Bose L1 Model II with B2 Bass Module Reviews

I have owned the Bose L1 Classic version since 2005, I just started having problems with it, so I decided to upgrade to the new one. This thing is amazing. The power base is lighter and more compact than the original and the speaker design in the columns fill the area even better than my 15 year old system did (and I thought it was great).
I run 2 vocal mics, 1 guitar pedal, drums and a bass out to the system and it sounds amazing. The simplicity of setting this up is worth the price. I don't have to worry about amps, house speakers, monitors etc.

After performing for 38 years with heavy speakers and bulky sound board with wires everywhere to get a quality sound ....

WOW! Light fits in my small car and Sounds great.

First time I heard one of these Bose Ls1 Model II systems I was flabbergasted! Sound man had two systems linked together in a large Church auditorium in Missouri. I couldn't believe what I heard! I thought he was patched into the Church system!! Lol When he showed me he wasn't I knew I had to get me one! As a soloist it had been a life saver!! Easy to carry. A breeze to set up and the sound...oh my the sound!!
I use the 4 channel Bose digital mixer with the built in presets as well. Yessir!! Bose knows Sound!!

Sounds great huge improvement very clean sound . the first system had sometime wrong with the power amp called my sales rep mark magwich he helped me with a trouble free exchange no problem. Glad to have bought this PA at sweet water

This is the best purchase I've made in years. I expected the unit to work well because of the Bose reputation but was overwhelmed when it took me less than 5 minutes to set up and start enjoying my music.

I've been playing guitar and singing for over 55 years and found a system that is really manageable. The ease of purchase through Sweetwater was effortless and I had my gear shipped to me in only three days.

I would recommend this system to anyone from beginner to pro.

I just received the new system, I already had one for several years, combined they sound fabulous and very articulate. I can finally unload my old school PA. Much easier to transport and much more controllable, virtually no feedback , no monitors needed. Running a 4 piece band with 3 vocals, drums, guitar bass and keyboard. Suited for most venues. I had fantastic service from Sweetwater, quick delivery, 0% financing, 15% off from Bose, 2 year warranty from Sweetwater. You can't go wrong with Bose or Sweetwater...

London Street Band is an 8 piece band complete with horn section configured very similarly to Chicago. We perform all the greatest hits from the 60's, 70's and 80's and have an extensive sound system comprised of JBL and QSC products which have always done a great job for us but are overkill for most indoor gigs.

I've debated purchasing this Bose System as I felt it most probably wouldn't be able to hold up/ sustain a band like ours because I felt it was made more for acoustic guitars/vocals, etc.. I was wrong. We pump 5 vocals, 2 keyboards (one covering base lines), trumpet/trombone & sax ~ mic'd electric guitar and drums through it and it easily covered our 200 indoor audience in a high end restaurant in Cincinnati with plenty of headroom to spare. The vocals sparkle and the definition of sound was amazing yet everything blended together easily. Best part of it ~ very light and easy/quick to set up compared to our larger sound systems. Although we will use our larger sound system for outdoors, we will be using this Bose system for indoor gigs and will be using it as our monitor system for outdoor gigs.

In closing, prior to becoming a Realtor by day and professional musician by night, I was in retail management of a chain of music stores for 23 years and was blessed that my stores were known for being one of the the most profitable in the chain due to hiring and training excellent employees. Jonathan Casarow @ Sweetwater is extremely knowledgeable, very professional and most helpful EVERY time I reach out to him. Make sure to ask for him if you already do not have a Sweetwater Rep! With Sweetwater's 30 day try out time, if you have been debating whether to go the Bose route, I highly recommend you give them a chance! I'm confident you'll wind up keeping the sound system!

Frank Schmitt

I have had many PA systems in my time. Nothing compares to the sounds and innovation that this Bose system has. I play small venues and large ballrooms along with outdoor gigs. This systems handles every situation with ease. I run a Peavey XRS Head into the unit through the line out/ line in on the Bose. 300 watts per channel, only running a quarter open.
My self and my band mates can"t say enough about this fine piece of technology. I will never own anything different. Do yourself a favor....go get a Bose, you won"t regret it.

Absolutely amazing. Unbelievable sound quality, EASY set up and breakdown. I already had an L1 Compact and wanted the Model 2 for bigger venues. I"ve already used it for solo gigs and one band gig (including bass and kick drum), it didn"t disappoint!! You just can"t go wrong with this system, or Sweetwater!! Will Crisp was his usual awesome self. Very friendly and knowledgeable.

Easy to hookup and fit perfectly in any room powerful for indoor use

Always used Bose gear for the band, best ever. Just got a L1M2, absolutely brilliant. Wouldn"t use anything else. Customer service and support second to none

These Speakers are awesome. Really good sound, really loud, Room filling ,,,You cant go wrong with these. Did a Wedding in a large hall with 200 people and the sound carried throughout the venue. So much so the ppl in the back of the place said, and I Quote "feels like i'm at the IMAX" Thunderous Bass, nice mids, and great crisp clean highs. You may not be able to do a full rock band live in a big room (or maybe you can) with these, but any DJ for anything will go along way with a pair of these.

Just played my first gig with the Bose L1 model 2. It exceeded my exoectations in sound quality, DSP and ease of setup. I'm a new beat fan if the Vise L1 model 2 system. Extremelt satisfied+

Totaly satisfied qith this purchase and I highly recommend this sound system to anyone concerned with portability with no sacrafice in sound quality.

We have been using a pair of L1 model 2s with a set of 2 extra B2s with pack light amps for 3 years & never been over 25%. Even @ home for party night pratice sets! Had an officer follow the sound from a 1/4 mile away to ask us to turn it down! Clean, clear, powerful & elegant. Just wish BOSE would make an all in one DJ booth like in Despicable Me! This portable line array puts out a nearly 180 degree sound wave 7 feet high! Guests can carry on a conversation next to the speakers while the back of the venue is just as clear as the dance floor. Cannot say enough good things about this system.

I would recommend a system to anyone! Easy use. Easy to transport. Excellent sound! Great service from Patrick and the folks at Sweetwater!

This unit is everything as advertised. The four pieces do not have an individual weight over 30#, it snaps together quickly, and has a small footprint. In a four piece band practice in a 1,000 sq. ft. space with four microphones plugged in, the sound fills the space and the sound is full, rich, and exceedingly crisp with all the low to high frequency reproduction one could ask for without coloration. In that setting the dispersal is a true 180 degrees. I am amazed, this equipment fully meets my expectations and more. Plus, the folks at Sweetwater were a joy to work with and very helpful and accommodating.

My experience has been great.Three years traveling with the L1 Model II and loving it. My wife and I have a duo that includes keyboard, drums, guitar and horns. We have played outdoors and thrown the sound clearly for a city block as well as large and small indoor venues. Last year we decided to try a Bose Compact for very small rooms and once again are super happy, even finding ourselves using the Compact for rooms larger than we expected. Last year we booked a festival where I knew we would be running hot to cover the crowd, For the first time I set the L1 System out front, put mics on the drums and then used the compact behind us as a monitor, Cranked the L1 and was amazed. But, this is the clincher, We can now carry both systems and all our instruments in our Honda Element fully ready to play any situation that we book..... yea Bose has changed our lives.

I BOUGHT THE BOSE L1 MODEL II WITH B2 BASE ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO. I USED IT IN A ROOM THAT HOLDS ABOUT 200. I SET IT UP IN A CORNER. I USE A BEHRINGER MIXER. I AM A VOCALIST THAT WORKS WITH TRACKS. THE SOUND WAS INCREDIBLE. EVEN SOUND DISTRIBUTION THROUGHOUT THE ROOM. PEOPLE EVEN HEAR IT OUTSIDE OF THE ROOM YET NO ONE INSIDE THE ROOM COMPLAINED ABOUT THE VOLUME BEING TOO LOUD. CRYSTAL CLEAR MUSIC AND VOCALS.
ALSO, EASY SET UP AND BREAKDOWN. BEST P.A. I EVER OWNED.

Great product can't go wrong with Bose

top of the line system...easy to work with

I have been a DJ for 27 years, and never really listened to the Bose Pro line. After seeing a bunch of friends buy these very expensive speakers, I finally heard them and could not believe how crisp, clear and precise the sound was, even from a considerable distance. I bought a pair of Bose L1 MII with B2 sub, and I have been getting compliments at every event I have done because of the outstanding sound.
I have a hotel client that asked for them specifically and I now offer to rent them out and advertise specifically that I use a Bose professional system. Those who know, want the Bose!
-DJ Terry Moran
Crown Entertainment
Chelmsford, MA

My family loves to get together and sing Karaoke. I bought the L1 Model 2 B 2 for our home. Expensive, but takes up hardly any space and everybody loves loves loves it. Whether you're a road warrior or just sing at home with friends. Bite the bullet and GET THIS SYSTEM!!

Incognito Brothers Band is a 6 piece group that plays a mixture of R&B, Blues, Classic Rock, etc. We were deathly tired of hauling heavy monitors, mains, subs, and gear that was often too big for the venues and needed a trailer to haul. The Bose L1 Model II with the B2 Bass fit our needs perfectly. We have 2 Bose systems and so far, they have fit the needs of all venues we have played. Best of all, all of it fits into one car trunk or SUV with room to spare for lights, stands, etc. Also, it sets up very quickly. None of this would be important if it did not sound great....but it does. The towers radiate virtually 180 degrees or better and there is no need for monitors (which were never balanced or adequate). Now we can hear ourselves and each other, and it has made us a tighter band with less ear fatigue. We are sold on Bose!

So far every thing has been good But! That's where it ends. If you have one system
TRY 2 it will literally kick you %^$% one of the very few system that will really reproduce 30 hertz without pushing it at all. IT"S THE REAL DEAL

Have only used the system for a few gigs. We are using a presonus 16 board and two L1 system ll's with B2 bass modules. I will likely get a tonematch to use with one system to do duets and solo gigs with in the future. All our gigs were outdoors and the system sounded great! I had an issue with the power base this week, so I called Nathan Saturday. Sweetwater customer service called first thing Monday, contacted Bose while I was on the line, we conversed, and a new base is being shipped under waranty today! No arguments or waiting! Awesome customer service!

Color me skeptical. Now, color me convinced. Just sold off a very heavy QSC KW series of speakers (just had back surgery) and bought a pair of these. Our church, approx. 40' x 90' with 200 people, has never sounded so good. No EQ needed. Bass response tight and defined. No significant change in sound no matter where you sit in the room. That's nuts -- defies acoustic science. Entire worship team running through the mixer (X32) into these (guitars, keys, Roland drums, bass and 11 singers; we use no amps on stage). Turned up to only about 20% and PLENTY loud for contemporary music. Expensive, sure. Worth it? Absolutely!

This Bose L1 Model II with B2 Bass sounds SIGNIFICANTLY better than any other system I've had (from Cerwin Vega to QSC and some in between). Hands down, this is the system that produced the clearest sound at higher volumes. I haven't even been able to turn this thing up HALF way (no need), but I'm so glad Bose finally upgraded their Bass Module! The previous version sounded great, but you just knew it was never going to be enough with just one; this thing sounds great as is. I barely had to touch my equalizer (and that's just to suit my personal preference), and even without the ToneMatch (I prefer a mixer as a DJ/KJ to give me more channels and better access on the fly), using mics from Shure to even cheap-o VocoPros all sound so natural. I'm blown away. So glad I decided to bite the bullet and grab this with the 0% interest deal through Sweetwater! Totally worth it, and NOTHING is simpler to set up!!!

The system works as advertised. Bright clear sound with amazing eveness of sound in distance and angle of listening. Plus with the speakers behind you, you hear exactly what your audience hears. I sing with a Southern Gospel group and we sing at small to medium sized churches, senior centers and such. This is perfect for that application. The B2 bass really adds depth to the music. The system is easy to transport and store.

This system is priced the same wherever you so I went with
Sweetwater for their outstanding customer support.

This system is not for the faint of heart. A bit expensive. But hey... Run with the big dogs, or stay on the porch! I am so impressed, that with my next few gigs, my plan is to save up some cash and buy a second one.

A bandmate and I got to talk with Bose people at Gear Fest but even better they were able to demo the system for us with a real band, on stage and lots of people around. We were blown away and we both bought systems within a couple of days (from Sweetwater of course). Now we have been using them on gigs for a few weeks and are even more impressed with them. It has changed how our group sounds for the better but more than that, we have drastically reduced the amount of gear required for gigs. I now play through a pod directly into my system and by bandmate plays through a bass preamp directly into his system. We mic the kick drum and all of the vocals go through them of course. The systems are plenty loud for any gigs we have played so far and some have been outdoors too. Wish we had done it earlier. The best move we have ever made gear wise. Really more impressive than I can describe.

I'm absolutely loving my new Bose System. This is the third Bose System that I have purchased from Sweetwater within the past year and I'm loving them. My sales rep., Branden has been very helpful and extremely professional throughout all of my purchases. I will continue to do business with Sweetwater any time I need additional gear.

I own a karaoke company and I use the Bose L1 Model II with B2 Bass Module 5 nights a week. Its super quick and easy to set up and does not take up much room on stage. The sound is absolutely amazing! I no longer need a monitor speaker, and even though its set up behind the performer, there is absolutely no feedback. The sound is crystal clear across the entire room and projects 180 degrees so it still sounds amazing no matter where you are in the room. I also use this when hosting open mic nights and have had 3 guitars, 1 bass and 3 vocals running through it and it was fantastic. I highly recommend this product!!

I own a Bose Compact and decided to step up to the L1 Model II with B2 Bass Module. It is all as advertised and then some. You have to experience the complete coverage that this system does. This is my new go to system for larger gigs. The bass is awesome and the sound pristine and clear. I DJ and perform live so this fits the bill in larger venues. Thank you Bose and Sweetwater.

This is my second L1 Model 2 with B2 unit I've purchased from Sweetwater, thanks to Evan and the crew for prompt delivery and excellent service! The first Bose I bought works great for solo and duet gigs, mostly using it for acoustic guitar and vocals, occasionally running a hipgig-type drum set through it. For smaller gigs the Bose has performed beyond expectations. The kick drum is nice and punchy through the B2, guitar and vocals are pristine. I've been using a Mackie ProFx12v2 mixer which works great, the graphic eq and effects are much better than the little Behringer I started out with. For bigger 4 to 7 piece gigs I've been using the Bose for a monitor, sidewashing the stage and adjusting the monitor levels so the person closest to it is lower in the mix. I've been running it through a Mackie 808m monitor send while using EV top boxes for mains and powered sub. I plan on retiring that heavy setup for the dual Bose set up. The weight difference is substantial and the fact it all fits in my Subaru wagon with my bass rig is a huge plus.
The only problem I have run into is that if your playing a gig where the AC is suspect, you get a definite buzz through the system. Any rheostat or big appliance on the same circuit will wreak havoc with the system. I've had situations where the EV's in the mains are dead quiet and the Bose running out of the monitor send is buzzing very loudly. Granted, those occasions were at older venues with a reputation for "brown" power.
Overall I'm quite happy with the Bose and would recommend it to anyone with the coin to purchase one, you won't be disappointed.

This system allowed our band to clear out 6 floor monitors , all the associated cords and power amps. Sound is excellent with hardly any drop off in volume for a nice distance out. Softens up the music so it's not blaring. Wish we would have bought them sooner not to mention it cut our set up time by more than half!!

As a weekend warrior playing small clubs, this is a great system! But, keep in mind, it is not the same thing as a full pa. I miss the fullness of really nice subs and a 3-way top, but I don't miss the load-in and load-out! The band tends to play more dynamically and at lower levels, and the clubs and patrons have really loved the net result.

I've seen and heard the towers many times, and was moderately impressed, but never had the opportunity to sing and play through one myself and tweak it the way I would have wanted. Naturally, I was a little skeptical as to wether the cost would equal the value in the end. Having used it for several different applications now, I have to say that I'm blown away. Unbelievable amount of horse power when needed, but small enough and soft enough to really enhance a quiet environment. Overall sound quality is fantastic, and you really have to push it to the limit to get any feedback. VERY glad that I went with the larger B2 bass module as well. Makes a tremendous difference in the warmth of the sound, particularly as you get further into the room and away from the system. Lastly, the set up and tear down times have been reduced by 40 minutes on each end. A "must purchase" for any soloist, duo, or even trio.

Had a little mishap at first with a faulty base that was delivered, but both the people at Bose and at Sweetwater were AMAZING with regards to service, and they priority shipped a new one immediately without any hassles or cost on my end. THAT'S how it's done!!

I might change my rating from 4star to 5star after using this system a few more times. My wife and I are a dance duo playing Sinatra to Santana, from small intimate settings to straight ahead heavy dance. Instrumentation on stage is keyboards, lead guitar, saxes, flute and vocals. Drums and bass are tracks. We were using a larger, different brand of powered sub (two 12's in the sub)and four top end speakers on speaker stands. It was quality gear. Our goal was to go smaller, but not sacrifice quality and punch. We just purchased the Bose L1 Model II with B2 sub. We have used it on three gigs. First was a tight fit stage with L shaped room, about 100 people. The Bose tower was within 3 ft. of us. Second was an outdoor Parrothead Phlocking with maybe 200 people, dancing and loud. Third was a Moose Club, moderately loud. The Bose system has exceeded my expectations, so far. I was concerned about the B2 having enough low end punch. It has plenty and is smooth and clean low end. While we've only used the system on 3 gigs, I can absolutely say I have confidence in this system. And, my beautiful wife can set it up all by herself! Sweetwater's service was their typical OUTSTANDING!

Pristine sound when the placement and conditions are right( eg: problems with feedback when speakers are too close to mics-within 5 feet). Bought these believing setup was plug and play; it wasn't. If the speakers are in back and not spread really wide, there will be feedback . On the plus side, the sound is very good.