Speakers and hifi discussion (split)

[Killyp]

I'm sorry, but if I'm spending £2,000+ on a speaker system, it would not be on a B&O speaker system. It's flat, dull and lifeless. And spending £8,000 or so on their top of the range speaker is just silly. You really cannot compare B&O with proper audiophile equipment.

The idea of these "one trick ponies" as you put them is to provide the ultimate in sound quality - not to put your discs in the right place or percolate your coffee. You simply cannot pitch a B&O system alongside a well-research and expertly picked audiophile system - it'd lose on almost every count!

You haven't listened to the B&O systems I'm talking about. The top B&O speakers are £11.5k, and sound like they should cost far more.

You simply can pitch a B&O system alongside a well-researched and expertly picked audiophile system. A lot of B&O systems would yes, but BeoLab 9s or BeoLab 5s alongside a BeoSound 9000 or BeoSound 4 would give any other kit serious issues when it comes to 'sound per pound'.

B&O have had bit of a turn-around. Their older speakers, such as the BeoLab 6000s can be easily outperformed by speakers of the same price from other manufacturers (although they are kinda remarkable for their size). However, since 2001 when the BeoLab 5s came out, and earlier this year when the BeoLab 9s came out, things have changed a lot. Sad thing is, people are still viewing B&O with the same frame of mind they would have years ago.


Before you judge B&O any further, have a listen to some correctly set up (I cannot emphasize this enough) BeoLab 5s or BeoLab 9s. You will be very pleasantly surprised.

 

[M3G4]

Like I said, I've heard plenty of B&O stuff and it's really nothing special. It's overhyped, just like Bose equipment. You can, and will, get a lot better for your hard earned money. It all depends on how important the looks are to you.

The only time you'll find a B&O system that has taken on a proper hi-fi and won is in the hi-fi magazines which everyone knows to take with a whole packet full of salt.

 

[Shotglass]

... just like Bose equipment.

If you ever mention Bang & Olufsen and Bose in one sentence again, I will come to your house and slap you.

 

[ErikCLDR]

KillyP : B&O :: I myself : Land Rover

Hahaha.

I haven't really read much of this but not everybody wants to spend extreme money on speakers.

 

[Killyp]

Extreme money = £150,000 Spending £10k on speakers is like spending £5k on a computer. Whether or not you like B&O is up to you, but you can't judge it until you've owned it.

Anyways, back to the setups, we haven't seen any pictures for at least one page...

 

[Killyp]

No, I'm pretty sure you can.


I'll judge a PC with Vista on it, despite me never owning Vista, I'll judge a Zune, despite me never owning one, I judges the Wii/Xbox 360/Ps3 before they were out...you have to judge things before you buy them, if you judge them worthwild, you buy 'em....if not, you don't

Yes, that's the case of Vista. However something like B&O, which is really radically different to other brands, is something you can't 'compare' because it's too different. I don't know any other brand who produces a decent hifi where you can simply put a CD in and press 'CD' to get your CD to play. Seems stupidly illogical...

 

[M3G4]

Yes, that's the case of Vista. However something like B&O, which is really radically different to other brands, is something you can't 'compare' because it's too different. I don't know any other brand who produces a decent hifi where you can simply put a CD in and press 'CD' to get your CD to play. Seems stupidly illogical...

AFAIK, NAD hifi seperates can when they're connected with the NAD-link.

 

[Killyp]

AFAIK, NAD hifi seperates can when they're connected with the NAD-link.

Yeh I know, my C350 is connected to the CD player and tuner like that (can't remember the models). The C300 doesn't support it though, which irritates me. It's going to be great for when I go to uni though, my planned setup is my B&W DM303s and NAD C300, which is enough to drive them loudish during parties etc... and it doesn't matter if it gets damaged.


NAD link doesn't work as well as B&O's DataLink though. They haven't planned it out as well, and two way communication seems very limited in comparison to the B&O. Plus the B&O way involves far less fuss.

With my B&O, I open the tray, pop a CD in, and nudge the tray. It closes the rest of the way, wakes up the amplifier into the right mode at the volume I've set it to come on to, and starts playing music. 10 minutes after the CD has ended, it switches off, meaning I can go to sleep listening to music.

And believe me, the BeoSystem 7000 is the last seperates system B&O made, and they did a fantastic job with it...