A little less than a year ago, by a twist of fate, I was testing a system I knew nothing about; all I'd been told was that it was something out of the ordinary. I must say my expectations were more than met. That system was Bose's P.A.S. L1. It is without a doubt one of the systems that has surprised me most positively in recent years. In some ways it came close to perfection: mobility, sound, design… Since then I've been a user of the system, and it has accompanied me in my musical work through rehearsals, recordings and concerts in different locations and with wildly different acoustic demands.
As an anecdote, the first time I used it live was at the Teatro Romea in Murcia, for the Guitar Festival held there every year. The technicians and I were all waiting to see how it would respond. The result was extraordinary. The first thing the head of the sound company said when he came to pick up our gear was that he was going to buy a pair for his business. Something similar happened to me barely a month ago at the Bahai Temple Auditorium in New Delhi, an exceptional acoustic and performance space. Once again the engineer told me he wanted to get a system like this.
That said, if a few details could be polished to reach a hypothetical perfection, I have no doubt that with this new update to the system the engineers at Bose Corporation have done it.
The first thing I want to say is that testing this new system wasn't work for me but the pleasure of spending hours playing through it; in fact, it was hard to stop and put it aside to write up my experience in these lines. I truly had a great time. I think an instrument is really special when you spontaneously talk about it not from a technical point of view but a purely emotional one, and this time that's what happened.
The P.A.S. L1 Model II is a compact amplification system consisting of a stand that doubles as the power amp, a column that houses the speakers, and two essential add-ons: a bass module called the B1 and an audio processor with four independent input channels, the ToneMatch.
The first aspect I'll highlight is mobility. Its predecessor already stood out in this regard, but with the new model, besides the base and the two parts the column splits into both being very light, we have the convenience of setting it up and having it sounding in a couple of minutes. For most musicians, not having to haul weight is a blessing, and even more so if the pieces are compact to pack up and move. In this respect, the base has improved over the previous model, since it is lighter and takes up less space. So in portability and setup, a ten. By the way, a curious fact: the height of the rig is about 212 cm.
As for the sound, one of the particularities of this system is that the column houses twenty-four speakers arranged vertically, so that they face left and right at an angle of approximately 35 degrees to the front. Thanks to the column and the design and arrangement of the speakers (Cylindrical Radiator®), the sound spreads evenly, reaching 180 degrees of projection and a much greater range than with conventional systems, all with outstanding sound quality. The new version uses a new, patented technology called Articulated Array®, which improves and defines the sound by balancing all frequencies. To a great extent, the level and tone of the sound at one meter is the same as at ten meters. In mid-size rooms or acoustic rooms with certain characteristics, we're ensuring that our sound on stage will be the same as what the audience hears. This uniformity makes it possible to take on concerts without the need for a PA and lets musicians control the audio, which is more than once essential. Thanks to the bass system we have an extremely wide frequency range that helps us hear every note with clarity, sharpness and detail. I've tried running Spanish guitar, electric guitar, bass and keyboards through it, and vocals too. In all of them the sound is exceptional.
The base, or “Power Stand,” has a TRS jack input, where we can connect any additional analog audio source. This is also where the power connection, the power switch, the bass module output, an output level adjustment for the analog input and an auxiliary output for reinforcing with another bass column are located.
Another addition in the system's update is a powerful audio processor called the ToneMatch. To begin with, I'd like to highlight how easily it connects to the rest of the rig; we only need one digital cable. With the Model II, the ToneMatch doesn't even need a power supply. If you want to connect it to any other equipment, which is quite likely given the quality of the effects, you'll need to use a conventional cable and a power adapter.
As for inputs and outputs, we have three channels with connectors compatible with balanced XLR or 1/4" jack. Below them are three unprocessed preamp outputs for connecting to other equipment. Next to them are two more stereo line inputs on balanced 1/4" jacks for keyboards, mixers, drum machines, CD or MP3 players and so on. There is also an auxiliary output that lets us create independent mixes of all the channels and connect them to other equipment, a main master output, a USB port intended for backups or future software updates and, of course, the digital connection of the device to the system's base.
At first glance, the ToneMatch has a layout that might remind us of a small, futuristic mixing console, where through a backlit screen we can intuitively access all the tools and adjust any parameter. Among the various possibilities, always independent for each channel, we have five types of reverb, from small to hall, and the ability to control the delay time, brightness and mix level. A quite effective parametric EQ. Analog, digital and tape-style delays, with feedback and mix level control. The modulation effects are also interesting: three chorus, three flanger, four phaser and a tremolo. Also dynamics effects: three types of compression, a limiter, a de-esser and a noise gate. Another very useful feature is the presets tailored to specific gear or instruments, which let us reproduce the characteristics and original sound of certain electric and acoustic guitar models, basses and so on, and some of the most common microphones. On top of all that comes the option to save scenes, 15 in total, which are a kind of template with the fundamental settings. And finally, a chromatic tuner. A really practical touch. To give the last technical details, simply add that the analog-to-digital conversion is 24-bit and the sample rate is 48 kHz.
Having said all this, I can only reiterate my excellent impression of this new offering from Bose. The L1 Model II strikes me as ideal for musicians of all styles because of its versatility, convenience and quality. In my estimation, any instrument can sound exceptionally good on this system: flamenco guitars, electric, classical, saxophones, pianos, keyboards, vocals...
Music and sound escape the definition of words, and it's impossible, at least for me, to capture those sensations in a text. That's why I always recommend trying out the gear, since I've never seen two tastes exactly alike. In this case, I'm especially convinced it won't disappoint you.
What I can offer is a rating based on my own experience, and in this case it's outstanding from every point of view. In my earlier rating of the first version of the P.A.S., I gave it a 9.5. This time, for the first time, I'm going to give a 10 in every aspect.
