The question I have for the owners here - do you hoard equipment?  Do you consider yourself a 'collector' and a brand enthusiast more than a music enthusiast?  A recent set of well maintained Penta speakers has come available to me and I started looking again, but I don't even know where they'd go.  What would I possibly do with them, outside of buy a Beosound that will be challenging to use.  Is all of our B&O equipment in active use or do you consider yourself a hoarder?  If you use a lot of B&O equipment, do you feel you're forgoing the latest equipment and DACs and innovations?  Do you blend your B&O equipment with modern gear?  If you are addicted to B&O and the amazing designs, how you do make it work?

If you have a lot of modern gear as well, and maybe you have a set of Pentas - do you still listen to them?  Do you find them to be worthwhile, or is the age of this equipment showing audibly and you feel like you've leaving something behind sonically to keep them around?

Do I hoard B&O or equipment?

No is the short answer. Being living in Denmark B&O is everywhere new, old, rare and rusted too nothing but junk. Not kidding Dillen just got 2 Beomaster from me not worth it. I can't see the point in hoard or collect every B&O I come across. One mans collection is another mans space! Even though I have it currently I am to big in mind on the point of it all.

I have been brand loyal to B&O since 2003 when in about 3 weeks I had a serviced and full system 2000 from the mid '80's + Attyca II. But the reason was always to have something to play music back on and still is. 

I still got to buy my pair of Penta's. Beovox or Beolab does not matter but it depends every time on the B&O need. Beosystem 6500 and 6000 with Beovox speakers handle the need perfectly at this point in time.

I use my 2 Beosystem in 2 different rooms. The 6000 from 1981 when playing drums. It is just loud enough or record play back. The 6500 is in the main room and always in daily enjoyment. I do have loose B&O items that I do not really use and may need service but not to much.

No I do not really want to change anything again! Now this and this all the time. Look at B&O 1991 and then 1999. Keep up with the new things or same thing new wrapping. I am happy with what I got and I can get it serviced by a pro that is Dillen here. 1981 or 1991 it still sounds great even the cassette players which I still use. Old B&O is like one push and you got music out of the speakers. With a remote or without.

Then it is the question of hard drive and music. I am not into keeping music on a Iphone like basis as they keep updating and out of date while properly crash someday with the content. It does not seem to better just different and current trend! I could care less.

Blending B&O? No not at the moment. But maybe I will get DAT player and B&O never made those.

Well the first couple of years it was more about figuring out how different B&O was and the experience of it. Then you find some conclussion to it and just stick with what you have. So the current need as I mentioned is 6500 in one room and 6000 in the other. Perfect world!

Yes I always listen to it on daily basis. That is why I got it and its the world to me. The old stuff sound as good as the new stuff and despite that you have to have it serviced by 20 odd years it is part of the more fair price you can get it at by then.

It would only change if I wanted some other B&O to try. Then I would see what be best for the need. Currently I really dig what I have.

Thank you for a lovely post.

I think this will generate quite a discussion!

10 years ago I was a hoarder of vintage equipment.

Then I branched out into the modern era.

Now I listen purely with the modern equipment; and sadly the vintage I s gathering dust. But I cannot bring myself to sell anything !

To satisfy your itch, I think you should decide which of your existing equipment you'll retire. And plan the next B&O purchase around that.

Let's hope that the "Moment" will be what you need to branch out.

welcome danox and as elephant says you will hear alot of different reasons...

I'm a music geek who just loves well thought out design and I must say I have a good mix of new to mid 80's equipment which all gets used regularly.

My Penta's are connected to a 7000 system and Playmaker and get used most weekends; mainly record deck and radio. BeoSound 1 connected to airplay in the master bedroom generates my weekend morning sounds and BeoLit 12 is in the kitchen where I normally stream internet radio too over breakfast or when doing chores when the family is out. Century sits in my home office and I normally connect my iPod/iPhone to it or use it for 1st airings on new CD's.

Personally I enjoy the physical interaction and preparation before listening to music; but all my audio & visual are backed up in the cloud (I listen continuously to music or podcasts on the move when I am by myself), and in my mind its the same as allowing wine to air or warming up before exercise, I rush around enough in my life and when at home I like to take pleasure in listening to music ..

B&O gives me those selfish moments to enjoy both good sound and design 

 

 

Like Mark my life is hectic and my listening to music at home is confined to the weekend daytime when I use BeoLab 3s to listen to my ripped collection or to iTunes radio, or in recent weeks Vevo music videos.

In the 80s and 90s I used to use my vintage (some might argue that it's too youthful to classify as vintage - I think in the car collector trade it would therefore be a veteran) BeoMaster 5000 stack to play the CDs (that are now ripped) with 55s in the 80s, RL60s in the 90s, and in the early 00s it was back to the 55s.

I listen to the ripped music on an iPad inside an A3 when I am shaving - or I can use it to reach to the wireless and gain access to internet radios or the ripped collection.

And for the rest of the day I rely on my iPhone - usually with Apple's earbuds and their control and microphone so I can take calls; or when flying my A8 earpieces either with the iPhone or with an adapter to the airline's system.

A recent win, is that after travelling with my son to Europe and back and loaning him some A8s (we actually have 3 pairs) he is now asking for some B&O buds as a Christmas present .... YES ... we have contagion !!!

Welcome to Beoworld.
Interesting question you're asking. But, I have to say that this subject have been dealt with in many threads here on Beoworld.
- Why people are buying B&O, when they started, how they are using it, addiction, collecting or not collecting etc.

I am a bit too lazy to write all over again, what I have written in other threads 😕 (and i think some others are too, as there - so far - are only a few postings in this thread)
So I have found a few links to earlier threads, that I hope will answer some your questions:

/forum/general-discussion-and-questions/flash-your-bampo---new-thread

/forum/general-discussion-and-questions/your-latest-addiction

/forum/general-discussion-and-questions/streaming-or-cd-old-and-new-side-by-side#post-2023142

/forum/general-discussion-and-questions/how-many-generation-of-bampo-lovers-in-your-family#post-2017575

 

Thank you all, and Steffen, I understand what you are saying.  I see a lot of posts about problems people have with hardware failures, gapless playback, integration with the latest features, and really, although I was initially asking about why you love B&O, the meat of the question is really this: Do you feel like you are sometimes making a tradeoff in sound or features for the design?

I suppose I am attracted to the gear even though it does not do everything other things can do, I don't really mind that, as ultimately when you just sit down to listen, the bells and whistles don't mean much.  Right now, I have a lot of squeezebox gear that I consider to be unmatched actually, and my library of music is carefully curated - sometimes I think I get as much enjoyment out of organizing it as I do listening.  But I am used to having excellent, fast, reliable apps to find what I want and I don't make many tradeoffs to do that.

So, that being said, I have acquired a very, very well preserved pair of Penta II speakers and a Beocenter 9500, and I think there is more to come.  I've a few ideas on how to implement these in my listening areas to see if I am happy with them, so I suppose I will know myself in the coming months.

Thank you everyone!