David Lewis would be spinning in his grave

[Nonalphanumeric]

Is it just me who has completely fallen out of love with this company?

The last decent product they rolled out was probably the BeoLab 50 which sounds brilliant, but it is frankly bulky and hideous no matter what awful textiles they dress it in, all the newer stuff after beosound 5 seems to be poor quality now, planned obsolescence in full swing, with confusing designs that look like there were too many people involved in the process who weren’t on the same track…

I’m biased towards the 1990’s & 2000’s designs and the quality speaks for itself, all my stuff is still working without fault. A 21 year old SD Beovision 5 that’s had a hard life and no one wanted but it still has near-perfect picture (much better than any new non B&o TV i’ve stumbled across), Beocenter 2 hasn’t missed a beat in 12 years since I got it new, the AV9000 from 1994 in my bedroom which is also faultless except for the VCR which probably just needs lubrication in the right places… I’m seeing so many broken TV’s popping up… Beovision 10, New Avant, etc… tv’s that cost just as much as the Beovision 5 and 9 when they were new… am I the only one who’s really really disappointed that the magic has left the building? I genuinely can’t understand the justification of the price of these newer TV’s. I almost like the one with the moving scissor speakers but it is still hideous when switched on.

Now all we have to choose from (besides the glorious BeoLab 90 and 50) are ugly apple products. The Televisions look horrendously cheap and are in fact cheaply made. What is with the speaker designs? The new ones with the moving wooden grilles, what are they smoking to think that would look nice? Even the highly talked up Beosound 1&2 speakers sounded quite off (artificial and mono). What happened to the pursuit of perfection and the quest to reproduce the original source? I sold the silly conical Besound 1 speaker and went back to having $2000 in my pocket using the BeoLit 12 which flat-out sounds and functions better. I must be getting old to be having a rant but i’ve been thinking this for years now. I’ll just hang on for dear life to the favourite items i’ve kept; BL1. BL2, BL4000, BL6000, BV5, etc and when they fail and can’t be repaired that’s it, I’m done. The newer stuff just doesn’t do it for me at all. Apologies if this has already been discussed, I haven’t used the forums in years. I felt prompted to come back on here because I saw a photo with the new television called theater and i’m horrified they let that design go through. Surely people don’t think this design is palatable let alone desirable? I thought it was a prank or someone had cleverly made their own B&O-style stand in their garage but no, that’s what B&O are making now. Eye sores that will be broken after a couple of years.

David Lewis must have been one of the very best that B&O had and may ever have. Surely i’m not the only one shaking their head at all this… don’t even get me started on that handbag speaker. 🙁

[bsantini1]

I both agree and disagree. The latest speakers are excellent in both performance and design. The products lower on the price scale do need work, especially the headphones.

[Mr10Percent]

I would argue somewhat differently.  I ‘ve been helping to keep B&O solvent since 1985 and have had a huge amount of gear – some of the cheaper scale and a good number of their flagship products too

I would say BL90, 50, Theatre – current products are as good as anything that has been made in their history – design, materials, execution. BL5, BL3 same.

There are probably too many headphones and bluetooth products but this is – as my counter-argument was in part a result in needing to re-build brand sales. This it could be argued was a result of the management of B&O and possibly a not insignificant contribution by Lewis himself not embracing rapidly changing electronics design, standards and relying on too much bling, superfluous mechanical eye-candy and a reluctance not to adopt common international standards and go their own way.

Remember, Lewis (and partly Jensen) just did not pen some beautiful aluminium and glass wedges, they were instrumental in the internal and operational design and how they interact. Lewis almost certainly integrated the core TV tube, CD or DVD mechanisms from Philips warehouse. Everything else was the B&O interaction bit – that is where the money (and waste went i.e. BV7 DVD player had allegedly 7 people working on the problem for over a year! (They still broke down I can attest!)

Audio Icons like the BS Ouverture, was good looking, mechanical novelty but with stuck-on aluminium foil over plastic and was OK-ish music-wise. BL6000, 8000’s looked great but were not the best sounding IMHO. There are lots products like that.

The overall trait which I think B&O is trying to get back on – with ever changing standards is they have to give exceptional sound for the amount of money they are charging with the trade-mark good looks. Too far one side, and you are in Lewis territory. Too far the other way, and your into black boxes and monkey coffins.

10 cents worth of opinion

 

[AdamS]

I agree that the Theatre does look a bit odd but, in contrast, of the items that the OP mentions  that he likes, I’ve always found the Beovision 5 to be an odd looking thing that permanently seems to be about to topple over backwards. Even worse, I think that the Beolit 12 is one of the ugliest things ever to bear the B&O name!

Horses for course, as they say…

[Razlaw]

I would disagree completely.  I have BL1s, 4000s, 6000s, 9s and 28s. I have also previously owned 50s, 20s and 12-3s.  I found the 50s gorgeous and only got rid of them as they were too big for my space as I wanted a larger TV.  If I could only keep one of the speakers I have, I would have said the 1s, until the 28s arrived. They are stunningly beautiful, with spectacular sound and the B and O movement magic.  My BV7 was replaced with a Theatre, setting on a cabinet with a wall mounted LG.  Again it is beautiful and I have not missed the BV7 for an instant. I have Emerges at work and also love them.
But, as has been frequently said here, everyone has different tastes.  Some will like the new and some will not.

[Stan]

Times change.  Tastes change.  I have a fair bit of b&o – bl4000, bl8000, bl1, bl2, bs1, bd2, bs balances, eclipse,bs9000, bs5.  Add some headphones, and BT speakers.  I don’t much use my 4000s or 8000s, but my kids don’t want them. Too flashy, Dad.  I’d say if b&o had stuck with the Lewis design, they might not have many young customers.  My 9000 is broken, and I’m seriously challenged justifying getting it fixed.  While timeless, maybe it’s time has passed (for me).

[Emilos88]

Taste is different, but thinking that BV5 has a good picture compared to TV’s today, is just silly.

But good for you, you can buy the product cheap, and the BV5 for free.

I have the BL5 and BL3 from that time, and they are stellar products. But my Harmony and BL 17 are at least as good, and in many ways better.

About the planned obsolescence, they are really trying to change this now, and most new products are going to be cradle to cradle certified. As the only electronic brand of now.

[Author]

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