djs:

My BL3s are well and truly run in. I've had them since they were first released. I use them with a BeoCenter2. When first installed they buzzed. This was sorted out by the installers by moving the cabling in the wall cavity to avoid electrical interference. They are the correct cables. 

I think the BL3s are good with jazz and even chamber music. That is, where a small number of instruments are played, they cope well. They also are good with voice. It is with orchestral music that they struggle. As I said in my previous post, they don't come near matching the sound of my other system, both in terms of depth and sound-staging. Direct comparison when listening to the sound of a violin or a piano is also enlightening. My B&W805s speakers sound much closer to the sound of these instruments when heard in a concert hall. 

My previous post was in order to recommend Musical Fidelity products to Peter. I did not intend to embark on B&O bashing or to upset anyone who is happy with their BL3s. I still have several other B&O products which I am very happy with.

Cheers, djs

Perfectly reasonable post and clearly how you have found them. I would not recommend them for playing loud as I think they become confused sounding at higher volumes. As near field monitors, I think they are excellent though.

Will report back tonight! Thanks for the advice all of you!

Peter:

The DAC idea is a good one. I'll certainly bear that one in mind.

I am going to have a listen - no commitment!

I agree with Soundproof about the BL3s. I am very sceptical about running in speakers but in the case of the BL3s, it certainly was my experience as well.

I'll report back! 

 

A DAC with switchable source would be a good idea so that you could select CD player digital out or Hard Drive source etc.

Or you could just plug the digital out of your CD5500 into Lab5's - all of those jitter / valve preamp specs of the source then become irrelevent

Puncher:

A DAC with switchable source would be a good idea so that you could select CD player or Hard Drive source etc.

Or you could just plug the digital out of your CD5500 into Lab5's - all of those jitter / valve preamp specs of the source then become irrelevent

Both the linked DACs have switchable, digital sources.

I have my Beogram CD6500 linked with S/PDIF, coaxial.

And my Airport Express with a TOSLINK optical.
The USB connector on the Benchmark I use when I want to connect my Mac; and there's a balanced XLR digital in that I haven't come up with a use for yet.

Well I am back!!

And I did not buy a new CD player! The CDX performed very well although I thought the MF A5 had better control of the bass generally. The differences were pretty marginal  so I was not going to swap!

The listening was done in the dedicated listening room and we used a top of the range Naim system and Spendor S9e speakers. Excellent service from Lintone Audio and from David Baker who was everything a Hi-Fi salesman is not expected to be! Informative, friendly, not pushy in the slightest and just happy to help. I cannot recommend this store highly enough. The equipment was well set up and sited and not a loudness button on or treble knob cranked up to be seen. I listened to 3 CDs I had taken along - DSOTM - because I know it backwards - Pachelbel Canon as it has good interplay between string instruments and Arrival of the Queen of Sheba by Handel  as it has a nice complex piece with plenty of instruments. Also Court and Spark by Joni Mitchell.

There were places where the A5 seemed more revealing - but at other times I had to check which player I was using. Both performed well. I did then listen to the Naim CD player (the CD555) - which blew the other two away! I suppose that is what I was wanting to hear from the A5 and didn't. The Naim was £17,000 if anyone is interested! Decided against it!!

The A5 had a very poor user interface  with the CD draw being particularly cheap feeling. I realise this makes no difference to the sound but it made me less likely to buy it. For the sake of a few pounds of engineering, it seemed an oversight. The CDX was much better in this respect and had big control surfaces as opposed to the tiny buttons.

I had a chat about DACs and will be going back. I will also be auditioning the Naim CD5x (I think!). Still looking for a Beogram CD5500 though!

Only issue with the DAC route is that if you do ever land the BL5's then it either becomes redundant or you end up converting the signal twice.

Ideally need a switchable digital "patchbay" with the output connected to the Lab5's. This would allow all digital sources to use the Lab5's, using their internal DAC and be converted only once.

Puncher:

Only issue with the DAC route is that if you do ever land the BL5's then it either becomes redundant or you end up converting the signal twice.

Ideally need a switchable digital "patchbay" with the output connected to the Lab5's. This would allow all digital sources to use the Lab5's, using their internal DAC and be converted only once.

You're right. I would like to know which DAC they have installed in the BL5s. 

The DACs mentioned above or so inexpensive relative to what you get that it's really worth examining that path.

And you don't have to convert the signal twice. With the BL5s in place, the issue is moot, in that I expect the DACs in them will be on a par with, or better, than the standalone DACs I've tested. However, for all other listening setups, with speakers "below" BL5, I'd strongly recommend this. Both the Benchmark and LAVRY have opened up my music in ways that my CD-players are incapable of.

And it's a great way of resuscitating the CD-players in the B&O range with digital out signals. Huge difference between the DAC in my Beogram CD6500 and the stand-alone ones.

(And to those wondering - the soundstage and bass on the Beolab 5000 Frede Kristensen refurbished for me still wallops the Beomaster 7000; incredible resolution of the instruments and a really tight bass through the Beolab 5000 - but I'm sure the 7000 would benefit from a similar refurbishment!) 

===

Great to hear you got professional service at the store, Peter! I find that most Hi-Fi stores have enthusiastic and engaged personnel who are really willing to put their hardware on the line for their potential customers. 

soundproof:

You're right. I would like to know which DAC they have installed in the BL5s. 

You cant compare directly because the Digital to Analogue conversion is done at "speaker power" levels in a Class D amp, i.e. high frequency, high voltage, is switched into the load (i.e. speaker) and the driver Inductance acts as part of the low pass filter  which "extracts" the audio information from the high power, "binary" drive.

In other words its not a recognisable DAC chip as such.

darren:

You have mail about the CD5500

Bugger! - I thought you meant me!

Puncher:

Don't think the CD50 has a digital output???

 Maybe you're right! Did that only arrive with the 5500? I thought I remembered a single RCA jack output on the back for digital but I could be wrong...
 

PL212:

Puncher:

Don't think the CD50 has a digital output???

 Maybe you're right! Did that only arrive with the 5500? I thought I remembered a single RCA jack output on the back for digital but I could be wrong...
 

I don't think so - but you have me doubting myself???

Its too late this eveningto drag mine out to investigate so I will rely on others to tell us which of us is correct!!