General Forum

Re: Beosound 8 and design

Doctor — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 12:40:39 GMT

ojibway:

I didn't know B&O did 'entry level' stuff. That's a bit patronising, isn't it? If you want to experience B&O without the huge outlay buy a used system. I've had quite a few from the Teena and Beolit 702, to the Beocentre 5000 with Beovox S80s. I've owned them so I could have them to hold and handle and gaze upon and to listen to as well. Beautiful designs need to be handled in my opinion.

B&O have done many systems that could be described as entry level - I certainly don't mean to be patronising though. Some people do not want the power or expense of the top specified system. I, for one, am not likely to invest in Beolab 5s. I like them but I simply would not be able to justify them for the use they would get. I am also unlikely to get a huge TV - 42" is quite enough. After that I would get a projector.

The BV8 could be regarded as an entry level TV, but it still has many of the qualities of the larger sets.

I agree about buying vintage equipment - I have owned a fair amount in my time, though most has been redistributed now! I agree about the handling though. The Beocenter 9500 in particular is not seen at its best till actually touched.

Re: Beosound 8 and design

TripEnglish — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 12:09:56 GMT

Despite a few bumps in the road, I like where the discussion is going.

Tomaz, I saw that you added some details to your design in a previous post, specifically that the design maximizes the distance between the two speakers. Taking that a step further I have to wonder whether a "high-end mini-system" isn't a contradiction in terms.

While there are some great sounding small systems out there, you do seem to pass a threshold beyond which the mere ability to move and separate the speakers allows for a significant improvement. I'd say that this is the case for the BeoSound 8, whose speakers, if detachable, could "stretch their legs" so to speak.

So, if you're a designer charged with putting together a small system, be it iPod/AirPlay/or whatever-driven, can you really make a single chassis design after a certain investment in the quality of the internal parts without pulling the quality back down? It seems to me that docks and small systems in the cheaper range (say under $500us to be somewhat arbitrary) can sound fine, but as you move toward the $1k mark I find myself wondering how it would sound if I could snap it apart and separate the speakers.

Thoughts?

(I apologize for any straw-men or herrings of any color inadvertently peppered into this post)

Re: Beosound 8 and design

ojibway — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 11:53:17 GMT

It does seem though, that there is a general agreement that maybe B&O should have thought beyond the 'dock' because, as has been noted by several people -

do you really want to leave your iPhone ringing away up there, or you desperately need to see if you've received any texts and, of course, all those thousands of aps just sitting there waiting to be used?

B&O just missed the opportunity to be ahead of the game with this 'dock'. Instead they are going to have to catch up quick which means the Beosound 8 will be obsolete if it isn't already.

As I said before, if it's purely to play music then it should have come equipped with a few gigs of memory into which you could load all you music and then go play with your iThingy.

But it's the look of the Beosound 8 that first caught my attention. It does not make my jaw drop. And from the B&O stable, it should.

I didn't know B&O did 'entry level' stuff. That's a bit patronising, isn't it? If you want to experience B&O without the huge outlay buy a used system. I've had quite a few from the Teena and Beolit 702, to the Beocentre 5000 with Beovox S80s. I've owned them so I could have them to hold and handle and gaze upon and to listen to as well. Beautiful designs need to be handled in my opinion.

Re: Beosound 8 and design

Electrified — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 11:52:11 GMT

He he, I can't help but think of a prosecutor going to court, extending his finger, pointing to the accused, then pronounce:

Henry:

I rest my case, m'lud;)

Not much of a case was made, was there.

Re: Beosound 8 and design

Henry — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 11:45:25 GMT

I rest my case, m'lud;)

Re: Beosound 8 and design

Electrified — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 10:26:33 GMT

Yup, I've seen them too. I first saw them just after Apple's own "HiFi" boom box came out, but they seem to still be selling those Genevas around here.

Anyway, just because there's something is much worse out there, doesn't make the BS8 suddenly become excellent design. In other words, just because McDonald's is worse junk food than Burger King's, doesn't mean that Burger King then deserves a mention in the Michelin guide.

Re: Beosound 8 and design

Henry — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 10:24:58 GMT

Me thinks there are one or two people here who are just a teeny weeny too far up their own bottoms?!

Re: Beosound 8 and design

Doctor — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 10:12:18 GMT

My dealer has had these in the showroom for quite some time. Not keen myself - there are a few designs quite similar.

Re: Beosound 8 and design

vikinger — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 09:31:05 GMT

tournedos:

I'm surprised nobody has yet compared the Beosound 8 to the products by GenevaLab. As I have never seen nor heard either, I'm fully qualified to do that now.

Going to http://www.genevalab.com/ , I can note the following points:

I think I've seen the "display visible through a perforated front grille" idea before somewhere

I think I've seen the modernized trumpet stand idea somewhere before as well

...if the Beosound 8 would have been designed to look like a B&O product, it would've probably been accused of plagiarizing the Geneva.

Also:

The Genevas are priced outrageously (except the S model, which just by looking at the driver specs must sound a lot weaker than BS8 - note that the stands are also extra and not contained in the base price)

Wonder what the stereo imaging in those is like?

...and they wont' take an iPad.

But:

The motorized dock would be very much B&O's domain and looks indefinitely better than the silly paddle on top of the BS8 while nothing is docked

They have a CD player, which is great

They have an FM radio - also great - but with six presets?

As noted, I have no idea of the sound quality. The (very expensive) bigger models look like they would pack a punch, though.

Wonder how much Swiss component level assembly they contain...

Hmmm.

Nov 13 - 9.02

The Australian Macworld review/ first impressions.

"B&O seems to be quite a polarising brand. You either love its products because of their quality and design, or deride them for their high prices. Well, with the BeoSound 8’s reasonable price there’s now no reason not to love it. Sure, $A1490 is still a lot of money for most of us, but it’s a good price for this beautiful system."

They make a comparison with the Genevasound. If first looks count, then the opinion of those who don't like the BS8 appearance might change after looking at this awful looking dock!

Graham

Re: Beosound 8 and design

tournedos — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 09:18:26 GMT

I'm surprised nobody has yet compared the Beosound 8 to the products by GenevaLab. As I have never seen nor heard either, I'm fully qualified to do that now.

Going to http://www.genevalab.com/ , I can note the following points:

I think I've seen the "display visible through a perforated front grille" idea before somewhere
I think I've seen the modernized trumpet stand idea somewhere before as well
...if the Beosound 8 would have been designed to look like a B&O product, it would've probably been accused of plagiarizing the Geneva.

Also:

The Genevas are priced outrageously (except the S model, which just by looking at the driver specs must sound a lot weaker than BS8 - note that the stands are also extra and not contained in the base price)
Wonder what the stereo imaging in those is like?
...and they wont' take an iPad.

But:

The motorized dock would be very much B&O's domain and looks indefinitely better than the silly paddle on top of the BS8 while nothing is docked
They have a CD player, which is great
They have an FM radio - also great - but with six presets?

As noted, I have no idea of the sound quality. The (very expensive) bigger models look like they would pack a punch, though.

Wonder how much Swiss component level assembly they contain...

Re: Beosound 8 and design

Doctor — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 07:57:48 GMT

I think the design by Tomaz makes the device more interesting - the incorporation of a screen allows feedback without the iThingy! - but it is just an adaptation of an iDock design. I am sure if given a blank sheet, Tomaz would come up with something rather more interesting if possibly less to the liking of the company accountants!

If I have a problem with the BS8, it is its lack of design cues with the other products in the portfolio. The control interface differs from that of the other current products. I expect an entry level product to encourage one to go on by letting one sample the delights of the range. For instance, the Beomaster 1500 was an entry level receiver but shared the same basic design as the top of the range 4400. The problem with the BS8 is the reliance on another company's iThingy which of course pollutes the design ethos of B&O. But unfortunately, if you make an iPod dock, that is really your lot. The sound quality does reach my expectations for a B&O product; the design is an acceptable take on an iPod dock but not a B&O classic.

Re: Beosound 8 and design

ojibway — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 07:41:15 GMT

Doctor:

I also confess to seeing less point in an iPod dock now as I would prefer to stream music wirelessly from the iPod so that it was to hand rather than on the other side of the room. This would also allow a rather more exciting design unconstrained by the need to incorporate the iPod in the device. I do actually now have an iPad as well but cannot see this really as a music device alone, to be placed in a dock.

Going off on another tangent, I do like your avatar! Is it your own design?

Yes Doc

it would offer a more exciting design if it weren't constrained by the need to dock an iThingy. Do you like the ideas offered by Tomaz? Do you appreciate the design aesthetics that are normally associated with B&O? Do you think the Beosound 8 falls within or outside the B&O aesthetic criteria or expectations?

The logo I use is from a painting by Norval Morrisseau, a Canadian Indian artist (who died in 2007) Our paths crossed in 1967 - http://norvalmorrisseau.blogspot.com/

Re: Beosound 8 and design

Doctor — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 07:16:14 GMT

ojibway:

I'd love to know what the relevance is here to the Beosound 8 that was the subject of discussion.

Maybe you should be on a Medical Forum?

In my view, little relevance. I was merely replying to a statement directed at me.

On the subject of the design on the BS8, I think is is a reasonable take on an iPod dock. It is limited by its very premise in that stereo separation will always be poor, but making it wider would be silly. For those wanting a more acceptable hi-fi solution, a docking station attached to a normal music system would be preferable. Indeed, i use such a system myself at times, though my Beoport linked into my home system actually fulfils a similar role. I do have another make iPod dock which resides in the kitchen - I have never linked this room as it is a later addition to the house and the walls are rather thick, making wireless less than useful and putting me off drilling holes. It must a good few years old and comprises two rectangular two way speakers with a bar in between. Not very beautiful, but functional. It does however let me listen to music and choose from almost anything (I use a 160Gb iPod). I would have bought a B&O one no doubt if it had been available but made do with this. The BS8 would not actually fit in the designated area so will not be a candidate for this room.

I also confess to seeing less point in an iPod dock now as I would prefer to stream music wirelessly from the iPod so that it was to hand rather than on the other side of the room. This would also allow a rather more exciting design unconstrained by the need to incorporate the iPod in the device. I do actually now have an iPad as well but cannot see this really as a music device alone, to be placed in a dock.

Going off on another tangent, I do like your avatar! Is it your own design?

Re: Beosound 8 and design

Electrified — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 06:42:03 GMT

ojibway:

I'd love to know what the relevance is here to the Beosound 8 that was the subject of discussion.

Maybe you should be on a Medical Forum?

A little larger, and your point would have been so much better ...

Seriously, though, go back and read page one, and you will notice how Trip was the main instigator of these parallel discussions. Especially his facepalm jesus was great and really carried a lot of meaning pertaining to the Beosound 8

Re: Beosound 8 and design

ojibway — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 06:27:28 GMT

I'd love to know what the relevance is here to the Beosound 8 that was the subject of discussion.

Maybe you should be on a Medical Forum?