Duels wrote:

Does anyone know whether the fact that the woofers in the base point downwards would transfer vibrations to the floor?

CB wrote:

Hi

It was the same concept for the BL5 (with a woofer THAT big ) and no vibrations issues.

I'd say they 28's are good value for their 10-11k price.

My school of thought is / was a bit different - I never wanted to change speakers again, and my ears like a huge soundstage, so its like I wanted more sound (depth, width, richness, unity etc) than I could ever need. That way, even with my fussy ears, I'll never listen to my 50's and think I need more.

That would be my approach with the 28s - they sound super impressive (although first impression was that it was too bass prominent for me), but if they had' been available at the time, I'd still have gone for 50s, for the above reason. Part of how you perceive the 28s is down to their small form factor, and the soundstage that comes out seems out of proportion, so just seems extra impressive.

But once one gets over that, I;d think about it more objectively - if space and funds permit it, the 50's are just so endlessly expansive and joyous, I'd always go that way and know that absent something extremely odd happening, they'll be last speaker you ever need. To me there is a risk that the 28s may leave you wanting a bit more at some point down the road.

Thats just my take though, and not to detract from the 28s. - they sound very impressive from what I heard, and have a lot to offer flexibility and connection wise, even though the looks are nothing iconic

Fansastic wrote:

I had a first look and listen to the 28’s at the dealer.

 

To put it in short: wow.

 

 

First I must admit I was very critical regarding the design, and I was wrong. It is all the way a B&O speaker and just looks good. Especially the proportion is hard to judge from pictures and in RL it looks very good. The base was my main worry and even in alu it is not in your face.

 

 

The sound is amazing, as my dealer was setting the 28 up for first time, I started with 20 and 50. It was a quick impression so don’t get me wrong.

 

BL20: not so impressive, sounds much like my 18/19 combo but with way smoother bass.

 

BL50: I’m still in shock how good they are. It is so clear en has so much dept, I’ve never experienced this and it is as if the music is performed in front of you. So very balanced, I wanted to keep listening to them for many hours to come...(damn now I want 50’s)

 

 

And then the BL28 popped on: wow what a sound! First impression was that they are way more bass heavy than the 50’s (I know this cannot be the case but maybe they are more bass oriented tuned out of the box).

 

They are so rich sounding, very balanced and the bass was as full as I never heard before witch dealer setup.

 

Switching from wide to narrow gave a bit more detail, as if the music comes a meter towards you. Not so close / depth full as the 50’s but still impressive.

 

 

Asked him about delivery times but he was not even able to order them. He had put in an order for 18’s two months ago and they will be delivered in september...that is not ok. Hope B&O can get back in their game asap.

 

 

To conclude, go see and hear the 28’s, as already stated by our online oracles (thank you John from B&O Manchester, Michael from Mikipedia, Henrik from BOTF and Steve from Soundsheavenly). The BL28 is a true B&O speaker and the sound is simply amazing.

 

 

Now I have a new dilemma: go for 28 or 50 for future upgrade..

Sandyb wrote:

I'd say they 28's are good value for their 10-11k price.

My school of thought is / was a bit different - I never wanted to change speakers again, and my ears like a huge soundstage, so its like I wanted more sound (depth, width, richness, unity etc) than I could ever need. That way, even with my fussy ears, I'll never listen to my 50's and think I need more.

That would be my approach with the 28s - they sound super impressive (although first impression was that it was too bass prominent for me), but if they had' been available at the time, I'd still have gone for 50s, for the above reason. Part of how you perceive the 28s is down to their small form factor, and the soundstage that comes out seems out of proportion, so just seems extra impressive.

But once one gets over that, I;d think about it more objectively - if space and funds permit it, the 50's are just so endlessly expansive and joyous, I'd always go that way and know that absent something extremely odd happening, they'll be last speaker you ever need. To me there is a risk that the 28s may leave you wanting a bit more at some point down the road.

Thats just my take though, and not to detract from the 28s. - they sound very impressive from what I heard, and have a lot to offer flexibility and connection wise, even though the looks are nothing iconic

Indeed, though I'd still say the 28's are pretty good value for the price, and compared to the 50s.

All I'm saying is that (and I'm sure people will) those auditioning the 28s should separate the initial impression (wow, thats a big sound from such slim columns) from whether that will be sufficient for their needs.

In many cases it will be, as the 28s move away from the 18s/19 and towards the 50s with the bigger open soundstage.

But for those, like myself, for whom that move is not sufficient, I'd prefer the 50s easily - especially if they can be had for a discount.

All of the above commentary applies more for music than for movies - after all 18s and 19 are impressive enough for movies, its just for music that that combination can fall short. The 28s will be great too for movies, so my comments above are very much about 2.0 music listening.

Michael wrote:

Sandyb wrote:

 

I'd say they 28's are good value for their 10-11k price.

 

My school of thought is / was a bit different - I never wanted to change speakers again, and my ears like a huge soundstage, so its like I wanted more sound (depth, width, richness, unity etc) than I could ever need. That way, even with my fussy ears, I'll never listen to my 50's and think I need more.

 

That would be my approach with the 28s - they sound super impressive (although first impression was that it was too bass prominent for me), but if they had' been available at the time, I'd still have gone for 50s, for the above reason. Part of how you perceive the 28s is down to their small form factor, and the soundstage that comes out seems out of proportion, so just seems extra impressive.

 

But once one gets over that, I;d think about it more objectively - if space and funds permit it, the 50's are just so endlessly expansive and joyous, I'd always go that way and know that absent something extremely odd happening, they'll be last speaker you ever need. To me there is a risk that the 28s may leave you wanting a bit more at some point down the road.

 

Thats just my take though, and not to detract from the 28s. - they sound very impressive from what I heard, and have a lot to offer flexibility and connection wise, even though the looks are nothing iconic

 

 

I know what you mean and honestly I can have great sound from my beolit 15 and wonder why I bought 50s too. But that is for a quick listen and if I compare them at length then it’s a very different beast.

 

 

I’d say 28 is the same kind of experience. Very nicely tuned but not at all capable of the truth and detail or punch. But most people might be happy with that.

 

 

Most car companies are making mini SUVs for people to. Kinda the same thing :).

I am going back to have another listen tomorrow but after some reflection this is my first take on the 28s.

They will sell well and deserve to because they reflect much of what appeals to the market at the moment.

1. Good looks. Not iconic but close. High partner acceptance factor with no messy trailing wires

2. Very good sound (more of that later)

3. Streaming via Airplay etc., is a huge step forward because of modern day listening habits for good quality Hi-Fi and opens up a new era for B&O

Positioned by B&O to be an advance on the sound of the 18s and 20s I would agree that a slightly boomy bass (to my ears) and what would appear to be excellent DSP give a remarkable sound stage and high quality sound for such thin speakers.

For TV, movies and the growing market of Airplay/Roon music, these speakers will excel but suggesting they are anywhere near the 50s though if your listening to music is other than casual is really pushing it too far.

The 50s are a lot more expensive and well deserve their price premium in the quality of the sound they deliver: IMHO.

So back tomorrow for another listen but congratulations to B&O for getting so much about the 28s right.

Agreed - Sandyb and MaxH - these are certainly not in the same league as the BL50’es and are not intended to be either.

In our relatively small living room (with the BV/5.2 setup) there by no means would be room for the 50’s - neither spacewise nor soundwise.

The BL28 could fit in, however!

I think many may think alike - and many won’t really need the 50’s respectively be able use or value their potential.

The 28’s might be an alternative to a BL18/19 combination, but many are happy with the 18’s alone.

Personally I’d prefer the 28’s to the 20’s - I see these more like a replacement of the 20’s.....with a lot of new stuff added.

So all in all, a worthy addition to the excisting range and a nice take on a modern BL.

We should be happy that B&O is a company that dares to try out different, new things, dares to explore alternatives to former glorious and highly praised loudspeakers (yet presenting something that we easily can recognize as a B&O speaker). 
I am sure that people will get used to the design - just as they got used to the A9......which indeed was very different from former B&O speakers.

I’ll be listening to the 28’s again tomorrow - eager to learn more about them and to dig a bit deeper into the sound capacities.

MM

The Lab 28s seem to be positioned as part-BeoLab, part-BeoSound, making them ideal for a friend of mine who has just bought a pair. He wants standalone wireless speakers with a small footprint and striking looks, and after years of swapping in and out different BeoPlays and BeoSounds (A9, BS2, Edge, Balance, Level, Emerge) I think he has found his forever speaker.

He also has a BeoVision Contour. As I understand it – since I've never owned one – the Contour cannot support any external speakers, so he will not be able to connect the 28s to them for three-channel TV sound. Is that correct?

Correct, sadly.

Thanks, Curly. It's not really going to bother him. I was just slightly confused as some of the early reviews of the Lab 28s stated they could be connected to a Contour, which contradicted what I thought.