[NQVHNWI]

The App to me is broadly:-

80% One-Off Setup configuration of products

10% Running Setup/Configuration (Multiroom/volume/tones etc/listening positions etc..)

8% Music interaction and selection (Radio channels/FLAC on my NAS, no possibility of Qobuz for me yet)

2% Marketing guff I can read about on my PC or tablet…or here or other places about poor little Charles LeClarke etc…)

 

They (B&O) really have this App messed up into a gordian knot of uselessness. Just a fraction of the App is dedicated to music or video listening/watching and the interacting of such. Too much is dedicated to setup (which should have been long-fixed for ASE and Mozart platforms).

I hope Charles LeClerke and his fellow over-privileged ambassadors don’t start eating into the remaining 8% of the remaining useful part of the App?

[NQVHNWI]

Perhaps a simplification of my rantings above.

Two Swiss Luxury watch manufacturers: Rolex and Omega.

Both open a non-AD but company owned Boutique in the posh bit of Anytownsville.

Both charge full price, no discount.

One requires a good and solid purchase history to be considered for a few “hot” but bland models, one does not.

One brand has Grey Dealers selling (although cooling somewhat now) sell for 1.2-2 times the AD new price for a unworn to seriously worn watch, the other sells new watches discounted at 10-20% straight-off. 20-30% with negotiation and haggling!

Everyone talks of Rolex, nobody about Omega (even though I think Omega make significantly better watches IMHO)

 

B&O wannabe a Rolex of luxury HiFi but are just seen like Omega and realistically, are treated such by Joe Public. VHNWIs do the same unless their Interior Designer tells them differently.

[NQVHNWI]

Well you can put YT on subtitles and auto-translate. English is certainly available.

Back to the content – which to be frank, I speed read, goes on a bit with the same cliched approach on BNO design, prices and so on and so forth.

It does highlight though how BNOs aspirations are to attract VHNW Individuals (you know the ones where you see YT videos of $10-70million dollar palaces where the BNO products are hidden as well as BNO hide their cables in their marketing guff) and compare the brand to the timeless design, elegance of luxury products Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Rolex etc…

I am guessing that my interpretation of what the Content maker is trying to project is similar to my own view point on the current BNOs marketing strategy to woo and capture the VHNW individuals. That is:-

1. The cheaper on-the-go products (A1s. Headphones etc) don’t make so much money (a few may even lose money – hence the price increases) in a competitive market and for the budget conscious.
2. There is no real stand-out “Burkin Bag” or Classic Rolex Submariner (includes a few Ferrari and Porsche models too) which sells-out so quickly, prices can be arbitrarily increased without protestation, supply and ownership to based on your previous buying history (buying loss-leaders),
3. There is no real stand-out tech that sets BnOs technology way above the competition and therefore can be cited as the go-to products for high fidelity etc…..There can be no better example of this than the BL90 and the BS-Core/Essence. In 2016, the BL90s were perhaps one of the best loudspeakers in the world at the time. IIRC, you could add only the BS-Essence (PL only) or the BS-Core (optical/TOSLINK at best) or a Beovision. PL is utter trash for the 90s. Then it was either a choice of your own ripped FLACs or non-Hi-Res Deezer or Spotify. That stayed like that until a couple of months ago with the introduction of the BC-Core/USB connection to make it a half-interesting fight against the competition. Tidal I guess, is helping a little but try as it might, the BC-Core does not compete with the full-fat black-box streaming products available from 3-parties for years. So that’s 8-years of a flagship world-class loudspeaker that needs other companies products just to make it work properly.
4. All BnO have done in the 8 years the BL90 has been available…….is add a few (expensive) colour-ways and increased the price. Come August 1st, perhaps early 2025, we could well see the BL90s at triple the introduction price (that would be £162k) and filled with the same 9-year old tech and negligible firmware updates to improve the sound to boot.
5. As above. All these swanky gin-palaces with marble surfaces on every wall, ceiling, floor, fine Italian furniture, fine old and contemporary art, a level of ultra-high cabinetmakery in every room, kitchen, bathroom etc….and minimal BnO on display?

I think that selling a “few” more of the flagship products “helps the margin” and adds to the “flat to slightly improving” finances better than the cheaper-end of the product range, but the VHNWI strategy I think is more about reducing losses in the mass-market than becoming a financial giant like LVs parent company LVMH?

Whatever, the first thing BnO have to do is make much much better products to gain a higher level of global appreciation and desirability.

 

 

[NQVHNWI]

B&O probably figured out that no one was buying their £100 Qi charger and buying the £15 version on Amazon.

I have two £15 ones from Amazon and they look as near to the B&O one that I could find. I used them for my iPhone and the Halo. Both work on the iPhone but only one can charge the Halo. I’m thinking that the Halo is very marginal in terms of wireless charging design to be practical?

[NQVHNWI]

Not now…now but I need to get on and finish my Beolab CXX’s (BeoVox CX100s with BL7.1 innards)

[NQVHNWI]

Hi Sia43,

Like myself, your probably dealing with first-world problems and a big part of this is how to get the best out of big expensive loudspeakers and a big (probably v. expensive) lounge/listening area.

I will know shortly how well our rugs (on a tile floor) and curtains (12m of glass wall on one side) can cut out the reflections. A good thing I know based on my last residence was my head was right next to the reflective stone wall 3.5 to 4m from the TV panel. By situating the sofa at approx. 50% mark, I know a lot of reflections will be eliminated (or reduced) coming from the wall/glass windows 6m behind my head rather than bouncing back 6cm from my ears.

I think its also a little unreasonable to have any loudspeaker in say a 5m wide room and expect it to project “straight” down the room 15 to 18m in pure audiophile quality. The reality is….when would you use that and to what purpose? Better I think to adopt to the “equilateral triangle” positioning and ensure as much free space behind your head as possible. I suspect that will sound very good?

The Shape was a spare wheel – no room I could have effectively placed it and used it well for what it is. Hanging it on a “what do we do with that wall” 5-6m up in the air gives the house a crappy sound ambience like listening to a grand piano in a hotel foyer kind sound and a bit of cubist art on the wall. Will be even better I think when my wifes Alabaster cascading chandelier/pendant arrives to go along side of the Shape. In a warped sense, I’m nurturing the family to give the Theatre and the BL90s a rest when they listen to crappy day-time Web radio.  Where Im at in the world will not be easy or cheap to have them serviced etc….

So my recommendation (probably given elsewhere above), is design the BL50s/90s for optimum music positioning and enjoyment, and for want of a poor misnomer, have something else to do the day to day stuff. As mentioned previously, I just purchased an A5 specifically to have crappy web radio play on the roof-top terrace without worrying about mains power. Its good enough when gulping that first G&T down of the evening and you don’t need the BL90s up there holding your hand.

Finally, to the acoustic treatment. Apart from a few plants, rugs and curtains I would not bother. Your in a deeply fortunate position and I wouldn’t think of turning any large house (in that locality) into a recording studio. Enjoy the views and the space and your brain will adapt to the sound and forgive you. If it really is that big a problem…….put a roof over the proposed swimming pool, acoustically fill it to your hearts content (with one chair, no mates) and you get the large listening room you desire and your partner gets the space and the views (but not the dip in the pool.)

Good luck to you regardless.

[NQVHNWI]

Lets hop they push the boat out a little further and install Qobuz? Maybe by 2030? A little too aggressive in the wish-listing I think?

NQ

[NQVHNWI]

I moved into a house with a basic description to yours, a lounge approx 10m x 5m wide, with a kitchen and dining room all in open plan to one another making the floor area over 12 x 8. To add to that, the lounge has 3m high ceilings but opens up to over 7m high in the staircase/atrium.

The lounge, dining room and staircase/atrium all have large walls of glass on 1 to 3 sides.

Im still renovating but expect to be done in the next 3 weeks when I can test how the room calibration on the 90s, 8s and Theatre all work once we have thrown down som soft furnishings (rugs, sofas, chairs, curtains etc)

From an acoustic point of view, I can tell you the following:-

1. The 90s fill the room, but then we know that and it’s about maxing-out the quality

2. The Theatre can fill the room as a standalone. Again, it’s about maximising quality,

3. The BL8s can’t fill the room without getting stressed. They will be surrounds anyway.

4. The Shape on a hanging Atrium wall sounds surprisingly good for “atmospheric” music like jazz or piano – a bit like when you hear that music being played in a large hotel foyer.

Good luck with the built – choosing what B&O gear you use will be the least of your problems..believe me.

[NQVHNWI]

As a child, I remember my parents giving me those “colour-in” and puzzle books with “spot the difference” drawings. I was pretty good at it by all accounts….but my knack of spotting the difference is somewhat waning with this app release?

[NQVHNWI]

I have stated here and elsewhere that the B&O app does not know what it is?

Is it a setup app (seems like it to me) with a crappy player as an add-on afterthought or…

Is it a poor experience player with poor control/search and integration of media sources and relatively poor multiroom control over that playback experience which focuses on first-time setup?

 

And there’s more……

I’ve almost completed the renovation of my new home. The wiring was crappy, mixed sources to some circuits (2 breakers!! for an energy source) and some lighting where you had to go the end of the 3-storey staircase to turn the staircase light on (no duplexing). I added Moes (Moeshouse) Tuya/Zigbee lights/bulbs throughout plus a few of control panels shown below.

The photograph below shows a Moes 5in Tuya control hub. This thing picks up an correlates/coordinates everything on my Zigbee network (it can also do Matter as well). It is rock-solid, built like a tank and either powered from a 220V L/N power outlet or can be POE.

Just how difficult would it be for B&O to adopt something like this for personal control of our B&O devices. Multiroom – select what and what. Sound Modes/Beosonic etc….. dead easy and real convenient.

As always, B&O seem to be developing custom software down a dead-end (Remember how the Mozart platform was going to have Matter – nada?) rather than looking at what the industry is doing.

 

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[NQVHNWI]

While the topic is current…..I’ll post some quick comments on my new A5…..

1. A5 was purchased to replace an A6 as our “outside” dining music device and its reliance on a power cord.
2. The music is good for what it is and its physical limitations for sound.
3. As per the battery issue above, I suspect the A5 battery is rather like a P6 in the removal of a base/foot rubber/silicone ring (messy)
4. I also suspect the charging circuit will go before the batter – like the P6, A2 and others.
5. Not a fan of the USB-C charging right at the bottom of the aluminium base plate. I can see that has potential problems over time?
6. I am not a fan of the rubberised top – it seems to be a dirt magnet but guess it seals the electronics in from the moisture?
7. I think not having illuminated or textured buttons was a design error. At a dinner table in the garden at night its difficult to see (and impossible to feel) what you’re pressing.

Otherwise a nice-enough product to own and to use in a mobile-way in the home.

10

[NQVHNWI]

Hi Matte,

Thanks for taking the time to respond. I actually flew with the A5 in hand baggage last week – an impulse buy while in London on a brief visit.

I was assuming a combination of 3.7, 7.4 and 7200/9000mAh so had the Wh’s for each in my head. A lot of airlines are now reducing the Wh to 50 with the exception of Laptops and its a definite no-no for any battery now in the hold.

Anyway, airline never asked…I never told them and 2 x Airport Security didn’t give 2 pennies either.

But thanks again for taking time to answer.

10

[NQVHNWI]

I flicked this YT video over to my forum friends over at Auralic (High-end Streamers and DACs) to share the love.

Howls of “I prefer my music on-axis” was the overwhelming cry and that they still really dont “get-it” vis-a-vis BL90.

I think the presentation spent too much time on the development of the BL90s and not enough on the virtues of in-room calibration – which again, the “Audiophile pack” like those in the Auralic forums are “Dirac-mad” and craving for their boxes to have a Dirac app loaded into the firmware something that the BL5 was doing as a sorts in 2003.

I continue to be surprised by the (negative) reactions of people when they they listen to this type of material by B&O/GM etc..

10

[NQVHNWI]

Note to Moderators/site admin. Not sure if the “Quote” functions are working correctly on-site?

[NQVHNWI]

How much would anyone like to wager that this little box is indeed the BC-Encore and it has a 3000Euro mark-up to be configured with the BS-9000c?

[NQVHNWI]

There was some talk/links over on Discord/BeoTalk of someone in Germany who had developed a Masterlink/RJ45 “device” than could integrate older Masterlink Products via the current NL protocols for 100Euro or so.

I imagine the encore is not as well-developed as this little “professional but amateur” (or Amateur but professional) device this individual made and is now selling. As I own no ML products I was not really paying attention.but its out there for those that do.

[NQVHNWI]

The App should be totally free. You buy the app when you buy new products (people who buy second-hand or legacy products – that is again covered by new sales)

In my opinion the App is highly confused in what it is and what it pretends to be.

1. Per my opening statement, the app is highly focussed on product selection and setup.
2. It is highly buggy (especially with Theatre, BL28 and other product roll-outs)
3. The main “experience” i.e. playing music and video via the BeoApp player is not a great experience nor enjoyable in my opinion. There is certainly no “B&O magic” in the interaction part for sure.

B&O really need to get this platform working correctly and stable – it is the “face” of all their current products. For instance….every time I pull the App on my iPad, select Theatre for instance…..it is as if im looking at a factory install. Favourites gone, listening position gone, remote dialogue on, etc……

Come back 10 minutes later and all the settings have loaded on the app. The BR1 and Halo are unaffected.

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My gut feeling is the BeoConnect Core (BC Core) has a lot more features under the hood that B&O have not told us about on release (though WISA is not one of them) and  who knows if these features will get rolled out over time? I think it is a capable device but won’t be allowed to cannibalise other products in the current line-up.

However, back on topic, nice that the new core is……no way should it be considered a 100 year anniversary product.

[NQVHNWI]

matteventu wrote:

This is a good point, I remember reading (can’t remember where) that apparently B&O HQ was buying a lot of used Beolab 5…

yes, very lazy from B&O;

1. Buy back all the junk BL5s with busted or near-busted chassis.
2. probably re-cap them and maybe a new Eprom
3. Add new speaker drivers
4. Re-cloth the frets
5. Spin a few new lens covers in a Limited Edition Colour

i.e. all the stuff they have been charging B&O customers for years for repairs and parts on the BL5 and sell it to the Arty High-Net-Worth individuals at x10 the price of new.

Money for old rope I’d say.

[NQVHNWI]

The Beoconnect Core will do what I believe you want…..

HDMI to BC-Core. Powerlink out to your Beolabs?

You need to check with your Dealer but I think you will be able to load the Beo/LG App in the LG and get control??

 

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