Part 2 Max dB Volume Comparison, Bose S1 Pro VS Alto Busker, Round 2! Is The New Alto a Bose killer?

Part 1 Feature comparison: • Feature Comparison Ult...

[@worldmusic5811]

I bought 4 of the s1 pro speakers and sent them all back the battery was a big fail for music playback and voice I only got 3 hrs max and when I bu a product I expect it to work as stated, I waited to see if something else would come out and the Buskers I bought 2 and the battery life is amazing, the sound is loud and clear and the mixer is far superior as far as features, I am buying 4 more my experience , I am 15 gigs in with these , they are loud and portable 4 hrs and the battery doesn't come off the green

[@WWeiss-nv5vz]

I should have mentioned, the S1Pro had plenty of more gain on the knob but that would cause the speaker to be playing on solid red on the clip light. Personally, I value my expensive equipment and back off the gain as soon as I see the clip light. In a gig situation without a mixer you could play the Bose louder on red where the Alto was maxed out with zero gain left.

[@richroggio]

that was very interesting Bill, looking forward to part 3.

[@ogitanguyen5901]

Very helpful. Thanks for sharing.

[@WWeiss-nv5vz]

I don't think I mentioned, the Alto Busker has a USB charge port to charge your devices, Bose doesn't have this!

[@worldmusic5811]

It works also ! I have 2

[@WWeiss-nv5vz]

Viewer comment: In response to some folks posting that the Bose S1 Pro wasn't loud enough, especially in the vocals department. Since loud and soft are relative terms I decided to measure actual decibel levels. The app I used is called Decibel X. It's a must app for all musicians. In this video, my vocal (Shure SM 58) volume is set at 3/4 with 1/4 reverb, which I changed to 1/2 after viewing this video and my instrument volume is at 1/2. What I discovered was this battery operated, 15 lb. speaker is not as loud as my my 39 lb. JBL EON615 which puts out 127 db max. SPL or my 41 lb. JBL EON One line array which puts out 118 db max. SPL. NO, this unit puts out only 103 db peak (did I mention it only weighs 15 lbs.) What does it all mean you ask? SPL stands for Sound Pressure Level and it's the primary objective unit of measure for output (NOT Watts). Continued exposure to SPL above 90 dB can cause permanent hearing damage. Remember that dB levels drop the further away from the source... the goal is to have a level of 85 dB max where the listener is, thus the reason these units have a rating of over that, which gives you some head room. I also discovered that this unit is ideal for small rooms with 40-50 people or busking. It's size and weight make this unit very, very convenient especially for solo or duo musicians/singers.

[@mangs9940]

Would the alto work well as just a talking pa. In a smallish venue , maybe 50 to 100 . Not asking for club sound, it just needs to be clear and loud enough. Not much experience with pa sound. I bought a tribit storm blast on sale as a test. It's really just a 90w party speaker. Music is ok, but speech is not as great as I would like. I have decent hifi gear . I am not buying this for music, just speech. The review sounds promising, also the price fits within my budget for this project.

[@WWeiss-nv5vz]

Perfect application! Louder than the S1Pro. Another popular choice for speech- Behringer Europort. Alto is much smaller/lighter and louder. www.amazon.com/Behringer-MPA40BT-PRO-Bluetooth-Connectivity-Operation/dp/B00EMDNLKC/ref=asc_df_B00EMDNLKC/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312165962058&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2523015688441233824&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031179&hvtargid=pla-406164443953&mcid=7b7071afd44e37ef868a5043297da781&gclid=Cj0KCQjw-_mvBhDwARIsAA-Q0Q6UOyIo42NxHLLC0_Mm_GmDBkq_RLCucEEg4PMZ6YMTc1C4u3G8RhgaAgXiEALw_wcB&th=1

[@mangs9940]

@@WWeiss-nv5vz thank you.

[@worldmusic5811]

I have 2 loud and clear 15 gigs in

[@richardrey5655]

I just got my Alto Busker the other day. I immediately compared it to my S1 Pro. The Bose has more low end but the Alto has crisper highs. Both speakers are loud enough for my needs (solo acoustic guitars) but for the price difference I like the Alto. I could get two of them for less than the price of 1 S1 Pro. I alos like the battery light indicator on the Alto.

[@jjleto9390]

I eventually bought the Alto and I was very disappointed. I so far used a QSC cp8, which is unbeatable, but, as you said, requires AC, plus, if you are a musician you will need a preamp to model voice and guitar. So I was looking for something more compact and light for those days when I don't feel like loading myself too much; something small and ready to go. In my opinion, the ALTO might work out as a very portable PA system for DJs, but, as a street musician, it's virtually useless, unless it's paired to a preamp for both voice and guitar. On it's own it's so quiet, in particular the vocals. The effects are very weak and the eq it's pretty much a joke. I used it with a vocal/guitar preamp (BOSS VE-8) and finally something came out and I manage to get a decent sound and a decent volume, but still had to keep the volumes at, at least, 85/90%, so not much headroom. Positive note, it was holding the low notes of my baritone guitar fairly well, for such a small speaker. I, of course, wasn't even hoping to get the same output of the qsc from such a tiny thing, but, on it's own, there's no use for a busker (funny enough that what they decided to call it). I have to admit that the BOSE S1, which I always kind of snobbed, would be a better solution for those musicians who are looking for something light and compact. I haven't given up on the Alto yet, since carrying the boss ve-8 is not big deal and price and size are still attractive, but I am gonna have a look at the everse 8. An 8" speakers might make me miss the qsc less on the lazy days. Thanks for the reviews.

[@WWeiss-nv5vz]

Thanks for your feedback. Alto if paired with a subwoofer is a good solution for playing tracks.Never tried it with instruments/vocals.For playing tracks I have found the Alto is louder than the S1Pro. Everse 8 at much more $$$ is in another league! New Mackie Showbox is another option compared to Everse 8 but heavier/bigger.

[@dell5338]

It would be interesting to see how the new yamaha stage pass 200 battery powerd. Would compare

[@WWeiss-nv5vz]

Stagepass 200 at $720 is in a different category. I would compare it to the Everse 8. 200 has good specs at 125dB output but it is heavy at 28 lbs and doesn't have a user removable battery. At that weight I would take my QSC K8.2.

[@worldmusic5811]

Battery is not great

[@mangs9940]

If you want to connect 2 x altos together. They use the Bluetooth link function. Can you still connect a phone for source music via Bluetooth?

[@WWeiss-nv5vz]

Good question??? I only have a single Alto. I would assume so. No one would want to connect two if they lost Bluetooth connection and had to hard wire.

[@DNYS8N]

The question is get the Alto busker now or wait 6 months and get the S1. Probably wait, I just don’t know how to judge since I’ve never really heard it in action anywhere. My street cube ex did the job but it only lasted a few years. My application is using blue tooth for backing and singing for no more than 100 outdoors.

[@WWeiss-nv5vz]

Alto is louder, but Bose is a much more pleasing full range sound. 100 outdoors is pushing it for either speaker! Suggest Everse 12 for that number of people. Everse 8 next step down.

[@lemezurc1]

Hi nice vids. Can you still use alto while plugged in when battery dies? Thanks

[@WWeiss-nv5vz]

Thanks! Yes plugged in and still works.

[@juanwinstonparedesbarril3378]

thanks!! a few months ago i asked you the best option to pair with the maui 5go , you told me the alto was excellent, but i found here in my country Chile the bose s1 pro+ and its sounds superv but i don't know if or how to pair them stereo...?? grateful¡

[@WWeiss-nv5vz]

To get stereo you really should use two of the same speakers. Playing a second speaker in mono will give you the illusion of left/right stereo, separated 10-15 feet apart. I do it all the time! S1 Pro will add some nice high end missing from the Maui. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jIiWeWyBpsSoh6s

[@djrickyb]

This makes sense. The Bose S1 Pro is rated at 160 watts continuous according to google. Bose never released that info though as far as I know. The Alto Busker is rated at 200 watts so it should have a bit more max SPL over the Bose S1 Pro. The Alto also weighs like 11.9 lbs vs about 16 lbs for the Bose S1 Pro, so it's a good bit lighter, and more compact

[@WWeiss-nv5vz]

I should have mentioned, if you are pushing toward 100dB with a 6.5" speaker it's time to go to the next level speaker!

[@marlo8850]

The alto is rated at 200W peak, meaning it’s 100W continuous and 25W for the eco mode (50W peak)

[@MariusMarius-qd4nc]

I tested both, alto has more power, but bose has higher fidelity,

[@WWeiss-nv5vz]

Couldn't agree more!