Can I hear from members about what they think of the mid-range performance of the BL9's. I have listened and found a lot of base and treble but that was a cursory listen and may have led to a bad judgement. From my previous posts you will know that mid-range and treble is important to me. I listen to a lot of violin music where detail is everything. My 8000's have been good but was considering the BL9's instead of adding a sub-woofer to my present set up.

 Before you say go back to the dealer and listen again I repeat that I am not prepared to use that dealer again but will have it delivered from elsewhere.

Many thanks

 

Barry 

Every B&O dealer is supposed to offer home trials of the equipment. I would suggest that you get your new dealer to set up a pair of BL9s in your listening room.

When they're in place, do try moving them about to find the best position. It could be that the ones you listened to were set up wrong -- or it could be that the BL9s can't deliver to your musical taste! But the best place to decide is at home.

And speaker placement is crucial. Don't go for aesthetics, go for the sound. I had a dip in bass performance in my BL5s from 65Hz-80Hz. Everything else was registering just fine from 13Hz-200Hz, but I had that dip - in spite of calibration. I moved the speakers 60cm back, along a diagonal from my listening position, and suddenly that dip was gone and everything was fine again. 

I would strongly consider looking for some used Beolab 5s. The 9s are fine but the 5s are just so much better. If you are very serious about your music, and it sounds as if you are, you will not regret it.

After reading your post I went and put a couple of CDs from Vivaldi on my BS9000 to test my BL9s. Flat equalization, original CD, I'm not a frequent classic music listener but they sound simply stunning. Can't make a direct comparison with BL8000 as I have never owned those. I have a pair of BL3s and used BL6000 for several years and there is no way to compare with the sound of the 9's. Still, BL8000 are great with mid ranges, you may not note that big difference compared with the 9's. It's a tough call, I'm not qualified to give you advice.

We recently replaced a pair of Beolab 1s with Beolab 9s. I find the 9s to be quite simply stunning. Every time I put a new CD in I am amazed. I find myself listening to music of different types that I never would have listened to before. The only issue I have with them is not related to the speakers, but to the way our Avant handles the bass. If I turn the subwoofer on the Avant sends all of the bass to it and none to the 9s. As a result I have turned the sub off as the bass in the 9s is far superior. Although I am missing out on the very lowest frequencies, I do not notice it. Were are going to the dealer we purchased the 9s from today to look at  Beovision 7 and 9 as possible replacement for the Avant. I may have to listen to the 5s to compare. I know everybody says they are far superior to the 9s but the sound quality is so good from the 9s I have a difficult time comprhending the improvement, except perhaps at very high volumes in a larger room than we have ours in.

I've noticed that the mids on the BeoLab 9s can sound a bit 'closed in' at times, but I think this is just when they haven't been used much (ie, they need to be 'worn in').

Give them a lot of playing, and they'll sound wonderful. They really are a fantastic pair of speakers when set up correctly (which they're quite sensitive to it seems).

Although as Peter says, if you can find a pair of second hand BeoLab 5s, you'll really appreciate the difference. The BeoLab 9s are stunningly good speakers, but the 5s take it to a whole new level...

I think it would be prudent not to recommend BL5s for every occasion.

Consider the kind of music you'd be using them for, and where you'll be using them.

BL5s need space to breathe and be effective - Dave Moulton recommends at least a meter to any back or side wall. The BL9s are quite excellent if you don't have that kind of space - OR - if your musical taste runs in lines that don't require the extraordinary power of the 5s: Jazz, chamber music, small ensembles. If you're looking for speakers that will make your action movies truly boom, symphony orchestras and choral works stand out and rock music pound, then the 5s are the ticket.

I know 5s have bass power, but it is their ability to disappear that impresses me. I also find that the bass is just not as oppressive as the 9s -  to be fair that is usually because the 9s are not ideally situated or poorly set up. The self set up facility of the 5s can correct quite a few ills!

I agree with Peter, the BeoLab 5s are just 'invisible'. When listening to them they just seem to disappear, and the bass is only there when it's needed.

The mids are notably more open on the 5s, it's noticeable on almost any kind of music involving vocals.

I see that my post above could be a little more nuanced. My comment was mostly in response to the fact that quite a few inquiries here concerning "What speakers should I buy?" tend to end up with "Get BeoLab 5s!"

Totally agree on the ability of the 5s to create a soundstage that is not anchored in two L/R sources (the speakers). When the recording is good, they create an amazing soundstage with depth and breadth that is quite astounding.

My comment re. the power was that there are kinds of music where this is required, and which the 5s can deliver. There are also kinds of music where it isn't required, and where they would be overkill. I also think that one should carefully consider available space when deciding on speakers. I have seen BL5s in nooks and crannies where they definitely did not belong.

That said, I'm very pleased with my BL5s, but also get a lot of enjoyment out of the BL3s and BL4000s. 

Thanks to all of you for your comments which I am digesting. It would be nice to bring them round for an "in house" audition but I am trying not to use my local dealer. I am trying not to fund what I consider to be failure! Unfortunately I live in Cornwall and there is only one dealer-- a monopoly produces high prices and poor service and that's what I get. My nearest un-related dealer is in Exeter some 50 miles away which is difficult when you are in a wheelchair (but not impossible).

 

I have heard the 9's and that was my worry. I thought I detected a "closed" mid-range as I am very responsive to a detailed mid-range and not so responsive to bass. It may well have been placement. I would love a pair of 5's but I don't have the room size to justify them (I certainly could not bring them a metre from the wall). The 8000 with their small footprint and friendliness in positioning I have found more than useful and I may be content with them. However my thinking was that by not spending the money on a sub the effective £6k for the 9's become the same as £4k.

 

Many thanks

Barry 

 

 

If you heard the 9s in a dealer, chances are that they were badly set up. Space constraints and the fact that some of the junior staff seem to set the switches to maximise bass seem to be a common thread. At our speaker demo, the 9s sounded pretty average to my ears - unfortunately I was late arriving as I had to go back for my camera. When I went the next day to collect my speakers, I examined the settings. When set correctly, the over exuberant bass went and the midrange was much more apparent.

Also consider other makes of speaker. I have more than just B&O. It is perfectly possible to have a power amplifier hidden powering some good small passive speakers. I wouldn't recommend the Beolink Passive which lacks power for transients but  another Hi-Fi dealer could manage to sort something out with the budget you are talking about.

BarryAndrew:

Thanks to all of you for your comments which I am digesting. It would be nice to bring them round for an "in house" audition but I am trying not to use my local dealer. I am trying not to fund what I consider to be failure! Unfortunately I live in Cornwall and there is only one dealer-- a monopoly produces high prices and poor service and that's what I get. My nearest un-related dealer is in Exeter some 50 miles away which is difficult when you are in a wheelchair (but not impossible).

 

I have heard the 9's and that was my worry. I thought I detected a "closed" mid-range as I am very responsive to a detailed mid-range and not so responsive to bass. It may well have been placement. I would love a pair of 5's but I don't have the room size to justify them (I certainly could not bring them a metre from the wall). The 8000 with their small footprint and friendliness in positioning I have found more than useful and I may be content with them. However my thinking was that by not spending the money on a sub the effective £6k for the 9's become the same as £4k.

 

Many thanks

Barry 

 

 

The 5 might be the way to go with a dedicated listening room but for the vast majority( me included) on looks alone they are UGLY lets face it!

Speaker choice is such a personal thing, what i find interesting though is - very critical comments about BL9 when one compares them to BL8000!!! quite simply whilst the mid range may not be as full as one might like the BL9 are a million miles apart from BL8000 which was always a very mediocre speaker with a 4" cheap paper driver and  a rather poor amp to match it! If you are a serious music lover dont go gthe BL2 routs- trial the 9s at home and you will be converted

Just had a quick read through the thread, and don't really agree! I note the Beolab 5 being touted - I agree with soundproof that we have to be careful not to automatically just say get 5s; after all, I have not bought any yet! - and I agree with you that discounting 5s, the 9s are streets ahead of the other B&O active speakers. I do have a soft spot for 4000s and also for 3s in the right place but am actually reacquainting myself with some of the older speakers at present which outperform almost everything! They are rather large though so I won't be recommending them either!

The BL9s are very good speakers - I have heard them in an ideal setting, though - in B&O's listening room (not the BeoLiving room, but the listening room in the sound department).

There I got to play a large selection of tracks from my reference CDs while listening to the BL9s. They are very precise and detailed, pleasant to listen to and a very good solution for anyone looking for speakers that will work with both music and movies. Excellent for acoustic, vocal and instrumental.

No - you don't get the wall shaking bass of the 5s, which you don't need that often, either. What I like with the 5s is their ability to accurately and instantly push power behind an instrumental attack, whether a finger plucking a string or the percussion section of a symphony orchestra launching into a Shostakovich crescendo.
But with correct positioning in a properly prepared room you'll find the BL9s are no slouches - it's just unfair to compare them 1:1 with the 5s.

 

Sure you don't get the same earth-shattering bass you get from the Lab 5s, but I personally think the highs and mids especially from the BeoLab 5s are still a leap up from the 9s.

Alex:

Sure you don't get the same earth-shattering bass you get from the Lab 5s, but I personally think the highs and mids especially from the BeoLab 5s are still a leap up from the 9s.

Unless you've had them side-by-side, and level matched during playback, it's really hard to say which is the most precise. On the face of it you'd think it would be the BL5. I haven't heard such a side-by-side comparison.

YET - the B&O engineers did change the amplifiers for the mid and top of the BL9s from regular ICE-amps to hybrids, ostensibly to achieve an even greater verisimilitude in the reproduction of sound. And that's worth thinking about.

At the same time, I'm confident the WAF played quite a role in the design of the BL9s. I've heard that numerous prospective buyers of BL5s have chosen BL8000s in the past, once the better half has had a chance to look at the 5s. Now they can choose the 9s instead and get ALT performance a step up from the BL3s.

I just take issue with the automatic tendency to say: "Get BeoLab 5s" -- with some even claiming one should get BL5s all around for surround setups. To me it's comparable to scooping two pounds of Russian caviar on one's platter and thinking one is in for a good experience ...

I seem to remember one of the members here, a while back, returning from an extended listening session to BeoLab 5s at a dealer's, and being surprised by the musical experience his BeoLab 4000s delivered. He was very pleased with them, and wanted to share his pleasure with others in the forum.
Immediately he was told that he was delusional and that the BL5s were much, much better speakers. That's not the point - it could very well be that in his home setup, in that particular space, the BL 4000s were doing an excellent job. He just returned from listening to the 5s, and had been "calibrated" for what they can do, and was pleasantly surprised - in fact elated - by what he heard from the BL 4000s.

Biggest is not always best. It depends upon the size of the room, the acoustics, the kind of music you prefer and the volume at which you listen. 

soundproof:

YET - the B&O engineers did change the amplifiers for the mid and top of the BL9s from regular ICE-amps to hybrids, ostensibly to achieve an even greater verisimilitude in the reproduction of sound. And that's worth thinking about.

Or was it that they had a rather good speaker chassis called the Beolab 1 around which was easier to redesign?  

Peter:

soundproof:

YET - the B&O engineers did change the amplifiers for the mid and top of the BL9s from regular ICE-amps to hybrids, ostensibly to achieve an even greater verisimilitude in the reproduction of sound. And that's worth thinking about.

Or was it that they had a rather good speaker chassis called the Beolab 1 around which was easier to redesign?  

I guess one never knows for certain, but I was told that their golden ears preferred the hybrid amp's.

And the editor of an audiophile magazine whom I know is convinced the hybrid amp's are being used in the BL9s due to the previous generation ICE amp's not being optimal for mid- and top. I actually spent some time thinking about that before I opted for BL5s myself ...

Actually it would not surprise me. I am of the opinion that ICE = good and A/B = bad is simply not true! A/B amplifiers are now refined to the nth degree . However I imagine that the decision was made also for marketing reasons as one has to justify the extra money for the Beolab 5s  as well.

Luckily for me, the best jewellers in Newcastle are opposite the B&O store and if I feel I am weakening with regard to Beolab 5s, I usually go in there which usually removes the wherewithal to do anything about it! I am at present looking at Quad ESLs anyway!   

Peter:

Actually it would not surprise me. I am of the opinion that ICE = good and A/B = bad is simply not true!

So am I. Actually, I've never heard any "expert" claim that ICE/Class D is better than A/B - on the contrary I've often heard from people that I trust that many Class D designs suffer from more distortion in the treble than a well-constructed A/B design. There seem to be a consensus that Class D is really great when you want powerful low frequency performance from a small amplifier - perfect for subwoofers - but not always the ideal choice for a fullrange amplifier. Pls note that this is what I've heard from other people, my own knowledge in amplifier theory is much too little, I'm afraid.

Peter:

I am at present looking at Quad ESLs anyway!   

Are you metamorphisizing into Frede?

Setting up the 9s correctly must really be critical. We have one in a corner and one in a 45 degree corner. They "disappear" with all types of music and the bass is incredible. I have disconnected the 12 inch Velodyne we previously used with Beolab 1s and I do not miss the sub at all when listening to music or movies.

Just another thought....when listening to our Beolab1s I always had the feeling of listening to music on very good speakers. Listening to the 9s I just hear music, it does not sound to be coming from the speakers at all.When I look at the seakers I have this weird feeling that they are doing nothing and have to remind myself that they are where the music is coming from.

has anyone set up a pair of 9's with the beolab 2. What cross-over point does the beolab 2 use for the 9's?