Is better beolab 4000 or beolab 6000 with beosund ouverture? Thanks

A very popular question!

I really wouldn't worry about whether the speakers work well with the Overture, but which speaker sounds the best to you.

There have been many discussions on these two, do a quick search on the forum and you should find plenty of info.

The audio system is immaterial. The speaker is the only variable. Sonically speaking, the 6000 is better than the 4000 and not as good as the 8000. If you're speaking aesthetically, only you can answer that. 

Very debatable and ultimately completely up to you. Technically the frequency responses quoted are the same but the Sound Pressure is higher for the 4000s. This would suggest a slightly better bass response for the 4000s, which I would contend is borne out by listening. I prefer 4000s to 6000s - you will find others who prefer 6000s. The 6000s are slightly more expensive as there is more metal though the net volume is greater for the 4000. I would suggest earlier 4000s are the ones to go for - cheaper and better sounding.

I have both and concur with Peter the earlier 4000s sound better than the 6000. However I have the 6000 in a main listening room as they look better in that room with the 4000 wall mounted in a link room (the 4000 have very flexible mounting system)

BeoLab 6000 was originally quoted at 70 Hz freq. response at - 8dB, and with 2% distortion..that's not in the hi-fi standard. B&O quickly replaced those specs by an optimistic 55 Hz, but when you listen to them, they do struggle with bass, and distortion at louder volumes is quite noticeable. They excel with jazz or classical, however.

I went for the 4000 and was never disappointed by them, however, the newer 4000 with ICE Power amps has a higher distortion rate + smaller amps than the older version, so I wouldn't recommend it.

Chrisreunion:

They excel with jazz or classical, however.

 

Just quoting this for the OP's sake, IMHO Jazz and Classical requires even more from the speaker than say pop music. 

Chrisreunion:

I went for the 4000 and was never disappointed by them, however, the newer 4000 with ICE Power amps has a higher distortion rate + smaller amps than the older version, so I wouldn't recommend it.

 

Out of curiosity, can one say the same about the new Beolab 8002 and Beolab 6002 with ICE Power?

 

I have not heard them but the amps used in the 4000 seem to be similar to those in the Beolab 4, which are not B&Os best. The ones in the 6002 and 8002 are different. The Beolab 4 amplifiers have technical compromises to enable them to be particularly small.

bayerische:

Chrisreunion:

They excel with jazz or classical, however.

 

Just quoting this for the OP's sake, IMHO Jazz and Classical requires even more from the speaker than say pop music. 

That is a view that has always puzzled me.

 

The ability to recreate sound realsitically is important, but there are so many similar instrumental traits between genre's, I don't see how a system can be better for classical or jazz, metal or folk. 

A speaker ( or amplifer/pre-amp) cannot know what content it is dealing with - it has abilities that mean it can reproduce tones and frequencies in a certain way - but will not distinguish between Pink Floyd and Pavarotti, Berlioz or the Beatles !!

Many differing styles of music have "similar" sonnic componets - they are just playing different content.  So a string quartet ( cello, violin x2 and a viola ) will need a system able to handle very similar frequences and soundstage to a folk recording ( String Bass, acoustic guitar, fiddle, mandolin)

There are certainly some speakers that present sound in such a way that they will typically sound very good when genre XXX is played through them, but they will struggle with other things, so that is perhaps a weakness, not a strength.

If a speaker cannot realsitically reproduce a full orchestre playing a bombastic piece like, say, the 1812, then the same speaker will also struggle with a full on rock band like Nirvana.  Musically distant, but requiring similar depth and power to be recreated at home.

There is, imo, a musical conceit when people say a system is OK for rock, but not good enough for classical.  SOme pop is compressed and recorded (or mixed) with radio play via portable/car systems in mind, but that is an exception. 

Well recorded contemporary rock, blues, folk, americana or countryrequires just as much "fidelity" as a jazz or orchestral piece.

Back on topic, I have both 6000 and 4000 speakers at home, and if I had to choose just one pair, it would be my 4000MK1 everytime.

 

 

 

 

folkdeejay:

Back on topic, I have both 6000 and 4000 speakers at home, and if I had to choose just one pair, it would be my 4000MK1 everytime.

Ditto!

4000 Mk1!

I have both BL6000 & 4000 mk1, prefer sound of 4000 which also have a very flexible bracket mounting system. If you can go listen to both of them

folkdeejay:

There are certainly some speakers that present sound in such a way that they will typically sound very good when genre XXX is played through them, but they will struggle with other things, so that is perhaps a weakness, not a strength.

If a speaker cannot realsitically reproduce a full orchestre playing a bombastic piece like, say, the 1812, then the same speaker will also struggle with a full on rock band like Nirvana.  Musically distant, but requiring similar depth and power to be recreated at home.

That's exactly it. All loudspeakers (and hifi components for that matter) have their weaknesses/flaws. These can be more evident with some kinds of music than with others.

Tony Andrews of Funktion One talking about this issue:

YouTube Link

Funktion One PA speakers are (IMHO) some of the best speakers about - they approach the accuracy of many studio monitoring systems. Tony Andrews (founder and designer of Funktion One) knows what he's talking about!

alex - indeed  "All loudspeakers (and hifi components for that matter) have their weaknesses/flaws"  .... back in my Linn/Naim/rega days, I spent many many demonstrations trying to clarify this to would-be purchasers.

A boomy speaker has a fault - it booms !!!  So, certain recordings may, by chance, sound great.  The flaw in the speaker can either emphasise a trait people want  ( say deep bass in a dance or organ track ) or it can compensate for a recording flaw ( the "boom making up for an otherwise tinny, bass light recording ). 

However, most things will just get the "boom" imposed in a detrimental way.

Ultimately, a system should have no sonic chracteristics, it should just reproduce what is put in - which is why higher end audiopile amps haver little or no eq or attenuation. 

In beolabs, the MK1 4000 are, imo, a very nuetral sounding speaker.  They don't have the very deepest bass ability as they simply can't move that much air - but the trick is to not struggle to do things and end up doing them badly.  The 4000 design does this superbly - obviously a very good match of drive unit/crossover & cabinet design that just "works"

I love mine. 

Alex - if your up in Manchester, try and get to a gig / club night at the ( revamped) Band on the Wall - the audio system in there is astounding.