Hello Chris

how handy are you? if you are fairly good with laying cable and doing a bit of DIY then why not do some of it yourself.  I knew nothing about setting up link rooms etc but bought a load of ML cable off ebay plus some juntion boxes and started myself - it allowed me time to work out where I wanted the cables to come into each room and as I decorated around the house worked them into the walls etc.  The junction boxes are relatively easy to cut the wires and join together - have never had a problem and my system seems to work fine - have 7 rooms (inc bathroom) that are all linked with ML and only used a B&O engineer to test the system and deal with some of the frequency settings on the TV's.  Cost me around £75 for the engineers time, around £150 for the cable and junction boxes and then my time (does not take into account the hidden costs of buying active/passive boxes and IRs)  It took me a little while to run all the cables etc but all was working fine and over the past 3 years as I've decorated have managed to lose all the wires in the walls etc.  I have also built in spare capacity in the ML in case I change my mind where I want to position equipment

why not try one room and see how you get on - that's what I did

Hugh

Hi,

Firstly; thanks for your responses.

Secondly; me and DIY really don't go! 

I would be buying an audio system, perhaps a beosound 4 and a set out loudspeakers, either 6000 or Beolab 3's. I would like them all mounted on the wall which (i think, as i havent actually moved in to my new house yet) is plasterboard.

Ideally i would like B&O or a.n.other to come in and do everything; run cables, mount wall brackets and hand me the remote when i get home from work! Do B&O repair any plasterboard following installation?

Obviously the price varies depending on the level of install and i would assume that what i described above is fairly standard for a B&O customer?

Thanks

Chris 

Correct, I've never paid anything for an install (nor subsequent updates) and I've only bought equipment over a period of time (ie. not a huge amount in one purchase).

If I paid something like £5000 for a CD player and two speakers, I wouldn't then expect to have to mount them myself. Hell, my landlords recently negotiated a free install for a £800 Sony TV, which included wall bracket installation and everything!

I think you will find this is a very tricky subject and costs will vary dramatically.  In my experience I have seen install costs from £45 to £80 per hour, some dealers have employed installation teams and therfore may offer reductions or even free install.  While others use contractors to do the work and therfore would, more than likely, have to charge to cover their costs.  I personally don't have a problem with install costs as long as they're realistic, the product costs what it costs and whether you argue if those costs are inflated or not, their not hiked up by the dealer.  The dealers all work to a similar margin, which by my calculations doesn't alow an awful lot if anything for installation costs.

Slightly different I know, but I had need of a plumbers services the other day to repair my systern, the part he fitted was £15 and my bill was nearly £90.  It might be a little on the steep side but the guy was efficient, tidy and was in and out very promtly.  He has a business to run and that comes at a cost.  I don't see why paying for a Bang & Olufsen installer should be any different.