I don't know how good/bad the Encore "processor" is, but network throughput is a limiting factor the BS5/BM5 combo probably doesn't experience.  WiFi would be a bigger issue than direct connection.  Given that, I don't understand why B&O choose to implement an inferior processor on the Encore unless, of course, the Encore was outsourced to China.

My guess is that heat is one of the limiting factors for the blurry scrolling album covers.  Moving those covers requires a bit of computing power, computing power generates heat which must be reliably removed or else the hardware will fail.  The BM5 has the luxury of a fan (maybe - I assume it has one, but then again, I've never heard mine so maybe not) and (if no fan) plenty of space and cooling slots for air to circulate via convection.  The Encore, not so much.  Everything is in the head unit (small), the head unit doesn't have a fan.  You cannot expect that one can package up the full BM5 capabilities and stick it in the BS5 head unit without compromise...

All this means you must spec a cooler running, hence lower power, CPU.  Lower power CPU = blurry album covers . 

Also, to the comment way above about the difficulty of finding a specific song with the BS5, there is a solution now.  The Beo6... You can at least choose the first letter of the album or artist for which you are looking (hence, for ZZTop, you can just hit Z and see the list of artists starting with Z vs. spinning the wheel all the way to Z).  Yes, I'm aware the Beo6 doesn't support 2-way with the Encore, but maybe some day.

Stan

Stan:

My guess is that heat is one of the limiting factors for the blurry scrolling album covers.  Moving those covers requires a bit of computing power, computing power generates heat which must be reliably removed or else the hardware will fail.

Hi Stan, I just remember you that we are not in 1984 anymore, so cycling images on a (small part of a) 1024x768 screen is not hard anymore for a processor. Just look at the impressive things an iPhone/iPad can display in full realtime 3D...

Instead of the processor, it can (and probably is, I don't know), the memory size which is too limited to have a lot of covers in memory (the Encore has to read the covers and store them in memory to display them in real time, which uses a lot of memory : just browse the whole content of your iTunes library with coverflow and look at the memory it takes : usually more than 2Gb. BUT if you do that with an iPhone, which is VERY limited in RAM, it's working... So you can realize that there are many ways to program something...)

If the covers are blurry, there was no technical limitation to that at the conception point  (when we see what an old mobile phone can do...), so there can only be 2 solutions :

1) B&O choose to cut the cost at all stages, thus we've got something very limited (blury covers and no HD tracks playback at more than 24/96), but B&O makes HUGE profits while selling it at more than 2000€... So no hope to see a "fluid" cover circle.

2) B&O has a good hardware in it, it could display them as smoothly as in a BS5, BUT B&O has difficulties to do great programming, so now it has this bad look but there is hope that someday an update fixes this.

If someone from Struer reads this, it would be interesting to know the truth!

When I first saw the BeoSound 5 Encore as an operational unit I asked that question to one of the engineers and he said that they eye can track it more easily when it's only focused on a single point and not constantly moving up and down the arc. Considering the processor in the Encore is a specialty piece, I doubt such a simple limitation is the issue. I trust that this was a design decision. I personally prefer it and am hoping that it translates to the BeoSound 5. Opinions, as always, differ.

Good point Trip.

I agree that it's certainly more ergonomic to display things like that (as long as you don't know exactly the order of all the covers, which would help to see if you're "approaching" the desired album!), but since when is B&O trading beauty and magic for ergonomy?

That's new for the company that designed the Beocom 2!!! (I'm joking)

Do somebody have some news about the new products that should make the Encore less "alone" : the circular BeoNet music controller for link rooms, the 2-way Beo6 functionality on the Encore, and the BeoNet to ML box?

We initially heard something like "march" for the release of some of those products... But no news since... Maybe the launch has been delayed for software issues