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Sound Reinforcement - Forums for Live Sound Professionals - Your Displayed Name Must Be Your Real Full Name To Post In The Live Sound Forums => SR Forum Archives => The Basement FUD Forum Archive => Topic started by: Tom Manchester on August 23, 2009, 12:04:47 AM

Title: Bose L1, yikes!
Post by: Tom Manchester on August 23, 2009, 12:04:47 AM
Ok, there's plenty of BOSE bashing out there. I've been to the BOSE store, listened to their home audio products, saw the little mini-movie theatre demo 3 times, etc. I'll admit that I think the BOSE wave radio is fine for a kitchen radio, the 802's are ok for a wedding DJ. My biggest issue is the ridiculous cost of the stuff they sell! That being said...

I happened to be at the mall yesterday. The BOSE store had an L1 compact system set up in the store right near the front entrance so I wandered in. I had heard they were going to start carrying these in stores. The BOSE employees were demoing it for a customer who wanted a system for deck parties. Ok, how bad can it sound? Well, really bad apparently...I mean really really really bad. The employee started with a demo by playing some classic rock from his ipod, and it sounded like utter garbage. The lower part of the system seemed to have little to offer aside from maybe 90-200hz. The high end section of the system was extremely hyped in the 1-4k range. The high frequency region was barely existent. The audio was also not particularly coherent either.

Please someone, go to the BOSE store and tell me I am or am not crazy. This is by far the worst BOSE product I have ever heard. I am quite flabbergasted as to how they can let something so bad out of their R&D department let along peddle this crap for $1000. If I were a speaker company (and I have done my share of good and bad designs) I would be downright embarrassed to let anyone hear this. If you are considering getting one of these, do yourself a favor and buy a mackie srm450 and a tripod stand.
Title: Re: Bose L1, yikes!
Post by: Andy Peters on August 23, 2009, 12:32:42 AM
Tom Manchester wrote on Sat, 22 August 2009 21:04

(snip) BOSE (snip) BOSE (snip) BOSE (snip) BOSE (snip)  BOSE (snip) BOSE


Bose is a person's name, not an acronym, and as such is not printed in all capitals.

-a
Title: Re: Bose L1, yikes!
Post by: Jared Scott on August 23, 2009, 12:45:23 AM
I agree, the sound like crap (although I can't say they sound much worse than any other bose product, but I think they all sound like shit).  But you would be surprised how much better these things sell than the L1 Models I and II.
Title: Re: Bose L1, yikes!
Post by: Tom Manchester on August 23, 2009, 08:11:00 AM
Andy Peters wrote on Sun, 23 August 2009 00:32

Tom Manchester wrote on Sat, 22 August 2009 21:04

(snip) BOSE (snip) BOSE (snip) BOSE (snip) BOSE (snip)  BOSE (snip) BOSE


Bose is a person's name, not an acronym, and as such is not printed in all capitals.

-a



My mistake. I meant _______BOSE-------------

http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:BE4EQIECbZvtlM:http://im ages.teamsugar.com/files/users/1/14737/29_2007/bose.jpg
Title: Re: Bose L1, yikes!
Post by: Tom Bourke on August 23, 2009, 08:38:08 AM
Andy Peters wrote on Sat, 22 August 2009 23:32

Tom Manchester wrote on Sat, 22 August 2009 21:04

(snip) BOSE (snip) BOSE (snip) BOSE (snip) BOSE (snip)  BOSE (snip) BOSE


Bose is a person's name, not an acronym, and as such is not printed in all capitals.

-a

UMM I thought is was an acronym for "Buy Other Sound Equipment" Laughing
Title: Re: Bose L1, yikes!
Post by: Matt Vivlamore on August 23, 2009, 03:39:29 PM
I heard one Bose unit at a Music store demo and it sounded alright (Not a Bose store)


but $2900 for the system, I would pass on it...
Title: Re: Bose L1, yikes!
Post by: Tony "T" Tissot on August 23, 2009, 08:58:10 PM
It is a business proposition only.

Sales volume in audio gear is at the low end.

So - how to capture share from Mackie, Berhinger and the bottom of JBL's line - and stand out from the 150 unknowns?  And ensure very strong margins?

Make something that appears simple, is very, very cheap to build and ship, hype the heck out of its simplicity, and keep repeating: "it sounds better than any PA costing thousands more. And you don't need complicated monitors, amplifiers and mixing boards."

Title: Re: Bose L1, yikes!
Post by: Silas Pradetto on August 23, 2009, 09:24:51 PM
Not to support Bose (the Andy Peters approved title case), but was there any iPod EQ causing issues?

Title: Re: Bose L1, yikes!
Post by: Tom Manchester on August 23, 2009, 09:52:33 PM
Silas Pradetto wrote on Sun, 23 August 2009 21:24

Not to support Bose (the Andy Peters approved title case), but was there any iPod EQ causing issues?




I can't completely rule that out, but there were some things that I have come to recognize as inherent box (stick?) issues that I could recognize were separate from the program source. If I'm not too busy some time later this week I'll take my ipod with some test tracks over there and have another listen.

The best part of the demo was the loud blast of feedback and subsequent scramble when the __BOSE--- rep turned on the wireless mic connected to the system to show it's capabilities as a karaoke machine. Laughing
Title: Re: Bose L1, yikes!
Post by: Tony "T" Tissot on August 23, 2009, 09:54:36 PM
Tom Manchester wrote on Sun, 23 August 2009 18:52

If I'm not too busy some time later this week I'll take my ipod with some test tracks over there and have another listen.

Why?
Title: Re: Bose L1, yikes!
Post by: Ivan Beaver on August 23, 2009, 09:58:21 PM
Tom Manchester wrote on Sun, 23 August 2009 21:52

[ If I'm not too busy some time later this week I'll take my ipod with some test tracks over there and have another listen.

I've been to the BOSE store, listened to their home audio products, saw the little mini-movie theatre demo 3 times



It sounds like you spend waaaayyyyy to much time at the Bose store Laughing  Laughing
Title: Re: Bose L1, yikes!
Post by: Caleb Dick on August 23, 2009, 09:59:00 PM
Tom Manchester wrote on Sun, 23 August 2009 18:52



The best part of the demo was the loud blast of feedback and subsequent scramble when the __BOSE--- rep turned on the wireless mic connected to the system to show it's capabilities as a karaoke machine. Laughing


Better feedback through research
Caleb
Title: Re: Bose L1, yikes!
Post by: Tom Manchester on August 23, 2009, 10:18:40 PM
Ivan Beaver wrote on Sun, 23 August 2009 21:58

Tom Manchester wrote on Sun, 23 August 2009 21:52

[ If I'm not too busy some time later this week I'll take my ipod with some test tracks over there and have another listen.

I've been to the BOSE store, listened to their home audio products, saw the little mini-movie theatre demo 3 times



It sounds like you spend waaaayyyyy to much time at the Bose store Laughing  Laughing



Eh, gotta get my kicks somehow. Delaware is a pretty boring place, and it beats browsing Banana Republic.  Laughing