Steve,

you are correct in identifying the difference!! I've used PC versions before connected with a powerlink to mini jack cable and they worked perfectly. No difference at all and I've had both!!

Not really the most amazing speakers though

Not horrible either. Good as rears in a surround setup, or in a small room...

The other difference is that BeoLab 4PC doesn't have the position switch with free/wall/corner placement, and therefore B&O do not recommend any of the stands/brackets for the PC version, as it is designed to be positioned close to the user and on the same level as the PC screen.

I have them at the office and the volume is always set between 0 and 2 on BeoPlayer..!They do provide great sound when they are less than 1 meter from your ears and 80 cm apart from each other, and none of the ugly conventional PC speakers will ever get back on my desk..shame they are not shielded though, because whenever a cell phone is about to ring, you can hear the typical interference sound...which gives you time to pick up the cell phone😎

Thanks for the replies, guys. Very helpful. Does the swtcheable thing make a lot of difference to the sound when placed on stands etc?

Thanks,

Steve

jldmelb wrote:

Not horrible either. Good as rears in a surround setup, or in a small room...

😂 Like a shoe box?

hehe no it's just thsat i cannot not understand why anyone would want these speakers when you can get a pair of second life BeoLab 4000's which sound REALLY good, for less money.

I have the lab4 in my kitchen wall mounted and I am quite satisfied with them. Before I had a pair of lab 3 at the same spot, hoewever, belive me or not, the lab 4 sound nicer for casual listening in that room. the lab4000 are quite to big (I tried them before as I see the same point "value" for money)

So overall not to bad, but a little bit to expensive... 

Stevenp;

To get back to your original question, there is no loss in quality between a mini-jack PC connection versus the Powerlink BL 4 Full connection. You are creating more connection points with the mini-jack PC, but if a quick set-up for laptop or Beosound 6 is desired, it works well enough. That was the intention.

The above comments regarding the sound of the BL 4 in small rooms being better are true. Sonically, they will sound somewhat better when mounted upside down directly to a ceiling ( masonry or interior stud ), but then again so will any speaker mounted onto a resonating platform.

As are the comments about the BL 4000, which is a very good, all around power speaker, with more bass and treble. I did try a pair of BL 4000 around a laptop one time, which was interesting. I could hear the birds signing outside again, after a couple of weeks.

Thanks for the info. I was thinking of getting a Beosound 4, and want to listen to it in a room about 4.5m x 4.5m with 4m ceiling height.

I listen to mostly classical instrumental and chamber, radio 3 and occasionally rock, chillout, and electronica.

What's the opinion on the BL4s for such a setup?

Thanks,

Steve.