Hi folks,
I'm glad to share the financial details but first, we must distinguish between the L1 Model 2 in mono and two Bose speakers of any kind.
Before I bought my two Compacts, I brought a single L1 Model 2 home to try with my Yamaha piano, It sounded absolutely horrible. I don’t think the L1 Model 2 or the L1 1S (one step down) are keyboard friendly speakers, especially in mono. I think those units are more for human voice reproduction in various size venues. They can amplify a piano but even in stereo, the sound is not good. The Pro 8 speakers are a whole new generation. Each one has a three channel mixer. I only have one at the moment because the second one is out of stock, but running the L and R Genos outputs to Channels 1 and 2 of a single Pro 8 sounds amazing! The stereo imaging is lacking of course but essentially, a regular patron wouldn’t really know the difference.
My second Pro 8 is due in tomorrow so I’ll have two of them, just like my Compacts. This new generation of line array speakers from Bose is a total redesign from their previous generation. They are a lot smoother and have lots of headroom at high levels, and yet they purr at low levels. A home player could use a pair but the price would be outrageous.
Speaking of price, for those non-Canadian members, we have a music store chain in Canada called “Long and McQuade.” I have bought a lot of gear from them. I trade in my old gear for their new gear, which saves me dealing with the “tire kickers.” I look after my gear very well and receive top dollar on trade. They are allowing me $800 trade for my two Bose L1 Compacts, which are nine years old. The Pro 8 model sell for $1,570, so my upgrade will cost me about $2,600 tax in. It's a fair chunk of change but my Compacts have served me well for nine years and I want to trade them while their still worth some money. My money figures are in Canadian dollars.
I looked at other makes like Fishman, HK Audio, and Maui. They are cheaper but so are their specs. None of them cover the same physical area as the Bose. Weight is another factor. Ironically, the generation of musicians that is most financially capable of buying this stuff can no longer lift heavy gear. For me, anything over 35 pounds is not on my list of prospects. I looked at the Maui speakers but to match the Pro 8 specs, I need to lift 60 pounds. Not for me.
So, there you have it. I’m looking forward to more gigs with the Pro 8 speakers. Our Covid and vaccines numbers are very encouraging. After we come through this winter, hopefully, there will be more chances to play out.