Bose L1Pro 32 vs QSC K series speakers from a singers perspective

[@SoundsDefinition]

You told the TRUTH and the FACT! I'm a saxophonist. No way Bose L1 32 speakers will complete in SOUND quality and clarity with QSC speakers. Stand a QSC next to Bose L1 32 speaker and play a song or speak to a mic. This is what you will get: On Bose L1 32, you will ONLY hear mid range. Nothing else. The sound is HORRIBLE. On QSC, you will hear the full range, high, mid, and low.. the sound blends smoothly on QSC. Now when it comes to DJs, note, many DJs don't know anything about Sound engineering. When they hear sound coming out form their speakers, it's all good to them. That's all they need. Many DJs lack the ability to understand good sound. DJs are NOT sound engineers. I've done over 25 test of these two speakers with my tenor saxophone. On Boss, all you hear is mid. On QSC, I can hear all the RANGE of my sax.. the high, mid, and Low. I will rather have 3 QSCs than 10 L1 32. Also, no matter how to try to use EQ to fix the sound coming out of Bose L1 32, it doesn't work. EQs can't fix this.

[@robertscottbyers5502]

I appreciate the candor of this video and the real world applications you address. I agree with you and am in a similar boat considering returning my L1 Pro16 and continuing to use my QSC.

[@jeanlenkemusic]

Thanks for sharing this unique perspective.

[@stevelarena662]

Excellent, honest review. I'm currently using EV 30m. Plenty of adjustments available. Thanks!

[@soulsinger1969]

Cant believe i am just finding this now, 3 years later. When it comes to speaker reviews on the internet, it is always from DJ's, but a singers requirement is totally different,... i was considering getting a Bose , but as you say, we singers are plonked in awkward places and we want the sound slightly infront of us, so the 180 degree coverage actually causes more issues. I also like the fact that you pointed out that as singers we have to put our vocals on top of the music if using backing tracks and also on top of the noise floor generated by the crowd, which is a whole other headache that DJ's dont have to deal with . I persoanlly prefer EV' speakers for the warm sound but they dont have great vocal throw,.. i now use the new RCF 945's,.. great throw, but i have to EQ to try and tame doen the harshness. Anyway, great review,.. and reefreshing to hear a fellow singers persepctive on speakers.

[@OzarkTV]

I thought this was shoenice at first but respect turned out to be a very nice review!

[@danielcolfer4671]

Not every venue has the limited options regarding speaker placement. Any powered speaker sounds much better going through a mixer first. Between the pre amp and added eg etc results are much better. Plus with a mixer you have the option of running an in ear system. We’ve gotten lazy when it comes to setting up gear. I mean really how much more time and effort does it take to set up a small mixer like a Mackie vlz4, put it on a small stand, plug in your guitar and vocal and a music player run an output line to the Bose? What 5 minutes tops. If you’ve got a 3 or 4 hour gig isn’t the extra time worth it? You don’t even need a separate in ear pack. You can run a line out of the headphone straight to your in ear head phones, which protects your ears from proximity to the Bose and you can hear everything in stereo. QSC is cool too. I have both. The room dictates what system I bring. Bottom line is I’m not gonna suffer through a gig just to save 5 or 10 minutes of “extra” time to set up and break down.

[@axeriffin]

Had a similar experience with a house Bose. The next time I performed there, I brought my Yamaha DXR10mkii and an EAE Stompmix 4. Two pieces to set up and was way happier with the sound control/options. The Stompmix pedals are really good.

[@juniorvictor2424]

Totally agree with you Gary 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@DJJASProductions]

Interesting take. I have had the complete opposite experience. I love how smooth and NON-harsh it is compared to my K or KW speaker I had. With that said, I do own the T4s, and I could never imagine not using it--Used it on the K series too.

[@garypatrick2881]

Hey there, Thanks for taking time to respond. I'm glad you've had a great experience with Bose. A fantastic product indeed! Cheers

[@ronniemocciola9147]

Same experience.... (although both units are top notch in my opinion)..but have only ever used my L1M2 and now 32 with t8s.. Also..I find stage real estate way easier with rhe 32 as opposed to k12.2. You can get much closer before feedback and you do not need to put it behind you...it can go beside you and still use as a monitor. I will say I slightly preferred vox through the k12.2 but acoustic guitar better through the 32.. They are so close...opinions will vary for sure. Nice vid..

[@diegodangiolella3288]

I totally agree. Thanks and Farwell !

[@sickegg2000]

Yes, that are exactly my thought. Bose seems to be only good for instrument and pure tv speaker, as for singing… QSC and Mackie seem to do better job. 👍

[@thesundreamers8423]

Thank you. Just affirmed what I was thinking. I am leaning towards getting the Pro 32 but I'm going to bite the bullet for the T4S too. But hey, my wife and have been using the QSC SRM's with RFC subs and a mixer. That shit is getting old to lug around at 61 years old.

[@arlofinch9326]

I'm 66 , put your ears on the k8.2s it's scary what great sound comes out of them , and the the red light never comes on they get loud , and if u bring a rock band , maybe just one sub .

[@arlofinch9326]

And beautiful soond at low volume 105 degree spread , everyone hears , just get a good efx small mixer .

[@THEJACKSONFOXBAND]

I have one and have the L1 Model 2 since it came out. When doing larger or louder shows we use the Pro 32 as front of house. I use a QSC k8.2 as a floor monitor in this case. It is too bad about the limitations of the onboard mixer but in my case I use the tonematch 8 for small gigs and much larger boards when we mic it all. I personally think the unit dounds great but was bit set back by the lighter weight. I have this belief system that says heavy is sturdy and good.

[@euvelyncarciiler6411]

Agree with u mate. And rhe way u explained it. U sounds a great guy. Thanks

[@garypatrick2881]

Hello Euvelyn! Thank you very much for watching and responding. Cheers to you!

[@DustinLaffertyTV]

Well said. Absolutely true.

[@nickspearience]

Hugely helpful for real world application. Thank you

[@garypatrick2881]

Nick, Thanks very much for watching and taking time to reply, Cheers, Gary

[@shaynegreen]

I couldn't agree more about the lack of a mid range control. What about for an acoustic tone? Did you think a good eq pedal or preamp in front of the system would make a significant difference in helping to dial in the midrange? Thanks for the good videos!

[@garypatrick2881]

Shayne, thanks so much for watching and taking time to respond. Indeed regarding the acoustic EQ. I had my pedalboard in front of the Bose for my guitar. The Venue DI from LR Baggs really helped. Just small adjustments make a huge difference IMO. I tried stacking my TC Mic Mechanic pedal in from of the vox input, but it didn’t seem to like it so well. Gain stacking isn’t perfect in every situation. In a perfect world, I could ditch my pedal board all together and plug direct into the Bose and get all the EQ I need to be happy and bring less gear. THAT to me would be worth spending the money.. Cheers to you, Gary

[@shaynegreen]

@@garypatrick2881 Thanks for the response, Gary. That's great to know. I totally agree. In a perfect world, I could just plug straight in. I usually have a small pedal board with a few things I like to use anyway, so I guess adding an EQ or preamp is no big deal. You're a great player, and I'm really enjoying the videos. Cheers!

[@eolden7749]

You play and sing really great. I quit the Bose L1 a few years ago. It aint that light weight number one. Just my opinion it sounds muddy with the bass unit on the floor. It is fine for a quiet coffee house. BUT no reverbs no nothing unless you buy their over priced mixer. HOWEVER I have been using the Bose S1 speaker instead of dragging a full on PA out. I put it arms lenght to my left so I can reach the controls. I have yet to need it above the 12:00 settings and I play one large dinner room of maybe 80 people or more. It is not blasting loud but I can be heard throughout the whole building. People can eat and talk right in front of me. I do use a pedal board. Compressor, chorus pedal, and a Boss vocal pedal. It does have a good reverb but have the Baggs reverb coming. Its nice to blue tooth my break music with it. If I need more juice I sometimes just line out a powered monitor or speaker and Wow! Again I really like your playing and singing just super. Thanks.

[@garypatrick2881]

Hey there, thanks again for commenting. I'm with you on simplicity. Since I made my last few videos, I discovered the EV Evolve 50M. A piece of gear that has changed my life and the way I play gigs. I'll do a demo video of it very soon. Amazing how easy it is to get great sound these days compared to 10-20 years ago. Cheers to you and happy playing! Gary

[@soulfonic23]

You need a mixer in front of any of these systems. Do you plug straight into your k12’s ? I would never have thought a vocalist would rely on the built in mixer of any powered system. Down and dirty for speech and music playback yes, but for live vocals in any configuration, you got to have some kind of mixer with decent preamp and at least sweepable mids, and preferably low cut and even some compression, which can be had for the price of a good mic. We spend thousands on our guitars, amps and other gear, and the PA seems to sometimes get second thought for bands, when for a singer, integral to how we are heard I just joined an 8 piece band with 3 horn section, I play guitar and sing as do 4 others. Right now we are using JBL eon 10” speakers for mains and monitors, thru a berhinger 16 ch mixer. Totally underpowered system. So I’ve been looking at arrays for big step up and ease of setup and visual presentation and it just so happens A few days ago did outdoor event with sound provided and they were using these (or earlier version) and I was blown away at the sound and coverage. I had been looking at the EV, RCF and similar and always thought Bose were more marketing that performance, but these are real deal. And the sound guy said they have been used and abused for several years and has had no issues.

[@ptalley316]

I agree, I always use a digital mixer in front of my K12.2s and K subs and would never plug straight in unless a real “emergency”!!

[@shoutin11]

Run through your mixer for ultimate control

[@jayedwardsuk5984]

Hey mate, great video. New to buying my own music equipment and doing a ton of research to the point of nausiam now 😅. As a singer wanting to buy one of these PA Array line speakers to play House / Dance from and sing using a wirless beta58a mic, would you have any recommendations at all?. P.s I dont play instruments.

[@garypatrick2881]

Hey there! Thanks for taking time to watch and reach out. I HIGHLY recommend the EV50M. I own two of them and they have changed my life. Gorgeous sound and ridiculously easy app to control the onboard mixer. I use one for solo/duo gigs and use two of them for my band.

[@damienlobb85]

Greetings from Australia. Great video mate! When it comes to traditional point source boxes like the k series, I personally prefer the Yamaha DZR stuff. It sounds smoother and more premium. It is a tiny bit heavier though but they definitely do a better job with the wooden cabinets.

[@garypatrick2881]

Hey there Damien, I agree.. those Yamaha boxes sound fabulous!

[@DartsandHipHop]

100% agree. Qsc K series is basically the god of speakers. I’m not religious by the way and own Rcf and yorkville and jbl proficts. Qsc Never lets me down. For what I do bars small parties 100 people sometime more, my Qsc k-10 with dual subs are the best. I own 12’s and 15’s. Something about the 10’s that are perfect when setup high and crossed over at 90.

[@garypatrick2881]

Steve, Thanks so much for watching and taking time to reply. I tell ya, those K10's are WONDERFUL speakers for so many solutions. Mains, Wedges, Front Fills, Side Fills, Just perfect. I'll never part with my K series boxes! Cheers, Gary

[@SoundsDefinition]

Please stick with the QSC. They have way BETTER sound than the Bose. The only difference between them is the look. QSC speakers beats Bose L1 32 ANYTIME is sound quality.

[@delbertottensmanjr5869]

You can hook up any mixer to the Bose, I would never do a gig without knowing what sound I was gonna have. You should have found out what system they wanted or had and you could have hooked a mixer up to it and had the sound you always have.

[@cduemig1]

Interesting. I’ve owned the Bose L1 M2 for many years and having the PA behind me is my favorite part. I have had it only a few feet behind and rarely an issue. I also use a condenser mic. Being able to hear myself so well makes me sing better. I do agree though if you’re on the side it can be an issue. The drivers are loaded left and right and none in the middle that’s why you can have a mic in front without feedback. On the side you have 16 drivers for Pro32 pointed straight at you.

[@arlofinch9326]

And when if the room gets loud with the bose you still have to have a monitor, jus like everything else , they be monitor outs on them tone match bose mixer for that reason . Hold your mouth right..

[@johnnymerritt9544]

I wonder if the bose 32 could handle a live party band with everything mic through and of course a digital mixing board

[@garypatrick2881]

Hi Johnny, I’m pretty certain a couple of those would sound great. If the drummer and guitarist doesn’t play too loud. I use two EV Evolve 50M’s for my acoustic band and it’s perfect. I used them for an electric trio and it was great as well. Cheers!

[@sandracartwright8747]

I have QSC K10.2 speakers. Would the Bose T4s tonematch digital mixer work well with them. I am a vocalist.

[@garypatrick2881]

Hi Sandra, I have never tried that. An inexpensive Yamaha mixer may be a good solution depending on your input needs. I'd stay as simple as possible.

[@mrdavisdrummer]

Good info. Having gigged in cramped quarters many times, it’s not always possible to move the PA and sometimes the owner of the venue simply won’t allow it. I also can’t understand why a company restricts access to complete control over EQ parameters. I love that they have a ton of presets but presets won’t always get you where you need to be. It’s almost like buying a guitar that has multiple pickups but not having the ability to switch to one or the other. Just makes no sense to me.

[@garypatrick2881]

Exactly.. The interesting thing, is that it doesn't take massive EQ moments to get it right. I'm just asking for the ability to tune the system. Thanks very much for taking time to listen and leave your response. Cheers to you!

[@brettsteele7027]

I use the L1 pro 32 as a monitor (behind the band ) and QSC 12.2 speakers in front. Crystal clear level sound. T8s is a great mixer also.

[@vancachz18]

Can you tell which one is better? The L1 bose Model 2 with bass 2 or the qsc k12?

[@garypatrick2881]

Hello and thanks for watching. In my opinion, the EV50M is the best purchase for an all-in-one setup.

[@justinstewart7344]

Hello Gary enjoy your channel …….ive just found it ……great real life real gig tips ……im from Ireland close to Belfast this is One of the best reviews ive heard ……..glad i listened tio this before jumping in to next pa … phew..👌it all about finding the sweet spot i guess …. I have experienced trouble getting acoustic sweet spot on modern pa s systems however on my old beat up yahama emx and wooden 400 watt 15s passive the acoustic guitar sounds lush great low end great drive and warmth But new pa yamaha with DXR15 s i get great vocal and but harsh guitar and cant seem to get the sweet spot …. Ive since got the lr baggs venue and acoustic amp but still harsh front of house guitar when through pa di out front of house ……. Tried old powered mixer to see if helped out ……it helped warm the dxr15s a little on guitar but they still very midy on guitar harsh ….. ive been told from other players they have experienced simliar problems when switching to new modern mixers with plastic speakers class d amp s inside plastic im not sure if you ever experienced this …..a diffrence in old pa s with wood speakers …. Passiive to new modern pwered speakers plastic .. but how ever i get a much fuller better vocal with new speakers just nort guitar ? thanks …..

[@garypatrick2881]

Hello Justin! Thanks so very much for taking time to watch these videos and then taking time to respond.. very very kind! Agreed, the old passive wooden boxes, analog mixer and 50 lb power amps sound SO good. I'm always on the search to simplify my setup (as we all are). Since posting this video, I purchased the EV Evolve 50M and my life has changed even more!!! Sounds absolutely incredible. Take a look at your acoustic guitar's pickup. I found that installing the K&K pickups along with the preamp was indeed the best I've had in my 32 year career. very natural sounding. Cheers to you!

[@justinstewart7344]

@@garypatrick2881 hey Gary appreciate you taking time to reply buddy Thanks for your advice on the sound ! On our fellow Guitar search ! to find the sweet spot on stage 😉 . I definitely will try the EV Evolve system … thank you it looks very handy set up and simplified… I have since found that the class D amps in active speakers I think has been the reason for a more harsh acoustic guitar sound …. And From what I’ve read of the way they work switching on and off … can cause a little bit of a latency feel that we don’t hear but feel ! Where the the older class Ab amp s in older pa s systems had more warmth … saturation….. but less efficient but easier on the ears to find sweet spot but class D does have its pros as well light weight compact and powerful for DJ s etc clear sounding … but read the sound can be saturated with effects or vacuum tube s that’s gets us closer to the sweet spot ….But will check out the EV Evolve many thanks for Adivce Gary

[@garypatrick2881]

@@justinstewart7344 I really get you. Anything that sounds unpleasant is a huge distraction for me. It's like poking an open wound. I'll do a video on the EV50M very soon and my updated pedal board. I used to carry around a Neve 1073 and LA2A for my live vocals in a BAR... ridiculous, but I could hear the difference LOL

[@justinstewart7344]

@@garypatrick2881 Thanks Gary That would great to hear you review. with the Ev Evolve and the pedal board lol.. yes I agree totally any thing sounds unpleasant on stage is a Huge distraction .. I spend more time in between songs twiddling knobs moving speakers now that I ever did with my old set up driving myself insane ! Lol on a searching to fix it ! I was glad I found your channel that. Shed a lot of light 💡 on how to get better acoustic guitar sound s so big thanks to you buddy look forward to your video on the Ev big thanks Gary 🙏 😊

[@stevebrookstein]

Go for the ev 50m or the JBL Prx one

[@garypatrick2881]

Hey there! I actually purchased an EV Evolve 50M. I was so good that I bought a second one. Cheers!

[@beejetay]

Do you think the Evolve 50m has as much throw as your QSCs? In my experience, the tower systems like Bose and LD drop off pretty drastically after 15-20 feet, whereas a K12 can be heard for 50-100 feet... But I've been hearing good things about the Evolve 50m as if it's its own beast in its own category.

[@garypatrick2881]

Hey there Bill, the 50M has been a life changer for me. Solo, Duo and even band gigs. I bought two but 90% of the time I just use one. 180 degree coverage and sounds so sweet. I use my QSC KW181s and KW112s with K10’s as front fills when I feel like I need to push volume and I’m using in ear monitors. I can play a huge outdoor venue with one 50M and my acoustic trio and the sound is wonderful. If I need to have the 50M placed more out front to really push the volume, I’ll jumper a K10 or two and use them as “main mix” monitors. All in all, I can set up a trio gig in 5 mins.

[@beejetay]

@@garypatrick2881 thanks for replying. I don't know what EV does, but those systems sound better than anything in the same category. And I love the ease of setup concept, plus it looks gorgeous on stage compared to a speaker stand. I have two k-12s, maybe I'll sell one and put that money towards an evolve 50m, and keep the second one if I ever need extra push like you said. Thanks again!

[@garypatrick2881]

Bill, based on what you've described, I think you'll be happy with the purchase. I certainly am. My whole band has re-thought the live thing. For the majority of gigs, less is more. Lower volumes = happier clients, less gear, less stress, more happiness. I'll post up a video of my Acoustic Trio thru one 50M. When EV comes out with the 100M (LOL) I'll buy it too! I'm a minimalist at heart and passionate about gear at the same time. Big Dichotomy! I have 10K alone in IEM equipment. When I roll out that PA and cram an earbud in my brain, I immediately start panicking about what if, how good is it out front, ahhhh! There are times when I can afford to hire an engineer to run sound, but in this day and time when budgets are super low, I have to do it all myself. This is where most of us are.. the do-it-your-selfers. With great sounding Bass/ Acoustic Guitar DI's, Small drum kits, and incredible Guitar Amp Modeling pedals, Great sound can be achieved at lower volumes with a fraction of PA equipment. Sorry for the diatribe. I couldn't be happier with the 50Ms :) Cheers!

[@beejetay]

@@garypatrick2881 love it! Time to head to GC! Thanks for the info

[@LJG781]

I use a Mesa Rosette 300, 1x10 acoustic amp always sang through a mackie system ..just too darn heavy. The Mesa has 2 fabulous EQ chanels. One for guitar and one for mik. I'm very particular about what I sing through..never did I think this Mesa would handle my self criticism.. It's pricey .. But so are the systems your talking about..

[@garypatrick2881]

Hey there! Thanks for watching and sharing your experience with the Rosette. I almost bought one but needed a few more inputs so I grabbed the EV Evolve 50M. That Rosette sounds really great! Cheers, Gary

[@ronedwards8239]

S1Pro Stereo Pair with T4S in larger venues F1 812. This mono stuff is only good for small band singer songwriter. Mono playback when incorporating tracks, just doesn’t sound as good.

[@arlofinch9326]

Have to use xr18 to make it sound great , but then you got over 3,000 in one speaker . But you have to have 2 bumping 6 grand , also Bose is great in a listening room But it ain't gonna cut it in a parking lot full of happy people,. Two qsck8.2 and a 500.00 mixer sound great and smoke the bose . Iv had both , . Sold tha bose got Qsc and a sound craft mixer. I will say this , I played a gig in a listening room with two of the newest versions of the bose , the venue used an xr18 as the mixer just me on guitar and vox and a pedal steel player , the steel player did not go into the pa used a fender twin . The sound was fantastic. Did not need monitors . But it was a small 50 seat room and with polite people . And it was a medium volume. Iv got a lot of stuff , it's got to the point I just take a Roland ( not boss) cube street headphones out into a k8.2 for solo and duet gigs , and always get asked back , makes me want to kick myself for wasting all that time and money .. Good luck ..

[@isaacmathewsmusic]

The reason (in my opinion) is simple. They want you to use the mixer.

[@garypatrick2881]

Exactly, Isaac!

[@llaugercastillo]

Dont stand next to it you can be a little behind and you will hear it just fine.

[@DustinLaffertyTV]

no

[@llaugercastillo]

No what?

[@bassmusicman2034]

I’m a professional musician/Singer/Bassplayer… I bought the Bose pro 32 and I use my own mixer to get the punch and reverb I love… the Bose mixer is crap to me… reverb is trash just don’t like anything from Bose outside of their speakers

[@garypatrick2881]

Thanks for taking time to watch and reply! There's definitely more than one way to get great sounds these day aren't there? These new portable arrays are a great solution. I'll bet mixer interfaces all get much better in the coming future... my hopes anyways lol. Cheers, Gary

[@quocanle]

I returned the Pro32 due to the lack of control without the mixer, and the Bose app is a joke. I bought a JBL PRX One because you have many different controls on the unit, and the JBL app is amazing in comparison to Bose. I know the systems are not in the same league, and I still prefer the audio quality of the Bose. But at half the price, I get so much more controls on the JBL.

[@garypatrick2881]

Hello An Le, Thank you for watching and responding. Hopefully Bose will catch up in the app department. I purchased an EV Evolve 50M and love it so much that I bought a second one. fabulous product! Cheers!

[@quocanle]

@@garypatrick2881 I also like the EV 50M, especially the feature to connect two in stereo mode. You can't do stereo with the PRX One without a separate mixer. In the end, I decided on the PRX one because it was $400 cheaper, with similar features and performance.

[@Scott__C]

Appreciate your info. QSC and Bose both make great products. Call them or email Bose or comment on the App Store about it. If they don't get the info, they won't know people want it. But, yes, an app update would fix it. Also, I didn't catch the mic you're using, but Bose works with the manufacturers to develop those presets, so part of that is if the mic manufacturer wants to participate with them.