Alex wrote:

I personally wouldn't say PowerLink is a 'no-go' with BeoLab 5s, it's just that connecting them to a bit-perfect output produces a notably better sound and means you don't have to rely on any of the circuitry in the source!

Just one thing to check, make sure you're running your MacMini at 44.1 kHz/16 bit (in Audio MIDI Setup in the Applications/Utilities folder). if not, the MacMini will not produce a bit-perfect output (ie, the signal coming out of the digital connection will not be identical to the information from the CD).

Alex, I can partly agree with you about the powerlink, in some cases it's the only available option, but to me it makes no sense to have a 18.000 euro speaker hooked up trough Powerlink instead of SPDIF. The difference is after all unbelievable! 

Thanks for the heads up about the bits, but as I said I had help from Soundproof, and he did not miss this part, and made sure I get it right. So the output is 44.1 / 16

Soundproof, I tried to mach the volume, of course I couldn't get it exact, but pretty close. I always have the treble / bass set to neutral. 

The sound difference is comparable to putting a dense cloth in front of the speakers when having the PL connected compared to the digital input.

I do agree with you that there is a difference between analog and digital feed to the speakers, definitely. After all, I do all my music listening to the digital feed connection! This is the brilliance of active speakers with their own on-board processing - you can actually go straight from the digital file to the speaker, without a lot of boxes in between. Just consider an analog setup: first the source, say a CD>that signal is converted by the DAC in the CD-player>the signal then goes in analog form to a pre-amp>and then goes to the amplifier>which then sends it to the speakers.

With your setup now you have a direct feed from Mini>speakers with on-board dedicated processing. Period.

Using the BeoSound 9000 and analog, you go from the CD-player>on-board DAC>Powerlink>Speakers. No question as to what's preferable. But as you mention, when you use the coax out from the BS9000, then there is no discernible difference -- then both signals are seen as identical and are processed as such by the BL5s.

Soundproof, exactly, couldn't agree more.

And just to clarify to others, the Mac mini should not be seen as a substitute to my BS9000. This one I'm going to save. The mini is just a faster more convenient way of listening to my large music collection, and a good DVD player.

I'm hoping to add a Beovision 5 (because it's the most beautiful TV ever in my opinion) to my setup this summer, and with a Beo TV I'm sure I'll add a pair of rear speakers and enjoy movies trough the BV5.

Since the Mini is such an inexpensive solution to a media server, it a no brainer not to have it. I mean I had cables worth 5 times this with my old High-end system! 😁 

Will there be in the future more speakers from B&O with a digital connextion and not only in the high-end class?

koning wrote:

Will there be in the future more speakers from B&O with a digital connextion and not only in the high-end class?

I've been thinking about the same thing, hopefully we will se more and more speakers using the same technology as the Beolab 5's.

Does the 9's have digital inputs BTW?

Nop!🙁

Soundproof: "I can not understand why the BeoSystem 3 does not have digital OUT ..."

My sentiments exactly.  If the BS3 had digital out, this common trend that we're seeing here (trying to use a computer in concert with other B&O audio pieces or simply using a computer alone) would be easily doable and with volume control.  I realize that this could seemingly be seen as B&O enabling their competitors (Apple?) over their own equipment.  But, IMHO, this would actually have the opposite effect and make B&O the de-facto high-end hardware for Apple A/V stuff.  With their PUCs already allowing control of the Apple TV, this just makes so much sense for B&O to do.

Please, someone at B&O, take note of these threads.  Part of your company's restructuring should entail embracing Apple.  Also, please put a digital out on the upcoming Beosystem 3 upgrade as well as a digital coaxial input in to your other speakers.

Mark

P.S.  This thread and a couple other recent threads (particularly the Beolab / ALT / phantom center thread) have been incredibly informative.  Thank you guys.

Install Pure Music software into the Mac mini and you will transform your mini into a transport that is beyond reproach though make sure you install enough RAM into the mini, I am running my Imac with 16Gb of RAM and set the Pure Music to use 1.5GB of buffer RAM under Pure memory player mode. The results and differences are beyond words. Try setting the Beolab 5s to max volume and use the sophisticated software's volume control, it uses a 32bit dithering instead of the usual 24bit in the Beolab5, play with the settings till you find one that suits your taste. I find no upsampling to be the most accurate and satisfying, when the processing is done correctly upsampling will only add artifice.

wonderfulelectric wrote:

Install Pure Music software into the Mac mini and you will transform your mini into a transport that is beyond reproach though make sure you install enough RAM into the mini, I am running my Imac with 16Gb of RAM and set the Pure Music to use 1.5GB of buffer RAM under Pure memory player mode. The results and differences are beyond words. Try setting the Beolab 5s to max volume and use the sophisticated software's volume control, it uses a 32bit dithering instead of the usual 24bit in the Beolab5, play with the settings till you find one that suits your taste. I find no upsampling to be the most accurate and satisfying, when the processing is done correctly upsampling will only add artifice.

The volume control in the BeoLab 5s isn't digital - it's analogue and comes after the DAC/DSP and before the amplifiers so going for a digital volume control would be a step backwards.

I would also argue that 32bit dithering with BeoLab 5s is a little meaningless when you're going to be bottlenecking the signal back to 24bit depth later on in the chain, unless of course you're using it because you like the sound of noise shaping (which is a trick many mastering engineers use to make digital sound a little more 'analog').

Just my 2c.