speedsixdave wrote:
(2) Madskp and Guy have suggested elsewhere that the 15v power supply is only vital if you have a MCL2AV which also has passive speaker outputs and you want to use it (effectively) as an MCL2A. I’m not sure if there’s any real bonus to doing this (rather than just an MCL2A) as I don’t think it gives you independent volume control. Most MCL2AVs don’t have the passive speaker ports anyway.
Just to clarify, the MCL2AV will need an external power supply for powering it in all uses cases whether it is acting as a MCL2A or a MCL2AV since the pink wire with power in the MCL cable is not connected internally. I am not sure about the reference about this, but it might be a misinterpretation of what was meant.
Sorry, my fault for not being clear. Late night post as usual! Agreed, an MCL2AV needs external power to work. The official B&O power supply was 15V either from a plug-in transformer or from an MCL2P, but if you’re connecting Beolab active speakers or a Beolink Passive to the MCL2AV via powerlink, a more common 12V supply seems to work fine. As I understand it the 15V supply is needed to drive the internal relay if you’re connecting passive speakers direct to the MCL2AV and using it as an MCL2A. I thought it was @madskp or @guy that had demonstrated that but I’m not sure. The odd thing is a simple MCL2A works fine as a relay without an external power supply, using only the power carried by the pink wire (7.5V?) in your MCL cable.
Agreed also that to get independent volume control with passive speakers you need an MCL2P or Beolink Passive amplifier between the MCL2AV and the speakers. It’s less neat than active Beolabs but you can pick up a used Passive for about UKP30 so pretty cheap, especially if you already have those CX50s. Be aware you would also need a length of powerlink cable with the 8-pin DIN plugs on each end to go between the MCL2AV and the Passive / MCL2P, and I think it has to be ‘fully wired’ (Mk2).
For more cheap fun, from your terminal block you can run another length of MCL cable out to a Beolab 3500 Mk1 active link room speaker and you’ve got volume- and tone-controlled Beolab sound in another room. I bought a BL3500 for £2.30 off ebay once, and it’s working happily in our conservatory even as I write this. The BL3500 is the bargain of the century.
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