General Forum

Re: Beolab 5 upgrade from beolab 9 questions

Alex — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 06:07:55 GMT

BeoFab:

I have read a thread about the Beolab 9's lack a little in the mids. Is that correct?

Not when they're set up correctly. I used to find BeoLab 9s actually sounded better when toed-in (which is against what you would expect from an ALT speaker). Try both. I've heard them sounding full and correct across the midband, but then I've also heard them sounding a little recessed across the mids.

SwissToni:

Just out of interest how early dont the beolab 9's support the digital volume control?

Other than the PWM amplifiers, there is nothing digital about the BeoLab 9. All the crossover circuitry and signal processing is completely analog. In the BeoLab 5, everything goes through a digital stage and gets processed by a computer...

Re: Beolab 5 upgrade from beolab 9 questions

SwissToni — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 14:19:17 GMT

Just out of interest how early dont the beolab 9's support the digital volume control?

Re: Beolab 5 upgrade from beolab 9 questions

BeoFab — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 14:16:23 GMT

I have read a thread about the Beolab 9's lack a little in the mids. Is that correct?

Re: Beolab 5 upgrade from beolab 9 questions

bayerische — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 13:53:54 GMT

KingOfSnake:

@Bayerische - corrected with a sw update if I recall.

9's are more than suitable for 90% of environments IMHO, but if you have available funds and want that extra 20% then wny not?

No, according to B&O I need the internals completely replaced. No Hardware support! How fun isn't that? My operation manual explains to me though that sync works...

Re: Beolab 5 upgrade from beolab 9 questions

Teletom — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 12:42:27 GMT

Quote:.... real only real criticism of the beolab 9's are a slight shut in and nasal vocal which is being picky....

Hi Swiss Tony,

Not sure what you exactly mean. Would very much appreciate if you could explain this in more detail.

Thanks,

Teletom

Re: Beolab 5 upgrade from beolab 9 questions

KingOfSnake — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 11:15:18 GMT

Well the digital input wins it then, I have got a pair of 5's in stock anyway.

Re: Beolab 5 upgrade from beolab 9 questions

SwissToni — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 10:48:05 GMT

My room is 8 meters long by 3.8 although the main listening area is about 5 meters or so back..my impression of the beolab 5's were better transparency and imaging...the only real criticism of the beolab 9's are a slight shut in and nasal vocal which is being picky...the beolab 5's are very effortless...and with the built in dacs etc this is potentially the deal winner as simply a digital source only required is a big plus IMHO..

Re: Beolab 5 upgrade from beolab 9 questions

KingOfSnake — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 14:41:49 GMT

As many will know I have exposure to these products on a daily basis, my view is that unless you have a really sizeable room and enjoy reasonably high volumes then the Beolab 9's are more than adequate - the 5's are lazier and more powerful granted, but the benefits are often lost on the non-audiophile. I have lost count of how many sets of 5's I have picked up where the owner has ordered post 5's purchase, or been convinced to order at the time of buying the 5's, a Beolab 2.

My perspective is somewhat different from others - I just think that bank for buck Beolab 9's are better value. In my view, which if course is not definitive, money is better spent elsewhere. For the first time ever I am holding four pairs of Beolab 9 in stock - however they are more rare than Beolab 5's in the pre-owned market, and that might say something, it might say nothing, depending on the ratio of Beolab 9's that are sold to Beolab 5's.

Put it this way, if driving a Porsche Carrera 4 floats your boat and makes you grin from ear-to-ear, why push yourself to own a Carrera 4s or Carrera Turbo just for the sake of it, unless that is your thing?

Re: Beolab 5 upgrade from beolab 9 questions

Razlaw — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 10:56:26 GMT

I have also been considering upgrading from 9s to 5s. My sense is that if the room is not overly larger, and/or extreme volumes are not desired there is not much noticeable improvement?

As mentiond in the 90% comment above?

Re: Beolab 5 upgrade from beolab 9 questions

KingOfSnake — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 10:26:53 GMT

@Bayerische - corrected with a sw update if I recall.

9's are more than suitable for 90% of environments IMHO, but if you have available funds and want that extra 20% then wny not?

Re: Beolab 5 upgrade from beolab 9 questions

csmager — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 04:23:46 GMT

As above, I really wouldn't waste you're time with a standalone DAC. In simple terms, the BL5 signal path either goes:

Analogue Line in -> ADC -> DSP -> DAC -> Output

Digital in -> DSP -> DAC -> Output

So putting a DAC in to convert to analogue immediately before it gets converted straight back to digital is a bit of a waste.

Re: Beolab 5 upgrade from beolab 9 questions

SwissToni — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 09:41:55 GMT

Thanks for the reply. If I used a standalone dac I would use the line in inputs assume you can still control the volume..or actually it might be a very good point as a dac and a pre is then required. Do you use yours direct via digital?

Thanks for pointing out that isn't supported for early versions...do you know when?

Regards

Re: Beolab 5 upgrade from beolab 9 questions

bayerische — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 08:51:45 GMT

No point using a dac, sice the Beolab 5's will use their internal DAC either way.

Feeding them the digital SPDIF signal will take away one additional step in the signal processing.

You can control them directly with a remote, and sync the sound level, but make sure they are not early versions if you buy used.

Mine are early versions, they have the volume sync out I/O but don't support it... A no brainer, yes.

Beolab 5 upgrade from beolab 9 questions

SwissToni — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 08:13:53 GMT

As a recent owner of a pair of beolab 9's I'm considering the move to the bigger brothers in the beolab 5's. I have a few questions around the quality of the digital inputs and if this is how many owners use them.

I plan to use a digital source direct as understand the volume can be controlled on the speakers themselves without requiring a preamp or source with volume control.

I may add a dac and connect that at a later date. Question around the dacs built into the 5's is this how they work anyway with a b&o source? As I noticed in the manuals its recommended to connect it this way which is why I ask...

Also any general thoughts on the 9's compared to the 5's?

Thanks