Connect Beolab 5 to non-B&O system

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Bubbza (archived2)
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Posted December 28, 2012 at 11:13 GMT
#1985749

 

I have a pair of BL5 and a pair of BL3 which I want to connect to my other equipment that consists of Samsung TV (UE55ES7005), Boxee Box, Playstation 3.

I tried to connect my BL5:s to a receiver (Pioneer VSX-2021-K) and the preouts of that receiver. That ended up with broken BL5:s and a repair cost of about 1500 USD. I dont know what went wrong. Probably some kind of spikecurrent killing the 5:s.

 

Now I wont dare to connect the BL5:s to my receiver again. Do any of you guys that own or has owned BL5:s any experience with connecting the speakers to a non-B&O system in a successful way? How did you do it exactly?

I've read on the forums that there are some different kind of soultuions, consisting of:

1. A/V source --> DacMagicPlus (coax digital out) --> BL5 left (digital in)(digital out) --> BL5 right (digital in) [carlito]

2. A/V source --> Preamp (coax digital out)(i.e. NAD T187) --> BL5 left (digital in)(digital out) --> BL5 right (digital in) [beoinbuff]

3. A/V source --> VLINK 192 (coax digital out) --> BL5 left (digital in)(digital out) --> BL5 right (digital in) [nigelreece]

4. A/V source --> Receiver (preout) --> BL5 left (line in) and BL5 right (line in) [ari]

5. A/V source --> TC Electronic Impact Twin (coax digital out) --> BL5 left (digital in)(digital out) --> BL5 right (digital in) [bayerische]

I would prefer not to connect the BL5:s to a preout socket another time, risking to damage them.  Duly note that I also want to connect my BL3s to serve as rear speakers in my surround system.

Which solution is the best with my equipment?

Some claim that the BL5 can't play thru the digital sockets unless its like a CD-signal or something. I dont quite understand that. Am I forced to connect the speakers to the preout if I dont have a CD-source?

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bayerische (archived2)
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Posted December 28, 2012 at 11:54 GMT
#1985750

First off, did you have the BL5's set in the right mode, when you connected them to the pioneer?

 

Second, I have my BL5's connected to a Impact Twin sound card which is connected to my Mac mini.

I do have my old BS9000 connected too, but only as a controller for the BL5's as the early model for some reason didn't have the support of the volume synch cable.

 

I'm very happy with my setup, as it allows me a great user interface (ipad with remote app) and great sound quality by feeding the impact twin with the core audio from the mac mini.

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bayerische (archived2)
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Posted December 28, 2012 at 11:56 GMT
#1985751

Your final question, yes in the normal mode of the BL5's where they are thought to be connected to B&O equipment, the BL5's only listen to the digital socket once CD is chosen as a source. 

 

But if you activate the "3rd party" mode on the BL5's with a B&O remote, you'll have them listening to the digital input all the time. 

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Bubbza (archived2)
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Posted December 28, 2012 at 12:17 GMT
#1985752

The mode is set to "1" and I turn them on with the "radio" button on the Beo4-remote.

How do you connect your Mac Mini to the Impact Twin sound card? How do you connect Impact Twin sound card to the BL5:s (im fugring digital coax out to one speaker and from that speaker to the next speaker)?

Do you control the impact twin sound card with the ipad app or is it the beolab 5 speakers you control with the app?

My main concern with the Impact Twin card is that it seems to have rather few input connections, specifically optical inputs (only 1). If I want to connect my ps3, boxee box and Samsung TV, there is not enough sound inputs. Do you only have the mac mini feeding the sound card?

How would I connect my pair Beolab 3:s to the impact twin soundcard?

 

 

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bayerische (archived2)
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Posted December 28, 2012 at 14:53 GMT
#1985753

i don't remember the modes, but it's in the manual. (Do you have it)

 

Mac mini is connected with firewire to the impact twin. Only way to let the impact twin take over as master clock.

 

Impact twin is connected to BL5's with the digital coaxial cable. Feeding them 16bit, 44,4khz. All music is fed this way.

 

For sound volume I usually use the Beolinks, but for music selection I use the remote app on the ipad to control my itunes library.

 

I only need the one source, as I'm not interested in surround sound from the TV... So can't help you there. 

 

 

 

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uponmysam
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Posted December 30, 2012 at 15:30 GMT
#1985754

MacMini is connected with USB to the Cambridge DACMagic Plus. On the MacMini i'm using the Software Audirvana for low jitter. Works perfekt with iTunes and the Remote App. Personaly i prefer the 88.2khz upscaling mode.

The DACMagic is connected direct per SPDIF to the Beolab 5.The AppleTV and the Beocenter 2 is also connected to the DACMagic.

same as bayerische wrote

For sound volume I usually use the Beolinks, but for music selection I use the remote app on the ipad to control my itunes library.

I only need the one source, as I'm not interested in surround sound from the TV...

 

 

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bayerische (archived2)
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Posted December 30, 2012 at 15:37 GMT
#1985755

carlito wrote:

MacMini is connected with USB to the Cambridge DACMagic Plus. On the MacMini i'm using the Software Audirvana for low jitter. Works perfekt with iTunes and the Remote App. Personaly i prefer the 88.2khz upscaling mode.

The DACMagic is connected direct per SPDIF to the Beolab 5.The AppleTV and the Beocenter 2 is also connected to the DACMagic.

same as bayerische wrote

For sound volume I usually use the Beolinks, but for music selection I use the remote app on the ipad to control my itunes library.

I only need the one source, as I'm not interested in surround sound from the TV...

 

 

What does the Dac magic do in your setup?

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Bubbza (archived2)
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Posted December 30, 2012 at 17:05 GMT
#1985756

Carlito, I guess you only use the Beolab 5 speakers and nothing else? I guess the DagMagicPlus cant handle more than the BL5:s (such as Beolab 7-2 centre speaker and Beolab 3 as rear speakers)? Can you adjust the bass-level of the Beolab 5:s?

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uponmysam
Bronze
Posted December 31, 2012 at 09:40 GMT
#1985757

No, i use also a Beocenter 2 as Masterlink Master and i have 2 rooms with Beolab 3500. I have also a Beovision 6 TV, which is connected by Masterlink. The Beocenter 2 has Pre-Outs - the Beolab 5 are connected analog (Radio and AV-TV for the TV sound)

The DacMagic is my D/A converter for feeding the Beoport.

If i wanna listen to TV sound or Radio, i have to switch off the DACMagic - otherwise the Digital input is busy

You can adjust the Bass level if you use the iTunes Equalizer or place the Beolab 5 in the middle of the rooms and run the calibration again. After the calibration you can replace them

 

 

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bayerische (archived2)
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Posted December 31, 2012 at 10:08 GMT
#1985758

From what I've understood activating the iTunes equalizer you are compromising the audio file quality.

 

Member soundproof is an "expert" on this. IMHO.

 

So the dacmagic is not connected to the Beolab5's?

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