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“Want some Beolabs?”
My brother-in-law is a talented electrician in a wealthy county. His clients have always been well-heeled and prone to giving him their cast-offs. I had called him to ask advice about digital vs. analog phase converters – I’m building a machine shop but getting three-phase power is logistically impossible and I have the opportunity to run cable from the compressor room while I’m running air and wanted to discuss the idea with him. He didn’t have much expertise to share on phase converters but he did want to de-clutter.
“Yes. Yes I do. What do you have?”
After clarifying that yes, he was talking about Beolab 5s and yes, he had four of them, he mentioned two “are working fine”, two “are frustrating” and that while he was planning on putting them on the curb “because it’d be really funny” he said if I wanted them I was welcome to them.I clarified with my sister – several times – that they were looking to give up tens of thousands of dollars in high-end Danish audio and were they sure they wanted to do that. She assured me that the speakers needed a new home and as I had recently purchased something architecturally significant, I was the natural recipient of these cast-offs. After all, they had a 4500lb Wolf range that they still hadn’t gotten around to reinforcing the kitchen floor for and there were only so many projects one could take on. Besides, she wanted her practice room back.So I’ve been working on the logistics of transporting 600-odd lbs of high-end Danish sound reinforcement a thousand-odd miles. I need another project like I need a hole in the head – I’m going to go change out 1000sf of fluorescent lighting for LEDs so I can set up a paint booth so I can swap out the front doors so I can yadda yadda yadda but one does not turn down two (2!) free pairs of Beolab 5s, even if one has always been skeptical of the bang-to-buck ratio of certain quirky, design-forward hi-fi audio manufacturers.I’m looking at $800 in freight and $800 in crating, which is enough to contemplate borrowing my father-in-law’s truck and making a drive of it but not enough for the idea to win out. I got a price on individual crates ($800 upcharge) on the assumption that these guys may end up having to travel for service before realizing that $800 is a modest wood shop’s worth of equipment for making my own travel cases… and as a former audiovisual consultant and engineer I’m likely to do a better job of protecting these guys than some random packing company.I haven’t spent a dime yet. I’m sure I’ll have some questions. I’ve always been more into the studio/reinforcement side of audio – I have a Genelec/Dante Atmos room for work and an Onkyo/Klipsch Atmos room for TV – but there’s definitely something about the second-most Dalek-lookin’ speakers ever made. I’d been toying with the idea of Klipschorns in the study, having set it up with Klipsch in-walls and a Wiim Amp, but a pair of Beolabs on either side of the fireplace will look spectacular.Hopefully sound good, too?Anyway, if anyone wishes to share opinions about the proper transport of Beolab 5s I’m all ears. I think I’ve basically decided how they’re getting here so I’m receptive to opinion modifiers.Anyway, if anyone wishes to share opinions about the proper transport of Beolab 5s I’m all ears. I think I’ve basically decided how they’re getting here so I’m receptive to opinion modifiers.
Have you enquired with a local B&O dealer whether they can supply crates/boxes?
As an example in this country, I just looked on UK eBay and found these for sale: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/198091752627
Or these: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/404905427970
Location: Warwickshire, UK
My B&O Icons:
Restored DataLink functionality on my Beogram 6500 — this had mysteriously stopped working, despite other functions being OK. Tried it on different systems (Beomaster 6500 and Beosound 2300) with the same result, and validated that DataLink was working on those two systems by using my old 1984 Beocord 2000.
Recapped the RIAA board — perhaps that would fix it? Nope — and not surprising given DataLink just takes a jog through that board without any passives in the way.
Test continuity all the way from Pin 7 to the logic chip? No problems there…
What fixed it was… apparently replacing the 2.2μF cap on the main board? Or at least that’s the only one of the two caps that had a problem, with an ESR of 25. The capacitance itself was fine at 2.12μF, and the 470μF axial cap I also replaced was also OK at 447μF and 1.6 ESR.
Bonus — can you find the spurious magnet hanging out in the attached photo? Pretty sure it was left over from someone servicing it before; the actual magnet inside the electromagnetic relay was not missing so this is an ‘extra’!Location: Silicon Valley
My B&O Icons:
Bonus — can you find the spurious magnet hanging out in the attached photo? Pretty sure it was left over from someone servicing it before; the actual magnet inside the electromagnetic relay was not missing so this is an ‘extra’!
Black? Circular? Top left of the photo?
Location: Kent, UK
Favourite Product: Beosystem 6500
My B&O Icons:
Hi,
I have a Beo9000 connected to a passive and IR eye. I have beolab 3’s in another room (I appreciate this is not the ideal placement but I wanted the 9000 displayed on a wall and it had to be in the same room as where my ceiling speakers are connected to the passive).
The IR eye will not respond to any commands from my remote.
The left speaker is much louder than the right speaker. The sound balance is not favouring either side.
A bit confused..
(I deleted my last reply because I did not read your post properly!)
How is the BS9000 connected to the Passive – are you using ML cable? If the ceiling speakers are in the same room as the BS9000 and powered by the Passive, then the Passive should be connected to the BS9000 by a fully wired powerlink cable, and there shouldn’t be an IR sensor attached to the Passive. The BS9000 would then be controlled by its own built in IR sensor, and should be set in A.OPT 1.
Beolab 3’s in another room should be connected to a BL Active connected to the BS9000 by Masterlink. The BL Active would need an IR sensor to allow independent remote control in this room.
Location: Warwickshire, UK
My B&O Icons:
The Passive works in one of two ways:
- As a simple amplifier: In which case it uses the Powerlink input only (no Masterlink connection, and no IR eye required). This is how you should use it to power your ceiling speakers in the same room as the BS9000.
- As an amplifier in a LINK room: In which case it makes use of the ML input only, and needs an IR eye to be connected so that you can control the BS9000 from the link room.
If using it in the first option above, connect the Passive using a Powerlink cable to one of the BS9000’s Powerlink/Speaker outputs.
Location: Warwickshire, UK
My B&O Icons:
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