General Forum

Re: Active or passive speakers with a Beocenter 9500

Cleviebaby — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 23:40:25 GMT

Thanks to you all for your helpful comments.

Cleve

Re: Active or passive speakers with a Beocenter 9500

Medogsfat — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:52:08 GMT

Peter :

Have had both - for a big room, I would have the S120s but the BL3s are a lovely small speaker. Played at high volumes, the S120s are superior but at normal and low volumes, the BL3s are hard to beat.

I agree with Peter here, I can only add that my personal preference would be the 120's but I'm a known fan of these particular speakers so I may be biased.

Chris.

Re: Active or passive speakers with a Beocenter 9500

Peter — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:18:16 GMT

Have had both - for a big room, I would have the S120s but the BL3s are a lovely small speaker. Played at high volumes, the S120s are superior but at normal and low volumes, the BL3s are hard to beat.

Re: Active or passive speakers with a Beocenter 9500

js — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 10:49:59 GMT

Peter :

You will get a bit more bass with the BL4000s and a little more subtlety with the S45.2s. I would take the latter.

And what about BL3 vs. S120 (which I never heard) as Cleve mentioned?

Thanks, js

Re: Active or passive speakers with a Beocenter 9500

Peter — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 15:22:03 GMT

Nothing wrong with the amp in the 9500 and it will power S45.2s perfectly well. You will get a bit more bass with the BL4000s and a little more subtlety with the S45.2s. I would take the latter.

Re: Active or passive speakers with a Beocenter 9500

Blackrix — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:52:25 GMT

That is a hard one. I think I would go for the BeoLab 4000, but it might be different for you. The best way to make a good choice is comparing both speakers, but for that you need the speakers!

Thinking of the costs, economically the S45-2's are the best choice, you can buy them cheap in comparison with BeoLab 4000.

Active or passive speakers with a Beocenter 9500

Cleviebaby — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:30:59 GMT

For various reasons, I may now have a pair of S45.2s available to use permanently with my BC 9500. However, I know the alleged limitations of the power amp with the 9500, so I was wondering would I be better off with the S45.2s, even with the 'limitations' of the power amp than using say a pair of BL4000s which will by-pass the power amp in the center completely? I have heard the BL4000s which I like, but not in direct comparison to passives such as the S45.2. (I feel it would be wrong to request a home demo of the current BL4000s from my dealer knowing I wouldn't buy from them -I'd buy a second-hand pair of Mark 1s)

Even with my aging ears I can still here a sonic difference (just) between my CDX/BM4400 and the 9500, both playing through S45.2s. So using the 9500 as the source, what would your preferences be between, say S45.2s and BL4000s or BL 3s and S120s?

Cleve