mawheele wrote:

To be fair they've also had a few misses - not least the A3 which was a dumb product call. 

Don't agree on the A3, but you are not alone in your views.

Look at the discussion in the Beoworld/Mojo thread.

Graham

I'll stand on the ramparts and defend the A3 to the end!

When I first saw one I thought "Average"...

When I first handled one I thought "Average"...

When I first used one I thought "Not Bad"...

And, after about 2 years of daily use I can honestly say it's the piece of B&O I use the most - and if it broke and I couldn't find another one I'd be genuinely gutted.

It's not made of glamorous materials, it's for an iPad which is discontinued, it's bulky and cumbersome if you're trying to use it on anything but a hard and level surface - and it's a pain in the backside to keep charged up.

However - it sounds amazing for its size, it makes an iPad a small Television, it charges your iPad when you've been ditzy enough not to have put it on charge - and you can carry it from room to room with ease.

It's an unsung hero in my opinion. If you've owned one you'll agree... and if you haven't you'll call it a failure. 

Only my opinion, and we're all different.. but i'm right. 😎

As for B&O getting their Mojo back?

I've always stood by Tue Mantoni. I've never slated the man and never will as I believe the approach he has is correct. Limited Editions, Special Editions and the like - it tickles the modern consumers fancy. We're a fickle bunch. We get bored easily.

New products regularly - fine. We like that. Consumerism was 'invented' in the 1950's and it's gathered pace from there on. We buy into it so we're as guilty as the next man. Why not buy a perfectly good car now and use it until it's lifespan ends in 10-15 years? If you're happy with the sound of a pair of BeoLab 9's, keep them for 20 years... If you're happy with the image quality of 1080p HD then keep the TV until it blows up in 2032..

However - No, we want the latest and newest because we just 'do'.  It's been instilled into out psyche that we must have the latest gadget, the latest format, the latest shape (curved TV screens.. I mean, come on...).  I'm the same, so I'm not pointing fingers - it's just the way we are these days.

I think Tue, with his limited resources, has done an amazing job. I've met him - and I cannot tell you how driven he is. After an hour having breakfast with him I felt like high-fiving a lamp post - so the staff around him must be equally as driven.  He's tapped into the psyche of the modern consumer - and although the marketing ploys targeted at the 70's, 80's and 90's consumer prevail on here (and naturally, we berate that) he's looking to the future. A bold move, but a necessary one.

I'm also acquainted with some of the people B&O have drafted in to modernise the whole B&O store experience - and I can tell you that if B&O let them have their way (and the staff buy into it and follow) then the way you shop in a dealership will be on a whole new level.  I'll wait and see what happens, but it could be a great thing. I'd say it's 50/50 at the moment, but fingers crossed..

We're not out of the tunnel yet - but there's a dot of light in the distance.  I just think that ditching TV's would be suicide for the company - but what do i know?!

Lee

I completely support Lee's arguments regarding the A3. I have one, i agree.

It is the most used device in our household. It is placed on top of the american fridge in the kitchen, delivering either easy access to internet and recipes, music streaming or TV. It is just a great device and a perfect "second use" for an outdated iPad ;-) And it was a bargain at only €99 :-)

Regarding the topic of the thread:

As long as people (in this case Lee in the second pat of his post) are posting such inspiring/interesting/meaningful messages in this forum i think neither B&O nor this forum has lost it's Mojo.

Excellent post Lee!

Great post(s), Lee. As always, hard to disagree.

I'll join the A3 fan club, aka The B&O Netflix Box. This is the most used device in our home as well. The sound is superb for its size, but the fact that it operates on battery for TV viewing takes it to another level of practicality IMHO. 

I was one of the early adopters of the PC direction of the company, and was very happy with the move from the BeoMedia 1 to BeoSound 5/BeoMaster 5. Back in 2012 I got another BS9k with speakers since I missed my CD's, but the fact is that this system have collected nothing but dust while the BS5/BM5 combo is in daily use. Looking back, the BS5 changed the way I listen to music and the inclusion of Spotify was a perfect fit for me. Very much looking forward to the Moment.

The new products do not require the same level of knowledge - I think. No fiddling with tiny MasterLink cables, audio-, link and video masters option settings, RF link amplifiers/modulators... And the questions asked on the Forum will of course reflect this.

I love that the best products on BeoWorld have always been those recently discontinued. BeoWorld still has its mojo - mainly thanks to the effort made by Lee and Peter.

Just replaced our 7-55 on a low floor stand (with BL7-6) with the Avant-55 this weekend, and as the telly will turn close to 90 deg to face the sofa the improvement was obvious. The stand can be placed 10 cm from the wall and still allow for the telly to turn close to 90 deg - magical. The on/off experience with the Avant is at the same magical level as my AV9000 back in 1992 (with its mechanical curtain motorized stand). And, somehow, the Avant manages to look half the size of the 7-55 with the same picture size. Amazing. And, yes, the sound of the Avant is an improvement - no doubt. Picture? With 1080p sources: yes - 720p or SD? Well... Awaiting the SW update coming Sept 3rd. :-)

BeoWorld - the more things change, the more they stay the same. The product launches the last 1.5 -2 years from B&O show that they are on to something.

Roger

Lee has given words to my thoughts in a way that I could never do myself 🤒

As I wrote in my first post: to me B&O never lost it's mojo.

Sure there has been/are up's and down's - but there is nothing out there to compare with what B&O as an overall solution can deliever.

Only thing I disagree is his estimate for the chances of succees for the 'new' B&O - they are far more than 50/50.

MM

9 LEE wrote:

If you're happy with the image quality of 1080p HD then keep the TV until it blows up in 2032..

Sadly, I really doubt that a new product being made today (today including the last five years or so) can work properly for 10 years+.

The reason I bought a BV11 over a BV10 is that I wanted to be satisfied untill 2032, satisfied with a good picture and a good sound in a good package.

I get a good picture (overall better to my eyes than BV10 especially the dark scenes even if BV10 picture had a more natural feel), an extraordinary sound for movies and one of the best looking tv's ever made (and in Denmark !) but, there is of course a but, why oh why some crackling noises and dust under glass are appearing after a few months of timid use ?

From the (bad) experience I had with my previous tv I think it's just the beginning of troubles to come and I don't whant that twice on a modern tv (BV10 / BV11).

Of course my trusty dealer is here when there are problems but after what I lived with BV10 and spending an important amount of money on a new BV11 I now think my time should be better spent than installing cooling kits or whatever dust killers.

Better reliabillity rather than a technology race for me please.