You would use this cable for the purpose: 

Thanks Tuomas,

Yes, this cable is ideal - it connects to either Powerlink output on any of these B&O systems to let the B&O unit work as a pre-amp, with full volume control from the B&O remote.  You can then connect larger power amps as required to link passive speakers easily with any B&O system.  One cable will give stereo sound for a pair of passive speakers.

There are a couple of special cases (notably Beosound 9000 and Beocenter 2) where the system needs to be made to think that it has B&O speakers connected in order for it to respond to remote control commands, but that can be easily achieved by adding a Speaker Sense Adapter to the spare Powerlink socket:-

thanks, steve. to clarify, one powerlink line could provide signal for one stereo amp (one single stereo chassis). if you wanted to go to monoblocks would you then use both powerlink outs, feeding left and right amps? would you have to assign one powerlink out to be "left" and the other "right? as they carry left and right simultaneously--?

McRib wrote:

thanks, steve. to clarify, one powerlink line could provide signal for one stereo amp (one single stereo chassis). if you wanted to go to monoblocks would you then use both powerlink outs, feeding left and right amps? would you have to assign one powerlink out to be "left" and the other "right? as they carry left and right simultaneously--?

The Power Link connector carries both channels separately. In Bang & Olufsen loudspeakers, the PL channel is assigned using a switch in the loudspeaker, the sound system does not do that. Using the aforementioned adapter you can split a single Power Link into separate left & right RCA connectors. I don't see what more using the second PL connector would accomplish – you would need two adapters and only use "half" of each PL, instead of one "full" connector.

Hi McRib,

Yes, only one Powerlink output is needed, even if you are using monoblock amps.  In thhis case, simply split apart the RCA end of the cable to allow the two RCA plugs to reach the separate amps if they are in different locations.

Kind regards, Steve.

thanks for the replies, guys!!

follow up: is it possible to do powerlink to xlr, opr are those cables types too different?

Hi McRib,

XLR connections are normally balanced, so their signal levels are much higher than for unbalanced Powerlink connections.  It may be possible to connect between them (depending on the exact details of the equipment to be connected), but this may reduce volume or sound quality and there is no benefit from using the XLR connections in this situation.  Hence, I recommend keeping XLR as a last resort, for use only if there is no other connection that can be used.

Kind regards, Steve.