I'm 100% sure you will not need sub for BL9. But still if you, for some strange reason, do need one, try to think like this. Very simple BL9 have 10'' driver with 500w ICE each, that means 1000w, so you will need more than 1000 W

http://www.velodyne.com/vproducts/series.aspx?seriesid=1208

DD15 at least ...

But please DON"T think like this !!!!

Try to enjoy BL9, they are outstanding !

Hi, I had this setup running.

For music, there is absloutly no need for a sub. The Bl9 deliveres without. However if you like having your couch shaking when watching a movie, ad a BL2. Be aware however, that the BL2 does not do a very nice job with music, and i dont know if it is possible in the settings to have the BL2 on in 5.1 and off in stereo speakermode. But as i remember, this could maybe be done by telling your tv that your speakers are BL5´s, instead of 9´s. Then all lower freq will run to your frontspeakers whan listening to music in stereo speakermode.

/Ehlerz

Guys,

thanks for your answers. O.k., I promise I`ll try to listen at least a couple of days without any subwoofer (still have the BL2, but would trade it for the BL9).

I used to have my BL2 connected to the BL9s. I thought the sound was worse as some of the bass was moved to the BL2. You don't need a subwoofer with the BL9s, unless you have no neighbours and like your movies very loud.

Hi hotknife,

I hope you do not get offended but I think you are in the need of some tough love:

Following this and other thread of yours I can tell you that you are probably obsessed with the subwoofer. Just let it go and enjoy what you have. And honestly if you decided to go for the BL 9s take your time, let your ear get used to them and then decide

I concur with the above posts, i tried a Beolab 11 with my BL9s and it made them sound terrible! They do sound fine on their own 🤒

Ray

I have BL9 and a BL2, we mostly use it for movies. We had the BL2 before we got the BL9's, and we just love the rumble thta BL2 gives in the movies. Our main use is TV and movies, not music.

However, I would have loved that you could customise the speaker setup even more in our TV (BV7), i.e. when using speaker 1 or 3 or 5, then the BL2 is active, and when using speaker 2 or 4 then the BL2 was inactive. If I listen to music, I use Speaker 2, and adjust the bass level in BL2, but this is not user friendly.

Good luck.

Well, seems like you're dead set on the Lab 9's.

B&O's low frequency specs for the 9's are -10dB at 30Hz and -10dB at 23Hz for the BL2. So, the BL2 is giving appreciably lower bass, although placement in your room can easily tip the scales one way or another.

Did you ever play with the BL2 integration/setup?

Or is this more just a case of you want to upgrade your mains and the sub has to go too?

I know not everyone here is technically inclined, but you could always build a "Linkwitz Transform" circuit and plug it in between your speakers (since they are active), and your pre-amp (being whatever piece of B&O kit you have without an internal power amplifier). This is basically what B&O does with their speakers anyway, to compensate for the small cabinet volume. You can extend the response to whatever you wish (within certain practical limits), if you're willing to give up some SPL headroom. Kind of like their ABL circuit - when the volume goes down, the extra power is used for the low end bass lift. It's fixed however, and isn't variable like ABL.

Jon

Jon wrote:

Well, seems like you're dead set on the Lab 9's.

B&O's low frequency specs for the 9's are -10dB at 30Hz and -10dB at 23Hz for the BL2. So, the BL2 is giving appreciably lower bass, although placement in your room can easily tip the scales one way or another.

Did you ever play with the BL2 integration/setup?

Or is this more just a case of you want to upgrade your mains and the sub has to go too?

I know not everyone here is technically inclined, but you could always build a "Linkwitz Transform" circuit and plug it in between your speakers (since they are active), and your pre-amp (being whatever piece of B&O kit you have without an internal power amplifier). This is basically what B&O does with their speakers anyway, to compensate for the small cabinet volume. You can extend the response to whatever you wish (within certain practical limits), if you're willing to give up some SPL headroom. Kind of like their ABL circuit - when the volume goes down, the extra power is used for the low end bass lift. It's fixed however, and isn't variable like ABL.

Jon

I am under the impression those specs are anechoic - so you could realistically expect the Lab 9's to be closer to 20 - 25 hz in room at -10db and the BL2 perhaps 15 - 18hz again at -10db ref midrange, in room, because of room gain.

Those figures are pretty good, and to my mind the BL2 is no slouch and to do better re frequency extension + high power SPL levels AND with low distortion means pretty serious subwoofery - start thinking Velodyne DD18 or JL Audio Fathom 213's for example.  These will comfortably shake your house, but of course they don't have the style and integration of a B&O product.

The other thing to bear in mind is that some people just like killer bass for the sake of it - nothing wrong with that IMHO - but it has little to do with the most accurate reproduction of the musical event, which is where B&O are most closely aligned as regards their philosophy of sound engineering.

I'd also mention that in another thread here, David Moulton uses the BL2 with BL3's and feels the combination is fine for music.  I get the feeling that one or two people have felt the BL2 to be 'slow' in the bass, and that then this has translated to objective 'fact' in the forum as regards the BL2, when in fact, it could be simply due to poor placement or other reasons such as poor setup (how many members use an SPL level meter when setting up/balancing your AV system?) such that a less than optimal result gets touted as fact on the forum.

I can't personally comment, as I don't own B&O AV kit, but I do have over 40 years of experience in this hobby and would think David Moulton knows more than a thing or two about good sound and how to get it.

Lastly, as I'm not familiar with the BV 8-40 from an ownership POV, does it not have a dedicated LFE output solely for a sub?  Another possible workaround then would be to use a third party AV processor bypassing the 8-40's AV processing module completely which would also allow you to gain benefit from Bluray codecs such as Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio, neither of which the BV 8-40s processing supports.

You could then indulge in a super sub such as the JL Audio Fathoms, and balance the whole system up with an SPL meter to your hearts content.

However, then you loose the looks and integration of B&O unfortunately, which is what attracts many to the brand in the first place - including me - I've done all the high end audio stuff and been spat out at the other end, older, wiser and poorer.  AV, like life is all about compromises - we just have to choose which ones we want to live with.

Hope this helps and best of luck with it

John... 🙂