Hello Everybody,

If I had the following in my place:

- BeoVision 7 or BeoVision 9

- 2  x  BeoLab 6000

- 2  x  BeoLab 9

would I still need to have a subwoofer (BeoLab 2) to have a complete Home Theatre? ...would it make big difference without?

 Any advise will be appreciated... thanks,

Massimo

I faced the same decision few weeks ago. I used to have BV3+BL6000 and was planning to go for BV3+BL9+BL6000+BL2. My colleagues convinced me that it would be more beneficial to replace the BL6000 with BL3's and parking the BL2 for a while. That way I would get a full ALT set up. I did it and haven't regret it a single second. BL3s are excellent for double stereo and surround. BL9s are so superb that they "almost" fill in for the BL2.

If I were you I would try both setups at your dealer with your best DVD. My feeling is that you will gain a bit with the BL2, but I'm not sure it will be worth to spend the money in doing so.

On the other hand.... a set up with BL9+BL2+BL3 is not as good as BL5+your current BL6000 ... and they cost about the same money. OK, the double stereo will be totally unbalanced but BL5's are the best there is.

thanks a lot for the advise... that sounds like a very good option...

will try to check with my dealer... ciao!

I think the BL2 can add something to a cinema setup, but it is no must, as the BL9s are very strong on the low end.

Something you may want to check out is the sourround performance of the BV3. I replaced my fantastic BV3-32 with a Beosystem 3 last week. After the first seconds of the first Music DVD (Eagels HD-DVD) I realized a huge differnce in the bass performance of the lab5 I have  as front speaker. Much more bass than with the BV3!

back to your question, the lab 9 have a lot bass, the question is always how to control this. With the lab 2 you can adjust position and level of the low bass parts, with the lab 9 not. On the other hand, the frequency where the bass signal is splitted between the sub and the fronts is not adjustable.

So I think you should talk to a dealer for a test at your house, only this will tell you if it works!

Karsten 

Karsten.
Just out of curiosity, did you get the Eagles DVD after seeing it at Struer or before?
I watched it at three different locations in Struer then just had to go and buy it myself!
£10 inc P+P from Lithuania (eBay)

Andy T.

YES!

But go for a B&W PV1 subwoofer

 Its go deep very very deep! 18 hz 140 Hz (-6db)  21 Hz-110Hz (+/-3db)

BeoLab 9 are only going down  to 30Hz and BeoLab 2 are with problems going down to 23 hz. I olso think that PV1 are more B&O look like then BeoLab2

 

Its a high End subwoofer with two strong aluminium drivers powered with 500 Watt B&O ICEpower. The cabinet is like a rock an very heavy. (20,5 kg)

 All rewies shows its  sound much better then BeoLab 2, and the price are only the half!

http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/display.aspx?infid=1187&terid=1221&sc=hf

B&W PV1  was winning the eisa award last year for best subwoofer     www.eisa-awards.org

INFO about B&W PV1 from Bang & Olufsen ICEpower website  http://www.icepower.bang-olufsen.com/sw2236_fr_content.asp?storeid=694896 “When looking for an amplifier module for the PV1, we had very clear requirements. High sound quality and reliability are top of the list for any B&W product, but we also needed high power, coupled with cool running and small physical size. This we found in the ICEpower amplifier module.” Dr. Gary Geaves, Head of Research, Bowers and Wilkins Products utilizing ICEpower technology B&W PV1 “it was clear from the outset that this subwoofer sounds as good as it looks, delivering bass that’s uncommonly clean and free from any audible distortion or coloration.” “...few if any subwoofers have ever incorporated so much engineering innovation or such striking styling  Review from Hi-Fi Choice Magazine "The B&W PV1 subwoofer amazes in every way, blending supreme style with astonishing performance" Review from What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision Read more about B&W on www.bwspeakers.com

The PV1 is a good subwoofer, indeed I had one for a week and for music it's great. However I feel the performance of the BeoLab 9s is better than the PV1, and I think the frequency response of the PV1 is a bit exaggerated.

I'm going to say no, you don't need a subwoofer when using the BeoLab 9s. If anything, you're just going to make the sound worse as the BeoLab 9s are very fast, very tight and overall very detailed across the frequency band from the lowest registers (which is very low) to 20 KHz and beyond. A BeoLab 2, or indeed a PV1 (superior to the BL2 in many ways) will generally slow things down, not only due to the actual performance of the speaker being lesser, but also because you end up with multiple sound sources, which is more difficult to deal with than bass coming from 2 sources.

People often say sub-bass is completely unidirectional, but I disagree, it's merely less directional and I can usually hear where the subwoofer is, even if it's only covering very low frequencies. With BeoLab 9s or 5s, you can rest assured that you have the best arrangement of subwoofers you can get, rather than having to worry about the rather crude art of integrating a subwoofer with main speakers (which in theory, can never really work that well).

Also, bear in mind that if you do get BeoLab 5s (which I strongly recommend, as they are some of the most incredible speakers on the market), then there is absolutely NO need for subwoofers as the BeoLab 5s have the most capable and powerful subwoofers on the market built right in...

The thing to bear in mind, is that the rear speakers do very little in comparison to the front three speakers, of which the main left and right tend to determine the overall performance of a system more than any others. I would much more rather have absolutely fantastic sound from 2 x BeoLab 5s than very good sound from BeoLab 3s, a 2 + surround sound. Surround sound is not better sound, it's just more sound.

I recently changed by lab8000/6000 front/rears with lab9s and 3s.

My centre is my BV3.

When I demoed the 9s at home I had exactly the same question - whether to keep my lab2.

On music the lab2 made no difference. On a good 5.1 surround sound movie there is a huge gap in base - so answer is depends what you are listening to, (and funds available!) I kept my lab2 and would have regretted parting with a great sub

Hi Massimo,

I have a similar setup (BL9 + 7-4 + BL6000) and was convinced I needed a BL2 based upon a demo at the dealers, but when I setup at home I didn't think it was necessary. As Karsten says, arrange a test at home if you can, before you decide. 

Max.

Bulgarien:

 

But go for a B&W PV1 subwoofer

 I olso think that PV1 are more B&O look like then BeoLab2

 

 

Oh my goodness! Doesn't it look like THIS!

Andy T.

Wow, doesn't that PV1 look like THIS

Andy T.

jandyt:

Wow, doesn't that PV1 look like THIS

Andy T.

some kind of!

Andy, new signature?!

guys... great advises from all of you!

I understand that the best would be to arrange a demo at my place through my dealer... I'll give a shot at that... thanks!

Hi Massimo,

I have a set-up with BV7 + BL7.4, BL9's as front and BL3's as rear. In this set-up i really don’t see a need for BL2. The BL9's have a very good, deep and precise bass and it really rock the room if you let them. One of my friends has a set-up with BV7 + BL7.4, BL8000's as front and rear and BL2. In terms of sound I think the BL2 give a bit more low end power but the bass as not far as clear and precise of from the BL9’s. If you watch movies and want to “feel” the sound effects this set-up is marginally better, but if you listen to music the BL9 set-up is way ahead of the BL8000 + BL2 combination. I my mind a BL3 + BL2 would be better then this but still not as good at BL9’s. As you probably will use it for both movies and music, the BL9 will be overall better (in my mind). You should not add a BL2 to the BL9’s as you will destroy the very good and precise bass from the 9’s and only add marginally better movie experience. If you compare price a BL3 + BL2 combo cost the same as BL9’s, so in my mind you should go for the 9’s. I did for half year ago and are very satisfied.

Ken

Andy, was one of my first DVD's I ever purchased.....thinking for a minute, it was my first DVD ever!!! Even shot in 4:3, the sound is just fantastic!

I recently bought the HD-DVD of the show in Australia, sound not as good as the Hell freeze over, but nice video performance.... 

Karsten 

Ken & Massimo,

I think the missing bass at 5.1 sound with the BV3 might caused by the BV3 according my expirience switching from the BV3 to the BS3. The BL9 have a lot bass, but the question is it is controlled by the dolby/DTS prozessor as the seperate sub signal needs to mixed to the fronts.

From my expirience the BV3 did not do a perfect job in my setup! (I had lab3 plus lab2 before I got the lab5)

Karsten 

 

Guys,

you know what? I will most likely start with the BV9 + BL9 as front speakers + BL6000 as rear speakers.

If then I feel I'm missing something I will then think about buying a BL2... I can still add that later.

On a different note... do you guys think 3 / 3,5 meters is ok distance for the 50 inches BV9?

 

ciao!

massimo

Bulgarien,

Can the PV1 be connected to a BV7?

And if so, how?

Massimo, you find the (diagonal) measurement of the screen you're watching. The distance between you and the centre of the screen must be at least 5 times that, for comfortable viewing. For the 50" BV9 you will need to be sitting at least 6.35 metres away. :(

 

Rombeek, the PV1 can be connected using a cable from a dealer that converts powerlink to a coaxial plug. :) 

philipsmz333,

Do you think that's advisable / no loss in quality?

Marcel

 

There really shouldn't be any loss of quality, also, the PV1 is fully adjustable!

Better adjustable than the BL2?

Do you also think the PV1 is a better choice than the BL2 (in combination with 4 BL8000 and a BL7.4) ?

I do, very much so. I recommend that you audition this sub. I personally prefer it's design to the BL2 and also because of the reasons mentioned above. It is less than half the price! I think that would be a beautiful setup with the PV1.

 

Click the little thumbnail next to the big picture of the black PV1. You'll find it earlier on this thread, it shows the controls of the PV1.

 

Oke, thanks!

(my wife prefers the design of the BL2; showed her the 2 pictures.........)