Russ's comments make complete sense. I just ordered a Beo 6 to use in my second room. Before ordering it I discussed with my dealer exactly the scenario Russ describes. I considered buying an Encore instead of the Beo 6 and placing it next to my primary sitting position in the second room. And yes, it was my idea, not a suggestion from my dealer.

I would have liked to have seen the Encore as a true linkroom extension of the master. By this, I mean that I would like the Encore to be able to access and control the audio master from a link room as other link room products do. It would be nice to leave the speakers on in the living room, walk into the bedroom or den, have the Encore on the wall of that link room, and extend what is playing into that link room. Perhaps this will be a funciton added in the future? While being able to play different music in different rooms can appeal to a family with different music tastes, I've always liked the concept of B&O having the music "follow" one throughout the home. I'm sure that many will say that that is exactly what the Beo6 is for. Still, I would be willing to pay the cost of an Encore to have the BeoSound 5 screen and interface available as an elegant control panel mounted in link rooms.

@ electrified, who wrote:

"Ridiculous. The fact that the BS5 Encore doesn't have two-way communication yet, nor can be connected to anything via Beonet yet, doesn't mean that those limitations suddenly becomes "visionary". There's a reason B&O put a beonet plug on it, there's a reason they put wifi on it."

So what is the reason?

I have one overriding issue with the BS5 which was not addressed by the Encore (for obvious reasons). Both are tethered by cables!

The whole BS5 should have been a wireless controller from day one, a 21st century MCP. The Beo6 is a nice addition for link rooms but the main room BS5 should have been transportable to your listening position, you should be able to use it on your lap, on the chair arm or beside you on the sofa. You should be able to pass it to family or friends etc.

I suspect many will find the BS5 becoming redundant with the introduction of 2-way comms which will be a real shame, but why would you want to leave your seat to change an album if you don't have to?

symmes wrote:

So what is the reason?

To be able to link it when the rest of their stuff gets up-to-date, to be able to make use of the WiFi to give the end-user options for different seating positions and whatnot. Seriously, "the BS5 Encore is the remote" is ridiculous. That means I need one at the couch, one at the dining table, one at the recliners, one in the kitchen itself and so forth.

If B&O wanted you to use it as a remote sans actual remote, there'd be very little reason for it to have WiFi, very little reason for it to have wall mounts and so and so forth. Also, not wanting to have several of them plastered in each room, you'd have to drag the cables with you again and again.

Yeah, I know, some people still think that playing audio is best if you have to physically move to change album and be seated solely in the "sweet spot", but this is 2011, 2012 coming fast, and HiFi as it was in the 70s and  early 80s is dead (a small sweet spot, no remote, LP records and singles, having to swap and flip them constantly etc.).

Raeuber wrote:

In my opinion the BS5 is nothing else than a nonportable remote for the BM5.

 

 

So can I use the Beo6 WiFi with the BM5 and WITHOUT BS5? If so, can anybody tell me the sense of BS5??

 

 

/Räuber

Hence the Encore is a better choice if you still like to have a "stereo". To have some sort of "center" makes it possible to not go hunt for the remote in the morning (yeah. it bugs me) to open the radio. You still need some sort of thingy to connect to the speakers. And if the choice is between the BM5 sans BS5,  and the Encore, I'd choose the latter (when it gets updated to make use of the WiFi, that is).

Electrified is back.

Yay. 

TripEnglish wrote:

Electrified is back.

Yay. 

I'm sorry to be unable to be yet another yes-man toeing the party line in a vacuum.

Electrified wrote:

TripEnglish wrote:

Electrified is back.

Yay. 

 

I'm sorry to be unable to be yet another yes-man toeing the party line in a vacuum.

 

Just be mindful of the difference between courteously and respectfully expressing an opinion and trolling.