Hello everybody,

I need an advice on beovox 4500. I could by some for 350 EUR (400 USD?). I currently use two ways infinity (from the 80's, like my music). Before I used beolab 2500 linked to an  Ouverture, our living room is rather small  (35-40 m2, ca. 350sqf) and, as I said, I listen to music of the 80's, like Supertramp, Donald Fagen, Genesis...

Would I be disappointed by their sound?

Be seing you,

François

They are fine - but not a lot of low down bass. The Beolab 4500 gets round this by having a lift to the bass built in - you can off course simply do the same on the 9000 with the tone controls.

Is there any difference in sound quality, cause Francois is talking about the Beovox and you (Doctor) are talking about Beolabs?

That's exactly what Doctor says: The amplifier in the -labs gives a lift to the bass (more bass) than in the Beovox only.
But you can of course just turn up the bass on the 9300 system.

So both give the same results, either Beovox tuned up with the tone control of the BC9000 or Beolabs with built in amp? Okay...

Personally, I would think the lab4500's would sound better as the bass boost will be tuned to that design, but having never heard these speakers I might be wrong!

Step1:

Personally, I would think the lab4500's would sound better as the bass boost will be tuned to that design, but having never heard these speakers I might be wrong!

Same thoughts!

The difficulty, maybe the silliness, of my question is that it is difficult to have an absolute  answer to a question which remains very subjective. Did anybody have the chance of hearing them and the beolab 2500? How did they compare?

Be seing you!

François

I can't speak specifically w/ regards to the BL2500 vs. the BV4500 (or BL4500).

However, I do have BV and BL3000 (for all intents and purposes, identical to the 4500) and have had them both connected to a BC9300. Currently, I have the BV's connected. I also listen to lots of '80's music. I like them, though as already mentioned -perhaps bass light -but probably sound warmer than either of the BL's. I think they might be an interesting mate to perhaps a Cona subwoofer. Also, placement and the quality (materials) of the wall they are mounted on can play a significant role. Oh, and there may have never been a more beautiful speaker ever made, BV or BL.

Dear Burantek.

thank you very much for your advice. Of course, the estetics (sp?) of the beovox 4500 is impressive, but I want to make sure that the sound meet the appearance, or at least remains at a respectable level.

Design is important to me but it must deliver the goods, like the other icon of design I love: the Swiss Knife.

Be seing you

François

Francois1er:

but I want to make sure that the sound meet the appearance, or at least remains at a respectable level.

In fairness, the BV3000 are not *truly* "directly" connected to the BC9300 right now as I had stated... my mistake.

They are connected to a BL Passive amp connected to a BS1/BV4 as L/R channels. The BC9300 is ML'd to the BS1 and the BV3000 will play as stereo when using the audio source. The amp in the BC9300 and the amp in the BL Passive are similar enough, so... same difference!

After an exhausting day in the BW forum trenches... I need a drinky-poo, so I will be happy to fire up some '80's and report back later!

P.S. All of these Mondrian style speakers are notorious for blemishes especially in the metal. Look at them the wrong way, and SCRATCH! My advice would be to buy the BEST cosmetic ones you can find. The rest can be sorted!

The amplifier in the BC9300 does not go below 70 Hz (!) so that's a major shortcoming. (BC9500 starts at 20 hz) 

jc:

The amplifier in the BC9300 does not go below 70 Hz (!) so that's a major shortcoming. (BC9500 starts at 20 hz) 

I *believe* they are rated identically, no?

20-20,000Hz

70 seems rather high... for anything???

Frankly, I did not notice

I have had them both, the 9500 and 9300, with beovoxes the 9500 sound much better, with beolab I don't know if there is a difference because then the apm isn't used. Besides I read on this site that the used components in a 9300 are of a lesser quality than in the 9500. The makeover was clearly intended as a cost-saving operation.

Francois1er:

The difficulty, maybe the silliness, of my question is that it is difficult to have an absolute  answer to a question which remains very subjective. Did anybody have the chance of hearing them and the beolab 2500? How did they compare?

I have both BL 4500 and BL5000 and I once had a pair of 2500's. I was a bit disappointed with the sound of the 2500's.
The 4500's sound much better. But either it's -Vox or -Lab I will recommend a subwoofer because of the lack of deeper bass.
The BL/vox 5000 has a better sound (more bass) because of the larger volume (approx. 2x size). The bass level of the 5000 can never be reached by the 4500's. If you turn up the bass on the Beocenter too much it will sound unnatural.

I use my 5000's without subwoofer -while I use a subwoofer with the 4500's. The overall sound from those speakers is really good -they are very open and detailed. And as said before -they are probably some of the most beautiful speakers ever

Hello Steffen,

is it complicated to add a subwoofer?

A casual inspection of my 9300 connection did not reveal any middle or sub woofer output.

Be seing you,

François

It is not complicated. There is several ways to connect subwoofers to B&O. You can use the Powerlink connections.

There is a lot of different adaptors on the market -and you can find threads about it here on Beoworld. Here is one:

http://forum.beoworld.org/forums/p/17281/127849.aspx#127849

Good luck

Steffen

Hello everybody,

many thanks for your valuable advice. Meanwhile, I know I can only have 3000 or 4500 (veto from Ms. regarding the size of the 5000, which I preffered. And who said that size would not matter for women...) In blue.

It seems that beolab could be better, due to the shortcomings -alleged, as they say in the news -- of the BC9300 in terms of amplifier.

3000 and 4500 are basically the same, Thus, I can say:

"beolab or not beolab, that is the question" as they say in some Danish play

Be seing you, François