Stage NG?

[moxxey]

Anyone heard anything new regarding the so-called ‘Stage NG’ which my dealer talked about back in January 2020! He was confident it was in development and was due later that year (obviously we all know what then happened after January 2020).

It makes so much sense for me. It could be a cut-down version of the Eclipse sound center, allowing someone with an LG wall-mounted panel, like me, to upgrade their Stage and buy a couple of external speakers!

Don’t get me wrong, the Stage is fantastic, but it still doesn’t match my old BV12-65 + BL3s + BL11 setup.

I’m assuming it got canned internally, maybe with an exec proposing it would affect sales of Eclipse, Horizon etc?

[BeoCom 1401]

I think they have to build it. If they continue to force their customers to buy their insanely overpriced TVs in order to fashion a proper home theater system with B&O speakers it will kill the brand.

The best move B&O could make would be to get out of the TV business entirely and sell center channel options based on the Stage, Eclipse, and Harmony. Let us buy any display we want, and put B&O speakers on it.

[swestland]

That’s exactly what they have done. Only they decided to stick to a specific brand LG in order to make the integration part flawless. (Which is a very important point many people seems to be missing out on). Many dealers will quote you all the parts seperately, LG tv, soundcenter etc. so you see exactly what you are paying ‘just for the TV’ itself and the speakers etc.

[steve1977]

Agree, that’s the concept.

What seems long overdue is the option to allow the Stage to act as a center speaker for a 5.1 system.

This could either be done by a “Stage Pro” with WISA (limited to Beolabs) or with a “Stage NG” with an upgraded Mozart that allows other Mozart speakers to act as satelittes.

I always anticipated that the Mozart platform would allow exactly this, but it has been launched for a long time and it is unclear to me how Mozart is different from the previous sound system.

[Sandyb]

Agreed, though customers would presumably want to use a Beoremote with their setup. And while LG offer the requisite B&O app (through the webOS App Store) to enable this, I cant envisage Sony / Samsung / Panasonic etc etc doing the same.  Not impossible, just cant see it happening. In which case, you are LG restricted.

Not an issue for the last 5 years or so, but what if LG dont make the move into QD-OLEDs, and fall behind somewhat. Some customers wanting a B&O speaker focussed home cinema setup with a QD-OLED from, lets say Sony or Samsung, would not be able to use thew Beoremote, and we’re in compromise / workaround territory.

Definitely an unclear road ahead.

 

[Sandyb]

I dont believe it has been canned, judging by the last I heard a few months ago. But by “it” I think one of the options is a Beosystem 5 type unit for facilitating connectivity between TV and Beolabs / Beosounds (either or both, dont know)…i.e. a unit, not a centre speaker with the same functionality (fully fledged sound centre).

How that BS5 “unit” would deal with (power link) Beolabs and Mozart enabled speakers is not clear to me at all, but I guess its technically possible.

[steve1977]

Thanks. For technical feasibility, the big open question is whether B&O can/will develop the sound module to include Mozart speakers in 5.1. That would basically make B&O a true Sonos competitor. I believe that’s a massive step-up in terms of development efforts.

Having a BS5 with WISA should indeed technically be very easy, but would limit the 5.1 system to Beolabs only.

[moxxey]

Looking at the B&O “Theatre” thread, looks like this long-awaited Stage NG/2.0 is finally coming this year.

Interesting thing is, what would be the speakers we’d choose to flank the Theatre as the smallest/cheapest are now the BL18’s!

[matador]

moxxey wrote:

Interesting thing is, what would be the speakers we’d choose to flank the Theatre as the smallest/cheapest are now the BL18’s!

Two churches:

One will rush in the nearby dealer an buy 18’s or 28’s or maybe biggest…

The other will carefully follow second hand market for the usual suspects (4000’s, 6000’s, 8000’s and… 17’s, 18’s)

[Sandyb]

You may be able to use cheaper things, like the Balance etc (Mozart enabled) as home theatre speakers with this new product.

[moxxey]

Sandyb wrote:

You may be able to use cheaper things, like the Balance etc (Mozart enabled) as home theatre speakers with this new product.

And that’s one thing I’m not short of 🤦🏽‍♂️😂 Mind you, not sure the rev. 1 BS1 or BS2 were Mozart enabled?

I do have a Balance and another rev.2 BS2 though.

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