Which do u guys think is better and why?

I have BS4 and find the SD card player a big bonus.

What will you be using it for? What will it be connected to? We need more information about how you're planning on using it. Do you want to play DVDs on it?

Will be connecting to beolab 1 speakers for audio at the moment, so considering beocentre 2 audio or beosound 4...not so keen on using it for dvd due to the region lock in the beocentre 2..

You can of course remove the region lock if you want to - will cost though. I have a BC2 but confess to not really falling in love with it. The lack of tactile feedback from the keys is probably the reason. They are not as sensitive as the keys on a 9500 say as instead of being capacitance based, they rely on the aluminium moving slightly as you touch the area. This means they sometimes don't work. It does have the digital output which could be useful if you get BL5s later.

I'd go with the BeoSound 4 personally. Very very good player, and beautifully built/designed. Very nice to use as well. This is one of my favourite things B&O have made. Of course the only issue to bear in mind is that if you later decide to connect it to BeoLab 5s, as Peter says, you won't have the ability to connect digitally.

This is just out of my hat, but wouldn't be surprised if it was possible to mod a BS4 in order to tap the s/pdif signal before it reaches the op/amp. Would invalidate the warranty, of course. I'm sure the people who post in the Workshop would know.

it is hard to compare these two systems, as they play in two different leagues, the BC2 being superior to BS4 considering materials and built quality. But each of them has advantages: the BS4 has the SD-Card reader which is of great use if you own a BS3 or BS2 already. The BC2 also is a DVD player and the main issue is that it has a digital out, that is usefull if you plan to get BL5.

If you don't need a DVD player, I would go for the BS4 if I was you.

tom:

it is hard to compare these two systems, as they play in two different leagues, the BC2 being superior to BS4 considering materials and built quality. But each of them has advantages: the BS4 has the SD-Card reader which is of great use if you own a BS3 or BS2 already. The BC2 also is a DVD player and the main issue is that it has a digital out, that is usefull if you plan to get BL5.

If you don't need a DVD player, I would go for the BS4 if I was you.

I don't think I agree when you state that the BeoCenter 2 is superior to the BeoSound 4 in terms of build. The BeoSound 4 really is a fantastically constructed piece of kit and I actually prefer it's feel to that of the BeoCenter 2.

As for what Soundproof was saying, I was also thinking the same. If you really want to, you could modify it yourself, or possibly ask struer if they would do such a thing for you? It can't be impossible, although I could understand perfectly why B&O may not be willing to do it themselves.

Alex:

, you could modify it yourself, or possibly ask struer if they would do such a thing for you?

 

Thanks Alex - I needed a good long laugh!  

Peter:

Alex:

, you could modify it yourself, or possibly ask struer if they would do such a thing for you?

 

Thanks Alex - I needed a good long laugh!  

Yes, had a good laugh myself when I read that! (Don't get upset, Alex. It's just that some of us have dealt with Struer ...) 

Yeh... well... shhh! Nothing wrong with asking them, they can only say no.

Does anyone know why the BS4 was released without a digital out?? It seems a strange oversight for an audio source when you yourself sell speakers with a digital input, especially when your CD players have included a digital out since 1986. The cost adder can only have been minimal (if that!).

Puncher:

Does anyone know why the BS4 was released without a digital out?? It seems a strange oversight for an audio source when you yourself sell speakers with a digital input, especially when your CD players have included a digital out since 1986. The cost adder can only have been minimal (if that!).

And can you imagine how perfect the BS4 would have been with a CD/DVD player, connected to BeoVision 8 ... ? 

soundproof:

Puncher:

Does anyone know why the BS4 was released without a digital out?? It seems a strange oversight for an audio source when you yourself sell speakers with a digital input, especially when your CD players have included a digital out since 1986. The cost adder can only have been minimal (if that!).

And can you imagine how perfect the BS4 would have been with a CD/DVD player, connected to BeoVision 8 ... ? 

Even so, for a purely audio system with BL5's why limit the users choice of a digital source to only the BC2 and the BS9000?? The BS4 is an attractive unit and may well be someones source unit of choice.We've already discussed, elsewhere on the site, that a digital source is just that - there is no need for high quality analogue electronics in order to drive the BL5's. I find it utterly amazing that B&O decided not to bother to offer a feature which would have been all but free! 

I agree. I think that B&O "deselection" got the better of them this time around.

I can understand B&O's choice not to include one on the cheaper models, so that those looking at getting BeoLab 5s and making the most out of them would need to go for a higher-priced player. However, you'd think considering they're buying the most costly and highest-end speakers B&O have ever made, B&O would also want to give them the biggest choice of what system to use with them and still make them sound as fantastic as they can...

Alex:

I can understand B&O's choice not to include one on the cheaper models, so that those looking at getting BeoLab 5s and making the most out of them would need to go for a higher-priced player. However, you'd think considering they're buying the most costly and highest-end speakers B&O have ever made, B&O would also want to give them the biggest choice of what system to use with them and still make them sound as fantastic as they can...

But thats the whole point - the BS4 isn't cheap and you don't need an expensive model to get the best out of the BL5's - just a digital ouput which is no cost at all in a digtial source (i.e. CD player)!

I agree with you completely, the BeoSound 4 is not cheap (never said it was, it's merely the lowest priced player in B&O's catalogue). It's actually my favourite player made by B&O alongside the CD 6500/7000 and the BeoSound 9000, due to their impeccable build quality, design, performance and the way they work.

I will just point out though, that only an absolutely tiny TINY percentage of the people buying BeoLabs are those buying BeoLab 5s, and hence it's not massively important that the BeoSound 4 features a digital connection. It just would have been nice if it did have one.

I've said before, I believe the BeoSound 4 performs better from it's powerlink outputs than other players in the range. I've almost directly compared the 3200 and 4, and the 4 sounded much cleaner and detailed.

I have done some test the other with my lab 5 to find out if the digital connection gives you and extra in sound quality. I did the test with a Sony CD player form the ES series, connected it directly to the lab 5 with digital out and also did connect the player in the same way to a beosystem 3, an powerlink to the lab 5. Also did the same with a Tosh HD-DVD Xe1.

 First of all, the CD performance of the Sony compared to the Tosh was noticeable better, did not expect that! But to be honest, I can not tell the difference between the digital to the lab 5 vs. digital to BS3 and than PL to the lab 5.

While we were in Struer, I did ask the question why the BS3 has not digital out, the guy at the listining room said no difference in performance!

So at least from my point of view, this does not disqulify the BS4 over the BC2 for lab 5 owners

Karsten
 

Assuming the same disc was used for both "digital out" tests then, as both players would have read the same data stream from the disc, I can only speculate than one or other of the players is processing the data in some way, either via EQ settings or whatever (I assume the Toshiba unit is outputting "standard" stereo and isn't trying to process the CD through its surround processor). I would be concerned if, with all settings turned off or neutral a player was still modifying the data lifted from the CD.