Moxxey - I guess we all have our own ideas but having been used to top end pro equipment for our radio stations all i can say is it is very hard to justify the price of B&o's equipment when it comes to audio performance. I've never said that i was happy with the BS8 in terms of sound quality. it's poor - simple.  Maybe if you guys listened to other brands you'd probably hear why im just not impressed with the B&O sound for their stupid prices. Period - there's better out there for much less. Put in another way - if B&O were that good in sound then why aren't they used in the professional market???

Paul Winn wrote:

all i can say is it is very hard to justify the price of B&o's equipment when it comes to audio performance

Hi Paul, I am sure you are right.

But my criteria are not just a single criterion of the audio ... and to be honest at the rate my ears and eyes are deteriorating I am absolutely useless as a judge in those departments.

But I do enjoy adding to my collection; I enjoy talking to B&O sales people and visiting the stores (I was there today, and I was asked "are you a fanatic" *LOL*); I do appreciate the audio and the visual (I just acknowledge I am not qualified to be a judge); I usually love the design elements; I love the systems integration capability; and I really really enjoy the warm friendship of Beoworld.

Those are the reasons I have bought ... and I continue to buy.

Ed

$

Paul Winn wrote:

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

Paul,

I thought the same when I first brought the BS8 home.  Now, I wish I could have another at the office.  BS8 definitely sounds better after some warm up / burn in.  That said, BS8 will never ever stand in the league of any BL from B&O. 

After years of "admiring" my B & O equipments, two friends of mine recently purchased the same white with light grey frets BS8.

Of course they where proud to announce me that good news. Of course I was a little bit anxious for the responsability.

What if the chinese product was bad ? (I never mentionned to them it was chinese by the way).

First friend as a very big country house and the BS8 sits high in the middle of the main living room. Second friend as a not so big/ not so small modern flat and the BS8 sits on the floor.

In both places we have done what you can call a big party (twenty or so adults talking and drinking and dancing...).

In both places I've done the "DJ", playing with an Ipad2 with music from youtube clips or an Iphone4 from my oldest son music library wich must be very poor in quality (he is doing mp3 tracks from youtube clips for example).

In both places BS8 WAS ABSOLUTLY FANTASTIC. It filled the room with a warm and rich sound at volume very very loud.

That product is so good that since then I whant one and I actually have a BS9000 with BL8000 !

Actual price 1.090 € : a pure bargain in term of B & O.

It's not every day that I say good things on a product, so you can believe me. INCREDIBLE PRODUCT.

Well done Struer.

Gregory

Paul Winn wrote:

Moxxey - I guess we all have our own ideas but having been used to top end pro equipment for our radio stations all i can say is it is very hard to justify the price of B&o's equipment when it comes to audio performance. I've never said that i was happy with the BS8 in terms of sound quality. it's poor - simple.  Maybe if you guys listened to other brands you'd probably hear why im just not impressed with the B&O sound for their stupid prices. Period - there's better out there for much less. Put in another way - if B&O were that good in sound then why aren't they used in the professional market???

Paul - i have to say i see what Moxxey and others are saying - you refer to the wish to own B&O  lot, but hint all the time that it is overpriced, sub-standard and generally outperformed by "pro" kit that you hear at work.

You refer in passing to what you hear at work bein so much better - yet in my experience, much pro kit is VASTLY overpriced for what it does - and is actually unsuitable for domestic roles as much studio kit is designed for a very flat, neutral response.  I gather you work in commercial radio, with a preference for dance/urban music - much of which is highly compressed, mixed with loads of "boom & tizz" (to sound good in cars, earphones & clubs)  so maybe that has skewed your point of reference ?

Just so you know, whilst I don't work in a radio station, I recently left the B&O distribution and worked at a legendary & much  respected music venue for over a year (before returning to education in Sept as a mature student)

For what its worth, in the last 25 yrs I have therefore spent a lot of time specifying and installing B&O kit - I also worked extensively with many high end UK brands (Naim, Linn, AE, Rega, Arcam, Chord, - all these, inc B&O, are  brands that I have been in tech meetings at the respective factories - where they are VERY serious about sonic performance)

I have also specified and installed audio in the homes of several high profile musicians - some world renowned in their genre - and spent time in a few studios owned by the same.   The sound is, on the whole, a bit crap, imo.

The music venue I worked at recently is similarly respected as world class for audio - both on stage and in the studio facilities based there - the stage kit isn't relevant here (other than it adds to my sonic reference points) but the studio certainly is. 

Lab 5's far exceed the performance of (I would say) 75% of pro-studio sound.  For a similar or lower cost.  You can't really compare most beolabs though - designed for domestic applications, not commercial use, with all the amplification and cabling implications - its like comparing a push bike to a lorry to a pair of roller skates - they do related, but different, things.

Most of the "pro" small near-field monitors in studios are a bit rubbish, imo and can be bettered by many UK or B&O systems domestically.  Louder is not better, its just louder.

I'm not having a pop here - but the constant "I hear 'pro' stuff and its great"  hints are a bit naff, imo - it is comparing apples & oranges.

Finally - back in my dealer days, I organised an in-store event whereby a world class musician played in-store via the Beolab 5's - he said at the time it was just about the best sound he had heard from his (very expensive, bespoke)  instruments and I have to say I was surprised just how well they performed.  In fact, B&O came along and we subsequently met with the artist with a view to arranging a mini tour around a few shops to do a similar event - this never came to pass, but it was interesting to get his reaction.

I have spoken with that musician several times since at various festivals and venues , and he still talks about how enjoyable/different the evening was for him, and also how impressed he was with the sound on the night

Why do B&O not appear in more pro set ups ?? Well, because B&O don't make/market  a range of specific studio/pro speakers like, say B&W, AE,Bose (!!), MA,  etc  - not sure why not, but they don't.  A guy from B&W was interviewed on R4 a couple of weeks back - he admitted they have only sold ONE pair of the big, flagship Nautilus speakers in the UK - and that the benefit is in the "trickle" down impact on small audio sales.

The performance isn't the issue imo,  its the design elements and the use of active electronincs.  That said, the sound pressure levels required in some pro applications are not what B&O design for - and even when the s/p levels would be fine (say lab4000 or lab 3 as near field monitors)  most beolabs will not sit readily on the end most studio rigs as they are active, so not a straight swap to change from XXX brand of studio monitors - most of which are passive ( or active via external amps) as the cabling is not compatible.  

back on topic - A Beosound 8 offers a great combination of aesthetics, performance and (relative) value..... but if you would rather use separate two channel amp, some "pro" speakers and the line-in, then just buy that instead.

Not to gang up on Paul, but I've stopped reading his posts except for their humor value.  I love it, I hate it, etc.  Usually, when I decide I don't like a product, I just move along...  I wish you well, we're all entitled to our opinions and if everybody agreed then this site would be boring so keep it up, we need "characters" around here to keep it interesting 🙂

Back on topic (sort of)...  I don't have an opinion of the BS8, but I had some musicians and an "audiophile" over the other night, and eventually, the topic turned to my 11 yr old BL1s, and they demanded an audition (I think the "audiophile" may have been trying to embarass me since B&O is widely "known" as style over substance, and I've never been one to push my "toys" on visitors)...  they all walked away quite favorablly impressed - one even seriously considering looking into getting his own, and Mr "audiophile" definitely changed his tune... yah, B&O stinks 😕

Cheers,

Stan

Paul Winn wrote:

Moxxey, the orange grilles on the BS8 look amazing fantastic!!!

I managed to have a full 'private' play with the BS8 on Thursday.  Sorry I havnt had the chance to post yet so incredibly busy.  Must say, I was shocked with that cheap B&O remote though, super cheap plastic and very un-B&O... review to come :)

When you write your review, I would be interested to know what you think would be a better product for £900 or less.

folkdeejay wrote:

Most of the "pro" small near-field monitors in studios are a bit rubbish, imo and can be bettered by many UK or B&O systems domestically.  Louder is not better, its just louder.

folkdeejay wrote:

I have also specified and installed audio in the homes of several high profile musicians - some world renowned in their genre - and spent time in a few studios owned by the same.   The sound is, on the whole, a bit crap, imo.

A race car is for a race track, a truck for hauling truck loads, studio equipment for studios and near field flat listening.  Flat as studio monitors are, they are intended to be accurate and transparent but not necessarily comfortable or pleasant to the ear. In studios, what your monitors are good at is exactly what your mix will be bad at.  The truthfulness of the sound there has a lot to do with the producer who delivers music so to please the millions who do not have 'audiophile' gear. So, it is this simple: recordings are but rather on the gear in the car, in the living room, in the kitchen (not on BS8, but on my grandmum's 3 inch radio speakers), and portable audio devices such as iPod and Walkman.  Now, the job of your home system is to get the most of that.  I cannot claim that I know, but I would assume the listening panel of any ‘high-end audio’ manufacturer would test the system across the board with various types of music and various recording labels to bring close to being an all-rounder.

I am so pleased this forum has gotten very active over the past month or so.  Thanks to all the participants, no exception.

Cheers

Hi Linder,

In terms of small but mighty impressive for me, the BOSE Accoustimass AM5 speakers at £400 with a £200 amp take one heck of a lot of beating. One of my radio stations has been using a pair since 1988. I still think these take a lot of beating in terms of crystal clear treble and bass. 

If B&O were to fit a bas and treble control on the back of the BS8 im sure they would address the problem I have with them and don't laugh, Pioneer are offering this on the back on their active speakers!