My wife and just purchased a pair of Beolab 9s today and will pick up and take home tomorrow. I am very curious to see how they sound in our home compared to our current Beolab 1s with a Velodyne HGS 12 subwoofer.  One question, our Avant does not have Beolab 9 in the menu. I am planning on setting it to Beolab 1. Any problems or concerns I should have or other reccomended setting?

Congratulations on your purchase Razlaw, they're absolutely brilliant creatures and i'm sure you'll both be smitten with them! Which dealer / city did you purchase them from?

I believe the Beolab 5 setting should be totally fine, this has been previously questioned on here and that is what i remember reading. There may also be a softwre update available, but i'm not 100% certain.

 

Using the BeoLab 1 setting will actually limit the performance of the BeoLab 9s, so as philipsmz333 says, use the BeoLab 5 setting. And yes there is a software update for BeoLab 9s in the menu of the Avant, or will be soon!

I suggest when you compare the speakers, try the BeoLab 9s without the Velodyne (as great as it is), the BeoLab 9s can push out a pretty serious amount of bass at times! If you then want more kick (may be needed in a larger room), introduce the Velodyne at a reduced volume so you don't mask any of the detail from the Lab9's bass.

Thanks!  Our menu on the Avant does not have Beolab 5, if I remember correctly, only Beolab 1, 4000, etc.  Although perhaps I may be incorrect. We did a software update on the Avant about 6 months ago so I would think perhaps that included Beolab 5 although I guess I never checked. I was more interested in the added devices that were supported. We are away for the weekend so I will have to check the menu when I get home later today with the speakers.

 We have a link room I could put the 9s. If I put them in there and leave the 1s in the surround sound setup, does the Avant setting have any effect? I would not think it would have any effect as I have never heard of any setting for the link room speakers so this would seem to me to the same as connecting directly to a Beosound where again there is no setting for speaker type.

Does the setting on the Avant affect the speakers only for surround sound or also for CDs/net music etc?

 

PS we purchased them at a B and O store in the Chicago area.

I would actually use the BL9's in the surround setup!

Depends where you listen most often. If you tend to listen to music properly in the link room, then I'd put the BeoLab 9s in there. However, if you listen more in the main room, swap them round with the BeoLab 1s. Afterall, the BeoLab 9s are better than the BeoLab 1s, by quite a bit IMO!

And no, the settings on the Avant menu only affect the surround sound processor's output, nothing to do with the sound in link rooms.

Note:

IF you have a BV7 with a sub:

Then call the BL9, "BL1" because if it's call BL5 in the menu, the SUB doesn't say anything. because all the bass is sent to the front speaker instead. just so all of you know it

The Beolab 9s are up and running.  I am still comparing to the 1s. My wife has already made up her mind that the 9s are far superior to the 1s and now wants a Beovision 7 so we have acoustic lens for all three front speakers.

Regarding the setting an the Avant for the 9s, B and O has advised me that the settings for Beolab 1 and Beolab 5 are identical and thus either is fine.

I am thinking of putting the 1s in the rear to replace the current 6000s. It would look silly to have such tall speakers in the rear and small 9s in front, but the improved sound should be worth it. Also, the bass that the Avant reduces out for the 6000s would no longer be reduced so should get even more bass in the rears when called for.

My initial opinion of the 9s is that they seem to sound more open and free....perhaps more like real live music as opposed to a high quality speaker reproduction of live music. Bass is incredibly tight. I do not think we need a sub woofer with them but my wife does.

We also feal like we hear every different instrument or other sound/noise much more distincly and clearly.

 

 

 

They were purchased at a dealer in a suburb of Chicago.

Beolab 9s in front with Beolab 1s as rears sounds incredible....even better than I expected!

I'd imagine that is quite impressive! BeoLab 1s have the drivers mounted very high up, so the sound will easily clear any furnishings.

Pics! We want pictures!!!

Not sure if I am technologically advanced enough to figure out how to do pictures....a new challenge for me...LOL

Sorry late post. I have had some problems posting like others recently.

There is a hidden setting on the Avant that will disable the speaker filters (my language). From memory set the front speakers to Beolab 4000's and the rear to Beolab 1's. This improbable setup (could differ slightly) was used to best display Beolab 5's before the Avants were updated.

I'm sure other here may be able to correct or add to these settings.

Beoaus.

Yes please do post pictures, your set up sounds very VERY cool, Razlaw!

Never have heard of the filter that can be disabled. Fortunately our Avant has been updated and has Beolab 5 in it. B and O has advised me that the Beolab 1 and Beolab 5 settings are identical and to set the 9s to either of those settings, it makes no difference which one.

Really? I've found that the BeoLab 9s don't perform to their full bass potential when using the BeoLab 1 setting. Maybe I'm imagining things? It would be good if you could do a comparison...

I will try to do a comparison. The info I was given on the settings came directly from B and O, not a store or sales person, so I tend to think it is correct.

Of course, although that news does surprise me! I suspect the statement is probably correct.

Hi,

When I got my BL9's I also got the information that I should use the BL1 setting on my BV7. I tried this and found that there was a huge difference in the amout of bass sent to the BL9's when using the BL1 and the BL5 setting. Clearly you shoudl use the BL5 setting to ensure no bass is filtered.

I think the advise for using the BL1 setting is OK if you are using a BL2, but clearly not without a BL2. And I would not reccomend a BL2 to go with the 9's as the bass in the 9's are very very good. Both in therms of power, depth and clearity.

Ken

Incredible that the dealers can't get this right. The bass in BL1 is pitiful compared to BL9.

I totally agree with Ken :
Set the Avant to Beolab 5, and sell or place the Bl2 in another setup.

I also think that Bl1's on the rear are totally waisted, I would suggest to place the 1's in an other setup or sell them, and with the money buy a pair of 3's for the rear which will be almost perfect (in fact it's almost already too much), and after upgrading to BV7 (wait for the Beosystem3-based BV7), you will get a better-than-cinema experience with full ALT speakers...

The Beolab 1s in the rear are incredible. They have several benefits. For one, it puts the rear sound much higher than 3s would, unless they were mounted on the wall. Also, as the 1s and 5s receive more bass as the Avant filters out excess bass for the less powerful speakers,  the bass that is designed for the rears now comes out as intended rather than being filtered out.

Also, the comment about dealers not being able to get it right is innaccurate in this instance. The information on the Beolab 1 and 5 settings did not come from a dealer, it came from B and O directly, from a specific individual who has provided me with huge amounts of assistance, customer service and advice over the years. In fact, he reccomended the 1s for the rear.

As for what the system sounds like with 1s in the rear, it is incredible. We have 1s, two sets of 4000s, a pair of 6000s, and now the 9s.

We have had both 4000s and 6000s in the rear. The improvement by placing the 1s in the rear is huge.

Regarding the advice to wait for the Beovision 7 with Beosystem 3, it is already available here in the US. Dealer has advised he can have one for us in two weeks...1080p...full Beosystem 3. We viewed one in the store this past weekend and it was spectacular.

After having the 9s for one and a half weeks I continue to be impressed by them. The sound is really amazing.

They look great too don't they, I'm really jealous.
What colour do you have?

Andy T.