I've admired B&O products for years and I've decided to finally take the plunge. I'm looking for a setup consisting of a TV and 2 speakers (to start). I love the look of the beovision 8-40 and the beolab 4's, not to mention the entry level price point. I'm worried however, that because I'm going for an entry level product, I'm going to get entry level quality and not the B&O standard I've been lusting after for years! I'm going to be putting them in my lounge which is 14x25 feet. Does anyone have any experience with these products who could ease my concerns?

Many Thanks,

Mike

Beovision 8-40 is a true B&O product.

I would wait a couple of month and see what the new Beovision 10-40 is about, before making my final choice. It is a mid range and the few who have seen it say it is really beautiful - a piece

Beolab 4 is not the best speakers appearantly. If I were you I'd buy a TV and wait a bit and then buy speakers... Beovisions' sound is really good, you may not need speakers.

hi mdwolman i have seen the bv8-40 myself as i was considering getting this tv theres a few owners on this forum who have the bv8-40 also. i liked the picture on the demo that i had it was quite sharp and clear with the 100hz compared to the competition but i will admit that i did see some distortion and shimmer on certain quick paning shots i don't no if it was the signal which caused it but i did notice it. i  had a really nice demo with the new bv7 100hz version and the picture quality i think is superb. i was watching kung fu hustle and the overall picture was amazing super sharp motion and the colours this tv produced was spectacular, if i had the extra money i would definately go for that. although the bv8-40  isn't bad  i will say that it hasn't got many of the features that the bv7 has like the vision clear processing and the bs3 system i will say that the sound quality on the bv8-40 is incredible though. the lady that was working there told me that shes seen the new bv10 and the new bv7-55 and she said to me that the bv10 is the most incredible looking tv that she has ever seen. she was also telling me how good the picture quality and sound of the tv was considering how slim the tv actually is. she said the price would be about £6500 but wasn't 100% sure she also stated that the bv7 was her favourite tv until she saw the bv10 this info was also backed up by her colleague who was also talking about how incredible this tv is. i also think that it might be a good thing to wait unless you can't and really need a tv asap hope this helps you.

Beovision 8-40 is a good television, but I would also wait for the Beovision 10-40, before I made a decision. Beolab 4's look great in my opinion but sonically it's not the best speaker. You might consider Beolab 4000's or Beolab 3's instead. 

The BV8-40 is a great TV, well worth the money. Although it's 'entry level' (like my BV3-32 it replaced) it's way in front of the mainstream competition in picture and sound quality. I have lab 8000's as front speakers - great sound, beautiful design and not hugely expensive if you buy second hand. I added lab 6000's as rear speakers, the classic speaker set up (a lab 2 will complete it) Most people don't know that B&O do entry level!

Mark

PhilLondon:

Beovision 8-40 is a true B&O product.

I would wait a couple of month and see what the new Beovision 10-40 is about, before making my final choice. It is a mid range and the few who have seen it say it is really beautiful

Beolab 4 is not the best speakers appearantly. If I were you I'd buy a TV and wait a bit and then buy speakers... Beovisions' sound is really good, you may not need speakers.

PhilLondon:

 

Beovision 8-40 is a true B&O product.

I would wait a couple of month and see what the new Beovision 10-40 is about, before making my final choice. It is a mid range and the few who have seen it say it is really beautiful

Beolab 4 is not the best speakers appearantly. If I were you I'd buy a TV and wait a bit and then buy speakers... Beovisions' sound is really good, you may not need speakers.

PhilLondon:

 

Beovision 8-40 is a true B&O product.

I would wait a couple of month and see what the new Beovision 10-40 is about, before making my final choice. It is a mid range and the few who have seen it say it is really beautiful

Beolab 4 is not the best speakers appearantly. If I were you I'd buy a TV and wait a bit and then buy speakers... Beovisions' sound is really good, you may not need speakers.

Getting your post count up there Phil?

Most on this forum do not respect the BL4. 

I bought a pair a few months ago because they looked nice in my bedroom (WAF) and this was more important than their sound.  In the store, they sounded horrible.  In fact, I almost changed my mind, but decided, what the heck, I could always return them (I was buying a display model).  When I first set them up, I was disappointed - they sounded as bad as they did in the store.  However, I noticed when I turned them up a bit (louder than I would normally listen in my bedroom), they sounded quite nice.  I then took them off their stands and placed each on a sturdy table near a wall, and it sounded much better.  I played around with the corner/wall/free switch, and I'm really happy with them.  Now that I have them setup, they sound incredibly clear and detailed to my ears.  True, the bass is a little lacking, but that goes with any small speaker.  I think they would sound pretty good mounted on the wall.

My point is that the BL4 can be a competent speaker.  It is true that its bass is compromised by its small size and is greatly influenced by its positioning.  It also sounds better turned up a bit rather than very low levels.

Like most, I'd recommend 2nd hand BL4000 vs. new BL4, unless the BL4000s do not fit your room (as was my case).  If you really want a small, unconventionally designed speaker, the BL4 is worth a try (just make sure you can return them).

Stan

Stan:

However, I noticed when I turned them up a bit (louder than I would normally listen in my bedroom), they sounded quite nice.  I then took them off their stands and placed each on a sturdy table near a wall, and it sounded much better. 

That has been my experience too.

I like them for our bedroom.

Even bought an additional (demo) pair for the second bedroom.

hi mdwolman

i got the chance to see the bv8-40 with my own dvds today and after some intense scrutiny viewing various scenes on motion colour and overall picture quality i take back what i said about the bv8-40. this tv is incredible i have a 47 inch philips lcd tv at the moment and like it alot but after seeing an even more impressive picture quality on the bv8-40 i really what this tv. i started considering the loewe individual because of the style and picture but after seeing  both tvs today i think that the bv8-40 definately outshone it, the depth clarity and super motion handling and solid sound stole it for me. i also got the rep to turn off the film mode to see if the picture was less sharp and i was surprised to see how good the picture remained after it was switched off. once again i will say i don't no how b&0 do it but i tend to notice something alot different in there picture processing compared to other brands and i definately intend to get this tv eventually, mdwolman i don't think you would regret it if you decided to get this tv.

So....I took the plunge today and put the deposit down on my BV8-40. I got it with the cabinet and Beo5 Remote control. I'm only taking delivery of it in March when I move into my new flat but I wanted to lock in the deal I got.

Anyway, I'm very excited about my first B&O product and wanted to thank you all for your advice! I look forward to growing my collection over time!

Thanks,

Mike

congratulations mdwolman it sounds like you went for the works iam very happy for you thats definately going to be my next tv when funds are available.

be sure to post some pictures if you can and once again congrats.

Mike,

Did you ever decide on a pair of peripheral speakers?

That is a beautiful television, I got mine a couple of months back and its truly wonderful. I use Sky+ HD and have just baught the new Sony BDP-S360 blu-ray player for it at £179!  The Beo4 remote controls it too.

Watching and indeed listening to Blu-ray discs on the BV8-40 is simply stunning and fabulous!

You will love it!

Paul Winn:

just baught the new Sony BDP-S360 blu-ray player for it at £179! 

I see that your player is advertised as having: 

Quick Start Mode: Quick Start Mode lets you begin operating your Sony Blu-ray Disc player approximately six seconds from the time it's powered on.

How quick is "Quick"?  

I have been very disappointed with all the BR players I have seen (including PS3 and the BV7-40) -- the loading of the BR disc's menu takes about 30 seconds.

Thanks, I didn't go for speakers yet...I think I'm going to ease myself in first, although I do still like the look of the BL4's....maybe next year! Thanks again for all the advice!

Mike