Well, I've held off from making any comments about the BS5 after the official unveiling until I was able to poke around a bit more to make sure I wasn't missing anything.  My feeling now is that what we've seen so far is only part of a product.  There likely will be some software tweaks before final release, but I don't think that some of the omissions will be addressed by launch, and perhaps never will be even with future software updates.  See my thoughts below:

1 - No built-in optical drive.  This one just baffles me.  In the world of digital music hardware, the common subsets are streamers and servers.  Streamers deliver content loaded and stored elsewhere while servers are all-in-one solutions for both content storage and playback.  In the latter case, I don't think I have ever seen a music server that did not at least offer the option of an optical drive to allow the user to load new content from discs without using a computer.  Ok, so your dealer can pre-load your existing collection for you prior to delivery.  But to add new content users have to use a compuer.  For the life of me I can't understand why B&O would not include an optical drive.  The absence of the drive makes the system dependent on external, non-associated hardware and is therefore less friendly than it could be.  With all the other elements of a complete music server in place, I just don't see why they wouldn't include an optical drive to welcome in the computer phobic folks out there.  That's a big *** of the market to leave out.

2 - No 2-way wireless remote.  This one remains to be seen, but my gut tells me that there will be no such solution at launch.  The smart route would at least involve a web-based control solution with an optimized version for the iPhone/iPod Touch or perhaps an app for those devices.  The suggestion though is that B&O may do something for the Beo5, but who knows when that might be available.  The absence of this kind of control really limits the solution to single room use.  Sure you can use it in more than one zone, but without a good remote control setup, doing so seems much less attractive.  The "blind" method is a waste of potential as the system is capable of so much more.

3 - Not optimized for multi-zone.  This is an extension of number 2.  Unless I am missing something, the BS5/BM5 combination isn't designed to work in multiples.  In other words, I don't see mention of having multiple units throughout the house that can talk to each other.  Now, you might ask why you would want to duplicate a whole server in multiple zones throughout the house, but that goes to my point on design.  Let's say a customer really likes the BS5 as an interface.  As I see it, you can only use one BS5 per BM5.  And then, even if you could use more than one, the connections between the BS5 and BM5 make long cable runs a hassle (connection between BS5 and BM5 is USB and HDMI).  So the BS5 interface hardware, which is likely going to be a major selling point of the unit, is confined for use in one zone only. 

Even if you they let you link multiple BS5/BM5 setups together, you have to ask why that is necessary?  It seems wasteful to require another HDD and full output array om the BM5 just to get the benefit of having more than one BS5 controller.  Besides which, the 2-box design is hardly compact which would make it undesirable to place in some zones.  One alternative would have been to allow the use of multiple BS5 units connected back to a central BM5 via ethernet only.  Yes, this would require the BS5 to be more than a "dumb display", but it would have been a smarter decision IMO.

4 -  No mention of storage expansion.  This one is also puzzling.  So, they are touting lossless playback as well as video playback support but there is only one storage size available and it's 1/3 the capacity of the largest desktop HDD currently available?  Storage requirements will vary from user to user and that's why many companies offer multiple HDD size options in their music servers, especially that also support video playback.  500GB is relatively small for this type of solution and with no way to expand, the device has a hard limitation.  Sure, you could manage content on your computer and only copy over part of your collection to the BM5, but why should you have to?  Shouldn't this be a complete solution for your entire collection?  When other solutions offer 1TB or more of storage, it's puzzling that B&O would only offer 500GB on theirs with no option to go larger.  Even if most users will never use that much storage, it looks bad not to be able to say that you have them covered from the get go even if they ever do exceed that amount of content.

 

Overall, I can't help but feel like the system was designed to target the existing base of B&O customers more than new potential customers.  I say that because some of the above oversights seem to fit in with past product design decisions. As such, perhaps the design philosophy was one which looked less critically at the product from an outsider's POV vs that of someone who has been using B&O products for years.  The points I made above aren't hair splitting complaints or requests for additional functionality that only techies would be interested in.  Rather, these are basic design elements of any music server and B&O's decision not to address them leave me scratching my head. 

This product could be a statement piece that propels B&O into the modern digital music generation.  In doing so, a whole new market of consumers could be introduced to the B&O brand and existing B&O lovers could have a well designed product that logically transitions them from disc to hard drive in the B&O ecosystem.  However, given the above, I see the slice of the potential market that the BS5 will appeal to is much more narrow.  It's obvious form comments here that many B&O lovers who were looking forward to the device's potential are disappointed and will not be buying one.  In addition, I can see many new customers turned off by some of the above, especially when you compare it to other products on the market.  It's sad to see such a great opportunity wasted.  In my view, it could be a much more complete product if more attention was paid to the basics.

Jeff

It would be interesting to read a reply from B&O marketing or development departments!!

Well said Jeff!!

joeyboygolf:

It would be interesting to read a reply from B&O marketing or development departments!!

They are busy drumming up 'exciting' ways of getting us customers to pre-order the BS5 at full cost. I still don't see why B&O don't do their existing customers justice by enabling them to pre-order an receive a small discount in return.

As Jeff said, there are way too many issues which means it doesn't tick enough of the boxes to warrant pre-paying £3750.

A very thorough critique that obviously took a long time to do - thank you Jeff, i'm sure we all appreciate it - and pleased be assured a lot of people have read it even though not many have posted a reply (i have the stat counter remember! )

Lee

 

Thanks to all for the comments.  I tried to be fair about this, even going so far as to ponder whether there was a valid #5 to round out the list and then deciding that there wasn't another one that jumped out at me like the others did.  I do have other critiques about the design, but to me these are the critical ones that go to the core of the unit's functionality.  While I'm surprised that B&O put so much effort into this project and yet missed the above 4 items, I hope this can serve as a clear indicator of what they may want to look at for v2 or perhaps as suggestions for future upgrades/add-ons to the current design.

In that regard, I'd like to throw out thoughts on how to address each of the above:

1 -  If they do make a v2 that is still a server design, it must include an optical drive.  In the interim, I'd suggest looking into an add-on optical drive for the BM5 (it has multiple USB ports).  Doing so is far from ideal, especially from an aesthetic standpoint, but maybe they could come up with a pleasing form factor to compliment the existing design. Why lose sales on something that can be fixed?

2 - This can be done and may very well already be under way.  The question is when.  Also, the how is an important element.  The BS5 provides a compelling UI experience, so the remote solution needs to be similarly satisfying.  What I mean here is that it isn't enough to simply use 2-way communication to show what's currently playing on the remote's screen.  The user needs to be able to easily navigate their collection and manage playlists. Smart implementation is required to give full functionality in a remote form factor.

3 - This one may not be fixable in the current design.  You're stuck with one BS5 per BM5.  Perhaps though they can at least offer the ability for multiple BS5/BM5 systems to talk to each other.  A key element here would have to be the ability to see your entire library regardless of which BS5 you were using (ideally the system would treat the content on the 2 BM5s as one single, consolidated library for a seemless user experience - vs simply allowing you to switch between the "local" library and the "remote" library).  In that way, you also allow for library expansion beyond 500GB.

4 - You have one potential route for expanding capacity listed above, but there are alternatives.  The easiest one is multiple SKUs for the BM5 with the only difference being the HDD size.  Many companies offer the same music server in multiple HDD size configurations.  Outside of that, you could make use of those USB ports for external HDDs.  Again, like the optical drive add-on, this is not the most aesthetically pleasing solution.  However, it does give your users future upgradeability and avoids the hassle of multiple product SKUs if that route is undesirable.

 

To me, the key to all of these is the willingness to recognize what was missed the first time around and offer solutions that fill the holes in the current design.  Sure, getting right initially would have been preferred, but ignoring obvious flaws or simply waiting to correct them until version 2 (assuming there would be one sometime down the road) is a mistake.  Those who like the system as is can get it and use it with no additional component cost.  But, those who love the idea but can't get past these issues could at least be offered feasible solutions.  I don't expect B&O to do something as drastic as to delay the launch, but I hope they consider offering these additions at a later date (the sooner the better).  It would be a shame to see this product lose out on significant additional sales because of these deficiencies and I feel strongly that this will be the case if the product is never altered to accommodate the above.

Jeff

Hi Jeff, good critique. Last year, I was in a position to ask about storage for BS5, and was informed that it would be possible to supplement it with NAS-units. Totally agree that 500GB is in the low-end ...

Two-way is an item of its own. B&O made the decision to ditch two-way some years ago, and it's taken them a while to accept that they need to rethink this one.

As to the lack of an optical drive. Yes, a mystery. B&O has a habit of trying to compartmentalise functions into distinct hardware units - where the overall trend (and what customers expect) is a migration of many functions into one unit. I think it's the latter that will win out, and that B&O will have to accept this eventually.

Ultimately, it will come down to whether people find "the mechanisation of the digital" attractive enough -- or whether people are content with the digital being invisible, while they spend their money on the units that eventually matter: the organisational software and hardware, the processors for audio and video, the screens and the loudspeakers.

If you do choose to mechanise the digital, then make it a win-win proposition with the best of both worlds: optimum multiformat resolution and quality playback, combined with ease of use and operation that is non pareil.

soundproof:

If you do choose to mechanise the digital, then make it a win-win proposition with the best of both worlds: optimum multiformat resolution and quality playback, combined with ease of use and operation that is non pareil.

But also relies on you owning the CD to provide the digital audio (or a non-DRM digital track). This could be a problem is a B&O customer who understands little about DRM attempts to move their iTunes tracks to their new BS5.

moxxey:

soundproof:

If you do choose to mechanise the digital, then make it a win-win proposition with the best of both worlds: optimum multiformat resolution and quality playback, combined with ease of use and operation that is non pareil.

But also relies on you owning the CD to provide the digital audio (or a non-DRM digital track). This could be a problem is a B&O customer who understands little about DRM attempts to move their iTunes tracks to their new BS5.

Unfortunately, this kind of problem is pervasive throughout the world of digital music and video distribution online.  The DRM issues create inconveniences for users that translate to frustration and ultimately, fewer purchases.  Thankfully, the music industry is coming to its sense with many labels, including the "big four" agreeing to non-DRM sales online with a variety of vendors.  Now, the big hurdle remaining is iTunes, which also happens to be the biggest player in the market.  However, recent rumors have surfaced saying that Apple is in talks with the remaining 3 labels (EMI already offers their catalog DRM free on iTunes) to finally go DRM free storewide.  While we have heard rumblings about this in the past, it is becoming increasingly apparent that iTunes is the lone holdout with Rhapsody, Napster, Amazon, etc all DRM free.  Every tech site and podcast I have come across relating to MP3s recommends that people shop at other online stores specifically to avoid DRM.  At some point, even Apple can't ignore that kind of negative reinforcement.  My guess is that Steve will announce that one or more of the remaining 3 studios have gone DRM free at this year's Macworld in January.  In the interim, there are cool solutions like Advantageous MP3 (http://www.advantageousmp3.com/mac/) which let you browse through the iTunes store and then buy the same DRM free track from Amazon with just a couple of clicks.

We'll get there with music shortly, but video is a completely different animal.  That one will take a while and may never go the way that music has in abandoning DRM.  As long as laws like the DMCA are in place, the same forces at work that pushed the music industry to rethink content security will not be as strong with the movie and TV industry.  It's unfortunate because the consumer is the one who suffers on the end.

Jeff 

At the Stockholm launch yesterday one salesman told me there will be a 2-way remote sometime in the near future. Then you nearly could get the same visual experience when choosing tunes to listen to as when you operate the BS5, he said.

Well, that could be fun but I think the BS5 stand great as a new B&O product. I guess it also has the architecture so it can be expanded with new features in the future.

Bgrds Ingvar

 

That is a very good news... I wonder if we'll be able to buy just the BM5 and the remote, without the BS5.

PhilLondon:

That is a very good news... I wonder if we'll be able to buy just the BM5 and the remote, without the BS5.

If there was and it was any time soon I would have thought they would have announced it, after all they BM/BS5 itself isn't available until next year anyway.

If, as the salesman says, it does and displays everything that the BS5 does then I would fear for sales of the BS5, unless of course you have to have one.

We know what "soon" means in Struer... ;-)

I agree a two-way remote is absolute needed for those of us who are too lazy to get out of the couch to control the BS5. However, there may be some consolation in the fact that, presumably, the BM5 can be controlled via an on-screen menu on your TV screen (like Beomedia 1) with a Beo5 remote control? Has anybody seen the user interface on the TV screen - if so, please comment! o)

It is the Beomedia interface.

I've played aroundwith the BS5 at the dealer and discovered a few "child deceases" which should be fixed:

(1) If you choose a particular track on a CD (e.g. number 5), BS5 will play that track and then go into MOTS mode playing similar tracks also on other CDs. However, this means that you cannot choose any given track and then have the BS5 continue to subsequent tracks on that CD as any ordinary CD player would (unless you go through the hazzle of making a play list). Unless you make a play list of chooses to play the whole CD begining with track 1, the BS5 thinks I want to listen to MOTS and not subsequent tracks, but I want the choise! The B&O dealer agreed with me that this was a problem - has anybody outthere found a solution to this - if not, then it's absolutely a deal breaker for me!

(2) When operating the wheels, the blue "light cursor" will often end up between two icons (e.g. between "Albums" and "Titles"). It doesn't affect the functionality, but VISUALLY it's a bit of a mess and lacking that "B&O touch" - then the wheel stops, the cursor should automatically move to the nearest icon (in a nice, smooth, gliding manner of course).

(3) Then viewing the BS5 from certain angles, it becomes apparent that the front panel is a clear glass panel a few minimetes thick (and not black glass as it appears at first glance - so there are "gaps" aroudn the edges where you can actually see through the glass). I would recommend that B&O paints the sides of the glass panel to stop the see-through effect, thereby making the glass appear completely black from any angle.

You have 2 ways to play a track, pressing Go quickly or pressing Go long time.

If you press go long time it adds it to the queue, when the queue is finished, you get MOTS.

However, according to the manual, if you press Go for a short time, it should play the song and then continue to the next... But I have not tried...

p. 

Brilliant news, thanks - my dealer didn't even know that! By the way, do you have a link to the manual, I would love to read it?

Manuals are available for download on this site, but you need to be a paid member.

p. 

sorenfelden:

I agree a two-way remote is absolute needed for those of us who are too lazy to get out of the couch to control the BS5. However, there may be some consolation in the fact that, presumably, the BM5 can be controlled via an on-screen menu on your TV screen (like Beomedia 1) with a Beo5 remote control? Has anybody seen the user interface on the TV screen - if so, please comment! o)

 

What about the possibility of running the interface cables from the BM-5 to the coffee table or end table nearest your couch?

 

Yep, agreed! In the brochure, there's a very cool looking black column stand that could be placed next to the couch and the potato lying on it

 

sorenfelden:

I agree a two-way remote is absolute needed for those of us who are too lazy to get out of the couch to control the BS5. However, there may be some consolation in the fact that, presumably, the BM5 can be controlled via an on-screen menu on your TV screen (like Beomedia 1) with a Beo5 remote control? Has anybody seen the user interface on the TV screen - if so, please comment! o)

It's not called lazyness - it's called usability! B&O cannot seriously expect everyone that wants to relax to (buy and) use a TV screen as interface only because they develop a system without matching remote control?! 

I've been told that you can not make genres is this true?

The demo's by the dealer are they also getting the software up-dates

Well, there doesn't seem to be a genre menu as such. I would assume that B&Os reason for not introducing genres is the fact that the system has MOTS (More Of The Same) meaning that when you pick a track, the BS5 will subsequently continue to play tracks similar to the chosen one (i.e. within the same genre). So you could say that BM5 automatically creates genre labelling for each and every track loaded onto the BS5.  

Genres seems useless in general when it comes to iTunes. Since when was Paul Simon soft-rock?