[NQVHNWI]

I briefly looked at keeping my Eclipse Stand, fabricating a 10mm thick Aluminium Plate and hex-bolting the Theatre to the stand (excluding the Eclipse “Y” bracket). In the end, I just sold it on.

The STB variant looks interesting and that 7-40 stands look cheap on eBay. However, I think I will look to see if a 7-55 stand comes on the market. The 77in Theatre on the table stand on the floor looks really cool – very BV5/9/10/11 etc and hides all the cable. The low-slung look suits the Theatre/G2 look

In the end, I went super-cheap and made a plinth out of glued Ikea Lack hanging shelving, cut the innards out of one of them (honeycomb paper) to hide excess cable. Add a bit of filler, sandpaper and some emulsion paint for £60!

 

 

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I don’t know your location, nor the agreed deal with you and your Dealer?

I know that B&O have delivered large items (BL90) direct to my home and the shipper is a shipper only. They drop the parcel off at door step only, with the rest of the problem being yours. I know they that B&O dealers can do it all, but this carries installation expenses.

Sometimes, it has been my preference to save a few ££, sometimes to savour the experience and do the install yourself.

In my last experience, I had the opposite, I wanted to install myself but the Dealer insisted. (They are 1.5hrs away from my home). With some of the fiddling about they did, dialling in alignment of the soundbar and panel (which is not as easy as the videos look), it took them 5hrs. I think in essence, I was the training mule for them to learn as I was the first BSTH that Dealer had done.

Back to your case, if a package arrived at unsociable hours like you indicate, I’d simply tell the driver to jog-on and refuse the delivery. Make that your Dealers/B&Os problem.

[NQVHNWI]

It is difficult to ascertain your requirements, tastes, budget and location.

In the UK, the cheapest Contour package I can see for 55in, is around £7k for a table top version and melange cover. A commensurate BS Theatre would be around £8.5 (difficult because of subtracting the 65in difference).

So, for £1.5 to £2k, you can breakaway from screen quality dependence on your whole product. You als get a superior product I would think and one which is upgradable in terms of ecosystem etc…

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Themanthemyth wrote:

How well does it do Atmos by itself?

Im not sure I can really answer that on multiple levels:-

I’ve just stored the microphone away deep into the loft. However, listening to the Dealer demo, it is a very credible and capable soundbar in its own right. I have no reference to compare its 3D sound capabilities – only its tonal capability.

I have done two positional calibrations with RoomSense:- a) BSTH/BL90/BL3 and b) BL90 only (this is my workaround for a potential hole in the BeoApp for BL90 Narrow/Wide/Omni selection).

I have not done a calibration with the BSTH on its own (I assume you have to do this to answer your question?) and assume just muting the accompanying Surrounds is not the same as calibrating a BSTH on its own? i.e. I dont know if the BSTH can do that on the fly?

[NQVHNWI]

Vinnie wrote:

From your answer Mr10Percent, I understand that using optical (digital output) to the BL5’s, I will get better quality than using good quality PowerLink cables?

My experience of pumping Beosound 5 output to the BL5’s is that Coax to BL5 will give a superior sound over Powerlink alone. I would state with this setup ,the music output stayed in the digital domain right up to the BL5 DAC stage.

Looking at your setup, I would look at the capabilities of iphone and airplay in terms of digital output. A lot of phones downgrade their outputs depending on the codec being used.

If you were pumping sound from a purpose-built music server via the LAN, Im sure this would be as good as you can get from this equipment. However, I am uncertain what the Core does in terms of the “Line-in (analogue & digital combo)” and airplay or what Airplay and your phone is doing?  From your last post, it sounds like the BL5s are playing unfiltered noise with the music signal  from the 96 to 192kHz band. By selecting 48kHz, you are filtering the signal above 96kHz (aka 0.5 Nyquist).

Now, thinking on my feet,  if you have a home network and a PC (better still, a NAS), I think you can make the PC (network search on) into a Music server and in the Beoapp select it as DNLA.

It will then collect all the relevant music files (Core does not support WMA if you are still there??). This should allow you to play files up to 96kHz to the Core and you can decide if the Core DAC is OK with Powerlink alone or if you should keep it in the digital domain a little longer to export it via Toslink/coax direct to the BL5.

This should give you a good indication if it is the Phone codecs, the core DAC or the BL5 internal fault.

Im sure there are plenty of people on this site who can review what i have said and see if the logic is good?

Rgds

 

 

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The way I used to do it (not had a BS5 in my system for 4-5 years now) was to make the BM5 part of your PC Home Network. I think this is similar to Millelissens method above.

Once done, I did extensive cleaning on Windows Media Player. I had a number of duplicate track names – particularly on compilation albums and EPs etc…

The format I standardised on was based around naming all my music under an extended Album name:-

Music >>> “Artist” Folder >>> “Artist – Album 1″…”Artist – Album 2” >>> then Track level.

I then went through an agonising eternity to ensure each and all tracks in my entire portfolio were correctly “aligned” in terms of Tag Naming and Album Art. This, when completed made the BS5 a very slick and fast way of accessing Albums, whether by Art, Artist, Album etc…..

Hope that Helps

 

 

 

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Millemissen wrote:

Oh sorry – you’re right! My mistake MM

Had me sweating for a few moments. Thought I’d just walked into a bear trap without thinking.

[NQVHNWI]

Addendum,

One of the things I am somewhat relieved about is getting away from the tied panel thing. With the Theatre and the G2, (which does not suffer from burn in apparently), is the panel becomes almost a disposable after 5 years use. I’m sure that’s the intent, we will see if that pans out

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This is not directly a B&O. Sure, their TV with their name on it but a notorious LG C7, C9 and CX problem. LG did not have warranty on any panel against burn-in.

Having my Theatre installed yesterday, the Installer told me they have done plenty of panel exchanges and one of the reason’s the Gen1 are completely done for in terms of spares.

If purchased from new……your Beovision will have a 5 year warranty. Suggest you invoke that right?

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1 x Toslink digital sound out

..which can typically be converted to Coax. Hence the OP refers to optical out?

[NQVHNWI]

Hi,

As per my original response, Powerlink only BL5s sound rubbish compared to feeding them with Coax. Night and Day in my opinion.

I assume you are feeding your BSCore with 96kHz feed and it is not responding but responding at 48kHz?

The BL5s should be good for 96kHz/24bit DSP so either you have a problem with the Core or the BL5. Again, as indicated above, play with the cables (which is fed first), L/R channel (on Powerlink) and coax1/2 input order. i.e. if 1 BL5 has a DSP problem at 96kHz but ok at 48kHz, you can test each separately. If you have this sample rate problem in both, you have a Core problem (or the signal going in the core is above 96/24). You want the Core to have a problem if you must have a problem.

As I see it now…with the info presented, it sounds like the problem is the Core of the feed to the Core.

Can you connect the Coax directly to your non-Core source but keep the Powerlink in the core. (This will give you Beo volume control but no source control). However, it will help diagnose where your problem is.

[NQVHNWI]

I only had my BST with an LG65 G2 panel up and running after a half day installing the thousands of bits and pieces.

BL90 Fronts

BL3 Rear (side)

BST Upfront.

Watched a Netflix movie and was impressed with the overall performance. The BST is able to push vocals competently while walking between the BL90 phantom image. My previous Gen1 Eclipse soundbar was useless in terms of sound match.

Plenty of bass rumble and physical from the BST (not all the the BL90s) and the BST definitely managed the sound distribution better. The Sound was somewhat “lighter” and less-intense than the previous configuration (Eclipse up front, BL90 Fronts).

I found watching TV channels, the sound was a little “thin” and needed the volume sliding up (say 45 to 53) to compensate. I think this is to do with the App settings in that as far as I can ascertain right now, there is no way to dB boost/reduce specific Sources. (Again in the Eclipse, I reduced the Netflix output volume by -6dB to match TV sound level).

 

I can only imagine that the BST will be enough in most TV rooms for bass response. I dont see it lacking. I would also imagine that “skinny” loudspeakers like the BL18 (+ BST) would benefit from some experimentation in the Sound Mode settings (Frequency tilt and Sound Enhancement). Also, I would make sure Bass Management is toggles on. This maximises the capability of your loudspeakers.

If this is not enough still for your taste, you either need a Sub or some fatter Beolabs

 

 

 

 

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Hi,

There is a specific specification of BL5 Powerlink cable. Im not 100% but I think it is heavily shielded and has a ferrite ring on each termination.

When using Powerlink only, the Powerlink transmits analogue audio signal for both channels and volume control.

When using Powerlink and SP/Dif, the BL5’s only use the Powerlink for volume control and SP/Dif for the digital audio signal.

I am not sure what your problem maybe – whether it is poor quality (for music) Powerlink cable or something else. You can test this by swapping channels on the BL5 and by swapping cables between the source and the BL5 and the cable that daisy-chains the BVL5s together.

However, I believe the quality of sound using both cable sets will superior all around. A poor quality Powerlink cable (if that is the problem?) for volume control and a good Coax cable should suffice.

[NQVHNWI]

Installed my BSTh yesterday. Very fiddly for the Installer to assemble with over 10 boxes of parts supplied. Cradle to cradle may be good but we will run out of trees at this rate.

Loading the LG Thinq app and registering the monitor was the hardest bit once the BST was assembled. Everything else was easy. Adding external speakers was straightforward and roomsense works very well. LG G2 has an excellent picture compared to the C7 and CX panels.

The BeoApp needs a bit of a tidy up with the way it selects sources etc but nothing major. Some questions on how the BL90s interact in wide/narrow in the BSTh. Role assignment needs some work. Nothing major and ill raise a ticket’s with support.

Overall, the sound experience is eceptional.

[NQVHNWI]

Razlaw wrote:

I am still waiting for my (delayed) Theatre.

You too? Mine was delayed a couple of weeks now. Expect to receive it tomorrow if all goes well. Any Idea of the cause? Seems widespread?

[NQVHNWI]

“They all do that Sir”

Problem with a lot of the early LG C-panel Oleds. LG would not even guarantee against it apparently and with B&O overloading some of the functions and settings, it’s almost inevitable.

There are a few YouTube videos with image retention aids (leave go overnight) which seems to help. However, burn in is burn in (and not image retention.

[NQVHNWI]

My experience on BL5s (2003 to 2016 – mk1s IIRC), was I went through an upper tweeter on one speaker. Needed to replace both to keep the same/equal performance. £150 each including fitting in 2014.

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Matador & Kronzilla,

Yes, understand your points. I never got to hear the older “Beovox box” speakers and remember somewhat lusting after a pair of Redlines in my early teens. I think the reality is somewhat in between? The older loudspeakers had a limited amount of acoustic design – as did the tape, tuner and decks of the time. With computerised acoustic and electronic design, this will have been “improved upon”  technically (but not necessarily “sound better” to many ears).

The BL8000 and 6000 were point in case; Loudspeakers could be made small, compact, powerful and WAF/decor-friendly. They were compromised in many ways too, with reduced bass and possibly weak imaging etc… My point is that the latter-day loudspeakers tend to correct all these design deficiencies – but and a big but(t), they are large machines compared to their 1970-1990 counterparts?

[NQVHNWI]

matador wrote: Interesting point of view. Can it be unlinked to the music habits of the moments? I mean can we compare the point of view of a member that listen the same record on is beloved Beogram for 40 years on Beovox and BL8000 and after that Beolab 5 and then 90’s… With the one of someone listening to Spoteezer HDmium on a Balance and comparing it with Square 5 member around a beer in a crowded bar? More seriously doesn’t comparison need to have a common ground?

Not quite following your comment and it’s meaning 100%? For Sure we are all entitled to listen to what we want and like and opinion was offered by me on a point of view.

A few of extra points from my perspective.
1. I list3n to an occasion LP on a fully refurbished BG8002/MMC2. The sound to be frank is average to my ears but watching the BG play (or just sit there) is art.

2. When I purchased either my BL5s and latterly the BL90s,  I found a number of interesting things in my music; a) a whole range of hidden sounds, textures and imagaging were hidden in my FLAC recording we’re suddenly revealed and b) half the recordings are really very poorly mastered (predominately poor imaging I would say i.e unrealistic sound)
3. B&O have never made a decent digital Beosound to keep up with the BL90s. Especially the players included in the modern OLED Beovisions. The BS5 I had for many years was OK with the BL5s but junk with the 90s. I spent quite a bit on a 3rd party audio system of big boxes. This has made my remaking good recordings in 2a above somewhat better and the bad recordings in 2b a lot worse.
4. I’m not a big proponent of list3ning to streamed music, preferring listening to my own cd rips. So can’t commen5 on Deezer and Spotify.

5. I thing the Balance could become an exceptional Beolab as opposed to a Beosound. I miffs me what B&O never put that feature in – just like the phono plugs of old. An insert kills the Beosound function and makes the unit a Beolab slave??

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In the last 35years keeping B&O solvent, I’ve owned a wide-spread of music machines.

BL6000, BL4000, BL2, BL3, BL4, BL5, BL90 as well as countless Beoplay and integrated music boxes.

My view is that the latter-day products are way way more tonally balanced and powerful than earlier non-ICE loudspeakers. The BL5 was clearly the first of these products on a new playing level and I never found the treble a problem. In retrospect, the BL5 had a bass problem which is clearly revealed when compared to the BL50 or 90. However, in isolation – what a speaker!

The only loudspeaker I ever heard which was a problem for me was the BL1. It was shrill to my ears.

As matters currently stand, I wait in anticipation for the Beosound Balance to be RJ45’d so they can be paired either to a BV or to my Auralic DAC. I think the Balance would run rings around the BL3. But I guess that is a kind of progress?

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