Hello! I own the L1M2 and I am thinking about buying the F1 system!
I've been using the Bose L1 Model 2 for over a decade now. It's pretty unbeatable for most solo acoustic shows (me singing while playing an acoustic guitar). I've also used it as the main PA for some full band shows (loud enough in front of us that we didn't need monitors), depending on the layout of the place. What I've found with the L1M2 is that it puts out a very even coverage of sound, but it doesn't really push much air. In other words, I'll usually use a regular 12" or 15" speaker if the place I'm playing at needs sound to go further and through a decent amount of people... For example, if a bar runs the length of a place, and I'm on one end of the bar trying to get the sound to reach the other end through almost a "hallway" of people either sitting at the bar or standing in the area behind people at the bar. Or, if we're outside a ways away from the building, and need to get the sound to reach into the building through the open doors facing us. I've heard pretty good things about the F1 system with the 812 speaker on top & the F1 subwoofer on the bottom. My guess is that it would push more air than the L1M2, which would be really good for certain outdoor band shows where I think the L1M2 struggles. And if need be, I could always use the L1M2 on stage for both a monitor and to cover the area between the F1 system speakers that would be on opposite sides of the stage.
I never bought a B1 bass module for my L1M2... Instead, I've always used a passive 15" Peavey speaker, and it works well. I'm wondering if the B2 module would give me more bass. I don't need more bass for my solo shows, but sometimes my speaker just barely keeps up with what I want/need for the bass guitar & the kick drum when using the L1M2 as the PA for the full band. Is the B2 strong enough to handle a decent amount of bass for the bass guitar & kick?
Lastly, is there a rough estimate guide to how many people the L1M2, and the F1 systems can each handle for an event - for both indoor & outdoor? I've heard that the F1 system (two 812's & two F1's) can do 300-500 people, but I've also heard some people say that they wouldn't attempt crowds over 300 with them. I feel like 500 might be possible/fine if you put the 812's up high on trips to shoot a lot of the mids & highs above the tops of the crowd's heads, with the bottom of the speaker pushed in the J position to stop hit those in front. Unless you're higher up on a stage above the audience, then you wouldn't need the troops, just the built in rack.
Country: USA