Hi there. Found the blog interesting. I have a Bose S1, and it is excellent (guitar/backing tracks/ vocals) I found using it for small spaces improved greatly if it was on a pole mount, changing the projection height. The Bose is designed as a small line array (speakers inside sort of lined up above each other in the cabinet) and I find it better with a raised position to project the sound. It has limitations of course, because it is what it is, a really good small speaker that will be affected by indoor or outside use, indoor or outside space size, and the environment, the weather, etc. I use the Bose tone-match sometimes too, and that takes the speaker to another level, it handles the preamp awesomely and adds bigger dimension and flexibility, again depending on the venue scenario. Your blog was good, and accurate, and I can only add that in reality, the Bose cannot be all things for all occasions because that would be unrealistic. Best wishes with your music, keep doing what you’re doing.

Was here for the review, but stayed for your talent and energy!

I have had a Bose S1 Pro for a couple of years. We used it primarily to amplify my wife's singing when she's booked for weddings and funerals. It's been great. Just a lately, I've been practising with it with a view to going busking. I hooked it up with some Sennheiser ME3 headset mics, and Sennheiser G1 transmitters and receivers (these are both battery powered so ideal for busking). The sound is really good (even for a headset mic). I have had it on a speaker stand so you can hear properly what it might sound like. I've now just ordered another S1 and added a Behringer 1002B mixer ( I already had the mixer) because I write original music and want my backing tracks to be played in stereo.....to counteract the smudging that goes on when trying to play stereo tracks back through mono. Although this might sound like a complicated setup, it won't be in the end. The mixer is battery powered (look into 9V lithium batteries...they're brilliant and long lasting), the mic receivers can sit alongside them in the same light flightcase, along with an ancient Zoom 9030 (I bought in about 1991 I think) powered by a lithium powerbank and two cables can then go to either speaker. This setup should be good enough for 50-100 people. My guitar will be using a Line 6 G10 remote jack system. I think why you had problems is because of the limitations of the Bose S1 in getting the right EQ on your vocals. With only a bass and treble knob, the S1 is really relying on your mic being matched to your voice. Also, you can't expect much bass out of these systems, or feed too much bass into them. I've had to remaster some of my backing tracks to get the bass from 'booming' the speaker enclosure at certain frequencies. I'll do an in-depth video of the setup once the new speaker is delivered.

I've had my Bose Pro 1 for a few years now and I like it 100%. I have no problem with mic volume. I think I use a stronger voice than you, but I may use a better Mic too. Never use less than a SM58. I use it with a line and also with a better bluetooth adapter and all sound slightly different. Today I have set up two Bose Pro1s and am sing a £680 Sennheiser radio mic. The sound is wonderful. I position the speakers slightly behind me so I can hear me and the track really well. I was busking in a huge Tesco at the bottom of a long escalator. The manager had to come down and tell me to turn it down.

Dear Samantha, thank you very much for the great video! I was researching about the Bose S1 Pro a lot and found that the problem you and others were having is caused by the automatic gain (or lack of manual gain) with the built-in mixer. Using an external mixer would result in a better mic output (volume and sound wise), however this really defeats the purpose of having a highly portable small PA with in-built mixer. Bose pretty much screwed up with this one and reason why people write lot of wrong comments here is because this is mic/line-in problem only and they mainly benchmark the box with Bluetooth or other Inputs. You were one of two reports which were useful for actual buskers and musicians using the mic input. Therefore thank you very much for your efforts and be confident about your musical abilities. You are great and won a new subscriber. Best, T

I recently bought 2 of these. And ive bought the bose F1 speakers and subs. My SM58 just wasnt cutting thru. I purchased a sennheiser e335 for 99 bucks. It made a world of difference.

I use my Bose S1 Pro with a Boss Ve-8 voice machine (battery powered) and now get twice as much vocal volume in addition to the added effects. I think the sound of the Bose S1 Pro is great.

Great review! Thank you for posting. The weak vocal (pre amp related) channel in the version 1 S1 is known issue with the Bose. If you add a pre amp to the mic it will fix. Also I am told the S1 Pro + does not have this issue.

Thanks for this. I like to see your decision making.

thank you for sharing all the dislikes are probably from people trying to justify spending $600 on one speaker.

That was a great review. I really appreciate the time and on-site research you did for this re: the BOSE S1 Pro speaker. I am a solo instrumental guitarist (using a loop pedal to help me). I mainly do one high-end restaurant in Stratford, ON., Canada. I bought a Bose S1 about a month ago. I already owned the Bose L1 Compact stick which I liked. But, I didn't need the power and I wanted more control over the EQ (separately for my backup loop tracks and my guitar through multi FX). I have only used the S1 once in a house concert setting with a singer using a Shure Beta 58 mic. I did notice that I had to crank the mic/vocal channel a bit more than I expected compared to her Taylor guitar and my effected Taylor guitar. But, it all sounded perfect by the time I tweaked it accordingly. All good;. Agaain, you did a great and thorough job on this review, and I truly appreciate that. Thank you. Without being there with your gear, I kept wondering if your mic was maybe a bit tired and not working 100%. They don't go on forever unfortunately and I wonder if your mic was holding back your enthusiasm for the S1. I am actually buying a second S1 for wireless stereo (or mono). I have the fortune (even through Covid times) to be playing one of the most beautiful restaurants on the planet (Revival House in Stratford, ON., Canada). It is a 150 year old church in the heart of downtown Stratford and famous for it's food and it's noted as a perfect concert venue. The S1 fills this massive church dining room at less than half volume with my music. Dining guests always comment that they think I have speakers everywhere. I guess, in conclusion, I will challenge you that maybe you might need a new mic at some point. I noticed a fair bit of high-end missing from it on your various tests. (BTW, you have a beautiful voice! So sweet.) Also, as per the busker with the wireless... that wireless mic receiver have an output volujme control that acts as a crank or preamp. That might be the little box you saw. (The headset mic transmits to the receiver box and goes to the amp accordingly. So many knobs.... so little money... But, in conclusion, I am head over heels about my S1 Pro and amd buying another one on Monday. I hope this might just give you some food for thought about the S1 from a different artist's perspective (or context). Keep doing what you're doing. You are very talented. If you were closer to where I live, I'd be hoping to record you in my studio. You are one of the good ones. Cheers and have a great day. Good luck and stay safe.

Kind of surprised all the professionals you asked for advise they didn't question your mic. ?? That act with the wireless should have pointed in that direction, though the wireless system probably acted in a preamp fashion gaining up the input db. In all your comparisons the Bose was always clearer, hence more loudness wasn't actually needed. But I know it is huge that how you hear yourself is vital to your performing confidence, so very important.

You’re obviously serious about your sound. Any speaker used for an audience benefits by being elevated on a stand. The dispersion and projection is improved. I only mention it because noticed in a couple of the segments, you had the speaker on the ground. Additionally, a mixer with EQ or external preamps really help dial in better tone/sound. Lastly, I have benefited greatly from reading and working with people who are very experienced and knowledgeable in sound. It helps if you can find someone likewise or read about particular sound characteristics and environments to dial in better sound and overcome problems before buying equipment.

Positioning will effect the EQ and whether or not it is on a pole or not. It will automatically adjust the sound. I use mine in pubs with my acoustic and electric guitars / ukulele, vocals and effects pedalboard. A external preamp helps but not always needed.. A second speaker also helps too but may not be needed. Like Ian Oalmer was saying it all depends upon the circumstances. Even when playing indoors every venue is different. and can effect your sound and you will need to tweak things here and there. When you have a lot of equiptment in a music store and microphones there will be feedback. Watts is almost a useless stat. dB or decibels is a more accurate stat for how loud something is as watts are not all created equal. Often companies will also exagerate the watts as oppossed to listing the actual RMS watts of the product. I had one speaker that was advertised as 200 watts and it really wasn't. It was loud but it was not 200 watts loud. i encountered that with a Samson I had purchased. It was listed at 50 watts and it was quieter than my Kustom PA-50 even when the Samson's levels were at max and even when attached to my mixer too. However, with the Samson the battery or something was rattling inside so it being defective may be a factor. All my other gear i trested with my kustom PA-50 to determine with it may be my xlr cord or my microphone and it was not. in the event it was the speaker being defective and probably was i may give that particular Samson or another model a go next time maybe. With the money i got back from the Samson I used it to get my Bose S1-Pro. With the Bose S1-Pro...most of the venues i play at will provide a vocal microphone / P.A for FOH. So I use mine as a monitor as my pedalboard has a DI that goes to it and the FOH p.a.'s. When busking i have a secondary speaker if i need it or I bring my guitar amp (Orange Crush Mini into a guitar cabinet speaker) and just use the bose for vocals. Some battery powered p.a. speakers like the Mackie will actually drop the volume on the other channels if channel #1 is being used. For you it could be other factors other than the speaker. it could be your microphone as you said it went dead. It could have been a number of things as the guy you saw busking with a Bose S1-Pro in the mall did not have a issue with his speaker being loud enough. I do not have a lot of money either and buying a Bose S1-Pro was a big investment. But, sometimes you need to take a chance.

I feel your pain. Mic gain is an issue on the S1. A mic with a stronger output helps a bit. A preamp, wireless system or vocal effect unit gives all the gain back. It works perfectly except now you’ve got another piece of gear to bring. The best solution would have been a better design in which more gain was available when switching to the vocal mic tone match.

I run two vocals, accordion, guitar, and upright bass through the bose S1 (with an art 48v mixer). It has saved us from playing without amplification multiple times (no electricity or they don’t want a PA system) . I place it in a stand by our heads, basically what matters is that we can hear ourselves. The clients would’ve had an acoustic show, now even the last table can hear it, grandma isn’t bothered, and we don’t get tired trying to scream over everyone.

This review is a few years old. There is also the Everse 8 and 12 now that do not have this issue. I have the Everse 8 and would have bought the 12 had it been avail. It sounds better than the 8 and has more headroom and is only a slightly more. Only issue it is more weight to lug around. The other option is to just buy or build a battery power pack and use plug in equipment.

One thing about Bose is that up close it does not seem loud but the sound actually fills up a good area. I have 2 of these and sound amazing. Although I do use an external mixer.

I was watching your video and I found out by accident that I was playing a bigger venue so I connected the S1 and the Roland ex . I had the Roland ex first . It has a lot of high end but when I connected both it was so good . The s1 gave the ex a strong brace , both together was amazing . I am a vocalist first so the quality is so important to me so the S1 is my favorite so far .

I love the clarity and coverage of the Bose gear, I’m sorry to hear the S1 didn’t work for you, that can be so frustrating. if you don’t need battery operation. The Bose L1 compact is great and very versatile but unfortunately more money.

Keyboards have a very wide frequency range and really need their own specific keyboard amp. The S1 is good for guitar and vocal mix but with keys you’ll get a thin muddy mix.

I think sound can be relative, but I think the Bose S1 is definitely loud enough, but imho you're a very quiet singer, so you probably would have benefited from a preamp after your mic to boost your levels. With that being said, if you weren't happy with the Bose it is what it is. There are so many options out there to try. Maybe the JBL EON COMPACT ONE. Similar to Bose,but with more power. I do think a preamp is essential if you want your vocal to pop, and the right acoustic environment. Some places carry sound better than others, so finding the right spot is key!. I think something like the Boss VE20 or Boss VE8 would suit you perfectly.

I'd always recommend using an external small mixer to enhance things prior to the powered speaker.

Thank you for your opinions about your experience. In one city here I used to busk no amplification was allowed, and it made for a much better environment.

Really like your honest review never had any physical experience with it but I believe yamaha pa's are great . By the way your voice sounded amazing keep it up.

Had same problem with my s1 pro vocals for volume. Got a inline adapter Shure A85F impedance matching transformer. It simple plugs one end into your xlr cable and then quarter inches at the other end into the S1. Presto the mic volume basically doubles. The adaptor was just a little over 30 bucks Canadian. Cheap fix. The other thing I noticed is the Bose system sounds louder when you are not beside it. It has great projection. Place it on a pole stand for better projection. It has self adjusting for sound depending on positional placement for sound projection.

With a wired microphone it works, wireless, no! My wireless microphone works perfectly well on open mic nights, so it is not a problem with the microphone! Yes, i would love an answer!!!! A pity you couldn't go and speak to that guy..... would love to know what he was using exactly!!!!

great detailed video. choosing good reliable gear that delivers half the claims they make for it is no easy thing these days. There will always be a problem with portable lightweight busking PA being up to the job. AER gear is good (not great ) but crazy expensve. Perhaps a portable power supply for a lightweight keyboard amp would be a solution. Its physics at the end of the day. Its about amp headroom coupled with speakers moving air. small speakers cant move much air and will be ppoor on bass end. Love the sound of all Bose gear at low volumes but cranked up they reveal themselves to be overpriced and over hyped.

I think, that you must put S1 pro on the stand not on the floor at the height of your ear, slightly behind you. The floor position is for the monitoring. Enjoy in music.

Samantha what I learned about this speaker is that you really need a small mixer to push the volume on the mic input and to also ring it out. i had the same problem with the mic I returned the speaker too but I realized from speaking to other professionals that a mixer is very important to really get the mices sounding good. GOod luck.. I am also going to buy this again but with a mixer next time

Wireless mic systems boost the signal which explains the louder output

Also a mic preamp would fix your issue if you can find a battery powered one

Theres ALWAYS something better Samantha. I hope you have it sorted. I'm a long time fan of Bose sound, but I am no musician (wish I was). On a rare visit to SA Rundle Mall I was amazed by the standard of busking. Maybe I just need to visit a city more often🙂I hope I catch your performance one day. I am watching this because I want to buy the right battery amp for accustic guitar / vocals and the Bose S1 is a prime contender. Thanks for your input.

Hola Samantha: Yo soy un "busker" en Argentina. Toco saxo alto sin amplificación y toco un acompañamiento musical grabado. Mi amplificador es un Roland KC 110 igual al tuyo. Tengo mucha experiencia con él y con pruebas con otros amplificadores. Te paso unos consejos: Los amplificadores se venden indicando su potencia en Watts, pero para sistemas PA debemos indicar la cantidad de personas que van a escuchar. Por ejemplo mi amp. el Roland KC 110 es para 10-20 personas. Sin embargo es el mejor sonido que existe en el mercado. Yo te aconsejo usarlo con bass & treble al máximo. También te aconsejo comprar otro similar nuevo y conectarlos (link) entre sí. Si hay mucho público (gente escuchando) utiliza unos pies (stands) para que el sonido llegue hasta atrás. Estos ampificadores son muy sensibles con el feedback. Existen equipos anti-feedback para micrófono, por ejemplo la marca Behringer. Espero que te sean útiles mis consejos. PD.: AVOID USE PLASTIC CASE AMPLIFIERS !! They have a special internal ECO.

Been in the live performing arts for eons. As one person pointed out in the comments, and I agree with their synopsis, is sound placement is huge in any live performance environment. Speaker positions and angles directing frequencies. In short, sound placement is based on the venue space and audience. Another is quality mics and pre-amps. Can't stress this enough. External mixing is a must, even if using a small mixer for extended control and performance. These are just the basics. Just remember also to use a personal monitor to help you dial things in from your ear's perspective. Master these and pump out your first platinum! Cheers and happy performing!

Thanks for the feedback! Great in depth review! I just got the Bose S1 so hopefully it will work for my needs. lol

I have a Bose S1 Pro on a tripod stand and I have also wired mic and wireless mic. Using the wireless mic is significantly a lot louder than a wired mic. I love my Bose S1 Pro, I think the sound quality is perfect and sounds like a professional speaker. You should check also the new EV Everse 8. It’s a lot louder. It has 400 watts, 121 decibel in a small PA system.

Very helpful thank you. Was on the cusp of getting an S1 for vocals in my guitar duo;not sure it will make the cut with my guitar amps

Usually a rule of thumb for noticeable sound increase is....10 times the power you initially had. So if your previous set up was 30 watts, you would have to upgrade to at least 300 watts for a "noticeable" increase. My experience, I had 100 watts rms power, upgraded to 205 watts rms power, and there was zero noticeable difference! Good luck in the future.

Yes.. get a headset mic Vocals-Mic- Airline 77 vocal headset True diversity uhf wireless system From Sweerwater There are used for fitness classes ..you can Also rig it up to be battery powered .. 🎷🎶

You could use a Shure A85F transformer and boost the dB’s on your microphone by 21. That little item costs $20. You would have all the volume you ever needed.

Thanks for this greatly informative video. I'm looking at getting a good busking amp so it's really helpful. Appreciate it!

You may just need a second one for a monitor. When your behind the speaker it sounds muffled what the audience hears is a lot different. Or try setting the speaker behind you

I known how you feel............ I first bought a SubZero, which is small, light and the sound of the backing tracks was really lovely, but with a wireless Shure SM58 and Xvive Trans/receiver, was too quiet. OK, it had only cost me £149 on a sale, so I went for the other options, the Bose S1 Pro. Like you I don't earn much, so £540, plus delivery, plus insurance, it was almost £600. But, the sound with the wireless microphone is very, very weak, while my equipment works faultlessly on open mic nights, has a lot of signal and I can sing as loudly as I wish. We tried with the preamp but why did I waste so much money to now have to carry something else? I didn't sing for a few months, now I am back and contacted Gear4Music. They asked me to send a video and said that the speaker might be faulty, but it is new......................... I am so fed up... they picked it up today! If it is faulty they offered me to give my money back but what next??????? I can't carry more weight and I can't pay even more money. I would have thought that Bose is an awesome brand............... and it is very difficult to speak to both of them, Bose and Gear4Music. Thanks for the video!!!

No one can beat the BOSE mam , because that has cleanest powerful natural big sound that is the Bose technology and from its the size and compactibility also matters for me ,I highly recommend to you to take it and enjoy until lifetime.

You may have had a faulty unit,or didnt really use it correctly or your e q. I'm a professional entertainer for over 35 years and a sound engineer. This Bose S1 pro is a great speaker for me. I use it with bluetooth stream music and totally wireless mics. I perform almost every day as a solo self contained act with tracks. I use one on a speaker stand up high. I've used one in front of as much as 250 people with no problem in volume or e.q. I like it so much ,I bought a second one.For larger crowds I use 2 and 400 or more ppl I use a Bose L1 compact. With my MANY years of experience in performing and all kinds of equipment, I found it perfect for me. Too bad you didnt like it. It's the choice for alot of my musician friends here in NYC USA. 👍🎶

I really enjoyed the journey of this video. You have to use the stuff that works for you. Stuff the haters!

I use two Bose S1 for busking. 1 was Great 2 was EXCELLENT. I use to have a Roland street ex Was ok but nothing like the Bose S1 . You have to being something WRONG. Many other buskers. at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco ca. Love it! My income has almost doubled.Fisherman’s wharf is a wide open area and I had to turn it down a few times. I’m really confused by your problem. I sing Jazz with backings tracks with the two Bose behind me about 4 ft. No feedback.I set the mic vol between 12 to 3 o’clock.

Hey! Also found the mic channel too quiet, so I added a preamp adaptor to the mic. Since the preamp needs phantom power, which the Bose doesn't provide, I also added a mobile phantom power adaptor. So the setup "mic-preamp-phantompower-Bose" works really well for me with lots of headroom! Maybe this is helpful for you out there!:)

Hi Samantha... I actually think in the first demo outside.. your voice sounded really strong and clear ..but you did the right thing selling it if it wasn't right for you ....

One negative 30+ lbs weight. JBL Eon MK2 is the best battery option on the market today. Makes the S1 Pro sound like a toy!

Spose we can forget about backing tracks then .thank u for saving my money

Since the JBL EON ONE Pro has phantom power, I use an in-line, phantom powered mic preamp that works great. Sad that Bose forgot to include phantom power. Try the JBL. Also has much more usable EQ options via the app (five bands per channel).

Thanks for your efforts.

When ever there is a change, new gear may not be any better, manufactures seem to be giving less for the money.

Beautiful voice!

I had a roland cube street ex and sold it. Bose S1 sounds definitely better.

I had similar issue. Change your mics. I went from Shure SM58 to Seinnheiser E935 and volume boosted maybe 30% and it sounds way clearer through the S1’s

Iv got a roland streetcube that goes good but when you go in front of it i found it starts to sqweel

If you would of ran the microphone and your keyboard thru a small 4 channel mixer you could have connected the mixer to the Bose S1 and you would of been able to match your levels perfectly while getting amplification using your Channel sliders on the mixer and then adjusted overall volume on the S1

Also you may need to reduce the keyboard volume a little bit so the vacal can sit on top of the mix.

At first I didn't believe you but yes I am experiencing the same thing. YOu have to crank it to really hear.

A sterio amp will always sound better for a keyboard that sends out a sterio signal. Trying to send a sterio signal into a mono speaker/amp limits the sound dramaticaly. Also, placing the speaker/ amp behind you , will aid you to hear what the listeners hear what you are playing and singing. Placing it beside you, you will get reflected sound. Also, you were playing and singing and the power draw pulls down the overall output of the unit, so it is not you but what you are attempting to use it for. Great singing and playing anyway, keep it up.

I have two Bose S1 Pro units running through a non-powered mixer board. Has lots of head room. Not too sure how it would be in an outside environment but they do sound awesome.

The bose s1 travel far but u need an extra bose s1 as a monitor so u can hear yourself. They are phenomenal. Just have to use them correctly my dear. You will feed back if the speaker is behind u. I use mines for live shows and busking. Sorry u weren't satisfied. I love mines and now use bose subs when not busking at live shows which really makes them more affective. Good luck.

Thanks Samantha. I had this in my shopping cart on Amazon but after watching your video I think I will stick with my heavy but great sounding Yamaha s115v speakers I've used for 15 years, along with a Mackie amplifier. I just bought a Yamaha Genos and wanted to go lighter with my speaker setup - a lot to carry from gig to gig - but I'm not prepared to sacrifice sound quality on my vocals. Exercise is good for me, right lol. Thanks so much!!

The SM58 just doesn't cut it for me and I returned it and switched to Sennheiser e845. SM58 is too overrated.

The rolind streetcube never goes quite i might be switching back to rolind

I think if you need more noticeable power/volume you have to go mains powered using either an inverter with a heavy bulky battery (or expensive lithium golf trolley battery)or a powerpack/station combined battery and inverter or a generator. Then you will need a big heavy platform truck to cart it around. Problem is for example I have the Roland street cube EX rated at 50 watts on mains power but on batteries I think it only runs at a max of 20 watts and if you push too much bass through it the sound gets compressed. But on mains it runs louder with no compression, so I run it through my inverter. Battery amps like AER are quite rated but cost too much compared to the equivalent mains powered and are more for guitar than keyboards. What I use sometimes is a Yamaha DBR10 active speaker as a 10" speaker has better bass and 350 watts. With a Yamaha MG06x mixer(has effects for vocals) a 500 watt pure sine wave inverter and a 12 volt leisure battery.(Bear in mind for example the DBR10 does not need 350 watts RMS that is the amount after amplification but only needs 60 to 90 watts, you can get a cheap power consumption meter to see how many watts an amp needs under load) But obviously this adds a lot more weight, bulk and setup time. Plus you may then have a problem with shops and passers by complaining your too loud. If it's mainly that you can't hear yourself clearly you may be better to use a relatively cheap wired in ear monitors, I use a powered Fischer Amps In-Ear Monitor, its brilliant I get a nice as loud as I want clear stereo sound and I can move the speaker further away to solve feedback problems. busk.co/blog/busking-tips-tricks/honest-review-10-best-amps-for-busking/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA4feBBhC9ARIsABp_nbV1Hk8u4F-w4mcook26boX3esjzb93fjmK6jVeZDPSuQMI9lUYbqFcaAjk0EALw_wcB

using a pre-amp doesn't "push" the S1 harder, It pushes it less.. NOT using a pre-amp forces the S1 to work harder.

Bose stuff is designed for indoor use, where the acoustics of the room or venue add to everything, but being outside with no control over the acoustics, the cheapest option will probably suit your needs, you should apply for some work on the cruise ships y'know, they would love your style in that environment, loads of money, and seeing the world???

Would using a speaker stand help in hearing yourself and projecting the sound louder?

As a keyboard musician my advice is try running your microphone through your keyboard as some keyboards ( yamaha genos/ yamaha psr sx900) has microphone phantom power which will improve things a lot

Thank you for the great video and do feel your frustration when u spend money on equipment and does not meet your expectations. In reference to the mic’s I did read a comment about wireless mics sounded great. I have a Shure Mic that has a boost feature m58 I have not tried it, but will test it with this speaker.

I know exactly what your problem is, (imo). Is the direction the tweeter are placed ourward angl (like 45 degrees from center while the woofer is dead center and is what you hear), to proyect out to the crowd/it sounds great!, but to the performer behind the s1 you dont hear the high frequencies. To fix that experience you have to place the amp behind yourself and off center from you, otherwise you will hear only the woofer which will feel umderwater like.

Samantha, Try the AER amp it will BLOW YOUR MIND! For $1200. It’s more than worth it. Guitar center will guarantee it. It replaced two Bose s1 pros. WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!!!!!! I strongly recommend the AER 60 compact 4.

Thanks for the update Sam.

Great review but its not the speaker, its your settings. You have the keyboard up to loud and its drowning out your vocals. I know you have sold it since but you really need to consider a larger PA.

hey samantha, if you are still looking for a battery powered pa today i have used the behringer c210. one thing i do differently from other buskers is i have a usb interface that acts as my input source and that goes into my macbook air into logic pro as a digital mixer and that gives me a ton of effects like eq, compression, reverb, delay. and then that output goes out of the interface to the speaker. right now i use something i little bit more powerful as my speaker. i use the qsc cp8 speakers and i power that with a inverter. the speaker says its 1000w but rms is really around 500 watts.

Hi iv had my bose for about 6 months and just last night suddenly it went quite today it was like about 70 percent lost heaps of power then usual im so disapointed im hoping its just the mike surely i havent blown the amp the bluetooth still pumps i hope the 2 mike setups arnt faulty

It will sound incredible if you match it with the Bose T4S it will pick up every detail. Personally I would never use the mixer in a powered speaker. I use Bose 802-III’s in Stereo with the T4S and it bows everything else away.

I heard Shure A85F inline booster transformer works to fix the issue

Hi Samantha! It's unbelievable how much you are in tune with your technological issues. You lost me not far into your video. I'm still wondering how they can get a wagon to move without a horse. Lol! I agreed that your vocals weren't loud enough but I thought it was the same with everything you tried. Go with how things were before! Lol! Good luck with that. I'll be home trying to figure out electricity!😜

I would suggest an external preamp. And boosting the highs a little bit. But yeah to get the power you really need you probably won't find in a small battery operated unit. Although they are really cool and convienent . To get real power you would have very short battery life.

Hi I know how you feel about the vocals on it I had one and I got rid of it ❤

I actually found the sound to be too thin and not enough richness.. I'm a flutist and like a little reverb and delay on my sound..appreciate your experience!

Well Samantha - I just just tested a Bose S1 and a Roland Cube Street EX for acoustic guitar playing and I can report that the S1 could not handle a nice clean bass note without distorting at higher volumes. The S1 sounded more "Hifi" but that's not much good if it doesn't perform at performance levels. The Cube Street EX is what I left the store with. I'll put it up on a speaker stand and it should be fine. I have 3 other Roland Amps and it compares very favourably back at home with say my Roland 40GX. Regarding the S1 I know the store assistant was surprised at how the S1 performed (or rather failed to perform) - I took my Nylon piezo Godin Multiac in and the bass notes were a fantastic test for both units.

Thank you for this Video!

I’ve wondered about this amp. I use the Mackie Freeplay for busking. I got the battery and Mine is the older model that looks like an alien head. I actually have two of these things. With the Bluetooth and app to control everything, it’s an awesome little amp. I got mine used for $150. For larger gigs I use the Turbo sound ip 1000. It’s the best!!! Just right for me. The busker who had the wireless mic was probably going into the Bose with a line level signal instead of a mic level signal. That’s why he was so loud.

Mic gain is really weak on my Jbl eon 208p system too. But after i hook up my zoom vocal processor it takes care of the problem.

Hello Samantha. I almost bought Bose S1 but,,, THANKS GOD i saw your review and didn't buy it! Also saw a guy in the comments talking about Ev Everse 8. I went to this one and.. omg I am so happy! Thank you!! you really save me and my money ahahahah

Sorry you had trouble with that thing. I think you did right to get rid of it. Possibly the voice was limited because Bose realized there was feedback at louder mike levels. The mic probably matters too. You're a good technician. Oh, and that's a pretty dress :-)

Bose never was a company for musicians or music equipment but for hifi stuff and that's where I see that box. I have the hk move pro 8 and it's fantastic. It's apparently much more sturdier and made for musicians.

I found with my old Bose L1 Compact that the mic volume was very quiet, but soon as I got the Bose mixer to go between the mic and the system it was about ten times louder. These really do need something powering the 🎤 to really shine.

I upgraded from a Beta58 shure mic the the Beta 87a shure microphone and was disappointed the 87a doesn't have the clarity. But i think you might like the beta58

The mix sounded good.. not sure how LOUD u wanna be.. u could put it behind u a bit n you'll probably get better results..for me personally, I don't care to be loud when I busk (out of consideration)

It’s a sucky feeling when a piece of equipment doesn’t work how you hoped. My current gigging amps, I hated them at first, but then one day my problems with them disappeared. I don’t know how. Am I crazy or not. No idea.

The Bose got by far more Bass and is more HiFi The Roland does not got much Bass and is by far much brighter, so it does stand out much more in the Mix Its the same for E-Guitarists in a Band, they mostly searching for a very bright Sound so they stand out of the Mix, or they will go down because the Bassists plays all deep stuff and you Guitar needs to be brighter or it will sound Muddy and Muffed in the whole band mix and even when you got the same volume the brighter Amp sounds louder not by db , its by the brightness. Thats why most Guitarists choose very bright Amps like Fender , Marshall or Roland... an Amp that -> Stands Out of the Mix ! And some of their AMPs got even a Bright Switch or also called Present, when the EQ does not give enough brightness or might ruin the sound because you have to set it in extremes. You can find the bright or present on Fenders and Marshall so you can play both alone and in the band with the right settings and will still sound great. I think this was also meant by the Violin does sound like "Under water" a Violin is also a very bright instrument , which does not sound good over normal HiFi Systems are more made for playing songs and listen great recorded music. You can go for a HiFi setting what sound much much better at home alone, only you and your Guitar , with a bright AMP it sound a bit lifeless because the bass is missing out. but then it will sound bad in the Band mix, because this is not the same anymore, its like too much focus on bass and then we all know too much bass sounds muffy and not so clear anymore a bit dull and quiter. There are only some bands do like it when every instrument goes dark and so you achieve an all going direction and a muddy sound for their type of music, but for Guitarists in a Band this is very rare to find, mostly Dark music themes like some Death Metal or Gore or Doomer Genre might choose this type of sound and play sometimes a dark AMP with more bass to it. When your mic and you keyboard goes both more Bassy and dark they mix in frequencies and so its something you would not go for, in respect you are searching exact for this in all sound, also outdoors with wind it will become even more muffy to listeners when both goes the same frequencies can also give the feling of to quite , becuause you do mostly hear only low frequencies all together and can not separate anymore so db can be the same but its like I can not hear you. Some Beginner Guitarist do also not get it when they got the wrong AMP and everyone telling him , you are too quite , so he turns up the volume but then its sound still bad and too loud, its because his AMP is not bright enough and the guitar is then hard to hear in the mix with drums, bass and singer.

I'm curious as to why you didn't try it raised off the floor and why you sit *behind* your amps instead of positioning whatever you're playing through at the time strategically behind you. The S1 isn't really a speaker to be used on the floor to get the most out of it. The sound would travel along the floor, not at ear level. It really should be off the floor on a stand. At any rate, I hope you found something you like.

As I was watching your excellent video, my mind went to the Boss VE-8 which I think might have solved your problem. As I scrolled down and read some of the comments before I posted this, I saw someone else suggest it. It also has a looper and a vocal harmonizer feature that lets you ad vocal harmonies. I'm curious to find out what was the ultimate solution that you came up with. I recently purchased a Bose S1Pro, but I don't busk. Just got it to use in the back yard.