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OK thanks @BeoMatthew, with your help I’ve figured out that what I would need is a Transmitter 1, not a Beosound Core. I need to connect my turntable and although I didn’t mention it, I have an Oppo UHD player that I can connect for Roon and then transmit to the 18s/19 wirelessly.

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BeoMatthew wrote:

In terms of going wireless, you’ll need the BeoLab Wireless 1 transmitter that will connect to the Core. The Core doesn’t output WiSA itself. Otherwise I’ve found that to be a perfectly stable connection and the sound is great.

Thanks – that is a key detail that I had misunderstood!

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BeoMatthew wrote:

1) Need to connect up my turntable as this is my main and most enjoyed source. It’s on the other side of the room from where the speakers will be and can’t be relocated. Ok. 2) I use Roon for streaming. As I understand it the Beosound Core will show up as an audio device via Chromcast in Roon so all good there. Correct. The Core is not Roon Ready, but would use Chromecast as you describe. 3) Does the Core have its own in-built volume adjustment? I.e. I can connect my phono preamp into the Core’s analogue input and control volume in the Core via the B&O app or a B&O remote if I get one? That’s correct. It’s a fully integrated audio system in that regard. 4) What are opinions of the quality of the analogue to digital conversion in the Core? Am I still going to get a high quality result from my analogue front end? I use a BeoCenter 6500 with one of mine and the sound is terrific. 5) What’s the best way of connecting from Core to BL18s assuming the Core is positioned near the TT and optical isn’t an option*? Would I be right in thinking I could use the Cat6 as a power link cable, so I could go from Core to right hand BL18 (this would need a short RJ45 female to RJ45 male extension to get to the speaker) then another Cat6/powerlink cable between the speakers? Is there any advantage to going wired vs Wireless these days? There are a lot of correct answers to this, because the BL18s have a wide variety of inputs. You categorically CANNOT use Cat6 as a direct replacement for PowerLink (such that you would connect it to the RJ45 ports on either the core or the speaker, however you can use RCA baluns to get your signal to the other side of the room using a Cat6 cable. You’d go RJ45PL to RCA adapter -> RCA balun -> Cat6 -> RCA balun -> RCA cable to each speaker 6) I believe the powerlink cables even the new RJ45 style connections send an analogue signal, is that right? They send an analog L+R signal, plus turn-on voltage. The speaker line-senses when connected via RCA 7) *It’s a bit convoluted but if having a wired digital connection is the decisively best option then I could go Core>optical to coax converter>coax cable>installed coax cable>coax cable>coax to optical converter>BL18. Not sure if it will even work through all those connections. You’re not going digital to the BeoLab 18s. Don’t worry about this step. You’re analog from the time you leave the Core. 8) Are there any decent 3rd party alternatives to the Core that will be Roon compatible and allow the connection of an analogue source? Any streaming preamp I suppose, which is essentially what I already have, but I presumably wouldn’t have any option to run the BL18s with a BL19 in optimal/intended fashion. The Bluesound Node is a terrific option and dispenses with having to translate PowerLink adapters and such. So long as you don’t care about the BeoLink Multiroom ecosystem it would be a great alternative. 9) Does anyone know if there are any plans to update the Core as it’s very highly priced for what it is, has limited input options (just 1 really, a choice of analogue or optical), so if there’s a chance it will be updated then I’d hold off. Only the faintest of rumors as far as I can tell. Since they’re moving to more “intelligent” speakers I almost wonder if they’ll phase that sort of product out eventually, but it would be ludicrous considering they’d need something to drive in-walls/in-ceilings, etc. to complete a whole home. But definitely nothing worth waiting for.

Great, thanks, very useful info and advice.

It seems that going wirelessly from the Core to the BL18s/19 is going to be the easiest option. Is there any downside quality wise vs wired? In the past there would have been but not sure whether that still applies.

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Sandyb wrote:

2. Roon / Core – Yes the Core will show up as both a Chromecast endpoint and Airplay endpoint. Enable either or both in the Roon settings. 3. Volume control – yes the B&O app has volume control for the Core. You can also use the Beoremote 1, though thats predominately a Tv remote, so might be overkill if you don’t have B&O tv. But both options are available. 4. no comment on this – high quality means many different things to different people. 6. Yes. 8. There will doubtless be alternatives. But if you use case / demands are straightforward, the Core is quite a neat solution. Non-straightforward demands being things such as having a Roon Ready endpoint as opposed to a (Roon visible) but only Airplay / CC endpoint. Or a streamer with native Tidal Connect, etc etc. Or something with a very high end DAC on board. But for perfectly fine streaming, a bridge for your turntable, and ability to connect and setup/control 18s+19, the Core is a neat solution. Personally I’d say one of the high end streamer/DAC units would be somewhat wasted / unnecessary for speakers like the 18s. (I had 18s and a 19 for 7 years)

Great, thanks for your help.

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UPDATED: this particular example has the retrofitted RIAA preamp which was a popular refurb addition. It is also compatible with any amplifier via an RCA adaptor which is included in the sale.

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I once owned a pair of self-contained (i.e. including DAC and preamp) active speakers, the AVI ADM40. They didn’t have a pre-set default for each input as such but the volume was adjusted and remembered independently for each input.

At first it took me a bit by surprise and I thought it was odd, but it didn’t take me long to realise that it is actually an incredibly helpful feature, with absolutely no down-side that I found in 7+ years of ownership.

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Gorgeous.

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I’m interested in the Beosound Theatre, but have a couple of questions about integrating with existing kit.

Can it be controlled via an infra red remote control such as a Logitech Harmony? I would love to get a B&O remote, but I have an older LG C9 screen so no control integration with the BT and there’s no way the family can handle going back to multiple remotes or that I could also afford to upgrade the screen at the same time.

At present I have Beolab 8000/7.2/6000 speakers and non-B&O subs hooked up to a regular AV receiver. I know that the BT can integrate well with older B&O speakers, however mine are all connected via installed RCA cables. With the right adaptors/cables can I connect up the Beolab 8000/6000 speakers via the installed RCA cables and still get the benefit of the BT’s tailored sound profiles for them?

Can I similarly hook up the non-B&O subs?

The other week I had a demo at my local B&O dealer of the BT with Beolab 28s at the front and Beolab 18s at the rear, also the Beolab 28s and 50s in stereo. All simply awesome. The only one I could remotely hope to afford in the next year is the BT and the elegance of dropping it in in place of the Beolab 7.2 and making the AVR redundant at the same time is very appealing.

Thanks in advance for any guidance!

Cheers, Dan.

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Hi – thank you for replying.

I don’t think it’s that, and I have raised the rear levels slightly they’re not too quiet when they’re there. I think the issue is a combination of the facts that 1) the rear channels inherently don’t have information being sent to them continuously on some content and 2) the 6000s have a relatively short interval before going in to standby – too short in my opinion.

I’m sure it’s a futile hope that this interval could somehow be adjusted.

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Sold

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@roycke I picked up some new B&O speakers at the weekend including a Beolab 7.2 for which the dealer made me up a cable to take the 5v USB trigger from the TV and the RCA pre-out from my AVR to the powerlink socket.

I remembered this thread and asked him about the issue of the TV’s USB being ‘always on’ and he said that if a TV has a USB that’s always on then it must have another one that isn’t… not sure if that’s true but could be worth checking?

Also if the TV does only have one USB, could there be a some kind of power setting which affects whether the USB is always powered or not?

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Mr10Percent wrote:

I think a lot of the decision making is what your living space can accommodate? I have BL90s is my living room – which I can and do live with. However, I would not contemplate additional column speakers or even BL4000 or BL17 as surrounds. I choose BL3 only as the most compact solution as not to be overwhelmingly a B&O showroom. My philosophy would be to get the most powerful Beolab fronts (90 > 50 > 28 > 5 > 20s etc..) you can afford/accommodate and get the most discrete surrounds that suit your individual tastes. I would not worry too much about sonic matching of surrounds. They bring atmosphere first and foremost.

Millemissen wrote:

@Mr10% Sorry to say it….I do not agree with you. That the fronts best be ‘massive’ and the surrounds ‘less’, is only part of an answer. Thatis however, when you with your setup are focusing on 2 channel content/aka stereo. If you are someone, who leans more towards watching movies with multichannel sound, the surrounds should ideally – if possible – be equal to the fronts…..we are talking discrete channels for the surrounds nowadays. That is even more important, if you are into multichannel music (SACD/Bluray/Spacial Audio from Apple Music/Tidal…). Apart from the size of the room it also it depends on what you use as the processor for the sound. If you use the Theatre with it powerfull speakers built-in, you best place your additional set of speakers as surrounds….in case you have only one set. For those with the Theatre, who also listen to 2 channel music and not just to movies, best get 2 speakers up front too – if you can afford it, the BL90 or 50. Unfortunately these are only for the few! So there is no definitive answer to the question – it all depends…… P.S. At the last AGM in Struer, there was a demo of 5 channel music (from a SACD) in the main listening/test room. Up front were two BL50’s, as surrounds a set of BL6000, the center channel was the speakers of a BV11……sounded pretty good to me MM

Unfortunately it wouldn’t have mattered if I’d scaled back on the rears, I would not have been able to get anything significantly better for the fronts and I’m not even in the right life to be dreaming about Beolab 90s! I listened to the SACD 5.1 mix of Wish You Were Here earlier and it just sounded awesome, so very happy with my choice.

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Millemissen wrote:

BL8000 with BL6000 and the BL7-2 is a classic speaker setup from B&O. First time the BL8000/6000 was used was with the A/V 9000 system, back then with the dedicated center speaker of the 9000 tv part. Later on they were used with the various BV7 variants, now with the dedicated 7-4 center speaker…..and even more often with the 7-1/2/6. Often these are complimented by the sub BL2. These speakers are still used in a lot of homes around the world – they still do an excellent job (when looked after/serviced) and are popular to this day. You can even buy wooden lamellas for them….to make them look more Beo-modern. You have made a good choice – have fun with your setup. MM

Thanks, I’d spotted that you can get the wooden lamellas – just gorgeous. I’ll definitely get those one day, but they’ll probably cost more than the speakers cost me, so probably not for a while!

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Well, I took the plunge on these speakers and got them all set up today. They look so cool and sound amazing. I really wasn’t expecting such an upgrade in sound, I would have been content with a sideways move sonically so I am highly chuffed. The Anthem ARC room correction has knitted them and my subs (2* BK P12-300SB) together just perfectly.

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I am also very interested in getting hold of an autonomous signal sensing RCA to powerlink trigger box. I’ve just purchased 5 Beolab speakers for my home cinema system including a 7.2 for centre. Just waiting with baited breath for them to arrive on Wednesday. I’ve purchased them from a second hand B&O specialist who has made me up a Powerlink trigger cable which will be driven from my TV’s USB socket, which seems like the next best thing in a home cinema application, but a signal sensing trigger box would be ideal so I don’t have one annoying visible cable going up to the TV!

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Hi, thank you for the warm welcome and the helpful information.

It is good to know that these speakers were partnered in various packages, that does reassure that they will produce a cohesive end result.

Thinking about it the AVR does have a room correction system so that should align the sound of the speakers even if they do differ slightly.

The dealer I’m talking to has specifically mentioned driver re-foaming so it sounds like he’s done the job properly.

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I suppose one obvious question is whether the speakers will all have a consistent sonic signature, especially across the front three?

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