So glad that you liked the 5s so much. If they are within you reach, go for it
As for the start of an obsession, Be careful! you'll soon be as ga-ga as the rest of us
Welcome to the forum----tell all your friends 😁

Andy T.

welcome on the forum.

you just described on of the main problem of b&o: most people think it is only about design, but it is mainly about sound- and picture-quality

The BeoLab 5s have been ignored by the regular audiophile crowd because they run counter to everything they go by.

You're supposed to have separate monobloque amplifiers for speakers at this quality level; you're supposed to run a signal cable to the amps -- then a loudspeaker cable to the units.
From an audiophile's viewpoint, the BL5s are tweakproof.
In all fairness, the fact that they do not have Balanced IN takes quite a few potential audiophiles out of the equation. They simply do not feel comfortable with hooking up to the standard Line IN RCA connector. And feeding them an SP/DIF signal, straight from the source, also takes some of the fun out of being an audiophile.

BL5s are simply too plug-and-play for audiophile comfort. I had a pair examined by one of the world's foremost sound engineers. He laughed out loud when he saw the signal cable -- but he sat down to listen once they got going, he was quite impressed with them, but never got comfortable with the fact that he couldn't be 100% certain both loudspeakers were at the exact same volume setting, when run from a non-B&O source. Since there's no visual level feedback you can't really be absolutely certain -- unless you push both speakers to maximum volume, and then take down the signal you feed them -- but that's not ideal.

So - audiophiles are missing out on an incredible experience. But it's fun to set them in front of a pair and watch their jaw slide open. 

I'm in the final stages of planning my music room, where a pair of BL5s will take pride of place. I'll be feeding them via the SP/DIF digital connection, but routing the signal through a line-level and equalizer unit from my various sources. Can't wait! These speakers are world class marvellous. Sheer delight for the ears and soul.

 

Could not agree more.😉There is Bose dealer close to where I work. Had a look at some of the Bose products. The finish on them is so cheap IMO very plastic. No look of quality at all.

Craig😁 

Bose is illusion over reality, and they play a pretty good trick when you consider the size of the speakers. But put them next to comparably priced "proper" speakers and you're in for an entirely different experience. Yet Bose's positioning is a worthwhile one - to create audio systems that blend in unobtrusively, while providing sound.

I don't like their sound, not involving enough. Get the same experience I get when I compare a compressed mp3 vs. uncompressed or lossless. Yes, the music's there, but not all there, by a serious margin.

Peter's making a reference to the fact that the Beogram CD 7000 (and 6500) have an S/PDIF digital out connector in the back, which you can hook directly to BL5s. Very few of today's CD transports match the quality of earlier CD-players - (there are companies that build their own, but most are using "off the rack" units that also double as DVD-players, multi-format this and that. Audiophiles are going hunting among older items, looking for equipment to refurbish.)
And Peter's right, the present B&O sources aren't at benchmark level for audiophile reproduction.

In the German Forum at the previous BeoWorld there was a lengthy discussion of how one could upgrade both the Beosystem 7000 amp and the CD-player. I'm going to have that done to my units.

The "secret" is to find units that produce the sound you are most pleased with - it's a very subjective thing (mildly put). Whether new or old doesn't matter, as long as they help you go deep diving into all the music you've been missing out on! 🙂

Don't forget the BL3s in your encomium to the BL5s. The BL3s are surprisingly versatile and rich speakers -- I use them as headphones, absolutely brilliant.