General Forum

Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

Evan — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 17:13:52 GMT

In the BV menus, you can select which speakers you are using. Have you done this?

I don't know any of the specifics as I don't own very modern equipment, but I'm sure someone with a similar setup will chime in with the details.

Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

iPoditiv — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:57:36 GMT

pjb109:

I do not know how consistent the processing is accross B&O products like tvs and beosystems but I can tell that now that I am using the beovision 10 rather than the onkyo do control the speakers the stereo sound is far far worse. I do now know whether this is because the onkyo could handle the (mostly MP3 through Apple tv) decoding better or its simply becasue the B&O sound is meant to sound as it does. Either way, I had no issues with the mid-range or with an annoying tweeter before, I was simply very very happy before I changed the setup.

Maybe I carry owls to Athens, but ...

Having integrated a Beovision 10 into your system you should have a look on your speaker settings (You get it via Beo 4 by LIST, GO until you see SPEAKER on the display of your BEO 4 and on your TV. SPEAKER 1 is TV only, SPEAKER 2 is frontspeakers only (for music in stereo), SPEAKER 3 a combo of TV and frontspeakers.

iPoditiv

Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

pjb109 — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 10:30:24 GMT

I know this topic has been dead for a little while but I thought I'd add something anyways.

I had my bl9 as part of a home cinema setup but not being driven by a b&o product, rather by a onkyo preamp. I have done some work on my house and bought a beovision 10 and because my wife wanted a simpler setup so had to got rid of the onkyo, projector etc....

The one thing missing from the comments on this thread so far is the difference in the sound processing. I do not know how consistent the processing is accross B&O products like tvs and beosystems but I can tell that now that I am using the beovision 10 rather than the onkyo do control the speakers the stereo sound is far far worse. I do now know whether this is because the onkyo could handle the (mostly MP3 through Apple tv) decoding better or its simply becasue the B&O sound is meant to sound as it does. Either way, I had no issues with the mid-range or with an annoying tweeter before, I was simply very very happy before I changed the setup.

Now I need to find out what to do with those three control wheels at the back and if they really make a difference. I used to enjoy playing around with stuff like that but to be honest, right now I wish I still had the onkyo doing the processing and not the tv!

BTW this could also explain why some hi-fi mags loved the bl9 so much. Perhaps they too would hook them up to some top of the line pre-amps/processors and didnt have a tv do the work.

Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

Dave — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 11:05:02 GMT

Of course it isn't recommended that the potentiometers are tweaked for eq purposes. But no harm in trying it if you have a pen and paper to keep the original values on hand. Exception being the BL1 imo, which i sometimes had the impression that final development and tuning of that speaker was left unfinished.

Treble here is adjusted via Beovision 3.
The source is Beocenter 2 and Beovision 3 (with iMac sans EQ connected to BV3 by optical directly to DTS board).

The speakers aren't as bright connected to the BV3 as they were when connected directly to BC2... there's another riddle right there that no-one's untangled yet.

This appears to be these speakers characteristic ~ bright at the top end. My medium size room has minimal reflections - alot of soft surfaces. I have a satisfactory sound, dare i even say, a very satisfactory sound with the treble set lower.

The potentiometers are back to the same setting as they left the factory, changing those inevitably threw them further out of balance.

Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

Puncher — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 05:49:00 GMT

soundproof:

Dave:

That all being said, to remain on topic, i have left them at Treble -4, should it really have to be like that in order to enjoy a balanced sound from them? My beolab 1's were set to Treble +1...

No, that sounds strange. Have you tried different sources, to check whether you get the same brightness with each?
Have you checked your settings in the entire playback chain?

I haven't read the full thread, and can't remember what you use as sources.

I thought the switches in the BL9's were for accomodating driver variations during manufacture, I don't remember reading anywhere that B&O recommend them for EQ tweaking - or have they?

Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

soundproof — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 01:01:43 GMT

Dave:

That all being said, to remain on topic, i have left them at Treble -4, should it really have to be like that in order to enjoy a balanced sound from them? My beolab 1's were set to Treble +1...

No, that sounds strange. Have you tried different sources, to check whether you get the same brightness with each?
Have you checked your settings in the entire playback chain?

I haven't read the full thread, and can't remember what you use as sources.

Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

Dave — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 20:35:45 GMT

Does anybody know why the BL9's maximum sound pressure level (dB) isn't listed anywhere, all the other Beolabs have this info attached...

Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

MGBGTV8 — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 03:00:11 GMT

Last night I went to the cinema and noticed the lack of clarity from the front speakers, my partner well he thinks I am mad but I could hear the difference.

Public Cinemas dont always give great clarity, but its the lovely growly bass they provide and the fabulous bright picture that alas no home theatre regardless of cost can seem to get close to in my experience.

Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

Seanie_230 — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 02:34:00 GMT

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Well after a few weeks of moaning and nearly taking them back I have used an EQ to remove some of the tweeter sound.

I can honestly say now that I love my lab9's they take everything I throw at them without fail, I had them up to 80 yesterday to show my friend how effortlessly they can play music without distortion.

Last night I went to the cinema and noticed the lack of clarity from the front speakers, my partner well he thinks I am mad but I could hear the difference.

Agreed that they aren’t too bad once you get used to them

Seanie

Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

Dave — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:42:02 GMT

Beoboiinoz:

I will state that with 40 odd years of HiFi experience behind me, and as a trained classical musician, that the Beolab Fives are easily one of the finest speakers that money can buy, regardless of cost. I would dearly love to own a pair, but my resources are not quite at that level .... yet... lol.

That leaves the Beolab 9 - which to my ears is a superior speaker in it's ability to convey a believable musical performance, to other well regarded passive speakers from major manufacturers such as B&W 804 diamonds for example.

Given some of the comments made about the Lab 9's earlier in this thread, compared with what I have heard, I could only say it was either a problem with the setup of the individual speakers, or their placement in the room.

Indeed, my only issue with the Lab 9s is that they seem a little constrained in the height dimension, as regards the soundstage/sound-field they project; however, given the way they are set up in most B&O emporiums I have yet visited, it is difficult to get an impression of how they would sound properly set up in a medium sized room as regards sound-staging etc - most dealers seem to have them in open space in the showroom.

John...

Musicians know best when it comes to writing about sound, that's for sure at the same time though, it depends on what music you're reffering to. With classical music, the ALT speakers have the realism that stands out amongst the crowd, but some rock or pop music does just sound artificial / crisp / out of balance. Nevertheless, the more i listen to them the more i realise their sentitivity to content, and that they aren't so bad after all.

Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

beolion — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:48:42 GMT

I am just listening to Rickie Lee Jones' Pirates (I just love that album), it is played from BM5 via SPDIF and is stored as WMA Lossless on the BM5.

I find the sound of the BL9 amazing, it is incredible crisp and clear for that kind of music at least.

The BL9 just enrich my well being here

Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

John — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 07:02:20 GMT

DirtyDiana:

Hi John,

I worked my way up through the hifi separate ranks over the last 10 years and ended up using Mark Levinson and Pass labs which gave a beautiful sound but one that still didnt relinquish the need to upgrade to better cables or bigger amps ect,it ends up being more about the gear than the music and I basically got bored of the concept.

We always had B&O in the family and once I discovered how much R&D had been put in to the new speakers and the smallish outlay needed I sold off my other gear and now have a system that gives more enjoyment and is far nicer to use,I honestly was not expecting quite so much from the BL9 but everytime they are a revelation-if they were not I would be the first to say but no way would I go back to seperates.

Re the positioning,they did not sound at their best when angled and seem best straight ahead-unlike conventional speakers.

Many thanks for the kind and illuminating reply.

It was most interesting to read, and struck more than a few chords with me.

My 'journey' into HiFi started many years ago with a love of music, and yet, perhaps like yourself, it continued up into the upper echelons of so called 'specialist' audiophile gear, which for me ended up with an all out Naim Audio system, and the pursuit of audio 'excelllence' became more about the gear than the music, 'needing' the latest tweaks, or cables, or stands, or piece of kit to sound it's 'best', and like you I not only became bored with the concept, but also got deeply offended with the amount of animosity that exists in the audiophile world as regards brand 'wars', sound philosophies and allegiances, and the total lack of any scientific credibility to support the outlandish claims made for such kit in the audiophile world.

Older and wiser, I sold off all my Naim 2 channel kit, as I embraced a more mainstream, yet still separates system that fulfilled a multi-use role, i.e. music and movies in the home.

I used to (shame) look down my audiophile nose at B&O as being more about lifestyle than true performance, but once I set aside my prejudices and did some factual reading as to the lengths B&O go to as regards scientific R&D and how they develop and assess their kit with the listening panels doing blind A/B testing etc I have had my eyes opened as regards the brand.

I will state that with 40 odd years of HiFi experience behind me, and as a trained classical musician, that the Beolab Fives are easily one of the finest speakers that money can buy, regardless of cost. I would dearly love to own a pair, but my resources are not quite at that level .... yet... lol.

That leaves the Beolab 9 - which to my ears is a superior speaker in it's ability to convey a believable musical performance, to other well regarded passive speakers from major manufacturers such as B&W 804 diamonds for example.

Given some of the comments made about the Lab 9's earlier in this thread, compared with what I have heard, I could only say it was either a problem with the setup of the individual speakers, or their placement in the room.

Indeed, my only issue with the Lab 9s is that they seem a little constrained in the height dimension, as regards the soundstage/sound-field they project; however, given the way they are set up in most B&O emporiums I have yet visited, it is difficult to get an impression of how they would sound properly set up in a medium sized room as regards sound-staging etc - most dealers seem to have them in open space in the showroom.

Kind Regards

John...

Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

msinn — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 16:58:21 GMT

David,

your music taste is fine. Just get yourself some decent CDs. My experiance is, that older CDs have a better chance of being decently produced.

msinn

Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

Dave — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 08:55:54 GMT

takktakk:

Feed them som poorly put together cd's, low rate mp3's, or something else of with a lack of stamina and you will get your pennies worth and nothing more. With regard to the input signal that is.

I love my BL 9's and would not consider anything but an upgrade to the 5's. Sadly, that's not about to happen.

Jesper

Yes i have to admit that some of my woes have been silenced after removing a weak link in my system (a cheaper DAC) now they are sounding much more enjoyable, some recorings sounds dreadful, and some sparkle. They are good sounding speakers overall, for what they are, still no where remotely close to BL5 though ;)

That all being said, to remain on topic, i have left them at Treble -4, should it really have to be like that in order to enjoy a balanced sound from them? My beolab 1's were set to Treble +1...

Re: BeoLab 9 - where is the midrange, too much tweeter!

takktakk — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 08:10:56 GMT

david coyne:

Alas, i must stop listening to rubbish pop and buy some serious music :(

Well David.. As stated I wrote from a technical point of view. No offence intended at all. I'm sure the music is fine in itself, but you might want to have words with the producers... :-)