MogensB wrote:

In 2011 my B&O Avant32 died after just 8 years. It was replaced with a BeoVision 7-4 mrk IV. Just the other day the display became faulty. The problem is, that B&O cannot repair the display. You have to buy a second hand TV.

I'm not sure I agree with this either. 8 years is significant for the life of most electronic products used daily, from any manufacturer. If you think about it, your TV is switched on/off most days and gets a lot of use over this period. Panels - which make up the highest proportion of the cost of the TV itself - only have a finite lifespan and remember B&O has to rely on panel manufacturers and these manufacturers change their specs almost yearly. Unless B&O stockpiles old components and leaves them to gather dust in their warehouse, what else can they do? And even if you wanted to swap out a panel on an 8-year-old B&O, it would be so cost-ineffective it *would* be cheaper to buy a second hand replacement.

If someone said to be 8 years ago: "you can rent this B&O TV for £75/month for 8 years" I'd have gone with that option. I don't think anyone can get angry that their TV has only lasted them 8 years and after 8 years can't always be fixed.

You cannot get a new Beovision 7-40 with bluray dvd, 7.2 speaker, motorstand and  DVHD-C for that prize in Denmark. Here we have to pay around £123 per month - if you use 8 years. It only lasted in 7 years = around £ 140 pr. month.

I have a lot of old electric components, which I use every day without problems. My old computer, which I bought in 1992 stopped working in 2017 - used every day!  The old B&O TV from 1985 still working - so it could  be done - back then!

‘Is buying B&O today a sound investment’

I wonder what you guys would buy instead - I would not know it!

MM

LG for TV.  Sonos for Multiroom music. B&O Loudspeakers ?

9 LEE wrote:

LG for TV.  Sonos for Multiroom music. B&O Loudspeakers ?

One possibility, yes, but.......

MM

In my experience, many of the music system software issues have been sorted.  I've had an Eclipse for a year, and maybe I've had to reset it once (and I think the problem was ultimately with the cable box).  I very warily purchased a BS2 a few weeks ago, and it has been rock solid.  I've had an Essence for a few years, and it had its fair share of issues until I hardwired it to an apple express.  Recently, I upgraded my wifi from apple to orbi (and dropped the airport express) and have had no further issues with the Essence.

B&O has definitely had their software issues, but maybe (hopefully) much of this is behind them.  Meanwhile, I have a chromecast audio that always seems to require some fiddling whenever I want to use it.  I put up with it because it was a $35 investment (vs. much much more for a Core), but I mention it to point out that B&O is not alone with it comes to software problems.

Go back to the question of "if not B&O, then what?".  I really did not want to buy an Eclipse, mostly for fears about longevity (see 3rd party panel discussion above) after the huge initial cost.  However, in all my shopping, I could not find anything comparable.  I definitely paid a premium, but I also didn't see any real competition (my room is shaped oddly so the motorized stand was crucial as was the overall elegance of the package).  Has anyone shopped motorized stands?  Ugly, loud and expensive.

Now I'll just punt to the original question - it depends on your financial situation, and what you want from the product.  Unfortunately, I don't think any product lasts forever.  Custom boards and advanced manufacturing techniques kind of kill the long term repair-ability.  Software is an issue everywhere (some worse than others).  Just pulling some numbers from the air:  1 in 100,000 might say the Eclipse is worth it.  1 in 10,000 might like the Beosounds.  1 in 1000 for the speakers.

Sandyb wrote:

A world of more than one remote!!

 

 

Aaaargh!

 

 

Seriously though, if they don’t come up with a way to integrate 3rd party TV screens with their speakers, then it's well and truly over.

 

 

Not saying that they won't, more that they'd better....

Solutions already exist, e.g. Almando or oneremote. No need to wait for a half-baked B&O solution.

Maybe they must ask Len brook from bluesound Node how to make a working Audio Streamer!

schatzoy wrote:

Solutions already exist, e.g. Almando or oneremote. No need to wait for a half-baked B&O solution.

.....and the work of the Audio Department in Struer in the last 6-8 years just got neclected 😲

MM