Stan wrote:

beojeff wrote:

That's exactly what my dealer told me. He made it very clear that the Encore is strictly intended to be a stand-alone product and that there is absolutely no future plan for it to be part of a link room system. He said that that is what the BeoMaster 5 is for. I'm wondering what other buyers' experiences have been with their dealers and if their dealers have been as clear and straightforward as ours. There seem to be an awful lot of people with expectations that the Encore can do or will do what the original BeoMaster 5/BeoSystem 5 can do.

It is either wishful thinking on the part of BeoWorlders or the dealer trying to sell what he has today vs. having a customer wait to purchase.  I'd say the odds are 50-50, but, then again, you never know for sure what the future holds so, even if the dealer is just trying to sell what he has today, it is dangerous to buy a product based on "futures"... 

In my opinion, the descriptions of the BeoSound 5/BeoMaster 5 and the BeoSound 5 Encore on the B&O website do no make it clear at all to the consumer what the differences are. As we all know, the differences are quite great. In fact, the descriptions even seem to make the Encore look like the product with greater features. Notice where the description of the Encore states "No Limitations" with a subheading "Lossless music in every room." To me, this seems rather misrepresentative of the two products. Also, I recently received a promotional booklet from B&O that included the Encore. That same booklet did NOT include the BS5/BM5. To me, it seems like a lure of "bait-and-switch" to get the customer into the store. The customers with existing multi-room B&O systems would be disappointed to find that only the BS5/BM5, which costs CONSIDERABLY more, will offer the true masterlink features.

Hints :

- On the new B&O website, the BS5E is pictured with a Beo6 in 2-way mode on its side... Maybe it's just a picture error (as it is surely the BS5 that is pictured), but I doubt that they did not see that.

- Considering what the Encore really is, I'm reffering to the last interim/annual financial reports that were issued by B&O. They defined the not-already-named Encore as the next gen full digital audio platform for B&O products. Now that the CEO has changed, things can change. But the Encore has to evolve if they want to sell it, limiting its functionnalities just to preserve BS5/BM5 sales is pure suicide considering the other offers on the market.

As you're saying the CEO has changed... It is seems the new digital masterlink has been postponed.

Dealers have invested a lot in getting trained to the new cabling system. Also we were told that the masterlink had a few more years to live.

First, never confuse marketing with reality.  Marketing's goal is to paint a pretty picture that speaks to your emotions and gets you interested to the point you'll engage in a conversation with a store.  It's the store's job then to bring the client back to earth.  For example, B&O must be working on wireless speakers and TVs - including wireless power - because rarely do any of their photos show wires.  Speakers in the middle of the floor (or TVs hanging from the ceiling!!!) with no connections to anything 😉.  Makes a pretty picture, but doesn't really work in reality.  Likewise, the Beo6 showing cover art on the page with the BS5E (but the picture might actually be a BS5).  I'm not arguing against this functionality or saying it will never be available - I this capability with my BS5 so I hope they expand it to the BS5E - but, I am saying don't read too much into marketing materials.

Financial reports tend to be better, but most contain a "safe harbor" statement (all in the US) where it basically says, any forward looking statements are subject to change.

While masterlink is old, old, old... what benefits does a user actually see if it becomes digital vs. it's current analog state?  This is probably the question Tue asked, and the answer was "not much right now, but in the future... "  So.. he said, we need to make money today if there's ever going to be a future and reallocated resources toward the Play strategy... just a guess, but I've seen this movie a few times in my professional career...

Stan

Stan wrote:

While masterlink is old, old, old... what benefits does a user actually see if it becomes digital vs. it's current analog state?  This is probably the question Tue asked, and the answer was "not much right now, but in the future... "  So.. he said, we need to make money today if there's ever going to be a future and reallocated resources toward the Play strategy... just a guess, but I've seen this movie a few times in my professional career...

Stan

Hi Stan, you make some very valid points here and, after reading all the other replies to my original thread, I have decided not to buy either the Beosound 5 or Encore at the moment.

After a lot of consideration, I feel that the Beosound 5 is now getting a bit dated in terms of features (not looks!) and expensive for what it does and although there is a money off offer right now through my dealer I am worried that this may be simply to 'clear the decks' of old stock before some kind of product announcement.

My dealer has told me that the Encore will not be developed into a link system or have any other major developments and, with the Play strategy seeming to be at the forefront of B&O's plans, I don't want to invest in a system which isn't quite what I want and then rely on possible future upgrades which may never happen.

I'm sad that I cannot be confident enough in the future development plans for either the Beosound 5 or Encore to go out and buy one. I really feel that B&O should make some clear statements about the future developments of these products particularly in view of their current Play strategy.

Thanks to all who posted a reply to my original question.

 

Hmm... I didn't realize I was talking someone out of buying a BS5 or BS5E rather than just warning about putting too much credence into "futures".  Then again, if you believe these products are incomplete and you would not enjoy either in their current state, then that is probably the correct choice...  Please reference my earlier post about how much I enjoy my BS5, but everybody has different wants/needs.  Also, I guess I'm a bit hypocritical since I bought my BS5 partially on the hope of future features - although, at the time, it was so incomplete (and new) the probability was very high that B&O was going to enhance it... and they did.  In my mind, the two-way Beo6 integration was the last major feature it needed (ok, now that Apple has opened up their lossless format, support for that would be really nice, too), but that is just me...

I agree that the path forward for the BS5 and BS5E products is a bit murky.  The trend seems to be toward model consolidation vs. proliferation.  Does this mean that the BS5E will grow into all the capabilities of the BS5 (meaning the BS5 is more or less legacy)?  Or will they continue forward with the current state (as I see it) of the BS5 being the "flagship" (with all the bells and whistles) and the BS5E being the "value" model....  Only time will tell...

Stan

Well I've pretty much come to the conclusion that BS5/BM5 is the only real happy solution for me and have now arranged a dealer demo at home.

Since losing my BS9000 I have been using Apple TV mark 1 to distribute sound but have not been happy with sound quality after ripping all cd's into Apple lossless. It's also difficult to distribute the sound around the house through ML (too many "clicks" and effort) and in one room tried to use AE with BS8 and that's really hard work.

Thought about several solutions but in the end the BS5/BM5 combination, although expensive even with a discount, just "feels" like the best answer to get the best out of BL5/BL9 speakers and link around the house.

Followed several of these shall we/shan't we threads and really decided that nothing seems to fit any better. If B&O do make later improvements then all the better.

Will see how the demo goes.

Mike

Since last week, I'm also using Beosound 5 Encore... At the very first begining my ex-dealer gave me totally wrong impression about the BS5. I thought that (even I wrote in this forum some comments regarding the difficulties of building up, networking etc.) BS5 is complicated then it should be. However, at the mean time I've been reading all comments about the BS5 in this forum and I decided to change my dealer. First of all, my new dealer gave me more detailed information and I decided to go for BS5 Encore.

It is very easy to set-up, can read any harddisk and different connection possibilities. User friendly, MOTS functining perfect, you do not need to listen always the same playlist or metal after soul, look special and with 13.000 radio stations (i didn't check all) never boring. USB slot make easy when your friends want to make you listen something new etc....

Who ever needs more can also write here which brand offers more? Apple? Sonos? Loewe?

Finally, I'm very happy with my decision. Especially, when I compare (price wise and technic wise) Beosound 5 Encore with Loewe Soundvision which costs 1500 Euro here in Germany. 

beopiranha wrote:

Who ever needs more can also write here which brand offers more? Apple? Sonos? Loewe?

Well, Sonos an Apple gives you a decent remote on your mobile devices or tablets to control, manage playlists and search your library. I agree MOTS is a great feature, but it will only let you discover music you allready have. Using a Sonos myself in combination with a streaming service like Spotify and the integration with social media, so I can play my buddy's playlists, will let me discover new music I don't have.

In my view some albums , I would never buy by listening it to it only once. But those same albums will grow more on me if you listen to them more than once. With Spotify I can do this.

But if you don't need these features, your BS5e is a great purchase! 🙂

 

DoubleU, thanks for your response.

I never said that Apple, Sonos or Loewe are offering something bad or useless. I've been writing many times here in forum that the best product of Apple is Itunes. Easy to use, discover and integrate. I appreciate what Apple brought us software wise.

I'm also using Iphone and Ipad attached to my BS9000 via Airport-express. But Airport express has software problems and change always gates and if you want to use your airport as an acces point and streamer your connection drops-out again and again. This is a commen problem with their latest softwares. So, best solution i decided to go to use stand alone BS5 attached to NAS and split wifi connection of BS5 and my computer. Like this I can download everything I want when I listen to music on BS5 and I can still upload and play my new music without droping out or needing synchronisation.

By the way, with this solution I also do not have to pay 25 Euro/year for Icloud...

Of course all these are personal choises..