@Vienna

Thank your very much for your detailed and QUICK help!
Danke!

Regards Elmar 

Maab:

In your personal opinion what would make worth to get beomaster/beosound
as opposed to macmini

- MOTS function 
  (surprising me every day when finding similarities in music of totally different genres) 

- User interface
  (especially when "browsing" through my collection containing various types of music
   changing quite often to different "views")

- Only one remote (Beo4/6) needed to control all functions of the system  

- And, as a matter of course: Design

Maab:

Would the sound be different in the two hypothetical systems?

Never tried, but choosig a lossless format instead of a lossy one will make a difference ... 

Vienna:

Maab:

In your personal opinion what would make worth to get beomaster/beosound
as opposed to macmini

- MOTS function 
  (surprising me every day when finding similarities in music of totally different genres) 

- User interface
  (especially when "browsing" through my collection containing various types of music
   changing quite often to different "views")

- Only one remote (Beo4/6) needed to control all functions of the system  

- And, as a matter of course: Design

Maab:

Would the sound be different in the two hypothetical systems?

Never tried, but choosig a lossless format instead of a lossy one will make a difference ... 

I respect Vienna greatly - he is a much better technical resource than I am

And yes, I am biased towards Apple

However the question of "worth" is difficult 

So B&O has MOTS, but Apple's iTunes has "Genius"; they work off different approaches - B&O's is better as it is based on an analysis of the music you own and therefore reflects your tastes and I believe exclusively your tastes.  I believe Apple's "Genius" is based comparing the music you own with the listening preferences of you and other iTunes users who have the same songs as you.  So B&O's approach provides more pleasant surprises (I suspect), and sometimes I find Apple's produces a mix stream where there are songs that I would never place side by side.  So you are getting a similar function with different results - and one comes as part of the "expense" of the Beosound 5, and the other comes "free" with the "free" iTunes software.

On user interface, while I love the Beosound 5 wheels, I also like the search capability I get with my iPad's "Remote" app .......

And finally, I use my Beo4 to control my iTunes (except the above searching) by using Beoport to drive LinkPlayer to drive iTunes 

 

So yes, the Beosound 5 IS better ... but the "worth" difference can be debated ... so please dig deeper and stay for an hour or more with your dealer's Beosound 5 to gain the best appreciation

@ elephant

Thank you for your kind words!

PS: liked your previous "self-explanatory" avatar much more 

I apologize for coming back with questions, but I really believe that my B&O dealer, as nice as he is, is not reliable...

Can a Beosound 5 (not the encore) be on his own driving the beolab 5 digitally, without the bm5?

Thanks

I'm afraid not, the beomaster 5 is the guts of the system without you will just have nice head unit that can't do anything.

Maab:

I apologize for coming back with questions,

If you didn't have questions, the other members would have nothing to answer!

Don't apologise. Ask as many as you want, that's what the forum is here for!!

Thank you very much.

Maab:

Can a Beosound 5 (not the encore) be on his own driving the beolab 5 digitally,
without the bm5?

It's possible the other way round.

You can use a BeoMaster 5 without a BeoSound 5 eg. by connecting the BM5
to a B&O TV and using the TV as display and IR-receiver.

But then the user interface won't be the same - it then will be very similar to the one
of BeoPlayer/BeoPort installed on a PC.

I'm still thinking whether to go bs5/bm5 route. I must say thou, the number of options intimidates me.

I'm still looking for some kind of digital preamplifier that would input all sorts of digital signals and output them correctly to the bl5, all the signals not just CDs. Is this utopia of is there a device do it all that I am not aware of?

Anyone here experienced Tact digital preamps?

Maab:

I'm still thinking whether to go bs5/bm5 route.
I must say thou, the number of options intimidates me.

Elephant's post is spot on - it's either BSd/BM5 or *G* the Big-Mac or Mini-Mac "Menu"

Sorry folks, 

during all the discussions about details I forgot to mention that 
a BSd/BM 5 combo connected digitally to a pair of BLb 5s requires 
an essential setting to be done first:

Enter the "customer service menu" by pointing at "MODE"
turn the whel down to "SETTINGS" and press ">" ">" "GO"
turn the whel down to "SPEAKER TYPE" and press "GO" 
and select "BEOLAB 5".

Maab:

I'm still thinking whether to go bs5/bm5 route. I must say thou, the number of options intimidates me.

 

 

I'm still looking for some kind of digital preamplifier that would input all sorts of digital signals and output them correctly to the bl5, all the signals not just CDs. Is this utopia of is there a device do it all that I am not aware of?

 

 

Anyone here experienced Tact digital preamps?

 

 

Well,

i'd consider a B&O TV ... it can handle most of your digital signals and distribute it. I think you don't really need a preamp/AV-Reciever in the setup you described ... it can also integrate a lot of 3rd-party gear via PUC, if you want it to. That was one of the reasons i have chosen a B&O TV. It is the master on my system and reduces complexity and boxes a lot!

Regards

 

I wish I knew that months ago, before I purchased one of the last Kuros on the market.

In the future, perhaps yes, but not now.

Simplification is indeed my goal, that's why I am a little reluctant to buy a two boxes system (bm5/bs5).

This is my deduction after all these posts, and I thank you all indeed:

Until settling things down, I'm receiving the speakers only next week, I will connect my iMac, from the other room, directly to the BL5. I just bought the needed converter optical >coax. And play music using the iPhone.

For the rest I will be using the Denon avp via analog connection.

At least for now this configurations will let me going until I decide whether to go all the way B&O.

Maab:

Until settling things down, I'm receiving the speakers only next week, I will connect my iMac,
from the other room, directly to the BL5. I just bought the needed converter optical >coax.
And play music using the iPhone.

For a non-B&O setup you'll have to order a "Sync Cable BeoLab 5 (10m)".

The cable ensures that both loudspeakers always play at the same volume level
when connected to non-Bang & Olufsen equipment and volume is controlled via
your Beo 4. B&O item# 6270901.

Thank you. I will.

...By the way: can a beomaster 5 alone, without bs5, integrate with a Kuro pioneer?

Maab:

...By the way: can a beomaster 5 alone, without bs5, integrate with a Kuro pioneer?

 

If the Kuro can be used as a monitor (VGA/DVI) it should be possible.

You'll need an external B&O IR-receiver - no sync-cable - and we're back to powerlink + SPDIF  .

Download the BeoMaster 5 Setup/User-Guide from B&O to get informations how the user interface
will be looking like on a TV or computer screen.

http://www.bang-olufsen.com/UserFiles/File/ug/BeoMaster5/beomaster_5_english.pdf  

Addendum: I'd go either for a "full" BM & BSd 5 combo or, alternatively, choose the macmini solution.

 

Ok. Now I will sound like a broken disk and I apologize for that, but I can't stop thinking why, with today's technology, would not be possible to make a device that functions as a preamplifier where all the digital inputs, CDs, net radio, nas, tv, etc, can be processed/ or bypassed by the preamp and outputted via a single digital out to the speakers (in my case bl5) in PCM format. It would be simpler and all sources would be output digitally to the speakers.

Frankly, I have hard time to understand why B&O modular system is the way it is. One broken link and it's all up in the air.

There is of course gear available that would fulfill your needs. But usually you purchase one of these, because you want to benefit from their superior DAC ... and you pay for it ... in your case that would be dead money, cause the BL5 does it. 

I auditioned this one and was very pleased: http://www.ayonaudio.com/fileadmin/upload/review/skyla.pdf

But there are others too.  

Regards

It could be the one, yes. But too costly to use it as a transport. And as you said its a waste with all that analog section into it.

I will get a Beo 5/6 as universal remote.

If I can integrate my Denon Avp I'll be fine as it can process about anything.

Rookie, I'm curious: how come you have a beoSub in your system along the beolab5. I have 2 JL f113 and I'm thinking to sell them....

You know what ... i recently sold the Beo-Sub

I had problems with positioning the BL5 properly ... bass was not perfect for me, and i knew they could do it better.

So i had to remove them further away from the wall ... they really need some air around them to perform best ... therefore i had to rip off my in-wall installation to make it happen.

Now it is quite perfect.

Another option for you: Buy a used Beosystem 2 or 3 ... you could even get your Kuro integrated with the help of some knowledgeable people ... if you can find one.

I personally would skip the BS5/BM5 because there are better and less expensive solutions on the market. 

Regards

Rookie,

Thanks for sharing your experience.

I normally have bass problem too in my room.

I really hope to automatic bass to work out as I hope.

We'll see...

Rookie:

I personally would skip the BS5/BM5 because there are better and less expensive solutions on the market. 

Regards

If you're mainly listening to lossy files (MP3, AAC) you could even skip the Beolab 5! :) 

 

I normally have bass problem too in my room.

 

I really hope to automatic bass to work out as I hope

 

Don't believe everything they tell you.

If you now already have bass problems don't go for the beolab5/9

Try them before you buy them!