I have wondered the same thing.

Hi, I bought brand new Beolab 5 last May (2015) . I got a very good trade-in price and a big discount on the new speakers. I had 8 years old BL 5 and wanted to "renew" My speakers. I think that B&O will stop production during this year☹️. My theory is that IF B&o release "new" Beolab 5, It will cost at least 10-15 percent more which is a LOT of Money. And the trad-in price for old BL 5 will also be less when/if B&O release new BL5 speakers.

Best regards

Martin 

Sweden

I am thinking very much on the same lines. My BL5's are very early release and have been a faithful and loyal pair of companions over those years. Question is - do I keep, refresh, part-ex or what? I know they have some residual value and when one looks at what they cost me in 2003 and the trade-in value now, you really cant fault them. Almost a cost-neutral piece of consumer electronics in my mind.

From what I gather, BL5's are not and have never have been mega-sellers. I bet there are only a few thousand in circulation world-wide and would imagine that B&O make these either in small batches or keep a min/max stock of all parts needed for new-builds or as spares for existing units. I garner and infer this as I have recently heard that in the UK, there have to date only probably been 4, maybe 5 pairs of BL90's sold so far. I don't think that this is shocking - but I think it is reflective of the size of market that is really out there (think how many Meridian DSP8000 for instance at similar pricing to the BL90's would get released into the wild each year in to the UK alone?) for loudspeakers in the £15k to £50k range.

So to that end, I see the BL5's hanging around on the product list for some time yet on a made-to-order basis until the BL90 technology can trickle-down to cheaper units that dissect the BL20/BL5 price range.

So what to do?

Martin wrote:

Hi, I bought brand new Beolab 5 last May (2015) . I got a very good trade-in price and a big discount on the new speakers. I had 8 years old BL 5 and wanted to "renew" My speakers. I think that B&O will stop production during this year☹️. My theory is that IF B&o release "new" Beolab 5, It will cost at least 10-15 percent more which is a LOT of Money. And the trad-in price for old BL 5 will also be less when/if B&O release new BL5 speakers.

Best regards

Martin 

Sweden

I am pretty sure, that - if B&O makes  a "new". BL5 - it won't be just an updated BL5.

It will be a new speaker with the (or some of the) features of the BL90, thinking of WiSA, DPL, room compensation etc.

How the price will be, is hard to predict - however, if you want the 'new features', I am sure it will be worth waiting for.

The BL5 still is and will remain an excellent speaker.

Unfortunately, you won't be able to know, whether you have 'done the right thing' or not, untill we know with what the BL5 will be replaced (or if).

MM

I love my BeoLab 5s. Excellent sound and timeless design. You can own the current ones for years and they won't go out of style. If you are interested in a pair, I would suggest going second hand as they are built like a tank and you can get them used for a decent price. I have been debating the white covers, but $1000 USD isn't cheap for fabric!

The BL5 is, and always will be, one of the finest speakers made, and sadly underappreciated by the audiophile community. People who would have wet themselves over it if he name plate said Wilson Audio or Sonus Faber instead of B&O. There are precious few speakers out there that will plumb the depths of deep bass as the BL5 is capable of, and certainly none that will do it in as small a form factor. Plus I for one consider the design radical and timeless, they will look as modern 20 years from now as they do now, much like Bauhaus is still modern.

If you have the wherewithal, and the room for them, I wouldn't hesitate.

Barry Santini wrote:

The BL5s are one of the ultimate "wide-dispersion" speakers. It's like having almost a BL90 permanently set on 'party mode.'

I would not take that so far - it's more like the 'wide mode'.

Otherweise I pretty much agree with you.

Looking very much forward to the next generation BeoLabs ;-)

MM