Hello All; well, last night was my first gig with the F1 (2 each 812/2 sub combo).
Setup: setup was a breeze as you have seen on many videos by now, the subs and tops are the perfect weight to carry on your own but that depends on how strong you are. No matter how light you make the gear someone will find a way to complain but for the most part everyone should be content and you are getting your money’s worth with this setup.
I got everything unloaded and ready for play with a sound check in about 30 minutes which is good considering speaker setup and my other components plus plugging all the connections in with no help.
Sound; simply amazing that is all I can say. The venue was at our clubhouse in my housing community which is about 5000 Sq.ft., just the dance floor and seating area with 30 Ft high ceilings with a balcony overlooking a pool so it’s a nice scene.
I set the volume on subs and tops at 12 O’clock and the volume on my mixer console at 12 O’clock which was blasting loud. The low frequency was unbelievable. The 10" drivers never broke a sweat and I didn’t see the clip light come on once during the entire night. I played 70s/80s old school music that has a lot of bass at that volume continuously for 5 hours and the back of the speakers where the amp module is close to, it was fairly cool to the touch, unlike what I felt inside my home while playing at a quarter of the volume. The mid/highs were so clear and detailed. I got so many compliments from guest, all I could do was smile and say thanks. One guy was a sax player and I played background music for him as he serenated the birthday girl, he was just floored by the sound and said to me I have the best speakers money can buy:-).
Issues: I did have an issue with the 812s, the clipping light came on three times, I got an orange colored light that stayed lit so I backed off the volume a little bit until it extinguished. As for the subs, the light didn’t come on at all. The 812s got distorted in the bass range from the 12" driver only but the mids and highs were pristine and never showed signs of distress. Maybe what another forum member said about using the 812s in high frequency only mode may be a thought to consider if you are using them for high volume situations. The 12" drivers in the 812s really struggled to keep up and everything else was balanced.
The subs in comparison to other brands, sound very close to many 18" subs and surely better than any 12" setup I have heard. I am thinking about purchasing two more F1 subs for larger gigs so I can bring four and stack them side by side and use tripods for the model 812s. For medium sized venues, this setup is a must have, hands down winner with no competition!
Thanks Bose for putting together another great product. As a DJ that has been playing since the mid 80s in clubs state side and overseas, and as a mobile DJ, I can say these speakers are remarkable.
Hi DJ Ron,
Thanks for posting about your first time out with your F1 system.
I agree about the weight. I had concerns having been spoiled by using the (lighter) L1 systems, but on the F1s the handles are well placed and the units are well balanced. I’m getting along fine with them.
quote:Originally posted by DJ Ron:
The venue was at our clubhouse in my housing community which is about 5000 Sq.ft., just the dance floor and seating area with 30 Ft high ceilings with a balcony overlooking a pool so it’s a nice scene.
Sounds like a nice room. Did you need to project sound up to the balcony? Did you try the Reverse-J pattern?
quote:Originally posted by DJ Ron:
I set the volume on subs and tops at 12 O’clock and the volume on my mixer console at 12 O’clock which was blasting loud.
What kind of mixer console were you using?
quote:Originally posted by DJ Ron:
The 812s got distorted in the bass range from the 12" driver only but the mids and highs were pristine and never showed signs of distress.
Maybe what another forum member said about using the 812s in high frequency only mode may be a thought to consider if you are using them for high volume situations. The 12" drivers in the 812s really struggled to keep up and everything else was balanced.
For others reading along, I’m guessing that you are referring to the F1 Model 812 EQ switch (FULL RANGE / WITH SUB).
I’ve done some testing and gotten more output with the EQ set to FULL RANGE, but for some sources, there was more clarity with the switch set to WITH SUB. I haven’t heard the issue with the 12" driver, but we’re probably listening to different sources.
quote:Originally posted by DJ Ron:
The subs in comparison to other brands, sound very close to many 18" subs and surely better than any 12" setup I have heard.
Thanks for that comparison. I haven’t done much head-to-head testing with other subwoofers. I just thought that the F1 Subwoofers sounded huge.
quote:Originally posted by DJ Ron:
I am thinking about purchasing two more F1 subs for larger gigs so I can bring four and stack them side by side and use tripods for the model 812s.
With four F1 Subwoofers you might be able to experiment with steering the bass. Please tell us what you hear when you do this.
It sounds like you’re happy. Thanks for sharing.
ST