Hi

I am new here so pls be gentle...

I am planning to buy a pair of Beolab 5, but before doing so I hope you can help me answer the folowing questions:

1) Digital & Analog input:

- I have read on this forum that Beolab 5 can handle both a digital and a analog input and that the speakers chooses the input which is active (with prefference for the digital input). I will not connect the speakers to any B&O sources (neither Beosound nor Beovision), but a computer and a flatscreen TV. 

- I plan to use a mini mac 2011 as my main source for music playback and will connect it to the BL5 via it's digital Coax input. 

- I would like also to connect my Sony flatscreen TV to the speakers via it's digital out, but because the Beolab 5 can handle only one digital input then I have to connect it to the speakers via its analog input.

- - Question 1: Is it possible to do as described above?

- - Question 2: Will it be possible to control the volume via a Beo4 when using the analog input?

- - Question 3: I understand that the speakers can be in different 'modes' and that one can change 'mode' via Beo4. What are the differences between these 'modes', how do I change between the 'modes' and what 'mode' should I use if I would like to use my mini mac and TV as described above?

2) Digital to Digital: 

- I could choose to connect the BL5's to my mini mac via it's digital Toslink out and convert the signal to digital Coax via a converter (http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Optical-Toslink-Coaxial-Converter/dp/B000I98ZQY)', but the good lads at 'Computer Audiophile' suggests to use a good USB to S/PDIF converter for maximum audio quality. I have been looking at both 'Musical Fidelity's V-Link' and the brand new 'April Music Stello U3'. The V-Link is a 24 bits /96 kHz asynchronous USB to S/PDIF converter and the Stello U3 is also a asynchronous USB to S/PDIF converter, but handles 24 bits /192 Khz. 

- - Question 4: Is 24 bits /192 Khz overkill because the Beolab 5's max/limit of 88.2 kHz?

Cheers and best regards

.... Anyone?

Question 4:

There's no need to go up to 192k, there is virtually no pre-recorded 192k material out there. I tend to record at 88.2k in the studio, but even this rarely gets distributed, it's normally crunched down to 44.1k (CD quality) at the mastering stage!

Question 3:

I haven't been with B&O for a few years now, so somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you want to be in OPTION 1. This means the speakers will accept the CD (digital) and RADIO (analog) input options, and related buttons on a B&O remote, and will also allow you to adjust the volume using the BeoLab 5's built in attenuators (which is vastly superior to an attenuator/preamp before the input of the BeoLab 5).

Question 2:

Yes, as above. The attenuators on the BeoLab 5s come after the DSP/crossovers and before the amplifier modules. If you adjust the volume of the signal before it hits the inputs of the BeoLab 5, you may only be reaching (for example) -40 dB on the DSP, which will bring the system floor and quantization noise right up!

Hence why BeoLab 5s should always be connected digitally where possible.

Question 1:

Yes, you'll have to use the analog input on the BeoLab 5s for the Sony TV. Most of the digital outputs from modern TVs are re-sampled anyway, and usually coming from 128kbps MPEG audio from your digital TV stream, which sounds absolutely awful regardless of whether you go into the 5s through the digital or analog inputs.

Thanks Alex! Your help is much appreciated.

Brgds.