Bose Panaray 402

I agree more with the first review below than the second. A club near me used to have a bunch of these in the small second room (WITH the Bose controller + Panarray 502B subs) and they sounded shouty and distorted due to the tiny drivers. Some guys I know run a local sound company that was eventually hired to sort the system out. They pulled out the 402s and put in some more conventional PA speakers (HK Audio Premium series). It sounded ten times better, and probably cost less.

There is no tweeter, just some small full range drivers on an angled baffle. Unsurprisingly, the high frequencies get muddled because the full range drivers interfere when the wavelength gets shorter than the spacing between them. The power response of this configuration falls off at the high end, which is why the mfr's EQ is needed.

Bose claim 120W power handling, but this will effectively be derated by the active EQ (which boosts the top and bottom end beyond the natural range of the speaker). It's worth bearing in mind that the (thermal) power rating of a speaker is just the continuous power it will dissipate before blowing. Even hefty PA speakers don't handle their rated power without distortion, but with these tiny drivers don't expect much sound pressure before it sets in.

The speakers are too heavy on the midrange and sound distorted at moderate sound pressure levels. They might be okay for speech and possibly background music.

They are light and portable, but certainly not as sturdy as a plywood cab. The so-called Articulated Array does seem to cope better with "difficult" acoustics than many speakers, presumably because the power response (as opposed to the on-axis frequency response) is flatter.

Overpriced and underspecified. It can often be seen providing background music in bars and restaurants, where it is at its best, but even here there are better and cheaper solutions.

This is in response to the last review. I wanted to make sure these speakers don't get a bad wrap undeservedly. The 402's (as well as the 802's, and the 901 home speakers) REQUIRE A SPECIAL EQ!!!!! If you buy the speakers from BOSE, or if you buy them from an authorized BOSE dealer, they will tell you this. Heck, the won't even sell them without the eq unless you can prove you have one. I used to own a pair of 402's and I ran my bass pod through them before I got a new bass rig. They can handle full range sound. They sound more warm and realistic than any PA I have ever heard (but they cost an arm and a leg) If you can afford one of the "OLD '02" pa system (802 or 402) give them a try.. the are awesome!!

Small portable and load

true Hi fidelity

get the 802's, they are bigger and are unbelievable sounding. But if these are all you can get, go for it!

Designed for vocal range only.
Four tiny speakers per cab.
Molded plastic box with angled baffle.

Using bogus "peak power" ratings, the maker states these can handle 200 watts. realistically, they might handle 40 watts a side, RMS, so long as you NEVER put any full range audio through them.

Even for the narrow range they are useful, they sound like an AM radio under a pillow. They disperse sound well, because of the line-array effects. At their maximum volume, assuming there are no noisy people in your venue, those with 12 feet should be able to understand fire-drill instructions. The dispersion is simply an artifact of any line array and not because of any high-tech scientific design.

they are small and lightweight, (about 15 lbs) but Bose wants to charge you extra for handles and mounting hardware. That's great for "add-on" sales-boosting, but terrible for customer-value.

I have not and would not use these under most circumstances. That's because I have repaired them, seen inside and know how they are made.

The 402 is typical of the famous Bose philosophy. They use Radical EQ and other gimmicks to make up for deficiencies in the cheap small drivers. They take good advantage of naturally-occurring acoustic phenomena, then advertise that they have some unique high-tech science behind their designs. Bose also takes advantage of ignorant consumers. These speakers are a case example.

They advertise "smoothness and warmth" which is really a marketing-euphemism for "muddy and indistinct." The "Articulated Array" is nothing more than a mini line-array which naturally disperses sound horizontally. That isn't high tech or unique. The "acoustic diffractor" is a fancy term for "stick." It just reflects sound to the sides, which is also not high tech.

So long as you NEVER put any significant amount of power into these, use them only for VERY low level vocal reproduction they will sound as good as most other Bose products. If you can tolerate that "Bose" sound, know nothing about audio, and don't mind getting duped, go ahead and pay the ridiculously inflated price for these under-engineered, cheaply-made speakers from the most over-rated audio company in the world.

Knowledgeable audio pros would never pay more than $30 bucks for something like these. You can build better-sounding speakers yourself with four $6-dollar drivers and a cardboard box. I know, because I have.