Getting a warmer sound from my Beolab 8002 speakers

32 replies
T(
ToT (archived2)
Bronze
18 posts
Posted December 15, 2020 at 11:08 GMT
#2148440

Hello all, newbie here!

After having enjoyed my JBL S412PBE's for 20 years I thought it was time for something new and I was able to get some second hand 8002's blindly without testing them. I already had heard Beolabs 18's and thought these would be rather similar.

I was really excited to try them out at home, but to be really honest I find the sound to be quite disappointing; very harsh treble and even at the lowest setting of the ICE switch the bass is too limited and at the same time too boomy for my taste. (I do notice that correct placement is VERY important with these speakers; I try to keep them out of the corners.) It really sounds like there is some tiny subwoofer in them with very limited capacity. No subtlety!

The bass doesn't go really deep and it also lacks detail compared to my JBL's, but of course the comparison is a bit unfair.
What bothers me most is the harsh highs that seriously hurt my ears and the lack of warmth.
I wonder if anyone could give me some tips to improve the sound?

My setup: the 8002's are connected to the pre-amp connectors of my Onkyo TX-DS696. My Samsung television is connected with a toslink cable to the amp and the computer uses a Steinberg UR12 to connect to the amp.
Using an equializer on the pc does improve things a bit, but I still can't get enough warmth with the low vocals and electric guitars etc. I also keep changing the settings with every song that I play and I just want to simply enjoy my music.
With the tv the sound is more or less....acceptable. And it's a shame to get only acceptable sound of these expensive speakers.


I am thinking of a tube pre-amp like the Schiit Freya + once it gets available here.
I do love tube amps; I used to have a Decw3are Taboo MK3, but that one is too expensive to buy back and it of course isn's a pre-amp and I'm not sure if it would work with the integrated amp of the 8002's.
Another thing; the set is turned on all day long every day. With tube amps that will seriously limit the lifespan of the tubes.

Anyone got any tips for me? A nice pre-amp (New or second hand; my budget is about €1000) could be an option.
Or maybe stick to a normal amp and add a subwoofer?

fansastic
fansastic
Bronze
813 posts
Posted December 15, 2020 at 16:07 GMT
#2148441
Just try a beosound of some sort, the beolabs are active speakers and are on their best using the internal amps and dsp’s.

You can pick up a Beosound Essence mk1 (without multiroom which I think you do not need) for around €200 and connect that to your other equipment through aux in of the Essence. Your BL8002’s are connected with powerlink to the Essence and use their own amps.

Then you are able to use spotify, deezer and tunein as a source from the Essence and play everything else from your current system to the essence.

Sound level control is a bit harder, for the B&O side it must be done through the beo app or with a Beo remote 4 (you need a IR link eye on the Essence) or the Essence remote Bluetooth. The other equipment will need their own remotes.

When watching tv multiple remotes is a bit harsh but then again if you need the 8002’s to play sound for normal tv watching, it is a strange stereo image to begin with.

This way you are in B&O world and in your current equipment world. Maybe I’m overlooking something but my point is: use the amps in the speakers, not bypassing it by means of other pre amps. Also my guess is you will gain a lot of sound quality on your speakers by using them as they were designed. The BL8002’s are known for their warmth and rich sound qualities. Bass is good but not super good. Your description of their sound performance does not match their typical behaviour.

Hope this helps
T(
ToT (archived2)
Bronze
18 posts
Posted December 15, 2020 at 16:27 GMT
#2148442

Alright, thanks a lot! :D
Yeah I have been looking at B&O gear to connect everything with, but most things that I looked at didn't have enough connectors for my tv and computer. (Like the Beomaster 5 and such)
This what you just mentioned does look a lot better, yes.
And I am used to using mupltiple remote controls while watching tv, so that's no problem, haha!

I will check for it, thanks again! But then I of course also need new cables; din to din. :)

 

Is there something else from B&O that I could use for them?

fansastic
fansastic
Bronze
813 posts
Posted December 15, 2020 at 17:56 GMT
#2148443
Hi, the correct cables for b&o are called powerlink cables, your speakers have the older PL (dinlike) connection, for more modern b&o you need powerlink rj45 connectors (like lan cables).

You need either powerlink to powerlink or (for i.e. essence) powerlink to rj45. Look at soundsheavenly.com for more details, Steve can provide any cable (and advise) you need.

In short you can buy multiple beosound systems for your needs. My guess is you’ll be best of with the more modern systems due to more connection options.

- Beosound Essence (mk1 is cheaper than mk2 due to added multiroom capabilities of the latter).

- Beosound Core

Also there is a connection hub for the beolab (beoplay) s8, a 2.1 speaker system. This speakers were designed for non-B&O systems in mind and with the hub you could connect tv’s / surround decoders.

These 3 options will fit you best I think. They can be found second hand through many channels, depending which country you are in.

Be aware, I’m not experienced at all with integration between B&O and other brands.

My guess is you will be served best with either Essence and S8!connection hub, please investigate yourself in more detail.

Surely others on the forum can guide you in the right direction even further.

T(
ToT (archived2)
Bronze
18 posts
Posted December 15, 2020 at 21:09 GMT
#2148444

The Essence is a bit pricey here. The Beosystem 3 Mk 1 isn't much more expensive and it has a lot of options.
Would that be a good alternative, or is it too old to use the Beolab 8002's to their full potential?
Edit: Ah I didn't refresh the page, I now see your other reaction. Thanks for the new information again.But still I would like to hear your opinion about the Beosystem 3. :-)
Edit 2: Ik zie nu pas dat je ook uit Nederland komt, haha! Waar kun je die Essence zo goedkoop krijgen dan?

fansastic
fansastic
Bronze
813 posts
Posted December 16, 2020 at 08:04 GMT
#2148445
For purpose of this forum I keep my reaction in English. Essence mk1 is being sold from time to time in a range between €175-€250. There is one on Marktplaats now for €275.

The beosystem 3 was designed for TV use and has many many connection options. It will serve you a lot of possibilities to connect your system. But it needs to be setup through service menus on the tv. More simple way is to add a essence or an connection hub. You can look for this on ebay UK and Germany, Marktplaats.nl or 2dehands.be. Second life dealers in Holland are Summa455 or Secondlife Breda.

I would go for a essence mk1, you can set it up through the Bang Olufsen App, use the internal streaming services and is not expensive. You must see for yourself if the connections are able to integrate with your current setup.

There are many people on the forum who have integrated B&O with other equipment. They can assist too if you pinpoint your setup in more detail.

Main question is how you want your tv to be integrated with the BL’s and what kind of music sources you use (DLNA, iTunes, Spotify, Deezer, TuneIn and so on).

T(
ToT (archived2)
Bronze
18 posts
Posted December 16, 2020 at 08:50 GMT
#2148446

You're right about keeping it in English! :-)

Yeah perhaps the Essence is better. On the other hand I also do like the idea of a possibillity to add a subwoofer later if needed. I have to think about it.
Setting a device up once  In fact I would prefer that rather than connecting something to the Internet so I can set it up with an app on my phone. I want to keep things simple. I don't want to pull extra networkcables or mess around with the firewall of my modem to add a wifi connection; for some reason that often gives problems here.

The tv should just give its sound through either toslink or RCA to an amp and the music that I play from my compputer is locally stored (MP3 and FLAC).
I don't use iTunes or Spotify etc. :-)

fansastic
fansastic
Bronze
813 posts
Posted December 16, 2020 at 11:43 GMT
#2148447
With the Essence you can add additional speakers and subwoofer from B&O, no problem.

MH
Martin Hemmi
Bronze
30 posts
Posted December 16, 2020 at 12:03 GMT
#2148448

Hi,

I restored 3 pairs of Beloab 800(2)s now. Let's be honest. B&O is about design, not high-end equipment. PCBs have bad quality, conductors come of PCBs only when you intensively look at them. PCB-Layout is so bad, you can hear the noise in the speakers.
My emotional connection to these devices is that I got them from my uncle for free wenn he moved and my wife is an art director, not an engineer. Sadly, I am an engineer and had to improve them while maintaining the look.
Anyway, small box volume and cheap speakers limit your goals. But, what you can do is:

Exchange electrolyte capacitors to better ones, especially in the power supply. But be careful. Conductors come off the PCB as easy as nothin. Coupling capacitors can be changed to WIMA foil-capacitors. All that gave bass a little more definition. Tweeter can be tamed a little with 0,05mH-coils in series to them. Experiment with inductivity a little. Don't expect too much.

I use them as pc-Speakers at my desk.

 

 

T(
ToT (archived2)
Bronze
18 posts
Posted December 16, 2020 at 12:40 GMT
#2148449

Haha alright then! That's clear language.

Unfortunately I am not so good with soldering electronics.
I do have the feeling that I shouldn't have bought these after all. :(

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