Bose S1 Pro rechargable amp, backpack unit. Love it!

[darylcrisp]

found this lately, its wonderful. Lots of my guitar friends who do coffee house/weddings, are employing these lately.

15lbs, has a rechargeable battery that lasts approx. 11 hrs(when introduced the battery lasted approx. 5 hrs, they have evidently updated the battery of late).
very clear sound. can be put on a stand, stood straight up, tilted back, or laid on side like a moniter-the electronics in the unit adjusts EQ for best sound, based on the position you place it(explained in videos on the unit).

backpack also by Bose. Amp/PA fits perfect. top section unzips for quite a bit of storage(cables, pedals, etc). bag is heavy duty built. Amp has a top handle. feels extremely light in weight.

2 channels , each with a selector switch for off/guitar/mic. can be used with Bluetooth, and a line out for direct link to another PA system.
you walk up, pull Bose out of the bag, plug in the instrument(or mic), and play. you don't need any power outlet!
if you have a second unit there is a line out for cable connection. (I may be interpreting this next sentence incorrect) two units can also connect wireless. there is a USB port for upgrades and service.
couple of things have changed since some of the videos were posted. price for the unit is $599, that includes the now longer performance rechargeable battery. backpack is $149, pricey, but it works great and fits perfect. the back of the pack is well made like a high end performance backpack, with dense padding that helps make the carrying more "weightless in feel". hope that makes sense.
the stained glass piece is for a friend, wanted something for a kitchen renovation(lots of stainless), so I'm finishing that off-need to frame it in zinc in the next day or so-may age the solder and frame to a nickel patina and lose the silver brilliance-haven't decided yet.
here's a link explaining the unit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K_i0OQuDUg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K_i0OQuDUg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNTNWR50u7A&t=366s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNTNWR50u7A&t=366s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xnmg66n_jVE&t=4s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xnmg66n_jVE&t=4s

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[Tom Wright]

Nice package and I like Bose sound. Neither the web page nor the user manual offers the info I hoped for---what is the speaker size/configuration and what is the power of the amp?

[jefflester]

Nice package and I like Bose sound. Neither the web page nor the user manual offers the info I hoped for---what is the speaker size/configuration and what is the power of the amp?
Sweetwater sez:

Speaker Drivers: 1 x 6" LF High Excursion woofer, 3 x 2.25" HF drivers

[DHopkins]

Tom's Wright. Nowhere do they seem to mention the wattage.

[almeriastrings]

Tom's Wright. Nowhere do they seem to mention the wattage.

It seems to be part of a disturbing trend where objective technical data is now deemed 'irrelevant'. I can (partly) get this, as in many cases consumers do misunderstand the relevance of many of these 'numbers', but even so, omitting it altogether from a 'specs' chart seems to be taking it a bit far!

[Folkmusician.com]

Reminds me of bicycle weights. :)

[mandroid]

Reminds me of bicycle weights. :)

Yea, in the bike shop Q1 is cost, Q2 what's it weigh ?

But a transformerless switching power supply
Or just all DC circuits, and a wall wart rectifier/voltage limiter in the cord,
and amp weights can be lower too...

[Murphy Slaw]

I think the general consensus is around 40 watts, but that 40 Bose watts sounds "bigger" than 40 Peavey watts.....

[DHopkins]

The fact that it's a Bose notwithstanding, I'm a little skeptical. It bothers me that the specs don't seem to be available.

[dhergert]

Here's what I carry for my upright bass when playing with a large and/or mixed-level group... It could also be used with a mic.

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Nice that the Bose has dual input/channel support. And for wattage, I think mine is total 5w, running on 6 AA batteries (or with the included power supply). But from a sound standpoint, it will fill a good size room.

[Tim Griffin]

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[Tim Griffin]

It seems to be part of a disturbing trend where objective technical data is now deemed 'irrelevant'. I can (partly) get this, as in many cases consumers do misunderstand the relevance of many of these 'numbers', but even so, omitting it altogether from a 'specs' chart seems to be taking it a bit far!


Bose has always operated this way. I called them once and they wouldn’t give me an impedance of one of their speakers.

[DHopkins]

I s'pose Bose is a reputable company but I can't help but think they're trying to deceive the public.

[almeriastrings]

Bose has always operated this way. I called them once and they wouldn’t give me an impedance of one of their speakers.

That's bad.

Really bad.

[Ray(T)]

Yes, certainly bad - personally, I've always found Bose equipment somewhat peculiar in that respect.

Conversely (and I don't know whether this is still the case) I've always found their equipment relatively bomb proof. We used to hire their 802 speakers on a regular basis and on asking the hire company what they did with their old hire stock; with a view to buying a couple of pairs, they responded that Bose gear was so reliable that when they got rid of a pair they simply threw them away as they were completely worn out.

The only thinge we ever managed to break was one of their bass bins and that was when we managed to trap the thing with an elevating stage/orchestra pit!

[Perry]

Bose operates a little like Apple in in their sometimes secretive proprietary manners. Fro example ever try to back up jpegs off a Mac book without using their software? On a PC I can just do a search for jpegs and drag them to a USB drive. As a side note perhaps someone can tell me how to easily archive mt photos without using iPhoto or whatever. I've asked at the "Genius Bar" ...no easy solution,

But I digress..."soundpeople" love to sh*t on Bose for whatever reasons...maybe it is Bose secretive nature but the products I use all sound and work great. I've been using (1) Bose L1 Model 1S with B2 Bass Module for an entire acoustic band (bass player brings an amp) and the vocals and instruments have never been more articulate. So much so it can be startling when you first hear yourself that clearly.

There is plenty of good equipment out there besides Bose but much of it is more cumbersome. If a Bose system works for someone why rain on their parade?

I have a tweed amp for sale...if it sells I may replace my Fishman Loudbox mini with a Bose S1 Pro fro my personal mando/guitar amp.

Can the battery be removed to save even more weight when using regular power supply?

[Perry]

Are you putting a mandolin through this? If so how does it sound compare to other units you have used?

[DHopkins]

Bose operates a little like Apple in in their sometimes secretive proprietary manners. Fro example ever try to back up jpegs off a Mac book without using their software? On a PC I can just do a search for jpegs and drag them to a USB drive. As a side note perhaps someone can tell me how to easily archive mt photos without using iPhoto or whatever. I've asked at the "Genius Bar" ...no easy solution,

But I digress..."soundpeople" love to sh*t on Bose for whatever reasons...maybe it is Bose secretive nature but the products I use all sound and work great. I've been using (1) Bose L1 Model 1S with B2 Bass Module for an entire acoustic band (bass player brings an amp) and the vocals and instruments have never been more articulate. So much so it can be startling when you first hear yourself that clearly.

There is plenty of good equipment out there besides Bose but much of it is more cumbersome. If a Bose system works for someone why rain on their parade?

I have a tweed amp for sale...if it sells I may replace my Fishman Loudbox mini with a Bose S1 Pro fro my personal mando/guitar amp.

Can the battery be removed to save even more weight when using regular power supply?

That's all well and good but something as simple as wattage/output can be important. If I buy something like this, especially at Bose prices, I want to know it's suitable.

Incidentally, I've never bought an Apple product because so much of their products are proprietary. They have their own charge plugs for their phones; you couldn't just download an .mp3 into their iPods, etc.

[Perry]

That's all well and good but something as simple as wattage/output can be important. If I buy something like this, especially at Bose prices, I want to know it's suitable.

Incidentally, I've never bought an Apple product because so much of their products are proprietary. They have their own charge plugs for their phones; you couldn't just download an .mp3 into their iPods, etc.

Bose sells product based on audience size; you either drink their kool-aid or don't :)

[Tim Griffin]

Bose sells product based on audience size; you either drink their kool-aid or don't :)

Yes. It’s a weird company and unusual stuff. If you ever take their gear apart it’s obvious how cheaply it’s made yet they charge a premium. It strange to me that they never put tweeters in their speakers. The 201, 301, 501, 601, 901, 802 all used 2.5” midrange or larger. For some reason beyond me people think it’s good stuff.

[DHopkins]

In my 7+ decades, I can only remember owning one Bose item. Well, two. I had a pair of the famous (or perhaps now, infamous) 901 speakers. I must have been about 20 at the time. I left them at home when I joined the Air Force and I have no idea what happened to them. I thought they sounded pretty good but I also thought Taco Bell was the phone company in Mexico City. What do I know?

[darylcrisp]

Are you putting a mandolin through this? If so how does it sound compare to other units you have used?

so far just using a mic for mandolin, sounds very clear and strong, true to how the mandolin sounds acoustically, just louder.

[darylcrisp]

Bose operates a little like Apple in in their sometimes secretive proprietary manners. Fro example ever try to back up jpegs off a Mac book without using their software? On a PC I can just do a search for jpegs and drag them to a USB drive. As a side note perhaps someone can tell me how to easily archive mt photos without using iPhoto or whatever. I've asked at the "Genius Bar" ...no easy solution,

But I digress..."soundpeople" love to sh*t on Bose for whatever reasons...maybe it is Bose secretive nature but the products I use all sound and work great. I've been using (1) Bose L1 Model 1S with B2 Bass Module for an entire acoustic band (bass player brings an amp) and the vocals and instruments have never been more articulate. So much so it can be startling when you first hear yourself that clearly.

There is plenty of good equipment out there besides Bose but much of it is more cumbersome. If a Bose system works for someone why rain on their parade?

I have a tweed amp for sale...if it sells I may replace my Fishman Loudbox mini with a Bose S1 Pro fro my personal mando/guitar amp.

Can the battery be removed to save even more weight when using regular power supply?

not sure as I haven't tried this, I'm busy with my job all week, but this weekend I will remove it and see if it works just plugged in-will leave a reply here on what I find out.

[almeriastrings]

Bose operates a little like Apple in in their sometimes secretive proprietary manners. Fro example ever try to back up jpegs off a Mac book without using their software? On a PC I can just do a search for jpegs and drag them to a USB drive. As a side note perhaps someone can tell me how to easily archive mt photos without using iPhoto or whatever. I've asked at the "Genius Bar" ...no easy solution

Without digressing.... this is easy. No problem at all. I do it every day. I'll PM you.

Bose do make some interesting stuff, and it does tend to "just work"... um... anyway, that is fine in many situations but if you need to repair it or use it in more unusual situations the lack of technical data can be a bit of an issue. Bottom line: if it work for you, then enjoy it, as they make some nice sounding systems with (definitely) unique features.

[allenhopkins]

I remember decades ago, Duffy at Brighton Sound (http://www.brightonsoundusa.com) here in Rochester said of Bose, "They use a bunch of cheap speakers and EQ the [poop] out of them; the whole secret's in the EQ circuits." As a non-expert, I deferred to his wisdom.

I do like their Wave radio, though. I bought one 20 years ago, and got Bose promos in the mail for 15 years afterwards.

[Tom Wright]

Bose has always tried to produce a more natural, less clinical tone and listening experience. The early indirect speakers did what they promised, a generous room-filling sound that felt quite real.

They used multiple cones, and indeed EQed them substantially. They also innovated in compact enclosure design, like the folded-path (;)) Wave systems. I think some of the natural tone is those small cones, which avoid the need for a crossover and the phase problems. Also, a modest falloff in the high end would be more natural---highs do not carry well so listening to a live acoustic performance like a string quartet should not be loaded with sparkling highs but a sweeter midrange with some highs.

I like the earbuds from Bose---very warm and natural tone, not clinical. In the studio I prefer the surgical clarity of JBL, but I have an early Wave (a little tubby in the bottom for my taste but still a good sound) and would enjoy hi-fi speakers from Bose.

I do not think of Bose when I want power and efficiency, but their stick and subwoofer personal-PA design sounds really sweet, if it can do the job.

[foldedpath]

Yes. It’s a weird company and unusual stuff. If you ever take their gear apart it’s obvious how cheaply it’s made yet they charge a premium. It strange to me that they never put tweeters in their speakers. The 201, 301, 501, 601, 901, 802 all used 2.5” midrange or larger. For some reason beyond me people think it’s good stuff.

That old series has to be put in context. Back then, they actually were better in some situations (i.e. smaller rooms) compared to the run-of-the-mill passive speakers in heavy plywood cabinets that were the norm.

That all changed with the powered speaker and Class D amp revolution, where suddenly you could bi-amp a PA speaker at an affordable price and manageable weight. I remember when I first bought a Mackie SRM450. Wow! What a game-changer it was, for those of us running our own compact PA setups. Then QSC took it up a notch with the K-series, and others have followed.

What bugs me about Bose is mostly the advertising hype. I don't know if they still do this, but they used to call the L1 a "line array," and it can't possibly function as one. At least in pro sound reinforcement terms, when it's located low on the ground like that, and without separate amps and tweaking for each element in an array flown high over the stage. But it's a nice buzzword that helps move product, I guess.

They also promoted the L1 as a system where each musician should have one next to them on the stage, as both sound source and personal monitor. What a feedback nightmare that would be for live mics, at any appreciable volume. But hey.... if you could sell an L1 to every member in the band, that's a lot of product out the door!

[Tim Farney]

I’m s big believer in simple preamps and small powered PA speakers. I’ve never owned an “acoustic amp.”

[Tim Griffin]

I would disagree about them sounding more natural. The paper cone drivers they use don’t have wide dispersion of natural high frequencies. The overwhelming majority of speaker manufacturers ( pro and home audio) use high frequency drivers that try to reproduce the way high frequencies occur naturally. Bose uses drivers that are more directional and don’t have the transient response of a smaller faster driver.

[Tom Wright]

I would disagree about them sounding more natural.

I report my experience. I loved the JBL 15" monitors from the 70s, I think they were 4320s, but when I first heard a set of 901s I felt they were more friendly and warm, the reflected-sound thing was a pleasure to hear. As I noted, I like a technical sound in a studio but a friendly tone for listening, which means a gentle falloff of aggressive high frequencies to match the experience of hearing musical instruments from a bit of distance/

I can't see where a 2.5" cone is all that much slower than a 1" tweeter--they all use a voice coil and permanent magnet. The dispersion is addressed by using multiple cones in larger systems than my little Wave radio, whose dispersion seems fine to my ears. Best control of dispersion is through horns, with the walls dragging the wavefront to make it more spherical and less planar, as I understand it.

[Ray(T)]

The Bose 301s were, in their time a perfectly acceptably sounding speaker. Yes, you could do better but what else could you carry from the car to the stage in one trip? Bose accepted that they needed more bottom end in some circumstances by producing matching bass bins (can't remember the number - it was a long time ago) but I do remember occasions when the combined 802s/bins produced too much bottom end and the latter ended up as expensive speaker stands.

Does anyone remember the bass canons they produced? They wouldn't sell them, you had to have them installed; apparently for safety reasons.

[Dave Greenspoon]

Was at a friends' last week, practicing for his gig. That little S1 sounded sweet. Out live on the coffee shop porch it was perfect. It sounded much better than the Roland Street Cube I used for a parking lot gig on Labor Day. My buddy can add his ToneMatch from his old L1 system which makes him even more thrilled. Lots of time on the battery per charge, and the S1 is perfect for the solo solution. If you really don't like the limitations, the marketplace offers you alternatives. I can appreciate that for many, this is a great $600 solution (before sales and coupons!). My only gripe: no FX loop.

[Tim Griffin]

S
I report my experience. I loved the JBL 15" monitors from the 70s, I think they were 4320s, but when I first heard a set of 901s I felt they were more friendly and warm, the reflected-sound thing was a pleasure to hear. As I noted, I like a technical sound in a studio but a friendly tone for listening, which means a gentle falloff of aggressive high frequencies to match the experience of hearing musical instruments from a bit of distance/

I can't see where a 2.5" cone is all that much slower than a 1" tweeter--they all use a voice coil and permanent magnet. The dispersion is addressed by using multiple cones in larger systems than my little Wave radio, whose dispersion seems fine to my ears. Best control of dispersion is through horns, with the walls dragging the wavefront to make it more spherical and less planar, as I understand it.

A 2.5” paper cone driver has poor transient response. Bad for accurate reproduction of high frequencies. This is why no high quality speaker manufacturers use them. Bose marketing is very successful so people buy the product anyway.

[Perry]

Without digressing.... this is easy. No problem at all. I do it every day. I'll PM you.

Bose do make some interesting stuff, and it does tend to "just work"... um... anyway, that is fine in many situations but if you need to repair it or use it in more unusual situations the lack of technical data can be a bit of an issue. Bottom line: if it work for you, then enjoy it, as they make some nice sounding systems with (definitely) unique features.

I'd love to hear that solution for archiving photos off a macbook w/o using their iPhoto software. Thanks!

[mcgroup53]

Looking for a battery PA/amp, and this is high on my list. But does it include phantom power for the mic input?

[DHopkins]

Nothing in the sparse information they provide shows phantom power.

Here's the manual:

https://assets.bose.com/content/dam/Bose_DAM/Web/pro/global/products/portable_PA/S1_Pro/Downloads/807173_og_s1_pro_system_en.pdf

[foldedpath]

Looking for a battery PA/amp, and this is high on my list. But does it include phantom power for the mic input?

Not many compact battery "acoustic amps" supply phantom power. With the Bose, you could use a relatively inexpensive battery phantom power supply ahead of the mic input.

Or, for the cream of the crop battery acoustic amps, get an AER Compact Mobile (https://www.amazon.com/AER-Compact-Mobile-CPM-AKKU-Acoustic/dp/B001R2THQS), the battery version of the excellent Compact 60. I believe both amps include 24v phantom power on the mic input, which is enough for clip-on mini condenser mics like the Pro 35 or DPA 4099, and many other standard condenser mics. AER makes great amps, I used to have the smaller, non-battery AER Alpha for coffee shop gigs. Very solid build quality and performance, with a high price to match.

[Billy Packard]

HOLY COW Eighteen hundred buckaroos, It better be good!

[ukrobbiej]

I spent a very pleasant two hours in a Music shop last week trying one out. Needs a good preamp or EQ pedal in front of it, but actually the sound was extremely good. I couldn’t give two hoots what the spec was on paper, it’s the sound I listen to.

Robbie

[Mandobar]

Yea, in the bike shop Q1 is cost, Q2 what's it weigh ?

But a transformerless switching power supply
Or just all DC circuits, and a wall wart rectifier/voltage limiter in the cord,
and amp weights can be lower too...


For electric guitars, I find myself asking about the weight even before the price.

[foldedpath]

HOLY COW Eighteen hundred buckaroos, It better be good!

I'm sure it is, based on the smaller AER Alpha I owned for a while.

As for the price... I think we've all been spoiled in the last 15-20 years by almost every music gear company moving production to China and other offshore suppliers. Many years ago, I remember things like guitar amps and PA gear being fairly expensive. There's been a downward push in pricing that makes us think anything not made in China is outrageously expensive now, when it's actually at about the same price we used to pay, in adjusted dollars, before outsourcing became the new normal.

Anything you buy that's still made completely here in the USA like Royer ribbon microphones, or in Europe like the DPA 4099 clip-on mics, seems outrageously priced by comparison. You're paying for the higher standard of living, and for local quality control that doesn't have to deal with managing an overseas factory.

tl,dr: The AER amps are expensive because high quality materials are used, there is local quality control, and they're made in Germany not China. The exchange rate between the US dollar and the Euro might also have something to do with it, but I think the main factor is that it isn't an outsourced product.

[Perry]

Found this helpful guide:

http://toonz.ca/bose/wiki/index.php?title=S1_Pro_system

[Dave Greenspoon]

Reviving this thread. I just got back from the Bose store where I tried one with the Rigel. I was only able to fill the room dimed. Clearly it snd the piezo aren't getting along. I presume it would be great with the Venue DI in front of it. I may yet end up with it.

[Br1ck]

Wattage ratings are so inflated these days, with almost all consumer watt ratings stated as peak wattage. Thus 300watt amplifiers are realistically more like 75 watt. Depending on the speaker sensitivity, a far greater measure of likely volume, a true thirty or forty watts should do the job. My home stereo amp puts out 3 watts and will drive my 105db sensitive speakers to Led Zepplin volume.

So if Bose takes the view they would rather use other features as marketing hype, and forgo wattage ratings, so be it. Does it do what you need it to? That's pretty much all you need to know.

[Chris Cochran]

I use a Bose S-1 in a variety of ways. Mainly as an amp for acoustic guitar. The sound is great and whatever the wattage, it is loud. Plus it disperses the sound in a wonderful way. As a stand alone P.A. it is no less wonderful. In my trio we sometimes use it in conjunction with an L-1 Compact to widen the field.
As far as wattage, a lot of people say 40, but that doesn't tell the story. Early documents said 140, but this docs were withdrawn. There is info on DB.
Here's my observation on volume: it does the work of a 150 watt P.A. No, I can't support that belief with anything but experience. It works, and it works very well. I never have to turn it up past halfway.