Just a follow-up on the hiss I mentioned in yesterday's review of the L1® Compact. Craig Jackson (Craig-at-Bose) has posted the following note in the L1® Users Forum.

 

Source: Craig-at-Bose post in the L1® Users Forum

 

Last week I was able to borrow an L1® Compact for 3 days. Mine is on the way but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to put this one through its paces during this weekend hiatus of its touring schedule. This is the one unit in western Canada being demo'd at various retail stores.

I am sorry to see it go, but mine should be here soon. Here are some initial impressions after living with it for three days in the studio and out at a gig.

My perspective is that of an L1® owner for nearly five years (Classic, then Model II with T1® with PackLite® and more B1s). I play solo, in several duos and a band. I perform with the T1® or the R1 Remote on the microphone stand in front of me, and the L1® is usually directly behind me.

Testing Conditions
Most of my listening tests and comparisons were done in a space that is about 1400 square feet, basically square, with a lot of sound aborbing materials. This space is very similar many of the coffee house, restaurant or house concert venues I frequent. It is also where I rehearse with my Model II and Classic.

The Gear
Microphones

Side-by-Side the Model II
In a space up to say as small coffee shop (800-1000 square feet) I would be just as likely to take the Compact as the Model II. I am working in a space a little bigger than this, and if competing with a noisy crowd or coffee grinders, I'd probably prefer to have the Model II.

I was telling someone last night - for an acoustic duo for concerts up to 100, I would probably prefer two Compacts over sharing a Model II with a T1®.

Sure you can to do more with a Model II and T1® but within the realm of the smallish venue, I think Compact will be just terrific.

Within say 25' you have to push the Model II hard to get it to seem louder than the Compact. I was surprised at this. As you get farther away, the Model II seems to maintain its volume better. This is no surprise.

When I push the Compact it does seem to clip or compress, but you have to be running LOUD to make this happen.

PorchBoard
This is important to me. The PorchBoard works. It's not as deep a thump, but it would be fine in a small acoustic concert setting. Interestingly, this is when I use the PorchBoard most. Anything bigger and I am probably working with a rhythm section.

The connection: Channel 2 - Guitar in ¼ inch jack and PorchBoard in one side of the RCA inputs.


Portability
When I took the Compact to a gig, I decided to use it as advertised, fully extended with a dynamic microphone and my acoustic guitar. More about that later, but for now; It was a great joy to get everything I needed from the car to the stage in one trip. That was:

How big is it? Well I would say that it takes less floor space than my three legged microphone stand. If you are familiar with the B1 bass module, the Compact Power Stand is just about 3 inches wider, 2 inches taller, and an inch shorter from front to back. It also weighs less than the B1.

How big is it? Well I have marvelled that I could put a Model II and a couple of B1s in my trunk although I usually travel with just a single B1. I could probably put three Compacts in the same trunk and actually have room for lots of other gear.

Size on the Floor - about the size of a B1
If you have an L1® now, you probably have a B1 and can relate to its size and weight. The Compact is just about the same size.


View from the Top



Side by Side



NOTE: the scuff marks on the Compact Power Stand - that's actually dust. Sorry about that.

Dimensions compared to a B1

Height — Compact is 2" taller
Compact: 16.5
B1: 14.5 (manual says 15)

Width — Compact is 3" wider
Compact: 13.25
B1: 10.25

Depth Compact is 1" shorter (front to back)
Compact: 16.75
B1: 17.75

Weight — Compact is .5 lb lighter (3.4 lb lighter than older B1)
Compact: 24.6 lbs (including Speaker Array)
B1: 25.1 lbs
B1 (pre mid-2007) 28 lbs



From the web site

L1 Compact power stand w/loudspeaker array

16.5"H x 13.25"W x 16.75"D ( 41.8 cm x 33.9 cm x 42.6 cm )

24.6 lbs (11.2 kg)


B1 bass module

15"H x 10.25"W x 17.75"D ( 38 cm x 26 cm x 45 cm )

25.1 lbs (11.4 kg)

Physical Comparisons

Assembly Clearance

You need 2 inches above the height of the Compact's fully extended height to assemble it.
Compact = 78.5 + 2.0 = 80.5

That is compared to four inches clearance for the
Model II = 84 + 4 = 88
Model I = 82.75 + 4 = 86.75
Classic = 82.75 + 6 = 88.75 (long bayonet setting)





Comparing the overall height - assembled

Model I / Classic: 82.75

Model II: 84 inches

Compact: 78.5 inches





Sorry - the camera angle makes it look like the Model II in the middle is taller than 84".

Table Top Mode
This is new, and for me the main application would be for spoken word (lectures and presentations) for an audience that is seated. I tried this out and it worked well. For live music, I would almost certainly take a minute to set the unit on the floor and run it fully extended. Running fully extended sounded the best to me when performing while standing.

There was a question about bass performance with the Compact on a table. Ken-at-Bose replied We're confident that the L1® Compact sounds really good in tabletop mode.

Half Stack
There has been a lot of interest in this from owners of other L1® Systems. I think this is because on occasion many of us have had to set up in rooms with low ceilings.

The people at Bose have consistently encouraged us to use the Compact on a table in the collapsed position, or on the floor in fully extended position.

So I had to explore this.

First, the Compact, fully extended is 78 1/2" tall or about 5 1/2" shorter than the Model II (84") or 4 1/4" shorter than the Model I (82 3/4"). This extra clearance should help all of us who have run into a ceiling that was just an inch or two too short.

Now if you use the Compact collapsed on a table (30" high), then the speaker portion is about 30-46" off the floor.

If you operate with just one extension, it's about the same; 32-48" off the floor.

Okay - let's talk applications. In most applications where I do public speaking - if there is a table present, my audience is probably seated so the Compact on a table is going to be close to ear height. So that make sense.

But if people are standing (or dancing) I would most certainly run fully extended with both extensions.



With Other Equipment
The Compact is clearly meant to run self-contained, ready to run a minute after you set it down. So if you have a dynamic microphone, and acoustic guitar with a pickup, and backing tracks. You are all set to go, setup up and running very quickly. I took the Compact out to a gig, just straight out of the box with no extra gear, and I would be happy to do that again. But this section is about options.

You can add a T1 ToneMatch® Audio Engine if you need more inputs or more control. There is no supported mechanism for adding bass support.

Coming from a background of using the other L1® Systems I resisted running the Compact in this seemingly limited way.

Adding a T1 ToneMatch® Audio Engine (T1®)
This works very well. You just need to add a power supply to the T1® and run an instrument cable from the T1® analog Master Output to the Compact Channel 2 (turn off the Preset) and you are ready to roll. I tried several tests with different instruments and microphones. I was very pleased because what I could hear was almost indistinguishable from the Model II when I was playing as I would on a stage. You can use a balanced 1/4 Tip-Ring-Sleeve cable if you have one. You lose 6 dB of gain if you use an unbalanced cable. But you still get plenty of volume and I would have no reservations about doing this on a regular basis.

I have my microphone stand set up with all the cables I need to use my T1®, so it would actually be simpler for me to operate with the T1® than to set up without it.

For anybody who wants to do some side-by-side testing with a Model II, try connecting the Analog Master output to the Compact Channel 2 (turn off Preset).

By default - you'll have sound coming from both the Compact and the Model II.

To kill the sound out of the Model II, got to

Prefs:
- Master Out
-- Pre Master Volume

Turn down the Master Volume knob.
This will allow you to hear the T1® to Compact connection without hearing the Model II.

This not something I'd be doing at a gig, but it is one of the ways that I was comparing the two units.

You could also use the T1®Master Analog output to an A/B switch (A - to Compact, B - to Model II).


Condenser Microphone / External Phantom Power

Summary:
Condenser microphone plus external phantom power battery pack - It works fine.

That is: I used an external battery pack and tried several phantom powered condenser microphones. They all sounded fine, although perhaps not as good as they do through the T1®.


After doing some testing, I think that when using the Compact, I'll just stick to a dynamic microphone just because it sounds great and it is the height of simplicity (or use the T1®).


More thoughts:

I doubt there is anyone here that enjoys his/her Neumann KMS 105 more than I enjoy mine. I was disappointed when I read that there only one Vocal Microphone Preset and that there was no phantom power. So, no support for my favourite microphone. But after listening to the Compact with my Beyerdynamic M88 (a dynamic, hypercardioid microphone), I think I'll be fine using the dynamic microphone with the Compact.

With a PackLite®

I tried using the Compact Line-out to a PackLite®. I won't be doing that live at least not without a a crossover.

The Compact Line-Out is full-range. So I was hearing too much low end (Guitar and Vocal) when all I really wanted was more in the sub 100 Hz range.

Trying this reminded me of how cleverly Bose engineered the Bass sub system (1 B1, 2 x B1, Bass Line Out, PackLite) in the other models.

Please understand, it's not that the Compact is lacking in bass. This was just an experiment.

I didn't like...

This is a very short list and some things aren't all that major.

Hiss
With all the controls at 12:00 o'clock, I can hear a hiss from the speakers. This is louder than the hiss from the Classic (that seems to drop off at 4-8 feet). This is louder than the almost non-existent hiss of Model II (that you have be within a couple of feet to hear).

I can hear this hiss 12 feet away and farther if I really listen for it. You probably won't hear it over the sound of an audience. But I noticed it, am aware of it when the Compact is idle, so I thought I should mention it. To put this into perspective, this is no louder than I have heard from just about any amplifier or powered speaker I've heard in a quiet room. I'm sure the main reason I noticed is that it is louder than the Classic or Model II. And those two devices are tough acts to follow.

Rick Jordan observed that the hiss is more pronounced from Channel 1. I can confirm this and that it is most noticeable if you have the volume turned up loud and nothing else is happening (no one on the microphone).

I had the Compact out at a gig last night (2009/05/04). This was a restaurant/pub and the hiss was inaudible over the ambient noise in the room.

 

EDIT - regarding the hiss - I have since found out that the Compact that I had was a pre-production unit. The issue has been addressed in the production units. See the follow up comments from Craig-at-Bose.

Signal/Clip indicator
From the manual:

Displays the input signal status in color.
• Green: Input signal present
• Red: Input signal clipping

At first I was unhappy that I couldn't see the controls if I was seated while performing. I had to go back to the Power Stand to see things and to make adjustments. An ameliorating factor is that the Compact doesn't seem to distort if you clip it, at least not until you really hit it hard. And for me I sensed that it was compressing rather than distorting the signal. So it's not going to sound bad just because you can't see those red flickers.

Eventually I tried putting the Compact to the side (about 3 feet) and behind (about a foot) and I was able to see things fine and could hear without being overwhelmed by the volume.

Controls at the Back (again) and No Remote
Okay - the Compact looks great from the front, the part facing the audience. But I am so used to being able to control the sound from either an R1 Remote or a T1®, that this business of having to run back and forth to that Power Stand is like stepping back into the stone age. I'm sure that eventually I'll get to set-and-forget mode with respect to the controls, but I find myself wishing that I didn't have to go back to the Power Stand to adjust the volume.

Now if I use a T1® this issue goes away.

T1® - what no ToneMatch cable connection
This has been discussed before, and I understand that I can use the analog connection and an external power supply. That's okay. I just wish that Bose has allowed me to use my ToneMatch cable and provided power from Power Stand. It would greatly simplify my setup.

This one is not a big deal. I just thought I'd mention it.

Sticking / Binding Extensions
I really like that the extensions allow you to get the Loudspeaker Array up in the air where it belongs - and that it is done so elegantly. No tripods or ugly speaker stands here.

Perhaps it is because this is a new unit, I find that the extensions are a little hard to pull apart. I hope this will ease up with time so that it is as easy to assemble/disassemble as it appears in the video.


Odd thoughts that didn't fit elsewhere
This is a wonderful amp for big jazz guitars. I have a few here and they sound amazing, straight in to Channel 2 (no preset).

It also worked really well with an electric bass (Musicman Stingray fretless). For a small room this would suit me fine.

I also have no less than five small combo amps that I have been keeping just in case I had occasion to play somewhere that a full L1® would seem out of place. I think I can finally let those go. The Compact blows all of them out of the water, and with the option of running without the extensions, it is really easy to imagine bringing the Compact into a small venue, someone's living room, an intimate jam session, setting it down and playing.

Wrapping Up
I really like the Compact. If I didn't have nearly five years of L1® experience behind me, I would probably be even more impressed with it. I can see using it in all kinds of smaller venues, and I think this could well replace the Model II that takes up most of my trunk space - it pretty much lives in there now. That's not to say that I won't be using the Model II. Just that I probably won't be driving it around 100% of the time. The Compact will do very nicely if I am invited to sit in with others. The line-out will be very handy if the Compact by itself can't fill the room.



I will be adding notes from my first gig the Compact a little later.

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The preceding notes are from my three days with the Compact.

EDIT - regarding the hiss - I have since found out that the Compact that I had was a pre-production unit. The issue has been addressed in the production units. See the follow up comments from Craig-at-Bose.