B&O has just posponed the launch of Encore til after summer....

It is because they would like to assure that the quality is perfect before it is released.

 

/Weebyx

I hope they also release it with the Beonet/Masterlink available as well

There will certainly not be any MasterLink, but this timing will coincide with the release of the NetLink > MasterLink converter that was discussed. Of course that product was not officially discussed the way the Encore was, so there's no way to know whether that's still on track or has also been pushed back.  

Weebyx:

B&O has just posponed the launch of Encore til after summer....

It is because they would like to assure that the quality is perfect before it is released.

 

/Weebyx

In my experience this is marketing speak for "there are too many software faults still to be ironed out"

There is already a new pricelist for Switzerland available ... it says 2850 € for the BS5 Encore with the wall mount included.

Any other prices available yet around the world?

Regards

EUR 2,850 for NRADIO playback? It must be a joke

As such, BeoSound 5 Encore can only play NRADIO, it is "only" a nice looking interface, it doesn't do anything! It simply connects to Internet to get internet radio playback, and to your DLNA server or hard drive, to play your audio files. Or act as a very expensive preamp for another audio device connected to the AUX input. That's all.

That is why I never bought the BeoSound 5, which is even more expensive, I really had high hopes for the BS5 Encore, because the setup & use should be much easier (it has Wi-fi 802n!), but even at a lower price, B&O still has to offer Apple Lossless playback (I spent 3 days converting my WMA files to ALAC when I shifted to Mac), and track & artist display in NRADIO mode (which is still missing, even on BS5 today!), a feature that all other internet radio softwares offer!

Today with Linkplayer and Linkremote, or BMLink with Itunes Remote, and a BeoPort box, you can have much greater flexibility and visual feedback than with BS5/Encore. So the Encore would be really a step forward for the PC-based homes only.

That's how I see things, I may be wrong of course

Chrisreunion:

EUR 2,850 for NRADIO playback? It must be a joke

As such, BeoSound 5 Encore can only play NRADIO, it is "only" a nice looking interface, it doesn't do anything! It simply connects to Internet to get internet radio playback, and to your DLNA server or hard drive, to play your audio files. Or act as a very expensive preamp for another audio device connected to the AUX input. That's all.

That is why I never bought the BeoSound 5, which is even more expensive, I really had high hopes for the BS5 Encore, because the setup & use should be much easier (it has Wi-fi 802n!), but even at a lower price, B&O still has to offer Apple Lossless playback (I spent 3 days converting my WMA files to ALAC when I shifted to Mac), and track & artist display in NRADIO mode (which is still missing, even on BS5 today!), a feature that all other internet radio softwares offer!

Today with Linkplayer and Linkremote, or BMLink with Itunes Remote, and a BeoPort box, you can have much greater flexibility and visual feedback than with BS5/Encore. So the Encore would be really a step forward for the PC-based homes only.

That's how I see things, I may be wrong of course

Oh, honestly, steady on. You are really jumping the gun there, it has not even been released.

 

Lets, just, wait. B&O have surprised everyone with the BeoSound 8 and I believe that there are many more of these surprises in store for us.

I don't know first hand because I wasn't selling CD players back when the format was new, but I've been told that the CD was disruptive to the status quo because the new-ness and novelty were the only narratives early on and it took some time to settle down and for people to realize that one CD player could be better than another.

The same thing has recently been happening with the digital file as people realize that if they tend to their formatting and get some decent technology that their digital files can sound as good, if not better than, their CDs. To say that the BeoSound 5 Encore is just a NetRadio streamer is like calling a Ferrari a "gas-burning apparatus." 

TripEnglish:

To say that the BeoSound 5 Encore is just a NetRadio streamer is like calling a Ferrari a "gas-burning apparatus." 

 

I really like your camparison :)

 

Weebyx:

TripEnglish:

To say that the BeoSound 5 Encore is just a NetRadio streamer is like calling a Ferrari a "gas-burning apparatus." 

 

 

I really like your camparison :)

 

I do too.

 

"...Ferrari a "gas-burning apparatus."

 

That exactly what a Ferrari would be if it had skinny tires, or if it had 88hp under the hood, etc..

We have to wait and see what Encore is and does, but others here are simply making the point that in the past, B&O's "digital" efforts have been less than Ferrari-like, or perhaps better said, not to B&O standard.

I for one, was the proud owner of a B&O CDX in the very early days of the CD. To say that the CDX was expensive compared to others at the time is an understatement. But it was special. It was special in a B&O kind of way. I'm not sure that I would say that of the current B&O digital portfolio.

As we all know, B&O has a long way to go before it really gets digital media. As a life long fan, I really hope they get Encore right.

 

beo-ap:

"...Ferrari a "gas-burning apparatus."

 

That exactly what a Ferrari would be if it had skinny tires, or if it had 88hp under the hood, etc..

We have to wait and see what Encore is and does, but others here are simply making the point that in the past, B&O's "digital" efforts have been less than Ferrari-like, or perhaps better said, not to B&O standard.

I for one, was the proud owner of a B&O CDX in the very early days of the CD. To say that the CDX was expensive compared to others at the time is an understatement. But it was special. It was special in a B&O kind of way. I'm not sure that I would say that of the current B&O digital portfolio.

As we all know, B&O has a long way to go before it really gets digital media. As a life long fan, I really hope they get Encore right.

 

Will it be a Ferrari of a "Ferrari" kit car - all show and no go!

I'm as interested as any to find out!

I am quite happy with B and O's handling of digital music. I recently purchased a Beosound 5. The sound quality is noticeably better than the when listening to music on my Apple TV or through Beoport from an iMac. The interface is wonderful. Using the Beosound 5 brings the sort of pleasure one expects from B and O products....that intangible B and O magic.

It is also easy to add CDs to. I insert a CD into my PC and Beoplayer copies it directly into the Beomaster 5 and at the same same time places a copy in the Beomaster folder on the iMac.

What's the difference between Beosound 5 and Beosound 5 Encore?

Daniel:

What's the difference between Beosound 5 and Beosound 5 Encore?

NOOOOO! Trip is probably going to explode!!

Ok, here's a good one.

Thanks!

The Encore's specifications are already available in the new catalogue, and it will NOT play Apple Lossless.FLAC and WMALossless only.

It does have 3 sockets below the screen, one temporary USB, one audio input (to connect your Ithing and use its internal audio processor), and one for headphones.It won't use its own DAC for your Ithing playback, like BS8 does, which was the only way to make it play Apple Lossless, for instance.

Permanent connections will include Powerlink of course, Ethernet (don't know if it will be 100 or 1000 Mbps speed), wi-fi 802n, USB for a hard drive.

Features include playback from a home server, DLNA, the rest is pretty much like BS5, unfortunately for me; I expected them to re-work the navigation controls, bring out something like the BeoCenter 2 navigation panel: you can't even pause playback or skip to the next track with BS5 controls!They are used just for on-screen navigation, all the rest has to be remote controlled; I know I'm not saying anything new to those who played with and own a BS5, I just find it way too basic to use.Not interactive enough.The opposite of a BeoCenter 9500 I would say

Hi Chrisreunion,

good explanation! But:

I had my hundreds of CD's imported in ITunes a few years ago. Does this mean that I can't play any of these thousands of songs with the BS 5 Encore??

Regards

Räuber

You can batch convert them. If they were in Apple Lossless you will NOT lose any quality in the process.

Chrisreunion:

you can't even pause playback or skip to the next track with BS5 controls!

Yes you can. Pressing Go pauses. Left and right arrows skip forward and back through tracks.

 

Technically they can add apple lossless support through software update.

It's not possible to officially license it, I think others that do support it use the reverse engineered version, I wouldn't be surprised if it just starts working after one of the upgrades without listing it as a special feature

 

They have to support it, I would expect Itunes at some point offer lossless, right now there is probably not enough money in it offering that, but is a logical step that the quality is improved just like it happened with movies.

 

What baffles me about the envore is, if it doesn't have AUX/line out how would one connect it to the existing setup? That would be beyond stupid not to have that.

 

 

"What baffles me about the envore is, if it doesn't have AUX/line out how would one connect it to the existing setup? That would be beyond stupid not to have that."

 

It's the first BeoSound to be based on the new BeoNet network, the replacement for Masterlink. To work with current link setups it will need a MasterLink to BeoNet converter, much like the old ML to MCL converters. That's why it's originally being launched as a stand alone system. Hopefully the delay will marry up with the launch of ML to BeoNet converter and all the bugs will be ironed out.

 Personally I would rather they get it right straight out the box than wait for constant upgrades.

Any word on AAC playback?

Evan:

Any word on AAC playback?

The catalogue I collected today says AAC-LC and AAC-LC VBR are supported.  

This stuff always confuses my pea-sized brain so I don't know if that answers your question one hundred per cent !