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ARCHIVED FORUM -- April 2007 to March 2012
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This is the first Archived Forum which was active between 17th April 2007 and 1st March February 2012

 

Latest post 01-10-2011 7:23 AM by TheMajor. 64 replies.
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  • 12-27-2010 6:30 PM

    • Thomas
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    So.. why do you buy Bang & Olufsen?

    I've just finished writing a blog sharing why I choose Bang & Olufsen over the more obvious, mainstream choices.

    Click here to read the article...

    After posting this article, I wonderied if other B&O enthusiasts share the same views, or had other reasons for choosing to invest in this equipment?

    Why do you buy B&O?

    Comments very welcome either in this thread or (preferrably) underneath my article in the comments section (anonymous comments allowed, so no need to give out any personal information)

    Thanks guys n gals! :)

    Thomas

  • 12-27-2010 9:13 PM In reply to

    Re: So.. why do you buy Bang & Olufsen?

    Speaking as a product owner and not a shop owner, I appreciate Bang & Olufsen's philosophy that a good product has to be thoughtfully designed and contextually relevant. That there is not a strong force within the company to adopt every new technology, or to innovate beyond the needs of the user is a strength not shared by many technology companies. 

    We function more like luxury car makers that balance technological relevance, with aesthetic values, emotional character, and usability. We only push forward in one value when it will not adversely affect other values. David Lewis is keenly aware of our role and has discussed how our products' emotional appeal allow them to stay relevant in our lives long after they're no longer state of the art.

    For someone like me that carefully evaluates every purchase decision as to how that product will age and what I can predict its value to me to be once it's no longer "this year's model," the Bang & Olufsen approach stands apart from other electronics makers obsessed with pushing you into version 2.1.4a

     

    There is scarcely anything in this world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little more cheaply. The person who buys on price alone is this man's lawful prey. - John Ruskin

  • 12-27-2010 11:53 PM In reply to

    Re: So.. why do you buy Bang & Olufsen?

    For many reasons ... the OP's blog I have already commented on in another thread: I enjoyed his enthusiasm and much of what he said resonated with me.

     

    As to "why" ... well that has changed over the years.

     

    In the Sixties I wanted to buy B&O because I had just discovered Scandinavian style, but all I could afford was some a salt and pepper set for me mum :)

     

    In the Seventies I was a wage earner and I could afford to buy B&O ... but only second-hand, but it was still for the reasons of style.

     

    In the Eighties I fell in love with what B&O marketing called "Aladdin's lamp", and so it was style and what I have called on these forums "systems thinking" or "systems integration" that lead to my first significant, and brand-new, purchases over a period of two or three years.  And to be honest I have been pursuing the Holy Grail of wall to wall sound and (lately) vision integration ever since.

     

    In the Nineties I made no purchases, but a friend gave me some RL 60s to babysit while he was overseas, and that was when I think I really fell in love with the B&O sound.  (And I liked the look of the RLs, but SWMBO never did, and so when my friend returned the RLs left us)

     

    In the Naughties my B&O purchasing really took off with the first purchase being my BeoSound 2 which adore for its tactile nature, its looks, and the fact that it kept me sane during my travels away from home.

    It was around this time that I also started being gifted other people's deceased relatives' B&Os, and so my little museum was created: an ode to nostalgia for the Scandinavian designs of wood, metal, and glass.

    And then I extended my B&O shrine with eBay purchases as I tried to achieve my vision of a home surrounded by sound, but I never quite managed to achieve it with MCL82 technology and my Beosystem 5000s; only lately have I come close to this by using a BeoLink Active in PC mode with BeoLab 4s.

    It was the later half of the Naughties that saw us quickly acquire a Beolab 6000s, Beosound 4, Beocom 6000, then Beolab 3s and Beolab 4s, Beolink wireless and then our Beovision 8.  Just love the visual experience of B&O and wish I had bought one years ago.

    Now I am buying for simplicity of integration - I have given up on my Beosystem 5000s - I may even eBay them in 2011 together with all their speakers and cables and MCLs.

     

    So in short :) 

    1. Style
    2. Systemic
    3. Sound
    4. Tactile
    5. Visual
    6. Simple

    But I would also add:

    • Hidden surprises of design - the little features that delight you every time you use them
    • Ease of use
    • Materials
    • and having opened up the insides of the Beosystem 5000s, the robust build
    One promise of 2011 that I am holding my breath for is the Beosound 5 Encore ... it could hit most if not all of my buttons Laughing

    First B&O (1976) was a Beogram 1500 ... latest (2011) change has been to couple the BL11 with the BL6Ks *sounds superb*

  • 12-28-2010 1:32 AM In reply to

    • Spiros
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    Re: So.. why do you buy Bang & Olufsen?

    Ohhhhh....... Is there any other brand in the world?!?!?!?

    Oupsssssss sorry didn't know this.

    Best regards

    Spiros

  • 12-28-2010 3:37 AM In reply to

    Re: So.. why do you buy Bang & Olufsen?

    I first saw B&O when I was 11 years old and knew instantly that I had to have it... Main reason why I liked it so much was the style and the quality of materials. Later I discoverd the ease of use, the build quality, the Beolink system and the sound and picture quality.

    Sound quality has become more important to me and I will upgrade to Beolab 5's at some point. Main reason for not having them now is that my house has wooden floors that are not up to the job of handling the bass... Big Smile I will get them as soon as I move.

    Beoworld's twenty-eighth ninth prize winner and fifty-first second prize winner. Best £30 I've ever spent!

  • 12-28-2010 3:48 AM In reply to

    • Step1
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    Re: So.. why do you buy Bang & Olufsen?

    Durh, only one reason anyone would ever buy B&O of course, cos it's all made in Denmark innit Wink

    Olly.

  • 12-28-2010 4:15 AM In reply to

    • pf85
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    Re: So.. why do you buy Bang & Olufsen?

    Good topic on a positive note !

    My reasons for B&O

    1. Style and Design

    2. Ease of use / seamless integration of audio and video

    3. Longevity

    4. Quality and Sound

    5. Worldwide service promise that works (having lived in many countries I can attestate to that)

    Many of the B&O users don't want to run for latest / latest technology but for systems that seamlessly integrate and that are not obsolete or unsupported after a year or two.

  • 12-28-2010 4:26 AM In reply to

    • Electrified
    • Top 150 Contributor
    • Joined on 10-05-2009
    • Greater Copenhagen, Denmark
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    Re: So.. why do you buy Bang & Olufsen?

    In general, I really don't care where my electronics are made.  I am mostly wary of furniture made in the far east because of the chemicals used, and my reactions to chemicals is also the reason my long-time gf isn't using Macs anymore. I react very strongly to the plastic and rubber used on newer Macs (be they portable or stationary).

    When I bought my first Beolab 5s, I bought them almost solelybecause of the audio quality. That my gf could live with the design was a plus, and they sure as hell look better than "real" studio monitors.  For all I care, they too could be made in the far east. Yamaha makes some wonderful stuff, for instance.

    I have since parted with my BL5s because we moved, and our new home wasn't really able to handle such powerful speakers, so I've downsized for the time being (to another brand as well).

    I will be buying the BV10 in 32" partly because it is the right size since I don't like big tellies, but it looks nice, and it's damn difficult to find a small flat screen television with reasonable audio quality in this day and age.

    Depending on features when it is out, I might purchase the BS5 Encore and Beo6, if those two in combination can compete with my Logitech Touch/Duet in everyday practical useage.

     

    For years, I have thought that B&O didn't make much for someone like me. Their tellies were too big, the tech behind their stereos too old, and the feature set of their "digital audio" was always way behind the curve. Then came the BS5 which fell flat on its face compared to what else is out there available to us who have used digital media  (streaming, editing, storage etc.) for a decade or more, but now it looks like the future might actually hold a B&O stereo for me.  It's as if they really listened, and brought out not only a telly to someone like me, but a 2-way remote (!), and a more fully featured BS5.

    In short, I will be re-buying some BL5 speakers when I get some more room again, but I only buy products that fits my needs and wants, no matter how nice a given product looks. Even nice stuff like B&O.  I have never really contemplated the BC9000, even if it's really, really nice to look at. I only use my cd's when I unwrap the packaging and rip them to my harddisk. Then they're stored.

  • 12-28-2010 5:40 AM In reply to

    Re: So.. why do you buy Bang & Olufsen?

    1. Integration! Havin one remote for everything is simply wonderful! Also the multiroom linking is a highlight.
    2. Picture & Sound quality. I do not need the latest features of everything, but what I have should work perfectly.
    3. Design: I want products that are somehow special and not seen everywhere. 

    BeoVision 8-40 / BeoVision 8-32 / Beovision 6-26 / BeoSound 3200 / BeoSound 1 / BeoLab 3 /  Beolab 6000 / Beolab 2000 / Beoport / Beomedia 1 / 3* Beo4 /BeoCom 5 with VOIP

  • 12-28-2010 7:03 AM In reply to

    Re: So.. why do you buy Bang & Olufsen?

    In my teens and early twenties, I was attracted to B&O by the visual design - always looking "modern" - but of course couldn't afford it. Eventually, in the 70s, I got a (still gorgeous) BeoVision 3500 and a "music centre" with cassette player. The cassette player stopped working, and the TV needed bashing occasionally to restore the picture... so I went off B&O and moved to Sony - less beautiful but more reliable.

    In the 90s, I returned to B&O, and have remained a fan ever since - but not of everything!

    I have been very impressed with the BeoCom 6000, 5 of which have given excellent service for more than a decade (unlike the BeoCom5, which just plain did not work, and was returned).

    A (literally) black mark for B&O is the BeoMedia black hulk of a box - which offers less functionality than an iPod nano at several hundred times the size and price.

    I loved the sleek lines of the MX4002 TV, but least favourite TV was the Avant (ugly beast).

    The BeoLab 6000 speakers are a timeless beauty, and have been for a long time.

    The feature I like most beyond visual design is the single remote control for all devices, and the ability to share sources in different rooms (long before it became the norm with other manufacturers).

    Juan Herrero

  • 12-28-2010 7:23 AM In reply to

    Re: So.. why do you buy Bang & Olufsen?

    I buy them for the design, quality of workmanship.

    That they are Danish. (that making them scandinavian, like me)

    Love the sound quality. Not from all speakers, but they have put out extremely good speakers in the last 10 years, some very good ones before that.

    Active speaker technology. Definitely a wise move for B&O. 

    Integration and link-possibility, even if I might not use the "link-ability" to the fullest on all my products, it's nice to know it's there, and that with a different length of  ML cable I can re-wire and re-configure my setup easily if I was to move to another house/apartment. A bit of "future-proofing" IMO.

    Can't say I don't appreciate the fact that B&O is a luxury product, and my neighbors don't have the same stuff at home as I do... Smile

     

    -Andreas

     

    BLab5, BLab5000, BLab8000, BV10, BS9000, BS3, Beo5, Beo4, BLink1000, BLink5000, BLink7000, A2, A8, Form2

     

     

     

  • 12-28-2010 8:22 AM In reply to

    Re: So.. why do you buy Bang & Olufsen?

    This could be a long answer.

    Going way back bot set of grandparents had B&O and I was attracted to it being a palisander BM2000('70s) and a pair of Beovox S45-2 from 1979 which I do own these days.

    Growing up it was more of getting something cheaply that worked mostly a colour tv for the home computer. I never really had any hifi or B&O desire at that time but I got into playing guitar and been hunting for sounds for years. Cheap stereos just came and left really and it was not untill around 1998 that I went to nearby store to buy a decent JVC 3 cd stereo with aux for a record player or other things.

    My parents upgraded their stereo and I got the Beogram 1202 they were using. From then on it just snowballed with B&O starting with upgrading the Beogram 1202 for a Beogram 2000 (80's) and then I got the rest of Beosystem 2000 by chance + a Beocord 9000.

    So the question why is that I like it better than any HIFI you can get otherwise. It basically fills the need.

    From the sound, to the many options and design. There is something about ownership of B&O. Nothing else seems to compare on all levels.

     

     

  • 12-28-2010 9:45 AM In reply to

    Re: So.. why do you buy Bang & Olufsen?

    At uni (2002), I started getting into hi-fi (a bug I caught from my father). I found myself with a nice(ish) sounding stereo in a small room that cost me about 1000 pound. I hated the amp and CD players design and didn't really care for the square boxes either side of my TV. I started hiding the system in a cupboard and crazy things to get away from the nobs on the front.

    About 2 months after having it hidden in a cupboard I went to a friends flat and met his flatmate who had a BS1. The sound was as good as mine and half the size but I liked looking at it. Another 6 months and I had a set of RL60.2 and a BS2 with A8s. Then a Beomaster 6500. Then I sold it all to pay tuition fees. Now I have my own BS1 and BL4000s and a few other bits and bobs. I am planning a new purchase at the moment. I want a HDTV but I honestly just can't afford it.


    For me it is:

    Design

    Sound

    Quality

     

    Also, if you own a Sony stereo and meet another guy with a sony stereo, the chance are you have nothing much in common. If you both have B&O, you probably would have more to talk about.

    Beosystem 7000/6500- Beolab 4000 - Beosound 1 - A8 - Earset 3 - Beo4

  • 12-28-2010 9:54 AM In reply to

    Re: So.. why do you buy Bang & Olufsen?

    TheMajor:
    Also, if you own a Sony stereo and meet another guy with a sony stereo, the chance are you have nothing much in common. If you both have B&O, you probably would have more to talk about.

    Now there is a remarkably simple, perfect comment.

    It is amazing how much we all share in common w/ regards to everything that is not B&o, yet B&o is what unifies us.

    I buy B&o for the same reasons as so many other "objects" I own or aspire to own.

    For me...

    Teutonic design, both aesthetically and functionally.

    There is very little else out there that has been as historically "spot on" as B&o for me -in all disciplines, making my pool of "objects" rather shallow.

    • B&o bottle opener
  • 12-28-2010 10:20 AM In reply to

    Re: So.. why do you buy Bang & Olufsen?

    burantek:

    TheMajor:
    Also, if you own a Sony stereo and meet another guy with a sony stereo, the chance are you have nothing much in common. If you both have B&O, you probably would have more to talk about.

    Now there is a remarkably simple, perfect comment.

    It is amazing how much we all share in common w/ regards to everything that is not B&o, yet B&o is what unifies us.

    So true. Smile I met several B&O owners this years from the UK, Serbia, Denmark and Finland. Indeed my views and values on many things seem to be similar to theirs. Cool

    Beoworld's twenty-eighth ninth prize winner and fifty-first second prize winner. Best £30 I've ever spent!

  • 12-28-2010 10:25 AM In reply to

    Re: So.. why do you buy Bang & Olufsen?

    beocool:
    Indeed my views and values on many things seem to be similar to theirs. Cool

    Is Andy really that forgettable?

    • B&o bottle opener
  • 12-28-2010 10:29 AM In reply to

    Re: So.. why do you buy Bang & Olufsen?

    burantek:

    beocool:
    Indeed my views and values on many things seem to be similar to theirs. Cool

    Is Andy really that forgettable?

    LaughingLaughingLaughing No, not really!

    Beoworld's twenty-eighth ninth prize winner and fifty-first second prize winner. Best £30 I've ever spent!

  • 12-28-2010 11:01 AM In reply to

    Re: So.. why do you buy Bang & Olufsen?

    Also service! I took my A8s for repair to a store I have never been to before because my store closed. They didn't know me and I didn't have proof of purchase.

    They called the manager and told him my name and he remembered me. He confirmed that I bought them in summer 09 and agreed to warrant them until June no question asked.

    Beosystem 7000/6500- Beolab 4000 - Beosound 1 - A8 - Earset 3 - Beo4

  • 12-28-2010 2:57 PM In reply to

    Re: So.. why do you buy Bang & Olufsen?

    Because it was made in Denmark :P

    President, Beomaster 8000 Appreciation Society

  • 12-28-2010 3:14 PM In reply to

    Re: So.. why do you buy Bang & Olufsen?

    j0hnbarker:

    Because it was made in Denmark :P

    Emphasis on *was*... Big Smile

    -Andreas

     

    BLab5, BLab5000, BLab8000, BV10, BS9000, BS3, Beo5, Beo4, BLink1000, BLink5000, BLink7000, A2, A8, Form2

     

     

     

  • 12-28-2010 3:21 PM In reply to

    Re: So.. why do you buy Bang & Olufsen?

    bayerische:

    j0hnbarker:

    Because it was made in Denmark :P

    Emphasis on *was*... Big Smile

    Only because my stuff is so old now it actually all was made in DK! :)

     

    President, Beomaster 8000 Appreciation Society

  • 12-28-2010 3:24 PM In reply to

    • 9 LEE
    • Top 10 Contributor
    • Joined on 02-14-2007
    • Moderator - UK
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    Re: So.. why do you buy Bang & Olufsen?

    It has to be 'design and materials' which i feel stands B&O above all.  Mass market manufacturers simply couldn't use glass, aluminium and expensive motors in their televisions and compete with their rivals on price point.

    To prove my point - how often do we call Ferrari drivers fools?  You can buy a brand new Nissan GT-R (Skyline) for a third of the price of a Ferrari F430 - with the Nissan actually edging the 430 on performance!  However, for most people, if they could afford the Ferrari - they'd buy it.  Why?  The design, the heritage, the name, the wow-factor.  The Nissan screams 'doughnuts in McDonalds car park' and the Ferrari screams 'private laps of Silverstone'

    There's a snob in all of us just waiting to get out. WinkLaughing

    Lee

     

     

    BeoWorld - Everything Bang & Olufsen

  • 12-28-2010 3:28 PM In reply to

    Re: So.. why do you buy Bang & Olufsen?

    j0hnbarker:

    bayerische:

    j0hnbarker:

    Because it was made in Denmark :P

    Emphasis on *was*... Big Smile

    Only because my stuff is so old now it actually all was made in DK! :)

     

    Mine too! Big Smile

    -Andreas

     

    BLab5, BLab5000, BLab8000, BV10, BS9000, BS3, Beo5, Beo4, BLink1000, BLink5000, BLink7000, A2, A8, Form2

     

     

     

  • 12-28-2010 3:29 PM In reply to

    Re: So.. why do you buy Bang & Olufsen?

    9 LEE:

    It has to be 'design and materials' which i feel stands B&O above all.  Mass market manufacturers simply couldn't use glass, aluminium and expensive motors in their televisions and compete with their rivals on price point.

    To prove my point - how often do we call Ferrari drivers fools?  You can buy a brand new Nissan GT-R (Skyline) for a third of the price of a Ferrari F430 - with the Nissan actually edging the 430 on performance!  However, for most people, if they could afford the Ferrari - they'd buy it.  Why?  The design, the heritage, the name, the wow-factor.  The Nissan screams 'doughnuts in McDonalds car park' and the Ferrari screams 'private laps of Silverstone'

    There's a snob in all of us just waiting to get out. WinkLaughing

    Lee

     

     

    Well put Lee!

    Anyway, I'll have the Ferrari thank you! Yes -  thumbs up

    -Andreas

     

    BLab5, BLab5000, BLab8000, BV10, BS9000, BS3, Beo5, Beo4, BLink1000, BLink5000, BLink7000, A2, A8, Form2

     

     

     

  • 12-28-2010 3:38 PM In reply to

    • Electrified
    • Top 150 Contributor
    • Joined on 10-05-2009
    • Greater Copenhagen, Denmark
    • Posts 404
    • Bronze Member

    Re: So.. why do you buy Bang & Olufsen?

    Actually, I'd prefer a Range Rover TDV8 Vogue if I wanted a statement car :D

     

    I don't know what I'd use it for, though. It's a b!tch to park in the inner city.

     

     

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