Jally,

I have been very fortunate over the years with little to no equipment failures, maybe an amp issue or two in more years than I care to remember, or can remember lol. In fact I have been playing so long that most bands I played with back then did not even have a PA system, every musician carried a little amp to each gig instead, even the horn men.

Re: the PA or speaker question, my rule of thumb is always pack a little more power than you think you will need. I know you said Bose is not on your short list, but I am using a Bose LII now and absolutely love it. With that said my second choice are my Mackie 15" powered speakers with a non-powered mixer. I am thinking these are 300 Watts per giving me plenty of clear clean power. In fact I have used them in outdoor park settings with great clear sound. But as stated they are in the attic as I may never use them again because I love the Bose so much.

Best of luck!

Later,

Danny C.
www.dannycampo.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Danny-Campo/379776252109306?skip_nax_wizard=true

The More You Drink The Better I Sound