For nearly 14 years I have been an avid B&o fan starting with a Beosound 9000 and Lab 1 & 2s and then moved to Beolab 5s in 2004. I saved for a whole year and was on the bread and water to save for my Lab5s and was blown away. I bought a Beoeound 5 and that was the beginning of the big disappointment. Since my Bs5 purchase I have grown to despise it with its silly dial and its sluggish pointer and limited functionality. I felt a sense of relief when I eBay'd it a few weeks ago. I contacted B&o about upgrading the DAC in my lab5 and never heard back and given their terrible customer service with this and the never appearing ALAC I am now going to part with my beloved Lab5s. B&o where are the new 24bit/192 kHz DACs do i can listen to Studio Master downloads, the amazing streamer, the next reference speaker....? Why have you neglected your audio? Why are you persisting with the Bs5 when it was already out of date in 2009? Why is your build quality so poor compared to your products from the 80s and 90s? Are you coming up with a slick computer audio solution? Why is your software so terrible when small firms like Naim, Linn, Cambridge Audio are constantly refining their apps to control their streamers? It seems as if B&o are punch drunk, lost at sea, on screen saver mode....I haven't bought anything of inspiration since 2004. Is this the end, please say it isn't. Please don't let 2013 be another damp squib of a year!
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Beginning of the end for you B&o?
Great first post!
Your sentiments do strike a chord with me.
My B&O Icons:
Home Cinema: Beosystem 4, Beolab 7-4 (Center), Beolab 9 (Fronts), Beolab 4000 (Rears). Projector: Sony VPL-HW55
Home Office: BeoVision 11-46, 4 x Beolab 3, BeoCenter 9300 (BLC 1611/ML/NL)
Bedroom: Sony KD-65XH9077, Beosound Essence MK II with Beolab 6002 and Beolab 11 (all white, wall-mounted)
Dart Room: BeoPlay V1-40 on floor stand
Guest Room: BeoVision 7-40 MK IV, Beolab 7-2, BeoSound Ouverture
I thought about this for a moment. Moments of B&O awesomeness in my life:
1st I bought a BS2300 with BL2500 in 1998.
2nd Moment of awesomeness I bought BL3 and BL2 in 2006 and attached it to my BS2300
I also have BS9000 an BC2 and BV8 but simplicity of Bs2300 and sound of BL3/BL2 did it for me.
I think B&O needs to focus on Beoplay to support margin/cash flow revenue/ and then bring back the old standards.
People buy LP's again no kidding.
P.s. Note that all my stuff still works. I used up 5 non b&O MP3 players or so in between.
Man, I'm glad this is my first time playing with and discovering all the "OLD" B&O stuff, because I'm having such enjoyment with it all and see nothing in the current line-up that grabs my attention. My addiction has now saddled me with two Beolink 7000s, a Beomaster 7000, Beolab 4ks and a Beosystem 2500 with Beolab 2500 speakers. I also might have a Beocord 7000 and a pair of RL6000s on the way from the same seller that sold me the BM7000 and second BL7000 since that BL7000 has some problems.
Now, I can't keep ALL of it, and I don't even have room for all of it right now... but enjoying products from B&O's arguably best period in history is not something I'm regretting! All that's pretty much left for me to play with is a BS9000 (which I keep convincing myself out of since I don't listen to CDs), MAYBE a pair of BeoLab 1s and a pair of BeoLab 5s.
And let me also say that there is something uniquely awesome about acquiring this older equipment and unlike my Apple addiction, knowing that it's not terribly likely that B&O is likely to one up any of these products in a meaningful way ever again. Not like Apple where something better and newer is flashed in front of you every 8-12 months and you're left with something that feels antiquated... No, these were B&Os best years. That said, B&O are faced with a challenge in keeping up with the modern ways in which people consume their music and video. Products like the original BeoPlay and the BS5/5e/PlayMaker are just their best attempts at trying to keep up with all this. You can't really blame them for trying to adapt to what people are using today.
Anyway, I've got plenty to keep me busy living in the 1990s and early 2000s. This stuff is AMAZING. :)
Try 1965: 48 years collecting and enjoying Bang & Olufsen.
I purchased a Beosound 4 a few years ago, with a spare glass lid, and it continues to play my 2G MP3 SD cards fine. But try to load a CD and be quick, or count your fingers. Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin would be proud to use this product, so it's back to the store for repairs again.
However, I am glad B&O remains in business. Economic times remain tough for the manufacturer, worldwide.
It is a good thing that I have a back-up BS 3200. The BS 4 can go in for a needed repair.
One word sexy. Forget digital. Go back to the beogram 7000. It's a win win!! Music files have a place. On your phone. & that's it!!!!! WOOF WOOF!!!😎
High quality music files certainly have a place in a good home-stereosystem!
A phone is for telephone-calls and texting!!
That's it!!!
Grrr! Millemissen
Location: Flensborg————Danmark
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