Bose L1 PRO16 Portable Line Array System

Bose L1 Pro16 Portable Line Array System

The Bose L1 Pro16 is a portable line array PA system for singer-songwriters, DJs and small ensembles playing rooms of up to a few hundred people. Sixteen articulated 2-inch neodymium drivers in a J-shaped array deliver 180 degrees of horizontal coverage, and the integrated subwoofer uses a 10 x 18-inch RaceTrack driver — the output of a conventional 15-inch woofer in a slimmer cabinet. A three-channel mixer with ToneMatch presets and Bluetooth streaming is built into the base, and the whole system sets up in minutes without a separate amplifier or speaker stands.

Key features

• 16-driver articulated J-shaped line array
• 180-degree horizontal coverage
• Integrated 10 x 18-inch RaceTrack subwoofer
• 250 W array plus 1,000 W subwoofer Class D power
• Built-in 3-channel mixer with ToneMatch presets
• Bluetooth streaming and L1 Mix app control
• Maximum SPL 118 dB continuous, 124 dB peak

The J-array coverage advantage

A line array throws sound further and more evenly than a point-source box, and the L1 Pro16’s J shape — straight at the top, curved at the bottom — aims the upper drivers at the back of the room and the lower ones at the front rows. The audience hears a consistent level front to back, and because the array stands behind the performers, it doubles as the monitor: what the audience hears is what the musician hears, which is the founding idea of the L1 concept.

RaceTrack subwoofer

The oval RaceTrack woofer packs a 15-inch-class cone area into the slim base, extending response to 42 Hz (-3 dB). A 1,000 W Class D amplifier drives it, with a further 250 W for the array — 1,250 W of system power. The crossover sits at 200 Hz, and the extended low end is what separates the Pro16 from the smaller Pro8 in the range: it carries a full band’s kick and bass without an external sub.

Mixer and ToneMatch

Channels 1 and 2 provide combo XLR/quarter-inch inputs with phantom power, instrument and microphone ToneMatch presets, volume, treble, bass and reverb controls; channel 3 adds quarter-inch and 3.5 mm aux inputs plus Bluetooth. A ToneMatch port connects Bose T4S or T8S mixers with a single cable carrying power and audio. The L1 Mix app mirrors the mixer on a phone, including the full ToneMatch preset library, so the mix can be adjusted from the audience’s position.

Portability

The system breaks into three pieces — array, extension and subwoofer power stand — with a carry bag for the array sections. Assembled height is 201.2 cm, total weight 24.8 kg. The extension can be omitted when the array sits on a raised stage.

Specifications

Bose’s full manufacturer specification for the L1 Pro16 is listed in the Additional Information tab.