Planning an outdoor party in your backyard or just need some music being played outdoors whenever you have friends coming over for a barbeque. The Bose S1 Pro is up for the job and can deliver big sound to get the party started. This is a highly rated portable Bluetooth speaker system and very well received by its owners, not to mention, the S1 Pro has plenty of features to boot.
If you are playing bass-heavy music, you might want to add an active subwoofer into the mix as the Bose S1 Pro can’t produce a satisfying level of low frequencies for its listeners. To find a matching subwoofer, we will need to learn more about the Bose S1 Pro portable Bluetooth speaker as well as your own requirements. Once we are done with these, we will then share with you a list of the best subwoofers to go for and match with the S1 Pro.
Table of Contents
Sonic Characteristics of Bose S1 Pro and Subwoofer Requirements
The Bose S1 Pro comes with a battery that will last up to 11 hours of playtime which is more than enough for a fun and memorable outdoor party with friends. There are multiple positions to choose from, giving you the flexibility of how you want to place the Bose S1 Pro. You can use the handle and easily carry it around to different places/venues. It uses Bluetooth connectivity and has a wireless range of up to 30ft (9m). The Bose S1 Pro is also compatible with the Bose Connect app giving more options and features such as streaming music to a second S1 Pro speaker system.
The Auto EQ function is a really cool feature as it will provide you with an optimal sonic performance from your Bose S1 Pro speaker system by maximizing the sound quality as best as it could. You can choose to adjust the sound manually by adjusting the Bass, Treble, and Reverb but we do recommend using the Auto EQ feature first. We are pleasantly surprised by how neutral the S1 Pro portable speaker sounds and the scale is big enough to cover a decent amount of area. Still, as an outdoor speaker, the sound quality and staging will be affected by the environment it is in.
More Details at Amazon – Bose S1 Pro Portable Bluetooth Speaker System
You can turn up the volume and the Bose S1 Pro can reach really high level of loudness which is good if you want the music to reach further outwards. The loudness doesn’t improve the bass though, especially when it comes to weight and very deep low-frequency reproductions. It may lack prominent subsonic low frequencies but the overall bass performance is still accurate and there’s quite a punch in the midbass department. The Bose S1 Pro is ideal for most music genres that are not bass-heavy and a subwoofer is required to really rock the party.
Since the Bose S1 Pro is an outdoor portable speaker, you should probably get an outdoor subwoofer to match with it. Due to convenience, you might want to go for subwoofers with built-in amplifiers as passive subs will require external amps to drive them which can be a hassle to bring along. Unless you already have a power amplifier and are planning to use it then a passive subwoofer is worth considering. The size and power of the subwoofer you require will depend on the size of the venue, usually, a larger and more powerful subwoofer is needed to cover a large area.
The more powerful of a subwoofer you require will also mean the more expensive it will be, this is why you will need to work on your budget. Once you know how much you are willing to invest, you can then filter out the subwoofers which do not fit your budget. You might need 2 or more subwoofers to cover a bigger outdoor venue and so you should really plan your budgeting well. For listeners who always need to move to different venues, you might want to get a subwoofer with a lighter weight. We suggest listing out more subwoofer requirements on your own for a more thorough checklist.
Bose S1 Pro Specifications
- Frequency Response: 62Hz-17kHz (+/-3dB)
- Maximum SPL: 103dB @ 1m (109dB Peak)
- Wireless: Bluetooth (up to 30ft/9m)
- Inputs: 2 Combo XLR inputs, 3.5mm input
- Outputs: TRS line output
- Battery Life: Up to 11 hours
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 330mm x 241mm x 285mm (13″ x 9.5″ x 11.2″)
- Weight: 7.1kg (15.7lbs)
Best Subwoofers to match with Bose S1 Pro
The Bose Sub1 Powered Bass Module is one of the best subwoofers to match with your Bose S1 Pro. Unlike other traditional subwoofers, the Bose Sub1 has a 7″ × 13″ high-excursion RaceTrack driver which gives the sub a smaller footprint enabling us to fit the sub nicely in almost any venue. It looks neater as well especially if you need to use multiple Sub1 bass modules. The Bose Sub1 is capable of delivering bass frequencies of down to 40Hz and you can stack them so as to get higher bass output or to use the Cardioid Mode feature.
More Details at Amazon – Bose Sub 1 Powered Bass Module
Behringer Eurolive B1200D-PRO is a powerful professional subwoofer to pair up with the Bose S1 Pro. It uses a traditional 12″ driver and has a built-in Class D amplifier to drive up to 500 Watts of power. The Behringer Eurolive B1200D-PRO does pack a punch and can cover a large indoor area. The maximum SPL is at 122dB (Peak) and this is certainly loud enough for most outdoor parties in their backyards. Furthermore, the Eurolive B1200D-PRO has a modest price tag and will suit nicely with the Bose S1 Pro.
More Details at Amazon – Behringer EUROLIVE B1200D-PRO 12″ PA Subwoofer
If you need more power and a subwoofer that can dig deeper into the bass extension, the JBL Professional EON718S is an ideal choice for you to go for and to partner up with your Bose S1 Pro speaker system. The EON718S has a frequency range of 31Hz-150Hz (-10dB) which is really deep for a professional portable sub of this price range. This powered subwoofer has a large 18″ bass driver with up to 1500 Watts of peak power driving it. JBL Professional EON718S is capable of producing immense sonic energy that will shake your room.
More Details at Amazon – JBL Professional EON718S 18″ Subwoofer
Getting a Bose subwoofer to match with your Bose S1 Pro speaker system is definitely an exceptional choice especially if you want a seamless overall sound reproduction. The Bose Sub2 is the bigger brother of the Bose Sub1 and also has a high-excursion RaceTrack driver which is 10″ × 18″ in size. Since the Bose Sub2 is bigger, it could go lower as well, down to 37Hz bass extension. You can also stack 2 Bose Sub2 subwoofers and use the Cardioid Mode for more focused and directional bass performance.
More Details at Amazon – Bose Sub 2 Powered Subwoofer
The QSC KS112 is a 12″ active subwoofer with a massive power of up to 2000 Watts (peak) and is an excellent match with the Bose S1 Pro speaker system. QSC KS112 has a frequency range of 38Hz-121Hz (-10dB) and goes incredibly loud when you need it to, up to 128dB maximum peak SPL @ 1m to be exact. The 12″ KS112 is great for smaller indoor/outdoor venues and can produce highly accurate subsonic bass performance, partly due to its high clarity. This is certainly a worthy sub for your Bose S1 Pro.
More Details at Amazon – QSC KS112 12″ Subwoofer
Alto Professional TS315S is one of the extremely highly rated PA subwoofers to aim for. It has a 15″ driver and a whopping peak power of up to 2000 Watts provided by very efficient Class D amplifiers. The Alto Professional TS315S is great for outdoor and indoor parties, delivering powerful and clear deep bass performances. If you need to fill a large venue with more than 100 pax attendees, simply get another Alto Professional TS315S subwoofer. You might need more Bose S1 Pro speaker systems to cover more areas too.
More Details at Amazon – Alto Professional TS315S Portable PA Subwoofer
To Conclude
You can shortlist the subwoofers based on your requirements such as size, power, frequency range, etc. The shortlisted subwoofers should be auditioned together with your Bose S1 Pro speaker system so as to find out if their synergy and bass quality are what you are aiming for. If possible, you should audition them at the usual venue or outdoor environment as this will give you a more accurate test result of the bass reproduction.
