Bud/Blu vs Powered Speaker

[rpjazzguitar]

Forgive this post if it seems a bit obsessed.

The Bud/Blu reportedly is good for vocals. Does that imply it's close to FRFR?

If that's true, or close, why would it be better than, say, a Bose S1 Pro (less than half the price)?

I understand that it has 5 band EQ, so that's a plus. Smaller, weighs less (although the Bose isn't heavy). Maybe some additional features.

But for basic sound why wouldn't they be in the ballpark?

[sgosnell]

I don't own a Bud or Blu, nor a Bose, but the cabinet makes at least some difference in the sound. The speaker isn't everything.

[Spook410]

A friend has a Bose S1. It is quite good for vocals. Part of what it was designed to do. It's actually pretty good at everything. The base model is a good deal. Goes up as you add bells and whistles.

Don't own a Bud/Blu. Henrikson says the design includes acoustic guitar and they have 48V phantom power on the inputs implying the expectation of a mic. Not clear why it's so expensive. Small company?

[SierraTango]

It seems to me that you have already answered your own question-here's a quote from your "JBL Line Array" post:

"In fact, all my (few) experiences with line array as guitarist (Bose compact and this JBL system) and vocalist (Bose Compact) have been terrific"

Disclaimer-I have no experience with the Bud. I have played through a Jazz Amp 10 and thought it was great. IIRC, you are playing a Little Jazz 8" and looking to expand your rig. I just don't see where there is much comparison between the Bud and a Line Array system. Different animals. If you go with a Line array, you will have a ton of versatility while sacrificing some portability. More channels, decent built-in effects, Bluetooth mixing control on your phone.

I will say this-I took my working rig Benedetto Cremona with a Bartolini floater and Evans JE200 amp and spent a afternoon with 3 Line Array systems-JBL, EV and Bose. My personal favorite was the EV Evolve 30, and yes, I auditioned the Evolve 50. Overkill for my situation, plus I have other FOH stuff (2 powered speakers with poles, A&H Mixer, etc) if I need more firepower.

I'd say you can't go wrong either way-just make a decision and make it sound great!