Ha!

A topic I never thought myself asking... I haven't been exactly BS5 friendly...

Well new winds are blowing, and my wife and I have been away from our apartment since beginning of august, since a water line renovation started in our house. OK, this have sucked big time, but it should all be finished within a few weeks hopefully...

So today when we were at the apartment painting some walls, my wife looked at my CD rack (now empty) and said, it's 2010, do we really need all these CD's? Isn't there a way playing music properly on your speakers like via iTunes?

Yes there is, and it's called Beosound 5. 

So now I'm not sure what to do... Dump the changing CD's all the time, and control it all in style with the upcoming Beo6?

Focus your investment on the B&O TV and Speakers you really want, where they continue to deliver a differentiated product.

The Beosound 5 does not provide a seamless connection to your iTune library.  Ask yourself, if you were buying a new PC today, would you buy it with Windows XP. No. But thats what a BS5 fundamentally is in embedded flavour. The Media Player uses the same technology as on a Zune. Then think about where digital media is heading and the cloud and then it highlights how dead-end the BS5 is and how constrained you will feel in the near future.

The Beo5/6 is ancient technology that will frustrate you in minutes, then will absolutely have you banging the wall the moment you want to personalise it any further without having to make a trip to your dealer whilst parting with £50 for the privilege. 

Get an AppleTV for £99 or $99 and you'll get the function of BS5 + so much more, with simplicity and elegance that if B&O knew how to write software, then this would be it. Then, get an iPad when you really want to enjoy complete media flexibility and install the remote app which completely redefines how remote controls should be.

I love my B&O kit, but IMOP the BS5 and Beo6 could have been so much more.

I have an iPad...

And a bunch of apples... My second option would perhaps be a good DAC...

But connecting a DAC to the BS9000 aux, isn't that a bit of a luxury? Won't the BS9000 do something to the signal? Even if it won't I don't feel good about feeding the Beolab 5's with an analog signal.

Or should the best option be to save the Beosound 9000 (which is one of my favourite B&O products ever, and feed the Beolab 5's with a digital signal from an i.e. Mac Mini digital out. There's probably a "Y" connection I could find making it possible to connect both the BS9000 and Mac Mini digitally to the Beolab 5's?

To control the Beolab 5's using the mac mini, I could bump the Beosound 9000 into AUX mode, the Beolab 5's automatically listens to the digital in first anyway. I even have a spdif optical to coaxial converter! 

Does this make more sense? A mac mini and some "Y" connectors is by far cheaper than a BS5.

My iPad would be a killer remote...

Hi Andreas

I've been thinking of a similar system too. I haven't been a big fan of the Beosound 5 either. I'm not a techy at all, so I have no idea if your suggestion works, but it sounds good! Must get an iPad myself

At least wait until the BS5 Encore turns up and see what it offers - I think the BM5 solution is incredibly expensive (and large & ugly) for a dedicated PC on which to store your music (with known issues such as lack of ALAC support etc). The Encore would seem to make much more sense (if you seduced by the BS5 controller) to have it play music from an existing computer or NAS drive. If the Encore doesn't integrate seemlessly into an existing music storage solution I'd be tempted to look elsewhere as B&O's track record with software etc. would mean you're likely to be heading down a one way street.

Have you ripped all of your CD's in a lossless format? You can start doing that now so that you'll be ready when you buy whatever you choose. If you're going to do it yourself be prepared to spend many evenings slotting in CD after CD! Still, it'll make the upcoming holiday season fly by! - enjoy

Please note there should have said "bump the Beosound 9000 into aux, not BS5, as I first had.

Puncher:

Have you ripped all of your CD's in a lossless format? You can start doing that now so that you'll be ready when you buy whatever you choose. If you're going to do it yourself be prepared to spend many evenings slotting in CD after CD! Still, it'll make the upcoming holiday season fly by! - enjoy

Haha! I know it's a pain in the a$$, but what option is there...

My last option the one with the Mini, would make for a system where I could have most of my CD's hidden away in a closet. Using the Mac Mini for my primary music source. 

Hi,

Just my two cents.

ad 1) Apple TV 2nd generation is not able to connect to a NAS but needs a streaming server like a running Itunes installation

ad 2) Apple TV 1st generation only has up to 160GB which is not very much, right now I am running out of space because of all the pictures, music and movies synced on it.

Personally I would go for a mac mini were you can easily upgrade the HDD but unfortunately you ll not have the beautiful BEO "remote" :-)

Larskoelle:

Hi,

Just my two cents.

ad 1) Apple TV 2nd generation is not able to connect to a NAS but needs a streaming server like a running Itunes installation

ad 2) Apple TV 1st generation only has up to 160GB which is not very much, right now I am running out of space because of all the pictures, music and movies synced on it.

Personally I would go for a mac mini were you can easily upgrade the HDD but unfortunately you ll not have the beautiful BEO "remote" :-)

Yes I too think the Mac Mini is the best route... Been down this route once before. :)

Anyway, the Y piece for the spdif might or might not work, since it relies on a 75ohm resistance in the cable, wouldn't a Y piece change this?

Hi,

i had to make a similar decision ... and  i bought a bunch of Sonos ZP 90 (300-,€) which do the job perfectly:

1. Connected the ZP90 via Spdif with AV2 of my BV 7-40

2. Defined the "PC" function on my Beo4 as connection, i.e when i activate "PC" on the Beo4, i can listen to whatever the Sonos has access to ... the Beo4 ist only responsible for accessing the Sonos and levelling the loudness. Everything else is done via the fabulous ipad app for Sonos.

3. Sonos can access almost everything you got ... NAS, itunes libraries, internet radio etc.pp.

4. Maybe you don't have to rip all your CD's, if you can live with having access to millions of titles via flatrate offerings like Napster or Spotify ... without owning them physically ... with Napster you can also save titles on portable hardware and play them wherever you want to.

5. Sonos even has a digital out, which you could use to connect directly to your Beolab 5's ... the quality of the DAC is not really important with using the BL5's because the internal DAC in the BL5 does the conversion of the transmitted material ... so there is no use to spend money on an external DAC ... better invest in a suitable coax-cable. Only problem with this direct connection is, that you have to change your system settings to code "0" with your Beo4 in order to be able to control the volume/loudness via the BL5's infrared panel ... problem is: If you want to go back to AV, you would have to switch to setting "1" again ... and that is PITA. Although i tend to say, that i realized a difference while feeding the BL5 digitally, it is not big enough for such a compromise ... i still operate the Sonos via the coax/Spdif of the BV 7-40.

6. If you want to control a netplayer device via PUC and Beo remotes, you can buy a Olive 4 HD system ... B&O provides a PUC for that system, because a customer paid for setting up a PUC. The Olive system is also a very comfortable device for ripping CD's ... and i personally like the design of it. It costs approx. 2000€.

So ... plenty of opportunities for you ... have fun!

Best regards

Tim 

Thanks Rookie,

I have sort of decided on the mac mini.

Funny thing with my Beolab 5's, they can't be used in option 0, as they won't work with the syncro cable. They are too early models for that apparently. 

But using the Aux, and not feeding it, should let me control the Beolab 5's normally, giving them a digital signal to feed on from the mac mini.

Perhaps a small thing to think about:

Why should I buy things like Sonos or a Mac mini for MP3 and Internetradio with low audio quality and hook it up to a 17.000 Euro speaker system?

I think there's something wrong  

I agree that the Sonos System is realy great in terms of use, navigation etc. but I don't need a highend speaker-/audiosystem to play MP3 files or internetradio streams with 128kbit/s for this :)

The Beosound 5 offers WMA losless CD-Audio-Quality and I ripped all my CDs to WMA losless (yes, it's hard work) but I'm happy with it.
I always love to touch the physical aluminium wheels... it is simply no comparison to "just another touchscreen device".
It is very easy to use and navigating on it is fast.
When I want to listen to music I select an album, hit "Go" and sit down and enjoy. I don't want to skip through 10000 tracks in 10 minutes, I just want to listen :-)
When I have guests I simply choose a track of the music we are in a mood and MOTS does the rest. 
The best part of it: I don't have to care about... it just works.

The only realy downsides:
- Ripping your CD collection is stupid, hard work :-)
- you can't search inside a track, just skip tracks. So you can't fast forward to the best part of a track... you have to wait.

It would be cool if the Sonos Software could handle WMA losless files so that you can use the sonos controller for navigating the WMA losless files of the Beomaster 5. But perhaps the Beo 6 remote will offer this functionality at a comfortable level.

What about a Kaleidecape Cinema One (AKA Mini System);

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bang-Olufsen-N21/374880434454?v=wall

Now it is less than £5k, maybe it is worth considering?

Hi Andreas,

I am in a similar situation and I am considering two options:

1) The new Beosund 5 encore

2) Olive HD music server. (www.olive.us)

Both have great pros and some cons.

Wish you luck with your decision.

TWG:

The only realy downsides:
- Ripping your CD collection is stupid, hard work :-)

Not that hard on an industry standard computer... configure WMP to rip automatically when a disc is inserted. Then insert disc, wait until it is ejected, repeat until you have no more CDs. Tedious, but not hard

Tagging & album art will require some supervision if your collection is esoteric. For my ~200 CD collection, this took me about three mornings while reading the newspaper.

Do the ripping once in a lossless format (an open or at least convertible variation of lossless, mind you) and you'll never need to do it again - provided you know what a 'backup' is

...but yes, I'd wait and see what that Encore thing is all about.

You are right on the money - I agree with everything you say. The Beosound 5 is just such a great device. I know on this forum there are a lot of people who complain that it doesn't have this and it doesn't have that. However if you want audio system that enhances your sitting room (rather than a PC in the corner) and if you simply want to listen to high quality music, then the Beosound is the answer.

It is simple to use, the MOTS facility is great and you will find music that you forgot you ever had. 

sjmcguckin:

You are right on the money - I agree with everything you say. The Beosound 5 is just such a great device. I know on this forum there are a lot of people who complain that it doesn't have this and it doesn't have that. However if you want audio system that enhances your sitting room (rather than a PC in the corner) and if you simply want to listen to high quality music, then the Beosound is the answer.

It is simple to use, the MOTS facility is great and you will find music that you forgot you ever had. 

 

It's a particular bugbear of mine that folk speak of the BS5 as if it doesn't need a "PC in the corner" when if fact it most certainly does (and a big ugly one at that) - the BM5.

If Andreas wanted to he could (more easily) hide his Mac Mini, and listen to high quality, lossless music, via hs BL5's whilst navigating his collection from the comfort of any chair in his listening room (or entire house for that matter) using a dedicated iPad if he so desired while hanging onto a sizeable chunk of change. The only thing he'd miss would be MOTS, which, while it may have smarter algorithms when processing the content, I've yet to hear any convincing argument that it's generated playlists are any more listenable than that of Genius or any other such auto playlist generator.

The only justification I can see for a BS5/BM5 system is if you absolutely adore the looks of the BS5, and in that case fair do's, it's the device for you.

All products are too expensive and are obsolete before they are even invented. Buy an acoustic guitar and sing to your family.

TripEnglish:

All products are too expensive and are obsolete before they are even invented. Buy an acoustic guitar and sing to your family.

.......but beware of the Priests of the Temples of Syrinx!!

Puncher:

It's a particular bugbear of mine that folk speak of the BS5 as if it doesn't need a "PC in the corner" when if fact it most certainly does (and a big ugly one at that) - the BM5.

If Andreas wanted to he could (more easily) hide his Mac Mini, and listen to high quality, lossless music, via hs BL5's whilst navigating his collection from the comfort of any chair in his listening room (or entire house for that matter) using a dedicated iPad if he so desired while hanging onto a sizeable chunk of change. The only thing he'd miss would be MOTS, which, while it may have smarter algorithms when processing the content, I've yet to hear any convincing argument that it's generated playlists are any more listenable than that of Genius or any other such auto playlist generator.

The only justification I can see for a BS5/BM5 system is if you absolutely adore the looks of the BS5, and in that case fair do's, it's the device for you.

Puncher, Puncher, Puncher (shakes head and smiles in a gentle fatherly way).

There are many justifications for a BeoSound 5 and they're no different or less numerous than any Bang & Olufsen product ever invented. Had the internet been around in its current form when the BeoSound 9000 came out there would no doubt have been a ravaging to best anything directed at the BeoSound 5. THOUSANDS FOR A SIX DISC CHANGER!!! HOW DAAAAARE THEY!!! THE UNMITIGATED GAUL OF THOSE DANISH VILLAINS!!!! DON'T THEY REALIZE SONY CAN STORE 400 CDS FOR MERE HUNDREDS!!! GRAB YOUR TORCHES AND FOLLOW ME TO STRUER!!! 

For certain people, there was a point to be made then and a point to be made now. But those "certain people" are not Bang & Olufsen clients in the sense that "client" means "person who buys things." They're fans, ex-clients, and amateur internet pundits. They're people who are not our intended audience and their "input" has value only in so much as their values, needs, and goals are in line with actual and potential clients. It's like reading a steakhouse review by a vegetarian. Is the steak terrible or is the idea of steaks terrible? 

Then there is the B&O client for whom a stable, beautiful, high performance solution is just what the doctor ordered. This client wants music throughout the home, ease of use, a single interface language, a high level of service, and understands that better things cost more. That's life on planet Earth. Welcome aboard. 

If Sonos suits your needs, you're not our audience. Having a system that's novel and functional in one narrow way is not acceptable. Sonos offers access to several sources, all of which sound terrible. There is no integration possible with larger systems and a unique remote or app must be used to talk to the Sonos. A switched on PC is a hidden cost, unlike the BeoMaster 5 which is included, so the Sonos is also not as cheap as you'd think and after you buy it, and then a computer, and then still get rotten sound and limited control you realize that you've waited in line for 3 hours for a free ice-cream cone. (But you can buy DACs for all the ZP90s they say! - Right, more hidden costs. Just how much money are you willing to flush down the toilet?)

B&O doesn't claim to be what it isn't. We're not for everyone. We're expensive. We're hand made. We're designed with clear intentions and ideas on usability. We offer our clients what they ask us for and if the nameless, faceless, chorus of complaints doesn't find resonance with us, well, what did they expect?

I personally find the BeoSound 5 to be the best option and my main quarrel with it vanishes with the Beo6 for link-room browsing. I have completely abandoned the use of Kaleidescape at home for music and even my wife favors the BeoSound 5 (she won't even load music onto her iPhone because it's "so complicated"). It meets every last one of our needs without having to encounter any road-blocks in usability or poor sound quality and integrates seamlessly with our existing televisions and link system. Why would we even consider anything else? 

Puncher:

.......but beware of the Priests of the Temples of Syrinx!!

That is POTS, not MOTS.

Speaking personally, I have no real idea how to go forward. I have vinyl that only goes onto the turntable very occasionally, and Cds that currently go into the DVD tray on a BC1 now and then (having discarded numerous non-B&O CD players in the past).

I've thought about one of those Brennan CD players, but think they've got limited lossless capacity.

Most of our music currently gets played through NRadio (Pinnacle Soundbridge) connected to a refurbed BM2000 and S45's. Of 13000 stations, radioparadise.com is the station most listened to in this household. The downside is when my better half hears a piece of music she really likes, and goes over to the unit and writed down what's playing (or goes to their website on a computer). Then, within 48 hours a CD album arrives from Amazon. Within another 24 hours we discover that the only piece on the CD she really likes is the one that was on the radio.

I suspect that the guy running Radio Paradise has his own MOTS equipment he does such a good job of running the music together with little commentary. Maybe radio/ NRadio will always be best for cheapskates like me!

Graham

vikinger:

Speaking personally, I have no real idea how to go forward.

Me neither... I find myself listening to the plain old radio 95% of the time.

@Andreas... we tend to think alike. I believe deep down -you want the BM5/BS5. I would wait and see what the Encore offers before making a final decision.

mawheele:

The Beosound 5 does not provide a seamless connection to your iTune library. 

I still fail to see how this would even be helpful.  You want to be free of the constraints of a platform like iTunes (which on Windows is hideous, and I wouldn't touch with a barge pole), or indeed any other platform.  You also don't want to have to leave your PC on just for something like a BS5 to work.

Ask yourself, if you were buying a new PC today, would you buy it with Windows XP. No. But thats what a BS5 fundamentally is in embedded flavour.

Linking those two is a bit of a fallacy.  No, you wouldn't buy a PC with Windows XP on it.  But yes, you would buy something like a BM5 with XP Embedded on it.  The latest version of Windows Embedded is Windows Embedded 2009.  Which is still based on XP.  For a platform like this, you need something proven, reliable and as lightweight as possible.  The next version will be a stripped down version of Windows 7, but won't be released till next year.

The Media Player uses the same technology as on a Zune.

Windows Media Player to be more precise.  The WMP engine is proven, and it works, so what's the issue with it?  Do you want them to reinvent the wheel just to play files?

Get an AppleTV for £99 or $99 and you'll get the function of BS5 + so much more, with simplicity and elegance that if B&O knew how to write software, then this would be it. Then, get an iPad when you really want to enjoy complete media flexibility and install the remote app which completely redefines how remote controls should be.

Except you now have two remotes, the tv always thinks it's a video source so puts your music on in Speaker 3/5, multi-room's a pain, and you can't use it as a play timer reliably.  Sadly, there's downsides to both.