Dear members,
something I wanted to do for long and have now finally been able to conclude - a comparison of pre ABL Beolab 8000s and post ABL Beolab 8000s.
Let me fist say that what I will write are only first impressions and I will do some more tests. Also, sound is always a bit hard to describe, but still I think the subject might be of interest to some and maybe others can add to what I have found and critically reflect or even contradict.
I started with the post ABL version and then listened to the pre ABL version. At first glance, the post ABL version has stronger bass and sounds clearer. So, when directly comparing the two, one could easily conclude that the post ABL version sounds better. To me it was similar to my experience when comparing Beovox 45'2s to Beovox MC 120'2s. I had one pair of each type of speaker attached to my 6000 quad, so could easily switch back and forth between them. Also in this case, I found 45'2s to be clearer and have stronger bass. Not much between them, but in direct comparison it sounds like it.
Another aspect one could add is that the pre ABL lab 8000s sound warmer, less clinical, a bit more analog and maybe even more full (?) - I guess those are the words typically used to describe what I have found. They appear to be better balanced than the post ABL version just like I would say the MC 120'2s are more balanced than the 45'2s (although those are pretty well-balanced, too).
So, which ones do I prefer over the others? Honestly, I can't tell. As mentioned above, post ABL Beolab 8000s can easily appear better sounding at first glance in direct comparison, but the pre ABL version seems to be better balanced and will therefore probably be less tiring to listen to.
I'd be curious finding out what others who have done similar comparisons think about this.
Greetings,
Kai
