StUrrock wrote:

My BeoSound 5 customers, whilst enjoying the sumptuous sound and the benefits of MOTS, find all the levers wheels etc very confusing....

Amazing. I made this observation in a debate about the Beosound 5 UI and everyone who own's a Beosound 5 (forgetting I owned one for two months) jumped on my back saying it was perfect.

It isn't. That's also a reason I sold my BS5. I don't understand why, in 2011, we need 3 levers to scroll through and select music. Whereas everyone else is moving to touchscreen, we have levers. I got shot down for suggesting touch screen, but on a 11" screen, you should be able to swipe and select a track.

I own a Beosound 8 and have my iPad perma-connected. It's so easy to find and select a track. If I want a specific track (from my thousands of tracks), I go to the search function, enter a few letters and options are presented in seconds. Immediately. I don't have to scroll through tracks, to find the one I want. It takes seconds.

I also love the way I can move between tracks, add to a playlist, show the artwork and control using my finder. It's so intuitive and, frankly, the BS8 + iPad is one of the best recent B&O purchases, apart from the Beocom 5.

Since the Encore was released, I went back to my dealer to familiarise myself with the lever system and UI. Even I got confused and I regard myself as both a tech expert and used a Beosound 5 for a couple of months (two years ago). I had to take some time to remind myself which lever does what and how to find music (quickly).

Sadly that experience also reminded me that - as lovely as the Encore looks - the lever system can be complicated, when all you want to do is find a track, swiftly.

Moxxey, your sentiments are the same as 99% of people who come into our showroom 🙂

75% of clients who own the BeoSound5, have asked for a separate iPod dock, because of the simplicity of operation.

That is not to say they do not like/love their BS5 for all its good qualities, but they find comfort in the UI of the iPod and find the BS5 awkward.

Substituting a £250 iPod dock for a £4500 top of the range system cannot be right! But with a decent B&O app and interface(not being rude to any 3rd party app), this would not be the case.

TripEnglish wrote:

I'm just the littlest bit a car guy, so I don't know the rules on this. I know that companies like Aston have to reduce the average emissions statistics in their fleet and building a shrimpy little car is the easiest way to do this, but does it have to be under the same brand if multple brands are controlled by a group? I.e do Mini's standards average in for Rolls Royce? I know Aston doesn't have this option, but I'm curious since I don't think we've seen any ridiculous mini-cars from other supercar makers.

Yeah, with a V12 Im not exactly worried about reading phoney EU emmissions laws tbo.

EU legislation states that manufacturers (Groups, not individual company's) must reduce their emissions by X percent by Y year if those groups manufacture over 10,000 cars per year. That is why BMW, Audi and Fiat dont need to do anything with their high emissions cars like the RR, Ferrari and Lambos. The smaller cars cover their emissions so to speak.

Back to the cygnet, AM make 6000 cars all-in from rebadging the IQ/cygnet to the flagship One-77 so dont need to comply with the EU legislation. So why do they do it? Why do they market it as such? My only reasoned answer is they want growth on a non-core business because todays business mantra is if you are not growing, your not surviving. Hence my argument, company's like AM and B&O could be on a hiding to nothing if they try and adapt and compete.

tournedos wrote:

moxxey wrote:

It's a reasonable value approach to keeping up with the latest BV7-40. However, I'm stuck on the MKIV as I don't see a compelling reason to move up to the MKV panel or the forthcoming 3D panel.

...which brings up a thought: is a TV really such a fast moving target any longer? 10 years ago most flat TVs were crap and I couldn't stand watching them, but they have evolved fast. Now that we have matured at FullHD in all non-kitchen size TVs and the picture quality is good enough in any respectable set, what is there to wait for? 400 Hz vs. whatever is just a marketing gimmick, LED backlighting is a way to make cheaper/thinner panels while trying to convince people it is because of picture quality, and many people have already realized 3D is something they don't need nor want.

I'm sure there will be new technologies, but I can't see how they could make the basic act of watching TV that much more enjoyable. I believe most future development will be at the sources, and the current modularity of, say, BV7 is well able to take advantage of that. Just replace/upgrade whatever is feeding the panel, perhaps upgrade the panel when it breaks beyond repair or you get bored with it. And all the while the speakers can stay.

I don't think there will be much important change in TV over the next 10 years.  BBC and NHK are testing Super Hi-Def TV on a limited basis.  However considering how long it took cable companies to switch to Hi-Def, there is not much appetite for Super Hi-Def.  There are a few 3D channels on my cable system, but there is little programming other than sports.  I am waiting for Beonet and a new version of Beosystem 3 before buying a new TV.  The big change will be in on demand programming from apps like Netflix and Hulu.  

In my experience, people are challenged by most B&O interfaces because they don't often closely follow convension.  That is, if people had no preconceived ideas about how a remote, TV, audio system or phone works, they would have no problem picking up 80% of what B&O does.  IMHO, we've all be trained on poorly designed interfaces to the point that when we do encounter an interface that has been designed with little respect to convension, it is hard or difficult to understand.  I recall friends working with their first Mac after many years on PCs being totally frustrated and annoyed with OSX.  Only kids can figure out my BeoCom1 without my help.  Unlike adults, they're pretty good with the Beo4/Beo5 as well.

Some of this might be because kids are more tech savy, but I think it has more to do with the fact that they don't have 20+ years of bad UI experience.  I'm not saying I adore every B&O interface, but I do appreciate them because they are usually well thought out - once you drop the baggage of prior experience. 

BTW, I love my BS5, but I've always warned people that it is not the product for people who want exacting control over their music.

Stan

John wrote:

Therefore, I don't think the problem is so much that people don't seek quality, or are looking for throwaway devices; the problem is that in areas like TV's, the technology is advancing so rapidly, that an very expensive and pretty box, with a picture that is quickly outdated is an investment liability unfortunately.  If apple can produce stunningly designed products, built to extremely high standards of quality engineering, and at sensible, but not cheap prices, I would say this is the sort of direction where B&O needs to head with it's visual products.

I agree whole hartedly and esp with B&O prices in Aus. 

Regards

Michael.

im just going to add a bit here,

i cannot and never will get into the whole "apple" thang. since starting as a photo-journalist some 20 odd years ago i have had apple computers forced fed down my throat by picture desks i have worked on. i still cannot even get into the apple thang now. i dont own an i pad or i phone, simply because there is more to life than apple, i dont like their design or marketing. hey guess what i can still function in my employment without any trace of a mac, i phone, i pad... etc.... (to do with apple).

but in the 25 years i have purchased nothing but bang and olufsen my viewing, auditory experiences have been blessed by b&o. , to me "apple" is not the world. there is more to it than them.

a fellow snapper dared to frown at me when i said he can stuff his i phone up his kyber. mind you he tried to convince me apple products were are best in the world, i invited him round for a coffee and gave him the full beo tour of my home, needless to say i had to wipe the egg off his face, even more so when i told him about sensi-touch technoligy was around as he was being born.

yes you can call me a beo stalwart but beo products are meant to last and last they do.

macs last  longer than most pc's - check out the second hand value of them on the net

ever thought your pals might be right about apple and you might be wrong ?

Flappo wrote:

macs last  longer than most pc's - check out the second hand value of them on the net

ever thought your pals might be right about apple and you might be wrong ?

 when i showed them b&o they kinda got the message and felt quite awkward tying to ram apple down my neck.

yes i have and neither you or anyone will ever convince me otherwise, i wouldnt have the temerity to besmirch apple if i hadnt road tested certain products of theirs.

you think pc's last longer than macs? mmm not sure i buy that. as for second life value i have no interest in looking to be honest, i know what i know and i will stick to that. i renew my vaio's and toshibas every 2 years. and in their tenure i have never had a problem with pc laptops or desktops.

apple will never ever match bang and olufsen, b&o's designs, years in the business etc, would and will be a tough one to catch up on.

i just DO NOT buy into the apple fanzine! sorry but thats how it is.

jason

I owned several Thinkpad laptop, from the time they were made by IBM and Lenovo and their second market value are quite high in fact. They are definitively built to last and their setup are very good.

And just for trolling, they always have more than 1 usb port... ;)

sergio