As the new sub woofer is arriving this year I hear here on BeoWorld now a lot of blame about BeoLab2 performance. Before BeoLa2 for instance was a very big advantage when adding it to BeoLab 8000 now everyone says it is not big emprovement for hearing music and therefore suitable only for cinematic effect.

Whay this kind of mind changing? Will new sub perform better or what would there be different? It will also only be a sub woofer.

Not to produce vibration will not give a lot effect to the cinema, perhaps more for listening to the music. So I think it will also onl half satisfy B&O fans.

Am I right?

There have always been many opinions about the performance of the Beolab 2 also before the news about a new subwoofer.

I have always thought Beolab 2 to be a bit slow and therefore always lacking behind slighty in a stereo picture. I don't think the BL8000 needs a subwoofer. They have a great design and has decent enough performance. If you want better sound quality go for a better speaker (BL5s, BL9s) don't add a subwoofer for better sound quality.

I have a combination of BL8000 and BL2. I have bought BL2 ro improve bass.

I think that improvement is big but sometimes when listening to the music there is to much bass.

What will the new sub be produced for then? B&O already have BL2 and if new sub is no big improvement for column speakers, then this new product is another cinema setup product.

It's sometimes a bit of an old man's syndrome... everyone just regurgitates whatever a couple people said.

People were saying BL8000 was the way forward, beats the BL3 any day, and if you check now the dramatic shift (that I have percieved) of opinion, it will indicate that the ALT and all ALT setup is the future.

I always believe that although the BL8000 were legendary, they are a bit too old looking for today. It looks like a big submarine or those gas burner for welding... The Lab3 is simple and doesn't immediately wow you its looks but definately delivers.

I bought the BeoLab2, originally to sell on but once I installed it, it never left the house! The cinema is amazing, and music is impressive as well! I have set it on volume 2 (via the BV7-40) with Bass in the middle (50%) I have also CRITICALLY changed the BL2s setting to Setting 2 i think (need to check). This reduced the booming loads, yet whenever you think the sound is getting too low for your current speakers (excep BL5) then the BL2 kicks in like a gentleman.

Remember that its also not the massive 15" or 12" drivers, inevitably making it quicker to react than larger subs... funny thing is that it doesnt loose the low bass either, which smaller diameters subs do (relatively).

I love it, I wouldn't live without it, it really kicks in where all our b&o speakers stop (except bl9 and bl5) and you can make it as boomy as you wish. It completes your system and adds the bass that all the other non bl9 and bl5 speakers lack, badly at high volumes, and dont tell me that you never listen to music loud :)

However, as most people have said, if youre going to buy it new + another pair of speakers, then yes, you are definately better off going for the BL9 at roughtly the same price! I just got the BL2 used and haven't looked back since!

avus17, relax, there appear to be a silent majority on the issue ...

I agree with timhanna (indeed there are 3 possible settings, among other possibilities), except for him comparing BL8000 to a pair of submarines ...

(In my recent excited thread I stated how the combo of (even) BL6000 and BL2 pleasanntly surprised me in a larger room - and getting over the 'hangover', a few days later, I still stand by this!)

timhanna:

I bought the BeoLab2, originally to sell on but once I installed it, it never left the house! The cinema is amazing, and music is impressive as well! I have set it on volume 2 (via the BV7-40) with Bass in the middle (50%) I have also CRITICALLY changed the BL2s setting to Setting 2 i think (need to check). This reduced the booming loads, yet whenever you think the sound is getting too low for your current speakers (excep BL5) then the BL2 kicks in like a gentleman.

How do you set the volume at 2? We have a US BV7-40 MKIII and I can not find such a setting.

Hi,

I dont remember exactly but basically its under Menu, Sound something, subwoofer and select 2 bars.

Its the same place were you set the volume, bass, bla bla...

I always thought my BeoLab 2 (added to my BL8000) was one of my best price/performance B&O purchases.

If you spend some time with placement and switch configuration, it can be very musical.  Mine is not boomy nor "slow" (to my ears, of course).  In fact, some visitors have remarked that they do not hear it (I suppose they expect subs to be boomy).  To me, it provides a seamless low end extension to the BL8000s (MK1) - which I assume was the intended effect. 

It has been demonstrated to me that some types of music can overwhelm the BL2 (Alex recommended a Massive Attack song that makes the bass sound uncontrolled) so maybe this is where some of the negatives come from - but I don't normally listen to music like this so it doesn't bother me.  Then again, another poster said he used that same song to showoff his BL2 to his friends so to each his own.

If I had to do it all over again, I'd probably buy the BL9s (although maybe not since the wife doesn't like their look), but that was not a choice when I bought my BL8000s.

Bottom line, listen through your ears (not your eyes ).

Stan

I bought a Beolab 2 second had ti improve the listing expirience with my Lab3 in my office. Unfortunately for my setup the very basic adjustments with the two switches of the Beolab2 did not work out. Bass was always to "boomy" or no effect at all. So I sold it for the same price, lucky me. 

Compared to other brands just to expensive for the perfromance, but definetly very nice looking

We must also admit that since the BL2 launch, the B&O speakers have greatly been improved : BL2 was useful even with B&O's top of the range speakers (Beolab 1)... Now it is unnecessary if you buy Bl9 or Bl5, and its price has been multiplied by 2.

So now for approximately the same price as BL3+BL2, you can get a pair of Beolab 9 which are really impressive and offers almost as much bass as the Bl2 (less special effects on movies, but more musical capacities...). Time has changed (you can notice that the bl2 is now one of the older products in the range which hasn't been updated)!

I have a room with BL 1 and BL2 and one room BL 1 only. BL 2 is a good complement. I like the flexibility it provides. Not sure BL9 are fully comparable with a BL 2 and separate speaker setup