beocool wrote:

I have Beolab 3's as well as Beolab 5's and I agree with you about the Beolab 3's. Some people who have heard my Beolab 3's thinks they are lacking in bass. But for the size, they are amazing.

Maybe. I'm thinking of getting a BL11 to compliment the BL3s. Should help improve the bass.

MGBGTV8 wrote:

seems not eveyone agrees with our opinions of the great one from another forum - can i post this ? ettiquette and all

Yes, I have heard the Beolab 5's - we used to stock them. I appreciate they were active in woth the cost, and I can appreciate what they tried to achieve, but they weren't worth £10k (the price at the time). Now they're £14k, that means they're even less value for money. There wasn't really one aspect of the sound that excelled, and neither midrange, bass, nor treble could hold a candle to KEF Reference, ProAc, ATC, PMC etc. Sorry, but B&O are lifestyle speakers. Yes, they're well made, yes, they use expensive materials, and yes, they're reliable. But that's all the good I have to say about them. I appreciate that B&O comes with cables, but that's because they're an active speaker, and has to come with cables in order to be used with a B&O head unit. When pushed hard, B&O speakers become thin and edgy, which is basically down to insufficient amplification for the job. It's not that I dislike B&O amplification because I use a Pioneer SCLX83, which uses ICE amplification, and that's a cracking product.

Hmmm.  

An opinion as to sound, especially from audiophiles (who usually listen to the kit, and not the music) is subjective at best.

Objectively, and using measurement and science as facts, and not subjective audiophile opinion presented as fact, the above post does not add up, as Beolab 5's measure utterly superbly compared to loudspeakers at any price, and are an undeniable electrical and acoustic tour de force in the audio world.

That one should choose to not like them is purely subjective, but their measured performance and the science behind the acoustic design, is utterly proven and inarguable fact.

Having debunked 'opinions' stated as facts, I'll offer a couple of thoughts of my own.

I'm a pretty much recovered audiophool these days.

I got suckered into the whole audiophool obsessive nonsense via a ultimately very poor value for money and hugely expensive full fat Naim Audio separates system.

I've returned from the land of the foolish, and to my trained musical roots (voice, piano and trumpet) where if outlandish night and day performance claims are made about mega expensive high end kit, I need to see the measurements, and also the results of ABX blind testing before accepting any such claims of 'superiority' over supposedly 'lessor' or 'cheaper' kit.  Accordingly, if something is heavily denigrated or knocked re the above linked post re the Beolab 5's, I need to see the measurements to support that opinion, otherwise it is just so much subjective hogwash in my view - and as I say, the measurements of the Beolab 5's are pretty much state of the art for a loudspeaker.

My personal opinion of the Beolab 5's, when using music as a measure of aural assesment (and not other loudspeakers or kit) is that it presents music in one of the most lifelike, believable, realistic, involving and natural manners that I have ever heard from any loudspeaker that I've ever heard over the near 40 odd years I've been involved with this hobby.  As a practicising, trained classical musician, my opinion is that the Beolab 5 is simply one of the very best loudspeakers availble in the world today, and at any price.

Kind Regards

John... 🙂

moxxey wrote:

beocool wrote:

I have Beolab 3's as well as Beolab 5's and I agree with you about the Beolab 3's. Some people who have heard my Beolab 3's thinks they are lacking in bass. But for the size, they are amazing.

Maybe. I'm thinking of getting a BL11 to compliment the BL3s. Should help improve the bass.

That would make a nice combo. 🙂

In another recent tread I questioned the midrange of the beolab 3's, and mr moulton gave a very informative answer. They're great speakers but there're remains the lack of midrange which is a result of the chosen crossover-frequencies if I remember right. They surely surprise for their size.

Remains the question if a similar choice has been made in case of the beolab 9's and 5's.