I suspect the BC2 can be able to carry a premium given that BL5 owners have no choice if they want to go digital (unless they go for a BS9000).

 Maybe the BS4 is aimed at the "mp3" market
 

>>Where does an audio only BC2 fit in the audio range with a BS4<<

The BC2 is a premium model. To be honest I would not expect the music only version to be that much cheaper. I woudl think ight in the middle between BS4 and current BC2, maybe even higher. For customers who have a DVD already they will not have to wait the few seconds that thing needs right now to determine if a DVD or CD is inserted.

jk1002:

>>Where does an audio only BC2 fit in the audio range with a BS4<<

 

The BC2 is a premium model. To be honest I would not expect the music only version to be that much cheaper. I woudl think ight in the middle between BS4 and current BC2, maybe even higher. For customers who have a DVD already they will not have to wait the few seconds that thing needs right now to determine if a DVD or CD is inserted.

I know the BC2 is more expensive: but I never really considered -  is it the aluminium materials and build that make it a "premium model" or is the CD transport/DAC better quality, so actual sound is better.

 I guess I always thought the premium price was due to the dual CD/DVD abilities - but if you think a CD only version will still be more expensive than a BS4 I'm interested why you think that.

Personally (and I've mentioned this in the past) I'd love to see B&O release a high end source (a beosound 5?) but my dealer has suggested that in our mp3 world, it simply won't happen now.
 

Peter:

Not that I have heard. The big news is the new finish and the Audio only model.

where have I been??

what's the new finish!!

Justin:

I know the BC2 is more expensive: but I never really considered -  is it the aluminium materials and build that make it a "premium model" or is the CD transport/DAC better quality, so actual sound is better.

I would assume (and that is all I am doing) that a CD only mechanism at the same price/slightly less than a standard BC2 is down to the materials and engineering only (on account of a combined OEM CD/DVD raw drive is only $100-200 and that the money is on the machining).

If it comes in somewhat higher than the current BC2, I think we will see better CD internals and this product would be known as a "Beosound X" i.e. as what we all know as  Beosound 5 and that it will lose the "Beocentre" designation.

The logic is on where B&O want to market this product. Think BS5000/5500/6000/6500/7000 or BC9000/9500/8500/9300 etc....

My guess.

10% 

I will add, that if B&O put out an audiophile class CD in the BC2 shell, I will be THE number one customer to get this machine.

10%

Mr10Percent:

I will add, that if B&O put out an audiophile class CD in the BC2 shell, I will be THE number one customer to get this machine.

10%

 

Not if I get there first! And all the Lab5 owners. I really don't understand why B&O haven't brought an audiophile class player already, given they are up there with the speakers. Why not the source? Otherwise it's garbage in/garbage out, regardless how good the speakers are. (In a previous life I was a black box and gold plated cables audiophile sucker)

Justin:

Not if I get there first! And all the Lab5 owners....... Otherwise it's garbage in/garbage out, regardless how good the speakers are......

Well I drive my BL5's via the BV7 and BC2. The BC2 is linked to the BL5's via the digi-coax and I would comment it is far from garbage. Very nice sound indeed. However, I'm sure that a dedicated component such as a Beosound "X" (aka "5") will help bring out the pleasure even more.

Further, I know it has its critics because of lack of any JJ design influence (not a box), but I really do think the BC2 shape and interaction is a work of art.

10%

>>but if you think a CD only version will still be more expensive than a BS4 I'm interested why you think that<<

Because when you look at materials used, production process and initial development cost I would think the BC2 was much more costly then BS4. It's rubber buttons versus fancy Aluminium sensor technology or whatever they used.

JK

I was wondering if any one havd any idea on the price of the new "audio only" unit and when we could expect to see it?  Also any further infomation on the new finishes?

Greg

Justin:

Mr10Percent:

I will add, that if B&O put out an audiophile class CD in the BC2 shell, I will be THE number one customer to get this machine.

10%

 

Not if I get there first! And all the Lab5 owners. I really don't understand why B&O haven't brought an audiophile class player already, given they are up there with the speakers. Why not the source? Otherwise it's garbage in/garbage out, regardless how good the speakers are. (In a previous life I was a black box and gold plated cables audiophile sucker)

Maybe that is just not what B&O are about. The fact that the BL5's appeal to the audiophile market is I think a mute point to them. If I understood the discussion correctly the reason the BL5 came into existance was to do with B&O wanting to allow us to have our fully integrated AV system in any average home with sofas bookcases etc and still get a good experience.

It's worth remembering that their final point of reference is their listening panels I'm sure they've tried a high end cd player. Btw re cables we were told they did a blind listening test with local audiophiles. Only one was able to tell the difference between high end cables and standard B&O ones and when asked which he prefered guess.......

Can we have a DVD-only version as well? I have a BS9000 so have no need for an audio-only BC2. The DVD2 will (I assume) look like the HDR2 so is not as visually appealing as a BC2.

Ian 

Kevin:

It's worth remembering that their final point of reference is their listening panels I'm sure they've tried a high end cd player. Btw re cables we were told they did a blind listening test with local audiophiles. Only one was able to tell the difference between high end cables and standard B&O ones and when asked which he prefered guess.......

Well, as I understand it some keen listening put the hybrid amplifiers in the BL9s, so it's not all a lost cause.

BTW - I've always wondered about that "we tried out cables on audiophiles" story. What did they test? There's a difference between signal cables and loudspeaker cables for passive speakers. B&O use only signal cables to the speaker, which then amplifies. So they clearly weren't testing loudspeaker cables, as there would be no grounds for comparison.
(One could, of course, test the difference between Powerlink to a BL5 and another signal cable to the LINE IN -- but would that be a "fair" comparison? You could then connect the "other" cable to the Powerlink OUT on the player - but ideally you should use the same OUT and IN connections for the signal, since it's the cable you're testing, and you want to be absolutely certain there is no variance in the signal quality. I can clearly hear a difference in resolution when I feed a BL5 S/PDIF; what guarantee do I have there is not a similar difference between how the speaker processes Powerlink IN and LINE IN?) And yes, one could custom build cables with powerlink connectors made from other makers' cables, and use the same OUT and IN to the B&O active speaker, thus only testing the cable. Here audiophiles would counter that cable composition is most decisive on the loudspeaker cables to passive speakers, and not on the signal cables ...

I'm of the "cables don't have to be expensive" school - but I'm also skeptical of this cable test claim.
 

Mr10Percent:

Well I drive my BL5's via the BV7 and BC2. The BC2 is linked to the BL5's via the digi-coax and I would comment it is far from garbage.

I don't mean to say that a BC2 - BL5 combo is garbage - I've heard it and I know its excellent, I'm talking relative - that the BL5s are such good quality speakers, they deserve a similar quality source, which I think could be better than what a BC2 offers - a Beosound5!

I used to use a Linn Karik and at a similar price I definitely noticed a drop in detail when I moved to B&O - subtle but noticable. I know they have different aims - pure audiophile vs high quality great design - but B&O pushed up the audiophile bar with the BL5 so expectations at the source level rise.

I guess its like my school reports - "B&O has the ability and could do better" - good as it currently is.

Can you post a link ?

Marcel