I am seriously considering my first B&O purchase... a Beovision 10 television!

It has the looks I want and the picture quality/sound 'seem' excellent, but since I am not a multi-millionairre and still in the realms of 'normal' earning capacity, the £7k price tag does seem very steep - especially compared to my previous television purchases (my last being a £2k Sony around 3/4 years ago).

I assume everyone on this site is going to be somewhat biased, but I just need convincing that its worth spending £7k on a 40" TV - and I don't need the usual sales crap that I got in the B&O shop I visited at the weekend...

- Is B&O the best sound/picture quality you can buy? I read (on this site I think) that the screen for the Beovision 10 is made by Samsung, I wouldn't usually buy Samsung over brands like Sony or Pioneer, why would I buy a Samsung screen with a B&O tag on the top??

- Is the sound quality that great... to be honest, I am not a huge sound/vision man (I don't own a blueray player at the moment or subscride to HD TV, although I will), but am I buying an inferior product with an expensive brand name?

- Is B&O designed for people with more money than sense or is it truely a superior brand with a great design?

I've NEVER regretted getting into B&O, even though I had to make some sacrifices at times to do so.

But your question could be equally be " Is a Jaguar, Aston Martin, Bentley(!) worth the money as I normally buy a Ford?" The Ford will have seats, a body, wheels, an engine and reach 80-90 mph quite easily. In the end it's only 'worth it' if you think it is and are willing to pay for the additional perceived 'qualities' in the more expensive product.

roconn:

I am seriously considering my first B&O purchase... a Beovision 10 television!

It has the looks I want and the picture quality/sound 'seem' excellent, but since I am not a multi-millionairre and still in the realms of 'normal' earning capacity, the £7k price tag does seem very steep - especially compared to my previous television purchases (my last being a £2k Sony around 3/4 years ago).

I assume everyone on this site is going to be somewhat biased, but I just need convincing that its worth spending £7k on a 40" TV - and I don't need the usual sales crap that I got in the B&O shop I visited at the weekend...

- Is B&O the best sound/picture quality you can buy? I read (on this site I think) that the screen for the Beovision 10 is made by Samsung, I wouldn't usually buy Samsung over brands like Sony or Pioneer, why would I buy a Samsung screen with a B&O tag on the top??

- Is the sound quality that great... to be honest, I am not a huge sound/vision man (I don't own a blueray player at the moment or subscride to HD TV, although I will), but am I buying an inferior product with an expensive brand name?

- Is B&O designed for people with more money than sense or is it truely a superior brand with a great design?

 

Wasn't the BV10 cheaper? I kind of think it's price is 6k €.

I think is a great entry to the B&O world, specially if you could pair it with a couple of loudspeakers.

 

I see your point... and as I have recently purchased a new Audi TT, I can in fact relate to the decision process... but it is slightly different, when I bought my car I wanted a sports Coupe and I really liked the TT...  I could have tried to justify paying double for the Porsche but I perceived the quality of Audi/Porsche to be similar and the only difference in my mind was the looks/status symbol of the Porsche. I don't believe Ford to be as good quality as either Porsche or Audi (sorry, the Germans make great cars) nor do their cars look anywhere near as asthetically pleasing so whilst it gets you from A to B, it is not the question I am asking.

The B&O is unique in that it has no comparative for looks! but the bottom line is, am I just paying for the chassis, or am I getting something which will be better quality/better visual/better sound than anything else for 1/2 the price?

I believe it is £6k, plus stand, plus brackets, plus remote - IRO £7k from the quote I got on Saturday!

I would be interested if you could get it cheaper, would make my decision easier!

Great question - but unfortuantly there are many views on this. My view is that Bang, bespite being an expensive product is an authentic product, with most of the products doing exactly what they say. 

Televisions - Picture quality is very, very good. It always has been, but with the addisiton of HD and LED's etc they are now very, very good. The TV's have many differing features to ensure picture quality is very high, such as vision clear, light sensors, anti refelective coatings etc.  These elements come together to give exceptional picture quality.  The sound is also very high quality with active speaker systems and exceptional clarity.  The TV's also have the ability to link with other B&O products which make them a good proposition when thinking of extending your collection. Combining this with a selection of placement / stand options allows you to place the TV wherever it suits.

Stereo systems - Unique, offer great placement options and are works of art.  The BS5, although clumsy in some ways will continue to be refined and only get better.

Speakers - Mid to large speakers offer exceptional sound quality through being active and in very attractive forms and multi colours.

I think if you speak to any other B&O owners, most will say once you have an item of Bang, it is hard to go back to another brand.  Certainly the BV10 is an exceptional TV and if you desire further sound, the ability to connect further speakers allows you to grow your system.  The picture quality is very good.

Just my POV.

 

It isn't just about picture quality and sound, it's everything.
The customer service, the aesthetics, the reliability, the individuality, the ease of use, the near-silent mechanical workings, the sheer physical feel of the products...
B&o gear just has so much going for it, and when you get to the point where all of the above is what you love to receive in return for money, then B&o is worth the money.

In my opnion no not worth the money. I have spent in the last 18 months £20,000 on B&O equipment sofar the B&O engineers have been out to me 20 times mainley problems with the tv's.so far ive had three Mk 3s 7-40s and three Mk 4s 7-40 blue ray,all have gone wrong.all i get from the dealer is an apology nothing else!! If i were you keep your money in your poket.

B&O rarely leads the field in sheer performance. You pay a premium for design, ergonomics, and to a lesser degree, quality of materials, build and service.

Oh, and let's not forget exclusivity.. .

That TV is not something I would buy, but what is your criteria?

 

 

My first TV I bought was BV 7. I got it mainly for its sound capabilities.  I am not much of a TV watcher.  In fact, the thing is used only to watch movies.  It is not connected to any TV signal.   

I enjoyed the ease of use, the sound quality, and its non-obtrusive.  The quality has been good to very good.  

The speakers and sound systems are superb.  I accept the few shortcomings, e.g., not the latest this or that.  It serves my purposes well.  

 

Ask for a home demo and then decide?  

 

Enjoy,

Dario

ps, let us know what you get either way.

 

To be honest, I (and to a greater extent, my wife) likes things to look nice... she doesn't like huge TV's hanging off the wall and dozens of boxes on display and cables everywhere, etc...

We have a a relatively small alcove and were going to get a bespoke cupboard built and hang a 32-37" TV off the wall in the alcove (since it is only 98cm wide). We went into the B&O shop to buy the new phone and happened to see the BV10... the great thing about the device, is that it is rather tasty looking and even better is the fact that all your boxes can be stacked on the mount behind the TV and you replace all the remote's with one - it is a minimalist's wet-dream!

I don't mind paying a premium for design, but for this price I expect quality in abundance too!

From the general responses, I'm not getting the feeling that B&O stands out from the crowd in terms of quality/performance and per the above poster, the price tag is more related to the uniqueness, design and exclusivity!

roconn:

From the general responses, I'm not getting the feeling that B&O stands out from the crowd in terms of quality/performance

That's not exactly that, but generaly, on the paper, B&O TV may not have specs that match certain recent TVs from other brands. But B&O has a special image processing system that usually gets better result than most TVs.

The sound also is very important and other brands cannot compete.

Talking about sound, the weak point of the BV10 is sound. Compared to other beovisions. It is still far better than other flat screens. So my advice is to get to listen to it in the store before you make your choice.

Also be aware that a 46" version is in preparation.

Sorry to hear BOBBY1 about your bad experience. 6 televisions changed. This is unheard of!

 

Is there anything we on the forum can do to help?

BOBBY1:

In my opnion no not worth the money. I have spent in the last 18 months £20,000 on B&O equipment sofar the B&O engineers have been out to me 20 times mainley problems with the tv's.so far ive had three Mk 3s 7-40s and three Mk 4s 7-40 blue ray,all have gone wrong.all i get from the dealer is an apology nothing else!! If i were you keep your money in your poket.

I'm going to go out on a limb and call BS on this. Frankly it just doesn't ring true, procedurally or otherwise. Maybe he had a bad experience, but it's like saying I've had 6 Mercedes Benz replacements in 18 months. It's just not true. First post doesn't help either. 

As for the worth, it's completely in the eyes of the beholder. At the end of the day you can acknowledge that B&O is superior (I'm just saying hypothetically) and still not accept the value proposition yourself. An Aston Martin is clearly a "better car" than my bike, but it's less practical for my daily commute which is 70% of my time in transit.

I'd also say that there are products that make mathematical sense and those that make emotional sense and both have a place. I don't spend much money on things that I don't care about and lavishly on those I do. I think everyone can find this pattern in their own life on a few things (food, travel, shoes, hobbies).

So follow your heart! 

roconn:

I am seriously considering my first B&O purchase... a Beovision 10 television!

It has the looks I want and the picture quality/sound 'seem' excellent, but since I am not a multi-millionairre and still in the realms of 'normal' earning capacity, the £7k price tag does seem very steep - especially compared to my previous television purchases (my last being a £2k Sony around 3/4 years ago).

I assume everyone on this site is going to be somewhat biased, but I just need convincing that its worth spending £7k on a 40" TV - and I don't need the usual sales crap that I got in the B&O shop I visited at the weekend...

- Is B&O the best sound/picture quality you can buy? I read (on this site I think) that the screen for the Beovision 10 is made by Samsung, I wouldn't usually buy Samsung over brands like Sony or Pioneer, why would I buy a Samsung screen with a B&O tag on the top??

- Is the sound quality that great... to be honest, I am not a huge sound/vision man (I don't own a blueray player at the moment or subscride to HD TV, although I will), but am I buying an inferior product with an expensive brand name?

- Is B&O designed for people with more money than sense or is it truely a superior brand with a great design?

Hi,

Regarding BeoVision 10, please keep in mind that these TV sets can suffer from an uneven, cloudy backlight, which is distracting when watching darker scenes in dim lighting (normal evening lighting conditions).

A detailed summary of some cases, such as mine, can be found in my post at:

http://forum.beoworld.org/forums/t/31772.aspx

B&O Customer Service has given no response on the problem. I am now having my TV photographed to document the defect, and then I'll see what my dealer has to say about it. The photos will also be posted to the above topic.

So, as one magazine puts it "exercise caution" with the new EdgeLED screens. When purchasing a BV10 that would mean that agree with your dealer about the terms and conditions of returning / exchanging the television, if it exhibits this problem.

Given the current condition of my TV, it was not worth the money. Assuming the panel gets exchanged and that resolves the issue, I'll be very happy with the TV.

EDIT:

B&O apparently does not replace panels that have backlight clouding, they do not consider it a defect (just had a chat with my dealer). So I'll revise my opinion:

If you get a good panel, BV10 is definitely worth the money. If you get a bad panel, the 6000K price tag stings to an extent that is somewhat equal to the size of your wallet, and directly equal with your TV watching habits. 

 

No i don't think you can help,iv'e sent a number of E Mails to B&O in Denmark but they never get back to me,i have phoned them but again not interested.Once they have your money thats it!!Yes the design is great but they fall down on reliability.I have B&O eqipment for the last 14 years and never untill now had all this trouble.Iv'e tried to sell all of my stuff back to them they said they would take some of it but did not want the tv.

I think B&O is definitely worth the money in some areas, and totally audacious in others. IMHO, B&O speakers are absolute wonders of engineering and aesthetics, and they sound GREAT. The ALT speakers especially the Beolab 3's are downright a steal for the price to performance ratio.

Televisions are another story, B&O continues to be a laggard in incorporating the latest technologies (ie. Blue Ray Players, etc). Especially in their LCD models (the Avant (CRT) and Beovision 5 (Plasma) are in the hall of fame as the best TV's ever made by any manufacturer, in my opinion).

If the price tag is what is holding you back from a BV10, you may want to take a look at the BV8-40. The sound is fantastic, and the picture, too. They've worked out the kinks from the first series BV8s, and the price seems to be right for a combination of the best in B&O's competencies (sound), and some of the vision as well.

Sal

I think the problem with the TVs is that the technology is rapidly evolving.  What is being used today will of course still work in 5 years and look the same, but technology will have advanced by a large degree.

The audio components however are not evolving quite as fast.  Many of us enjoy vintage gear (for myself my Beocenter 9500) and it sounds great.  Sure modern components have some advantages but the audio can last you for years and years. 

StUrrock:

Sorry to hear BOBBY1 about your bad experience. 6 televisions changed. This is unheard of

Not really. I had 2 x BV7-40 MKIIIs and now 3 x BV7-40 MKIVs! That's 5 since Nov 2007 :)

Luckily the latest BV7-40 MKIV is fine, apart from an audio delay between linkroom TVs.

moxxey:

StUrrock:

Sorry to hear BOBBY1 about your bad experience. 6 televisions changed. This is unheard of

Not really. I had 2 x BV7-40 MKIIIs and now 3 x BV7-40 MKIVs! That's 5 since Nov 2007 :)

Luckily the latest BV7-40 MKIV is fine, apart from an audio delay between linkroom TVs.

I am sure TripEnglish will persuade you that you lie!!!

I am really sorry for what happened to you. Hope everything goes well now...

 

i bought all my gear , tv , phones , speakers , answering machine etc in 2003

still going strong , while eqpt from other manufacturers - yes even apple ! has gone kaput

i think that says it all really

you really do get what you pay for - with bno anyway

macjonny1:

I think the problem with the TVs is that the technology is rapidly evolving.  What is being used today will of course still work in 5 years and look the same, but technology will have advanced by a large degree.

The audio components however are not evolving quite as fast.  Many of us enjoy vintage gear (for myself my Beocenter 9500) and it sounds great.  Sure modern components have some advantages but the audio can last you for years and years. 

 

I can use my BC9500 and still get the satisfaction that nothing appeals more to me in the current range. Same with my Avant.  Both of these are used products. Worth it? They make me smile and look back at them as I leave the room they are just so good. Buying new B&O is a distant memory from the 80's for me - Beolit 707/Beosystem 6000 etc, when the products were firmly in the Mercedes-Benz category. Today it's Porsche Bentley Ferrari. The LCD TV's (which, reading this forum seem still to be in the test phase) are IMO not worth the money. Some of the audio definitely is.

One has to ask how B & O can consider it acceptable to produce a £6000 TV utilising an edge lit LED panel that is susceptible to uneven backlighting,and clouding.

Samsung produce a backlit LED panel with local dimming,so B & O should utilise it across their larger screen range even if it results in slightly thicker TVs.

Sal:

If the price tag is what is holding you back from a BV10, you may want to take a look at the BV8-40. The sound is fantastic, and the picture, too. They've worked out the kinks from the first series BV8s, and the price seems to be right for a combination of the best in B&O's competencies (sound), and some of the vision as well.

I would recommend this approach. The BV8-40 is the hell of a good deal. Better sound than BV10, more proven technology. If your space is small, you can even go for the now discontinued BV8-32. You can get great deals on display TV's. For example, my store has got one for 2k euro, including TDT.

This is your first BnO purchase and you may want to try it out with an entry-level device.

Good luck,

Not exactly on topic, but I like to mention this whenever the BV8-40 is mentioned in the hope that B&O may grant my wish one day.

The BV8-40 looks great on paper, but, unfortunately, I have never seen one in the flesh as it is not available in the USA!

I would probably buy one in a minute if it were available over here as it appears to be exactly what I need in a TV (no surround, good sound, ML integration, 40 in, looks good on a shelf in a built-in bookcase (where a large CRT tv used to be).  I can't believe I'm the only one with these requirements.

Yes, the BV10-40 may be coming here, but I've no use for a thin TV designed primarily for the wall or floor.

 

Stan