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

 

Latest post 04-01-2011 5:50 PM by Evan. 24 replies.
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  • 03-30-2011 10:31 AM

    • jahur
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    to close for audible and visual comfort.

    is there any other products out there, that even come close to bang and olufsen in sound and vision. design i know is a big no no. they are in a leauge of their own.

    i know of a (please dont quote me as exact description) company called nakachima??? is this right?

    i have always purchased b&o and nothing else, you could call that being blinkered and quite insular but i like to stick with what i know and is tried and trusted.

    i could go through endless reviews on the net but i would like to here from people that have actually owned such a product and not some journo's greased palm review (and this goes on)

    cheers

    (formerly nokinnikon from the old site)

  • 03-30-2011 11:40 AM In reply to

    Re: to close for audible and visual comfort.

    Some of the top Sony equipment is superb - aimed at a totally different market , but beautifully built. Like you, I have almost exclusively bought B&O - I know what I like and I want something that is beautiful, easy to use and good sounding. I think B&O electronics are as good as just about anything on the market and cannot tell CD players and amplifiers apart anyway. Speakers are the one area where I have diversified - I have some B&W monitors and a pair of BBC LS3/5A speakers with AB1 sub woofers. I bought these when I had my MS140s re-coned by Richard Allen Ltd. I heard their LS3/5As and was sold! 

  • 03-30-2011 12:53 PM In reply to

    • mjmedlo
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    Re: to close for audible and visual comfort.

    The company is Nakamichi. . they have some interesting design but are not near B&O in terms of quality. . 

    I have had all kinds of equipment.  To be honest. . .panasonic panels (the commercial lines) are close to B&O when used with a B&O processor (mostly because this is where B&O starts with there plasma manufacture)

    As far as speakers. .I have found the B&O have a certain ingredient that you can hear all across the range. . .they seem to be somewhat consistent in the 'way' they sound from the BL4k up (the BL4s are a different story)

    As far as something that is not a 'boutique' brand like Martin/Logan, Wilson, or B&O; I think the upper end of the JBL line is pretty decent.  I have used the PRO monitors before and was happy with those. . .they are however, a commercial line and very rugged and plain looking. . .

    My .02

    I'm ready for something new that I actually want to buy!

  • 03-30-2011 6:46 PM In reply to

    • Alex
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    Re: to close for audible and visual comfort.

    There is loads of stuff out there which gets very close to B&O, and very often better in terms of performance.

    Most of B&O's stuff is nothing special on the scale of sound quality. It sounds very good, but not mind-blowing.

    However, B&O are the only company who seem to offer a lifestyle product that will also satisfy the needs of a demanding listener. For that, you cannot fault them and have to respect their position in the market. I certainly do...

     

    My 4400 is still one of the best amps I've ever listened to though, and the BeoLab 5s are superb in every way. B&O have plenty of other genuinely great hifi in their catalogue too, BeoLab 3s, Beogram CD5500+ etc... It's just a shame a lot of it seems to be in the past...

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  • 03-30-2011 11:07 PM In reply to

    • Evan
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    Re: to close for audible and visual comfort.

    There is a ton of other stuff out there!

     I have a pair of giant JBLs and I love them. I think they look lovely with their cherry veneers and almost sparkly tuxedo black frets. Very simple and great proportions. Sound is great too! I drive them with a Niles amplifier which is also amazing.

    JBL's Synthesis line is pretty serious, would love to hear that, or even just the Project Everest speakers.

    As far as receivers go, I really, really like the Yamaha Natural Sound variety. I have two or three of them!

    The pro-sumer market seems to be tied up with B&W, Martin Logan, Klipsch, B&K, Magneplanar and a bunch of others.

    Evan

     

  • 03-31-2011 2:17 AM In reply to

    • jahur
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    Re: to close for audible and visual comfort.

    @ evan- cheery, tuxedo's, nice way of putting it. i was watching the fantastic "departed" and matt damon had what i can only remember a "mackintosh"(dont quote me on that) system in his condo, are these any good??

    i know its not from the apple stable.

    (formerly nokinnikon from the old site)

  • 03-31-2011 8:21 AM In reply to

    Re: to close for audible and visual comfort.

    mcintosh products are incredibly nice.  And incredibly expensive!  People think B&O is expensive?  Check outMcintosh

    Beolab 5, beolab 3, beolab 4000, beosound 9000

  • 03-31-2011 9:30 AM In reply to

    • Evan
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    Re: to close for audible and visual comfort.

    beoinbuff:

    mcintosh products are incredibly nice.  And incredibly expensive!  People think B&O is expensive?  Check outMcintosh

    Yes, thats a popular one.

    As far as price goes Mark Levinson is way way up there too. They're current monoblock amp the No. 53 is approximately USD 25,000.

    Evan

     

  • 03-31-2011 9:35 AM In reply to

    • Evan
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    Re: to close for audible and visual comfort.

    jahur:

    @ evan- cheery, tuxedo's, nice way of putting it. i was watching the fantastic "departed" and matt damon had what i can only remember a "mackintosh"(dont quote me on that) system in his condo, are these any good??

    Woops! I meant cherry Stick out tongue

    Yes, McIntosh is highly regarded in the audiophile industry. They still produce tube preamps and tube amps, and some monster speakers! They're biggest loudspeaker has an array of almost 100 drivers! The look of these things are quite menacing too, large blue/green analog wattmeters and such like. Very, very cool.

    Evan

     

  • 03-31-2011 1:56 PM In reply to

    Re: to close for audible and visual comfort.

    I really want a pair of Richard Allen speakers. I dont care how they sound, its the fact that my name is Richard Allen and it would be great to have a pair of speakers with my name on them!

  • 03-31-2011 2:51 PM In reply to

    Re: to close for audible and visual comfort.

    jahur:

    is there any other products out there, that even come close to bang and olufsen in sound and vision. design i know is a big no no. they are in a leauge of their own.

    This is such a subjective matter, particularly as far as design is concerned.  However, here's a view.

    If we are looking at a company that manufactures whole sound systems rather than just one individual element in the chain -  in other words like B&O - then I would have to put a word in for Meridian Audio.  

    Still run by the original founders of the company, again, like B&O two passionate individuals who came together to create something special, I think it comes closest to matching B&O in being design-led, whilst offering, across the product range, at least excellent and often exceptional sound quality.  Their CD players are outstanding sources, the Sooloos digital musical storage is arguably more capable than the Beosound/Beomaster 5 and the bigger DSP speakers especially the 8000s give the Beolab 5  real competition in the top-end active loudspeaker stakes.  Indeed, like B&O they have been exclusively committed to active loudspeakers for many years. 

    Here's s link http://www.meridian-audio.com/

    Cleve

      

  • 03-31-2011 5:53 PM In reply to

    • jahur
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    Re: to close for audible and visual comfort.

    some real pukka replies on this thread! but £25k kin' ell, thats some cost and that must take some beating! im really b&o ingrained since the 80's. the beocentre 2002 inspired me i would love to own another along with the beovox sx25's, what a system!!!

    i have to agree the mc'intosh did look very awesome and powerful in the "departed". i have this weird obsession looking out for a b&o system in all films/programs i watch. am i alone???????????

    (formerly nokinnikon from the old site)

  • 03-31-2011 9:22 PM In reply to

    • Rich
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    Re: to close for audible and visual comfort.

    Just for S&G, I'll throw my bit in.  If B&O did not exist, this is what I would be looking for:

    A Nakamichi BX-300 cassette deck

    Any Linn turntable with any tonearm and cartridge

    A PS Audio 4.6 preamp

    A Phase Linear 400 power amplifier

    A decent analog tuner from anyone - who cares, I rarely listen to the radio, but sometimes that's the only way to get a sporting event

    And the topper:  Dahlquist DQ-10 loudspeakers

    Current primary listening:  SMMC20EN -> BG4002 -> BM4000 -> Beovox M70

     

  • 03-31-2011 11:12 PM In reply to

    • Affineur
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    Re: to close for audible and visual comfort.

    B&O are a lifestyle brand with continuity. I have owned the products for 40 years and continue to upadate regularly. They have helped define my lifestyle and delivered products that live up to very high expectations. I have found no other provider that has the same full-line offerings, superior design, and superb integration and functionality.

    Seek simplicity and distrust it. Alfred North Whitehead
  • 04-01-2011 1:17 AM In reply to

    • Evan
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    Re: to close for audible and visual comfort.

    Now here's the mind blowing part Jahur;

    That amp is mono. You need at least two for stereo, so in amps alone your already out $50,000!

    I am a huge B&O guy through and through, but to me there is also something very attractive about component / mix-match systems. I love the look of straight up business. Gold banana plugs are like stereo jewelry to me. I think putting these massive setups together is a ton of fun and it's also something I can keep tweaking.

    Evan

     

  • 04-01-2011 1:20 AM In reply to

    • Evan
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    Re: to close for audible and visual comfort.

    Oh and Jahur, I think there is a huge number of vigilant BeoWorlders on the lookout for hidden Beo!!

    Evan

     

  • 04-01-2011 5:07 AM In reply to

    • jahur
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    Re: to close for audible and visual comfort.

    @ evan- 50k?????/ yowzer! superb replies on here! its really good you see you mixing it and tweaking, what really is bizarre i would feel if i was to change my system i would be letting bang and olufsen down and would feel a traitor! i couldnt see myself owning anything else. would be like driving a bentley and having to drive an old jalopy! it just isnt cricket my friends!

    (formerly nokinnikon from the old site)

  • 04-01-2011 6:38 AM In reply to

    • Electrified
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    Re: to close for audible and visual comfort.

    Not only is it mono, but if buy such a setup, you're pretty much tied into old-school passive speaker design. Something that is inferior to properly designed active setups.

     

    I wouldn't touch a passive setup with a ten feet pole, anymore than I would buy a reel-to-reel or turntable for it's audio quality (well, I actually do have a Tivoli Radio, but that's another matter).

    The problem I see, is that you'd be hard pressed to find active speakers as wife friendly and good sounding as the BL9s and BL5s. Even if price were no object.  I simply can't find it anywhere. To me, there's the choice of B&O audio monitors or professional audio monitors. The latters aren't really wife friendly (nor friendly to my own eyes).

     

    But this where you want to spend the big bucks: Active speakers. Not passive setups, not "powered" (i.e. passive design with an inbuilt amplifier) speaker. It's been more than three decades since passive speakers was considered a valid alternative in the quest for high fidelity.

    Mackintosh is really not the place to invest your money. It's as ridiculous as paying thousands for signal and speaker cables. It just doesn't make any sense.

     

    Source-wise, well, that's more or less up to you and how you (want to) go about it.

     

     

    Edit:

    Here are some classic looking two-way active speakers. I have the former model and use them as near field monitors. They're good and cheap (relatively speaking to BL9s). They're just over £1100 including shipping, and you can choose to have them in walnut, cherry, rosewood, black piano lacquer, or white piano lacquer :

     

    http://www.avihifi.co.uk/adm9.html

     

    But, anyway, there isn't a great choice out there to be honest  if you want the best (i.e. active).

     

     

     

  • 04-01-2011 1:49 PM In reply to

    • Evan
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    Re: to close for audible and visual comfort.

    A passive setup is a perfectly respectable way to listen.

    I agree with you, active is superior but it is not necessary to plainly discount the passive method.

    Evan

     

  • 04-01-2011 3:13 PM In reply to

    • Alex
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    Re: to close for audible and visual comfort.

    Evan:
    A passive setup is a perfectly respectable way to listen.

     

     

    I agree with you, active is superior but it is not necessary to plainly discount the passive method.

     

    +1

    Of the high-end systems I've listened to which have really blown me away, most of them have actually been passive. Active as a principle is better, but passive systems are still capable of amazing results.

    Most mastering studios still seem to use passive setups...

     

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  • 04-01-2011 3:19 PM In reply to

    Re: to close for audible and visual comfort.

    Electrified:

     

    Here are some classic looking two-way active speakers. I have the former model and use them as near field monitors. They're good and cheap (relatively speaking to BL9s). They're just over £1100 including shipping, and you can choose to have them in walnut, cherry, rosewood, black piano lacquer, or white piano lacquer :

     

    http://www.avihifi.co.uk/adm9.html

     

    But, anyway, there isn't a great choice out there to be honest  if you want the best (i.e. active).

     

     

     

    From the review of these:

    Instruments and human voices have an innate sense of rightness about them too, with a treble that extends naturally and a midrange that approaches LS3/5a levels of clarity.

    So they are almost as good as my speakers designed some 40 years ago! Big Smile (Just teasing!)

     

  • 04-01-2011 4:11 PM In reply to

    Re: to close for audible and visual comfort.

    I don't much care for the later model Beograms and was disappointed with their quality.  So, I purchased a Clearaudio turntable.  It's in a whole different league and looks like a classic but yet exotic turntable. 

    Then, I purchased a restored Beogram 3000 (the 1960s one) and am waiting for that to go with my Beolab 5000 system.  Best of both worlds.

  • 04-01-2011 5:27 PM In reply to

    • Evan
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    Re: to close for audible and visual comfort.

    jahur:
    what really is bizarre i would feel if i was to change my system i would be letting bang and olufsen down and would feel a traitor! i couldnt see myself owning anything else. would be like driving a bentley and having to drive an old jalopy!

    Interesting! I have never been loyal to one specific brand of audio/video. I have had systems that include over 5 brands! The only time I feel like a traitor is with regard to motors. For me its Honda and Honda period.

    I was raised by the method of components and mixing, its in my blood. However I can understand your situation. I love my BeoSystem, and all of my recent (past 4 years) audio purchases have been for the most part B&O. All of the other brands still grab me. There is more to fear than just the Beovirus!

    An odd resistor to my B&O collection is my father. Whenever I talk to him about audio he is completely disinterested, usually because I want to talk B&O!

    Evan

     

  • 04-01-2011 5:33 PM In reply to

    Re: to close for audible and visual comfort.

    jahur:

    @ evan- 50k?????/ yowzer! superb replies on here! its really good you see you mixing it and tweaking, what really is bizarre i would feel if i was to change my system i would be letting bang and olufsen down and would feel a traitor! i couldnt see myself owning anything else. would be like driving a bentley and having to drive an old jalopy! it just isnt cricket my friends!

    There is equipement out there that will outperform B&O (maybe not the combination of good looks and good quality but that is subjective) so your analogy doesn't really hold true.  As others have noted, there is equipment that makes B&O look cheap! However, if you want to think you have the nicest equipment around then by all means believe it!

  • 04-01-2011 5:50 PM In reply to

    • Evan
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    Re: to close for audible and visual comfort.

    Just to name a few other good brands: Paradigm, Quad and Pioneer Elite.

    The latter has some cool stuff going on, lately I noticed they are offering all class D amp sections in some of the receivers.

    Evan

     

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