I have a store and a service center both within 30 minutes so I'm lucky.  I honestly don't know what I'd do in your situation.  I'm sure the BL20s will be a nice upgrade from the BL8000s, and speakers still seem to be a strong B&O core competency.  On the other hand, they're heavy and expensive to ship if something goes wrong.  Also, they don't sound great if you are standing up because the ALT limits the vertical dispersion of the sound - so if you're looking for "party speakers", maybe there are better (this is one of the reasons I went with 2nd hand BL1s vs. BL9s).

To hop on this gloom and doom train, even with sales and service resources close by, I'm starting to question my allegiance.  I have a house full of B&O, but everything connected to ML got zapped by lightening.  For a few moments, I was considering not fixing it and moving to sonos.  B&O is pricing itself out of my reach.  For example, I want to add a speaker by my pool - to go the B&O route, I'm looking at an Essence + 2nd hand Passive + special cables + maybe an Apple Airport Express (my other Essence was somewhat flaky until I hardwired it to an Airport - and my wife doesn't deal well with "somewhat flaky") vs. sonos amp (less than 1/2 the cost, one device vs. 2 or 3).  While the sonos may not sound as good, its software probably works better, and do I really need great sound by the pool? No, I don't.  Also, I'd like a bigger TV (currently have a BV8-40), but don't have $10K to spend and the hoops one has to jump through to get a non-B&O TV integrated into B&O multi-room is troubling.  OK, maybe I'll spend $7K on a Horizon... but questions of B&O's long term support for Android and the bugs have scared me away.

Then again, I thoroughly enjoy most of my B&O.  For me, it was the BeoLink Wireless1 that started my doubting.  Whenever I look at the alternatives available on the market ), I end up back with the brand.  I'd probably buy the BL20s if I was in your situation because what is the alternative... ugly black boxes?  Then again, I can understand not going that route as well... If the Bay Area can't support a B&O store, I do worry about the future of the brand.

'Found out the Houston, TX store just closed.   And no, the closure is not related to 'that'.

Stan,  When I lived in the Bay area in the 90s, my favorite store was the Palo Alto store.  On the weekends they were always had a lot of customers.

I have four complete systems and 5 turntables.  I guess I am set for the time being.  However I am moving into a new condo which is going to have 1 GB internet service and a security system based on HomeKit.  I would like to have a  new system and keep some of the older equipment.  It would be nice to get a Beovision Eclipse and Beolab 50s.  That's over $50,000 plus tax.  Its expensive but would be a major crisis if there are software problems and no real support in both hardware and software.

I am definitely getting 2 Apple Homepods for casual multiroom listening.  Beoplay doesn't work for me.

I guess I can always return to B&O if things get better.  Who knows?

MediaBobNY wrote:

'Found out the Houston, TX store just closed.   And no, the closure is not related to 'that'.

Closing the Houston store during that situation is really dumb.  How are people going to replace their equipment due to the water damage?  This is the worst PR a company could have.

Linder,

Yeah, I thought I was set, too.  Then the lightening happened.  Made me question the entire setup.  Luckily, the older stuff is robust enough that it is repairable (so far, hat tip to B&O for having parts available for "old", out of production products like the BM5), and the newer stuff wasn't damaged because it wasn't wired to ML.

I travel to the Bay area frequently, and I visited the Palo Alto store a few times.  Always friendly people.  I guess the silicon valley silly money has other interests now - like paying a mortgage or rent 😉

I hope the Eclipse sells well.  B&O really needs a hit.

linder wrote:

Closing the Houston store during that situation is really dumb. How are people going to replace their equipment due to the water damage? This is the worst PR a company could have.

I thought I'd add my take to this thread, as I am a reader but seldom poster.

Today, I would not buy B&O again.  I have a large collection of what I consider their "Classic" era gear.

It is elegant, stylish, pretty darn reliable and it's paid for.

Today's B&O has become cheapened but overpriced.  Audio is one thing, but investing in a B&O TV set has to be insanity due to constantly changing standards and codecs that B&O is not forward compatible with.  Sadly, they heyday of the brand, as well as the stores, are gone.

But I treasure my existing gear.  Will never let it go.

Jeff wrote:

MediaBobNY wrote:

BeoFrederic wrote:

The last store in Bay Area (Palo Alto) just closed.  Perhaps worse, the only B&O repair shop in the area  that I know of (L&M in Daly City) just closed.  It’s now an overnight trip to audition speakers, either in LA or Portland.  I have no idea how I’d get repair work done.

I'm somewhat amused by the fact that, in every email I get from Beoplay there is a store locator.   Why do they want to advertise the fact that, with around a dozen stores remaining in the US, that means that there's 1 store per 25 million population, meaning essentially that there's NO store near you?   Just sayin'..

Yeah, that always amuses me too. Let's advertise the fact we're a dying niche brand in the US! That'll get us more business! It's like the Underpants Gnomes in South Park:

1. Advertise the fact we have no dealers.

2. ?????

3. Profit!

If the opportunity existed to buy, new, the equipment I have (BS9000, BL9, BL8000, etc.) I would if I was in the market for a new setup. But, given today's B&O, with the lack of dealers, and the current products (overpriced, under-reliable, problematic performance issues, and not as good looking), the answer is no, I'm no longer a B&O customer apparently. Maybe in the future if they get their kit together, but today, not a chance sadly.

I do love the small number of B&O items I do have, and they're solid, working, reliable and hopefully will last for years. Once their warranties are up, if something goes wrong, however, I'll likely second guess paying for a repair and take that as my cue to stay or leave the brand.