Beolab 2000 vs Beolab 3500

14 replies

I want to add a link speaker in my utility room (Wife wants music when ironing........)

Beolab 2000 - on ebay £200-250 (discontinued)

Beolab 3599 - £700 - £750 - not sure price as new

A friend of mine said go for the 2000 because doesn't need a remote (I don't think this is a major problem).

What in your opinion is the best value for money and what are the pros and cons of each speaker?

What about adding a ceiling speaker and a link eye?

The max. I would spend is £1000 (cheaper to buy new shirts for the next few years) - are there any other options?

Thanks in adbvance for any useful advice

Regards

Yeabo

The 3500 provides far better sound quality than the 2000 although neither is brilliant IMO.

Can you suggest an alternative?
How about second hand BL4000's (~£700 - £800)

I have two beolab 2000 in the bathrooms. I really like them a lot. The mini control panel is very practical, they have many placing options and can also be used with a remote. I find the sound very impressive for such a small unit and it can play really loud if wanted, without distortion. The price tag is also quite reasonable for B&O standards. For small rooms they are perfect.

 

Just to make your choice even more difficult...

I got a Beolab 3500 in the dining room (see one of my post for pictures), perfect for background music when we have guests.

Ralf

My B&O Icons:

BeoCenter-9500.png BeoCenter-9500.png
Beoremote-Beo4.png Beoremote-Beo4.png
Beovision-11.png Beovision-11.png
Beosound.png Beosound.png
Beoplay-V1.png Beoplay-V1.png
Beoplay-H95.png Beoplay-H95.png
Beoplay-E8.png Beoplay-E8.png
Beoplay-A1.png Beoplay-A1.png
Living Room: Beosystem 4, Beolab 7-2 (Center), Beolab 9 (Fronts), Beolab 8000 (Rears), Screen: Sony KD-85XH9096
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

Got mine for 300 Euro/240 GBP from ebay... a real bargain... but sometimes you just have to be lucky!

Ralf

My B&O Icons:

BeoCenter-9500.png BeoCenter-9500.png
Beoremote-Beo4.png Beoremote-Beo4.png
Beovision-11.png Beovision-11.png
Beosound.png Beosound.png
Beoplay-V1.png Beoplay-V1.png
Beoplay-H95.png Beoplay-H95.png
Beoplay-E8.png Beoplay-E8.png
Beoplay-A1.png Beoplay-A1.png
Living Room: Beosystem 4, Beolab 7-2 (Center), Beolab 9 (Fronts), Beolab 8000 (Rears), Screen: Sony KD-85XH9096
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

Both are good speakers, but for your Utility-Laundry Room application, I would suggest the 2000.

Easier to clean, robust metal construction, can be mounted or freestanding ( moved as needed ), hand or remote controlled, and is ML linked to certain B&O systems.

I have both in upstairs bedrooms, serving as music, radio, Internet, and SKY TV sound extensions. I one takes a Beo4-Beo 5 along upstairs, it does provide a " Pathway of Sound. " The speakers continue to supplement the recent addition of BV-8, which has very good sound.

Pulling the ML cable is easy, but making the custom lengths and junction box connections required Ye Olde Flyfishing magnifying set for 2 days, and a little patience. Perhaps you will be fortunate and able to use the stock ML cable connectors available through B&0.

I hope this is helpful.

Another useful nugget of information is that BeoLab2000 can be activated by the volume control on BeoCom6000.  If the speaker is in standby mode and you turn the volume wheel on a BeoCom6000 handset, the BeoLab2000 switches the Master on to the last thing it was doing.

As far as I know, the BeoLab3500 doesn't do this.

Given where you say it is being used, I would go for the BeoLab2000.

Opman

I'm a fan of both - the BL2000 is more flexible overall, and also cheaper. However, you can't buy them new any more, so the likelihood is that the garuantee is either much shorter or gone alltogether.

BeoLab 3500 is far more discreet, sounds better and will come with the guarantee. However, doesn't offer the same hands-on-control as the BeoLab 2000, which I love! I'm also a sucker for the BL2000's design.

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