Bose S1 Pro Portable Bluetooth Speaker System with Battery, Black
When it comes to portable Bluetooth speakers this one is definitely top of the range. It's brought to you by one of the most popular, recognizable brands in sound so you’re guaranteed quality.
When it comes to audio equipment there is definitely a distinct difference between high- and low-quality products, these usually correlate with different brands and prices that are out there.
When it comes to buying a speaker there are typically two qualities people look for, volume and sound quality, as this is typically what you buy speakers for.
When it comes to the top end of sound quality there are a few brands that come to mind, one of those being Bose. Bose offers a range of very good quality speakers with good features; however, Bose do come in with higher prices than a lot of other brands.
The Bose S1 Pro is a speaker that has the option to be portable when purchasing for an extra cost but has some very appealing features that come with it. It’s designed in a certain way so that no matter the orientation of it, it still produces top quality sound correctly.
It’s a sleek black speaker, with a built-in handle and battery so it’s designed with portability in mind. When it comes to portable speakers’ volume and sound quality usually take quite a big hit, but Bose promises this to be a great one.
Table of Contents
Bose S1 Pro
Specifications
- Dimensions: H 13” W 9.5” D11.2”
- Weight: 15.7lbs
- Inputs and Outputs: – 2 combo XLR – ¼” inputs
- 3.5mm audio jack
- Bluetooth connectivity
- ¼” TRS line output
- Extra Information: – Wireless range up to 30ft
- Up to 11 hours of battery life when playing music
- Connects with Bose connect app
Features
Let’s start with what comes in the box, obviously the speaker itself, a power cord, manuals, and if opted for, the powerful lithium-ion battery.
A previously mentioned feature is that it claims to be one of the best portable speakers, being able to deliver high quality sound wherever.
The three-channel mixer, so two wired inputs allow you to control the reverb bass and treble on the two wired inputs and control the volume on each separate line.
Then you also get the option to use either Bluetooth or a 3.5mm audio jack, and this also comes with its own volume control.
Lastly, there are the output lines, these allow you to connect to other systems and expand the amount of audio devices you can use which is obviously a good thing if need be.
The optional lithium-ion battery that can be purchased for an extra $100 can last up to 11 hours when playing music through the speaker which is exceptional compared with a lot of different portable speakers.
The battery also has a quick charge option so if you need a quick battery boost that is also an option.
The speaker also has built in sensors that can detect the surrounding area and cast the music into the most optimal areas no matter where you place it.
Finally, the speaker connects with the Bose app, this will allow you to link up other Bose speakers in range and create a surround sound system and elevate the music.
User Reviews
When it comes to reviewing products, just reading articles won’t deliver the full knowledge of the product, it's important to get real world reviews and combine them to see how the speaker really performs.
5 Star
This user says that after careful consideration and reading reviews that they finally decided to buy the speaker. They’re a fitness instructor who does outside classes and their current speaker wasn’t cutting it, but the Bose S1 Pro exceeded their expectations and is more than enough.
Another user reports that the speaker and all of its features are amazing, they say that the quality and volume of the speaker is great. It is easy to use, easy to set up, and very compatible with most devices.
4 Star
This user underplays the speakers, they have no complaints and say that they’re good for what they are (portable Bluetooth speakers). They explain that the sound quality is good, and the connectivity with other Bose speakers is just simple.
This user goes a bit deeper into the features of the speaker saying that they used it for a concert, they said the delivery of the sound was amazing and the volume of the music was more than enough, performing in a public place. However, they said the mic output was a bit too quiet on full volume and if they had needed more volume, they would have been a bit lost, but said maybe a different mic may produce better results.
3 Stars
This user has nothing but compliments to the sound quality of the speaker, says everything about it is great, even explaining that it's able to provide a great service to an outdoor event with roughly 300 people there. But the problem that they faced was the battery, he says it takes roughly 24 hours to charge and when resting the speaker will lose charge even if it isn’t being used.
The next review reported 4/5 one every aspect like sound quality, durability, ease of use, compatibility, set-up, and appearance, but claims that the lower bass is lacking significantly, and it brings the overall rating of the speaker down a fair bit.
Reviews from Third Party Websites
ProSound
The basic outline of the review compliments how the speaker performs, especially because of its size and the fact that it’s a portable Bluetooth speaker.
The review says that even in a medium sized crowd the speaker still outperforms itself and that the Bluetooth function on the speaker seems to be a favorite with no drop in quality compared to using a 3.5mm aux lead.
Explaining that another favorite feature is being able to control the equalizer from their phone as it gave a lot more control over the speaker and a function many portable speakers lack.
In a gig setting the reviewer goes on to explain that being able to mount the speaker on a universal stand makes it perfect for reaching a medium sized audience as it allows the audio to travel further, and because of its hybrid plug in, it's great that it automatically charges as soon as it's plugged in.
Finally, they explain that the price is very good for what you’re getting as there are other options that aren’t as good for higher prices.
Allsoundlab
This review is slightly different as it asks the question is the Bose S1 Pro worth the money you’re spending as it does have a rather large price tag for a portable Bluetooth speaker.
The review starts off by complimenting the design and how solid and compact it, saying there should be no issues with placing the speaker.
Then going on to praise the sound quality, saying it's excellent and that the equalizer is a nice feature, and then saying that the speech and vocals are excellent, but leaves out the bass, which has been previously critiqued.
It offers pros and cons saying that the pros are super easy to use and accessible anywhere and good sound quality.
The cons being the lack of performance data, the low-end performance could be better, and the battery life isn’t as good as expected. The overall conclusion is if you have the money to spend on a speaker like this, then definitely give it a go.
One website, RTINGS.com, ran some tests on the speaker for its sound quality to see how it really performs.
For its frequency response accuracy, they gave it a rating of 7.0 out of 10. Claiming that it had a decent response accuracy, and the profile of the sound is neutral, meaning it suits various different sounds and genres.
They do go on to mention that the bass at the low-end is lacking, however. For the soundstage rating they only gave it a 5.2, claiming that from different angles it doesn’t give the clearest sound, despite its sensors that say it will provide it. For the dynamics of the speaker, they gave it a good rating of 8.6.
The dynamics are the test of when the speaker gets louder, does it lose quality. So, saying it gets very loud is perfect for occasions like parties or in bigger rooms supports the rating.
Conclusion
When it comes to portable Bluetooth speakers this one is definitely top of the range. It's brought to you by one of the most popular, recognizable brands in sound so you’re guaranteed quality.
One feature that gets overlooked seems to be the build quality with other reviews just briefly mentioning, but as a portable speaker durability is going to be needed.
Most reviews have nothing but compliments for the sound quality and ease of use giving good scores for both of those things. However, battery seems to be an issue, whether it means the battery is underperforming, or taking far too long to charge.
It seems to be quite a big drawback of this speaker, and because the battery is an additional $100 It does ask the question is it worth paying for.
