PDA

View Full Version : Bose 802 any good for mobile work?



Steve Cheese
31-08-2010, 05:47 PM
I've played through 802 systems many times back in the early 90s in clubs etc and always loved the sound.

But I thought that I would give a pair a try on my mobile rig.

I have a chance to grab a pair of mkII 802s and a controller.

I think they would be fine for small function rooms and I can add a powered sub or two for the larger gigs.

Does anyone else use them for mobile work and how do you find them?

What Amp do you use? Would a Dimension 3 be OK?

Steve

csg
31-08-2010, 08:07 PM
bose has many knockers, but im not one of them. The 802 is a 31 year old design that in my opinion is much more pleasant to listen to than many newer designs - mackie 450's for instance...

they do have their foibles however, they are firly insensitive, needs bags of power to come alive and will nt sound great if pushed loud in full range mode.

In mid high duty however they will make a great deal of noise, and will cover a venue in a very even way. They will need powerful subs to keep up, and personally i would strongly recommend 302-II bins, one per side. Using the controller, you will have a fully integrated system capable of covering very large venues, but one that will still sound good when run at lower levels in smaller venues.

In terms of amps, then you will need something good quality and powerful to do the speakers justice.
I would recommend something in the order of 600w / channel @ 4 ohms for the tops, and twice that for the subs. Qsc, crest or crown would be good places to start. Unfortunately my experience of the numark dimension amps has not ben great.

Danno13
31-08-2010, 10:21 PM
They're great sounding speakers, but really need to be used with a sub, even for small parties IMO.

rob1963
31-08-2010, 11:37 PM
From the mid eighties to the mid nineties I had a residency in a pub which had the gear built in.

This included 802 speakers on the walls, and I still remember how great they used to sound.

diydisco
07-10-2010, 04:58 AM
scientifically, the 802 should sound terrible, however they sound pretty good, but the first review is pretty accurate, they need some power behind them and wont produce anything resembling low frequencies. They are fine for smaller gigs and karaoke nights though, for larger gigs i used to use the full sized 302's (the heavy ones, the new style ones are smaller) with 2 x 802 on top of each (they even have a bracket for this purpose) and it sounded loud