Bose S1 Pro Plus Review
Our Verdict and Review Summary
There are some differences from the S1 Pro, but on its own the Plus is a fantastic monitor. We had it outside all day playing music for a fourth of July party, and the battery only ticked down a bar or two. And in predictable Bose fashion, the sound was awesome. You can feel a nice full bass, even outside. The added OLED controls are also a nice upgrade over the Pro.
A lot of what applies to the S1 Pro also applies to the Pro Plus. You can read my S1 Pro review here.
But for the Pro Plus, I want to evaluate it on its own, and not necessarily just compare it to the Pro. It makes some improvements, but I think of it as a new year release of an iPhone. It does all the same things we like about the previous year, with some added tweaks and helpful improvements.
Also note that while I focused mostly on instrument monitoring for the Pro, I used the Pro Plus mostly for playing music with a Bluetooth connection to my wife's phone.
She set it up for our Fourth of July party and it ran all day on the battery.
It's an expensive speaker/monitor, but even for what you pay, there's nothing to complain about. If you don't want to take my word for it, we'll cover more details below.
It's completely wireless (battery lasts forever) and sounds like you would expect a Bose speaker to sound. No complaints.
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Bose S1 Pro Plus Price Guide
Prices updated Mon, September 25th, 2023.
Sweetwater Pricing
Price Alert
Price History
Price History for Bose S1 Pro+ Multi-position PA System with Battery
Statistics
| Current Price | $699.00 | September 20, 2023 |
| Highest Price | $699.00 | July 5, 2023 |
| Lowest Price | $699.00 | July 5, 2023 |
Last price changes
| $699.00 | July 5, 2023 |
Sound and Bass
I tested this in my office and - as I mentioned - outside on the patio.
For instrument monitoring, I used a Breedlove acoustic guitar with a Fishman preamp, which was the only instrument I tested.
This guitar has a pretty balanced tone, but with the tweaking and controls on the back of the Pro Plus, I got a ton of warmth and fullness out of it. It's also a smaller guitar which makes that kind of engulfing bass sound harder to achieve.
The Pro Plus had no problem with it.
I tried a pretty wide range of music and played around with the EQ. Even with treble pushed up, bass is still the dominant sound, which I really like. You can cut it down easily, but it didn't sound muddy or anything. It's the kind of bass sound that you feel as much as you hear.
Moving treble up sounds good as well and doesn't get too harsh.
Outside it can get incredibly loud, and I could have filled my acre and a half of yard if I had wanted to.
No complaints about the sound.
Bose sound quality is what you'd expect. I've never been disappointed by anything with their name on it.
Control and Battery Life
Each channel (two total plus third for aux/Bluetooth) has a two-band EQ and reverb. I had a little bit of trouble really hearing the reverb when playing back music, which makes sense.
Reverb was much easier to hear on the acoustic guitar.
To make changes, you push down the button next to the OLED indicator and choose what you want to change. This gives you a lot of flexibility from the monitor itself, though I'd still recommend a proper amp/preamp for guitar and bass.
About halfway through our party I checked the battery indicator on the Pro Plus (you can see it above the volume control), and it still read that it was full.
That was about 4-5 hours in.
I didn't check it at the end of the evening, which was roughly another five hours later, but I'd expect it still had a decent amount of life left in it.
The product description doesn't give a battery life timeframe though. It just says enjoy "hours" of sound.
I'd expect it can do 8-10 hours pretty easily.
They also have something called ToneMatch, which gives you some presets for microphones and guitars. I'll confess, I didn't mess with this much, but that's just because I was pretty happy with what I was able to get from the onboard EQ.
You have a lot of control on your sound for both channels, including onboard reverb. The OLED displays are a nice touch.
Price and Value
Most of these powered PA systems/monitors are fairly expensive. $600-$700 is not unusual. Check our price guide above for updated numbers, but that's where it sat at the time of publishing this review.
I think it has value if you need something quick and portable, for vocals or instrument monitoring.
A home recording studio is a good fit as well.
It's also a good fit for household music and simple listening, though in that context it's a bit of a luxury item.
But overall, I'm okay with the price, especially because Bose built the thing.
I trust them.
Wrap Up and Questions
If you have questions about my Bose S1 Pro Plus review, feel free to leave them in the comments section below. I can speak from experience, for what that's worth, and we answer all comments.
Thanks for hanging out and trusting our content.
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Written by Bobby Kittleberger on Recording & Roundups
Written by Bobby Kittleberger on Headphones & Roundups
Hi there.
Thanks for the review, it was very helpful.
I am a budding guitarist, and am looking at buying the S1 pro plus for mainly busking outdoors and small indoor gatherings.
I am tossing up between the S1 pro and pro plus due to price difference. Two questions:
1. Is the quality of sound THAT different between the pro and pro plus?
2. Is the pro plus worth the extra expense? (which here in Australia would amount to around an extra $450).
Thank you, June.
Hey June. I honestly think you’d be fine with the S1 Pro. The sound quality is pretty much the same.
I’d say as long as you have the battery, the S1 Pro will do the job.
All good, Thank you.
I am still teetering on the fence, will see how I go with funding. All the best, June.
I’m just wondering if this is a good buy if you mainly do Bluetooth porch listening. I’m mainly drawn to the deep bass and high treble sound
It definitely has a ton of deep bass. Sounds great. For just porch listening? I’d say it’s a little pricey for that. But that’s just my opinion.
Measured frequency response?
Looks like 70Hz-16khz (±3 db). At least that’s what’s listed on Sweetwater.
Hey there, u left out that the 100 dollar increase in price is also due to the two wireless inputs that were added. Both work well but require propritary 2.5 ghz adapters at 150 each. Convienent, but expensive. Excellent review! Thanks
Hey, Michael – thanks for adding this.
Oh good call. Thanks for adding this, Michael.
So basically, there are 4 inputs: 2 wireless and 2 wiring inputs, right?
Thank you.
I used my new pair of S1 Pro+ today for the first time. I upgraded from the original S1 Pro. (I do “one-man-band” keyboard and vocal.) I know the speaker specs and frequency range are the same. But I would swear it had more punch on the bottom end. Bass seemed noticeably fuller and richer. Was this my imagination?
I mean, I would have said the same thing. Sometimes when I’m reviewing these I don’t want to split too many hairs, but I agree. It sounded pretty good with Disturbed 😆 🤘🏻
Hi Dan.
I just posted a question on here without seeing your post first.
I am a budding guitarist, and am looking at buying the S1 pro plus as a practice amp, for busking outdoors and small indoor gatherings.
I am tossing up between the S1 pro and pro plus due to price difference. Three questions:
1. Is the quality of sound THAT different between the pro and pro plus? For me personally, quality of sound is the most important thing.
2. Is the pro plus worth the extra expense? (which here in Australia would amount to around an extra $450).
3. Any other information that may be helpful for someone like me who is trying to decide between the two: pro vs pro plus.
Thank you, June.
1. I’ve only used mine once. My initial impression is that the sound IS better. But that is entirely a subjective opinion. The sound is definitely more customizable than the original, especially if you use the app on your phone. The ability to save your settings is a real plus.
I’ve used the original for several years and was very pleased with it. I upgraded mostly for the ability to control the mix over bluetooth. I will consider adding the wireless transmitters at some point, but I used up my budget buying the speakers.
I have another gig next weekend. I’m anxious to see what I think then.
2. Only you can answer if it’s worth the extra money. In the US, the difference is $100. I don’t how that compares to AUS $450. If your budget can’t afford the extra, the original will definitely do the job. However, if you look long term, I think spending a little more to get more is definitely worth it.
3. The ability to have more control over your sound, additional ToneMatch presets and control your mix from your device is a definitely plus.
Thanks Dan, that was very helpful.
I think I will bite the bullet and go with the pro plus as you say, it seems like the best option over the long term.
All the best with your gigging, thanks again 👍
Haha, just saw this as I was answering comments. Bobby VS Dan 😆
Does the pro plus come with a battery? Or is it sold separately only?
Thanks
Yep. It come with a battery. Just charges when it’s plugged in.