General Forum

Re: Beocenter 9000

Steve at Sounds Heavenly — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 06:36:35 GMT

ajames:
I might be wrong, but I think the 9000 being the first in that range wasn't equipped with Powerlink Sockets so the beolab range wouldn;t work easily. Best bet if that's the case may well be Beovox Penta.

Good point ajames.

Another option is to use attenuated speaker cables to drive any active Beolab speaker that has a line input from the speaker level outputs of the 9000. Ask any good B&O reseller (eg. Lifestyle AV, MoreThan AV, Iconic AV), they should all be able to obtain attenuated speaker cables.

Best regards,

Steve.

Re: Beocenter 9000

stotty1111 — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 05:13:58 GMT

Forgot to add - maybe the acoustics of my listening space are not ideal but it is what i have to live with!

tony

Re: Beocenter 9000

stotty1111 — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 05:12:41 GMT

hi all

i use penta voxes with a bc 9300 and currently a bc 8500 the room ic 'l' shaped, 17 x 12 with the short leg 12 x 8 std height of around 8 (all dimensions in feet)

speakers sit at the bottom of the long leg facing up it at normal volumes they sound fine to me but in that sized space with a raised volume my(and my wifes) ears begin to suffer before any other problems manifest themselves(music is normally mor ,rock blues etc occaisional classical)

With s45/2's the sound strikes as much mellower!

Just finished a refurb on some rl60/2's and also some rl45/2's i shall be 'roadtesting these units over xmas / new year = so maybe watch this space!

salut

tony

Re: Beocenter 9000

Mico — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 02:45:56 GMT

j0hnbarker:
[
Do you have a BM5000, 6000 or 8000? If so, what do you think is the best sounding amp with BV Pentas? The reason I ask is that of all the people that commented to the OP, most (if not all) have owned or heard a BC9000 at some point. I wonder how many alternative B&O amplifiers you have owned/heard, because there are many better than the one in the BC9000!

My parents have a BS6500 setup with Beovox Pentas, the sound has always been excellent. They purchased a complete B&O setup based on my design 19 years ago. I have listened the 5000 series as well and would rank them as the best of the 5, 6 or BC9X00. I used to have some Japanese amps for home theatre as well but got cured from that disease. Their sound with serious music was torture to me.

Re: Beocenter 9000

Mico — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 02:26:56 GMT

joeyboygolf:
Well now, I bought what was probably the first BC9000 to come into the UK back in 1986 and I kept it and used it until about 5 years ago.
During the intervening 16/17 years or so I used it with many kinds of speakers including Beovox and Beolab Penta, RL 60 and 140 and Beovox and Beolab 5000's.
I can state quite categorically that the built in amp in the BC9000 is NOT man enough to drive the bigger speakers like Beovox Penta and RL140 to high sound levels.
I would say that the amp seems to lose control of the speaker and the bass gets kind of indistinct and woolly sounding. In desparation, I started experimenting with external power amplifiers and found a cost effective solultion to the problem in the shape of the QUAD 405. It made my RL140's, which I had at the time, really come to life.
I too am in love with the BC9000 series but like a good woman or a good wine, it does have it's failings. Later versions with powerlink outputs make it easier to connect the complete range of active speakers, thus it is easier to overcome the deficiencies in the range.

I agree that the amp of the BC9000 is not the greatest of the B&O range. The only personal comparison I have is the BM6500 which serves as my primary audio master today in a MCL setup. I have never tried the Penta voxes with BC9000 but based on the Jamo experience I thought that the amp just can not cope with power hungry speakers. The problems occurred only during relatively high volumes but you could feel the lack of power.

BTW I did want to hurt or insult anybody! I love this forum and the lively discussion.

Re: Beocenter 9000

joeyboygolf — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 01:46:28 GMT

Mico:

I am sorry but it disturbs me that people who do not have personal experience comment on issues like this. It is always hearsay to me.
Based on my personal >20 years experience (and increasing) about BC9000 I would say that BV5000s are really excellent, their looks is still up to date, RL 60.2.s are also excellent (depending on installation), BV 3000 lack bass, like CX 100's. Personally I do not like Cona, some do. Beolab Pentas up to mk2 have speakerlink and are also excellent, probably be the best choice. The foam rot is an easy fix, just did the repair myself. The only other speaker I have tried with BC9000 were a set of Jamo concert 7.1 and I would not recommend them.
BC9K series is my all time B&O favourite!

Well now, I bought what was probably the first BC9000 to come into the UK back in 1986 and I kept it and used it until about 5 years ago.

During the intervening 16/17 years or so I used it with many kinds of speakers including Beovox and Beolab Penta, RL 60 and 140 and Beovox and Beolab 5000's.

I can state quite categorically that the built in amp in the BC9000 is NOT man enough to drive the bigger speakers like Beovox Penta and RL140 to high sound levels.

I would say that the amp seems to lose control of the speaker and the bass gets kind of indistinct and woolly sounding. In desparation, I started experimenting with external power amplifiers and found a cost effective solultion to the problem in the shape of the QUAD 405. It made my RL140's, which I had at the time, really come to life.

I too am in love with the BC9000 series but like a good woman or a good wine, it does have it's failings. Later versions with powerlink outputs make it easier to connect the complete range of active speakers, thus it is easier to overcome the deficiencies in the range.

Re: Beocenter 9000

Dillen — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 18:32:28 GMT

I agree with Johnbarker.

None of us have tried all possible combinations of B&O's, still I don't see
the above commenting people as the least experienced bunch of Beoworld'ers,
that's for sure.

I don't see any of the above comments as hear-say either.
Even if you never actually had a given combination, you could be familiar with
the discrete items and their pros and cons and that would give you an idea of
the outcome of that particular combination.

F:e. I would imagine a good old Beomaster 4000 or 4400 as a far better match for the
passive Penta's than the, we must face it, definitely lovely but powerwise a
bit weak Beocenter 9000, even if I never tried any of those actual combinations.
Could actually be fun so I will probably do it.

I've tried Beomaster 5000 etc. with passive Penta's and it sounded good but
the power handling - well, I was not overly impressed.
Actually, I had the same Beomaster 6500 in for repairs a couple of times for
intermittently cutting out. It never burped one single time while I had it but
as soon as the poor thing was returned to the owner it "failed" again.
Turned out he was using it with passive Penta's and mostly at fairly high volumes
proving that this was not the best combination.

Mico, your thoughts and comments are just as welcome as any others, be they based on experience, guesswork
or even hear-say.
20 years of experience is respectable and it will be respected, still it won't
even take us back to the production days of the Beomaster 8000.

Martin

Re: Beocenter 9000

j0hnbarker — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:35:38 GMT

Mico:
I am sorry but it disturbs me that people who do not have personal experience comment on issues like this. It is always hearsay to me.
Based on my personal >20 years experience (and increasing) about BC9000 I would say that BV5000s are really excellent, their looks is still up to date, RL 60.2.s are also excellent (depending on installation), BV 3000 lack bass, like CX 100's. Personally I do not like Cona, some do. Beolab Pentas up to mk2 have speakerlink and are also excellent, probably be the best choice. The foam rot is an easy fix, just did the repair myself. The only other speaker I have tried with BC9000 were a set of Jamo concert 7.1 and I would not recommend them.
BC9K series is my all time B&O favourite!

Mico - please don't be disturbed. We all know the amp in the BC9000 is not really man enough to power a big speaker - that's why B&O put the Beolab 150 at the bottom of the Beolab Penta, because a speaker rated at 150w really needs an amp more powerful than approx 40w to drive it.

I had a BC9000 for a short while that I fixed a broken tape door on, then sold for a small profit on eBay. It's a lovely looking unit, and sounded ok with my CX50s and a Cona. It was poor with the BV Pentas. I have a BM 8000 and that is the only B&O amp man enough for the job. The BM 5000 and 6000 do decent enough jobs driving these speakers, but I'm afraid the BC9000 doesn't cut it.

Do you have a BM5000, 6000 or 8000? If so, what do you think is the best sounding amp with BV Pentas? The reason I ask is that of all the people that commented to the OP, most (if not all) have owned or heard a BC9000 at some point. I wonder how many alternative B&O amplifiers you have owned/heard, because there are many better than the one in the BC9000!

Re: Beocenter 9000

Mico — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:11:56 GMT

I am sorry but it disturbs me that people who do not have personal experience comment on issues like this. It is always hearsay to me.

Based on my personal >20 years experience (and increasing) about BC9000 I would say that BV5000s are really excellent, their looks is still up to date, RL 60.2.s are also excellent (depending on installation), BV 3000 lack bass, like CX 100's. Personally I do not like Cona, some do. Beolab Pentas up to mk2 have speakerlink and are also excellent, probably be the best choice. The foam rot is an easy fix, just did the repair myself. The only other speaker I have tried with BC9000 were a set of Jamo concert 7.1 and I would not recommend them.

BC9K series is my all time B&O favourite!

Re: Beocenter 9000

Christian — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 14:14:45 GMT

Medogsfat:
Christian:

What about the displays then. Aren't they used? (Penta Vox)
No - it's just a piece of coloured plastic with nothing behind.

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

Thanks to you too j0hnbarker.

Be speaker link is amplified, isn't it?

Re: Beocenter 9000

Medogsfat — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:57:00 GMT

Before you buy the cables on ebay you may want to look on the Maplin site who also sell these - probably cheaper. These are exactly what you want for any of the speakers mentioned - except penta's which have screw terminals but Maplins also sell Din to open end cables which are listed next to the link I've posted and will also be fine for any non B&O speakers.

Chris.

Re: Beocenter 9000

paulcowie — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:45:26 GMT

Thanks for the advice everyone, it is all really helpfull. My house is a new one which means that the main room is small and the walls are very thin ha ha. I received my Beocenter 9000 today and i can't wait untill i get it up and running. I have my eye on a few speaker sets on ebay at the moment and i am glad the ones that i am now looking at are the type of speakers that you are all, very kindly, reccomending.

I have now been on ebay and found a set of moulded 5m speaker cables (2 pin) which i am about to buy, I take it that this will fit my system and my speakers, when i eventually get them.

Again, a big thanks to everyone for helping me with this

Re: Beocenter 9000

j0hnbarker — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 11:43:46 GMT

Christian:

What about the displays then. Aren't they used? (Penta Vox)
I really thought speaker link was invented to connect the passive pentas with display info with an amp.

Nope - the displays are not even present in the Beovox Pentas. There's a connector present but the displays were not fitted at the factory. Speaker link is for the active speakers, as the Beovox Pentas only have two binding posts present underneath.

Re: Beocenter 9000

Medogsfat — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 11:43:37 GMT

Christian:

What about the displays then. Aren't they used? (Penta Vox)

No - it's just a piece of coloured plastic with nothing behind.

Re: Beocenter 9000

Medogsfat — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 11:42:20 GMT

Alex:

I would look for speakers like the S45-2, which are very good speakers. How large is the room?

Indeed they are and they don't suffer foam rot as they have rubber surrounds. One thing to note with these though, which has reared its head recently, is that the magnet can become detached from the bass driver during shipping and once this has happened then that's the end of them so if you're going to buy some then try and collect in person.

Chris.