Bose 802 advice needed

[franzbassist]

Hi guys

I just got hold of a pair of Bose 802 speakers and was wondering what would make a good match for them amp-wise. The specifications are as follows:

8 ohms impedance
240w Continuous - 320w Peak power rating
55Hz to 16kHz ± 3dB frequency response
99 dB SPL ( 1 W, 1 m, 300 Hz - 3kHz ) 92 dB SPL ( 1 W, 1 m, 50 Hz - 16kHz pink noise ) sensitivity

Probably won't be running subs with them. They'll typically be amplifying the following:

4 vocals
1 keyboard
4 acoustic guitars, mandolin and banjo (not all at the same time)
Drums will be unmiced and my bass will use backline

Any suggestions?

Cheers

Gareth

Edited February 11, 2010 by walbassist

[stevie]

I haven't used those for yonks, but I can tell you that they soak up the power because of the heavy bass boost applied by the controller thingie. Bose used to sell a matching power amp that was a really heavy beast. You'll certainly need more than just a few hundred watts.

[franzbassist]

Thanks for that Stevie.

Yes, had a pair years ago and these were so cheap I just figured they'd be good to have around.

Not using the controller though; all it was in reality was a fixed eq and they sound perfectly good without it.

So what do you reckon power-wise, 500 watts into each?

[stevie]

[quote name='walbassist' post='741685' date='Feb 11 2010, 07:13 AM']Thanks for that Stevie.

Yes, had a pair years ago and these were so cheap I just figured they'd be good to have around.

Not using the controller though; all it was in reality was a fixed eq and they sound perfectly good without it.

So what do you reckon power-wise, 500 watts into each?[/quote]
They're certainly lightweight and sound better than they have a right to. If they were mine, I'd be guided by the manufacturers specs: 250 watts per channel into 8 ohms or 500 watts into 4 ohms if you run them mono. I'd probably add a 25 percent margin to make sure the amps are never driven into clipping. Back in the days when these speakers were the height of fashion, 500 watts was enormous.

There are probably quite a few people on here using these for PA. If you change the thread heading to Bose 802 advice wanted (or something), you might attract their attention and get an opinion from someone with more up-to-date experience than me. Just a thought.

Edited February 11, 2010 by stevie

[franzbassist]

Good plan, I shall do that. Thanks again.