My second post today, starting to get the hang of it!!

Currently have Penta's & BL2 at the front (with 7.4 on BV7-40) and BL8000's at the rear. I like the look of the new BL9's, but will they show sufficient improvement to make a change worthwhile? I know the best answer is a demo, but what do you think?

Mike

There was a blind comparison test done at B&O in Newcastle which covered all the speakers you mention and the results published on the old beoworld site - which unfortunately isn't accessable at present. Peter was very much involved with this and he may be able to point you in the direction of these results as I'm sure they were also available on another site.

I cannot remember the exact outcome but I believe the BL9's came out very favourably. At the end of the day I would still ask your dealer for a demo - preferrably at home as speaker choice is an extremely personal thing.

 

Chris.

Medogsfat:

There was a blind comparison test done at B&O in Newcastle which covered all the speakers you mention and the results published on the old beoworld site - which unfortunately isn't accessable at present. Peter was very much involved with this and he may be able to point you in the direction of these results as I'm sure they were also available on another site.

I cannot remember the exact outcome but I believe the BL9's came out very favourably. At the end of the day I would still ask your dealer for a demo - preferrably at home as speaker choice is an extremely personal thing.

 

Chris.

 

The review is here on the new site

http://www.beoworld.org/article_view.asp?id=193

Enjoy.

Hi Mike,

 Just a few weeks ago I made a shift from Penta III's to BL9's as front. I have BV7-40 with BL7.4 as you have and BL3's as rear. I actaully posted a detailed review of my thoughts about BL9 on the old forum, but this is of no use now.

I brief I can say:

Design: I am becomming to like the BL9 design more and more each day and they get the room to feel empty when replacing the much higher Pentas as I was expecting. Actally the fill the room designwise very good.

Sound - Low end: Not that much differet from the Pentas. After all the Pentas are very very good speakers. You will notis that they are more precise and goes marginally deeper. I don't have a BL2, but with the BL9's I don't thing your need it. Adding a BL2 could maybe destroy the very precise bass from the BL9's. The Pentas was a bit more old-school (not that precise and more warm)

Sound - Mid range: Improvement over the Pentas. Very clear and detailed without out beeing dominat. You will notis that you hear much more details in the music.

Sound - High end: This is where the big difference is. Again the BL9's are much more clear and detailed that the Pentas. The Pentas where soft and releaxed the BL9's are chrisp clear and detailed. And thanks to ALT this goes for the whole room with the same clearity and details. They are also perfectly much with the sound from the BL7.4 and you don't notis any change in sound when a speak / music move from teh center to the front speakers. The last part was my main reason for changing the Pentas with BL9's.

Overall: I'm very very satisfied but also impressed that my 10 years old Pentas actaully could compete with brand new allmost top of the line speakers. This shows how good the Pentas really are. In my mind the big thing is thet the Pentas was made when sound prority was different (more soft and releaxed) and the BL9's are made to fulfill the requrements of today (clear, precise and neutral). I will now try to find a room in the house where I can use the Pentas as I will not let them go.

I hope you can use this. I would also suggest that you switch the rear BL8000 to some with ALT if you listen to music in Speaker 4 mode. Otherwise you will notis a big big difference in the sound. The Pentas and BL8000 have the same warm releaxed sound, but the BL9's are very much different.

Ken

Thanks Ken, that's really useful.

I agree with what you say about not letting the Penta's go, but you have to have the right house to have two rooms that will take BL9's and the Penta's I can't see the wife letting me have them in the bedroom!!

Mike

Mike,

I also have a problem with physical space in the hourse for the Penta's (and a wife disliking the design), but they are just too good to go.

Ken 

igive a chance to the 9s, you will not regret it!

BL9s will be much more robust, meaning you can throw anything at them and they'll handle it. They don't scream when you turn them up unlike other BeoLabs (although they don't keep control quite like the BeoLab 5s do). They kick out an insane amount of low end (although again not on BeoLab 5 scale), but as most people are saying, the major improvements will be in the midrange/hi end if you already have experience with a BeoLab 2 (which you do).

Not tried making 9s scream but I would be surprised if they don't. That is in part the clipping function. Only the 5s don't do it of the modern speakers. Pentas don't either but that is not always a good thing! More likely that they will blow if you really hammer them!!

9s are better than Pentas in my opinion but they should be as they are based on Beolab 1s and have a big bass speaker. It is the top end that impresses mind you with the 9s - as Ken says -  the Pentas are good at bass and I use mine with a 2 and this gives you all you could want.

After hearing Peter's Pentas with the Lab2 I knew that I had to get a lab2 too.

 

Still wondering about ICE power from acoustic reality, http://www.acoustic-reality.com/index11.htm ,but thats one for the future.

Mike, all,

If you are using BL9's without a BL2 and have them connected to a BV7, you should select BL5 as front spekares in the menu. Deals / B&O says that you should select BL1's, but that will cut off some bass that the 9's are more than able to handle. Rememeber also to check this setting if you are testing them in a store, as you will not get the full potential unless you configure them as BL5's.

 Ken

Peter:

Not tried making 9s scream but I would be surprised if they don't. That is in part the clipping function. Only the 5s don't do it of the modern speakers. Pentas don't either but that is not always a good thing! More likely that they will blow if you really hammer them!!

9s are better than Pentas in my opinion but they should be as they are based on Beolab 1s and have a big bass speaker. It is the top end that impresses mind you with the 9s - as Ken says -  the Pentas are good at bass and I use mine with a 2 and this gives you all you could want.

Now, I can't claim I tested the BL9s extensively as I listened to them only rather briefly at a dealer's, but one thing stroke me (and the dealer agreed): the perception of the sound seemed quite a bit depending on whether I was standing or sitting (or something in between for the matter of experimenting). Admittedly, I was rather close to the speakers because of the showroom's layout, but still the differences were significant. I can't recall having such an experience with, say BL8000s - not to mention BL5s, at all. I know that the best position is to relax and sit down (or lay on the sofa in my case with a    )when you want to listen, but ... Anyone agrees with me (and that dealer) on this "directionality" issue?

I haven't heard the 9s (nor 5s - I'm afraid of what may happen to my financial health so I've been avoiding), but I had a similar experience with the BL3s (on their floor stands - btw, I'm tall).  Standing was just OK, sitting was very good.  I recall something about ALT limiting the vertical dispersion of the sound waves.  Something about research showing ceiling/floor reflections being more annoying than side wall.  I think my BL8000s sound much better now that they're in a room with a 20 ft ceiling.