I wholeheratedly agree.

No sub...at least from what's currently available.

B

Barry

elephant wrote:

Everyone, including Moxxey despite his experience, agree the BL5s are superb - so if you can afford it why not go option 1 ?

No, that's not what I said! I didn't say "they aren't superb", I said that they are a) overkill in the average room (they are huge speakers), b) that it's not easy to calibrate them unless you have a large room and solid floor and, assuming you have a/b), then c) if you live near your neighbours, such as an apartment or similar, you can't play them as BL5s were designed to be played.

That's very very different from saying they aren't superb. Clearly they are, but they are also very expensive, unless you can use them to their potential. If you have the money and space, go for 5s in every situation.

However, most people do not have the space, so BL9s as fronts and BL3s as rears would be better for most day to day scenarios.

It's very easy - and lazy - to simply say "BL5s are superb, get them". If they are the only answers we're seeking, there's no need for the original question, either :)

Let me explain a bit differently...

I bought my BL5s and was initially impressed. After about 6 months, stupidly I calibrated them for the room. They were never the same again. Somewhat muted. Problem with the BL5s, as they are completely digital, you can't override the settings. With the BL9s, you have the pot settings, which are manually controlled. It's much easier to setup the BL9s to be effective in an average room - let's be fair here, the BL9s are large speakers. Much larger than most people will ever require.

With this in mind, I found that I could never really utilise the BL5s to their original potential. BL9s were much better as you can manually tweak the pot settings. Combine the BL9s at the front, alt-based BL3s at the rear (you won't need a sub as the BL9s are good enough) and you have a superb setup.

I found the BL9s can "out perform" the BL5s for many users as you can manually configure them to be more bassy than BL5 calibration will allow. Calibration on the BL5s is automated and, as I say above, calibrates to your room size, furniture and floor. If you have an average room, with a large sofa and wooden (not solid) flooring, you may find you can push the BL9s further as the BL5s will calibrate to a safer level which doesn't override the room. Pre-calibration, I found the BL5s so powerful, that they would rattle my sash windows, even at a low volume level.

100% agree with moxxey,my dad had lab 5s in a large open plan room with high ceilings connected to a linn klimax ds,and sounded awesome,he then moved them into a smaller room for movies and music, calibrated them.They never sounded the same, bass was lighter and not as full.

He then changed them for lab9s front and lab 3s rear and it sounds good with a lab 2 and 7.4.in that room now.

He has linn klimax 350p speakers in the main room now,which are another level to the 5s,but a different price range with the amps.

It shows how good value lab 5s are, as the amps are included and are halve the price of the linn speakers.

just my 2 cents

Room size and design seems critical to the 5s. My room is about 15 feet wide and 17 feet long. Speakers on fifteen foot wall. Floor is carpeted and ceiling is 9 foot. At the back of the room the opening is 10 feet wide and opens into a kitchen area with tile floor, with the back wall being 34 feet from the wall the 5s would be on. Would cabinets, granite counters. 

So, good or bad for the 5s?

moxxey wrote:

elephant wrote:

Everyone, including Moxxey despite his experience, agree the BL5s are superb - so if you can afford it why not go option 1 ?

No, that's not what I said! I didn't say "they aren't superb", I said that they are a) overkill in the average room (they are huge speakers), b) that it's not easy to calibrate them unless you have a large room and solid floor and, assuming you have a/b), then c) if you live near your neighbours, such as an apartment or similar, you can't play them as BL5s were designed to be played.

That's very very different from saying they aren't superb. Clearly they are, but they are also very expensive, unless you can use them to their potential. If you have the money and space, go for 5s in every situation.

However, most people do not have the space, so BL9s as fronts and BL3s as rears would be better for most day to day scenarios.

It's very easy - and lazy - to simply say "BL5s are superb, get them". If they are the only answers we're seeking, there's no need for the original question, either :)

Maybe it's the use of double negatives, in my post, but here is the sentence you posted:

moxxey wrote:

The BL5s are superb speakers. 

I agree that you then added caveats about your room and how they changed once they were calibrated.

But you did start with the simple statement:

moxxey wrote:

The BL5s are superb speakers. 

And I was agreeing with you.

Depends How Hot is wife is, That is the most ridiculous setup I ever heard of....

Depends How Hot is wife is, That is the most ridiculous setup I ever heard of....?

What are you on about