Hi,

If they are in stby, press top Square about 10 seconds if you here a plop something is wrong with the speaker they should start calibration process and

microfone under speaker should move out half in the first step and you shoud hear calibration sounds from low to high freq take about 2min in easy room and 5min in large room and then it go to step 2 and move microfone out more and calibrate if you don't get this to work call your store for assistans

I am not convinced that sticking a valve in the system is going to do anything but add distortion - it will be even harmonic distortion so makes a big warm friendly sound but it is still distortion. `

To get back to the OP, I would move the speakers outside and recalibrate them. That will boost the bass as the system works by measuring the room reflections and if outside, there won't be any! The bass is therefore switched to maximum rather than being reduced. Beolab 5s are superb showcase speakers so there is clearly a problem with the way yours are working. If outside recalibration doesn't work, I suggest they have a fault.

Peter wrote:

I am not convinced that sticking a valve in the system is going to do anything but add distortion - it will be even harmonic distortion so makes a big warm friendly sound but it is still distortion. `

To get back to the OP, I would move the speakers outside and recalibrate them. That will boost the bass as the system works by measuring the room reflections and if outside, there won't be any! The bass is therefore switched to maximum rather than being reduced. Beolab 5s are superb showcase speakers so there is clearly a problem with the way yours are working. If outside recalibration doesn't work, I suggest they have a fault.

Absolutely, adding a tube buffer is adding noise, distortion, and a non-adjustable frequency equalization to the speakers sound. That may sound good, but the best approach is to fix what is wrong with the speakers, then decide if you can't live without additional distortion, aka tube sound. Of course, perhaps it's the OPs listening preferences, not everyone agrees what sounds good, I've seen people turn up their noses at really good sound after having had a lifetime diet of really poor sound. Look at the number of people who, when they have equalizers, have them permanently set in a loudness contour, and then have the loudness on at the same time. 😉

Has the OP ever actually setup the BL5s connected directly to the system via Powerlink and not the Beolink Active? It's possible he's not liking the Beolink Active's performance.