A crazy idea for rear speakers?

20 replies
RA
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Razlaw
Bronze
Posted February 22, 2012 at 16:36 GMT
#1947938

My current system consists of Beolab 9s in front and Beolab 4000s in the rear. I am in the mood to upgrade it somehow.

A few months ago I listened to Beolab 5s in my home and at two dealers and did not find them that appealing. My thought had been to get a pair and move the 9s to the rear. My dealer thinks I should try adding a Beolab 2 to the system and is sending me one to try. I question the need for it with the 9s but do want to at least try it.  I have resisted replacing the 4000s in the rear with 3s as I have not been a fan of their appearance, although I am warming to their appearance and am thinking that having ALT all around would be beneficial. I have thought of a second pair of 9s in the rear, but as they would be behind furniture I think that the position of the speakers would be too low. That is when I had this crazy idea. 

What would happen/would it work/ if I tried the following: Replace the 4000s with 3s that could be placed high enough up that they would be above the furniture, and now for the crazy part, to add some bass to the rear add a pair of Beolab 11s to the rear? Right Rear Powerlink cable run to a Beolab 11 and then a cable from it to the 3 and same on other side? Not exactly a pair of Beolab 9s but would allow the 3s to be placed up high and have some bass in the rear beyond what the 3s can produce.

 

 

P(
Offline
Puncher (archived)
Bronze
Posted February 22, 2012 at 17:30 GMT
#1947939

Rear channel 5.1 stuff tends to be limited bandwidth (unless Dolby True HD or DTS MA). In that case Bl 3's are ideal as rears in your case, they have the most flexible mounting options, they have ALT which gives broad horizontal dispersion, with limited vertical spread and can easily handle rear channel audio bandwidth. I can't see any benefit from 11's or even additional 9's at the rear.

To qualify this somewhat, I'm not a fan of listening to stereo music in anything more than 2 (or 2.1 at a push) speakers. Stereo in more than two speakers can introduce unneccesary issues.

RA
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Razlaw
Bronze
Posted February 22, 2012 at 17:36 GMT
#1947940

I also only listen to music in 2.0 or 2.1. Rear speakers are only for movies. 

M(
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mjmedlo (archived)
Bronze
Posted February 22, 2012 at 19:21 GMT
#1947941
I don't think you'd realize the potential of the 11s. And honestly one of my close friends has 9s. I've loaned him my BL2 and it's not that noticeable.

I renew my recommendation of lab 3s.

The rears are VERY lightly used in almost all settings unless you use speaker 4.

I have set up my lab 5s with 9s in the rear and LOVED IT!

But, I love the 5s.

I think you will notice a difference with any ALT speaker in the rear. The 11s would be seldom if ever used I think.

I wish I had your problem!

I can't find anything that I want in the lineup that I don't already have!!!!

RA
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Razlaw
Bronze
Posted February 22, 2012 at 19:58 GMT
#1947942

I do not expect the BL2 to add much, and perhaps even detract, but my dealer thinks I will like it so I will try it.

You say the 3s are your reccomendation and that the rears are seldomly used, but also that you loved the 9s as rears when you tried them.

What was it about the 9s as rears that you loved?  

I had 1s as rears for awhile and loved the way they sounded, thus my thoughts about wanting 9s or 3s and 11s as rears.

T(
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thebeokid (archived)
Bronze
Posted February 22, 2012 at 21:28 GMT
#1947943

Razlaw,

The BL3s are significantly superior to the BL4000s in every imaginable way: accuracy, clarity, imaging, staging, transparency.

And because they have ALT (as well as the BL9s), their sonic characteristics and quality will be more uniform with that of the BL9s than the BL4000s.

I would recommend adding one (1) BL11 to the BL3s in the rear AND to the BL9s in the front (the BL9s do not have the "bottom end" that the BL5s do; the addition of the BL11 will help with that).

What are you using for your a/v processing? A BeoSystem3 I hope.

RA
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Razlaw
Bronze
Posted February 22, 2012 at 22:04 GMT
#1947944
Yes, it is a Beosystem 3 in a Beovision 7-55.

My rear speakers are connected by powerlinks that are installed in the walls. I can not run a separate powerlink to the rear for a sub. That is why I was thinking of plugging the 11 into the wall outlet of the powerlink and then the 3 into the 11. As a result I thought I would need two 11s as the 11 would only be getting bass when the signal was for the left or right speaker, or will it get a rear signal at all times, regardless of left or right?
M(
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mjmedlo (archived)
Bronze
Posted February 22, 2012 at 22:04 GMT
#1947945
I liked the 9s when I used speaker 4, which I often do for music. In the speaker 4 setting with the 9s in the rear there was a much fuller sound.

I never auditioned them with any real 5.2 setup.
M(
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mjmedlo (archived)
Bronze
Posted February 22, 2012 at 22:05 GMT
#1947946
And... I disagree with beings here. I don't think the bl11 would do anything with the 9s.
RA
Offline
Razlaw
Bronze
Posted February 22, 2012 at 22:27 GMT
#1947947
I don't think the 11 would do anything with 9s either, would a need a Beolab 2 to get any effect/benefit from the .1 channel.

The idea for the rear 11 was to connect in series with the rear speakers, not to the .1 channel. It would be connected as B and O subs are in a 2.0 system such that that the signal goes first to the sub which if I understand correctly filters out te bass and then sends the rest of the signal to speaker. Thus the 11 would be used just for the rear channel bass, not the true subwoofer .1 bass.
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