Hello All,

Attached is a poor representation of my room. Its 3m x 7m, ish and ish.

Can you advise if the BL5 are placed good considering the furniture in the room?

Can I also ask, that at low volumes (loud enough to hear the music), will the neighbours downstairs start complaining? They have survived with a BL2 so far playing at a nice volume level. Does the fact that the BL5 subs point down mean that they will hear the bass more, even if its at the same sound pressure? I.E. bl2 + BL3 vol 30 and BL5 volume 15 for example?

My compliments on your diagram. It is not a "poor representation" but an "excellent representation." 

Razlaw:

My compliments on your diagram. It is not a "poor representation" but an "excellent representation." 

Thanks Razlaw... the best i can do using paint :S ehhe

I am concerened this room is too narrow!!!

yeah that was my worry too... I thought about turning the whole thing around, i.e. place either speaker on the 7m wall, but then it would only leave 3 meters between the listener and the speakers :S

My suggestion? Get another room, or go for the smaller BL9's. My room is 3m by 5m, and it's almost a squeeze with the BL1's.

i know i know, but i really love those speakers.... i might even move houses for them, but if/until i do, is it that bad?

Hi Tim,

As I said via PM, the problem with the BL5s is that they are designed for a large space, with solid floor. My room is approx 5m x 8m and that's too small. The other problem is that the close proximity of the furniture can call calibration issues, from my experience.

There seems to be an obsession with getting BL5s are the moment. BL5s are only as good as the source material (in the same way someone would be disappointed with 1980 SD TV on a BV7-40 MK III) and the room. If you play modern CDs, they can sound quite flat on the BL5s and you may be disappointed. If you listen to uncompressed audio via your BL5s, you'll be forever turning down the volume if you have neighbours (above, below or next door).

The BL9s are very powerful. However, they are more suited to your environment and most people's (including my own). The BL5s are also huge - they dominate my room at 5m wide. You really need to love those speakers.

The BL9s would be a better option all-round.

BTW, at volume 15, you'd barely hear the BL5s. They don't perform 'louder' at lower volumes. You still need to whack them up to volume 40+. What happens is that the BL5s have masses of bass power and that points downwards. Easily causes the floor to shake. Literally, shake. Means that it can easily affect a neighbour.

So, you'll still use them at the same volume as, say, the BL9s. With the BL2, however, you can choose an option within your BV7 to lower the volume on the subwoofer (BL2), which you can't as effectively do on the BL5s. There's no separate 'subwoofer' option.

moxxey:

Hi Tim,

As I said via PM, the problem with the BL5s is that they are designed for a large space, with solid floor. My room is approx 5m x 8m and that's too small. The other problem is that the close proximity of the furniture can call calibration issues, from my experience.

There seems to be an obsession with getting BL5s are the moment. BL5s are only as good as the source material (in the same way someone would be disappointed with 1980 SD TV on a BV7-40 MK III) and the room. If you play modern CDs, they can sound quite flat on the BL5s and you may be disappointed. If you listen to uncompressed audio via your BL5s, you'll be forever turning down the volume if you have neighbours (above, below or next door).

The BL9s are very powerful. However, they are more suited to your environment and most people's (including my own). The BL5s are also huge - they dominate my room at 5m wide. You really need to love those speakers.

The BL9s would be a better option all-round.

BTW, at volume 15, you'd barely hear the BL5s. They don't perform 'louder' at lower volumes. You still need to whack them up to volume 40+. What happens is that the BL5s have masses of bass power and that points downwards. Easily causes the floor to shake. Literally, shake. Means that it can easily affect a neighbour.

So, you'll still use them at the same volume as, say, the BL9s. With the BL2, however, you can choose an option within your BV7 to lower the volume on the subwoofer (BL2), which you can't as effectively do on the BL5s. There's no separate 'subwoofer' option.

Moxxey, you have been invaluable throughout my 'problems'. The thing is that I have always wanted them and have saved up for them, with a bit of help, they could become mine, but after what you've been telling me, it sounds like it will cause more trouble than good! Would they be ok in a detached house?

IF, i got them, I would obviously plan to keep them forever, but saying that, i would still want to enjoy them in the meanwhile. Are they completely undoable in a flat? Currently I use my BL7-4 at 40-50, with the BL2 set at 4 bars on the BV7 and no complaints from the neighbours... just to reaffirm, there is no way of mimicking these levels on the BL5?

moxxey:

Hi Tim,

As I said via PM, the problem with the BL5s is that they are designed for a large space, with solid floor. My room is approx 5m x 8m and that's too small. The other problem is that the close proximity of the furniture can call calibration issues, from my experience.

There seems to be an obsession with getting BL5s are the moment. BL5s are only as good as the source material (in the same way someone would be disappointed with 1980 SD TV on a BV7-40 MK III) and the room. If you play modern CDs, they can sound quite flat on the BL5s and you may be disappointed. If you listen to uncompressed audio via your BL5s, you'll be forever turning down the volume if you have neighbours (above, below or next door).

The BL9s are very powerful. However, they are more suited to your environment and most people's (including my own). The BL5s are also huge - they dominate my room at 5m wide. You really need to love those speakers.

The BL9s would be a better option all-round.

BTW, at volume 15, you'd barely hear the BL5s. They don't perform 'louder' at lower volumes. You still need to whack them up to volume 40+. What happens is that the BL5s have masses of bass power and that points downwards. Easily causes the floor to shake. Literally, shake. Means that it can easily affect a neighbour.

So, you'll still use them at the same volume as, say, the BL9s. With the BL2, however, you can choose an option within your BV7 to lower the volume on the subwoofer (BL2), which you can't as effectively do on the BL5s. There's no separate 'subwoofer' option.

You're right Moxxey,

Go for the beolab 9.

Ok Last Q:

BL3 + BL2

OR

BL9

timhanna:

BL3 + BL2

OR

BL9

As I also said by PM, there isn't too much of a difference between BL3+BL2 compared to  BL9s in the same situation. I had my BL3s and BL2 connected up and then decided to get the BL9s (and disconnect the BL2). Wasn't a huge amount difference. BL2 offered more bass though, but didn't sound right when connected with the BL9s.

If you were going to get the BL5s, save some money and get the BL9s and use these with your BV7. Use your BL3s elsewhere in the house.

Thanks for the compliment btw.

You deserved it ofcourse!

Well, I dont have the BL3s yet, just the 7.4 and the BL2... does this change anything? Can the BL9s be adjusted not to disturb the neighbours (why am I so considerate... dammit!:p)

No, like the BL5s you can simply turn down the volume or adjust the bass. Still means explosions will be significant, although no worse than the BL2 (with the BL9s).

The thing is with the BL5s - and I'm guilty of this - is that I think people buy them because 'they can' or as 'they've always wanted them' rather than the aural experience (ie they don't care if the room is too small, too populated with furniture or even their neighbours). The room where my BL5s are located is reasonable, size-wise, but people still remark on why I need speakers so large. They look out-of-proportion within the room.

Luke has a good scenario. From his picture, his room is ideal. Plenty of space, solid floors, big ceilings, no-one beneath him etc. Good setup.

This is my last post on the subject :)

As much as Moxxey has been bang on the nail for the rest of this thread, I would disagree RE BeoLab 3s and a 2 being comparable to the BeoLab 9s. I personally find the BeoLab 9s outperform the BeoLab 2 in terms of out-and-out bass performance very, very consistently, and they're smoother/better defined than the BeoLab 3 as well IMO.

I would personally go for the BeoLab 9s as they produce far more than adequate amounts of bass - in fact they can be pretty earth-shattering.

RE the BeoLab 5s, it's something I would personally move house for if I was A) old enough to and B) in the financial position to.

The BL3 are really close to the BL5 at low volumes, as written on the Beoworld product page : "Beoworld says: Incredible for their size, these offer sound quality of a similar level to the BL9s, but not at the same sound pressure. B&O at Struer set these behind a sound invisible curtain against Beolab 5s and then get you to guess which is playing. At lower volumes it can be tricky!!"

(http://www.beoworld.org/prod_details.asp?pid=365)

So... I would get bl3 and keep the Bl2... But as Alex points out, if you have enough money to throw, I would go for the BL9, just because I ear them as "more consistant", more "true to life". BL2 is great for sound effects, but not as great as BL9 for music.

My girlfriends neighbour bought BL5, and even at low volume, the bass can be heard from one flat to the other. It's just because it's so low frequency (even lower than 20Hz I think), it's very easily transmitted. But as your room is very small, maybe the BL5 will just emit less bass than your BL2...

Thanks mbee! Paris as well :)

My dad has the BL3 and I had them as well, but never with the BL2. If it wasn't for this stinking price increase, I would have gone with them regardless, it's just I want to take advantage of it being cheap now and get something 'expensive'

I have / had the same reservations with the BL5 in small rooms. One dealer made though the comment, that they make the BL5 "work" in their often tiny Beoliving section in their stores.

If you dealer is nice & close by, it might offer you a home demo to decide. In fact, that is what I would recommend.

Cheers

JK

thanks jk1002,

The thing is that "my dealer" is in the UK and I live in Paris. When I asked about a home demo, they said that you need to put the money forward, then they can bring the speakers over, then you choose which one you want etc etc.

So i dont know... maybe its worth asking the dealer to put the volume low...?

A 5x8m room is hardly too small for BL5s, Moxxey - but I will agree that these are speakers that should be given priority for you to get the best possible sound out of them. I have a 4,3Wx3,3Hx7L room, it's dedicated A/V room, with the furniture directed towards the listening position. The speakers are out on the floor, about 1,6m from the front wall and 1m from the side wall - with 2,4m between them (measured between the calibration pads.)

If you're serious about quality listening, then you can't go wrong with BL5s in my opinion.
But I will say that one should be aware of neighbour issues. They can, literally, make the china in the flat below move.

While BL9s are good, they can't compete with the BL5s for detail, resolution and realistic power - but they deserve space, and if that's a problem, then BL9s are a good choice. Better to have them working at the level they're best at, than to be restricting a pair of BL5s from what they can do.

The beolab 9 need space to.

The bass of the beolab 9 goes also very deep.

If I were you I would ask the dealer for some different setups in your own livingroom.

Well... If you see it the other way, there will be no price increase : in Paris there will not be a 10% increase. The fact is that you are comparing current UK prices to current french prices. There is a bargain currently as the pound just sank recently. So the price increase will compensate this.

But if you plan to buy in Paris, there's no hurry as no price increase is scheduled

Yes mbee, but things are more expensive in Paris I think... 21% lux tax? But also I get paid in GBP but live in Paris :'( I've lost a BL5 worth of fx already!