Hey Will,

I'm sure the PV-1 is excellent, maybe even better than a BeoLab 2 or 11 but have you thought about either of these for ease of use (built in high-pass filter and power-link signal chaining) - you could simply add a PlayMaker to have a totally up to date streaming/wired B&O setup. You can pick up either of these used for a little more than the new PV1. I think the BL3+2 is a particularly smart setup.

Otherwise I imagine you'll need some kind of preamp/receiver to split the signal.

Cheers, Jon

Thanks for the reply Jon,

I realise the BeoLab 2 or 11 would be a much easier choice but I have always wanted a Pv1, just something about it I love!  I have also heard the BeoLab 11 is a fairly weak unit and I like good strong bass.  Friend of mine said for the money it cost the BeoLab 2 was very expensive for what it is. I'm not really too fond of buying things second hand although I know that B&O out of all things are fine to buy second hand due to the quality of them and in fact the BeoLab 3's I'm getting are the red ones that are discontinued so I'm getting them for a good price.  Not that fond of the idea of getting a BeoLab 2 so old I can actually afford it.

I was hoping someone might know a good preamp/receiver for this kind of thing.  It wouldn't need to power speakers just receive the signal from a few sources and split it to the sub and speakers.  I've been looking at things but nothing seems simple.  There are some processing units I've seen on the market but they seem really expensive for what I need.

Maybe this is just a messy way I'm doing things.

I bought a mint, barely used BL2 and pair of BL6000s for a great price that I would honestly defy anybody to tell from new. I think used B&O is a very safe buy and the resale value is excellent. In fact, I don't think I've ever sold anything for less than I paid for it...

That's what I'd do personally, just my 2¢! :)

Jon

I certainly see the attraction with the resale value, makes it a good investment. Friend said the BeoLab 2 had a lag to it because of the way it is designed, rather boomy bass, not very tight. I'm not personally fond of over tight bass so I may like it though.  Also the people upstairs moan at any music I seem to play, how adjustable is the BeoLab 2's bass?

Will.

This is a common criticism of the Lab 2 but I think it is totally controllable and tight if you set it up right for the space it's in. My flat mate is a film composer with a super high-end acoustically treated studio - not a B&O fan in the slightest, and he thinks it sounds great. Just don't overdo it! The 2 switches on the back allow to you tailor the response, along with a bit of EQ on whatever you're passing in if necessary.

Jon

I will be opposite a B&O shop tomorrow so I might pop in and have a listen if they have one set up.  Is the bass fairly powerful? I mean when it drops down does it make you smile?  I realise it is about more than power but I do like my bass :)

Will.

Others may disagree but I have to say, yes - it's great! Very powerful and deep. I'm a bass player - I appreciate it too ;)

It's a good idea to check it out with your own ears - you could trial the BL3+2 combo.

Cheers, Jon

Hello,

I think Nano has an excellent question and for some reason it seems next to impossible to find clear information on this. Can we match Beolab speakers with a non B&O sub like the PV-1D, and how? ....

I am in a similar situation where I am setting up a living room with a video-projector and need to use an AV-receiver (in my case a Marantz SR6007) as a hub for the various sources and to connect to the speakers and projector. As far as I'm concerned, the "home cinema" part is not as important as the music listening, the AV-receiver is just a good way to bring everything together and use the same speakers for both.

I was thinking of connecting BL3s to the pre-out L&R ports of the AV-receiver and a PV1D to the pre-out sub port. Does that work and is there a downside to doing things this?

In such a setup, if we were using a BL2 instead (still connected to the pre-out sub port), would there be a downside compared to having the BL3s connected through the BL2?

If anyone has any experience or info on this, it would be great. Otherwise I'm starting to think I'll omit the sub part altogether and go with BL9s, but then the budget part gets a little more tricky ;-)

Thanks!

Hello iridium,

One idea I have come across for doing my set-up is using the following audio processor: