I would say BeoLab 3s are very good value.

I am not the biggest fan of the BS4 but that's not to say I still don't like it, I do, to a point. But I certainly wouldn't pair it up with BL9s! I'd put it with BL8s, BL6s or BL4s and second-hand ones at that. If I am going to invest £5,000 on a pair of speakers then I am going to invest in a player to match it so my first choice would be to wait for the new BS5, secondly use a BC2, or thirdly use BS3000 or BS9000 with it. I am sure the BS4 would sound great and its not the aulity of sound I am disputing, rather the mix of products, which in my mind is taking a short cut. It would be like having a car where the front is a Porsche and the back is a Ford. I am sure many will disagree but that's how I look at it. I don't like grey areas. I am either all in or all out, nothing in the middle. But we are all different :)

Simon.

I don't understand how the BS4 could be viewed as a basic, or budget product, it runs rings around the ouverture in build quality and refinement, the BS4 has all the little details covered, and owning one lets you see that. I don't see anything wrong with pairing the BS4 with a pair of BL9, in fact it makes the most sense. BL9's don't need anything more than what the BS4 offers. It's also a better CD player to me, as it reads almost anything! Scratched CD's normally aren't an issue, which is really convenient.

However, nothing beats the way the BC2 looks on the floor stand with it's wings opening, stunning!

LOL! I knew I was going to get some stick with that post!! No, don't get me wrong, it is a decent product the BS4 so I am not really sure what I am rambling on about. I guess when I first saw it I just didn't think it had the B&O 'WOW!' factor that's all. I guess with the other products like BS3000 and BS9000 they are so timeless and have stood the test of time that I would rather see those paired up with the Lab 9s. I agree with the previous post about the BC2 on its stand and how great it looks when it opens up. That is a neat B&O design.

I must admit, I heard the BS4 playing a CD through a pair of Lab 3000s at the Bath showroom and I was very impressed. The newest speakers in the range are top notch and everything I would expect from B&O. In some way, for me the BS4 wasn't quite up their to match. Put it this way, its a product that grows on me evey time I see it. I certainly think its a very good product, just a little shy of having that extra special touch for me to call it a great product, that's all.

I do know what you mean about the price Chris and you made the right decision of course. Sometimes we can get carried away talking about what goes great with what but paying for it at the end of the day is a different matter! Did you consider a BS9000 or have you already had one and you fancied a change? Was it that having an SD card was an important factor?

Simon.