Hi all,

I currently have a Beosystem 5000 hooked up to some RL140s, but I've just bought a BM8000 which will match the RLs better power-wise so I'm looking for a new set of speakers for the 5000. Can somebody tell me if it's possible to use my BM5000 with a pair of Beolab Pentas, and if so how?I know it can be done with the later Beomasters (5500 onwards) and I've read suggestions that it can be done with the 5000 with something called Speakerlink but I'd like to know for sure before I start looking for a pair, and whether there is any affect on the performance of the speakers by doing this (and will the dispalys on the Pentas work?). I'm sure the answer to this is on the site somewhere but I've searched the forum and can't find a definitive answer.

Thanks, Rob.

You can use the Speakerlink connection. This uses the speaker output from the 5000 but utilises another pin as well which supplies the display information. You will need to find the correct cable but otherwise it will be fine. It works by presenting the 5000 with a very high impedance which is easy to drive and produces a low output. This is then amplified by the amplifier in the Penta. From an aesthetic point of view, Powerlink is better as one is not using the power amplifier in the 6500 etc but in practice because the impedance is high, the amplifier is not stressed so it still sounds very good!

Thanks Peter, that's good news. Is there a regular supplier of Speakerlink cables or is it just a case of waiting for a set to come up on Ebay?

To be honest I didn't really understand what you meant about the aesthetic aspect though.

rgs218:

Thanks Peter, that's good news. Is there a regular supplier of Speakerlink cables or is it just a case of waiting for a set to come up on Ebay?

To be honest I didn't really understand what you meant about the aesthetic aspect though.

A PM to Steve at Sounds Heavenly should sort it out! Alternatively look at the bottom of this page for an advert!

Simon

Does the BM5000 have speakerlink?? 

Just checked and Puncher is correct - MCL82 does not include the display output. My mistake. They can still be used but no display.

rgs218:

Thanks Peter, that's good news. Is there a regular supplier of Speakerlink cables or is it just a case of waiting for a set to come up on Ebay?

To be honest I didn't really understand what you meant about the aesthetic aspect though.

Sorry - I am incorrect. No display but the Pentas will still work fine. By aesthetics I meant the single cable having all the data and signal for both speakers is a much nicer solution as well as have a line level signal which does not need to be altered.

Puncher:

Does the BM5000 have speakerlink??

i was wondering just the same thing...

at least my 5000 has typical 2 pin din on SPK1 and 3 pin din on SPK2...

the SPK2 connections could be used for running a MCL setup, in this case, MCL82 (or MCL proper w/ a code converter).

the speakerlink connections i have seen are 4 pin din... and ran the speaker displays...

what i do not know is... are the 3 pin dins capable of doing the same? 

++++edit+++

OOPS, i see Peter has beat me to the Punch(er) again!

No - just checked. MCL82 is not the same - you can run speaker wire between the 5000 and Pentas and it will work just the same way as Speakerlink, but no display.

Peter :

No - just checked. MCL82 is not the same - you can run speaker wire between the 5000 and Pentas and it will work just the same way as Speakerlink, but no display.

well, then i assume we can deduce what that 4th pin in a speakerlink connection is...

Peter :

No - just checked. MCL82 is not the same - you can run speaker wire between the 5000 and Pentas and it will work just the same way as Speakerlink, but no display.

In that case would it be better to use the line outs on the BM5000 and miss out the extra amplification/attenuation step (still no display of course)?

Indeed that would be one way forward, though one does lose the power amplifier for other uses. Just discussed this very idea with Tim! The pre-amp of the 5000 is the nicest one of the range so it would produce a very good sound!

Peter :

Sorry - I am incorrect. No display but the Pentas will still work fine.

No problem Peter.

So is the conclusion that the best thing would be just to use normal speaker cables and this will work all aspects of the Pentas apart from the displays? Or am I misunderstanding?

Yes, that is the easiest way. You can also work them from the pre-amp out which bypasses the power amplifier in the 5000 but I would suggest the speaker cable route is much easier!

I do actually have a spare Beomaster 5500 which you can have if you want to try the Speakerlink route. It has the Beocentral modification! It will require a different remote than the 5000 though.

OK, that makes things simple.

Once again a very kind offer! I will definitely keep that in mind and once my exams are finnished in June I may will take you up on it if the amp is still going spare then .

Hi Guys,

Sorry for the late input into the thread, but I've been waiting for a certain parcel to arrive in the post before answering - I've now got a big box of brand new 3pin and 4pin "Speakerlink" DIN plugs, so I can help if you need either type of cable.

The 4pin plugs will allow you to connect mark 1 Pentas to a receiver such as Beomaster 5500 and the displays will work.  From memory, I think the 3 pin plugs carried the same data, but shared over the extra pins in BOTH plugs, hence you could only transmit data to a Beolink unit such as MCL2AV which received both audio and data channels together.

To light the displays in Penta mk.1's, you need the 4pin plugs, as each speaker only sees one audio channel, so it needs both data and data ground pins.

Hope this helps!

Steve.

Hi Steve,

I have bought various cables from you in the past so will definitely be in touch once I've get hold of some Pentas! Are you suggesting then that with a 4 pin plug the BM5000 will work the penta displays? Because it had been concluded that I'd need a BM5500 for that to happen.

Rob.

Hi Rob,

Sorry, you are right - BM5500 is the earliest model that provides data for Penta displays, so BM5000 won't light the displays.

I will amend my earlier post to avoid any confusion.

Steve.

Speakerlink came in with the 5500. The 500 has two pin plugs for speaker 1 and 3 pins plugs for speaker 2 to power MCL82. I think Steve is making the same mistake as me. I thought Pentas were introduced with the 5000 system but Timhas confirmed I was wrong. He still has a 5000 system! I attach the diagram from the service manual.

BM5500 drives the Pentas with the display working over the 4 pin speakerlink.