Well the BL5s arrived on Sat so I said I'd report back.  Well, couldn't be more mixed.  Firstly OMG!  Turned up they sound amazing BUT.

Havent' totally thrashed them yet was warned not to by the installation team  "until they've burnt in a bit"  couple of weeks, to let them loosen up a bit ?   Taking that advice, have been going through a mixture of stuff.  During some quiet classical moments and in between some tracks I began to notice some hiss / crackle on one of the BL5s.  This has been fairly consistent from the mid bass speaker and sometimes a bit of transient noise appearing in the tweeter, mid range and low bass no change.  Then last night, having had them a little bit louder, at the end of the CD I heard some quiet on / off buzzing from both speakers.  I traced this last bit of noise to the laptop charger on the other side of the room.  Turned it off and hey presto, the noise / interference want away on the BL5s.   Today, the other speaker for a period of about 3-5 minutes displayed continuous crackle from the mid range speaker, then it went away.  Dealer is coming back on 13th Aug to investigate.

 So what does all this mean???   I have gone down a long list of possible causes and taken the following actions, which brought me to the conclusion that some fault or other with the left speaker (the first one I described) but now it looks like both are prone to electromagnetic interference of some kind.  See below first and any help appreciated in suggestions as to what I might do or the dealer might want to think about before driving the 100 miles or so to come and solve it.

If anyone out there has had similar problems, either with the BL5s being prone to this or their own house  mains / earth issues then I'd really like to hear them.  The speakers are about 7feet apart and my house is modern (8 years old) and is detached with at least 15 feet between each house.  Surely I don't have to build a 'Faraday Cage' around my living room or plant a 50ft copper spike in my garden and earth the speakers via two lengths of copper pipe :-(   If they're that prone to external noise then I've made a big mistake.  Fortunately, my dealer ordered two pairs of BL5s (by mistake) so can bring a fresh set on his next visit).

See the list, help really needed because right now I feel decidely sick !

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1. Disconnected all the digital input and wiring to just leave the powerlink.

2. I have recycled the power (even though the speaker does not use Microsoft Windows) :-)

3. Switched the offending speaker from the Left to the Right channel (input switch on the back). So now both speakers playing the Right channel. The noise problem is still present, only in the left speaker predominantly from the mid front facing bass driver, given the freq range that the noise is in.

4. Replaced the 10m Powerlink Cable with the 5m one. Still no change.

5. Swapped to use the second powerlink socket (both on the speaker and the TV). No change.

6. Used a different 240V wall outlet, no change.

7. Moved the offending speaker as it was near a vertical copper gas pipe coming down the wall which might have been acting like and antenna and upsetting the digital. By this time I had made up my mind that it is the speaker.

8. On the same digital theme, switched off my wireless router and all wireless devices in the house.

This no joke!!!!

 

Sounds like your speaker is sick. What a shame, given that you were looking forward to getting them in the house.

They should be COMPLETELY silent. Shielding from interference is important, of course. You might have something affecting them.

My CRT television in the den actually influences my Grado RS-1 headset. If I go downstairs and switch the TV off, a slight buzz in the headset disappers ...

So you might want to look into what could be causing interference. You'll need a replacement speaker, I think. Hang in there, you'll be very happy when it's all running.

And running digital coax and powerlink at the same time should have no negative effect. 

Thanks for getting back so quick.  The left one is worse. Noise is mainly in the upper bass range.  The right one only showed effects for the first time today (then I suppose I'm listening even closer now of course).  Yes I have a CRT TV (MX5500) but come on, doesn't nearly every house in the UK have a CRT in reasonable range.  Surely I couldn't have had two faulty BL5s delivered?  My worry is that you do have to listen out for this noise, obviously not able to hear it if the speakers are turned up a bit with while playing.  With CD on pause or between tracks and turned up full, the speakers play a tune all by themselves, made up of varying degree of transient noise.  So it must be bad earthing / shielding.  By the way, I'm a bit concerned that the AC leads / plug have plastic earth pin i.e. not earthed to the ring main?????  Surely it's not a case of the wrong type of AC leads being shipped in the boxes?

Hope this thread goes on a bit and ends up with me knowing for sure that I've got a duff pair or some good advice on steps to take to reduce the effects comes back.  Will feel a right prat if they bring another set and it doesn't solve the problem.

Tks

Hi

What is the speakers connect to?

Remove all Becom6000 chargers... and look out for other swhits mode power supplies

and you need to be a least 1 m away from the speaker, all speakers makes noise up close

Try to ensure that there is nothing else connected to the circuit that the BL5s are drawing electricity from. No refrigerators, AC-units or anything else that could be kicking off-and-on. Just a dedicated circuit feeding just them.

I'm not saying that a CRT television should affect them - just that it affected a headphone I have, which is very sensitive.

I take it you don't live under powerlines!

They should be completely silent. If they're not, then the store should give you a replacement pair.

You could, just for the fun of it, go and get an inexpensive current "cleaner" from Maplins or Dixons ... 

Hi there Jackplug

I do not own a pair of BL5 (my wife don´t like them). But could it have something to do with the power link cable?? I mean that the BL3 has there own set of cable. On the plastic on the jack there is marked a little triangle. If you use other cables (without the triangle) I had interference problems. But after the change everything is okey..

Hope you will find the solution - defiantly your dealer.

Hang in there - please keep us updated

Dennis

I think it the cables too.  Book says have to use 'fully mounted' Powerlink "not the really thin type"  now that to me implies 'chunky' cables, like the datalink cables (7 pin) that connect up all my other bits.  Something about these new generation Powerlink cables that worries me, they look too thin to be of any use, for shielding etc.  So, I asked the guys when they were here, are these cables the fully mounted type?  Yes they said, the once supplied with the speakers.  What I really need to do is set the BL5s to work from the RCA line in connections and removed the Polwerlink inputs, then see.  Problem is, when I pull the Powerlink cables out, the speakers revert to standby.  Need to set the BL5s to option 1 not 0 I think.  Then plug in my CD player and just use RCA L & R direct into each BL5s (or some other bit of kit.  But then I also need the 'sync' cable between the speakers, as per the diagrams for 'non B&O' setup.

Nope, no overhead power lines near me and nope, no aircon or fridge on the same sockets. So unless the house has been wired by Steve Wonder then shouldn't be a major problem.  But I DO note the reply about 'other' switched supply devices.  Will look for the triangles on the cables.  Reassured to hear that someone else has had a noise problem that turned out to be bad cables.  The ones I'm using were brought by the dealer (5m). These have either little coils or capacitor / resister filters on each end about half an ince from the 8 pin plugs.  The 10m cables that they also gave me (with invoice for £60) which I didn't pay, tks,  DO NOT have the filters on each end.  BUT I've used both sets of cables and currently the 5m are connected.  Either way, the noise is no differenct whatever I do.  Tomorrow I'm going to swap the speakers and place the right where the left one is and vice versa to see if the type of noise seen with the current left one is replocated on the other speaker or not.  That way I should know if its the position of the speaker or not.   I did move it just a little the other day but no change.

Big dilema for me is that I didn't get the BL5s from my local dealer due to a previous fall out over a dodgy repair that resulted in a TV coming back to me fixed but scratched and dented!  They made good but not without a few exchanges of fax messages!!!!  So I got my BL5s from a previous dealer I'd used 10 years ago to whom I very loyal.  Problem now is they have to drive 200 miles round trip to sort me out.  But having said that, no hesitation at all, they'll be round ASAP  (13th), not bad going.

Why me?

 

Make sure cable being used is not the One marked with a triangle as this is mark three, you need to use fully wired powerlink which hopefully the guys would have used. you can tell if it is fully wired by the thickness.

You haven't got any dimmer switchs in the room which the cable route goes near??

Hi it's the right PL you use.

I would like to know what you have them connect to? an old device cut have some bad connections...

BTW if it's mrk 1 or 3 the BL5 don't turn on at all... so it the right about 4,5 mm (new) - 7,4 mm(old) Mrk 1 and 3 is 3mm and 3,5 mm

OK will do.  They do look thin, so that's why I asked the guys.  No they said, these are the fully mounted ones, the thinner ones are REALLY thin they said.  I can't imagine cables being any thinner frankly than the ones I've been given.

I will take one of the cables to the local dealer here for a second opinion tomorrow.

Thanks

 

are thy connected to the mx on your avatar?

No triangles on the cables, they're 3mm and the BL5s do switch on and off.

TV is MX5500, yes it's old but I've used this TV with a non B&O power amp (Rotel RB980BX), via the powerlink outputs (using 5 pin DIN plugs to RCA lead) driving my Beovox Pentas, no problem, no noise etc.

I should know tomorrow if these PL cables I was given are the right ones because I will ask another dealer and also inspect the ones in the shop AND, if they're the same then I'm going to ask to listen to them.

Cheers

 

yes BUT I will almost guarantee here is the fault... on the connection modul there will be some dry solder points on the power link connector. pin 7 is used for ground to BL5 if this has a bad connection there will be noise in the speaker. pin 7 was not used on your old setup...

is it possible for you to connect the BL5 direct to your radio ?

The fact that you say the noise is more noticeable when you turn the volume right up would suggest the issue lies outside of the speaker. Unlike with other BeoLabs, when you use the digital connection on the BeoLab 5s, the volume adjustment is done by the BeoLab 5s rather than the BeoVision or BeoSound. It is a bit weird that it only comes through the upper bass driver, but this may just be a coincidence with the frequency the sound lies in and the frequency the driver covers.

Also, just because you don't hear any sound with the Rotel doesn't mean the problem lies with the new speakers. When using the PowerLink connections, the BeoLab 5s will GREATLY amplify any interference or unwanted noise in the signal reaching them, due to their enormous power.

Have you tried connecting the speakers directly to the BeoSound, rather than the MX? Sorry if I missed any of this info, but I've read everything and can't seem to find any reference to connecting directly to the BeoSound.

You should be using Mk3 Powerlink cables. These are the ones with the small triangle on the plug. They were specifically designed to overcome interference problems with the new generation of speakers such as Beolab 3, 5 or 9.

joeyboygolf:

You should be using Mk3 Powerlink cables. These are the ones with the small triangle on the plug. They were specifically designed to overcome interference problems with the new generation of speakers such as Beolab 3, 5 or 9.

To BL5 it has to be full mont, because it use the datalink to adjust vol in the amp. in the speaker

The bl5 is not at full blow out all the time like all other speakers "I think"

For some reason I'm thinking that's only the case when using a digital connection. It's possible it's also when using the PL though.

haven't looked in to it, but think thy only use the Ir eye in the speaker when in digital mode??? 

The digital connection is not mend as a B&O connection, only for kingkonokonoko (or somthing like that) I think.

OK. But humour me. The guy has just spent £10k on a pair of speakers. Try the Mk3 powerlinks!!!!!

The Stig - ver. 1.23:

haven't looked in to it, but think thy only use the Ir eye in the speaker when in digital mode??? 

The digital connection is not mend as a B&O connection, only for kingkonokonoko (or somthing like that) I think.

When you connect a BeoSound 9000 to BeoLab 5s, it's ideal to also run a coax connection between the two.

And I agree with joeyboygolf! Try mk3 PowerLink.

I have looked in to it, it use the Power link data for vol. in digital mode here is way i don't think it's mend as a B&O connection

SPDIF - Listening experiences

When you connect BeoLab 5 to BeoSound 9000 (type nos 2571-2580) and BeoCenter 2 (all types) we recommend that you always connect both the analog and the digital in/out sockets (SPDIF = Sony/Philips Digital Interface standard). We do this because we want  to get the optimal sound quality when playing digital sources such as CDs and DVDs. This may, however, under certain circumstances result in a number of minor disadvantages: Situation: When listening to a CD with BeoLab 5 connected to BeoSound 9000 and BeoCenter 2. Continuous volume up/down may result in sound drop out (Power Link data arrive delayed and in blocks) Sound drop out may happen when changing from analog to digital signal (e.g. from radio to CD) Tone controls and Loudness are not working (not active on SPDIF) No balance adjustment is possible (not active on SPDIF) No volume fade-down when being put in standby (not active on SPDIF) Situation: A surround sound setup where the source is a CD: BeoSound 9000 or BeoCenter 2 is connected to a TV with surround sound - a pair of BeoLab 5 are connected as front speakers to the TV's surround sound module - and BeoLab 5 is also connected to the digital in/out socket (SPDIF signal) of the audio product. Since bass management does not work on SPDIF, the listener may get the following slightly adverse sound experiences, depending on the mode in which the speakers have been set: In Speaker mode 2 - when BeoLab 5 plays stereo via SPDIF - the setup with BeoLab 2 on sub-output is not recommended. In Speaker mode 3 - when BeoLab 5 plays stereo via SPDIF and TV loudspeakers play Dolby Center signal - there will be a delay in the sound signals from BeoLab 5 to the center speaker. In Speaker mode 4 - when BeoLab 5 plays stereo via SPDIF and rear loudspeakers play stereo via Power Link - there will be a delay in the sound signals from BeoLab 5 to the rear loudspeakers. In Speaker mode 5 - when BeoLab 5 plays stereo via SPDIF and all other loudspeakers play surround signal via Power Link - there will be a delay in the sound signals from BeoLab 5 to the other loudspeakers.

The Stig - ver. 1.23:

haven't looked in to it, but think thy only use the Ir eye in the speaker when in digital mode??? 

The digital connection is not mend as a B&O connection, only for kingkonokonoko (or somthing like that) I think.

 

The DIGITAL IN is far from "kikinoko". It is there to accept digital signals from BS9000 and BC2. 

The LINE IN is for non-B&O primarily.

The BL5s can be set to accept volume control commands from the Beo4 without a need for a B&O master in both DIGITAL and LINE modes. 

Thanks for all the posts and threads, some of which relate to my noise issues.  The most interesting point made is still this business of using PL mark 3 or fully mounted cables that were "designed specifically to overcome noise problems..."   so it sounds like I'm joining a club of BL owners that have had issues.  There's no triangles on the PL cables I've got and they look very think 3mm possibly not fully wired. They do turn the BL5 on and off AND, to help answer some of the other questions on here, I've found that the SPDIF on my CD5500 so far does not work with BL5 set to option 0 (B&O setup).  Dealer recommended setting to option 1 (non BI&O).   He also told me that the BL5 were magnetically shielded and would not affect the TV picture...  well they're not!  (which I already knew, was just seeing if he did).  Can someone post me a picture of what Mk3 PL looks like, how thick are they and what do these triangles look like.   See them on ebay all the time but you never really know what the picture on ebay is really showing you.  Could be any old 8 pin din plug?

Thanks

Jackplug:

Can someone post me a picture of what Mk3 PL looks like, how thick are they and what do these triangles look like.   See them on ebay all the time but you never really know what the picture on ebay is really showing you.  Could be any old 8 pin din plug?

Thanks

Hi!

Have no picture, but on the actual plug you can see a triangle shape. If you have the MKIII, you should be able to see that clearly.

Brgds

Claes 

 

Hi Jackplug,

Mk3 PL looks very much like Mk2 - holding them you'd feel that Mk2 had just a touch larger diameter to the cable, but it's not a big difference - at least to my eyes.

On the plastic casing of the Mk 3 plug, there's a small "embossed" triangle, which points towards the plug end, and which is faced upwards for correct alignment with the female plug it is connecting to.

You do not need any special thickness to the connecting cable.

I have connected BL5s straight out of the box, with the cables supplied for Powerlink and Digital.

Of the various suggestions proffered here, I think that the_Stig's suggestion concerning the MX being a source of noise is worth considering.

Try to skip the MX completely:

In the following setup, you are not using the Powerlink cables. 

1. Connect the BL5s to the S/PDIF OUT from your Beogram CD 5500. Remember it's a daisy chain connection, do not split the S/PDIF out from the CD-player. Just run one cable to one speaker, then another from that speaker to the next. Set the L/R switch on each speaker to correspond with relative placement.

2. Do not run any other cables to the BL5s. Connect the power cables.

3. Have your loudspeakers off. Red light showing.

Set the BL5s to Option 1. STANDBY+LIST>Press LIST until OPTION?>Press GO>Press LIST until L.OPT>Press 1

The red indicator light should switch off briefly.

Repeat on the other loudspeaker.

4. Disconnect your other audio masters in the room, as in Option 1 you switch on the BL5s by pressing RADIO.

5. Press RADIO to switch them on.

6. Press the play button on your CD5500 (manually).

7. Adjust volume and listen for the sound problem. If you don't have the synchr. cable, then stand a bit away and an equal distance from the speakers, to ensure that both get your volume commands and respond correctly.

===

The speakers will (should) accept the S/PDIF signal from the CD5500 in Option O, as well. (The "connected to B&O" option setting).

===

These speakers are such an investment in the B&O brand that your dealer should not have left the house before everything was OK. And while they will need some time to run in (the woofers particularly are large, and need to settle in), these speakers should sound phenomenal straight out of the box.