Hi,

I apologize if this topic has already been discussed but the threads I found just confused me even more. I'm in the process of entering the B&O world and deciding on by best options. I want to use these speakers in my living room and for music listening. I went to the store and was shown the Beolab 3 and the "old-styled" beolab 4000. During the tests I thought I was crazy because dispite their new acoustic lens technology and more power, the BL 3's sounded very stressed and without details. The voices were muffled when a high passage was played. The 4000's were more detailed, natural and more balanced. I could care less about more power if it's going to take a toll on the sound quality. Supposedly a BL 2 would solve the problem for the BL3's relieving them from their stress so that they would play only mid to high frequencies.

I will say that money is not a key driver for the decision but it is important to say that I don't have the budget for other models. I'd really appreciate your advice.

Thanks!

Mike  

I like 4000s - I have two pairs of these and a pair of 3s. I think if I had a decent sized living room to fill, I would consider the 4000s - I don't like the Beolab 2 for music - I have one in my AV set up. If you are thinking of 3s, have you considered 8000s? Similar price but an upgrade over the 4000s.

I would also suggest that if your budget is tight, consider asking Lee for a quote. A pair of perfect used 8000s would be well within budget, as indeed would some Beolab 1s.  

The BeoLab 3s can sound a little 'stressed' at times, but I personally think they're superior to the 4000s. The lack of detail you describe may have been down to another factor which was affecting the sound for the worse. BeoLab 3s should if anything, sound more detailed than even BeoLab 8000s.

I'd recommend you ask your dealer if you could hear the speakers side by side in the same position in showroom and with the same settings and mounting options (floor stands are the most sensible). This will give you a fairer representation of which is better.

You may still prefer the 4000s, which have a mellower 'warm' sound compared to the BeoLab 3s which sound much more 'natural' but not as smooth.

The acoustic lense in the BL3s is a great advantage if your living room does not allow for perfect placement. Also, the power/size rate in the 3's is hard to beat by any speaker. Agree, the BL4000 will give you a better response on lower frequencies. It's a matter of taste. To me BL3s are a clear winner and will only doubt if you are comparing them with BL8000s.

Good luck with your choice. Both are excellent speakers.

Difficult one this. I like both speakers very much. I prefer the 4000 from a design viewpoint. I have heard the 3s and they were spectacular. However, I would also say the same for the 4000s! I think in the end you're just going to have to follow your instincts. I think I might be tempted to go for the 3s if I was choosing 2 rear speakers for a surround sound setup for watching movies (Wwith BL9s at the front) but, if I was choosing 2 speakers to connect to a music/hifi system then it would be the 4000s. They do have a warmer sound as has been mentioned already and this is more my preference. If you went for a second hand pair of 4000s you could also buy other B&O equipment too perhaps. I think when buying B&O it is best to consider your future requirements as best as possible. If you know that you are going to buy ALT speakers like the 5s or the 9s at some point then you'd be best to get the 3s now. Best of luck.

Simon.

I don't like subs for listening to music either. I scheduled a demo with my dealer for the BL3's with the BL2 to see the difference. I'll post the results

Thanks!

Thanks Simon,

I've noted that B&O's products can become pretty addictive so if purchasing the 4000 I'll also get the BeoSound 4 but if I go for the 3's I'll have to wait to get the BS4. My initial thoughts are to get first the 4000's with the BS4, and afterwards I could move the 4000's to another room and buy other speakers for the living room.

Regards,

Mike

Both are great speakers. The BL4000s are the bargain in B&O's range of speakers. Both are strong for acoustic music.

If the BL3s you heard in the shop hadn't been run in, which takes about 200 hours, that would account for their sounding strained. The material in the round black lenses needs to get a work-out, in order to be properly responsive during playback - at least that's my theory.
I have tried BL3s that have been run in against a pair straight out of the box -- the run in pair sounded "rounder" while the new pair sounded harsher, and that would conform with your experience.

Which to pick depends upon how you'll use them, and where you'll place them. Both make great music. 

mmota:

Thanks Simon,

I've noted that B&O's products can become pretty addictive so if purchasing the 4000 I'll also get the BeoSound 4 but if I go for the 3's I'll have to wait to get the BS4. My initial thoughts are to get first the 4000's with the BS4, and afterwards I could move the 4000's to another room and buy other speakers for the living room.

Regards,

Mike

 Your initial thoughts sound fine to me.  Like Peter, I have a soft spot for the Beolab 4000 - a very good speaker.  The fact they are only about 60% of the typical retail price of Lab 3's make them very good value too.

Perhaps a home demonstration would help make up your mind - rooms all sound different, and you may find the strentghs one speaker  suit your own listening environment more than the other.

Ask you dealer to bring both round.  Hope you enjoy whichever you choose.

Also make sure that both speakers have been used the same amount. BeoLab 3s take a lot of 'wear in' (I've noticed this is generally the case with B&O's newer speakers, and as soundproof mentions) before they sound good. With BeoLab 4000s, this is not so much the case, IMO at least.

As I'm used to the sound of fully 'worn in' speakers, BeoLab 3s sound - to my ears, the 3rd best speaker B&O have produced (after 'Lab 9s and 'Lab 5s). I'd recommend them over 'Lab 4000s when it comes to my personal preference.

Thank you all for your advice and comments.

As I mentioned, I asked my local dealer to demonstrate the BL3's with the sub BL2. Let me tell you that my selection for this test was classical music with strings and a lot of high and low passages. I'm not very fond of using subs for listening to music because in my experience they tend to add very artificial sound to the music getting it too "boomy" for my taste. I did not expect the pleasant surprise I got. The result was truly impressive, the BL3's were relieved of the burden of low frequencies and therefore were more relaxed and able to produce a detailed and rich sound without the "stress" that I reported earlier. On the other hand, the BL2 did not overhelm the sound and was more of a companion instead of a protagonist. The sub did not reproduce the usual boomy sound of traditional ones and the resulting sound was very natural, detailed, rich sound and an overall pleaseant experience. With this setup I got the chance to really appreciate the ALT and the soundstage it provides.

I performed the same test with the 4000's... to be honest I'm still impressed with these little devils. I still find the sound natural and the only word I've found to describe it is "organic": I could even hear the resonance of the soundboard of the violins. I think that they are an absolutely excellent option and a bargain for their price range.

I'm opting for the BL3's because I now understand the advantages of the ALT, because I truly enjoyed the details that they produced, and because I believe they have more future. I'm sure I'll have to spend more money on the BL2's to fully complement them. I chose the red ones to match my decor.

I'm not putting the 4000's out of the competition, I'm completely in love with their sound and value and I will surely add them to my system for other listening areas.

Again thank you for your advice and keep in touch

Mike