I'd like to shed a little light..

I was on the presentation in Malmö last night and the event was nice (with food, drinks, Eric Gadd and the works..). I'm a pretty "deep into it" BO-guy with a system costing about 100.000 USD (multiple TVs, speakers, links etc.).

My oldest and "most likely to replace"-item is an Overture-unit. I currently have and Apple AirPort Express connected to in and we have link-speakers (or main units) in all 7 rooms at home. Today I typically switch on my notebook (in the room where I currently reside) and browse and play music with Itunes (linked back to that rooms speakers). Not a big Apple fan but I fancy iTunes as a piece of usable software. Easy access to music stores and easy import of my CD-based music. The music library resides on a USD100 500Gb NAS-device which is placed in a closet. My wife and my kids also have access to this library. It's the "familiy"-library you could say. Containing some 25.000 songs..

If I were to switch to the new BS5-setup I see the following problems that I would need to address:

- How would I browse in my music library from any other room (that the room in which I place the BS5) I simply cant keep track of 25.000 songs in my head.. A 2-way remote solution is a must for this type of system.. Not available and not planned (according to the Bo people last night)
- Where would I place my BS5? It need Masterlink (which is in every room) and wired ethernet (a must) (which I don't have in every room and not near a Masterlink-socket anywhere).. The BM5 (which has these connections) look exacly like a BM1 and does need to be in a cabinet. So, installation of cabinet must be a part of this installtion as well..
- How do I feed my music into the system (I certainly don't want to create another music library). No apparent answer here...
- What about all the music I've purchased on iTunes. This doesn't go in the BS5 unless I go back to the iTunes Store and buy new versions of everything "without the DRM". This alone would cost my hundreds of USD..
- Where is the FM-radio (the BS5 only has internet-radio). The tip they gave me. Keep the Overture.. !?
- No obvious way to play CDs (must be imported on your computer and then moved to the BS5-system before you can play them).. Way to go! My parents (also substatial BO-customers for some 30 years) aren't exacly living on that planet..

Given these "obstacles". Will it perform better or smarter than my current (4 year old) Overture+AirportExpress solution I've created for a couple of hundred bucks.. No.. It will perform differently but not better.

Apart from this the userinterface would make the engineers at Apple laugh their pants of. This is just software and can be fixed though..

What does the system actually do? It plays mp3:s and some internet-radio. Nothing more.. (at least nothing they would tell about)...

Some hard facts: The screen is not touch (I was hoping for multi touch like the iPhone, that would be futuristic, like BO wants to be..), it's 10-5". The top wheel browse though albums/srtists/songs. The "underneth lever" adjusts which functions the top wheel browse threough.. The bottom "lens-like wheel" adjusts volume.. The unit is table mount of wall mount. Wallmount seems like the way to go.. No obvious "good looking" way to cable to the BM5-unit (except tubs inside the wall, which is somewhat of a project). The BM5-unit look much like th BM1-unit. Same formfactor. 3 cables between the units. HDMI (for display), USB for control and one separat for power. Has digital audio out as standard (for use with Beolab5s, only). Comes with 500Gb of storage. One BS5 can only connect to one BM5 (you cannot bring your BM5 to someone elses BS5, they are "paired" 1 to 1). You cannot connect multiple BS5:s to a single BM5 (which would have been one nice way to work out the "navigations from another room-issue). Comes with a Beo4 remote. Can be operated with a Beo5 (with no apparent advantage)

Price - €5000..

I came there yesterday "wanting" to update my audio-master in my system. I left very disapointed. In my case money is not a problem. I simply don't want one anymore. Especially not a €5000. Sorry B&O. Going digital doesn't seem thath easy at all.. :)

@ tIRED: Thanks for your report. Sounds just exactly like I feared it to be. Or even worse. Why one needs 3 cables between 2 "paired" units is beyond my understandig. Sad.

Kind regards, beoberlin 

"It plays mp3:s and some internet-radio."

Hmm... dissapointing.

It does not handle pics or video files?

I will go to the Stockholm event, and it will be interesting to see how they sell and justify this solution.

/C 

Hi tired, 

Maybe im wrong on this but: I have heard from reliable sources (B&O) that multiple BeoSound 5 to one BeoMaster 5 would be a focus area in the near future. They said it, like it was only a future SW update away..

You werent fascinated with MOTS way to listen to music? If i had 25000 songs i would welome this feature..

This "without the DRM" problem; isnt this normal procedure? As far as i know you cant use ANY Apple ITunes store bought music any where else than Apple...

I hope that they make s musicsystem that suits your needs better in the near future..

H.

"It plays mp3:s and some internet-radio."

Hmm... dissapointing.

It does not handle pics or video files?

I will go to the Stockholm event, and it will be interesting to see how they sell and justify this solution.

/C 

The BS 5 doesn't, but the BM 5 does (via your TV)

 

moxxey:

B&O are still producing a computer the size of an old 1990's desktop PC?

B&O uses the same form factor as Beovision 9 have a space for the Beomedia 1 and the Beomaster 5 will fit in there.

p.

To Moxxey's point, a small "box" would have been much more attractive for the few people who don't have a BV9 - for those that do, I'm sure B&O could have stretched to some sort of spacer arrangement without increasing the umpty thousand pound asking price by too much!