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

 

Latest post 08-29-2011 6:13 PM by Evan. 93 replies.
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  • 08-15-2010 12:37 PM In reply to

    Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

    DirtyDiana:

    Re the positioning,they did not sound at their best when angled and seem best straight ahead-unlike conventional speakers.

    The acoustic lenses are designed to engage the side walls, in that the sound is to reflect off these, and to the listeners, complementing the direct sound, but with a slight delay - which is why straight ahead is better than with toe-in towards the listener, with the acoustic lens equipped speakers.

     

  • 08-23-2010 2:26 AM In reply to

    Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

    david coyne:

    Hello Comrades

    Dave and I have been having this conversation for several months... (Dave, whenever you are in Sydney, let me know, lets have a drink! I'd be keen for you to see my set up as well and make any suggestions for improvement.)

    For me, my beolab 9's are a source of great joy and at times frustration!!! Play Jazz (eg Rigmor Gustafsson, Astrid Gilberto) they sound fabulous. Electro Pop (e.g  Human League, Goldfrapp) amazing.. Even Kylie Minogue and ABBA sounds great, something to do with good quality sound production I suspect.

    I do listen to a lot of mp 3's- varying form about 320 bit to lossless.. and the sound quality varies enormously. CD's also vary from brilliant to making my ears bleed. Has anyone listened to Alphabeat 'The Beat Is'??? it sounds likes a 128 mp 3!!! I love their joyous pop but cant listen to it as it sounds so badly produced ( I appreciate I have lost all credibility now for admitting I like Alphabeat!)

    In part, I cant help but think that the 9's just emphasise any faults in the original recordings.. Sometimes they sound great and other times they sound muffled with no midrange... Surely this cant be the speakers, or else they'd always sound bad?

    Against my design aesthetic i have put a large fluffy rug on my living room floor to soften the sound. some improvement.. A DAC has been added to further improve the sound of NMUSIC and NRADIO.

    Treble and Bass are set to around middle settings... perhaps i'll turn down treble even further.... Speakers are set on free and are about half a metre out from wall....

    I've never seriously listened to lab 5's and never in my house... would I be similarly disappointed? You can't make badly produced tracks sound much better can you? 

    Of course if someone wants to loan me a pair of beolab 5's, I'll get back to you!!!!!

    David

    In my humble opinion what is written here is the same experience that I have with the Beolab 9's. A truly great speaker will deliver whatever you might choose to feed it with sensere honesty. No distortions and no makeup. Garbage in, garbage out. Signalwise that is. It is not my intention to insult any musical references in this thread.

    I think the Beolab 9's are a truly amazing set of speakers, and given the right source with a blend of quality, they will sound like a godess of music. Feed them som poorly put together cd's, low rate mp3's, or something else of with a lack of stamina and you will get your pennies worth and nothing more. With regard to the input signal that is.

    I love my BL 9's and would not consider anything but an upgrade to the 5's. Sadly, that's not about to happen.

    Jesper

     

    BV 7-55, BL 7-4, BL 9's, BL 4's, BL 3's, BC 2300, Beo5, Beo4

     

  • 08-23-2010 3:09 AM In reply to

    • henrik
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    • Stockholm, Sweden
    • Posts 299
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    Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

    takktakk:

    In my humble opinion what is written here is the same experience that I have with the Beolab 9's. A truly great speaker will deliver whatever you might choose to feed it with sensere honesty. No distortions and no makeup. Garbage in, garbage out. Signalwise that is. It is not my intention to insult any musical references in this thread.

    I think the Beolab 9's are a truly amazing set of speakers, and given the right source with a blend of quality, they will sound like a godess of music. Feed them som poorly put together cd's, low rate mp3's, or something else of with a lack of stamina and you will get your pennies worth and nothing more. With regard to the input signal that is.

    I have never heard the Beolab 9, but I have listened a lot to various high-quality studio monitors and my experience is just like yours - modern tracks suffering from the Loudness War (see http://forum.beoworld.org/forums/t/34944.aspx for info) sounds like garbage on the studio monitors while well-produces and well-mastered tracks sound fantastic. However, if I compare the same tracks on my old speakers at home, the difference is much much smaller. So my experience is this: with poorly mastered tracks (with no dynamics) the difference in sound quality is not that much better in the studio monitors than in my speakers at home, but when listening to good recordings the difference is huge. Just like Jesper said, garbage in in gives you garbage out, and this becomes much more obvious when using really good speakers.

  • 08-23-2010 7:06 AM In reply to

    Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

    Alas, i must stop listening to rubbish pop and buy some serious music  :(

    BV8-40, BC6-26, BC2, Beolab 9's, Beogram 7000, Beogram 9500, Beoport, Beotalk 1200, Beocom 6000, Beolit 1000, 800, 700, 600, 400

  • 08-23-2010 9:10 AM In reply to

    Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

    david coyne:

    Alas, i must stop listening to rubbish pop and buy some serious music  :(

    Well David.. As stated I wrote from a technical point of view. No offence intended at all. I'm sure the music is fine in itself, but you might want to have words with the producers... :-)

     

    BV 7-55, BL 7-4, BL 9's, BL 4's, BL 3's, BC 2300, Beo5, Beo4

     

  • 08-23-2010 9:55 AM In reply to

    • Dave
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    • Brisbane, Australia
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    Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

    takktakk:

    Feed them som poorly put together cd's, low rate mp3's, or something else of with a lack of stamina and you will get your pennies worth and nothing more. With regard to the input signal that is.

    I love my BL 9's and would not consider anything but an upgrade to the 5's. Sadly, that's not about to happen.

    Jesper

    Yes i have to admit that some of my woes have been silenced after removing a weak link in my system (a cheaper DAC) now they are sounding much more enjoyable, some recorings sounds dreadful, and some sparkle. They are good sounding speakers overall, for what they are, still no where remotely close to BL5 though ;)

    That all being said, to remain on topic, i have left them at Treble -4, should it really have to be like that in order to enjoy a balanced sound from them? My beolab 1's were set to Treble +1...

    “Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort.”

    Your health and well-being comes first and fore-most.

     

     

  • 08-23-2010 5:58 PM In reply to

    • msinn
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    Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

    David,

    your music taste is fine. Just get yourself some decent CDs. My experiance is, that older CDs have a better chance of being decently produced.

     

    msinn

  • 08-25-2010 8:02 AM In reply to

    • John
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    • Melbourne Australia
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    Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

     

    DirtyDiana:

    Hi John,

    I worked my way up through the hifi separate ranks over the last 10 years and ended up using Mark Levinson and Pass labs which gave a beautiful sound but one that still didnt relinquish the need to upgrade to better cables or bigger amps ect,it ends up being more about the gear than the music and I basically got bored of the concept.

    We always had B&O in the family and once I discovered how much R&D had been put in to the new speakers and the smallish outlay needed I sold off my other gear and now have a system that gives more enjoyment and is far nicer to use,I honestly was not expecting quite so much from the BL9 but everytime they are a revelation-if they were not I would be the first to say but no way would I go back to seperates.

    Re the positioning,they did not sound at their best when angled and seem best straight ahead-unlike conventional speakers.

     

     

     

    Many thanks for the kind and illuminating reply.

    It was most interesting to read, and struck more than a few chords with me.

    My 'journey' into HiFi started many years ago with a love of music, and yet, perhaps like yourself, it continued up into the upper echelons of so called 'specialist' audiophile gear, which for me ended up with an all out Naim Audio system, and the pursuit of audio 'excelllence' became more about the gear than the music, 'needing' the latest tweaks, or cables, or stands, or piece of kit to sound it's 'best', and like you I not only became bored with the concept, but also got deeply offended with the amount of animosity that exists in the audiophile world as regards brand 'wars', sound philosophies and allegiances, and the total lack of any scientific credibility to support the outlandish claims made for such kit in the audiophile world.

    Older and wiser, I sold off all my Naim 2 channel kit, as I embraced a more mainstream, yet still separates system that fulfilled a multi-use role, i.e. music and movies in the home.

    I used to (shame) look down my audiophile nose at B&O as being more about lifestyle than true performance, but once I set aside my prejudices and did some factual reading as to the lengths B&O go to as regards scientific R&D and how they develop and assess their kit with the listening panels doing blind A/B testing etc I have had my eyes opened as regards the brand.

    I will state that with 40 odd years of HiFi experience behind me, and as a trained classical musician, that the Beolab Fives are easily one of the finest speakers that money can buy, regardless of cost.  I would dearly love to own a pair, but my resources are not quite at that level .... yet... lol.

    That leaves the Beolab 9 - which to my ears is a superior speaker in it's ability to convey a believable musical performance, to other well regarded passive speakers from major manufacturers such as B&W 804 diamonds for example.  

    Given some of the comments made about the Lab 9's earlier in this thread, compared with what I have heard, I could only say it was either a problem with the setup of the individual speakers, or their placement in the room.  

    Indeed, my only issue with the Lab 9s is that they seem a little constrained in the height dimension, as regards the soundstage/sound-field they project; however, given the way they are set up in most B&O emporiums I have yet visited, it is difficult to get an impression of how they would sound properly set up in a medium sized room as regards sound-staging etc - most dealers seem to have them in open space in the showroom.

    Kind Regards

     

    John... Smile 

    No-one ever regretted buying quality.

  • 08-31-2010 4:48 PM In reply to

    Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

    I am just listening to Rickie Lee Jones' Pirates (I just love that album), it is played from BM5 via SPDIF and is stored as WMA Lossless on the BM5.

    I find the sound of the BL9 amazing, it is incredible crisp and clear for that kind of music at least.

    The BL9 just enrich my well being here Smile

    There is something about B&O.....

  • 08-31-2010 7:42 PM In reply to

    • Dave
    • Top 50 Contributor
    • Joined on 04-17-2007
    • Brisbane, Australia
    • Posts 2,328
    • Bronze Member

    Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

    Beoboiinoz:

     

     

    I will state that with 40 odd years of HiFi experience behind me, and as a trained classical musician, that the Beolab Fives are easily one of the finest speakers that money can buy, regardless of cost.  I would dearly love to own a pair, but my resources are not quite at that level .... yet... lol.

    That leaves the Beolab 9 - which to my ears is a superior speaker in it's ability to convey a believable musical performance, to other well regarded passive speakers from major manufacturers such as B&W 804 diamonds for example.  

    Given some of the comments made about the Lab 9's earlier in this thread, compared with what I have heard, I could only say it was either a problem with the setup of the individual speakers, or their placement in the room.  

    Indeed, my only issue with the Lab 9s is that they seem a little constrained in the height dimension, as regards the soundstage/sound-field they project; however, given the way they are set up in most B&O emporiums I have yet visited, it is difficult to get an impression of how they would sound properly set up in a medium sized room as regards sound-staging etc - most dealers seem to have them in open space in the showroom.

     

     

    John... Smile 

    Musicians know best when it comes to writing about sound, that's for sure Smile at the same time though, it depends on what music you're reffering to. With classical music, the ALT speakers have the realism that stands out amongst the crowd, but some rock or pop music does just sound artificial / crisp / out of balance. Nevertheless, the more i listen to them the more i realise their sentitivity to content, and that they aren't so bad after all.

     

    “Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort.”

    Your health and well-being comes first and fore-most.

     

     

  • 09-01-2010 3:34 AM In reply to

    • Seanie_230
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    Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

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    Well after a few weeks of moaning and nearly taking them back I have used an EQ to remove some of the tweeter sound.

    I can honestly say now that I love my lab9's they take everything I throw at them without fail, I had them up to 80 yesterday to show my friend how effortlessly they can play music without distortion.

    Last night I went to the cinema and noticed the lack of clarity from the front speakers, my partner well he thinks I am mad but I could hear the difference.

    Agreed that they aren’t too bad once you get used to them

    Seanie

    Beovision 7 MKIV (Blu Ray)
    Beolab 9

    Beolab 6000
    Beo 4
    Beocenter 9300
    Apple TV
    SKY HD
    Optoma HD65 Projector
    Lintronic TT455-RT-238
    Beovision 3 MKII

  • 09-01-2010 4:00 AM In reply to

    Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

    Last night I went to the cinema and noticed the lack of clarity from the front speakers, my partner well he thinks I am mad but I could hear the difference.

    Public Cinemas dont always give great clarity, but its the lovely growly bass they provide and the fabulous bright picture that alas no home theatre regardless of cost can seem to get close to in my experience.

  • 09-07-2010 9:35 PM In reply to

    • Dave
    • Top 50 Contributor
    • Joined on 04-17-2007
    • Brisbane, Australia
    • Posts 2,328
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    Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

    Does anybody know why the BL9's maximum sound pressure level (dB) isn't listed anywhere, all the other Beolabs have this info attached...

    “Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort.”

    Your health and well-being comes first and fore-most.

     

     

  • 09-08-2010 2:01 AM In reply to

    Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

    Dave:

    That all being said, to remain on topic, i have left them at Treble -4, should it really have to be like that in order to enjoy a balanced sound from them? My beolab 1's were set to Treble +1...

     

    No, that sounds strange. Have you tried different sources, to check whether you get the same brightness with each?
    Have you checked your settings in the entire playback chain?

    I haven't read the full thread, and can't remember what you use as sources. 

     

  • 09-08-2010 6:49 AM In reply to

    • Puncher
    • Top 10 Contributor
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    Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

    soundproof:

    Dave:

    That all being said, to remain on topic, i have left them at Treble -4, should it really have to be like that in order to enjoy a balanced sound from them? My beolab 1's were set to Treble +1...

     

    No, that sounds strange. Have you tried different sources, to check whether you get the same brightness with each?
    Have you checked your settings in the entire playback chain?

    I haven't read the full thread, and can't remember what you use as sources. 

     

    I thought the switches in the BL9's were for accomodating driver variations during manufacture, I don't remember reading anywhere that B&O recommend them for EQ tweaking - or have they?

    Generally speaking, you aren't learning much if your lips are moving.

  • 09-08-2010 12:05 PM In reply to

    • Dave
    • Top 50 Contributor
    • Joined on 04-17-2007
    • Brisbane, Australia
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    Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

    Of course it isn't recommended that the potentiometers are tweaked for eq purposes. But no harm in trying it if you have a pen and paper to keep the original values on hand. Exception being the BL1 imo, which i sometimes had the impression that final development and tuning of that speaker was left unfinished.

    Treble here is adjusted via Beovision 3.
    The source is Beocenter 2 and Beovision 3 (with iMac sans EQ connected to BV3 by optical directly to DTS board).

    The speakers aren't as bright connected to the BV3 as they were when connected directly to BC2... there's another riddle right there that no-one's untangled yet.

    This appears to be these speakers characteristic ~ bright at the top end. My medium size room has minimal reflections - alot of soft surfaces. I have a satisfactory sound, dare i even say, a very satisfactory sound with the treble set lower.

     

    The potentiometers are back to the same setting as they left the factory, changing those inevitably threw them further out of balance.

    “Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort.”

    Your health and well-being comes first and fore-most.

     

     

  • 08-29-2011 11:30 AM In reply to

    • pjb109
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    Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

    I know this topic has been dead for a little while but I thought I'd add something anyways.

     

    I had my bl9 as part of a home cinema setup but not being driven by a b&o product, rather by a onkyo preamp. I have done some work on my house and bought a beovision 10 and because my wife wanted a simpler setup so had to got rid of the onkyo, projector etc.... 

     

    The one thing missing from the comments on this thread so far is the difference in the sound processing. I do not know how consistent the processing is accross B&O products like tvs and beosystems but I can tell that now that I am using the beovision 10 rather than the onkyo do control the speakers the stereo sound is far far worse. I do now know whether this is because the onkyo could handle the (mostly MP3 through Apple tv) decoding better or its simply becasue the B&O sound is meant to sound as it does. Either way, I had no issues with the mid-range or with an annoying tweeter before, I was simply very very happy before I changed the setup. 

     

    Now I need to find out what to do with those three control wheels at the back and if they really make a difference. I used to enjoy playing around with stuff like that but to be honest, right now I wish I still had the onkyo doing the processing and not the tv! 

     

    BTW this could also explain why some hi-fi mags loved the bl9 so much. Perhaps they too would hook them up to some top of the line pre-amps/processors and didnt have a tv do the work. 

     

  • 08-29-2011 1:57 PM In reply to

    Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

    pjb109:

    I do not know how consistent the processing is accross B&O products like tvs and beosystems but I can tell that now that I am using the beovision 10 rather than the onkyo do control the speakers the stereo sound is far far worse. I do now know whether this is because the onkyo could handle the (mostly MP3 through Apple tv) decoding better or its simply becasue the B&O sound is meant to sound as it does. Either way, I had no issues with the mid-range or with an annoying tweeter before, I was simply very very happy before I changed the setup.

    Maybe I carry owls to Athens, but ...

    Having integrated a Beovision 10 into your system you should have a look on your speaker settings (You get it via Beo 4 by LIST, GO until you see SPEAKER on the display of your BEO 4 and on your TV. SPEAKER 1 is TV only, SPEAKER 2 is frontspeakers only (for music in stereo), SPEAKER 3 a combo of TV and frontspeakers.

    iPoditiv

     

  • 08-29-2011 6:13 PM In reply to

    • Evan
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    Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

    In the BV menus, you can select which speakers you are using. Have you done this?

    I don't know any of the specifics as I don't own very modern equipment, but I'm sure someone with a similar setup will chime in with the details.

    Evan

     

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