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This is the first Archived Forum which was active between 17th April 2007 and 1st March February 2012

 

Latest post 12-01-2009 8:20 PM by snoopy. 30 replies.
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  • 03-21-2009 2:30 PM

    • lausvi
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    Few Beolab Penta -questions

    Hello.

    I have just bought a pair of Beolab Penta speakers! I paid... well, a lot but less than 800 EUR.  This is the MK1 (?) version, yellow screen showing source and volume.

    They are quite nice, especially after cleaning all the fingerprints off!  Only a few very small dents, most on the back. 

    My main questions at the moment are:

    1) Has the original cloth been black or grey? The cloths are looking a bit dirty, almost yellowed... Some holes too and I think I will replace them.

    2) When used with my Beocenter 9000 (thrue the 4-pin DIN cables); what sensitivity setting of the three I "should" use?

    3) There seems to be a slight buzz - with no signal applied. I recon there is some re-capping to be done? Also I'd like to recap the crossovers someday. The DIN cables are very long and of unknown quality and I will shorten them and check the plugs and their solderings.

    4) The midrange speakers are of the foam-edge type. They are all intact (except one that has now a small crack when I pressed it when checking). The speakers have been already played loud and as the foams are still in one piece I will let them be for now. How much a good-quality replacement rings cost and can you recommend a specific place to buy them? I have never done refoaming but I am eager to try!

    I have had them for only some hours and futher listening will show if there are other problems. Anyway I already like them, they are huge, but they look great. I was sorry to give the S75's in exchange but I simply haven't got enough space to keep them all. 

    Bang & Olufsen - The art of controlling sound, picture and light

  • 03-21-2009 5:00 PM In reply to

    • 9 LEE
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    Re: Few Beolab Penta -questions

    Well done - Pentas are great!

    1) The cloth is grey, never black

    2 & 3) Consult the manual onsite and also consult our resident 'tech guys' on the forum for that!

    4) for the midrange drivers i would just replace them with the B&O new parts, but Dillen and Medogsfat are very experienced in refoaming - so i would possibly ask their advice! Smile

    Enjoy!

    Lee

    Yes -  thumbs up

    BeoWorld - Everything Bang & Olufsen

  • 03-21-2009 5:22 PM In reply to

    Re: Few Beolab Penta -questions

    The orange display makes me think that they will be Mark 2 Pentas. Do they have Powerlink sockets as well? If using speaker link and a 9000, set the volume to the middle setting - 40-80W .

  • 03-22-2009 6:34 AM In reply to

    • lausvi
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    Re: Few Beolab Penta -questions

    That's interesting, I was reading the "From Spark to Icon" yesterday and there the clotch looks clearly black!

    I remember seeing the different displays in the "Collecting B&O" book and I think that the difference was that the MK2 had the track number display added, the MK1 having only the source and volume. They have line in, speaker link (the 4-pin DIN) and speaker level clip- connectors on the bottom, I don't think there was Powerlink, nor have I ever seen one!

    I will be interest to hear experts' comments on whenever I should replace the elements or just refoam them. Hmm

     

    Bang & Olufsen - The art of controlling sound, picture and light

  • 03-22-2009 6:51 AM In reply to

    Re: Few Beolab Penta -questions

    Sound like Mk1s then, though all the ones I have seen had green LED displays. I would replace the mid range units - they are not that expensive though clearly this is made up for by the number of them. You then know you have brand new units with no faults.

  • 03-22-2009 7:11 AM In reply to

    • lausvi
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    Re: Few Beolab Penta -questions

    The B&O collecting book tells that the MK1 and 2 have yellow (a bit greenish perhaps) screen and the MK3 has green dot-matrix screen.

    There is anyway some maintenance to be done; the cloths, midrange units, electrolytic capacitors in the crossover and power supply.... Anyway I have a deal with the seller and we can lower the price if there are any faults that I have to get fixed. 

    Anyhow I'd prefer to refoam the midrange units, if that is considerably cheaper (and if I can do that myself with good results) than buying replacement units. As there are eight of them in total!

     

    Bang & Olufsen - The art of controlling sound, picture and light

  • 03-22-2009 7:53 AM In reply to

    Re: Few Beolab Penta -questions

    Mark 2 are distinctly orange - much the same as Beolab 3000s. Mark 3s are completely different and are green dot matrix as you say. Best of luck with the refoaming.

  • 03-22-2009 8:05 AM In reply to

    Re: Few Beolab Penta -questions

    Hate to disagree with Peter but I have never seen MK1 with green display. My examples have all had Amber.

    The only green ones are the MK3

    I would also replace the midranges. They cost less than £20 each and will save all that crap and glue and stuff!!

    Regards Graham

  • 03-22-2009 9:15 AM In reply to

    • lausvi
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    Re: Few Beolab Penta -questions

    Attached is a photo of my Pentas screen. 

    Are the replacement midranges still available from B&O? Or from Dillen or some other source?

     


    Bang & Olufsen - The art of controlling sound, picture and light

  • 03-22-2009 9:16 AM In reply to

    • lausvi
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    Re: Few Beolab Penta -questions

    And here is the broken midrange speaker... 

     


    Bang & Olufsen - The art of controlling sound, picture and light

  • 03-22-2009 9:21 AM In reply to

    • lausvi
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    Re: Few Beolab Penta -questions

     

    And one more. There is clearly four figits on the screen, "T" on the left, then the two illuminated for the "AU" but then there is still one, which doesn't seem to be used in any function. Is that normal?

     


    Bang & Olufsen - The art of controlling sound, picture and light

  • 03-22-2009 9:27 AM In reply to

    Re: Few Beolab Penta -questions

    Have you tried other sources? CDV springs to mind.Or possibly Tape 2 (TP2)

    My recollection of green displays comes from the very pair I saw when they were introduced. The display was very different from the Mk3. However I see very few Mk1s so am perfectly happy to accept that Mark 1s had an orange display!

     

     

  • 03-22-2009 9:34 AM In reply to

    • lausvi
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    Re: Few Beolab Penta -questions

    I tried every source I have in my setup (BC9000; tape 1/2, cd, phono, aux, radio).

    Tape 2 is indicated with "TP2" and that uses the first three digits from the left. The last one is never illuminated. What is CDV?

     

    Bang & Olufsen - The art of controlling sound, picture and light

  • 03-22-2009 9:43 AM In reply to

    Re: Few Beolab Penta -questions

    Video CD = DVD these days! What about radio presets? P12 maybe?

  • 03-22-2009 10:27 AM In reply to

    • lausvi
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    Re: Few Beolab Penta -questions

    Of course!

    I had only 8 FM presets. I quickly added some more and yes; the last digit shows the last number. Great. 

    I have only listened less than few hours but I think these are real nice speakers. The high-end is not perhaps quite so bright. Could be a cross-over/cap replacement- matter? There is certainly a lot of bass, even at the linear setting of the Penta. 

     

    Bang & Olufsen - The art of controlling sound, picture and light

  • 03-22-2009 12:08 PM In reply to

    Re: Few Beolab Penta -questions

    They are designed to be listened to sitting down. That way, the tweeters are at ear level. It makes quite a difference! They are not as bright as 8000s for instance though.

  • 03-22-2009 4:38 PM In reply to

    • lausvi
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    Re: Few Beolab Penta -questions

    I also noted that the high-end is best on the sitting level. 

    I am anyway going to have some more research, then open up the thing and clean things, check capacitor values and later on replace them. I am going to just refresh things; I am not really interested in making modifications to the circuitry. (Well, if there is something easy to do; I just might give it a try while there :)

    I am not sure yet if I will have too much worries about the midrange speakers, I think I will let them be for now. (Is there anything I can do to temporarily fix the one that has been broken? Glue the crack?)

     

    Bang & Olufsen - The art of controlling sound, picture and light

  • 03-22-2009 6:03 PM In reply to

    • Henri
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    Re: Few Beolab Penta -questions

    lausvi:
    I am going to just refresh things; I am not really interested in making modifications to the circuitry. (Well, if there is something easy to do; I just might give it a try while there :)

    Bypassing (shorting) the tweeter resistor is easy enough and helps slightly to get rid of the "muffled" high range. If you're not sure, it's easy to jump the resistor temporarily with a length of wire. IMO, midrange seems to be the biggest single problem with Penta; it's mellow, allright, but has a slightly nasal tone I'd love to get rid of. With classical music I like these speakers very much, listening to jazz is... well, painful.

  • 03-23-2009 2:24 AM In reply to

    • lausvi
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    Re: Few Beolab Penta -questions

     

    That was the one thing I think I will do. Simple enough and reversable if needed. And yes, anything that makes the high range better is worth doing. Perhaps Die_Bogener and other experts might give us some tips? Whistle

     

    Bang & Olufsen - The art of controlling sound, picture and light

  • 03-23-2009 11:01 AM In reply to

    • Dullen
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    Re: Few Beolab Penta -questions

    If I were you, I would refoarm the midrange speaker!  and about the cloths. the one's I saw was black. but I'm no expert on that Smile

     Talk to Medogsfat or Dillen Yes -  thumbs up

    Best regards

    Janeke

  • 03-23-2009 11:21 AM In reply to

    Re: Few Beolab Penta -questions

    Would agree with that. Chris has recovered his Pentas with blue cloth. And very nice they looked too!

  • 03-23-2009 5:17 PM In reply to

    • Xseries
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    Re: Few Beolab Penta - questions

    If you want to refoam then check on ebay under Beovox repair and then follow the links to an excellent Dutch site good_hifi.  I have bought several rings from him for CX50/100s, RL140s and also a pair to fit an LX TV.

    Brian 

  • 10-07-2009 12:52 PM In reply to

    Re: Few Beolab Penta -questions

    Ville Laustela:

    MK1 having only the source and volume. They have line in, speaker link (the 4-pin DIN) and speaker level clip- connectors on the bottom,

    Hello,

    I am going to buy a Beolab Penta MK1, with all connection as above. I will connect Mk1 with my Beomaster 7000.

    I have some questions:

    1+ which type of powerlink can I use? Can I use a powerlink, one end connect to 8-pin on Beomaster, another end connect to Line-in on Penta mk1?

    2+ if I use a 2-pin DIN speaker cable, is it sound and display? I see 4-pin speaker for both MK1 and Beomaster 7000, but it is hard to find it.

    3+ Is there any differrence about sound quality between Beolad Pente MK1, MK2 and MK3?

    4+ Do Beomaster 7000 fit to MK1 to produce best quality sound?

     

    Thank you and I am appreciate for your experience.

     

  • 10-08-2009 12:11 AM In reply to

    Re: Few Beolab Penta -questions

    Giang Nguyen:

    Hello,

    I am going to buy a Beolab Penta MK1, with all connection as above. I will connect Mk1 with my Beomaster 7000.

    I have some questions:

    1+ which type of powerlink can I use? Can I use a powerlink, one end connect to 8-pin on Beomaster, another end connect to Line-in on Penta mk1?

    2+ if I use a 2-pin DIN speaker cable, is it sound and display? I see 4-pin speaker for both MK1 and Beomaster 7000, but it is hard to find it.

    3+ Is there any differrence about sound quality between Beolad Pente MK1, MK2 and MK3?

    4+ Do Beomaster 7000 fit to MK1 to produce best quality sound?

     

    Thank you and I am appreciate for your experience.

     

    Anyone help?

     

     

  • 10-08-2009 1:21 AM In reply to

    • lausvi
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    Re: Few Beolab Penta -questions

    Ok, let's try...

    1) I think that powerlink was introudeced in Penta Mk II or later, Mk I doesn't have one and you can't use that (or you have to adapt it to fit line in on Penta but I don't think that makes much sense).

    2) 2-pin cable is just the sound, for the display (data) you need the 4-pin cable

    3) Don't know about that, I think they were technically the same, just some display updates?

    4) Without having a BM7000 I think it will be quite good enough! Cool

    Bang & Olufsen - The art of controlling sound, picture and light

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