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

 

Latest post 07-09-2008 7:18 AM by Morgan. 13 replies.
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  • 07-07-2008 1:56 PM

    Considering going from BL9 to BL5

    Hi All

    I am at this moment considering weather i should replace my BL9´s with BL5´s or not. I am very happy with my BL9´s and they sound absolutely fantastic in my apartment. However, i have always wanted the Bl5´s as they are the superb speaker benchmark IMO.

    I know that the sounddifference is huge if you upgrade from say BL 8000 or something like this, but what about from BL9´s?? I mean, is it worth the money, and in asking this i know that it all comes down to personal opinion and all. Just wonder if anyone has upgraded from BL9´s and can share the experience.

     

    Thanks in advance

    Ehlerz 

    BV7-40 MK IV, BL5´s, BL3´s, BL 3500, BL7-4, BS3000, BC 6-23, BV 1, BS3.

  • 07-07-2008 2:27 PM In reply to

    Re: Considering going from BL9 to BL5

    When I decided to update my front BL8000´s I had the same doubt. The BL9´s are great, but I was in love with the sound of the BL5´s. They are the reason for my Beo ill-ness. So, just to avoid your actual situation I decided to get a pair of BL5. Actually I´m really happy with my decision. They are superb. They cost a big amount of money, but if you use to listen to the music as the last thing in your life, get a pair of 5´s. I have never regret about my decision. I´m more happy everyday because of them.
    Rafa
  • 07-07-2008 2:41 PM In reply to

    Re: Considering going from BL9 to BL5

    Morgan:
    When I decided to update my front BL8000´s I had the same doubt. The BL9´s are great, but I was in love with the sound of the BL5´s. They are the reason for my Beo ill-ness. So, just to avoid your actual situation I decided to get a pair of BL5. Actually I´m really happy with my decision. They are superb. They cost a big amount of money, but if you use to listen to the music as the last thing in your life, get a pair of 5´s. I have never regret about my decision. I´m more happy everyday because of them.

     

    My dealer actually offered me a tradeoff with my BL 9´s and about 10.000 US$ for a 9 month old set of BL 5´s. I wonder if the 5´s have ever been updated?? 

    BV7-40 MK IV, BL5´s, BL3´s, BL 3500, BL7-4, BS3000, BC 6-23, BV 1, BS3.

  • 07-07-2008 2:55 PM In reply to

    Re: Considering going from BL9 to BL5

    Ehlerz:

    My dealer actually offered me a tradeoff with my BL 9´s and about 10.000 US$ for a 2,5 year old set of BL 5´s. I wonder if the 5´s have ever been updated?? 

     Yes, they have been updated. I think the update was about the PIN code. I´m sure that Keith or Soundproof could help you with this.

    Rafa
  • 07-07-2008 4:18 PM In reply to

    • Jez
    • Top 500 Contributor
    • Joined on 06-13-2007
    • Posts 150
    • Bronze Member

    Re: Considering going from BL9 to BL5

    I have both and both are fantastic. If you are extreamly passionate about music, without a doubt step up to a pair of BL5's. It will kill your social life though, just sitting at home getting your moneys worth.

    I ended up putting BL9s as rears and it seams like abit of  overkill/waste.

  • 07-08-2008 2:04 AM In reply to

    • moxxey
    • Top 25 Contributor
    • Joined on 04-14-2007
    • South West, UK
    • Posts 2,360
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    Re: Considering going from BL9 to BL5

    This doesn't answer your question directly, but I moved up from having a 'simple' 7.2 speaker underneath my BV7-40 to a 7.4 + BL9's. Although the sound is absolutely superb, it can be heard two floors below, even when listening to CDs. So, always bear this in mind if it's an issue. The BL5's are another step up again (2500w of power, for each speaker!).

    I'd love to eventually swap out my BL9's for the BL5's - who wouldn't - but the problem I'm now going to have is....that I need to move to a detached house, first!

  • 07-08-2008 4:35 AM In reply to

    Re: Considering going from BL9 to BL5

    moxxey:

    This doesn't answer your question directly, but I moved up from having a 'simple' 7.2 speaker underneath my BV7-40 to a 7.4 + BL9's. Although the sound is absolutely superb, it can be heard two floors below, even when listening to CDs. So, always bear this in mind if it's an issue. The BL5's are another step up again (2500w of power, for each speaker!).

    I'd love to eventually swap out my BL9's for the BL5's - who wouldn't - but the problem I'm now going to have is....that I need to move to a detached house, first!

     

    That is actually a very valid point to make. I do live in a flat on the 4 floor and must admit that on a few ocassions, the people below asked me to turn down the music :-) However when listening to music at normal volumes ( at or below 50) should there be a huge difference between 9´s and 5´s? I know that 5´s has a subwoofer directed directly towards the floor. I am a bit worried about that i must admit, but probably not as much as the people below me... :-)

    BV7-40 MK IV, BL5´s, BL3´s, BL 3500, BL7-4, BS3000, BC 6-23, BV 1, BS3.

  • 07-08-2008 7:29 AM In reply to

    Re: Considering going from BL9 to BL5

    One more point is, depending on what Music you listen to it ay not make much sense. A lot of CDs are not recorded up to par with BL5 in my opinion. While I would love them myself, I will stick to my BL3 BL2 combination for that reason. 

     I also think there is nothing wrong buying an older pair of BL5s for a lower price. Used is used, usually not much of a difference between 3 years old or 6 month old. 

    Cheers

    Jk 

    BS9000, BS2300, BC2, BL2500, BL3, Bl2, BS1, BV8, BC4, A8

  • 07-08-2008 9:20 AM In reply to

    Re: Considering going from BL9 to BL5

    I'm in general agreement with most of the posts here.  If you are REALLY passionate about your recorded music, the BeoLab 5 is probably the best loudspeaker in general manufacture today, and certainly one of the most adaptable.  

    The big benefits, vs the BL9, are the room correction (which is a very beautiful thing all by itself), the midrange lens (which works very well from a psychoacoustic standpoint), and the immense power reserve, which means that at all normal levels the speakers are completely unstressed.  Also, the quality control in manufacture (not possible with an analog speaker such as the BL9) yields enhanced stereophony.  In short, there's a lot to like about a BL5.  

    On the other hand, the BeoLab 9 is an awfully nice speaker – I have a pair and really enjoy them A LOT!  If you are not in a detached house, or have neighbors below you, or are not sure you can afford the BL5s right now, and you ALREADY HAVE BL9s, you are in very good shape, indeed.  

    It's a nice position to be in.  Enjoy (and go for the 5s, he whispered)!

    Best regards,

    Dave Moulton
    Dave Sausalito Audio LLC
  • 07-08-2008 10:18 AM In reply to

    • mjmedlo
    • Top 150 Contributor
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    • Joined on 06-07-2008
    • Arkansas, USA
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    Re: Considering going from BL9 to BL5

    I have all of the B&Ospeakers with the exception of the lab 9s and the 7 series.  I have heard the 9s several times and can tell you that for me they are absolutely worlds above all other B&O speakers.  You can hear similarities in the voice reproductions of all of the speakers but the lab 5s are in a completely different class than the other speakers. .

    I would tell you that if you have neighbors underneath then the lab 5s would be a serious problem for your neighbors.  I have a moderately sized home; appx 1700 sq ft and my 5s, when turned up, rattle everything in the house (with a concrete slab floor).

    They are EXTREMELY powerful, but also EXTREMELY clean. . .I concur with the others that I don't think you can go wrong either way 

    I'm ready for something new that I actually want to buy!

  • 07-08-2008 1:24 PM In reply to

    • saf
    • Top 150 Contributor
    • Joined on 04-17-2007
    • Posts 458
    • Founder

    Re: Considering going from BL9 to BL5

    Dave Moulton:
    ...  and you ALREADY HAVE BL9s, you are in very good shape, indeed.  

    It's a nice position to be in.  Enjoy (and go for the 5s, he whispered)!

    Best regards,

    Dave Moulton

     Hehe ... It could hardly be put more clear - of course.

    (Go for them!)

  • 07-09-2008 12:06 AM In reply to

    Re: Considering going from BL9 to BL5

    Morgan:
    Yes, they have been updated. I think the update was about the PIN code. I´m sure that Keith or Soundproof could help you with this.

    There has been one software update for the BL5s. Its purpose was to eliminate the timing error that causes a sudden deafening blast of white noise (pink noise, actually) when switching from analogue to digital inputs. As is usual with B&O software updates, it eliminated the pink noise problem but introduced a new one. By overcompensating for the timing error, there is now a muting delay in switching from analogue to digital inputs, with the result that the first several seconds of the digital source material are lost. This is somewhat similar to the CD timing delay in the BS3 software which has presumably been corrected with the new 4.24 software. It is really annoying, but at least less ear-spliting than the original problem. Unless you plan to use the BL5 digital inputs for the digital output from, e.g., a BS 9000 or BC2, I would advise against having the update installed.
  • 07-09-2008 2:52 AM In reply to

    • GANGO
    • Not Ranked
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    • Joined on 04-17-2007
    • italy
    • Posts 48
    • Bronze Member

    Re: Considering going from BL9 to BL5

    ciao tutti,

    very interesting posts, because i need to upgrade my speaker setup, at the moment i've got a pair of bl6000 as front and a pair of bl 2500 as rear  around my bv9 ! so i will move the 6000 to the rear position, they should work well there- but as front speaker ?? should i go for the bl3 for the moment and save my money for the bl5 (and move the bl3 to the rear then ) or should i go for the bl9 and stop it there? btw, the room is about 40 sqm.

    who knows..

    gango

  • 07-09-2008 7:18 AM In reply to

    Re: Considering going from BL9 to BL5

    BEOBUFF: Thanks a lot. I didn´t kow that.

    GANGO: IMO if your priority is music I would go for the 5s,  the 9s are enough for films.

    Rafa
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