Is The S1 Pro the Right Bose Portable System For You?

If you are a performer, or if your line of work involves projecting your voice to small to medium crowds, chances are you are continually looking for ways to be heard clearly. This applies to anyone facing audiences on a regular basis, be it playing in coffeehouses, entertaining audiences in conference rooms, performing services at your local church, or rehearsing your songs in your garage or home studio.

Having the right PA is essential for live performances, rehearsals, or taking your act to the streets. During the last decade,  Bose portable systems have become a staple in the industry. This is in no small measure due to the introduction of their incredibly successful L1 Series.

But let's take a look at this powerful, yet often overlooked, Bose portable system, shall we?

Bose S1 Pro

For some, the Bose S1 Pro may look like another run-of-the-mill portable speaker. However, never judge a book by its cover. I, for one, love it when manufacturers focus their attention on quality and features and leave out all the bells and whistles, and Bose really brings this home with the S1 Pro.

This Bose portable system is robust and feels very well-made. The frame is made of plastic, which contributes to its portability, and has a steel grille to protect the drivers. The S1 Pro has an angled chassis that allows you to place it in almost any position you want for monitoring or PA roles. The rear controls are set back into the speaker so they never stick out, keeping them fairly protected during transportation.

When designing the frame, you can feel that Bose had portability in mind. You can carry the unit with one hand by its top handle, place it anywhere and start playing right away. It is compatible with standard speaker stands for additional sound projection in larger venues, or place it right next to you in its tilt-back position for a more intimate experience with a close-range audience.

But you probably want to know more about the sound you can get from this compact speaker. The unit definitely lives up to its name and gives you enough loudness and transparency for almost any use you give it. The S1 Pro has an incredibly decent frequency response for a portable speaker and can get very loud without much compression, making it suitable for music playback in large rooms.

The unit has a three-channel mixer to independently balance your sound on the fly. Two of the channels are XLR ¼” combo jacks with bass, treble, and reverb controls to enhance the performance of vocals and guitars. They both come with Bose´s signature ToneMatch feature that automatically optimizes the sound from microphones or guitar pickups to make them sound more natural. The third channel is a 3.5mm auxiliary port for a wired connection to a laptop or mobile device.

In terms of connectivity, the Bose S1 Pro allows you to pair up to two Bluetooth devices at the same time, and provide a surprisingly long signal range. You can download their useful free app and tweak your sound while playing your favorite playlist. The speaker has built-in sensors to inform it of your position and adjust the sound accordingly. It is a very nifty feature when using the speaker as a monitor.

The crossover frequency between the subwoofer and the high-mid drivers is around 600 Hertz, which is surprisingly good for a unit of this size. Vocals tend to be boomy yet crystal clear, never getting muddled when adding more sources to the unit via Bluetooth.

The S1 comes with a removable and rechargeable lithium-ion battery that gives you enough juice for up to 11 hours of continuous playback, which is more than enough for most users. If you need to keep the party going, you can plug the unit to the wall and charge it during playback. It takes 4-6 hours for a full charge, but the S1 Pro comes with a Quick Charge setting that drastically speeds up the process when the speaker is on standby or sleep mode.

For those who want a PA system for under $1,000, this powerful Bose portable system offers a lot of bang for the buck. Whether you want to improve your live sound or get something portable for small gigs, the S1 Pro is an all-in-one solution for solo players, street performers, singer-songwriters, and orators.

If you want to know more about the S1 Pro or other Bose portable speakers, call us at  612-789-2496, and our friendly staff will be more than happy to answer all your questions.