Tim wrote:

I was just kidding, just look at my avatar imho the beosound remote is by far the best designed remote of any ipod-dock so far. 

I agree ... if it used the same codes etc as the Beo4 I would buy several just to have them in convenient places 

i personally find the beosound 8 strange to look at...

i was looking at all the ipod docks at an electronics store and i found the zeppelin to be the most appealing when it came to the design. I am disappointed by the design and build of Beosound 8. It looks very strange like two giant horns looking at you. And it looks fragile compared to say the Beosound 1. This is the first time I like another brand more than B&O...But if i were to get an ipod dock i would probably get the Zeppelin. If the beosound 8 does indeed sound as incredible as some people say I may reconsider. I may warm up to the design later on who knows and to be fair there is a nice alluminum finish on the chassis but I think the Zeppelin is more beautiful.

Also someone on this site said that the back of the Beosound 8 was made from the soft touch plastic as seen on the Beosound 4 and Serene...well it's not.

foamywax wrote:

But if i were to get an ipod dock i would probably get the Zeppelin. If the beosound 8 does indeed sound as incredible as some people say

I don't think anyone is implying it's incredible - it's no BL3/BL9/BL5 beater. In fact, I's below the BL4000s. It just produces very good sound from a fairly low cost (for B&O) product.

Opinions are objective. No-one is going to view the same product in the same way. I like the Zeppelin, but the fact that everyone has one (I know a lot of people with them!) and there are no swappable colours etc, encouraged me to get the BS8. I'm not completely sold by the BS8 design either, but there are other factors that swing the decision for me. Just.

well i just saw it again and i like it..but it is one of the quirkiest B&O designs. But it seems to be selling well so that's a good sign. And for a B&O product it's actually a really good price. I think that the zeppelin is more elegant aesthetic wise whereas the Beosound 8 is more odd looking. Why is this made in China and not DenmarK? Why did they do this? Are they not capable of producing enough units in Denmark?

Foamywax one simple reason why it is assembled in China. Profit!

I actually love the design of it. The orange speaker grilles made it look amazing but oh boy, it doesn't deliver on the sound. 

I had a full demonstration of it with my iPod and top quality files in Selfridges. First things first, great new make over in Selfridges for the B&O stand. Fitting comfortably between the Apple stand and Loewe. Top marks to the new younger sales exec who was thoroughly excellent at listening to my needs etc - top guy.

Unfortunately when it came to the sound. One word - bland. 

To me it was unexciting, flat, boring and not capable of going very loud. Probably suited to clasical or jazz music but lost with a more upbeat soundtrack.

I love the BS8 for it's looks but it is no more than a £500 system selling for £900  and that horrible horrible remote  now that was nasty!

Jonathan, thank you for your recommendation and yes, i totaly agree with you.

To sum up for me, the BS8 would look awesome in my apartment as a piece of art... but please don't make me listen to it...

foamywax wrote:

Why is this made in China and not DenmarK? Why did they do this? Are they not capable of producing enough units in Denmark?

I do not understand the problem with producing goods in China. They simply do what they are specified to do, to exacting standards and using the materials they are required to use. The factory doesn't choose the back of the BS8, that's a B&O design decision. Most luxury clothing brands now produce much of their middle-tier products in China. Apple have also. We don't see Apple saying "crikey, these products are sub-standard. If only we moved our factories to Denmark, can you imagine how much better our products would manufactured!".

It's just snobbery, nothing more. It's just the snob value that we feel that "made in Denmark" must be superior to "made in China". It's funny really.

We're all worrying about how B&O will fare in future and there they are a) selling 50,000+ BS8s and b) making a good profit from them, but here you are knocking this business practice. Perhaps it's the first right thing they've done for a long time.

I agree. China actually has some of the best factories in the world! They manufacture to your exacting standards and budget, so if you design poorly or choose to pay for a lower level of quality this is not the Chinese factory's fault...

I used to work in the clothing industry, and we'd get all of our woolen knitwear made in China (with Australian wool of course🤒) because they had the best gauge machinery in the world. The level of consistant quality could not be equalled or bettered by anyone in the world!

Paul Winn wrote:

...but oh boy, it doesn't deliver on the sound. 

Sorry, but your credibility has just gone right out of the window Paul. Having owned BL3s, BL9s and BL5s I'm fairly well placed to say the audio quality from the BS8 is good to very good, and I mean by B&Os standards. Other higher profile users have commented that the sound quality is excellent - you're the only person who, not only says it isn't great, even goes as far as it doesn't deliver on the sound.

Most of the commercial reviews I've seen of the BS8 says it well and truly delivers on the sound. The only consistent negative I read about is the cost - they think that almost double the price of the Zeppelin makes it less compelling. 

WTF were you listening to? What where you expecting? Sounds like to me you went in expecting BL5 standard and came out disappointed.

It's a £890 product. For B&O that's a cheap. But it definitely beats the BL4s and almost reaches the far more expensive BL4000s in audio capability. I listen to my BL3s all day every day - and these are sonically very rich - but I wouldn't say I listen to the BS8 and then think "that doesn't deliver!".

Very odd comments. The control isn't nasty. It's a decent small aluminium controller that looks good on the desk.

I do wonder about your posts at times. Almost come across as a bit schizo. Sorry, but that's the message you give. You swing from being immensely positive (mostly about the design), to very negative (mostly about the cost) and then back again.

hey i never said that it was a bad thing having the beosound 8 made in china and not denmark! i was curious as to WHY it is made in China And not Denmark...because B&O USUALLY  manufacture their products in Denmark!

I have nothing against the Chinese except for the fact that they eat snakes and dogs for dinner!!

I very much doubt that B&O would release a product that sounds crappy. They invest so much money and time into their products...everybody knows this. I'm actually surprised to hear people say the Beosound 8 is superior to the beosound 1 soundwise..i'd rather have the 8 than a pair of beolab 4's... why are the beolab 4's more expensive? they aren't even shielded speakers. they have the beolink option but that's about it...sorry for the rambling but i love comparing B&O products. i find it interesting. Some of their products are definitley worth more bang for the buck than others.