Bose 840919-2100 L1 Pro8 - Portable PA System, Portable Line Array Speaker

Product Information

We’ll get onto the specification of the L1 Pro8 a little later, but Bose negates this issue via the incorporation of a C-shaped line array with eight articulated 2” neodymium drivers, delivering 180 degree horizontal coverage with wide 40 degree vertical dispersion. A connected woofer provides all the bottom end. Bose really pushes the portability/performance factor of the L1 Pro8 and with good reason. Technically you could carry this with one arm/hand and leave the other free for instruments etc.

Instead, line arrays are vertically oriented; you have just one single ‘tower’ comprising a woofer at the base and mid-range/high frequency speakers at the top of the array. This neat little app has two basic uses and it connects to your L1 Pro 8 via Bluetooth. Simply press and hold the Bluetooth button on the L1 Pro 8 until it starts flashing, then connect it to your device. Mic’ provides a generic preset for a handheld dynamic microphone. ‘Inst’ offers a preset for a piezo acoustic electric guitar. There’s more Once you hook up the L1 Pro 8 with the app, this is where things get really good. When you fire up the app, you’ll see it’s an exact replica of what’s on the mixer section on the unit itself. Bose equipment across the board is renowned for its sound quality and in the L1 Pro8 they’ve managed to successfully combine true portability with easy set up and excellent sonic performance.And with the intuitive L1 Mix app, you get complete wireless mixer control from your smartphone or tablet too. In many situations, unless you absolutely have to have a mic’d up guitar amp sound, or use an amp modeller (yes you can connect a modeller to the L1 Pro 8) these sound quite acceptable even the high gain variants.

As we’ve mentioned elsewhere in this Bose L1 Pro 8 review, it also makes a great home hi-fi system. Moving down the panel, next up are mute buttons for all three channels. Pretty self-explanatory. Then, on channels 1&2 only, we have ToneMatch, which essentially is where you select the input source. Connectivity

This may be useful if you’re playing on a raised stage and want to reduce overall height to ensure optimum sound dispersal via the array or if you’re using it indoors as a Bluetooth sound system for example.

Moving swiftly down the mixer controls – next, on channels 1&2 we have phantom power. This is a really welcome – and frankly quite rare – inclusion because it means you can plug in condenser microphones without having to worry about finding the necessary juice to power them. This is a selectable via and on/off switch and when engaged provides 48V of power to channels 1&2. At 300W, the L1 Pro8 is ideal for smaller venues like coffee shops, cafes, bars and restaurants but it also has enough juice in the tank for small halls and events – outdoors and inside.Bose’s algorithms here are very usable and do a good job of enhancing your tone. There’s no rules here – experiment – and you can develop your own customized settings and save them as ‘scenes’ for instant recall. These can also be shared to different L1 systems. Each L1 Pro system features a built-in mixer, so you can connect various instruments, microphones and other sources easily. You get two combo XLR-6.4 mm phantom-powered inputs, 6.4 mm and 3.5 mm (1/8") aux inputs, plus Bluetooth streaming capability. Illuminated rotary encoders give you instant access to volume, tone and reverb settings per channel. Select between optimised system EQ presets for live music, recorded music and more. And add in even more instruments and other audio sources via a dedicated ToneMatch port—one cable provides both power and digital audio between the system and a Bose T4S or T8S mixer (optional).

Mega portable: just 78.9 x 12.5 x 17.3” (200.5 x 31.8 x 44cm) HxWxD and weighing in at a paltry 38.2lbs (17.3kg) The first is via optional Bose T4S and T8S mixers. These are designed to connect to any Bose L1 Pro mixer via the dedicated ToneMatch port located on the mixer panel. A single cable also powers these external mixers.Just make sure when you plug a mic in, that you select ‘mic’ for the ToneMatch option and ‘inst’ for a guitar or similar. You can turn this functionality off. Bluetooth Simply make your choice – and those settings are remotely sent, via the app, to the L1 Pro 8 in real-time. Now not every product from every brand is available here but you should be able to get pretty close. We were impressed by the simplicity of the app and how useful it is. In terms of carrying bags you get with the L1 Pro 8: well you DO get a travel bag to house the line array components; you DON’T get anything for the subwoofer/mixer base unit. There is a convenient carrying handle located on the top of the unit though. The Bose L1 Pro8 is ready whenever you are, enabling easier load-in and faster setup. It offers generous coverage with a C-shaped line array featuring 8 articulated 5.1 cm neodymium drivers. This array delivers 180-degree horizontal coverage with wide vertical dispersion, allowing your audience to hear clearly whether they are seated or standing, even off to the extreme sides in small to medium venues like coffee shops and cafés.