L1® Compact - Three Day Review.

This is a summary of my comments in Compact is here!.


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
The Space
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
I used several microphones, guitars (electric and acoustic), electric bass, and a PorchBoard.

Compared to
Most of the comparisons were to the Model II with a T1® because that is what I use most often when performing.


Sound
On stage and in the audience the Compact sounds remarkably like the Model II. This is very good for me because it means that I can rehearse in front of my Classic or Model II and perform with the Compact — and not have any surprises with respect to the sound.

Up very close I was aware that the Speaker Array was on top of the column instead of spread down the length of it. This just meant that if I was close enough to touch the column, I might be aware that there is not sound coming from the middle and lower portion. This was only an issue when I wanted to set the tone controls for the vocal microphone. When I bent down to adjust the tone controls, I couldn't hear the highs very well. Once I grow more familiar with the unit, I don't think I will be adjusting the tone controls very much.

As I got farther away from the Compact I found that the volume dropped off more quickly than the Model II. This was not a surprise, but it meant that if I wanted to sound equally loud (Compact and Model II) at 40 feet, I had run the Compact louder on stage to match.

Initially I was uncomfortable with the volume but after some experimenting, I found that I could put the Compact beside me, 3-4 feet away and perhaps just a foot behind me. It did not seem as loud as when I was directly in front of it. It also made it a lot easier to see the Channel lights that show if you are clipping when I was beside the unit.

Horizontal Dispersion
Exactly as advertised. The Compact sounds great off axis. That is - way off to the sides, you still get all the upper range. This will be great for monitoring in ensembles on shallow stages.

This is just about my only issue with the Classic/Model I. On a shallow stage, I cannot hear my band mates (running Classics) as clearly as they can hear me (running my Model II). I know this because we've swapped rigs just for testing.

From what I can hear walking around it, the Compact is going to give me a great experience monitoring on stage.

Volume on stage (compared to Classic/Model I/Model II)
It FEELS like I have to run a little louder on stage to get good solid volume at a distance. It's fine, it's just a little louder than I have come to like. After some experimenting I found that setting the Compact off to the side of me worked better than having it directly behind me. I finally settled on having it about three feet to the right of me, and a foot behind. This allowed me to run a little louder for stage level and to see the controls even if I was seated.



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:

• Compact Power Stand (25 pounds)
  
• Compact Extensions (in carry bag) (5 pounds)
  
• Backpack (Beyerdynamic M88 dynamic microphone, microphone cable, instrument cable, computer)
  
• Guitar
  
• Microphone stand
  

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 expected to feel limited running with just two Channels hard wired Presets and minimal controls. Despite my initial misigivings, the Compact performed really well without extras.

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, go 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.

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.


I didn't like...

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

Hiss
Edit: I have just found out that this unit was a pre-production unit. The units in production do not have this issue. See note from Craig-at-Bose below.
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.

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.

---

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

There is a live discussion that continues beyond my comments here. See: Tom's notes when his Compact arrived.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ST,

Hi all,

I wanted to clarify a small detail regarding ST’s review.

The unit ST used for his 3 day review was a pre production loaner L1 Compact. This pre production unit has a higher noise floor than the final production units. We made an improvement to the overall noise performance very late in our development cycle and this improvement WAS implemented into our production units.

L1 Compact units received by Tom Munch and RWJ are production units and accurately reflect the noise performance of the L1 Compact system.

Thanks,
Craig

Craig -
Thanks for the clarification of the higher noise floor in the pre-production unit, than in the final production L1C units. Now I can check-off one of my concerns about the L1C!

I'm sure ST will verify this as soon as he receives his personal unit. Noise floors are important in some instances, believe it or not.

Hi Craig,

Thanks for the clarification. That is GOOD news.

I am looking forward to being able to talk about the production unit soon.

Cheers

ST

Here's the update!

I took delivery of couple of Compacts and these are both considerably quieter than the unit I was talking about above.

The hiss is now a non-issue for me.

There is slight hiss when you have Channel 1 at the 12:00 o'clock position BUT if you have a microphone plugged into the input at this setting - it is VERY loud. That much louder than I run in a live show with the Compact. This was loud enough to completely over power my Guitar in Channel 2.

With the Channel 1 volume at a level that I would use live, the hiss is almost imperceptible.

quote:

There is slight hiss when you have Channel 1 at the 12:00 o'clock position BUT if you have a microphone plugged into the input at this setting - it is VERY loud.

YES. This we realize is a little confusing to some. You turn up to 12 as an "intermediate" setting but it's not in this case. It's REALLY LOUD.

Ken

I'm sorry, is this hiss fixable or not? I'm definitely getting a fairly loud hiss from channel 1. This may never really be an issue for me, as I'm running a T1 through a VL4 harmonizer and into a BBE Sonic Maximizer before the whole thing goes into channel 2. No hiss problem with 2. Why is there hiss from channel 1?

Hi Wayne,

For me, the hiss is only noticeable if I have Channel 1 turned up really loud. That is: Ignoring the markings on the dial, if I plug in a microphone and turn it up as loud as I could ever want to go with the Compact, the hiss is still negligible. Without a microphone I can crank the channel and get it to hiss louder, but that's not something I would do in real-life.


This is quite different from the unit I was talking about at the beginning of the discussion.

Wayne, I'm not discounting what you are experiencing.

Try it with a microphone. If you can't get a significant and satisfactory volume (over the noise floor) then you want to call support.

Call Bose® Product & Technical Support at (877) 335-2673 (U.S. and Canada only)
Monday-Friday: 8:30 AM - 9:00 PM ET
Saturday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM ET

I really haven't noticed any hissing at all from my system.
Mic volume around 10:30 last use.
Low & Hi EQ both cut to around 9:30.

This thing is just dead quiet in the studio too (fronted with a T1).
Used it for playback during a recording session Sunday and the rappers were amazed.
Clean, clear, and plenty bassy.

Hmmm... so those of us who hear this might have a repair issue you think? Any of the official staff have an opinion on this?

quote:

Originally posted by captbanjo:
Hmmm... so those of us who hear this might have a repair issue you think? Any of the official staff have an opinion on this?

captbanjo,
It is completely normal operation to hear some noise when the system is turned on and set at the level that you indicated. There is no reason to suspect that your unit is in need of service.

When plugging a microphone into channel I you will notice that setting the volume at 12'oclock will produce a considerable amount of output. If you are not connecting anything to Channel I it is best to have the volume turned all the way down.

Thanks Neil

Yes, that is what I do: go into channel 2 and turn no. 1 down. That works.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: captbanjo,