Bose S1 Pro... $599 Powered Monitor

Bose S1Pro

15 lbs
3 channel mixer - 2 XLR/1/4” jacks
reverb and hi and low EQ
different tilt options with auto EQ and auto dispersion
pole mount
Bluetooth
optional battery... $99?
$599

Nice design! Practice amp to monitor.

https://youtu.be/rsqgYA8A1tU

https://youtu.be/CQzw0mlFuBI

Nice. It‘s been a long time since Bose last introduced a new lightweight system in the PA segment. Another option is the new compact speaker from Korg.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1383880-REG/bose_787930_1110_s1_pro_multi_position_pa.html

Wish they would make something besides mono. I'll give the Konnect a try instead for $200 less (I'm sure the Bose will be incredible though).

Brings the Roland BA330 back in competition again. Same price but more speakers and features than the BOSE or KORG and it is stereo. Just wish it had more power.

stereo speakers so close together defeats the purpose......

The Roland BA 330 has twice the weight of Konnect and Bose S1 Pro, and probably with less power.

There is no comparison between the BA330 and the Bose S1. The BA330 is just 33-watts peak power, 4.2-watts RMS, according to their spec sheet. I was not able to find the power draw specs on the Bose system, but I will in the next few hours and post it. I tried the BA330 with my PSR-S950 and it was horrible to say the least. I know that Fran will tell you that it is the best thing since sliced bread because it made by Roland, but on this I will disagree with him till the cows come home.

Gary

Korg KONNECT vs Mackie Freeplay?


for me the Maui 5 for small gigs is a winner..

Roland has never used any spec but RMS.... No hype numbers.

The BA330 is 15 watts a side RMS... it delivers 109db, and can cover 100 people.. The bass is decent and has a better overall sound then the Bose..

The mixer is way better than the Bose and has routing options..

The stereo does work well... they are slightly angled ... left and right... and you can widen the effect with control knob... I never needed to..

It is the true swiss knife of amps..

Battery life of 10 hours.... not the 2-3 hours you get on other brands....

I owned and used it every day for primary sound... The critics have not..

4- 6 1/2' speakers and 2 tweeters..

Sorry guys , but I know what I am talking about..

BTW: when using an external mixer (My Edirol).. the volume level far exceeds my expectation..

I was looking at the new Bose S1... but they are so vague on stats as usual... and Bose actually recommended the compact for 100 people over the S1..

If DNJ didn't talk me into selling my BA330 to him... I would still have it..

I keep my eye out for a bargain deal on a used one... there are none... people keep them..

Sorry Fran, check the site at https://www.roland.com/global/products/ba-330/specifications/

410 milliamperes is only 4.1-watts. That's it! Nothing complicated about OHM's law when it comes to calculating wattage.

Gary

Gary we had the same discussion 8 years ago.... I thought you were wrong then... and I still think you are wrong..

I have a great idea.... go play thru one..


I also raved about the Podium Pro 802's and they sold a ton of them because I endorsed them..

And the Podium 1205a is the most powerful unit at 28 pounds with bass that kills everything in PA's..

What the Podiums lacked is the same as the Bose and QSC K series....
Warmth... they are all too harsh and brittle..

BA330 just sounds better..


Check into more detail about how you rated the BA330....

109 db... is a fact...I scoped it..

Gary I see your error... 410ma is .41 amps.. AC voltage is 110 volts x .41 amps... yields 45 watts... not 4.1 watts..

DB has absolutely nothing to do with power ratings, Fran. And, I did try the BA330 on your recommendation here at Music Land, Bel Air, MD using my PSR-S950. It sounded weak and distorted at best.

dB Power ratio Amplitude ratio
100 10000000000 100000
90 1000000000 31623
80 100000000 10000
70 10000000 3162
60 1000000 1000
50 100000 316 .2
40 10000 100
30 1000 31 .62
20 100 10
10 10 3 .162
6 3 .981 ≈ 4 1 .995 ≈ 2
3 1 .995 ≈ 2 1 .413 ≈ √2
1 1 .259 1 .122
0 1 1
−1 0 .794 0 .891
−3 0 .501 ≈ ​1⁄2 0 .708 ≈ √​1⁄2
−6 0 .251 ≈ ​1⁄4 0 .501 ≈ ​1⁄2
−10 0 .1 0 .3162
−20 0 .01 0 .1
−30 0 .001 0 .03162
−40 0 .0001 0 .01
−50 0 .00001 0 .003162
−60 0 .000001 0 .001
−70 0 .0000001 0 .0003162
−80 0 .00000001 0 .0001
−90 0 .000000001 0 .00003162
−100 0 .0000000001 0 .00001
An example scale showing power ratios x, amplitude ratios √x, and dB equivalents 10 log10 x.

Hope this clears things up for you.

Gary

I had the BA330 for a while, but never warmed up to it. I practically gave it away to my horn man. Now, we’re using it to fatten the sound of our backing tracks. We place it behind us, patched into the sound system. It provides a nice bump and ambience to the over sound. Sort of like having a sub. No feedback issues. But, I hate to carry that thing.

It's only 30 lbs. kind of wish I kept mine for a utility and practice room amp. For the price I would still choose it over the new Bose or Korg.

30 lbs. is heavy to me, tho’ I can still handle it in my 70’s. Especially up 3 flights of stairs, with no elevator. I just traded 24 lb. powered speakers to a smaller model of 17 lbs. I’d like everything to be under 20 lbs., except for the arranger, which I can deal with OK. I guess lighter means trade-offs in sound quality to some extent. But, sometimes compromises must be struck.

Here’s the manual for the Bose S1 Pro...

https://assets.bose.com/content/dam/Bose...00_viewable.pdf

I just looked through it real quick... no mention of dB rating or wattage. But it comes with the cover. It does have a link out... only 1/4” but it might be balanced!

Time to sell my Roland CM-30 and my TC-Helicon Monitors. Already sold the JBL EON ONE.

Just talked to Yamaha, and they could not provide me with power in watts, however, the sales rep gave me the other specs. The S1 has a 103DB RMS gain with a 109DB gain peak power, slightly less than the L1 Compact which is 112DB RMS and 12DB peak power.

Hope this helps,

Gary

I found the db rating: 103db, maximum 109db at 1 meter.
This is not a full-scale PA system. Basses stop at 70 Hz.

https://pro.bose.com/en_us/products/loudspeakers/portable/s1_pro_system.html#ProductTabs_tab2

I bought the Podium Pro 802's when you recommended them , and got 2 at a heck of a deal.

I still use them for larger venues with my JBL EON1. I plug them into the JBL Left/Right monitor outs, and they really enhance the sound.

Regards,

Jerryghr

Bose S1- Really nice design features.

90 dB is loud... so, as a monitor that can do 103 dB at one meter, it will be great! In a room with 30 people, it would be fine. At any of my gigs, it will work as a monitor. Only goes to 70 hz but my Yamaha DXR10 only goes down to 56 hz.

Just consider how much a difference of 9dB is. I read about SPL in detail on expert websites.
6dB difference means twice the amplitude of the sound wave.
Double performance (wattage) just renders +3dB.
That means if you use a pair of Bose S1Pro (which means double wattage), the SPL inceases from 103dB to 106dB and still only leads to half of the amplitude of a single L1 Compact (112dB).

Valid point!

Louder doesn't always mean better quality sound..

Yep, you absolutely correct, Donny. That's why I sold my Barbetta Sons 32SCs, Peavey 600-watt stereo, powered mixer and 15 inch spiders, and other monsters that were loud and distorted, and went with the crystal-clear, crisp, wonderful sound of Bose.

Gary

Barbettas were loud, but not distorted!

Don, I respectfully disagree.I found my vocals were muddy sounding in comparison to the Bose L1 PAS and L1 Compact, and my audiences frequently commented how much clearer the Bose system sounded when I began using it. And, this was ALL audiences, not just the seniors. Additionally, at least to me, the mid and high range sounds of the Bose systems were much crisper and cleaner sounding. The high hats sizzled with the Bose, while on the Peavey and Barbetta systems they were barely audible. I know my hearing is shot to Hell, but when I can hear those differences, they must really be very pronounced for those that have reasonably good hearing.

All the best,

Gary

A problem with maximum SPL is also that it only refers to one very specific frequency, in which the maximum is reached. You could have speaker A with very thin bass response and little body and speaker B with massive bass and a full sound, and still speaker A could reach a higher maximum SPL in measurements if there are some shrill high frequencies.
Let's see how the first customers will rate the Bose S1 Pro...

There is a difference between improved high-end response and distortion. I couldn't make the Barbettas distort. They did overheat sometimes.
I'm not saying the Bose Compacts don't sound better. And the Maui 5's sound better than the Compacts.

I have Maui 5's and I don't sound as good as you.
Eddie

I've had the Roland BA330, the Nano 300 and a Roland Cube Street. None of them could compete with the Bose Compact. My only other go to is an EV ZXL12p 2-way powered speaker which is a completely different animal. The S1 Pro is very attractive and might make a nice addition to my little setup, but at $599 I'm going to pass. No doubt it's a great unit; I just don't need it.

IMO, Roland's biggest downfall is its speakers. I haven't played one Roland amp that sounded good with keyboards except the JC 120. Give me an EV or a Bose and I' happy. BTW, my next purchase will most likely be a Fender Deluxe Reverb, mostly for nostalgia. Know of one collecting dust?

I also have a couple of Nano 300s. I keep them for times I need to have two setups in place. I think they sound really good in smaller venues, but they are not line-array speakers like the Bose or Maui.

Sounds like it could work as a keyboard PA? I’m thinking for home practice and small groups...10 - 20 folks?

I’m liking the price and weight. The weight I like with hip issues.

I ordered one.

good luck,.... are you creating a speaker museum with all of them ....just kidding,... enjoy your new toy awaiting your full review...

I’m trying to collect as many speaker systems as I have guitars(that I’m not using). Of course, PA speakers cost less than my guitars.

😊

So much money fore such a small sytem ( need always 2) , there is so much more to get fore that amount of money .
And it al comes from china ( all brands)

Impuls :-)

Actually, I rarely use two PA’s for gigging. This purchase has more to do with weight. I’d been advised to find something lighter to haul around if I’m going to try to gig again.

As for expensive? $13 a month which I write off. I spend more than that for lunch eating out.

😊