people raved about the Logitech z2200, z2300, z5500, series speakers, but all those wires etc etc YUK .....now we have the New Bose L1 Compact riding on the reputation of the legendary BOSE LI model 1 & 2 series. But lets face it, many times the L1 M1/2 is a bit too much power wise for a small nursing home scenario....so now we have the versatile line array L1 Compact unit...
I haven't played thru one yet but so far all reviews point to a very successful unit for the NH circuit & small gig jobs. I got the thumbs up from my buddy Don M on the L1 compact and that's all I need .....I'll try to find one this week & give it a go in the store...if all pans out I just might buy one for my small gigs using arranger KB/vocals its certainly affordable enough.. If YOU are using one what are YOUR thoughts.If your NOT please don't assume.



[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 05-24-2009).]

Cool, thanks for posting

Let me think.... Logitech, what, $200-300? Bose $1000.

For a 100 watt PA.

Makes sense to me!

Ought to go great with a new Audya...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121120

500+watts $300 Logitech

115 watts $1000 Bose

Yep, that sounds about right.

Is not messing with cables worth $700 to you?

Thanx Steve at least your not "assuming" like some people here.

That rating for the Logitech would be PEAK power, its real RMS rating(115 is approx the Bose RMS figure) would be around the 220 mark.

The Bose would be a much higher quality than the Logitech, in both build and in the quality of its audio.

One of the great marketing tricks is to quote peak power figures, which whilst true are very misleading as to the continuous power input.

And just for those who are not aware 'PEAK' power is the amount the unit can put out in a very short bust when the input signal gets too high. But if a user maintains that level for any length of time, it can be bye bye speakers.

just like the topic states.....

BOSE L1 Compact is the
ULTIMATE NURSING HOME/Sm GIG Speaker!

I doubt if even the Logitech 5500 will cover the whole room as well as the Bose, unless you had the former's speakers arranged around the room.

I hope it works well for you in mono, Donny...I know I didn't fancy it at all.

Ian

[This message has been edited by ianmcnll (edited 05-24-2009).]

Well Ian first off....I don't have one as of yet, & for my very small NH gigs mono is more then adequate, I've done thses kind of gigs with every kind of speaker with no problems small & large....plus the addition of the Stereo of the S900 speakers, on my big jobs150-450pp+ which is most of my work I have a stereo PA system. If I decide to try one I'm sure it will do the job admirably too many people tell me they love the L1 Compact, if not, it goes back no problem it's only $999.99.



[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 05-24-2009).]

Donny,
You have read my posts about the gigs I have played with my Bose Compact L1s and I firmly stand by what I posted.

I have my Bose Classic L1 for sale - that should tell it all.

Hammer

Dean its nice to talk to people in the know like you & Don M whose opinion I respect who have actually "played" the product on Gigs & not posting some presumed nonsense. I don't doubt the Bose compact will serve my needs...I'll know much more for sure this coming week.
BTW great pics on those posts on PSR also.

take care

dp



[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 05-24-2009).]

No "presumed nonsense" as far as I am concerned.

You must try to understand that one does NOT have to play with something, to either know how it works, or to get a good idea what its' performance will be like from the specs produced by the manufacturer. (and the RMS figures do not even enter into that)

After many years using PA's I KNOW what the specs mean, and which are fudged and which are real.

Yes it is also good to use something as well, but to berate people who are speaking from just as factual a viewpoint is silly.

I have only spoken using factual sources..The manual for one, and quoting a guy who has been with Bose for near 27 years (and NOT in sales either)....I am actually one of those who think the L1 compact (a pair) would be very good.

As you CAN also hook up either a bigger external PA, OR extra sub, they would be perfect multi purpose speakers, all with the quality of Bose.

Configuration 5.1
Total Power 505 Watts
Satellite RMS Power /ea
Left/Right: 62 watts RMS x 2 (into 8 ohms, @ 1khz, @ 10% THD)
Center: 69 watts RMS (into 8 ohms, @ 1kHz, @ 10% THD)
Rear Left & Right: 62 watts RMS x 2 (into 8 ohms, @ 1kHz, @ 10% THD)
Subwoofer RMS Power 188 watts RMS (into 8 ohms, @ 100Hz, @ 10% THD)


From the Logitech specs. 3 stereo channels at 62w RMS (for a total of 186w) and another 188w for the sub. ALL at RMS, not peak. Mind you, those THD figures are a bit high at max. volume, but Bose never state theirs at max. power at all. Anywhere (I looked).

Looks like there's plenty of 'assuming' to go around...

Now, don't get me wrong... The Bose probably sounds pretty good for it's size (I play through an L1 Classic every now and again so quit with the 'you've got to play before you comment' crap, OK? ) but is it $700 better than the Logitech?

And the Logitech IS in stereo. So, in truth, to get approx. the same power and in stereo as the Logitech, it takes $2000 Compared to $300

Is it worth $1700 for an easier setup? And a bit more projection?

I'm not TELLING anyone to do anything (unlike some of the Bose zealots). Go ahead with the Bose. No skin off my nose!

I'm just trying to inject a little fiscal responsibility in here!

Invest $999.99 & make your investment back 100's & 100's of times ....what's the problem?

When you buying an Audya?

Presumably, more money MUST mean a better anything? You'd make your money back...

My way of looking at things is, if it doesn't make you MORE money than what you already have, you are losing money buying it.

$1700 (the difference between a Bose and a Logitech stereo system) can buy a LOT of other goodies, maybe something that you haven't already got... and maybe something that WOULD make you more money

You, also, have to factor in the relative ease of set up for the Bose, unless you use Gary's conguration. This is even cumbersome to transport.

The transporting of the bOSE L1 Compact alone is worth it's weight in gold

hey guys, i just checked this out at a local guitar center. i was checking out their memorial day sale today and they were playing an ipod through it.

as a portable nursing home unit it may be adequate but i found it tinny and the bass was underwhelming. it may have been adjusted wrong. If you set the volume higher than half way it would clip. I have drank the bose kool Aid by purchasing the L1 model 1. The compact sure is a sexy unit but i think you could almost guaranteed get better sound out of some other smaller system for 1000 bucks and even get change back.

Id be happy to give it another whirl set properly with an arranger going through it.



------------------
God Bless,
Mikey

www.mikeymaestro.com
www.myspace.com/kidconcert
www.balloonanimal.com
www.jokevid.com
www.youtube.com/kidconcert

Come on, Mikey... surely you know by now that the only way to get a bad sound out of a Bose is because it is set up wrong..?

Mikey,
My first impression of my Bose Comapact was that is was really bright - almost tinny as you suggested. After I messing around with my keyboard EQ it really sounded pretty darn good. I think that is one of the drawbacks of the unit - if you can't EQ the input it is really bright - but crystal clear.

Hammer

Are you going in those 1/4" jacks? Aren't they Tonematched for an acoustic guitar?

How about the RCA ins? That ought to be flat, surely?

Diki,
I use the quarter inch jack input but I don't use the guitar setting. Today I tried something a little different. I ran both my keyboard outputs into a combo gadget in to the single Jack on the Bose. Then I connected the two Compacts together using the output from one and going into the input of the other. On top of that I also ran my RCA connectors.

It all worked just fine for what I was doing - a partial DJ job doing Patriotic Wav files from my computer for the Vets at the gig. Not the sort of thing I like doing or do that often but ok for todays gig.

Frankly, I wasn't all that excited about the sound fromt the PC into the Compact but I have heard worse. Still can't beat running each Compact from a single keyboard output.

Hammer



[This message has been edited by hammer (edited 05-25-2009).]

Oh Boy glad today was a holiday today & I was gigging & didnt go shopping......after reading into this from Mikey maybe the Bose compact isn't the bees knees after all & is really just a guitar man's rig.......maybe Fran was right as usual.
I will still try the compact in the store with my Kb full bore anyway just to be sure.. I can't believe it's that bad & tinny if I heard that in a store I'd be all over the saleman idiot to let me EQ the unit as they mostly know squat.....



[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 05-25-2009).]

forum post..........

"Yes the Fishman Soloamp was 999$, at Guitar Center, and the Bose L1 Compact was also 999$. I did buy the Bose, and am extremely glad I did. There was no comparison for me sound wise. The Bose is killer. I had it hooked up in my house, and my wife (who has heard me playing for 25years) could not believe how the voice and guitar sounded. It is the most accurate acoustic tone I have ever heard in a system. "

Good find, Donny....

------------------
Bill in Dayton

Here is an excellent Bose Compact..review......

http://www.imadj.com/w_bose/bosecompactreview-page1.shtml

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 05-25-2009).]

Donny, No doubt about it good find, very interesting. I'm not saying the guy is selling us a bill of goods. I'm going to be the devil's advocate. Since we can't see sound how do we in fact know it's coming from the Compact? Just something to think about.

Hammer what do you think you've done the experimenting?

Steve after seiing & reading this review.. I might just pick one up and try it for my self....it has it's limits .....and thats the way I intend to use it nothing more as I have Big Guns for that kind of gig....so It could just be an easy to transport & setup very good coverage NH/small application rig ....

Donny, it's got my attention for the portability factor. Love the ez lightweight set up.

Stephen,
I am totally satisfied with the performance of the Bose Compact. I have used it now at 7 gigs and it has yet to under perform for the room or the situation. I am very pleased with the portability and have put my Bose Classic L1 up for sale.

For my needs the two Compacts will work very well. I am curious about Mikey's comment about clipping because I ran my Compact from my keyboard full out playing preset styles, midi files, and WAV files and it never distorted at all.

Hammer

Steve for what you do it could be "PERFECT"

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Dnj:
[B]Oh Boy glad today was a holiday today & I was gigging & didnt go shopping......after reading into this from Mikey maybe the Bose compact isn't the bees knees after all & is really just a guitar man's rig.......maybe Fran was right as usual.
I will still try the compact in the store with my Kb full bore anyway just to be sure.. I can't believe it's that bad & tinny if I heard that in a store I'd be all over the saleman idiot to let me EQ the unit as they mostly know squat.....

Hi Donny,

Keep me posted as to what you find. With all this discussion, my interest has been peaked. Let me know what you think. I do a lot of NH jobs.

Thanks,

Joe



------------------
Songman55
Joe Ayala

the only thing i heard was the way the salesman set it for some customers that were asking questions. I have no idea how he had it tonematched. I'm sure with some tweaking it can be improved. I just thought it seemed a little overpriced compared with the L1 model 1I understand your paying a premium for the portability.

I'm not bashing i promise. I'd consider one for my preschol gigs in the classroom.I'd love to compare all the other systems in it's class.



------------------
God Bless,
Mikey

www.mikeymaestro.com
www.myspace.com/kidconcert
www.balloonanimal.com
www.jokevid.com
www.youtube.com/kidconcert

Joe no problem....Ill let you know in a day or two for sure....

I rest my case!

Can anyone comment on the construction/durability of these things? If they were knocked over from a extended set up position, how would they fare?

The L1's are pretty solid...but the quality of material in construction certainly effects overall weight.

------------------
Bill in Dayton

That's what I was thinking and based on Bose connection I have could be something to really consider.




Hammer primarily play the same type venues you do. I know the L1 Classic can be overkill for those 30 to 50 person medium size rooms but the sound dispersion works well, yea I'm thinking.............

I'll be shopping this after noon after my gig.....could have one here tonight....
I also noticed now Sweetwater & Musicians Friend & GC are selling them online also.

Bose demoed at Bose outlet store.

Bose now on the way to me...

Cool!!! Good luck with it.

I went to Guitar Center to check out the Bose Compact....I must say..I was impressed with the sound..even the bass response..Point blank in front of the unit..it kicked..solid sound , clear..A big sound from a small "array" of speakers and I guess a small sub woofer (maybe 6 1/2")..

I was ready to buy..even though being ripped at list price..

I walked around the room..back 20-25 feet ..to the right..to the left...The honeymoon was over....The bass dropped rapidly off at 20 feet...and that "same sound anywhere in the room"...wasn't true at all...No miracles...sound disbursement is like other systems...I believe that the mids are more noticeable..giving it the impression the sound fills the room...In fact that is the same scenario with the Podium 802's..

What makes the Bose sound good is the proper tone mix EQ..actually pretty much "right on"..

When I left Guitar Center"..empty handed..I headed back to my place..Set up my 802's..and as always..they made me glad I had them..EQ is the trick with the 802's...EQ ing the bass...the 802's kick butt...The 802's also have more power..Both the 802's and the Bose Compact can be too much for nursing homes...so beware when the gray haired lady gets wide eyed..

Final thoughts from me...Yes the Compact is nice..and will be great for most small jobs..It won't make me sell off the 802's for it...and to think ..pay more than I would for 4 pair of 802's..NO WAY!!!!

If you are happy with paying list price, happy with hype...and don't own 802's...It can be ok for you..

DonM..when you get a chance test the Compact next to a pair of 802's..keep in mind ..the EQ is just as important on the 802's as it is on the Bose...See if your results are the same..bass drop off, and overall volume drops as it does with conventional systems (802's)...

I think the Bose compact has an 8" subwoofer..

I actually have tested both the 802s and the Compact in the save venue, although not at the same time. The Compact fills the room much better with very little drop-off in sound.
I must say the 802s did a good job also, but they are more directional. There are a couple of tables directly to my right and slightly behind me, and they sound is better there with the Bose.
I only had one Compact, but there is another on the way as we speak.
DonM

I did the best I could...remember I was in a high end Bose outlet store in a mall versus a music store where I could have ripped.......so I had to take it easy as their were other customers browsing with Bose reps also....first I was shown a Bose demonstration video played thru a 50" Plasma TV hooked to the L1 Compact....it was a guy playing & singing with an acoustic guitar OMG!!! the clarity of the sound was stunning....as I didn't expect anything less coming from Bose since I already have owned & performed with larger the L1 Model 1 many times...after the nice demo video...I asked if I could play thru it myself with my S900....again I was very satisfied with the results....sound was crystal clear, my EQ's worked well. The sub gave off enough Bass & the tower speaker array filled the room with clear highs & mids & vocals with no problems or distortion at normal playing levels, more then enough for my small gig needs of which was my initial reason for looking at the unit in the first place. Then I was done the Rep plugged in an Ipod and put in some
Bon Jovi "Living On A Prayer" & again it really sounded fantastic & kicked throughout the musical spectrum range all instruments came through the mix & vocals soared. This was enough for me....I went home and ordered a Bose compact L1. one thing I didn't know was that the two extension poles don't have speakers only connection plug....the Speaker array that goes on top has the speakers at different angles. I guess I was thinking of the bigger L1 model that has speakers all the way down the poles. But after the demo it all made sense. I'm sure it will serve me very well in the future. It looks & works great & sounds fantastic.
Well worth the $999.99 price tag.
Comes with covers also which is nice.

I'm also thinking of getting the Bose L1 Model 2 w/tone match Mixer also down the road as my bigger gig rig....

....more to report after I gig with the Compact in a few days.

Ciao

What is the actual power rating of each bose systems? L1, L1 m2, Compact?

Thanx BB....

just talked to Gary Diamond he is ordering a Bose compact in the morning also.

I have now used the Compacts on 10 gigs - including one today which was my largest room in which I play. I have tested both single and twin units and walked the rooms I play using styles, midi files, and WAV files and I have not experienced dropoff of any kind - at least to the point where it is noticable.

I even tested my Compacts right next to my Classic L1 and the sound dispersion is remarkably enough the same between the two as to be unnoticable.

One note here, I do not use the Guiter setting on my Compacts and I wonder if that makes the difference folks are hearing. There is a two-way switch from which you can select a Guitar EQ or Keyboard or other instrument EQ which is built into the units. The next time someone does and instore check - try both settings and see what happens.

By the way, today my room size was about 200 by 150 - very high ceilings and full of folks - still no issues as I walked the room before the gig. The comments I get with them is the sound is really nice and is not so loud that those up front are blown away for the people at the back to hear - typical Bose.

If anyone is interested email me and I will glad to send you the WAV and MIDI files I use for the tests. The are nothing special.

hammer

Thanks for the reviews guys.
Donny, I'm looking forward to your post gig insights. I’d be interested in hearing if you get the same impression of the bass response that Fran got. I play in a couple small restaurants – about 120 seating capacity each – and I find that the Bose L1 with one B1 is a little too much. Also, I didn’t care for the L1 sound without the B1. I’ve been using one Barbetta for these smaller gigs, but even the Barbetta is a bit much for such close quarters with tables 3-4 feet in front of me. I’ve read several times what Fran observed – that the bass response weakens at 15-20 feet.
DonM, what’s the approximate size of your regular gig space?
Has anyone used a mixer other than the T-1 with the Bose Compact?
Ciao,
Jerry

Hammer,
Can I assume that you did not experience the Bass sound drop off that Fran desribed?
Ciao,
Jerry

Jerry why not just try one yourself locally at GC or a Bose factory outlet...if you EQ your sound properly your should have no problem with the Bose Compact in small gig rooms as you mentioned...you really need to listen for your own personal needs like I did. I'll report back....good luck to you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JV7dCG0-Imw&feature=channel_page


Jerry have you listened to this whole demo to the end...


[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 05-26-2009).]

Jerry, the room I regularly play seats about 100 people. It's rectangular and has a bar across one entire side. I suppose it's about 50 x 100 feet. Just guessing.
I regularly use a Peavey mixer. I've also used Yamaha and Behringer. I prefer the Peavey but they all work very well.
I can hear the bass, and of course the mids and highs, clearly throughout the room.
I often have tables within six feet of my speakers and they can have conversations yet the people seated in the back can still hear me clearly. It's ideal for this situation.
DonM

[This message has been edited by DonM (edited 05-26-2009).]

Thanx Don.....
I've played that room at Earnests with you at the Shreveport LA jam...after hearing the Bose compact yesterday I would say it can cover it no problem & the clarity is astounding....with that said, nursing homes/ small size gigs/cocktail hours, coffee houses would be a cinch for sure....I'll have one here tomorrow.

Went to the local Bose store a lunch break I found the Compact L1 very impressive to say the least. Hammer I can really understand when you talk the weight factor. That baby is light as are the columns. I picked the column up expecting the weight of the L1 classic. WRONG. It was more like the weight of a box of feathers.

While there I mentioned the Bose video Donny posted to the rep.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JV7dCG0-Imw&feature=channel_page

After we watched it he said we have at other illusions in the store to demo our products. With that he took me to a another computer workstation setup and cranked up the companion 5 speakers for computers. While doing that he pointed to a couple of dummy speakers, then flipped a light switch in the dummies to reveal they were just dummy speakers. The real ones were below and very small.

He then demoed one of the Life Style home theater systems. In front of tiny wall mounted speakers were a couple of dummy cabs that stood 4 feet high by 6 inches wide. After he had me listen to the sound he pulled the dummy cabs away to reveal the small speakers. True example of selling the sizzle not the steak, nevertheless it was a nice way to spend my lunch hour.


[This message has been edited by Stephenm52 (edited 05-27-2009).]

So Steve how many did you order?

None today, but you never know.

go for it

Jerry,

I have not experienced any dropoff of bass, mids, or highs at any of my gigs. I am using two of the compacts and that might make a difference.

I have also tried using a Mackie 402 mixer with my two compacts but did not feel it made much of a difference. Any fine tuning I needed to make I was able to do with the keyboard. The first time I used the mixer I thought I heard a difference but after a few more times I wasn't impressed with any help the mixer was adding. I returned the mixer today.

Hammer

Bose compact should be here today & I'll take it right on a gig this afternoon & tonight also....should work out well.

I used two Compacts last night. As expected, the sound was crystal clear, with plenty of bass. It's a fairly small room, as stated above, but I had lots of power to spare.
I'm looking forward to trying them in a larger venue, to see if I need to keep the L1 Classic.
DonM

Don thanks for the review...I know I'll have to buy another one now

waiting for FEDEX now

Just heard from gary D ......he loves his NEW bose Compact & was impressed with it's sound.........mine just came FEDEX gotta run its Here!!!

Don yes keep us posted as to whether you need to keep the L1 Classic.

Gentlemen, start your stopwatches...

just got my bose compact OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Playing with the S900 it sounds awesome for sure....
Gary just called he loves his also...& is now thinking of selling the Big L1 too as the compact is proficient enough for most of his work also...

It sounds incredible, crystal clear and plenty of Bass for my needs.....I tried the S900 DEMO and stood back Holy Crappers its sooooooooooooo freakin clear & unIntrusive to the ear.....now I wanna sell both my big powered Mackie 15's and get another Bose compact for stereo & my bigger gigs, as far as EQ I had to basically bring up the low end & decrease my high end a bit .....they got a winner here for sure.. I pushed it thru my registrations & songs with vocals with no problems and I used to play my main master at around 2-3 o'clock now I'm on 11 !!! with the Bose at 12 o'clock master. It's got balls for sure I'm gonna try it at the club tonight also it's That Good!


More to come



[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 05-28-2009).]

Hey, that's great Donny! I haven't had a chance to test out the Bose Compact yet, but my local store is bringing in a pair of them, so I'll get to try them in stereo next week.

HMMMMMMMMMMMMM, maybe it's time to drink the Kool Aid!!!

Awaiting your review Ian.....

Cherry is my favorite

Folks,
I have been reporting all of this for a month. So, what's new?

Hammer

Bose Compact passed with flying colors tonight at my gig 125 pp dancing all night.
It sounded great ........EQ'ing your gear with this unit is essential to get the right sound with your gear & mic...
Once done it's a pleasure to play thru for small/med rooms. The portability is so nice also. has to be the best gear buy so far this year for me.

l8tr

I sold 5 of them in the past two weeks! The Compact is a winner for Bose and will expose their larger systems to some people as well. I love playing the T3 demo through then as Mall walkers go by wondering where the sound is coming from.

It's amazing what it sounds like within its range & worth every penny for sure....& your back will thank you a million times over!

When Donny is STILL using this three months from now, and not a day before, will I consider ANY endorsement of his of any value. I don't know about you, but at least I can remember many times in the past he has gushed all enthusiastic about something he sold a month or two later...

I'm not saying it is a bad product, I am merely saying that if you are looking to Donny to either vindicate your purchase of a Bose Compact, or as a recommendation to buy one (especially the latter, really) I would wait until the initial enthusiasm turns into the inevitable cold appraisal.

THEN buy one... or better still, go listen for yourself. Lemmings simply follow - cliff or no cliff. A wise animal follows his own path...

Don't take my word for it.....
Hammer, Don M, Gary D, is more then enough credibilty for me on a recomendation.

And some others deciding that they preferred something else is enough for some caution.

Main thing for me is still the question of cost... Everyone (or at least, many of those rushing out to buy the Bose) are pretty horrified at the cost of the Audya, but then turn around and gush about an under 200w PA that cost $1000 (OK, $999 ).

Doesn't anyone CARE that you can buy a pair of Podium's for a FRACTION of that price (stereo Bose gonna set you back $2000 - OK, $1998!), and have a stereo rig that is AT LEAST as loud and clear? And if not, have you ordered your Audya yet?

Several of you are playing MOTL arrangers, and yet here, with the money you'd save, you could afford to trade up to the TOTL arranger. Which would make the biggest impact on your show?

Diki, I think these guys are looking at it from a "sound dispersion" viewpoint, not necessarily from a "power contest".

Yes they can get podiums cheaper and they have more "Paper Power" but you know as well as I do that with the traditional speaker box, once a listener goes off axis the directional frequencies become less defined. Quite noticeably so from as little as about 10 feet off axis.

This does not happen with the Bose, and I can now speak for the L1 system and the 502a/502b system as well.

The music wraps the room.

And consequently less power is needed to cover the same space because the speaker design does that for you.

As an analogy it's rather like the difference between a V8 street car that uses heaps of engine size and fuel, to get to 200mph, but the F1 car uses just a tiny 1600cc engine but utilises GREAT design to get to the same speed and using far less fuel as well. HA HA of course the analogy also applies to the cost F1 costs a lot more than the street V8!!

I personally don't give a crap what Diki says, I'm immunised to his repetitious, smiley face BS....unit was recommended to me by some very professional respected players,I then heard the Bose compact L1 in a store, bought one, used it with great success on stage & that's it! Nuff said, it suits MY needs. Now if you'll excuse me I have a gig to enjoy this evening.

Remind us again about the arranger odyssey and your initial enthusiasm versus eventual dislike...

I ain't saying it's not a good product. I'm simply cautioning against anyone taking your initial enthusiasm to mean you will remain it's protagonist.

One two cha cha cha could be applied after a lot you write, too.

Diki,
Why so cynical about the reports given here on the Compact? You kmow, a few of us here have a rather profound professional background but just don't "brag" about it here or elsewhere - mainly because for a lot of us it is in the past. I suggest there are more than just the "choosen few" here whose opinios are worth the time to consider.

Also, just like keyboards, what PA system fills the bill for one player is poison to another. And believe it or not, some folks really don't care about pricing - just the product they get and if it works for them.

Later,
Hammer


[This message has been edited by hammer (edited 05-29-2009).]

And, if those evangelizing for those products EVER brought up those points, I wouldn't HAVE to post the rebuttal...

But someone who isn't as experienced a professional ought to get BOTH sides of the story, to better judge the value of the advice. Many here have been 'talked' into buying things from other's glowing reviews that didn't turn out so well. If I can slow anyone down from rushing out and buying something because of these one sided reviews, and take a more considered and researched approach, I consider my day well spent!

And Donny in particular has on MANY occasions gushed profusely about equipment, to turn around and sell it a few weeks later and start to dis it venally, advice from this quarter needs caution. Note that I NEVER say 'DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT'. All I ever say is 'think about this, TOO'....

Surely good advice for anyone?

I know this is getting off track just my comments on others endorsing a product. Over 2 years ago Donny raved about the Pa800 as did Uncle Dave. I got interested in the PA series based on some glowing reviews by both. Didn't work out for Donny, but I went to Frankieve's store played the PA800 I knew I liked what I heard. I bought one, liked it so much then upgraded to the Pa2xPro. Here we are about 22 months later and I'm still using the Korg PA. I did miss Yamaha and added the s900. My point is I never would have tried the PA series if it weren't for Donny raving about it, worked out for me, not for him. As far as I know UD still uses the PA800. Part time musicians have to have a frame of reference what better way than have someone who earns their living making music doing the field testing. I consider that a real plus.

Not ot mention the cost of ownership is very low due to a fantastic resale value. Spend $3000 on ANY PA and sell it two yeasr later for $2500.....

Spend $1000 for ANY PA and sell it for $700....

There is a market for used Bose systems..Check Ebay. Used systems are selling for well over half the cost of new and mostly more. When I was shopping for the ModII set up I looked on Ebay and saw systems bid up to $2600!!! For even $700 more I would rather buy new. Now sell a pair of JBL Club speakers for 3/4 of new! Or a Mackie 808S...and the sticks cables monitor, get less than 1/2 of new cost.

This is becasue the Bose systems are in demand used and UNIQUE. Not a plain jain PA that every player has in their garage and trying to sell.

TOTL JBL gear holds its' price pretty well if not banged around. Look at used SRX stuff in good condition, Vertec, that kind of thing...

Mind you, margins on those are kept pretty high compared to JRX and the like. I think that, rather than any intrinsic value, is why Bose keep their value... no chance of heavily discounted new ones. Price fixing has its' benefits, I guess

And Stephen... why didn't you buy a T2 when he had one, or a Roland G70, or Roland E60, or a Ketron, or a PSR S900 the two or three times he had one?

All you did was get lucky...

In fact, you could have bought just about ANYTHING, and you would got the Donny Seal of Approval... But how do you feel now that he is so set against it? Still respect THAT opinion too?

Diki, what's your problem? BTW. one two cha cha cha is originally mine. I have a new one for you, go take a JUMA.

Cha cha cha,

Joe

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Songman55
Joe Ayala

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[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 05-29-2009).]

My 'problem', as you put it, is no-one wants to hear unqualified praise. YOU certainly don't want to listen to me go 'use a Roland' to ANY query abut arrangers, no matter HOW much I happen to like it. I can see disadvantages in it, as I can for just about anything. For some reason or another (self justification for such an expensive outlay, perhaps? ) most Bose users discount ANY possible drawback, including the price.

I simply feel that 'fair and balanced' should include both sides of the issue. Unless you are Fox News, that is

How many times do I have to repeat? I am NOT telling anyone 'DON'T buy it, you'll regret it' unlike posts like Donny's 'Buy one, you NEVER regret it' All I'm saying is 'consider the issues'...

Donny has bought MORE than his share of stuff that he HAS regretted later. Perhaps, if you don't simply follow what he does like a lemming, you might avoid some of that. Look at BOTH sides of the coin, then if the Bose is what you need, buy it by all means. But if you look to him for advice that remains true, you have to wait a while for the initial gushing to wear off.

I'm sorry, but I will NEVER apologize for being the voice of caution...

Tonight.....I was at a gig 180pp but a small tight room....took a shot with the Bose compact vs my big system....it worked out very well with excellent coverage..I wouldn't venture out with it alone in a bigger venue.....everything has its limits but I was happy with the results & I now know what size venues & when I can use it to cover the job......additionally the house system which the committee tried to use for announcements was terrible in the ceiling ....so I took the house mic and plugged it into the Bose compact so they could call tables for Dinner & 50/50's etc, etc, .....it sounded incredible through the XLR Mic channel. Nice useful feature.
My Bose "C" has now paid for itself in 2 gigs....

ciao

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 05-30-2009).]

I believe the resale value has a lot to do with the fixed pricing. But because its not a run of the mill traditional system and has a lot of supporters and a forum dedicated to its use, there is a uniqueness to the product and becasue it is a complete solution they are sold as units. I am surprises and actually like that they can command a good price second hand.
Not many items in the technological world (especially music technology) command as good a resale value.

Donny I do not know if you can run your Mic out seperate on the S9000. If you can have you tried the Mic input on the Bose?
Has anyone? I would think that may be pretty cool!!

I guess it would be ok if you needed it that way.

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 05-30-2009).]

Diki, I probably should have mentioned I've owned a PSR 3k, tyros2, G70 in that order although I really enjoyed all 3 something was missing.( mostly 76 keys with the Yamaha products) The G70 was great nothing like those great latin styles for my taste on the G70. But I just found it a little too heavy moving it in its' Gator case with wheels.

When I started gigging 4 years ago I needed an arranger I heard about the 3k from the PSR site pricing was right and bought it thru the Yamaha dealer I worked for in the 70s at a very discounted price. The was action too light for my taste then got caught up in the tyros2 hype despite the hype I didn't buy the T2 until a year after it's release. Believe it or not it was when a Guitar Center sales guy Jim who is a OMB demoed the board for me.( mikey maestro and tonymads know Jim too). It was his demo that sold me.

I also bought a Mackie 450 based on Donny's recommendation. Short story it wasn't for me and I took it back wound up with the Barbetta 31c highly recommended by a couple of other SZ members, ( still have it too).

Now on the Bose compact I wasn't buying the hype but I've heard it live and was very suprised by what I heard. Will I buy one? Tempting yes it is based on its sound to weight ratio ( if there's even such a ratio )

I can succumb to hype but in the end I make my decisions very carefully.

There's price to weight, sound to weight, and price to sound ratios...

Bose scores high on all of those.

Anyone playing NH/or Small venue gigs you owe it to yourself to use the Bose Compact.....but then again what do I know?

[This message has been edited by Dnj (edited 05-31-2009).]

I don’t play NH’s, but I’m considering it for my restaurant and cocktail party gigs – usual limited space problems etc. My concern is that I need a couple of inputs so I wanted to see if a small mixer can be used successfully. I have a small Alto L-6 that I could use. Hopefully, I’ll get to check out the Compact this week. I think I’ll carry my Midjay Plus into the store so I can I can get an idea of how, what I actually play on the small gigs, sounds through the Compact.
Ciao,
Jerry


[This message has been edited by Jerry T (edited 05-31-2009).]