Custom Koa T5-2, Taylor K20CE, Paul Reed Smith Custom 22 Ten Top, a bunch or Bernie Rico's USA handmade archtop eagles and mockingbirds, fender american strat, washburn custom acoustic, and more. The sound of this thing blew my mind, I simply kept stopping and looking back in amazement at what was coming out of this thing. It is dead accurate. I find it to be dead quiet, and the best overall live sound bang for the buck I have ever spent. It would take a serious effort to pry this from my cold dead fingers!

So far it is the best piece of gear I have owned, but it's young yet!

I have played guitar and acted as front man as a pro for almost 40 years and can say without equivocation that if you take the time to dial in your sound ( DONT USE THE PRESETS_TAKE THE TIME TO MAKE YOUR OWN FOR EACH USE YOU HAVE IN MIND-right down the pickup choice and switch positions as each one has it's own unique vice and this thing can deal with it!!!) you will be rewarded with constant comments and amazement by both your fellow musicians AND most importantly your amazed audience. I do everything from full blown progressive ELP, YES, Genesis, Styx and Super Tramp to hardcore stariani, vai, malmsteen fretburning to delicate fingerstyle and love ballads-whatever the audience needs. This thing has reformed my opinion of what can be achieved in a live venue, and I wouldn't trade it for ANYTHING. I had a Model 1, and didnt care for it amd so I traded it in and got the new one. Their are sound differences to be sure. The first series has an extra driver in each of the two pieces of the cylinder, which gives better overall freq response, BUT... the alternating spread of the model II is vastly superior in every other respect, and if you have a sub or two, you can do lots wihout the need for the massive systems that kill our backs and give the sound guys fits.

I have found that a good cheap mic from dominion (dynamic mic with a small pickup pattern) works impossibly well with the Bose, while my expensive tube mic sits and waits for a recording session. BTW, another great thing not mentioned is the USB audio at 24 bit 48 KHz. I spent a lot of time with the new Mackie Onyx 1200F and this is a better sounding recording with LOgic Pro than the Mackie did at ANY sample rate. I sent it back for major clock problems and it still hasnt come back. I also use the Digitech vocalizer Pro rack with this, and have NO issues with feedback provided I have spent the time properly eq'ing the setup. The one thing people unrealistically expect from Bose is preset perfection. I have yet to find that from ANY manufacturer. They have given us the best portable sound setup known to man so far, and it is easy enough to learn to use it, so take the time to do so. I used to have to use a truck to haul my live setup, now I throw EVERYTHING I need into the trunk of my 67 GTO or my 06 GTO with room for amplifiers, and actual PEOPLE in either car. Tell me this thing isn't fantastic, and I will tell you to put down the crack pipe, and slowly back away!

My drummer friend had the same reluctance to believe this thing could handle a live performance until he heard it next to has 1200 watt Yamaha system, and it outdid it handily. Mind you, this was one bass module, and one tower against 2 15 inch subs with a 400 watt supply, 2 12 inch 3 way JBL mains with a 400 watt supply and a bunch of backline monitors driven boy another 400 watts. This is a pretty unwieldy system, and so he rents or borrows when he plays out. One rehearsal and it had him reconsidering his system and counting his money as well as thinking about getting rid of what he has. He sees it for what it is. A blessing from God! You figure it out. He is a 30 year plus veteran like me, so he isn't easy to convince either.

Remember when we couldn't wait for "The Jetson's" technology to come along? Well Bose showed up first.

Bose truly raised the bar on the second generation of this unit. I use the L1 Model 2. The changes are so dramatic it's hardly even fair to compare the first one to the second, never mind the competition. In fact... what competition? The T1 ToneMatch Mixer IS the secret weapon! Without it, the system will only show you a fraction of it's true capabilities. The ToneMatch has every effect and adjustment you can think of and then some. The ability to "tone match" whatever mic or instrument you've plugged in, is priceless. It's the difference between hearing an AM clock radio on a night stand Vs. standing in the middle of a state-of-the-art surround room. Yes, it's that obvious. DO NOT use the factory presets on the T1 like "singer/songwriter" or "the works". These presets suck. Sorry Bose but they do. Take the time to "tone match" whatever mic or instrument you plug in. This will make all the difference in the world!

I've used Peavey, JBL, Yamaha and EV. All great speakers with great ability but most of these are "one trick ponies". Yes, you can get a lot of sound out of a traditional speaker but where these have a tendency to fall short, Bose does not. My experience with the system is the ability to have someone sitting 5 feet away enjoy it as much as the person sitting 50 feet away without ripping anyone's ears off. Not to mention anyone sitting off to the side or at an awkward angle. Everyone can hear me. I've never gotten more compliments on previous systems then I do on the Bose. In fact, I've NEVER gotten compliments on a previous sound system! It's true you don't need a monitor but it does make a HUGE difference if the speaker is facing to your side, rather then to your back. I try to set it up so the tower is off to the side and about 10 feet away from me. That way, I can TRULY hear what the audience hears.

The other bonus is clarity. If a bar fills up and gets really noisy, I can still hear myself crystal clear. One guy on here said be prepared to hear your shortcomings. Very true. The Bose will bring out every detail you may have missed before so if you're not a very good singer or musician, start practicing... A LOT! The Bose has no mercy and will show all your flaws. This of course is a bonus for those of you who are seasoned players and can appreciate such clarity. The clarity has actually made me a BETTER musician. I'm not straining to hear myself, therefore I'm more relaxed and able to do a better show.

I will confess that adding a small powered monitor does make it easier to hear yourself if you're just as anal as me. However, I feel like I'm cheating on my girlfriend when I do this so I try to leave the monitor at home as much as possible. Just put the Bose in the most optimum spot and you'll be fine without it.

I find the system to be extremely reliable even though I've only used it for 3 months. I've only had one glitch where the T1 Mixer died and showed a blue screen. I had to turn it off and turn it back on to work again. It work flawlessly for the rest of the night. This was a known issue by Bose and there was already a firmware update in place when I inquired about the problem. After the firmware update, I've had ZERO problems and works great so far. All other components of the this PA have given me ZERO problems. Everything works perfectly. It's incredibly compact and not only saves space but saves my back as well. I'll NEVER lug traditional speakers around again.

And talk about space saving! WOW! Remember when you got to a gig only to ask patrons to move from the corner you'll be performing in because you need to take up about 5x15 feet of space? Not anymore. I can set this up in such a compact area, I could place it behind the bartender while he continued serving drinks at warp speed. I need more square footage to go to the bathroom then I do for my Bose system.

When I called customer support about the "blue screen" issue and other questions I had, they were AWESOME on the phone. Very knowledgeable about their product no matter what I threw at them. They didn't have to put me on hold to ask someone else. They're trained very well and know their product. The also had no desire to rush me off the phone and were happy to answer the 101 questions I had. Yes, I tend to ask a lot of questions about anything I own.

I've been a singer/songwriter for the past 15 years and this is one system I won't want to trade up anytime soon like I do most girlfriends. It does everything I ask of it and then some. If it were stolen or damaged, I would rob a bank to replace it. The best compliment I can give the system is this... I'm not a very monogamous person but when it comes to the Bose system, I'm ready to walk down the isle and spend the next 20 + rocking years being very faithful. -Kova

We've already discussed the features here. I play a Bose L1 with the T1 Processor. The T1 works flawlessly in tailoring my sound, cutting out bad frequencies and overall giving me total control.

As far as "power" goes... I've cut through the noise at rowdy bars with 60-75 loud people. No complaints at all. Don't believe the Bose-bashers who say it's for 1 performer at a small coffee house. I've played for 250 people at an outdoor event and had no complaints.

Flawless. Had some percussive "thuds" until I talked to the Bose staff about the different filtering I could do. I wish everyone hear could ask my audiences. They are the ones who approach me and ask me how I get the incredible clear sound. Never had this with *any* amp in my life.

I have not experienced any outage, poor performance, etcc.. in over 30 gigs.

incredible... I had a T1 knob fall off and they over-nighted me another complete unit, giving me ample time to send the other one back. Very knowledgeable staff as far as I can tell.

By far, the best musical purchase I have EVER made. I have never purchased any guitar, effect, amp, etc... that had as much positive influence on my music. If it were stolen, dropped in the river or anything else, i would sell a guitar to replace it.

PLEASE read these post and use your intellect to weed out the people who hate all Bose products chiming in here. If you get bad sound through the Bose L1, you either don't know how to use the system (yeah, there is some tweaking) or are using it not as it was intended.

I bought this L1 Series II with a Tonematch and 2 B1 Bass Unit last December 2007.

I was really amazed with the features and portability of these unit.
I normally use 4 to 8 802 Series II speakers and 4 to 6 Bose 502 BP for large gigs or concert.

Since I get too tired hauling things for small venues, I, most of the time just don't accept small venues due to a need of help setting things up.

But now, I have to admit the portablily and setup time was cut tremendously bacause of the L1.

For smaller Gigs, this is the probably the best that I have owned.

Been doing large scale venues for about 20 years now and now I enjoy the ability to do small venues just because of the Bose L1.

I'm very much particular with regards to sound quality of my equipment since most of my venues are Live Performances.
I have evaluated JBL (SRX Series) and Bose L1 series II side by side since my friend owns them.

It is true that JBL can be really loud and powerful.
But like I said, I love detailed loud sound but not distorted sound

In my opinion, I would love to hear good quality detailed sound than a loud distorted sound.

The Bose L1 did an amazing engineering work to achieve this and I'm sure people who loves music will pretty much appreciate the quality of this unit.

37 Out of 36 venues, everything went out very smoothly.
One gig however had a problem due to microphone issues, but this is not the units fault.

Setup in lest that 20 minutes and pack up in less than 15 is really a breeze.

I would say Bose have re-engineered there support extensively.
I called them up to have my unit replaced due to cosmetic issues and they did sent out a replacement unit the same day and got it the next day after I called.

They even help me to use a Bose MB4 Bass unit with the L1 and I'm really amazed with the engineers who worked with me.
They gave me a detailed wiring diagram for the Bass Cable and yes it really pumps more Bass than I would expect.

I've been a big fan of JBL products for a while and after evaluating my real use of my equipment, I decided to contact Bose.
Since then I've switch all my equipment with Bose Professional Products for 15 years now, and been doing medium to large (12,000+ spectators) venues and I never have a complain ever since I started using Bose equipment.

I have been a Techincal Director of Shows and Venues.
And been always ask by people why do I use Bose Products despite of the price and it's capabilities?

As I always said, " there is only one thing for quality and that is price"

I have traded up from the mk1 system to the mk 2.Lower power rating and single input but with the T1 mixer no loss. The T1 needs a f/sw. defeat for the effects.Mostly used with one B1 bass bin and ample sound level.
THIS IS THE FUTURE OF P.A. no ear-damaging air waves for the audience,and no need for monitors.

Used full range with guitar,vocal,backing system, everything you will ever need.My gig book overfloweth' since buying this sublime system.

No probs,as yet. But the back up from family-bose is second to non,and Andy the british rep.is your best mate.

ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS.

In a career spanning 60's to 2k+ I have used nearly every sort of p.a. but never had so much personal satisfaction as right now,I play longer sets just to hear the damn thing? how strange is this.If it were stolen they would get me another a.s.a.p. I love the fact there are no horns to shred my ear-drums and feed back.

I own the Bose L1 Model 2 (new version) system with the Tonematch digital desk - Where can you get a digital desk for less than 500 euro??? Everyone has talked in depth about the features so lets see how it works :-)

The quality of the sounds is amazing to be honest! I have used Bose 802's, Electrovoice, Dynacord and JBL and this really does wipe the floor with regards to sound quality. The 24 radiating speakers in the 'pole' distributes the amplified sounds of your inputs accurately to the audience. Vocals are crystal clear and reach each and every corner of the room. I used to use 15" Electrovoice ZX5's with one as a monitor and now not only do I have no monitor with the bose I get to hear what the audience is hearing!!!

So far so good!!! I think that Bose really thought this one through with the soft cases for each piece of the sonic jigsaw. The quality of the components should outlast even little old me!!

When I decided to investigate the system at first hand, I like most musicians really wanted to gig the system a few times to make the most informed decision if this suited my needs. I called Bose here in Ireland and they gave me a complete system for a week to try out. This was one of the best selling techniques as I got to use the system in my 'real giggin world' and see if it fulfilled my needs. The guys in Bose and the retail shop (Soundshop in Drogheda) were very helpful indeed, but to be honest the system sold itself!!!

Since I purches my Bose L! model 2 system with the two bass bins I have never looked back. Firstly people in the venues are totally intrigued with the design of the system and stay on regardless to hear what it is like. The confidence that the system has given to me and my ability is one of the best features. I know that there has been doubt surrounding such a bold and new forward thinking design but sometimes change is the best holiday and for me this system makes my gigging a hobby again!!!

I???m using 2 systems, each consisting of an L1 Model 2 tower with twin bass modules and a T1 mixer. One system also utilizes an extended bass package at the cost of an additional $1000. Transporting this system is a dream compared to my previous combination of speakers, mixer, amp and monitors. The T1 mixer is also extremely easy to use, the presets are fantastic and the effects are more than adequate.

The sound is very clear, almost to a fault. It???ll force you to spend a little more time practicing because your shortcomings will be glaringly obvious. I???ve found that I had to back off on the high end across the board to eliminate the somewhat tinny sound. Vocal mic feedback is a regular problem, especially if one uses a harmonizer. I actually ditched my SM-58 in favor of an EV767 but it only lessened the problem rather than corrected it. At higher volume gigs and when tents are in use, feedback remains a problem. One has to keep themselves between the mic and tower at all times while the mic is active to avoid feedback. The acoustic guitar sounds good and would probably sound better if they had a custom preset specifically for my Takamine. The electric guitar is run thru a processor and sounds decent, though I had to re-equalize many of my presets to suit this new system. The bass and keyboards actually share a tower on most gigs and sound clear, while only occasionally fighting over common frequency space.

In twenty gigs, I???ve had 4 gigs where the T1 just stopped working in mid-song. One of the gigs had at least a dozen failures between the 2 units. Some of it seems like it can be attributed to low voltage problems. However, Bose is being less than forthcoming with any helpful information on the matter, just stating that they???re working on it and they???re not there yet. Their attempt to fix the problem with a firmware update was NOT successful. All indications are that the T1 requires pristine power conditions for it to operate as intended.

This is a multi-headed monster. At times the support is a ten and at other times a zero. The field sales rep was top notch. My initial contact with the home based salesperson was good until they bailed on me half way thru the order. Delays in the T1 shipments brought on a series of miscues, incompetence and outright lying from almost everyone I dealt with during this 2 month-long delay. For some reason, Bose has adopted a ???code of silence??? on many matters and it only portrays them in a bad light.

The online message board has proven to be an extremely useful resource. It is usually closely monitored by Bose and it is on the cutting edge of problem solving. They are much further advanced than the telephone assistants who vary from ???very knowledgeable??? to ???barely a pulse???.

Bose was very cooperative in sending me a replacement T1 for the suspected defective unit. However, the replacement is also failing to operate correctly. There is definitely a problem here and it is still unsolved.

It???s good and bad. On the good side, it sounds great (although it is sensitive and takes time to find the zone you???re looking for) and is easily transportable. On the bad side, it is expensive beyond the reach of most musicians and may not be suitable for an electric rocking band at outdoor gigs or in crowded venues where the bodies tend to absorb the sound a lot quicker than a conventional PA. Bose will try to tell you otherwise but trust me. This equipment doesn???t quite make it at a large outdoor venue or in a large, crowded, noisy barroom.

The biggest negative is the complete unreliability of the T1. It just plain, flat-out can???t be trusted to be there when you need it. I get the feeling that pristine, lab-like electrical conditions are needed to operate this flaky unit. My recommendation would be to wait for the bugs to be worked out of the T1 mixer. It???s worth waiting for. The rest of the system can be operated with a mixer of choice in the meantime. There???s a lot of promise here. With a bit more oomph and a working T1, it???s a go. As soon as you rob a bank to pay for it.

Minor gnash... it would have been useful to have peak LED's on the line only inputs to help get optimum gain. It would also have been nice to have some EQ on this section.

The lack of built-in onboard is no problem... there are various ways to get reverb into your mix! In truth, if you think about how to use this system properly, there's no issues... apart from the line in LEDS! Gnash!

I recently had to cope with a disaster scenario and the Bose saved the day. At one gig, we could only get the Bose working as all the other amps tipped the earth leak (probably due to the vast requirement of the Bose!). Using a Yamaha mixer we fed the entire band (3 vocals, two guitars, one bass and keyboards) apart from the drummer through the Bose. 'It won't work', they all cried... you really do need at least two subs, BTW. The result was clear, well defined and in this case with enough bottom end for bass and piano. Most folk commented the band sounded like a CD. A word of warning: if you use amplification to mask a multitude of sins or add warmth, the Bose will expose you. It does exactly what it says on the tin and reproduces what you put in without adding any of its own character. You simply need to rethink what you put in.

I then used it for a DJ set and I played plenty of ska, dub and reggae... nice! Lee Perry to Pama International. The Bose didn't disappoint.

Regarding feedback, I have found a little experimentation with positions really helps. We set up for a recent gig and got great results straight away with the Bose. Then we turned on a stage monitoring system (some of the group aren't completely on board with the Bose!) and the feedback went mad. Not only that, the monitor sound muddied the clarity of the Bose... we turned the monitors down and quality was restored.

I intend to buy another 'spike' as the band call it and use the two as a stereo pair... I don't care about the original concept of one per musician... such as set up will provide plenty for small to medium venues. Bose need to look at this usage a it more closely. When I play as a duet, I use a laptop driving six discrete outputs through a mixer for sound balancing into stereo prior to the Bose. Being able to use stereo effects and panning will give huge creative scope normally not heard in live gigs.

So far so good. At the problem gig, the RC was shutting power off all the time, and even turning the unit on and off repeatedly with a dodgy power feed did not ruffle the unit.

Can't comment yet. I will be talking to them though so I'll get back on this one. I am sure they are good peeps as they clearly care about what they are doing, unlike many.

I have been playing through conventional PA's for 30 years. The Bose is an AMAZING bit of kit. I think many who have been disappointed are hearing their sources uncoloured for the first time. It's like looking in a mirror! Good grief, do I really look like that? Be more critical of your sound source and tune it for the Bose... have a shave and it won't disappoint. You'll learn something about your sound too. If you like your guitar amp sound, mike it and feed it to the Bose via a mixer.