Bose F1 Model 812 Flexible Array Loudspeaker

I have never owned Bose products until buying these. I demoed these in a local music store about 4 years ago. And my jaw hit the floor! The sound clarity, quality, and shear volume was beyond impressive. The line array really does it’s job of throwing sound up down and all around. I personally run the 812 with the high pass filter off for added meat and bass. The subs are by far the most impressive part. They throw bass up to almost 180 degrees as far out as 300’ with no dead spots. It doesn’t lose its punch or get muddy out in a field. I love these speakers. I have had systems six times the size and weight with no where near the punch and clarity. Bose has always impressed me. I sold all of my larger speakers and amps and replaced with a pair of 812’s and F1 subs. ... MoreI have never owned Bose products until buying these. I demoed these in a local music store about 4 years ago. And my jaw hit the floor! The sound clarity, quality, and shear volume was beyond impressive. The line array really does it’s job of throwing sound up down and all around. I personally run the 812 with the high pass filter off for added meat and bass. The subs are by far the most impressive part. They throw bass up to almost 180 degrees as far out as 300’ with no dead spots. It doesn’t lose its punch or get muddy out in a field. I love these speakers. I have had systems six times the size and weight with no where near the punch and clarity. Bose has always impressed me. I sold all of my larger speakers and amps and replaced with a pair of 812’s and F1 subs. Never looking back!

It took about 2 years to finally buy this product. Countless hours of research, videos, talking to music stores, and even calling Bose directly to find out about every detail on this system. This was one of those purchases that I wish I made instead of doing the quantity over quality purchases.This system sounds great and everyone agrees that has heard it. I bought the packaged deal with two mains, two subs, and the covers. The covers definitely protect the speakers during transport which is nice. The setup takes just a few minutes and the look of the setup is top notch. The built in cord hides work well for a clean stage look. If you play outdoor gigs and want some extra bass, you will need an additional sub for the extra thump. Tear down is a breeze and the ... MoreIt took about 2 years to finally buy this product. Countless hours of research, videos, talking to music stores, and even calling Bose directly to find out about every detail on this system. This was one of those purchases that I wish I made instead of doing the quantity over quality purchases.This system sounds great and everyone agrees that has heard it. I bought the packaged deal with two mains, two subs, and the covers. The covers definitely protect the speakers during transport which is nice. The setup takes just a few minutes and the look of the setup is top notch. The built in cord hides work well for a clean stage look. If you play outdoor gigs and want some extra bass, you will need an additional sub for the extra thump. Tear down is a breeze and the weight of the units isn't a back breaker like previous systems I've owned.Overall this is my go to system for ease of use, setup, professional look, and quality of sound. I'm sure you could piece together other systems to out compete this one but I wanted piece of mind and professionalism. This one does it for me.

I went by reviews and they were correct. If I could give them more than 5 stars I would. I recently used them in a 40’000 sqft building for a dance performance and I received so many complements on the sound. I had about 400 in the audience with no problem with volume whatsoever. Extremely clear and solid bass. You could feel the solid tight punch of the music with plenty of volume in reserve. Used a QSC touchmix 16 with these.

OK, I will preface it this by saying that I’ve been sort of out of the higher volume music market for several years. I played in bands in the 80s and 90s that had the big 18 in. Sub or double 15 inch sugar scoops, folded horns, huge PA stacks, etc. etc. Now, I’m doing to do all the playing at restaurants and some have outdoor stages. I have a small JBL unit that is like the first Bose model with the base cabinet and the stem on top. I wanted something stronger for the outdoor courtyard gigs that we will do and some of the louder restaurants. I only have used the whole set up once, it wasn’t the knock-down volume I was thinking it might be, but then we were indoors and limited there. In a couple of weeks we will be outdoors, so hope to see it really shine there. Not ... MoreOK, I will preface it this by saying that I’ve been sort of out of the higher volume music market for several years. I played in bands in the 80s and 90s that had the big 18 in. Sub or double 15 inch sugar scoops, folded horns, huge PA stacks, etc. etc. Now, I’m doing to do all the playing at restaurants and some have outdoor stages. I have a small JBL unit that is like the first Bose model with the base cabinet and the stem on top. I wanted something stronger for the outdoor courtyard gigs that we will do and some of the louder restaurants. I only have used the whole set up once, it wasn’t the knock-down volume I was thinking it might be, but then we were indoors and limited there. In a couple of weeks we will be outdoors, so hope to see it really shine there. Not looking for pin your ears back type volume like in the good old hairband days, just looking for a good clean and full sound. I might do a follow up review this after that outdoor gig.

Bose F1 model 812 loudspeaker

I had purchased one Bose F1 a year ago for my acoustic trio "Rikki and Friends" and was blown away by the clarity and overall sound of it. Now I bought another F1 and put one on each side of the trio, and it sounds great, superb coverage and clean as a bell. We do alot of 3 part harmony, and these speakers really enhance everything, vocals, my 914 Taylor, and even acoustic bass. And to put icing on the cake, I added an S1 Pro speaker for a monitor. best vocal PA I have owned, we look forward to each and every gig, nothing but compliments on the sound.

Good around system.

Bought for a full band, all through the pa and it holds the sound for bog venues of up to 2,000.Fits with my bass gear and two passengers in a Volvo xc60. The xlr connections makes light work of setting up and the internal speaker stand from the sub to the tops is a godsend.Can be boomy on sprung floors so you need to consider where to set up and possibly take soundproof matting where you have little option.

Great for vocals

I bought these for wide angle speech coverage and to supplement a pair of Alto Blacks in bigger rooms. For those purposes they have been exactly what I was after. The vocals sound great on the Bose but when combined with Alto Blacks, the Altos fill in the high end and warm up the low end as well.If you like the L1 series, you'll love these. If you don't like the L1 series, you still will probably like these. They are probably the best sounding pro speaker Bose has created to date. When I said the low end is solid, that is without the subs. I didn't buy those. The Alto's and my Yamaha DSR115 really have not needed them. They are plastic enclosures, but those feel solid. The grill mounting is a bit flimsy though and the controls don't feel like a $1000+ ... MoreI bought these for wide angle speech coverage and to supplement a pair of Alto Blacks in bigger rooms. For those purposes they have been exactly what I was after. The vocals sound great on the Bose but when combined with Alto Blacks, the Altos fill in the high end and warm up the low end as well.If you like the L1 series, you'll love these. If you don't like the L1 series, you still will probably like these. They are probably the best sounding pro speaker Bose has created to date. When I said the low end is solid, that is without the subs. I didn't buy those. The Alto's and my Yamaha DSR115 really have not needed them. They are plastic enclosures, but those feel solid. The grill mounting is a bit flimsy though and the controls don't feel like a $1000+ speaker.Now for my issues, by far the biggest one is the input clipping before the amplifier hits limit. The internal limiter seems slow to engage anyway but by the time it does, you are audibly distorted. With there being no real high frequency drivers though, I expect your risk of blowing anything is low. During my brief testing, I did not have any issues with that but I know I'm not able to take full advantage of the amps in them.As I mentioned earlier, the grill attachement is not stellar. Just folded grating that has already gotten caught twice on things and I had to push it back in. The handles on the back are convenient as well.So, if you are buying one pair of speakers and don't need the wide coverage, you can get a good but more for less but if you are using more than one pair of speakers like I frequently do just to have more even coverage without making some guests deaf, pair these up with a conventional speaker and you will really be pleased. They combine perfectly with the Alto Black but I'm sure they would with many others as well. I like them by themselves, but love them combined with something else that can bring a little more crispness to the high end.

Great so far!

I am one of the growing number of keyboard players that is dumping their keyboard amp for a powered P.A speaker. My amp of choice was the Motion Sound KBR -3D. I won't go into detail as to why, but for several reasons my band did not always have the luxury of playing through a P.A., and we are a big band with lots of loud percussion. I've only played a few gigs with this speaker so far, all indoors. Elevated 4 feet, it had no problem whatsoever handling a small club. I played one very large club, and I had to push it harder but was told I came through great all the way to the back of the club. It got a little warm but never overloaded, so overall I'm pretty happy with it. I am considering buying a second one only as a precaution I will be sufficiently covered for ... MoreI am one of the growing number of keyboard players that is dumping their keyboard amp for a powered P.A speaker. My amp of choice was the Motion Sound KBR -3D. I won't go into detail as to why, but for several reasons my band did not always have the luxury of playing through a P.A., and we are a big band with lots of loud percussion. I've only played a few gigs with this speaker so far, all indoors. Elevated 4 feet, it had no problem whatsoever handling a small club. I played one very large club, and I had to push it harder but was told I came through great all the way to the back of the club. It got a little warm but never overloaded, so overall I'm pretty happy with it. I am considering buying a second one only as a precaution I will be sufficiently covered for bigger club gigs and outdoor shows. I don't know yet if I will buy the matching sub, I'm not sure if it's needed for keyboard use. I like the handle placement, pole mounting options, and light weight this offers over my M.S. My new Hammond SK1-73 has outstanding Leslie simulation so I don't miss the rotating horn at all. My only complaint on the Bose F1-812 is, being that this is a mono amp, it can't play my keyboard's stereo patches in two channel stereo, even though it has two inputs. One of my favorite patches is the old Rhodes "ping pong" left to right sounds, you need a stereo amp to achieve the effect, not possible with this speaker. I ran one of the Hammond's outputs to the Bose and the other to one of the stationary inputs of the M.S. and almost lost it when I heard how great it sounded. Another reason to buy a second F1.

I will and am buying another !!

I play background instrumental guitar music for small to medium coffee houses and upscale venues. normally, I prefer to play, unplugged, but in the larger venues and patio settings, I have always had the problem of not having the penetration to the rear. i.e. , the people in the back cant hear unless I turn up the volume and blow the people in the front out of their seats, which really ticks off the food servers because nobody wants to sit in that station. ( I don't blame them). Over the last couple of years I have tried out many portable units, including all of the l1 series Bose and it just wasn't right, until I tried this f1 812 unit. Whether you sit 3 or 30 feet from the speaker, you can hear every note without straining or going deaf. the unit is at its best ... MoreI play background instrumental guitar music for small to medium coffee houses and upscale venues. normally, I prefer to play, unplugged, but in the larger venues and patio settings, I have always had the problem of not having the penetration to the rear. i.e. , the people in the back cant hear unless I turn up the volume and blow the people in the front out of their seats, which really ticks off the food servers because nobody wants to sit in that station. ( I don't blame them). Over the last couple of years I have tried out many portable units, including all of the l1 series Bose and it just wasn't right, until I tried this f1 812 unit. Whether you sit 3 or 30 feet from the speaker, you can hear every note without straining or going deaf. the unit is at its best with the sub, but using the 812 portion without the sub is no slouch either. This unit is the shiznits !! It is good looking in an elegant way and the Bose logo gives the performance a higher perceived value, which does help the gratuity envelopes. (mostly I use a tip jar next to my cd display, but at the classier venues, I use a gratuity envelope. not so tacky and its nice that the servers don't know how much I am making). I did try this one last, only because of the price point. Once again, I am reminded, that you get what you pay for! This is no exception to this rule! If I were asked what improvements could be made, I would say that I would like to see 3 things. 1. both units could do with a 120v female electrical plug so that I can power my wireless, and daisy chain the electrical to both units, without having to drag a power strip along. (most places are hurting for outlets and it would be more professional to only need 1 instead of 3). 2. retractable castors on the sub would make it easier to move around with the unit assembled and then when retracted, the unit would be stable. 3. black aluminum support bracket instead of plastic. no problem yet, but.. all in all, well done! Bose