BOSE 800

[Jake R]

HI

Does any one have any info on the BOSE 800? I have just brought these

http://www.gumtree.com/london/71/69300271.html

 

What sort of amp should I be looking for? as far as I know they are 300W RMS so would a 400-500W run them fine?

 

Thanks

Jake

[csg]

Blimey, I havent seen any of those for a long time.

 

they went out of production in 1977-8 I think, replaced by the much more common 802.

 

power handling is I think around the 120w mark, they certainly are not anything like 300w rms. You must use the controller to get a usable sound out of the front.

 

when you pick these up, insist on having a look at the drivers, these had foam surrounds which rot with age, and spares will be impossible to get now I think.

 

more of a museum piece than practical PA kit im afraid!

[Jake R]

HI

 

There are ancient then, I was going to get 802s but can get any for a low price.

Oh I read that they were 300w it might have been 300w max, I have brought the controller and stands as well.

 

They are getting delivered by the sellers driver so I will ask him to wait so I can check em but the seller did say that there surrounds would be ok.

I have found these just in case a few of them need re foaming.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170552482418&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_3181wt_716

 

How would I get the covers off? there are no locking nuts like on the 802s

 

 

Thanks

Jake

[bruce]

I remember hiring 4 of these (+controller) and being absolutely astounded by the sound. We hired them for a theatre show, but we also used them for an open-air PA midweek.

 

As I said, they sounded incredible, compared to the kit I was used to using.

 

But that was (counts it up, and gets a bit depressed) 30 years ago.

 

By today's standard, I'd expect them to sound pretty ordinary, even if in perfect condition. A 30-year-old set, even if they have only been lightly gigged, would need very careful auditioning before handing over any money.

[Jake R]

HI

Found these when googling

http://www.audiokarm...ad.php?t=207760

they look like the ones that I'm getting.

 

The odd thing is that I'm getting 3 surely you would sell four un-less the 4th got trashed or some thing.

 

These should sound better than what we used to use. (some ibiza stuff)

 

I'm hoping they come in the condition that are in the photos but then for the age they might no be.

What do you mean by "careful auditioning"

 

Edit; Spoke to the seller they were used in a studio set up so they should be in good condition.

 

Thanks

Jake

[paulears]

That's what the hi-fi people mean by having a listen. Seriously though, they are old, and have many drivers that are so easy to pop by accidental application of low notes at even moderate volume.

 

Back in 1994 (or thereabouts) I did 6 weeks of the Baron Nights, and their 'engineer' at the time worked on the principle that PFL stood for Play F-ing Loud, which he did, being deaf. We rarely got through a day or two with losing a driver, and sometimes then another as he shoved the faders further to compensate. We must have got through a dozen or more in 6 weeks through simple abuse. As they have a very poor efficiency at the base end, it's so easy to damage them - especially if you use them without the controller.

 

At the age they are, listening to them is critical before shelling out - not just because they could be faulty, but also because you may just hate the sound. Bose 800s are like Marmite. Love 'em or hate 'em, noting in between.

[Jake R]

HI

 

I had have a listen when and they sound brillaint so I decied that I would keep them.

Are they that easy to pop? I had better be carful with them then well if I could find out the proper RMS wattage it should be ok when I beleive that CSG is correct because of the fact that BOSE 802's are about 240W RMS.

I' m not going to use them without of the controller.

They all seemed to work when I felt the cones while playing the music.

 

As I don't have an amp could I use my Yamaha RXV-350 surround sound amp? It kicks out about 110W MAX at 6 ohms, IF I was to use it in this way;

Mixer - Bose Active Eq - amp - speakers would that work or would it kill my Mixer or amp?

I have had a careful look at the surrounds and they look alot like fabric, all the speakers are official BOSE. The only other problem is that they have been changed to XLR from jack plugs.

 

 

 

Thanks

Jake

[sleah]

You shouldn't be able to kill your mixer or amp, as the mixer is simply sending the signal to the Bose contoller, and the amp to the speakers :D

Unless of course you run the amp flat out

 

Are you sure the connectors have been changed? Bose 802 had a pair of male XLR inputs on the back, so yours may well be like that from new...

Besides XLR took over from Jacks on sound kit,before speakon came along to present a dedicated speaker connector that couldn't be mistaken for anything else :)

[paulears]

Lots of 802s about with jacks still - if you abuse them with too much bass they kind of sound horrible and 'wooley' - very indistinct in the bass end first - then if you push, it suddenly gets a bit quieter! Used properly, for what they are designed for, they're not bad. It's simply that idiots abuse them and they don't like it up 'em!

[Jake R]

Hi

Arre good infant tried it on some different speakers and it works fine so I will try it out tomorrow on the 800's.

 

Yes very sure I have opened the rear conection plate and can see a bit of metal where there is a big hole to join the XLR socket to the conntection plate.

 

I will keep the bass very low then these are really for use as PA speakers and stage monitors.

 

 

Thanks

Jake